“I believe your story,” Starla told Max. “Even though I can’t read your mind at the moment.”
Discreetly, Edie slipped her cleaver back into her cross-body bag.
“My wife is far more trusting than I am. Until I see some definitive evidence, I’m not declaring you innocent of that woman’s murder.” The suspicion on Sabrina’s face softened into resignation. “I’ll say this much, though: After talking to Starla, I do trust you at my back in battle tomorrow. Not because of your inherentgoodness or because I know you’re not a conscienceless killer, but because of how you look at Edie.”
Starla nodded, then murmured her gratitude when Sabrina readjusted the pillows supporting her upper body. “Like you’d tear apart the world with your bare hands if she got so much as a splinter.”
Did he truly look at her like that?
Edie twisted her head to study his expression. Met his fierce blue gaze.
Yeah. Yeah, he kinda did. Wow.
“Saving Edie will be your primary objective tomorrow. Saving yourself will be your secondary goal. The rest of us are tertiary concerns for you at best,” Sabrina told Max, ticking off his priorities on her fingers. “But to keep Edie happy, you’ll do your best to save us too. She’d mourn our deaths, and if you blithely let us fall when you could have prevented our grisly demises, she wouldn’t forgive you.”
Still looking down at Edie, he pursed his lips and shook his head.
“It’s true.” His forefinger skimmed over a particularly ticklish spot near her ribs. “She’s a real pain in the ass. Sadly, however, she’smypain in the ass.”
She opened her mouth to say something about the endless ass-based pain she’d been experiencing since the day they’d first met. Then she considered the possible anal sex implications, noted their rapt audience of Girl Explorers, and chose a different response.
“How dare you.” Smacking away his hand, she feigned outrage. “I’m a godsdamndelight.”
“It’s true!” Lorraine said. “I can tell already. We’re going to be bro besties!”
Riley frowned at the troll. “Earlier, you said I would be your bestie.”
“Bestie connections know no limits.” Lorraine flicked a wrist. “You canbothbe my new besties! Gwen too!”
“I’m not certain you entirely understand the wordbest,” Riley told her. “Orbro.”
Sabrina ignored the side chatter and continued addressing Max. “You’ll help us tomorrow. I believe that, and I’m genuinely grateful for it.” Her chest rose and dropped on a deep, deep sigh. “My wife and I don’t have much power left. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
In her overstuffed armchair, Gwen was looking a little greenish again.
Not that the Fates had ever interceded on Edie’s behalf before, but she sent them a mental entreaty anyway.Please let us kill all the creatures before we have to actually battle them face-to-face. Otherwise, our merry band of zombie fighters is fucking toast.
No answer. Stupid unresponsive Fates.
“I’ve now told you all my relevant secrets.” Without rising from the mattress, the witch extended a hand toward Max. “Truce?”
When Edie kicked him in the leg, he grunted.
“Truce.” He shook Sabrina’s hand. “I’ll do my best to keep you and everyone else alive, witch.”
“For Edie’s sake.” Starla’s lips twitched. “No other reason.”
Yeah. The telepath was definitely onto his bullshit too. She and Edie really did need to talk at some point in the near future.
“Correct,” he said.
Thank goodness they’d only be battling zombies tomorrow instead of the zombiesandone another. Knowing that everyone involved could be trusted was really—
Edie’s brows snapped together. “Wait a minute.”
“Oh gods.” Sabrina groaned. “What now?”
Starla didn’t seem surprised when Edie looked to her. “Question, Star. Are witches affected by their own spells?”
