Page 16 of Witch Unexpected
“He’ll be fine,” Jasper said. “Mogwai are surprisingly resilient, which is a perk to you ignoring me and bringing him with you.”
Was he implying what I thought he was? “You aren’t seriously contemplating using him as a battery to materialize around me, are you?”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s unfair to Wren.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “And I don’t give a shit.”
Of course he didn’t. I narrowed my eyes. “You hurt him, and I promise you I’ll find a way to make you pay.”
“Your promises don’t mean a huge deal, Cora.” He was referring to the deal I’d broken.
“Yeah, well, some promises shouldn’t be exacted.”
Silence reigned between us for long agonizing seconds.
“Your friend Fee is back,” he said finally. “I suppose you’ll be running off to take up your position as her sidekick.”
Jasper didn’t like Fee. He thought I lived in her shadow. Most of the time, I didn’t give a fuck what Jasper thought, but this issue was a sore subject for me because he had a point.
My life had revolved around my best friend for well...ever. Not that I regretted it. No. It was just that I needed more, and I was making sure to get it with my Magiguard gig. A job that was totally mine.
Jasper needed to back off.
“We’re having supper.”
“And then something will happen, and you’ll be roped into helping her.”
“No.”
“Uh-huh.” A smug smile played on his face, and my hand itched to slap him, but that would mean getting close to him, and close to Jasper was a dangerous place to be.
“Fuck off, Jasper.”
“How mature.”
Wren groaned and opened his eyes and made a strange babbling sound that was almost words but not quite.
I cradled him. “You’ve broken my mogwai.”
Jasper snorted. “You need to get rid of that thing before it hurts you.”
And then, without being asked to, he vanished.
I sat Wren up and smoothed the hair between his ears while he recharged after being siphoned on by Jasper.
“Are you okay?”
“Wren a little tired.”
“It’s okay. You can have a TV day today.”
“Tee Vee.”
Oh boy, he was in for a treat. I’d join him, but I had an antsy feeling in my bones that sitting at home wasn’t going to quell. I needed to get out and do something, and there was always one thing that cheered me up.
The mall was going to get a workout, and Jasper and his insinuations could go take a leap.
