Page 12 of Who Owns You?

I really don’t need to come off like that to the rest of the townspeople, but I can’t seem to care at the moment. I stand under the spray and then sit when I find a cute little shelf on oneside of the wall and soak up all the heat until my fingers and toes resemble raisins.

Slipping out of the shower some time later, I have to grasp the handle for the sliding door before I fall and crack my skull open.

“No bath mats, no towels. Cool, cool, cool, OK,” I murmur, bringing my thumb to my mouth and chomping at the nail.

Something about the soft clicking sound of my teeth taking away bits of the nail soothes me, but I stop myself before I draw blood.

“OK, just…carefully.” I spread my arms out, trying to use them to balance myself as I step slowly across the marble floor, heading for the door.

I didn’t bring any towels, but I can dry off with a loose and comfy PJ shirt or something to keep the good-ish clothes dry for going out shopping tomorrow. I’m going to need a lot of things. The kitchen is basically empty now that I think about it. I would like some actual soap to wash with, even if that sinfully delightful water does a good enough job. I have travel toiletries, so I’m not completely screwed, but the thought of something full sized and fresh wins my mind over.

I reach the door without busting my ass and pull it open. Toddling into the hallway, I shiver, nipples going hard at the change in temperature.

“Fuck, I need to turn on the heat tomorrow.”

Back in the bedroom I’ve laid claim to, I grab my oldest and comfiest T-shirt from my PJ collection and go about toweling off. So far, so good. This first night isn’t a total disaster, and I got in one heck of a shower.

Sighing, I wrap my hair in the same T-shirt and pull on another oversized shirt to sleep in, forgoing the underwear. I prefer to sleep with as little on as possible, but if I start seeingyellow blobs—or any color blobs—again, I can’t exactly haul ass out of here buck naked.

I snicker, imagining what people would say if I did have to run out of the castle in the middle of the night. Sure, most people would be asleep, but there are bound to be some teenagers in this town staying up past their bedtime, doing broody teen things. And there I go, running out of the castle with all my rolls glistening in the moonlight.

I bite my lip on another snort, rubbing at the bridge of my nose and adding Breathe Right strips to my mental shopping list.

I’ll probably discover I need something else, or a good deal of something elses, in the morning, but that’s morning Charlotte’s problem.

I draw back the heavy blanket and soft-as-silk sheets and slip into the bed, melting into the softest mattress I’ve ever lain on. My mind was racing before, but at first contact with this bed, all my thoughts are rendered null and void—flown south for the winter.

“Just need a little nap.” I yawn, pulling the blankets up to cover me completely.

I fall into a blissfully dreamless sleep as soon as my eyes close.

Chapter 6

MARCUS

Where’s my football?

Oh. Oh, no.

My breath stalls in my chest as I try not to draw the attention of my three gargoyle nest-mates. Darius, Julius, and Atlas are all displeased for their own reasons about being stuck up in the older section of the attic. I’m displeased because I forgot my football in my room and have bugger all to do without it.

When Eloise came by in a tizzy, waving her sparking hands around and lamenting about another witch coming to town with the missing deed, I was thrilled. Darius was, of course, skeptical. Atlas, in his constant state of brooding, glowered harder at the prospect of a stranger. Julius just grumbled something about the overabundance of rain being strange, even for this time of year. Unlike the rest of those old boulders my magic is bonded to, I wasandstill am thrilled.

It’s not every day you meet a new witch, though meet is not exactly the word I’d use…more likehide-from-her-in-your-musty-attic. I cackle, the thought of trying to say the sentence as one word is just too hilarious.

“Would you quit it? There isnothingfunny about this,” Atlas hisses, tossing back some of his shoulder-length hair.

It falls right back into place, and I snicker again.

“For once, I agree with Atlas,” Darius says, crossing his arms over his chest. His deep blue suit is all wrinkled from the hurry of tossing it on when Eloise first arrived.

When a witch comes knocking, you answer. Or else.

“Never thought I’d see the day,” Julius says under his breath.

Atlas smacks the back of his head, and they exchange withering glares.

“I don’t think this is funny necessarily, just thinking about how I forgot to lock my bedroom door.” The lie rolls off my tongue easily, though my eyes start twitching. With them so distracted, they don’t even notice.

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