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“The wardings are intact,” I say, slowing to a stop near the first invisible wall of magical energy.I close my eyes and feel the magic buzzing.Juliet’s asleep now, and I shift her up so I can adjust my shirt as well as the blanket over her.“Nothing triggered this one.”
“Triggered like an alarm system?”Eamon asks, moving silently through the night to join us.
“Sort of,” I explain.“Though it doesn’t just “go off” like one.You try to bust through this with ill intent, you probably won’t make it.”
“The magic will burn you, sparking a fire from the inside,” Lucas says casually.“Your internal organs will liquify first, then your skin will begin to char as you choke on the fumes of your own burning body before finally succumbing to the flames.”
Eamon cocks an eyebrow.“You two are a match made in heaven.”
“I prefer hell,” I say with a shrug.“Well, I suppose it’s only because I’ve been there a few times.”
“I don’t think you’re joking,” he says wryly.
“What gave that away?”Kristy asks, blue eyes wide.She’s carrying her wine glass and takes a big gulp.“I mean, the fact that we were just hanging out with Lucifer—we were hanging out with Lucifer!Wow.”She slowly shakes her head and I feel terrible for all she’s been through.I definitely owe her a trip to Disney World after this.We keep walking down the sidewalk and I stop short when I see a burned pile of herbs on the ground.
“They made it past my first warding,” I say, shaking my head.“How did they—”
“That means they didn’t intend to hurt you,” Lucas states but I hear the question in his voice.
“These wardings you speak of,” Eamon starts, “how exactly do they work?”
“I, uh, specified that it keep out anyone who wishes me harm.Humans simply can’t cross—ya know, don’t want to get involved in an active murder investigation or anything—but other supernaturals will be incinerated.”
“What does that mean?”he asks.
A chill runs down my back as I look up, locking eyes with Lucas.“It means that a demon might have actually been trying to help.”
ChapterSix
“Iwill take this back to the Covenstead and have Evander and Ruby run an analysis in the morning,” Tabatha says, waving her hand and magically scooping up the burned herbs into a jar.“Let’s add another layer of protection to the warding.Do you have an adequate supply of Devil’s Shoestring?”
“I think,” I tell her.The nesting phase I went through at the end of my pregnancy was more about sharpening weapons and making vanquishing potions than it was about organizing the nursery and reading baby books.
“Good.Enchant it and put it over your doors.Maybe windows too,” she adds.“We’ll make sense of this, my darling.”Tabatha puts the lid on the jar and steps over to me, kissing Juliet on the top of her head.“Lucas, accompany me to the door.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lucas says, and his respect for Tabatha only strengthens my love for him.I know how hard it was for him to even accept witches as equals in any way, let alone look at them with respect.Though Lucas is smart, and while he could tear through a village in the blink of an eye, he’s always acknowledged the danger witches present.Not all witches, of course, but the rare ones like Tabatha who have the power and wisdom to snap her fingers and turn a vampire inside out before they can even draw their fangs.
Though if I’m being honest, I don’t think he really accepted it until he met me.But I’m no ordinary witch, and Lucas has been by my side as I discovered that.
“You two,” Tabatha goes on, pointingClick here to enter text. at Kristy and me.“Right to bed the both of you.”
“Yes, Headmaster,” I reply with a half-smile.Tabatha raises one eyebrow but smiles back.“I may not be able to ground you to your dorm anymore but locking you in a tower is sounding more and more like a good idea.”
“I second that,” Lucas says, and I give him a glare.
“And you,” Tabatha rounds on Eamon, raising her wrist in a circling motion and whispering an incantation.Green energy swirls around Eamon’s wrists, magically handcuffing them together.His eyes widen as he looks down, more curious than anything else.“I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with whatever this is, but I think it goes without saying that if you even step a toe out of line, I will magically hold you down and pull your veins out one by one.”
Eamon pulls on the magical bindings, charring his flesh.He tips his head to Lucas with a grin on his smug face.“I’m starting to see why you hang out with these people.”
Kristy downs the rest of her wine and takes a staggering step forward.“I’m tired.”
“Me too,” I sigh.“Let’s go in.”
Lucas kisses me goodbye and starts walking around the back of the house with Tabatha.Eliza, Kristy, and Eamon come with me inside.I follow Kristy into the kitchen and watch her refill her wine glass to the brim.
“Doing your best Callie impersonation?”I ask, slowly moving Juliet to my other arm.
“Hah,” she says and takes a big drink.“The bottle would be gone already if I was.”
