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My jaw clenches. What’s the point of arguing with this creature? He’s no longer King Henry—he’s twisted with dark magic, betrayal, and centuries of sexual frustration.
A half-torn paper drifts to the floor. I pick it up, find the rest of the enchantment I need, and add it to the top of my pile.
If this banishment spell is going to succeed, I need to get the Boogie Man to leave me in peace.
But how?
I pretend to rifle through the papers and mutter under my breath. How did he get past the wards?
Wait a minute…
When I walked home with the hound, he paused outside the boundary until I grabbed his fur and pulled him across. That’s pretty much an invitation. My mind is too addled to remember how he got into the cottage. I either told him to come inside or was stroking his fur as we crossed its threshold.
What if I tricked him into stepping outside? Would he be able to return?
“Alienor, what are you doing?” he asks.
“Taking these papers to grandma and finally proving you exist.” I head toward the exit, hoping he believes my lie.
“You are naked.”
“Don’t care.” I fling the door open and step outside into the night.
I stride down the stone path, clutching the papers to my chest with one arm and pumping my fist with the other. A cool breeze swirls around my exposed skin, making it tighten into goosebumps.
The moon is nearly full, illuminating the petals of the chamomile flowers, which are still wilted from being drenched in cum.
In a day or so, the moon will be full, marking the deadline to prove myself worthy of having magic. I shiver at the impending coven meeting. If Grandma and the others knew the extent of what was happening in my life, they would bind every trace of my power.
It’s a good thing that I have the means to save myself and get rid of the Boogie Man.
“Alienor,” he says, his voice hoarse.
My gaze darts over my shoulder.
The Boogie Man stands in the cottage's doorway, his huge wings tucked behind his back. My jaw tightens. Why isn’t he following? For this banishment to work, he needs to step completely out of the building’s threshold.
Taking a step backward, I continue toward Grandma’s house.
“Please come back,” he says. “I don’t wish you any harm.”
“I know what happened to you when you were young. You didn’t deserve to be a victim of my ancestor, and I’m sorry.”
My throat thickens. In a way, I’m not much better than my namesake. I also let King Henry give me sexual pleasure under false pretenses.
“Alienor.”
He steps out.
I hold my breath, silently urging him to come closer, closer, closer until he leaves the cottage’s boundary of protection. I even take a few backward steps to lure him out.
“The rest of the coven can perform the spells I need to keep you away. It’s just a matter of asking them for help.” I take another step back.
The Boogie Man walks toward me, his arms outstretched. He stares down at me with a tender humanity that reminds me of King Henry.
I drop my gaze and push down the stirrings of guilt.
He’s no longer the nineteen-year-old king who was manipulated under a love spell. The creature standing before me is the vengeful, twisted result of my ancestor’s machinations. He clawed Aggie, killed Norbert, and infiltrated my bed under the guise of an innocent hound.
