Page 17 of November Reign
Unknown number
Just a pic of your pretty face. I miss you
Unknown number
Ignoring me won’t work out well for you. I can see you whenever I want but I want a goddamn picture! Make it a pretty one
Unknown number
Answer me, dammit! Or do you want me to come get you? Is that it? Do you think I can’t?
Unknown number
I’ve always known where you are. I’ve let you play, but you better not have let anyone touch you Oak. I’ll cut their fingers off!
Unknown number
Remember that I’m the only one who’s ever loved you like you deserve
Unknown number
I own you Oak
Each message I read sent a shudder down my spine. Just standing in the hallways had me uneasy. Was he watching me now? I knew if I didn’t give him something, anything, he would just send message after message, or worse, come get me, unless I cavedand gave him what he wanted. With my fingers mentally crossed, I snapped a selfie and sent it back to him. My finger hovered over the delete button for the entire thread. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of all the texts.
He didn’t leave me waiting long. A reply flashed up almost immediately.
Unknown Number
That’s better. You look tired. Go take a nap in an hour
As much as I wanted to ignore the order, I knew better. Pocketing my phone once more, I sighed. With some time before I had to face him, I made my way to the roof terrace. I needed air.
Even though the October air was biting, I just needed some space from the others. A place where I wouldn’t be overheard. No one was on guard duty here, so I had the peace I wanted. I slumped onto a chair and pulled out my phone again. The call connected magically even another dimension away in Abrocaelum.
“Hey, Zin.”
Slip the Leash
Thyme
Oak was quiet afterour talk. He didn’t return to training or the kitchen that afternoon, begging off with a migraine. I’d stopped by his room with some tinctures and heard him muttering to someone. When Hela had barged by me to get into his room, I’d seen for myself that he had been napping, his dreams troubled. As soon as the Hellcat had butted her head against his face, he had calmed. His expression had evened out into something sweet. Thanks to her, he was no longer pained by the nightmare that had plagued him.
“Cool power,” I whispered to Hela. She gave me a chirruping reply before she settled down against Oak’s side for a nap.
I closed the door and left them to it.
He withdrew further, almost returning to the days before we tried the new methods of training. There wasn’t the same combativeness in our relationship, just very clear boundaries I was not going to cross. I often caught him on calls to his sister, so at least he had someoneto talk to.
His revelation about training to suit our strengths instead of acting against our enemy’s playbook struck a chord with most of us. Gregoris didn’t ask for Keren, his grandfather, to return to teach Cody, instead he asked for his advice then used as much of it as he felt appropriate.
Damon was back to ignoring magic for his guns and knives. Well, for all of a day, until Oak reminded him in a mock magical attack, that we couldn’t afford to get lax with the magical training.
Samhain, or Halloween, arrived in the coven. As witches we usually celebrated with a bonfire and a feast where we would leave a place setting for the spirits among us. I’d wanted to honor Damon’s mother, Fern, that way, but my little brother had other ideas.
Damon had followed Mori to the demon realm for business. Demons liked Halloween for how thin the veils were between each of the realms only because it made travel easier, but otherwise they avoided humans and their pageantry.
Both Cody and Parker were also gone, taking Barr and their mates with them, leaving me alone in the mansion with Oak.
