Page 92 of Wicked Witch of the Wolf

“I knew it,” Margaux muttered.

I couldn’t help but grin. “Go back to sleep, Coven Mother.”

The grin faded as I headed back to the garden room. Maya hadn’t said much after I told her about Desmond. Whether it annoyed her that she’d have to play the grieving widow, she hadn’t said. She’d mostly looked relieved and hopeful. But then, Bronwyn was with us now. She assumed that meant her friend was safe.

I knew better.

The garden room was largely empty. Cecil was off somewhere, and Fennel had taken the kittens out to play. Kale and Denzel were around somewhere. My guess was they were with Fennel and the cats. They’d seemed very excited about playing with the kittens.

Alpha Lydia and the others had long gone home, but she’d left the two men with us in case we needed help. I wasn’t sure what help Kale and Denzel would be, but I didn’t have the energy to argue. Plus, I preferred not to piss her off. I needed all the help I could get to find Ronan.

I was sick with worry about him now that I understood how badly Floyd wanted him dead. Before, it was a sentiment suspected but unvoiced. Tonight, he’d felt comfortable letting his pack hear him say it.

This made perfect sense to anyone who knew the truth about the narcissist leader. The second he felt his power slipping, he was going to want to puff up and look tough. Vow retribution. It was textbook bully behavior.

Ronan was a strong alpha, but anyone could be ambushed, especially when magic was involved.

For now, I had to set aside my anxiety and trust that he was okay. I had to bring Bronwyn back to the conscious world, and I had to prepare for war with Alpha Floyd and the wolf pack without Ronan.

Stakes could not be higher.

“I swear, if this is the kind of shit Ronan’s going to pull now that we’re in a relationship, he’s going to be in for a significant number of ass-kickings,” I grumbled.

The dark humor made me feel a little better. Mostly because I knew Ronan would’ve laughed.

If he were here.

I drew the cursed book out of the null bag once again, revulsion washing over me at the filthy feel of the cover. If it wasn’t human skin, it was something close, and touching it made me feel like I needed a shower.

“Still looking in the wrong places,” a weak voice whispered.

“Margaux?”

She stumbled into the room, and I helped her to the chaise lounge by the lavender. “Didn’t you learn anything from tonight, Betty?”

“Yeah. Why do you think I crafted the charms instead of giving the job to Cecil?”

“The point is you’re still using charms.” She coughed, a pained expression twisting her mouth.

“Margaux, go to bed and finish healing. I’ve got this.” I turned to my workstation, where I’d set the book. I was going to have to cleanse the surface—possibly even the entire garden room and my house, too, when this was all said and done.

“TheWeret-hekau Maleficiumis a powerful book,” she whispered.

“It’s also really gross—and not even very good. There are probably a grand total of five spells-slash-curses that use ingredients that still exist, and out of those, maybe one or two are effective. They’re temporary at best. I hate to say it, but Floyd pulled a fast one onDesmond Mace.” I let out a tired laugh. “Actually, I didn’t hate saying that at all. The witch got what he deserved. Make a deal with the devil and go to Hell, or however that saying goes. Not sure it is a saying, if I’m being honest. I probably made it up.”

“For the love of the goddesses, please stop babbling.” She put the back of her hand over her eyes. “Even after everything you did back there at that house, you’re still doing it.”

“Doing what?”

“Playing by everyone else’s rules.”

“I’m playing by the rules of magic. To counteract a spell, you have to study the original and work backward.” I didn’t add in a “duh,” but it was implied by the eyeroll I gave her.

Margaux dropped her hand to her chest. “Who told you that?”

I thought it over. “Well, no onetoldme that. It’s the basis for most of magic. That’s just common sense.”

“Common sense? I bet you learned it from one of those books in Beau’s headshop.”

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