Page 19 of Witch's Rebirth
"I wanted to tell you so bad," I admitted. "I was navigating a world I knew nothing about, with people I had a bad feeling about. But I chose to ignore that because I thought I could trust them. They weremypeople, after all."
"Don't blame yourself for any of it," she said sternly. "I didn't tell you about me either."
"Damn," I laughed. "We could have avoided a whole lot of bullshit if we had just come out of the closet to each other."
"Who knows." She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Hindsight and all that. But when Astrid called me up here to back up a witch, somehow I knew it was you. I sure as shit wouldn't risk my hide for any other witch."
"I don't blame you," I said with a frown. "My people have gone so far astray. Astrid told me that they've treated shifters horribly too."
Nona nodded sadly. "I'm the southern liaison for her shifter rescue and escape team. I've helped all kinds escape to Yosemite, Arizona, Utah. Some even as far south as Mexico."
"That's amazing." I smiled with renewed pride at her. "But how well does a wolf shifter get by in San Francisco?"
"It takes practice but I can go up to a week without shifting," she grinned. "Weekend camping trips are the excuses I tell humans. And since I'm the new boss at the shop, three-day weekends are not uncommon."
"Uh-huh." I lifted an eyebrow. "How is my old little tea shop running?" A pang of tension spread across my chest. I'd built that shop up from nothing over a year of no sleep and busting my ass day in and day out. The only magic I knew of at the time was glorious caffeine and the drive to pay my rent. And I walked away from it all to get away from my grandmother and former coven, but not before I left it in the most capable hands I knew.
"I think you'd approve of how I'm running things." Nona's eyes gleamed with pride. "My staff are all shifters who escaped westward and needed a day job. I taught them everything you taught me and they're killing it. No one thinks of looking for them there because everyone still thinks a witch runs the place." She grinned. "It's become a safe house for runaways. We've only just started but word is spreading fast."
"The apprentice has become the master," I cackled. "I knew you'd run it better than I ever could."
"You should come see it sometime." Nona set down her empty beer bottle. "You know, after all this craziness dies down."
"I'd love to," I said, grabbing her empty bottle and pulling another from the fridge.
We talked until dawn began casting its gentle light over the sky, turning its dark blue color paler until it became a warm pink. I told Nona everything I wanted to tell her back then but didn't. I told her what really happened with my grandmother and then Juno. As we made a growing collection of empty beer bottles on the table, I even told her how she had been my only loyal friend. Except for the men in my life, she was the only person I trusted wholeheartedly, and the guilt of leaving her to clean up my mess still ate at me.
Right at dawn, Ash walked into the kitchen from his study, rubbing his eyes before he blinked and noticed us and the state we were in.
"Um, hello again," he said awkwardly to Nona and looked at me.
"It's cool, she's a shifter," I yawned, the lack of sleep catching up to me. "She knows everything."
He nodded, fully knowing how much I trusted Nona. Then his eyes fell to the empty beer bottles littering the table. "Did you drinkallthe beer?"
"Shit, I'm sorry." Nona stood up. "I have a really high tolerance and lose track sometimes. I'll buy you guys replacement beer. I just got in last night and have to go into town anyway."
"No, don't worry about it." He gave her a rare smile. "I'm glad you're here. We could all feel how much Deja missed you."
"Well, I might pick y'all something up anyway." Nona winked at me. "I have a contact up here for some actual good tea."
"Ugh, you have no idea how happy you just made me." I gave her an exaggerated eye roll and bit my lip. "I was so spoiled by the city. Even with magic, my resources for good tea up here are so limited."
"Didn't know you had such high standards for boiling twigs and leaves in water," Ash cracked, shooting me a naughty smirk.
"You shut that sexy mouth before I give it something to do." I cupped his jaw in mock anger and quickly gave an affectionate scratch to his beard.
Truthfully, I loved that he was out of his book cave and talking to me again. Underneath being worried about Raum for the last two days, I had a nagging insecurity that Ash had been avoiding me ever since we learned about Seth.
"Well, I'll get out of your hair for now." Nona moved toward the door but not before I pulled her into another bone-crushing hug.
"I'm so glad you're here," I whispered. "Seriously. I feel like I have a real, fighting chance against that crazy old bitch now that I have you to back me up again."
"Ah, you've never given yourself enough credit, D." Nona pulled back with a smile. "But I'm glad I'm here too. And it would be my honor to bite Diana's ankles for you to finish her off."
We laughed and said our temporary goodbyes. I watched from the porch as she, a gray blur, ran on all fours to the treeline and disappeared.
The stench of coffee filled the air when I returned to the kitchen, but I wrinkled my nose and did my best to ignore it.
