“I don’t know. But if Blake did this, how did she find out I was being retested? She’s not part of coven leadership. She doesn’t trust them.” Mia felt herself sinking into the pillow.
“I’m calling Cleo. We need to find out who knew about your retesting. Once we have that list, we should be able to narrow it down,” Grans said as Mia drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, Buddy’s chuffing became words, or she spoke the language of dragons. “Be careful who you trust, Mia. They want you weak. The Goddess can only send protectors to you. She can’t protect you herself.”
CHAPTER15
The kitchen was filled with people and noise when Mia got up from her potion-infused nap. She realized it was dinnertime and Abigail had made lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and what looked like a cake. Her stomach grumbled as she found a chair. A plate was set in front of her and the talking stopped as she picked up a fork.
“What? Did you think you’d get rid of me that easily?” Mia said.
Levi laughed as Abigail shushed him. “Dear, you were in bad shape. Thank goodness for Damien and your grandmother. They make quite a healing team.”
Mia looked around and realized neither one of them was at the table. “Where are they?”
“Your grandmother’s resting and Damien is downstairs, unpacking the books that came this afternoon. His kind doesn’t need to eat much to keep going.” Abigail glanced around the table. “On the other hand, Icook when I’m worried, so we already have a soup chilling in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch and several dozen cookies in your cookie bin.”
“The cookies are amazing,” Christina said, looking up from her lasagna. “I forgot to tell you that.”
The volume of cookies Christina was devouring was going to catch up with her, but Mia wasn’t going to be the one to tell her friend. Let the doctor do his job. Mia smiled and took another bite of dinner. Her phone buzzed. Trent had texted a message.
Glad to know that you’re awake. Eat dinner. You need the fuel.
She replied quickly.
You’re not the boss of me.
Hislolmade her smile and she put the phone away. Her kitchen witch doll was swinging on the rope that held it on the baker’s rack. Gloria was happy too.
“What’s been going on today?” Mia asked. “Besides what happened to me. I want to eat before I start asking questions.”
“That works, because your grandmother said we need to wait for Cleo to arrive before we talk about your missing memories. She’s doing some research at headquarters and should be here around eight,” Abigail filled her in.
Thomas glanced at his watch. “I’m heading back to the shop. Trent put in an order, and I’m going to fill it tonight and then head over to see my son. I’m worried what being locked up in that house with all those women might do to him. I can catch him up on the excitement here.”
Mia smiled at the mention of Trent, but she didn’tsay anything. Levi, on the other hand, met her gaze and smiled back. He knew that Trent had already visited her via the dream walking.
After dinner, while Christina and Levi cleaned up, Mia went downstairs with the dream walking book and started reading. She still needed to finish reading Suzanne Parker’s book, but with everything that had happened today, she thought putting it off until tomorrow might be prudent. As she read, Damien came downstairs to grab a bottle of water.
“You look better than the last time I saw you.” He sat down in one of the wing chairs, leaning forward, watching her.
“I hear I owe you my thanks for fixing me.” She set down the book.
He picked it up and smiled. “I have a better book. Newer, at least. I’ll bring it up to your apartment as soon as I unpack it. And, unfortunately, I didn’t get you fixed. I restored most of the memories, but only time will tell on the others. Tell me about your boss, Blake Sandburg. What do you know about her?”
“You can’t think Blake did this.” Mia leaned back in her chair, thinking about the last week and her interactions with her. “I mean, she’s all about her, but she’s not dangerous.”
The look Damien gave her told her he wasn’t convinced, so she went through everything she knew about Blake: her coven in New England and her attack by the succubus when she was in high school. “She reacts to life like she has PTSD from the event. I’ve met the guy who attacked her and, yes, it was horrible at the time, but I think he’s changed.”
“Succubi may grow old and slow down, but they never change. They crave sex, adoration, attention. It’s not something you just get over with them.” Damien looked thoughtful. “I have another book on the succubus. I’ll find it too. You need to know the monsters in the world sooner rather than later, I’m afraid.”
“That’s what I keep hearing. Blake also told me more about Suzanne Parker. You knew her in another life?”
He shook his head. “I’ve only had one life. Suzanne Parker manipulated it so she had several. She liked her twenties a lot. She’d start over at twenty whenshedecided that she was old. I don’t mind looking older, so I just aged very slowly. I think this new body is going to be the same.”
“Okay, nice to know, but tell me what you knew about her in this last life. Who was she close to here in Magic Springs? Loves, enemies, children?”
“From what I know, she didn’t have children. I think that would have been too painful for her because she would have lost them. As for loves, she kept most of her affairs light. No attachments. She had a few friends: Cleo, Sabrina, I’m not sure who else.” He frowned. “What are you looking for?”
