Page 57 of All My Witches
“So you’re evil,” Thistle said, pointing. “She’s more evil and that one is the mostevil?”
Aunt Tillienodded.
“Oh, that’s somehow diabolically spot on,” Thistle said. “That’s so …her.”
“I want a more evil twin,” Clove complained. “That would really help when there’s housework to bedone.”
I ignored her. “Aunt Tillie, where do you think you’re going?” I challenged. “We’re here. We can see you. We won’t allow you to escapeagain.”
“That’s right,” Thistle enthused. “We want to go home, and we want to do it rightnow.”
“Oh, but the story isn’t over.” Aunt Tillie’s eyes gleamed as she took a backward step toward the cabin. We’re nowhere neardone.”
“Where are you going?” Alarmed, I strode forward. The two twins moved into my path, blocking Aunt Tillie from view as she opened the cottagedoor.
“If she goes inside we’ll lose her until we hit another scene,” Landonwarned.
“It’s too late,” I said. “We can’t get to her intime.”
“We have to try.” Landon gripped my hand and broke into a run, dragging me forward. The evil twins tried to stop us, but Landon easily evaded them with a spin move straight off a footballfield.
“I think we pinned down why he’s the leading man,” Sam said, his chest heaving as he struggled to keep up. “That was a nice move,man.”
Landon was grim. “I do my best.” He shoved open the door and pushed his way inside, revealing an entirely new atmosphere. “Oh, I just knewit!”
We definitely weren’t out of the woods yet. The new set was something elseentirely.
“Oh, this doesn’t look good,” Thistle complained. “She’s just messing with us now. There can be no otherexplanation.”
* * *
How canyou solve a crime shirtless? What kind of cop goes to a scene shirtless? Why is that dude always shirtless? If your answer is ‘because he’s hot,’ I think we’re going to have to break up. This is not proper crime sceneetiquette.
– Landon trying to understand soap opera crime-solvingtechniques
Fourteen
“Where are we now?”
Landon looked over his shoulder to see if the cottage remained, but it was gone, replaced by a dark and grimy alley wall. Er, well, rather the sort of wall a soap opera pretended was dark and grimy. Alleys and docks, overall dark locations, never looked as they should in the real world when translated for the small soap screen. Apparently soap lovers could only accept so muchgrit.
“I’m guessing we’re in an alley,” Clove offeredsagely.
Landon offered a withering expression. “Really? I never would’ve figured that out myself. Thank you so much for deducing that,Clove.”
“You’rewelcome.”
I grabbed Landon’s arm and dragged him to the right, pointing toward a clothesline stretching across the back corner as I attempted to distract him. Several items of clothing hung from it, and because Landon remained shirtless I figured he might want to coverup.
“Good eye, sweetie.” Landon grabbed the nearest shirt. It was purple and silky. He looked a bit like a gigolo when he shrugged into it, but he seemed so relieved to cover his chest that I opted not to comment on the color – or texture – or the ridiculous flare of the collar. Thistle was another storyentirely.
“You look like a totaltool.”
Landon scowled. “I didn’t pick out the shirt. It’s not as if I have manyoptions.”
“Is that silk?” Sam stroked Landon’s chest, earning a glare for his efforts. “It’s …nice.”
“He looks like a pimp,” Thistleargued.
