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Chapter Four
Rowan
My heart is hammering so hard in my chest I’m pretty sure I’m having a heart attack. I’m relieved, because I don’t need to be encountering naked strangers in the woods, but I also feel a strange sense of loss. Had that been some running high-induced dream? That was easily the hottest guy I’d ever encountered in my life. I envision those golden eyes, and my body reacts even as my mind tries to rationalize it. My nipples harden and I feel a swirl like butterflies in my stomach.
This kind of thing just doesn’t happen to me.
Slowly, I pick my shirt up off the ground and pull it on, then my running shoes. I’m still parched, even more so now, so I bend down and scoop a handful of water from the pool into my mouth, hoping I don’t get some kind of crazy bacteria. I splash a bit down the back of my neck and across my chest, too. My body feels like an inferno.
Taking one last glance into the forest where the beautiful stranger disappeared, I turn and walk back…well, hopefully toward my house, if I can find my way. My house. I feel a jolt of surprise at the thought. Oddly, I do feel a bit like I belong here. No matter that it’s about as opposite as possible from anywhere I’ve ever lived. And the whole thing with the witches.
About half an hour later, I catch a glimpse of the raven weathervane above the house and let out a sigh of relief. When I step inside a few minutes later, the smell of eggs and bacon hits my nose and my stomach grumbles. I hadn’t eaten anything before my run.
I find Ven in the kitchen, and she waves a spatula at me in greeting. “Went for a run?”
“Yeah.” I reach my arms over my head and stretch. “I needed to get out of the house, you know?”
A nod. “Yeah. Everything is pretty sucky right now.” She frowns, and in the short time that I’ve known her, I can already tell it’s not an expression she wears often. “I can’t believe someone would murder Sybil. It’s just…” she cuts off with a shiver and busies herself stirring the eggs in the skillet.
“I feel the same,” I say softly. A thought occurs to me. “You don’t think—I mean, I hate to say it, but—”
“Someone killed her because she’s a witch?” Ven raises an eyebrow. “I mean, it’s certainly possible. But there aren’t a lot of people living in this area who aren’t witches or some other member of the supernatural community.”
“Supernatural community? There are others?” My worldview spins for the millionth time in twenty-four hours.
“Ha, of course.” Ven looks at me like I’m crazy. Like I’m not the normal one. “Werewolves, vampires, faeries, you name it. If you’ve heard a tale about it, it probably exists.”
I stare at her a moment, utterly speechless. “You’re joking,” I finally manage. But the man in the woods pops into my head. His strange golden eyes… is he something other than human? Is that why I feel like I’m high just from looking at him?
Ven scoops the eggs and bacon out of the pan and onto two plates, then turns to set them down at a small two-person table against the window. “Nope.”
“But like… magic and whatever doesn’t really exist, does it? I mean, it can’t. I thought you guys were like extravagant Wiccans or something. Nature lovers and whatever.”
It occurs to me as the words are spilling out of my mouth that I’m going to offend the hell out of Ven, but she just grins, wider and wider.
“Uh, no. Magic is real. Witches—actual witches—are real. And so is everything else.” She sits down and gestures for me to do the same. “Welcome to the club.”
I feel dazed as I sit across from Ven and mechanically place a piece of buttered toast in my mouth. “Thanks for breakfast, by the way.”
“Breakfast and a rude awakening? Anytime.” She snickers.
There’s coffee, too, and I take a big gulp of it black before adding a heavy pour of cream and sugar. A strange habit of mine, or perhaps more of a morning ritual.
“Since you’re into exercise, you should come to my yoga class in town,” Ven continues.
“Oh, is that what you do for a living?”
She nods. “That, and work in one of the coffee shops. So, you can expect to be energized whichever route you choose.” She grins again.
“Well, I do need to head into town soon to meet with Maria. I need to start planning the funeral.” I take a sip of coffee and try to ignore the spike of sadness in my gut. It’s all still so overwhelming.
Ven reaches out and places a hand over mine. “I’m sorry.”
I feel a swell of gratitude that I’m not in this big house alone, processing all of this new information and a whirlwind of feelings by myself. “Thanks, Ven.”
“If you want me to show you around town, I’m headed to work at the coffee shop in a few.”
“That would be great, actually.” I smile and we finish our breakfast.
