Page 60 of Witch Unexpected
The area around the cabin was cleared out to make a front yard with a fire pit, barbeque, and outdoor seating. Sloane led the way onto the wraparound porch to the main house and knocked on the door.
Behind me, Bramble let out a groan.
“Here she is,” the witch carrying her said. “Wakey, wakey, sleeping pixie.”
Bramble cracked open an eye crusted with blood and looked at the witch. “Ah, Brie, I knew you had a soft spot for me.”
Brie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get you cleaned up, eh?”
“I can walk,” Bramble said.
Brie set her down.
Bramble’s gaze fixed on me. Her elfin face was smeared with dried blood. She would have died to protect me out there. She could have run, but she hadn’t.
“Well, that was fun, huh?” She gave me a weak smile.
A rush of emotion coursed through me, relief and something else, warm and fuzzy. I bridged the distance between us and pulled her into a tight hug.
“You fucking saved my ass out there, you crazy bitch.”
Bramble was stiff for a long moment, then she relaxed against me and hugged me back.
“Yeah… Yeah, I kinda did, didn’t I?”
The door opened as Bramble and I broke out of the hug.
A large man with reddish-brown hair and pale blue eyes like Leif’s greeted us. He smiled warmly at Sloane, and then his gaze tracked to me and Bramble, and his smile dropped.
“What happened?” He rushed toward Bramble and gripped her chin, turning her face this way and that. “You’re bleeding.” He bared his teeth and turned on Sloane. “What happened?”
“Banshee attack.” Sloane’s tone was calm, but her shoulders tensed.
“On the grounds?” The man swiped his thumb across Bramble’s cheek to wipe away some of the dried blood.
“Yeah,” Sloane replied. “Can we get inside, Arne?”
But Arne was still preoccupied with Bramble. He’d pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and was wiping at her face.
“I’m fine.” Bramble smiled up at him with a softness I hadn’t seen in her face yet. “I need to get properly cleaned up before Charlotte sees me.”
“Yes, fuck, yes,” Arne said. “Get in the house. I’ll mobilize a patrol.”
The interior of the house was like stepping into a hug. Warmth skated over skin I hadn’t realized was so chilly. Huge windows let in buttery sunlight, which lit up the dark hardwood floors. Comfy looking sofas, bean bags, and rugs made up a sitting area. A huge flat-screen TV hung on the wall, and a hearth crackled with merry flames.
This wasn’t just a house, it was a home, and the aroma of freshly baked bread was the icing on the cake.
Arne spoke gruffly into his phone, issuing instructions.
“I’ll be back,” Bramble said to me before disappearing through a door across the lounge.
Arne got off the phone. “Leif and his team are running a sweep of the grounds now.”
Sloane nodded. “Yeah, we’re checking the wards.”
Ward failure again. “First the potentials’ hideout, now this? You can’t believe it’s a coincidence.”
Sloane fixed her eerie blue eyes on me. “Never said I did. We’ve had these wards up and running for decades. Never had a breach like this before. It’s no coincidence.” She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth as if to say something, then snapped it closed. “We’ll look into it.”
