Nita took a sip of her wine, and I poured myself another glass. She clinked hers against mine in a toast. “That man is one sexy stud!”
I shook my head at her. “Don’t get any ideas. He wants a witch to help him with his investigation. He doesn’t know that much about how our magic works.”
“Neither do a lot of witches.” She took another sip. “You could do worse, you know. It’s not like you’re a spring chicken anymore. Isn’t it time you settled down?”
I sniggered. “I haven’t been a spring chicken since the Middle Ages, but I’m doing just fine in case you haven’t noticed.” Claws padded to the kitchen door and pushed at it with his paw. I got up to let him in. When he saw Nita, he went to have his chin scratched. The ocelot was used to getting lots of attention. He was the darling of the coven and had more magic than most familiars.
After dutifully fussing over him, Nita returned to our earlier conversation. “You might not mind being celibate, but with that man, you could do better. My Karnil is an incubus, and let me tell you. Demons are dynamite in the sack.”
“So why did you ask Raven if demons could have children? You already knew the answer.”
She grinned. “I wanted him to picture you guys tangled together under the sheets. Not that you’ll need sheets with a fire demon. He’s probably like a furnace. You’ll never get cold.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the help, but it’s not like that.”
“You could nudge it in that direction. Everyone knows he hasn’t played around in Muddy River. He’s a male. He must have a lot of pent-up sexual tension. You could offer him relief. Besides, everyone in our coven is married but you, Meda, Noira and Sugi. Oops, I heard the news. Noira and Sugi are mated. So that just leaves you and Meda.”
“Meda’s so gorgeous, she’s having fun playing around.”
Nita shrugged. “She’ll get tired of it eventually. You don’t even do that. You know what they say. Use it or lose it.”
Sweet Hecate! I needed to refocus her attention. “How are Lotta and Cadman?”
“I get it. Change of topic. Our beautiful Swede is so pregnant, she looks like she’ll pop. Cad’s so nervous, his Druid tattoos can’t sit still.” Cadman was a Druid priest, covered with live tattoos except for his face and neck. When he’s upset, there’s thunder and lightning.
Claws bumped his head against my knee and I scratched his ears. “I hope it’s an easy delivery, or Muddy River’s going to get drenched and the high winds will knock down wires.” Way back, when Lotta and Cadman were still courting and she ignored him for a month to encourage him to pop the question, it rained in Muddy River day after day. Everyone was relieved when he finally asked her to marry him and she said yes.
Nita finished her wine and stood. “I’d better go. I have early deliveries tomorrow. Remember I need more herbs, though.”
“I’ll bring them first thing tomorrow.”
I let her see herself out, then poured the last of the wine and went to the living room to relax. I watched a little TV, and Claws jumped on the couch beside me and lowered his head on my lap. His purrs filled the living room as I thumbed through my mail before glancing outside. The moon was bright enough that I could work in my garden. I decided to pick and dry Nita’s herbs tonight, so that I could deliver them early.
Claws loved a second trip outdoors with me. He played in the yard while I worked. I filled two baskets and bound the herbs together to hang from the low branches of my crabapple tree to dry. An owl landed on the lowest branch with a tightly wound, small scroll in its talons. I took it and opened it to read. Smiling, I read the message from a friend in Pennsylvania. Carlotta had lived many, many centuries and still preferred the old ways to a cell phone. She sent news about the spring solstice ceremony she’d attended in late March.
The moon shifted and shadows filled the garden. I carried the letter inside and got ready for bed. I’d answer her later. I opened the window, as usual, to let in fresh air, then snuggled under the blankets and Claws curled at my feet.
In the wee hours, I heard wings flap and something land inside my room. Claws crouched, ready to pounce. What now?
I opened my eyes as Derek Fang shifted into his mortal mode. He tsk-tsked at me. “You left your window wide open. Are you that sure of yourself that you don’t worry who can enter your home?”
I flicked my fingers and wards lit up all around my house and yard. Maybe I should put a notice in our local newspaper. “Hester Wand’s house is protected. Only friends may enter.” Instead, I told Derek, “Only friends can pass my boundaries. Did you just get off work?”
“I locked up, then came here. Could you protect my house with wards?” He sat on the end of the bed and reached to stroke Claws’s flank. The ocelot rolled onto his back so that Derek could pet his white, spotted belly
“Why? Have you made enemies?”
“Belladonna’s dad keeps threatening me. He blames me for Bella turning to black magic to win me back from Prim. That’s a load of horse dung, but he’s threatening Prim, too. He even came into the bar tonight with some of the other dads from Bella’s coven to harass me.”
“What did you do?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t have to do anything. It’s a supernatural hangout. Every shifter, vampire, and warlock in there stood up, and I had to talk them out of beating Blood to a pulp. The truth is, I might look young, but I’m ancient. I could eviscerate Blood before his fangs reach full length. I could probably take on all of them, but I’d rather not.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “He doesn’t know when to quit, does he? I have to deliver herbs to Nita tomorrow, so I’ll be in town anyway. I’ll bring plenty of wards and amulets to protect your house and bar and Prim’s shop and apartment.”
“Thank you.”
“Does Prim have enough power to protect herself?”
He ran a hand through his longish, coffee-colored hair, messing it. It only made him look sexier. “Prim’s got all kinds of power. She just doesn’t like to use it. That worries me.”
“You know, if you told Raven what’s happened, he’d help both of you, too.”
“If I don’t want to gut Blood, I sure don’t want Raven turning him into a crisp. That’s why I came to you.”
“Raven doesn’t burn everyone who irritates him.”
“No, but Blood’s pushing his luck, isn’t he?”
I couldn’t argue with that. “You have a point. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“A word of warning. The minute you help us, you’ll become Blood’s next verbal target.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“When he dislikes you, he thinks up some demeaning nickname for you. I’m Derelict Derek. Prim’s Prim the Pussy. He tells everyone he can that Prim has no backbone, she’s happy to take sloppy seconds.”
I wrinkled my nose. “A bully. I don’t like it when people call me names.”
He cocked his head and grinned. “You have a glint in your eyes. You’re hoping he throws potshots at you, aren’t you?”
I smiled. “There are privileges that go along with being a witch.”
Laughing, he walked to the window, but before he shifted into a bat again, he winked at me. “For an old witch, you’re awfully hot. You know that, don’t you?”
All of sudden, I was very aware that I was wearing my thin satin nightgown.
With a chuckle, he shifted and flew away.
Nita took a sip of her wine, and I poured myself another glass. She clinked hers against mine in a toast. “That man is one sexy stud!”
I shook my head at her. “Don’t get any ideas. He wants a witch to help him with his investigation. He doesn’t know that much about how our magic works.”
“Neither do a lot of witches.” She took another sip. “You could do worse, you know. It’s not like you’re a spring chicken anymore. Isn’t it time you settled down?”
I sniggered. “I haven’t been a spring chicken since the Middle Ages, but I’m doing just fine in case you haven’t noticed.” Claws padded to the kitchen door and pushed at it with his paw. I got up to let him in. When he saw Nita, he went to have his chin scratched. The ocelot was used to getting lots of attention. He was the darling of the coven and had more magic than most familiars.
After dutifully fussing over him, Nita returned to our earlier conversation. “You might not mind being celibate, but with that man, you could do better. My Karnil is an incubus, and let me tell you. Demons are dynamite in the sack.”
“So why did you ask Raven if demons could have children? You already knew the answer.”
She grinned. “I wanted him to picture you guys tangled together under the sheets. Not that you’ll need sheets with a fire demon. He’s probably like a furnace. You’ll never get cold.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the help, but it’s not like that.”
“You could nudge it in that direction. Everyone knows he hasn’t played around in Muddy River. He’s a male. He must have a lot of pent-up sexual tension. You could offer him relief. Besides, everyone in our coven is married but you, Meda, Noira and Sugi. Oops, I heard the news. Noira and Sugi are mated. So that just leaves you and Meda.”
“Meda’s so gorgeous, she’s having fun playing around.”
Nita shrugged. “She’ll get tired of it eventually. You don’t even do that. You know what they say. Use it or lose it.”
Sweet Hecate! I needed to refocus her attention. “How are Lotta and Cadman?”
“I get it. Change of topic. Our beautiful Swede is so pregnant, she looks like she’ll pop. Cad’s so nervous, his Druid tattoos can’t sit still.” Cadman was a Druid priest, covered with live tattoos except for his face and neck. When he’s upset, there’s thunder and lightning.
Claws bumped his head against my knee and I scratched his ears. “I hope it’s an easy delivery, or Muddy River’s going to get drenched and the high winds will knock down wires.” Way back, when Lotta and Cadman were still courting and she ignored him for a month to encourage him to pop the question, it rained in Muddy River day after day. Everyone was relieved when he finally asked her to marry him and she said yes.
Nita finished her wine and stood. “I’d better go. I have early deliveries tomorrow. Remember I need more herbs, though.”
“I’ll bring them first thing tomorrow.”
I let her see herself out, then poured the last of the wine and went to the living room to relax. I watched a little TV, and Claws jumped on the couch beside me and lowered his head on my lap. His purrs filled the living room as I thumbed through my mail before glancing outside. The moon was bright enough that I could work in my garden. I decided to pick and dry Nita’s herbs tonight, so that I could deliver them early.
Claws loved a second trip outdoors with me. He played in the yard while I worked. I filled two baskets and bound the herbs together to hang from the low branches of my crabapple tree to dry. An owl landed on the lowest branch with a tightly wound, small scroll in its talons. I took it and opened it to read. Smiling, I read the message from a friend in Pennsylvania. Carlotta had lived many, many centuries and still preferred the old ways to a cell phone. She sent news about the spring solstice ceremony she’d attended in late March.
The moon shifted and shadows filled the garden. I carried the letter inside and got ready for bed. I’d answer her later. I opened the window, as usual, to let in fresh air, then snuggled under the blankets and Claws curled at my feet.
In the wee hours, I heard wings flap and something land inside my room. Claws crouched, ready to pounce. What now?
I opened my eyes as Derek Fang shifted into his mortal mode. He tsk-tsked at me. “You left your window wide open. Are you that sure of yourself that you don’t worry who can enter your home?”
I flicked my fingers and wards lit up all around my house and yard. Maybe I should put a notice in our local newspaper. “Hester Wand’s house is protected. Only friends may enter.” Instead, I told Derek, “Only friends can pass my boundaries. Did you just get off work?”
“I locked up, then came here. Could you protect my house with wards?” He sat on the end of the bed and reached to stroke Claws’s flank. The ocelot rolled onto his back so that Derek could pet his white, spotted belly
“Why? Have you made enemies?”
“Belladonna’s dad keeps threatening me. He blames me for Bella turning to black magic to win me back from Prim. That’s a load of horse dung, but he’s threatening Prim, too. He even came into the bar tonight with some of the other dads from Bella’s coven to harass me.”
“What did you do?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t have to do anything. It’s a supernatural hangout. Every shifter, vampire, and warlock in there stood up, and I had to talk them out of beating Blood to a pulp. The truth is, I might look young, but I’m ancient. I could eviscerate Blood before his fangs reach full length. I could probably take on all of them, but I’d rather not.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “He doesn’t know when to quit, does he? I have to deliver herbs to Nita tomorrow, so I’ll be in town anyway. I’ll bring plenty of wards and amulets to protect your house and bar and Prim’s shop and apartment.”
“Thank you.”
“Does Prim have enough power to protect herself?”
He ran a hand through his longish, coffee-colored hair, messing it. It only made him look sexier. “Prim’s got all kinds of power. She just doesn’t like to use it. That worries me.”
“You know, if you told Raven what’s happened, he’d help both of you, too.”
“If I don’t want to gut Blood, I sure don’t want Raven turning him into a crisp. That’s why I came to you.”
“Raven doesn’t burn everyone who irritates him.”
“No, but Blood’s pushing his luck, isn’t he?”
I couldn’t argue with that. “You have a point. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“A word of warning. The minute you help us, you’ll become Blood’s next verbal target.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“When he dislikes you, he thinks up some demeaning nickname for you. I’m Derelict Derek. Prim’s Prim the Pussy. He tells everyone he can that Prim has no backbone, she’s happy to take sloppy seconds.”
I wrinkled my nose. “A bully. I don’t like it when people call me names.”
He cocked his head and grinned. “You have a glint in your eyes. You’re hoping he throws potshots at you, aren’t you?”
I smiled. “There are privileges that go along with being a witch.”
Laughing, he walked to the window, but before he shifted into a bat again, he winked at me. “For an old witch, you’re awfully hot. You know that, don’t you?”
All of sudden, I was very aware that I was wearing my thin satin nightgown.
With a chuckle, he shifted and flew away.
