Page 86 of Of Magic and Murder

I did once. It was supposed to be a temporary stay that somehow lasted longer than it should’ve. Temporary… it’s almost like some part of me always suspected that my life would change in Moonburrow. I remember how nervous I was that day, when I approached the borders and my stomach tied itself in knots. It was only supposed to be a job, but it became forever—and now, for the first time since I came to help the chief deputy, I have to leave him because someone else needs a cursebreaker.

That’s my job. That’s what I do. It’s why I was in Maryland in the first place. I came to Moonburrow because Serena sent me here to break a curse. I was supposed to help Ashton Morgan, report back to Salem, then wait for the next person who needed me.

Instead, I discovered that Ash wasn’t cursed at all. I accidentally made Gus talk. I got arrested for a murder that hadn’t actually happened yet. I discovered that the gorgeous chief deputy who arrested me was cursed, accidentally got ordered into silence by him before he left town, cast a locator spell that I thought glued him to me when he finally returned, helped solve not one, not two, but three murders, uncovered the remains of a forgotten witch settlement, and mated the aforementioned (and still gorgeous) chief deputy.

That’s not all, either. I was almost sacrificed by a deranged witch who—turns out—really hated wolves even more than they terrified me, and after her death, I was offered the job as head of the Moonburrow coven.

So, yeah. It’s been wild. Busy, too. Even though I had to politely decline the offer—for multiple reasons, including my position as a member of the national coven no matter where I’m based—I’m slowly building a new relationship with the Moonburrow coven and the new Serena-approved coven leader, Linnet.

I like her. Riordan invited her to the sheriff station and, in his role as chief deputy, he basically interrogated her to make sure she wasn’t harboring any ill will against the Moonshadow Pack or that she was involved in Delilah’s plots in any way. As my mate, he also wanted to make sure that she was no threat to me. I don’t know what he said during that interview, but both Riordan and Max accept that she’s a good choice to lead the witches who decided to stay in town.

We’ve had an increase in outsiders petitioning to join the coven, too. Ever since we discovered that this town was built on the ruins of an old witch settlement, word’s gotten out. Historians and researchers like poor Garnet have queued up to request a stay at the coven house. Serena told me to be her eyes and ears in Moonburrow, and while Linnet is in charge, I make sure there’s no more witchy trouble going on.

With Riordan’s help—and that of some of his most trusted packmate’s—of course.

But while I’m supposed to help keep an eye on what’s going on in Moonburrow, I always knew there would be a time I was called out of town. Just because I’m mated, that didn’t stop me being a cursebreaker. When someone needs me, I have to go…

“Pen?”

I blink. “What was that?”

Gus hops on top of the bed. He runs over it, meeting me near the middle where I have the open suitcase sprawled out. He nudges the dress in my hand.

I realize that I had pulled it out of the drawer, started to fold it, but got so lost in my thoughts, I spaced out instead.

I give my head a quick clearing shake.

Riordan pushes away from the wall he was leaning against. Gus whips around, his tail following like a snake behind him. While Riordan comes to stand next to me, Gus jumps over the edge of the suitcase. Next thing I know, the opossum is curled up on my favorite blue skirt while Riordan is bracing his hands on my shoulders, tugging me until I’m pressed against his back.

“Let me help,” he rumbles in my ear.

Considering I feel his body coming to life behind me, I can only imagine that his sort of ‘help’ will end up with most of my clothes on the floor, the room half-packed, and me even more frantic about tomorrow’s flight.

“Later,” I promise. “I have to get this done.”

“I could’ve had Barrow do it,” Riordan murmurs, reluctantly releasing me so that I can fold up the dress and tuck it inside the suitcase on the other side of the now-slumbering Gus. “But then I thought about the delta packing your panties and my wolf absolutely refused to allow that.”

I swallow my laugh. “I can pack for myself, Riordan. Besides, this trip is only for a couple of days.” At least, I hope it’s only a couple of days. “I’ll fly out to Shadowvale. Figure out what’s going on, then be back before you even know I’m gone.”

I swallowed my laugh. Riordan? He lets out a deep, husky chuckle that has me second-guessing a quickie with my mate.

“Something funny?”

“Sorry, sweetheart. I couldn’t help it. Not when I think about how everything you said is just plain wrong.”

What does that mean?

I know I have to go to Shadowvale. I’ve never heard of it, and like Moonburrow, I have to fly to the largest local airport, then drive until I reach the small town somewhere on the East Coast. New York? Connecticut? New Jersey? I can’t remember, and I’m glad that Serena promised to handle the arrangements for me since I’ve been too busy to do so myself.

And, oh, I’m fibbing again. I’ve been dragging my heels, trying to put off going to Shadowvale because I can’t bring myself to leave my mate. And that’s on me. I knew I’d have to be separated from him eventually due to his job being here and mine taking me all over the country. Still… the warlock male—a different breed of magic user, so very unlike the male and female witches I’m used to and the sort of supe Serena usually doesn’t send me to help—has been dealing with his curse for more than two hundred years. I understand he wants to be free of it… but after two hundred years, he can’t wait a couple more weeks?

Of course not. And I’d be a terrible witch myself if I expected him to because I wanted to spend the time with Riordan. So I’ll be leaving for Shadowvale to help a—gag—warlock and Riordan will stay behind.

At least, that’s the plan. But if I said something wrong…

“What part did I mess up?”

“Oh, my sweet witch… you didn’t mess anything up. You were just operating on old intel.”