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Sam growled and I sighed, getting to my feet.
“It’ll last about an hour,” Zoe said from behind me.
I turned to find everyone coming back inside the house. Mama gasped and I finally looked around. The book club setup had been destroyed. The table was overturned, glass and China lay shattered on the wood floors, along with giant smears of dips and shards of other furniture. Couch cushions were punctured, and bits of fluff still floated in the air. I didn’t even want to look in my room where they’d come rolling out of.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said. “I’ll pay for the repairs.”
“As will I,” Julian said. “And I will have your door replaced by the morning.”
Binx stepped around Julian and tipped the table back up to a standing position where it wobbled then fell the other direction. “I’m usually the cause of this sort of mess, and my way is much more fun.”
Mama laughed.
“You really know how to party. Let’s do this every Friday,” Hazel said with a wink.
“No thanks,” I replied. Now that the new rush of adrenaline was wearing down, the extreme overuse of my energy and the remaining aches and pains competed for attention. True, I hadn’t had much of Carmichael’s blood, not enough to heal everything, but the fact I’d needed any left a sour taste in my mouth. “I need to chase down a bath. Would you mind watching the door?” I asked, reaching out for Hazel. “I’ve had enough male attention for one night.”
“Of course. If someone tries to enter the room besides you, they’ll be fried to a pile of ash.” She grinned and wiggled her fingers. “Ladies, do me a solid and help clean up. By the time these two can move again, we’ll have the house fixed up. Men.” She rolled her eyes and stepped over Sam on her way toward my room.
I followed and watched in amazement as she flicked her finger at the shattered window above my bed and the glass reinserted itself in the pane. The bed straightened and the covers tucked themselves, then the massive gouges in the floors and walls stitched themselves together.
“Wow. Thank you,” I said. Then I broke into sobs.
It seemed to come out of nowhere, but Hazel gave me space, sending only her green aura to surround me with comfort like a magical hug. I slid to the floor, and she crouched before me, eyes filled with patience.
“I’m so…sorry,” I heaved.
“No need to be. I’d hug you, but that interrupts the energy release, and you’re doing a good job letting it out. Care to share?”
Trying to regain control, I ended up sucking in a stuttering breath. “I…can’t. But I’m so disappointed in Julian. I really care about him, but if he can’t respect my boundaries…” The sobs intensified.
“Sounds like you need a little space before you talk it out.” Hazel lifted fingers tipped with sizzling green lightning. “I’ll make sure you get it.”
I hiccupped and smiled as I got to my feet. “Thank you.”
“No prob. Now go take a nice hot bath. I mean it. If a single male shows his ass, I’ll happily serve it to him for dinner.”
Chapter 12
Shadow of Doubt
The women stayed the night, and I was grateful beyond belief. Hazel let me take a long hot bath, and if she heard me continue sobbing or breaking down, she didn’t let on. Even the tub seemed to sense I needed it, already waiting for me when I entered the room. Once I finished scrubbing myself raw and was empty of tears, I toweled off and pulled on my softest pair of unicorn pajamas. I felt like I’d been run over by a herd of elephants and they’d come back again to make sure they hadn’t missed any part of me.
“Get in bed,” was all Hazel said when I emerged. She tossed a hand, and the covers pulled back for me. As she tucked me in, she explained the others had fixed the front rooms and moved the men outside so they could suffer in nature since they liked acting like animals.
The fear of dreaming about the assault—of feeling Carmichael’s body pressed against my naked one—made me hesitate, but I knew staying upright wasn’t an option. I didn’t know if Hazel put a spell on me to make me fall asleep or I was just that exhausted, but a deep dreamlessness overtook me before I remembered even falling onto the pillow.
When the morning sun streamed in through the window, my eyes fluttered open, and I smiled. Then the memories from the night before toppled into place along with the soreness in every muscle and the moment was over.
Throwing off the covers, I tried to leap out of bed, but that wasn’t happening, so I took my time instead, finding a note on my nightstand, along with the used silver charms and my cell that someone had found and plugged in to charge for me.
Your house now has twenty-four-hour wards on it to give you a little time. No one enters without express permission from either you, your sister, or your mother. Don’t let them try. It won’t be pleasant, and it might be messy. I’ve personally assisted Zoe in re-loading your charms. They will last only twenty minutes but can be used at least ten times each.
XOXO
Hazel
The moment I finished reading, it burst into a puff of blue flame and disappeared. It wasn’t hot, but I shook my hand out anyway then snatched up my cell and the earrings that lay next to it. Six additional missed calls from Julian, an apology text from Sam, and another base alert.
