Page 55 of Herbs & Hex-breaking

“Yes!” she cried, cringing away from me.

“Excellent.” I nodded. Turning my back on her, I snagged Dex’s arm and walked away. The trio of dogs stayed with us as a sort of escort.

I didn’t bother to look back at Jolene. The greenhouse doors swung open on their own, and we walked out and into the main retail space as if nothing unusual had happened.

The dogs scattered and were off happily running around the nursery lot once more. “I’m glad that’s over with,” I said as we walked outside.

“That was so hot,” Dex murmured in my ear.

Fighting back a very inappropriate laugh, I simply nodded my head. “Why thank you, honey.”

“Watching you call down your namesake and control all that power was one hell of a turn on.” Dex sent me a long simmering look. “Can I ask what sort of powder you hit her with?

“It was dried mint, angelica and cinquefoil—five finger grass,” I said as he opened the car door for me. “They’re herbs that I sell in my store. Two are regularly employed in hex-breaking spells. The mint repels spiders.”

“Nice!” Dex said as he closed my car door. A moment later when he was sitting in the driver’s seat, he grinned over at me. “That was a slick move.”

“They’re non-toxic herbs, in case you wondered. So all the seedlings and plants in the greenhouse won’t be affected.” I waited a beat. “Nor will she. Physically that is.”

“You messed with her head,” Dex said approvingly.

Now, I smiled. “I sure as hell did.”

“Woman,” he said. “If I didn’t already love you, I’d be head over heels after seeing that.”

I blinked at his cheerful declaration. “You love me?”

“Yes, I do,” Dex said. “And the minute were alone I’m going to show you exactly how much.”

My breath huffed out. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

***

“You are such a bad-ass queen!” Circe squealed and jumped to her feet to give me a hug, after listening to Dex recount what had happened with Jolene at the greenhouses.

The stores were now all closed and we had gathered at my apartment. Circe, Lorna and I were all having a glass of wine, Dex was having a ginger ale.

Lorna smiled. “I would have loved to have seen you draw down the goddess like that.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done so,” I admitted.

Circe dropped back into one of my club chairs. “I told you, you would be able to keep control. It’s not like back when you were a teenager and sent the hounds of Hekate after—”

“Circe.” I shook my head at her. “Let’s not get into that.”

Lorna grinned. “Our even-tempered Kate lost her temper? This I gotta hear!”

From next to me on the sofa, Dex took my hand. “You asked me not to look, and I haven’t. So why don’t you just tell us.”

“I was fifteen, and at a summer camp.” I sighed. “A mundane camp.”

“Whispering Pines,” Circe told the group. “Me, Kate and my sisters all went that year. We were the only Witches in the camp. But our parents were determined that we would all do normal things. Like any other kid.”

I grimaced. “And look how that turned out.”

“What happened?” Dex asked.

“Long story short?” I said. “There was a boy that I liked. He was cute, popular and had talked me into meeting him down at the lake after lights out. So, I snuck out to go meet him, hoping to get my first kiss….”