Page 75 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

“It’s good to see you finally awake. You were kind of a mess when we got here.”

“It was just a graze,” I said, watching as Connor dropped his head and then turned it up to the sky. Possibly for deliverance?

“Of all the mates in the world…” Connor bemoaned his plight.

“I feel you,” my brother replied in commiseration. “Madi’s like a trouble-seeking missile.”

“Then we keep them apart,” my mate grumbled. “Who knows what kind of trouble they’ll get into together.”

“All the best kinds,” I replied. “Hi, sister-in-law. It’s good to finally meet you in person while not actively dying.”

Madigan approached the bed, sitting down next to my brother. “It’s good to meet you, too. Thank you for helping us.”

“It’s what families do,” I replied, loving the fact that I’d gone from being totally alone in the world to having this crazy, eclectic family of both the born and made variety. “Now, that you’re all here, we were talking about Beetle and his boring plan to take over the world.”

“Bad guys always want to take over the world,” Madigan said, waving her hand in a very blasé attitude. “Why can’t they ever come up with something new?”

“Madi,” my brother admonished in a distinctly disgruntled tone that I recognized from my own mate.

“Not now, dear. The women are speaking,” she replied, shutting him down and I seriously had to bite my lip to keep from giggling out loud. Normally, I wouldn’t have cared, but the mandidjust save my life by giving me his blood. Simeon rolled his eyes to the heavens. Something else he and Connor had in common.

I drank from the cup forced into my hands by Lily Joy. The tea tasted mostly of lemon and ginger, but I knew it packed a recovery punch. Lily Joy had a knack for that. I’d drink a gallon of this stuff rather than ever have to imbibe on fallen angel tea ever again. Even remembering the taste made me want to vomit, but I magnanimously held it back, giving my friends the boon they didn’t know they almost didn’t receive.

“Did the demon say anything else before he disintegrated?” I asked Luc.

“Only that time is ticking or something along those lines,” he replied.

“How long do we think until they come back for me?”

“I guess it depends. Were the demons able to communicate that there were three of us here?” Connor asked. “Beetle would have to prepare. He’s already planning something. I mean, if Isent henchmen to do my dirty work and they stopped checking in, I’d figure the plan had gone wrong. One thing we know about Beetle, he’s not stupid. He knows something went wrong.”

Yeah, I thought of that, too.

“But he couldn’t know about us, right?” Simeon asked. “He couldn’t know that Madi and I made it here. The last he knew, we were injured, on the run, with no idea that Simone even existed.”

“Shit,” Luc said, startling me and I jumped. “I just remembered, I hung back before starting my interrogation, listening for anything useful before they clammed up. I heard one say, ‘What about the book?’”

“Book?” Connor asked, and it hit me. Bam! Right between the eyes. The book Lilith left me with. The family’s grimoire.

“I have to get home,” I said.

“Talk to me,” Connor said.

“The book. I need to get it.”

“Shit, I forgot about that. It’s at home?”

I nodded.

“Someone want to fill me in?” Luc asked. Madigan and Simeon stared at me, clearly confused.

“Sim,” I asked. “do you still have the hilt of a dagger?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Connor, can you grab my bag?” He nodded once, standing to walk over to the corner of the room where my bag sat on the floor. He walked it back over to me. I dug inside, pulling out the jewel, holding it up for Simeon to get a good look at.

“What is that?” my brother asked.

“It’s part of Lilith’s dagger,” I said. Mouths dropped open. “You found a?—”

“Solid gold hilt,” he said, cutting me off. “I recognize the shape.”

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