“Not today.” Ian holstered his gun and plucked a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. He swept around Drew’s shuddering form and slapped the cuffs on his wrists.
Drew didn’t even struggle. The fight had left him. He slumped forward, shrinking back into the man I’d met at the Jazz Club. Harmless and unsure.
Ian pulled him to his feet and marched him past us. Drew only paused a moment in front of Blythe, lowering his head. “I’m so sorry,” was all he could croak out before shuffling the rest of the way to the back of the cruiser.
I heard Blythe inhale sharply beside me. She grasped my wrist tightly and then released the breath in one long motion. “Thank you. To both of you. I don’t know what would’ve happened…” She shook her head, spraying me with droplets of lake water. “Scratch that. I know what would’ve happened. It wasn’t pretty.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” I replied. “My witchy senses were all over the place tonight. I knew something was up.”
“Me, too,” Raven added. “The hair’s been standing up on my neck all evening.”
I chuckled without really finding anything funny. “I guess the three of us are connected.”
“It’s the Half-Moon Witch thing.” Blythe shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the birthmark. It was hard to spot in the darkening evening, but even now I could make out the half crescent strawberry colored mark.
Raven nodded in awe. “It is a Half-Moon witch thing. It really does exist.”
Chapter 21
Light poured from the windows of Brunick Manor as Ian pulled into the drive. Raven’s motorcycle rumbled behind the cruiser, coming to a stop just short of the rear passenger door where Blythe exited, now dressed in the clothes she’d worn on her date. A blanket that Ian had grabbed out of his trunk still hung from her drooped shoulders, despite the humid evening. He didn’t ask for it back as she shuffled toward the front door with Raven at her side.
“I guess you’re not getting that back,” I said to him, watching Blythe through the passenger window. He’d been silent on the trip home and I was grateful for it. This evening had been a lot to digest. “Blythe has a habit of stealing warm fuzzy things.”
“She can keep it,” he said with a soft smile that reached his eyes. “She deserves to keep something warm and fuzzy with her tonight.”
“Thanks, Ian.” I placed my hand on the handle, but the sudden movement of his hand to my knee made me freeze. Blood rushed to my cheeks.
“You know, I don’t really understand what happened out there tonight,” he said, turning toward me. His hand was still conspicuously placed on my leg. “One minute we were running toward him and the next thing I know we’re getting bowled over by something flying through the air.”
Dang. I thought we’d managed to hide our witchy powers from him tonight. I swallowed down the nervous feelings that had begun to spring up. “You must’ve hit your head when you fell. That was just me and my clumsiness bowling you over. Nothing else.”
I turned back toward the door and froze again when he spoke. “I’m not a total dimwit. Something weird was going on back there.”
Uh oh. On top of everything that had gone on today, I wasn’t in the mood to give the I’m a Witch speech. I’d given that speech to a boy I liked in college. There’s no better way to end a relationship than to tell a guy you’re a real life bona fide witch. At first, he’d laugh because he thought you were joking. And then he’d get real freaked out and leave. Forever. Not happening.
Of course, Ian wasn’t a boyfriend. He was a friend. But one of the oldest friends I had. I didn’t need to ruin that tonight.
“What are you saying?” I asked him, afraid to say anything we’d both regret. I could feel his gaze on the back of my neck.
“I’m saying that bad guys don’t just get knocked over by a sudden and convenient blast of wind.” He groaned and shifted in his seat. “That something odd was going on.”
I sighed. Here it comes. The big explanation and the end of a lifelong friendship.
He surprised me just then by grabbing my arm and pulling me back gently to face him. A grim frown made his lips press into a thin line. “But at the same time...I’m not sure I want to know what happened out there. Maybe it’s best we just leave it at that. A convenient blast of wind.”
A smile worked its way onto my lips and I couldn’t help but nod eagerly. “We saved Blythe, that’s all that matters.”
“You saved Blythe.” He dropped his arm and fiddled with the small computer screen in-between us. It was flashing some codes and had the recent arrest report of Drew that Ian had sent into command. “You were right. I should’ve taken you more seriously.”
“Hey, can I get that in writing?” I quipped with a grin.
He looked up at me and a smile tugged at the left side of his face. “Not on your life.”
“Fine.” I opened the car door and slipped out. My family was waiting for me inside and I had an aching need to go hug Grammy Jo. “But I’m not taking all the credit for tonight. You’re a good cop, Officer Larson. You saved her, too.”
“Tell you what,” he said leaning over the passenger seat. “You can tear up that ticket for your pig and we’ll call it even. How’s that sound?”
I smiled and shook my head. “Deal.”