Page 47 of Witch Unexpected
Nope, not a shadow.
Bador.
He dropped to eye-level a meter away from the balcony railings, huge wings beating the air and keeping him in flight.
“Lauris.” Bador’s tone was tight with anger. “You have shamed me once again.”
The cockiness bled out of Lauris, and his features smoothed out. “Yes, Father.”
Bador looked at me. “I apologize for my son’s intrusion, Cora Dawn. Please forgive him.”
Lauris hung his head, the devil-may-care persona slipping beneath an exterior of shame.
I didn’t know his story. Hell, I didn’t know him, but my gut was a fucking great judge of character, and it spoke up now.
“Forgive him?” I looked across at Bador. “For what? For keeping me company and answering my questions about the mansion?”
Bador looked thrown.
I sighed. “Look, if I’d known I’d be getting him into trouble, I wouldn’t have cornered him and strong-armed him into hanging out with Bramble and me.”
I caught Bramble nodding a little too enthusiastically.
Okay, so she was happy to bust Lauris’s balls but didn’t want him to get into shit with the big B.
Got it.
Bador’s jaw unclenched. “You commandeered Lauris’s assistance?”
“I did. I’m sorry. I can be pretty pushy when I want to be.”
“And he was…helpful?” Bador asked, sounding skeptical.
“Yeah. Totally helpful.”
Bador didn’t look too convinced, but he nodded. “Very well. Lauris, come with me.”
Lauris’s gaze locked with mine for a long beat, confusion flitting across his face, and then he dropped a wink and hopped onto the balcony railing. Bador rose, huge wings sending gusts of air to slap us in the face. He grabbed hold of Lauris and shot into the air.
Bramble shook her head. “Honestly, half the time I don’t know whether to hug him or throttle him.” She brushed past me and into my bedroom. “Well, come on, fill me in on what happened with Anna.”
* * *
I saton the bed with my back against the headboard. I’d donned the shorts and T because I was done being practically naked. Bramble parked her butt on the edge of the mattress leaning back, braced on her hands.
I ran her through my meeting with Anna—and the elder witch’s attempt to manipulate me with her love-me mojo.
“Ha! Another anchor that Anna’s mojo doesn’t work on.” Bramble looked smug. “Fecking fab.”
“Another?”
“Charlotte’s immune too. It’s why…” She shook her head. “Never mind. Look, you gotta be careful. Be wary, ask the fecking questions. Don’t be a yes woman.”
Wren moaned softly from beside me on the bed. He’d returned a few minutes ago with a bloated tummy and a sleepy look on his face. Dottie had made good on her promise to feed him.
I stroked his head absently. “I’ve never been a yes woman.”
“Yeah, E said that. He said you had a strong will. You’re gonna need it here.”
