Page 50 of Witch Unexpected
She winked. “I might have.”
“And you lingered when everyone left?”
“I sure did.”
“Then why did you make me tell you everything?”
Her expression grew serious. “Trust, Cora. I need you to trust me, and I need to be able to trust you.”
“Why?”
“Because this world you’ve stepped into isn’t always what it seems. You need allies. Friends. Confidantes.”
And for some reason, she’d chosen to become mine. Or had she? “Charlotte asked you to watch over me.”
She headed for the balcony. “She did. And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”
Then she darted out into the night and was gone.
I shucked off my clothes and climbed back into bed. Wren was snoring softly, and I snuggled close to him and closed my eyes.
I had allies and confidantes. I had friends, but this was a new life, a new responsibility, and tomorrow I’d start sussing out exactly who I could trust.
Chapter Twelve
Ipadded out of the bathroom in my underwear to find a stranger sitting at my dresser. Wren was nowhere to be seen, and my bed, which I’d left artfully unmade, had been smoothed into submission. Several items of clothing were laid out on it.
The woman raised a hand in greeting and smiled brightly. There was something familiar about that smile and the features surrounding it.
Anna.
She looked like a younger version of the elder witch.
I arched a brow at the woman. “You must be Pen.”
“That’s me, and you must be Cora. It’s so nice to meet you.” She waved a hand at the bed. “I wasn’t sure if you’d had time to pack. Take your pick. They should all be about your size. We can get you a new wardrobe of clothes soon, but this will keep you going until then.”
It was a thoughtful gesture. “Thanks.”
Jeans, long-sleeved tops, a couple of knitted jumpers, socks, leggings. Yeah, this would do.
She stood and headed for the door. “I’ll let you get dressed, then we’ll go and get some breakfast.”
“Did you see my friend, Wren?”
“The cutie left with Dottie a few minutes ago. I’m sure we’ll catch them up in the dining hall.”
She closed the door softly behind her, and I studied the items on the bed. The leggings were thick material, perfect for the November chill, paired with an undershirt, the long-knitted sweater, and my boots… Yeah, this worked.
I dressed, ran a brush through my hair, and headed for the lounge. As I closed the door behind me, I noted strange runes etched into the surface. I’d done some studying on runes, and from what I could see, these were protective wards to keep something out.
“Ah, you noticed those,” Pen said from behind me.
“Yeah. What are we keeping out?”
“Nosey, dead, elder council members.” She smiled. “I figured you’d want some privacy, and those old biddies have had the run of this wing for way too long to respect that. I had a novice place them there for you.”
“Thanks.”
