“On three.” Caden gave the count then put his weight into the beams. His shoulders strained as he lifted the debris. I used both arms to help me scoot out of the way.
Once I was clear, Caden released the remains of the ceiling, sending up a cloud of dust.
“Good show!” the ghost peering down from the opening shouted. “Now, so long as nothing’s broken, get the girl back up here. We’ve got work to do. Let’s go, Loki.” He gave a curt nod then vanished from sight. Loki whined, eventually turning on his hind legs and trotting off into the shadows. His eternal glow faded with him.
“What is he talking about?” I asked, brushing plaster from my sweater. “Nope, better question. Who is he?”
Caden ignored my rapid-fire questions. “You heard the man. Is anything broken? Let me check your leg.”
“It’s fine. Mostly bumps and bruises. I’ll probably feel worse tomorrow,” I muttered, wincing when his fingers ran down my calf then made quick work of my boot’s laces. Gently, he pulled the boot from my foot and probed my ankle.
“Does this hurt?”
“No.”
“Liar.” He used a beam of magic for a closer inspection, the hint of a smile returning when he noticed my pointy hat and cauldron-embroidered socks.
“These are a little on the nose, don’t you think?”
“What? A witch can’t wear witchy socks?”
He chuckled low in his throat, the sound doing a little something to my pulse. I jerked my foot from his grasp and made a big deal about reclaiming my boot, which I hugged to my chest, feeling a little ridiculous. Maybe I should fake a head injury. Later, while cringing over our conversation, I could blame some of my embarrassment on that.
“Let me help you stand.” He held out his hand and wriggled his fingers when I didn’t jump at the chance for further contact. I was sure women usually vaulted at the opportunity. They wouldn’t let a silly little thing like a potential foot fracture stop them.
When I still hesitated, he sighed. “You’re being difficult.”
I scoffed. “Difficult? You didn’t fall through the ceiling, get rescued by a ghost dog, and then get mocked for your choice in socks. And that was just today. Don’t get me started on last night.”
“I deserved that. Would it help if I showed you mine?”
“Don’t bother. I’ve already seen the socks that come in packs of ten. Your bulk purchase is of no interest to me.” With an expression that said, “Checkmate,” I fit my palm against his and let him tug me to my feet.
His left hand wrapped around my waist, fingers applying pressure near my hip. The winning smile slipped from my lips as he dipped his head and murmured close to my ear, “That’s too bad. They might surprise you. Let me know if you change your mind.”
He nudged me forward, allowing me to take the weight off my foot as we hobbled toward the staircase.
“You never answered my question. What are you doing here?”
Grip tightening, he helped me up the first set of steps. When we reached the landing, he answered, “Same as you. I was called here.”
“What? No. I wasn’t called here . . .”They sent me a text.
“So you didn’t show up expecting to find a gathering of witches?”
“Actually, I thought I might run into my cousin. My family is a big deal in supernatural circles.” I paused our progress to give him a condescending pat on the arm. “It makes sense you wouldn’t know. We’re kind of royalty.”
His tone was as condescending as my touch. “Oh, I didn’t realize your last name was Jennings.”
My mood soured.Well played, sir.“It’s not.”
We kept moving through the hall and toward another staircase leading to the second floor. My ankle throbbed, and I tried not to let it show. What I couldn’t hide, however, was my curiosity. Nothing had gone as expected. Something strange was happening, and somehow, Caden, along with a ghost and his dog, knew more than I did.
“That must mean you know my cousin, Ivy.” I pursed my lips together before blurting out my next question.How well do you know her? Intimately?Damn, my mood is sinking faster than a Swiss cheese sailboat.
“Why would they make a sailboat out of Swiss cheese?”
His absurd question yanked me from my thoughts. Heat invaded my cheeks. Had I said that out loud?Jeez, Elle. Keep your nonsense on the inside.I pressed my fingers to my temple and feigned a moan.
