Page 142 of Whispers of Wisteria
“You’re in charge of your quintet,” Gregory said. “She will ignore anything from me or Bryce. Get on your phone and tell her to come back.”
I tilted my head.
She would probably ignore Damen too. Especially if she thought he might change his mind.
Still, he could try.
I could see the indecision on Damen’s face. He’d told her to stay at first, but then allowed her to go. If he did this, he’d be going back on his word.
And she’d been so excited.
I mulled over some recipes. She’d be pissed, so I should make something calming…
Damen crossed his arms over the table and leaned forward. “Why?”
“It is dangerous,” Gregory said.
“It’s Cécile,” Damen countered. “We see it all the time.”
Gregory’s mood darkened. I froze.
“It is not the shikigami that concerns me,” Gregory said, voice lower now.
Damen’s stance shifted as he furrowed his brow. “Then what? Or are you just mad that she keeps running away from you?”
Gregory clenched his jaw, and the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach grew stronger.
What was going on?
“You could just check her location,” Finn cut in.
He was sitting on a barstool on the other side of the kitchen, where he’d set up his laptop on the granite slab. He’d been working earlier, but stopped at Gregory’s initial outburst.
Finn spun his seat to face us. “Just pull up whatever it is you’re using to track her phone.”
“Why would I be tracking her phone?” Damen asked, genuinely offended. “I’m notyou. I’m not going to stalk her, especially not for a stupid cat.”
Gregory pressed his lips together and watched Damen. Meanwhile, Finn paled as he leaned back like he simply couldn’t comprehend what he’d just heard.
“You absolute idiot,” he snapped a second later. “Do you think I did that for fun? Don’t you listen to a word I say? She has a death wish! How can you not be monitoring where she goes?”
“Don’t talk to me like that.” Damen scowled. “I don’t monitor anyone else either. I trust that she knows her limits.”
“What?” Finn stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “No, she doesn’t! Do you know how many times I’ve had to save her? Plus, she was almost eaten by witches not that long ago under your watch!”
Gregory looked toward the door again, and my stomach knotted. Maybe she really should come home.
I pulled out my phone, and everyone’s attention snapped to me. “I’ll call her.”
Damen frowned.
“She’ll pick up for me,” I reasoned.
He bristled, obviously wanting to argue, but I ignored him and dialed.
The knot in my stomach grew tighter after the third ring.
“She’s not answering,” I said.
