Page 68 of Destiny of the Witch

I hugged her back stiffly, still unused to such affectionate exuberance, though I was certainly getting there. ‘Thank you.’

She released me but she was still beaming. Emory’s eyes zeroed in on my fingers and he grinned. ‘Well, well! Bastion you old dog.’ He clapped him on the shoulder, ‘Congratulations!’

‘You’ll have to tell us all about the proposal,’ Jinx said eagerly.

I looked at Bastion. ‘It was perfect.’

‘Awww,’Jinx smiled. ‘You go all mushy when you look at him!’

I straightened. ‘I do not!’

‘Don’t tell her,’ Bastion murmured to Jinx as he gave her a welcoming kiss on the cheek. I felt a swell of familial affection from him towards her; he loved her like a niece.

I was going to suggest going inside the house when a movement down the garden caught my eye. Walking down the garden path towards us was Kass. ‘Noweveryone has arrived,’ Bastion said with satisfaction. ‘Lucy and Manners can’t make it but they send their love.’

I grimaced; I should really have touched base with Lucy now that I wasn’t battling with evil witches and worried about the harkan. Although I guessed battling with evil witches was always going to be an ongoing thing.

Kass smiled. ‘Hello. Am I the last to arrive?’

‘But no less welcome,’ I hastened to assure her. ‘Come in, all of you.’ I stepped back inside the house.

As Emory came in, he gave a low bow to me. ‘Crone,’ he greeted me formally.

‘Prime Elite,’ I responded in kind, with my own bow of respect.

Jinx mock glared at us. ‘I sense politics. Bastion was very clear that no politics are allowed!’

I huffed a little. ‘Well, what shall we discuss?Pop music?’

Jinx snickered at my open horror. ‘Something like that. Or maybe wedding plans?’

‘No one else has noticed the ring yet,’ I noted. ‘Not everyone is an observant PI.’

Emory sent me a wink. ‘Amber, you look beautiful. Happiness suits you.’

I smiled at him. ‘As it does you, Emory, as it does you.’

Kass tugged on my hand and I let her pull me back as the others preceded us into the kitchen. ‘What’s up?’ I asked. ‘Are you feeling okay?’ I checked her over hastily. She looked good, with no sign of the heavy bags which sometimes plagued her eyes.

‘I’m fine,’ she assured me. ‘I just wanted to talk to you privately for a moment. I assume your Mum’s in there?’ I nodded. ‘Well, she’s applied for a position on the Coven Council. We wanted to check how you feel about it before we do anything with her application.’

‘We?’

‘The Coven Council. We can bury her application if you think it will be awkward to work with your mum.’

I considered it for all of a heartbeat. Would it be awkward? At times, no doubt. Would she be an exemplary leader for the witches?Absolutely.

‘Just let her pass or fail on her own merit,’ I replied firmly. ‘I think she’ll be an asset, but don’t do anything to her application on my account. Nepotism and bribes have already ruined the Council. If we want to build it again from the ground up, we need to do it right. No one buys their way in, no one bribes their way in, and if anyone approaches anyone about doing either of those things, they are to report it to me. Clear?’ And then I’d sic Bastion on them.

Kass grinned, ‘Clear. I knew you’d say that but the others made me ask. I’ll feed it back. Now, why are we all being gathered here? It feels like a murder mystery. If Bastion starts killing us, I’ll shove Shirdal in front of me and run.’

I laughed. ‘You’re safe. Come on. Follow me to the kitchen where the others are.’

Chapter 60

I led Kass into the kitchen where the others were milling about. Shirdal and Reynard flew to each other like metal to a magnet. Profanities were uttered and then the two men were kissing, a tangle of limbs shoved hard against my kitchen wall, knocking into my brand-new mug shelf.

‘Hey!’ I called. ‘If you break a mug, you have to buy me an exact replica of it! They have sentimental value!’

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