Black Truth, White Lies (Black Hat Bureau 3)

“I’m not aroused.” He frowned mid-clarification, tilted his head. “That was a lie.”

“I know.” I was in danger of shedding tears, and my stomach hurt. “You’re always horny.” I fell back. “They’re always on your head, even when I can’t see them.”

Propped on one elbow, Asa leaned over me and watched me make a total fool of myself.

When I could breathe again, I wiped my cheeks dry and curled onto my side toward him.

“Feel better?” He stroked my hair. “I’ve never seen you laugh like that.”

“I don’t know where it came from.” I chuckled again. “Maybe I’m losing my mind, courtesy of Granny.”

Calixta was a high queen. Former high queen. And she was kept in a cell at the bottom of a marsh.

Easy to see, in hindsight, why my parents didn’t want me near her or her insidious influence.

Then again, they’d made it easy to identify the trust funding the sanctuary, and linked Mom to it, so had they never wanted me to find her? Or had they wanted me to find her when it was time? When I was ready?

And now that I had the keeping of her, what had they expected me to do?

No one expects to die young, but they really should have left me instructions.

“Calixta Damaras.” He shook his head. “If that was her, and if what she said was true.”

“Lucky us,” I exhaled. “We’re going to see the one person who can confirm it either way.”

* * *

After I fully recovered from my giggle fit, which no black witch—former or not—should admit to, I took a walk to the creek to check on Aedan. He deserved to hear the news about his sister firsthand. As for the rest? It nagged at me, a secret that didn’t want to be kept, so I would trust the blood oath. And Aedan.

“How did it go?” Aedan sat up in his hammock. “You don’t look so hot.”

“I have a lot on my mind.” I helped myself to one of the camp chairs. “How was working at the shop?”

“I liked it.” He brightened. “It was peaceful.” He rolled a shoulder. “And it smelled good.”

“You got along well with the girls?”

“Yes,” he said softly. “I remembered our talk and behaved accordingly.”

The complication of our relationship and his interest in Arden made things so much stickier.

Perhaps worse than the spider’s web.

Okay.

No.

Nothing short of death was that bad.

“I’m not threatening you.” I worked up a tired smile for him. “I’m genuinely curious.”

“I like them. Both of them. They’re nice.” He ducked his head. “They also smell good.”

The grin of accomplishment when he spoke about work made me curious. “Have you ever had a job?”

“I had duties to my family, but not a nine-to-five, no.”

“You’ve never had to earn your own money?”