Page 18 of The Secret Life of a Witch

“I don’t think that’s it at all. We know each other. We just have a few secrets, which I’m sure is normal for friends. And—at least for me—I have really good reasons when I decide not to tell you something.”

I become greatly curious what his good reasons are. “I guess you might be right.”

A grin spreads across his face. “Might be? Try always.”

I roll my eyes. “Now you’re starting to sound just like your brother.” When his expression falls, I feel like a jerk. “I’m sorry. I was kidding. You know that, right? You are, in no magical way, shapeshifter, or form like your brother.”

He nods, but his smile doesn’t reappear as he moves away to let me open the door.

“Can I ask you something?” he asks as we step outside, underneath the cloudy sky.

The nervous edge in his tone makes me nervous, but still I nod. “Sure.”

“It’s about the cheerleading tryout thing,” he says with reluctance as we start down the path toward his truck parked in the driveway. “And why you ever considered trying out. I know Opal said you are a good dancer, but was that the only reason?”

I wish I could truthfully say yes, but the truth is, I only ever considered putting on a skirt and shamefully shaking my ass after I found out he was in line to become the next Mystic Willow Bay Star Wizard. It was my way of staying close to him if—when—he got selected for the position. But after I picked up the brochure and saw what being a cheerleader for the Mystic Willow Bay Star Wizard entitled, not to mention the ridiculously frilly skirts they had to wear, I quickly shut down what might have been one of my stupidest plans ever.

Telling Hunter all of this isn’t an option.

Unfortunately, conjuring up a good lie takes me way too long and Hunter catches on.

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.” He looks disappointed as he opens the passenger door for me.

As I hoist myself into his lifted truck, I consider telling him the partial truth. I mean, would it sound so bad if I confessed I wanted to remain close to him after he becomes the next Mystic Willow Bay Star Wizard?

However, before I can get the words out, a shadowy figure wearing a cloak darts out from behind the house and runs across the front lawn, moving so swiftly I can’t make out any features, other than red eyes.

Red eyes.

Demon.

A demon that was just hiding out behind my house.

Shit! Is that what took my sister’s body?

Without even thinking, I dive out of the truck to chase it.

Hunter’s arm comes down in front of me like a barricade. “Stay here.”

“Why? What are you …?”

He takes off without warning. I reach out to stop him, but he moves too fast, sprinting across the street before I can even blink an eye.

“Hunter, wait!” I shout, but he’s already rounding the corner where the demon disappeared.

Letting out a string of curses, I jog across the front lawn and haul ass after him. When I reach the corner, I slow down to draw out my wand.

“Energize,” I whisper then breathe in relief when the tip of my wand sparks with pink magic. I kiss the shimmering pale purple base of the stick. “Thank you for listening to me for once. Now, if you could work perfectly if I have to cast a protection spell, that would be fabulous.” Sucking in a deep breath, I steer around the corner.

My heart rate quickens as I note the bareness of the sidewalk. Not a single person in sight, not even in the yards of the two-story Victorian homes along the street. Then again, it is eleven o’clock in the morning, so most of the community is either at work or school. Still, the emptiness is unnerving. And where the hell did Hunter go?

“Hunter?” I whisper as I tiptoe up the sidewalk, moving my wand from side to side, preparing to throw a spell if needed. “Hunter, where the heck are you?”

When I stumble across Hunter’s wand lying on the sidewalk, my worry soars all the way to the cloudy grey sky.

Never ever have I seen Hunter leave his wand unattended. Most witches and wizards don’t, since it leaves their magic vulnerable to thievery.

Even worse, surrounding his wand is a trail of ash, remnants of curses thrown by a demon.

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