Page 1 of Starlight Witch

CHAPTER ONE

I woke early, unable to stay in bed. Today was the day the doctors were releasing Faron from the hospital and I’d get to see him. While he had woken up several weeks ago, they had kept him under observation until the inflammation in his brain lessened. But he was healed up enough that they said he could go home, as long as he stayed with his brother Kyle for a while until they were certain he was ready to resume his normal life.

I’d spent so many afternoons at the hospital, sitting with Faron, until Kyle asked me to back off. Apparently, my presence agitated him. Faron had forgotten what we had together and Kyle told me that the doctors didn’t want me to slip and say something that might create too much stress. So the past three weeks, we’d barely seen each other and it was hard not knowing where I stood in his life.

I could hear Grams in the kitchen, making breakfast. I sat on the edge of my bed, trying to sort through my feelings. Over the past few weeks, Bran and I had grown a lot closer. When I told him Faron had woken up, he’d been silent for a while, but at least he’d been happy for the wolf shifter. But today…today Faron was leaving the hospital, and it would change all our lives.

I was in love with both men, and both men were in love with me. At least, Bran was. Faron was a mystery, at this point. Adrift, I had no clue where we were headed or whether we’d pick up where we left off. Or whether he’d even remember we’d slept together before we’d both been attacked.

Sighing, I sorted through my closet, trying to pull together an outfit. I wanted sexy, but it was storming out so I also wanted warm and cozy. I opted for a pair of black leather pants, a warm cobalt sweater with a deep V-neck, and a silver belt. I laced up my granny boots, did my makeup and, carrying my jacket over my shoulder, joined Grams for breakfast.

Grams—my great-grandmother—handed me a plate of eggs, bacon, and whole-grain toast. She was on a health kick—for me. She was determined to build up my strength and endurance as she helped me discover more about my magical heritage. My mother had mostly taught me basic magic. My father—Grams’s grandson—had died when I was five, so I never had the opportunity to learn anything from him. In fact, I barely remembered him.

My magic was entwined with the earth, with growing things, the forest and land. I was born into a line of witches who often turned into demon hunters as their years went on and their magic grew. My own magic felt like it was just starting to blossom.

Grams had come over from Scotland to help me find that connection, and she had stayed. We understood each other, in a bond I hadn’t had with anybody else in my family. So, instead of staying in Port Townsend where my mother lived, Grams moved down to Starlight Hollow, a small town on Dabob Bay near Gig Harbor, where I had made my home. She was mentoring me now, as I healed from a bad case of PTSD.

“Morning, Grams,” I said, kissing her on the cheek. “What are you up to for the day?”

“House hunting. I can’t stay with you forever,” she said, laughing. “I noticed several cottages for sale, down near the waterline, so I think I’ll talk to Randy about them.”

Randy Eikhorn was her real estate agent. He had found my house for me, and so Grams was working with him. They had seen several houses so far, but none had fully met her needs.

“I hope you find something you like, but you know you can stay here as long as you want. I love having you around.” I settled at the table and dug into my food. Grams handed me a quad-shot latte, steaming with the scent of pumpkin spice, and I gratefully cupped the mug in my hands and sipped what I considered the elixir of life—caffeine in the black gold that was coffee.

“I know, but we both need our own space. Are you heading to the hospital today?”

I shook my head. “No, Kyle called me last night. He’s taking Faron home today, so I’ll go over there. Faron’s staying with him until the doctors give him permission to go back to his regular life.” I paused, then asked, “Grams? What do you do when you need to find out something, but it’s not the right time to ask?”

Grams settled in opposite me with her breakfast. She sipped her tea out of a china cup. Most of her things were in storage until she found a new house, but she had insisted on unpacking her good china. It’s not tea unless you drink it out of a china cup, she had said.

“Does your question regard a life-or-death situation?”

I shook my head. “No. It’s important to me, but nobody’s life depends on the answer.”

“Then you leave it alone, for now. I assume you’re referring to where you stand with Faron?”

I let out a sigh. “Yeah, it is. It’s been a while since he woke up, and several weeks since I’ve seen him. I haven’t said a word to him about the fact that we slept together. That we were falling for one another. I have no idea how he feels.”

“He’s healing from a traumatic brain injury. I love you, my dear, but as much as you want to know if he remembers you in that manner, now is not the time to pursue it. And now you have the complication that you’re involved with Bran.”

“I know,” I said, toying with my eggs. “But…I love them both, Grams. The past few weeks have taught me that. I can’t choose. The heart wants what it wants.”

“Maybe Faron will choose for you. Let it be for now, Elphyra.” She glanced over at the door as Fancypants flew in from the living room. “Well, you’re having a slow morning, Sir Fancypants.”

The dragonette landed in his high chair and yawned. “I can’t help it—this time of year I want to sleep longer and deeper. Dragons and dragonettes don’t exactly hibernate, but except for those born to the winter climes, we do slow down.” He looked around expectantly. “Breakfast?”

“One breakfast, coming up,” Grams said. She catered to Fancypants in a way that tickled my heart. She also catered to my cats. She had already fed Gem and Silver and they were snuggled on the cat tree, asleep. Gem slept with me at night, but Silver had taken to sleeping with Grams.

“Silver’s going to miss you when you leave,” I said.

“I will too,” Fancypants added.

Grams laughed. “I’ll visit often enough. You both know that. And Silver will be just fine with his sister and his dragonette brother.”

She fixed a plate for Fancypants and sat it on the tray of the highchair. It wasn’t that he was a baby—although he was new to the world, especially in the times of a dragonette’s lifespan—but the highchair tray and seat provided the perfect height for him to eat.

Eventually, as he grew, Fancypants would be too big for the setup, but for the time being, it worked. She set the bacon and eggs in front of him and he dove in, daintily wiping his mouth with a napkin after each bite. The dragonette had manners, that much I’d give him.

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