“Have you thought about reaching out to them?”
“I considered it, but Briggs doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”
Charissa glanced at Briggs. Charissa had led Cece to the wall of packaged herbs and other plants to chat in privacy, and the polar bear shifter stood a few feet away. He was watching Cece, but - a smile crept onto Cece’s face - an ancient-looking witch with brown skin, a rich red cloak, and an elaborate walking stick was talking animatedly to him. The top of her head was roughly in line with Briggs’s navel, and Cece’s grin widened when the witch gave Briggs a hard poke in the stomach.
He stared down at the witch, and she gestured wildly with her free hand before running it across his flat stomach. She grinned toothlessly as Briggs gave her a confused look.
Charissa laughed softly. “Oh goddess, Agatha is hitting on your bodyguard.”
“Briggs looks so confused,” Cece laughed.
“He’ll figure it out when she grabs his ass,” Charissa said. “I’ve had to threaten to ban her a few times from the store when she’s been inappropriate with other customers. We need to make sure Briggs doesn’t drink anything she offers him. It’ll absolutely be laced with a love potion.”
“Holy shit,” Cece said. “How old is Agatha?”
“Eighty-seven,” Charissa said. “But she assures me she’s very active in the bedroom.”
Cece snorted laughter. “Good for her?”
“Very good for her,” Charissa said. “But back to your family. Maybe you should contact them.”
“I don’t know,” Cece said. “As I said, Briggs doesn’t -”
“Just because the guy is in love with you doesn’t mean he can tell you what to do,” Charissa said.
Cece blinked at her. She hadn’t told Charissa about Briggs being her conduit and didn’t plan to. “He isn’t in love with me.”
“He looks at you like he is,” Charissa said.
“We barely know each other,” Cece said.
Charissa shrugged. “It’s called love at first sight.”
Cece stared at Charissa. The witch had always come across as very practical and level-headed, and she was the last person Cece would suspect who believed in love at first sight. But, then again, she didn’t know Elora’s boss all that well.
Charissa grinned at Cece. “I’m a closet romantic.”
She toyed with the witch’s knot pendant that hung around her neck. The red jewel gleamed against her dark skin, and she rubbed it absently with her thumb as she studied Briggs. “He’s obsessed with you, Cece. You don’t need magic to see that.”
Agatha was now leading Briggs to a shelf holding numerous bottles of different coloured liquids. He glanced at Cece, and she gave him a nod and the thumbs up, trying to keep the smile from her face at Briggs’s exasperated look.
“And you’re obsessed with him,” Charissa said.
Cece thought briefly of telling Charissa about Briggs being her conduit and that was the reason for the obsession, but, truthfully, she wasn’t entirely certain that was true anymore. At least not on her end.
“The tension between you two suggests you’re not giving in to that simmering attraction,” Charissa said.
“It’s complicated,” Cece said.
Charissa gave her arm a quick squeeze. “Sorry, it’s none of my business. Any chance you’ve heard from Elora? If she’s on her way home, then she could help you with this if it is your family.”
“I haven’t heard a word,” Cece said, trying not to sound dejected. But holy fuck, she missed her best friend.
Charissa nodded. “Not unexpected. The Rituals of Azeri are very involved and can take months.”
“Months?” Cece said. “Really?”
“Yes,” Charissa said. “It’s intense, but with how quickly Elora came into her full power, her grandmother is right to make her do the Rituals.”
