Page 56 of Witch Unexpected
“Promise.”
I hung up and handed the phone back to Pen. “Thanks again.”
“No problem. I won’t be able to take you to the cabin, though. I just got a call from work. I need to get to the office.”
“Office?”
She gave me a sheepish look. “Orientations isn’t a paying gig, you know. And no magic means I’m not much use around here. I have my own business.” She pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it to me. “Come by some time.”
Penelope’s
Fashion with passion
“Nice.”
“I got this,” Bramble said. “We’ll check in later.”
“Be careful tonight,” Pen said. “With Sloane and The Elites.” She looked worried. “Anna won’t like this, but I can see where Sloane is coming from. Stick with her, and you’ll be fine.”
A thought occurred to me. “What about the slau?”
Bramble answered. “The Patrol witches have wards etched into their skin to hide them from the slau. If you’re with them, you’ll be fine.” She pulled a dagger from the sheath at her waist. “Besides, you have me. Slau and pixies don’t mix.”
“Hmmm,” Pen said. “Just be careful.”
She left us, clipping away in her sensible heels.
I turned to Bramble. “You can put that away now.”
She tucked the knife into its holster. “We need to get you weaponed up.”
“I have Trixie in my boot.”
“Honey, if you’re going on patrol with The Elites, then I’m gonna make damn sure you have more than a tiny blade at your disposal, but we best get you to Charlotte first. She’ll be waiting.”
“Lead the way.”
* * *
“What did you make of Pen?”Bramble asked as we trudged down the woodland path.
Birds chirped and the world was filled with the ambient sound of life.
“She seems nice.”
“I feel bad for her, you know?” Bramble toyed with the bracelet on her wrist. Silver and shiny with oval etchings that looked like amber eyes cut into it. “Don’t blame her for being prickly sometimes.”
“Because she has no magic?”
“Yeah, especially because of who her grandmother is. It ain’t easy for her. I can tell ya that.”
“Do you guys…hang out?”
“Pfft. Hardly. I may have grown up here, but I ain’t one of them, and they make sure to remind me of that whenever they get the chance.” She stooped to pick up a twig and carried on walking while slapping her thigh with it. “Fitting in ain’t been easy.”
“Then why stay?”
She shook her head then gave me a sly smile. “Why’d you stay in Necro so long, hmmm?”
