Page 39 of November Reign
His chuckle was low. He waved a hand brushing my words away. “Semantics. Besides, my coven needs proof you belong beside me.”
His coven? WTF? How many witches had he pulled over to his way of thinking?
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to bring me Damon.”
My heart fell into my feet.
“Damon? He’ll kill me!”
“No, he won’t. You see, they are going to take you back and feel so very sorry for you they’ll drop their guard around you. That’s when you’ll strike.”
“No.”
“Yes. Get me Damon and the book. Then you can have an easy, comfortable life with me. I’ll give you anything you want.” His smile was chilling. “Your sister will be safe as long as she stays in Abrocaelum and lets me have Northarbor.” His eyes held a dangerous glint. “The coven is mine. I’m just taking it back.”
“Basil, please!” I tugged him to a stop, imploring him to see sense.
“Swear you’ll do it.”
There was no chance he’d accept anything less. It was Damon, or my family.
“I swear.”
He reached for me, pulled me against him. He was only a little shorter than me. Going onto his tiptoes, he kissed my cheek once more.
“Sorry about this.”
Then they attacked.
Witches, Basil’s followers, and shifters from the aviary came for me on all sides as Basil stood and watched. They battered me with magic and fists and I tried my damndest to lessen the damage. On and on the fight went. I’d like to say I did as much harm as they did to me, but that would be a lie. They roaredin satisfaction when they drew first blood. People around us screamed at them to stop. They didn’t until Basil let out a spark of magic.
I thought I was going to die there on the street.
Basil’s cruel smirk was the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness.
Afraid
Thyme
Our conversation in thekitchen went a long way to clearing the air between me and Damon. I hadn’t expected so many feelings to come out of it. To think he saw me as a father figure was mind-boggling. I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Damon, embarrassed about his confession, was pretty quiet for all of a day. Then he seemed to accept I wasn’t going to make a big thing of it and relaxed. He was more open with me, which helped with running the coven. Handy since everything there was a shit show to deal with.
Biting back my retorts during coven meetings was beginning to sting. On and on I had to listen to these witches smearing Oak’s name, like they’ve never slept with anyone they later regretted. They made Oak sound like the devil! It was ridiculous!
It was as if they’d forgotten all the dedication Oak had given the coven, before and after Basil was the Head Witch. He was always by his sister’s side, supporting her and Poppy as they steered the coventhrough the waves Basil had made in the community. He was a protector when Poppy was pregnant, ensuring she didn’t overextend herself doing her duties as Head Witch. Her pregnancy was hard to start with because of the magic used to make a baby from herself and Zinna. Add to that the everyday tasks and magic needed as the leader of the coven, then there was a genuine risk of her losing the baby or her life to magical burnout.
Oak had been there through it all. He’d helped foster greater relationships with the shifters. He’d helped find Toth. There was no reason to suspect he was working with Basil.
Not that the coven would listen to me. I think it was an open secret I had feelings for the man. Those feelings were deep and complicated, but I wanted to see where things could go with him. If the coven wouldn’t accept Oak when this was all said and done, then I would leave. Damon had others to guide him. He could give me rights to live and practice magic in Northarbor outside of the coven. Me and Oak could be a coven of two, if that’s what he wanted.
So I had to hold my tongue and wait for them to be proven wrong. Oak’s plan to draw Basil out would work, then he could come home to me. Then I’d get my kiss. Maybe more.
Oak texted me each day to let me know he was out waiting for Basil to make contact with him. I’d just received another text about the tail on him. This was it. Basil had to be waiting for his moment to strike.
“Barr? Damon?”
