Page 90 of Witch Unbound
He pressed a kiss to my temple. “You good?”
“I’m good.”
“Thank you,” Rune said to Riley.
The Magiguard nodded and then Rune transferred me over.
Finn placed a hand on Rune’s shoulder. “You ready?” he asked us.
“Ready.”
The world lit up bright and tilted. When it righted itself, we were outside the cabin, bare feet on snow, crisp forest air in our lungs.
Riley tipped me toward Rune, who scooped me into his arms. “You good?”
“We’re good,” Rune confirmed.
The Magiguard winked out just as the cabin door flew open and Tor and Leif barreled out.
They stopped on the porch and stared.
“We need hot chocolate and food. Stat.” Rune trudged up to the house. “Cora’s going to need to refuel.”
* * *
Three steaks,two baked potatoes, and a slice of apple pie later, I was beginning to feel more like myself. Tucked up on the sofa with an epic mug of hot chocolate and Wren asleep on my lap, the events of a few hours ago felt like a bad dream. And if not for the remnants of dried blood under my nails and the smell of it in my hair, I’d have convinced myself that’s exactly what it had been.
I looked down at my little mogwai buddy, bandaged and healing now that he’d been fed. I thought he’d died. I’d been certain. But he was okay. He was going to be okay. While the guys tidied up in the kitchen, I called Anna, got her answering machine, so dialed Sloane instead.
“Cora, where are you?” Sloane asked.
“At the cabin. I’m fine. I’m safe.”
“Bramble, Lauris, and Rune?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, things took a strange turn.” I filled her in on the events.
She was silent for a long beat, mulling it over. “The warlock we killed at The Order club changed. He was a changeling host, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, I think so. I think they’re using changelings to house revenants. But I think there’s more to it. The way he spoke… I dunno, Sloane, I’m worried.”
“I’ll let Anna know. You okay, though, Cupcake? You shifted…How do you feel about that? That’s a big deal.”
I closed my eyes and reveled in the sound of her husky voice. “I’m okay, I think. I need time to process it, but I’m fine. Just tired. Rain check on the sleepover?”
“You know it.”
“Night, Sloane.”
“Night, Cupcake.”
I hung up as the guys entered the lounge. Tor perched on the coffee table, forearms braced on his thighs, steel-gray eyes fixed on me in concern. Leif took a spot on the floor by my feet and placed his hand on my knee, massaging almost absently, while Rune settled beside me and stretched out his arm across the back of the sofa behind me protectively.
I was pretty certain Rune had told them about my beast mode while Wren and I’d been ungraciously stuffing our faces, but I guess it was time to talk about it now.
I leveled a look at Tor. “I turned into a monster.”
“No,” Rune said quickly. “You were…formidable.”
