Page 47 of All My Witches
“Where they met someone to frolic with in the mud?” Samasked.
Mrs. Gunderson shook her head. “No. They’re super couples. The other people in the pits are merely momentarydistractions.”
“Did she just explain something?” Landonasked.
“Maybe.” Something clicked in my head. “I remember this. It was aDays of Our Livesstoryline. Aunt Tillie showed us some highlights when we werekids.”
“And it’s importantbecause?”
“I’m notsure.”
“What do you remember about the story?” Landon was calm. “It has to play into whatever comesnext.”
“I remember that a lot of characters died. They were all halves of super couples or popular couples. Their loved ones were left behind to mourn, and then something happened – although I can’t remember what – and somehow the other halves of the couples ended up on the island and everyone was reunited … and there was a lot of music montage sexhappening.”
“And that’s what you think is going onhere?”
“I don’t know.” I glanced at the nearest mud pit, cringing when I caught sight of what could only be described as vigorous … grinding. “I don’t remember it being likethat.”
“Aunt Tillie has them doing that because she doesn’t want us to focus on them,” Thistle supplied. “They’re important to the story, but she doesn’t want us to stare. We need to figure outwhy.”
If anyone understood Aunt Tillie’s busy brain, it was Thistle. They were so much alike it was often hard to differentiatethem.
“It has to be about the couples,” I said. “She’s trying to warn us aboutsomething.”
“What?” Landon was instantly alert. “What is she trying to warn usabout?”
“I don’tknow.”
“Is she trying to separateus?”
“I don’tknow.”
“Is she trying to make usfight?”
“I don’tknow.”
“Is she trying to drive me abso-freaking-lutelycrazy?”
“I don’tknow.”
“What do you know?” Landon was on edge, and I couldn’t ignore his darkexpression.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.” I purposely dragged out my words as I sucked in a calming breath. “I don’t know what she has planned. It’s just she rarely expends energy on something like this if it’s not going to come back to bite uslater.”
Landon seemed to realize he was clutching me rather tightly, so he loosened his grip on my hand. “I didn’t mean to yell atyou.”
I flashed a smile. “That was hardly you losing your temper. I’ve seen you much angrier thanthat.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” Landon pressed a kiss to my forehead before swiveling to face everyone else. “We need to be careful. If the storyline she’s trying to mimic here is about couples, that means she’s going to do something to us … perhaps separateus.”
“What good would that do?” Sam challenged. “Isn’t it more fun for her to torture ustogether?”
“Not if she can get her jollies by separating us.” Landon gripped my hand as tightly as possible, Marcus and Sam followed suit with their respective girlfriends. “She’ll enjoy separating us if she can. I think that’s exactly what’s going to happen very soon if she gets herway.”
I wanted to argue with him, but it was fruitless. I was resigned to what was about to happen. “Landon… .”
“No.” Landon extended a warning finger. “I won’t be separated from you. This world is hard enough without that. I can’t takeit.”
