Page 32 of The Magic of Discovery
“Okay,” I breathed. A little breeze against my heated skin signaled his departure, and I took a deep breath.
Grabbing some fresh underwear and a bra, I walked over to my nightstand and picked up my cell phone. It was only 6:12 AM, but I was surprised at how well rested I felt. I was normally the kind of witch who stayed in bed as long as possible. Swiping my thumb up on the screen, I opened my messages and smiled when I saw what waited.
Kai: I hope you’re having fun tonight with boss man. ;)
And an hour later...
Kai: Sounds like you’re having a LOT of fun. Damn, Sprout. Scream the house down.
My eyes bugged out of my head, and heat warmed my cheeks. He had been here, too? I hastily tapped out a reply, my stomach growling in impatience.
Me: You mean you were here? Outside of my house at midnight? The hell, Kai?
I wasn’t mad. Quite the opposite, actually. The thought of Kai hearing what Cam had been doing to me last night had my body warming up...notin embarrassment. But what the fuck was he doing outside of my house like that? And why hadn’t my spells alerted me to... oh. Of course. Bagheera. Clearly, I need to tweak my spell to include sneaky, sneaky shifters.
Determined to get some answers, I quickly dressed and took care of some necessities. Untangling my hair with one hand and brushing my teeth with the other, my mind began its daily mental checklist of what I had to accomplish.
Coffee with Cam. Shower. Check the sick flowerbeds. See what Gran might have figured out yesterday. No work today, so I can dick around in the gardens.
Slipping my phone into my pocket, I left my room and jogged down the steps. Clanging dishes met my ears just as the sweet smell of coffee invaded my nose.Ah, I need that.
Seeing Cam in my kitchen had the corners of my mouth pulling into a smile, the way he moved, so graceful despite his size. His hair was loose, and he must have borrowed my brush when he used my bathroom earlier because smooth waves draped over his shoulders, not a tangle in sight. Those wicked black leather pants were squeezing his ass and thighs again, and he had on his black t-shirt from yesterday. Quietly approaching him, I trailed my fingers down his spine.
“Thanks for making coffee. I can’t function until I get at least one cup into my system.” I opened the fridge and snagged the creamer.
He waved me away when I tried to grab the handle of the mug. “I’m the exact same way, so I made a lot. I’ll bring your cup over to the table.” I stood in front of the sink and leaned up to look outside.Might as well rip the band-aid off right now and see what it looks like this morning.
“Oh my gods,” I whispered.
“What? What is it?” Cam was all business as he slid beside me and looked outside. His finger pointed at the dying plants in two different beds. “Those weren’t like that yesterday evening, were they?”
“No, they were completely fine. I don’t know why this keeps happening.” Anger accompanied the end of my response, but I couldn’t help it. I was getting pissed. Turning my back on the shit I apparently had no control over, I trudged over to the table. Cam was right behind me, coffee in hand. Placing the steaming liquid in front of me, he took the seat beside mine.
“Tell me what’s going on, Saige,” he ordered, concern lacing his voice. “Maybe I can help.”
Flicking the lid of the creamer, I dumped a generous portion into my coffee and stirred. After a careful mouthful, I word vomited everything that had been going on with my plants.
He listened attentively, absorbing everything I had to share. “Has your gran planted any of these gardens? Are any of hers affected?” he questioned, stirring his coffee with a small spoon.
I thought about that, my heart sinking. “Shit. It’s only the ones I planted and used magic on.” My eyes widened at that revelation. “Is there something wrong with my magic?” My voice sounded shrill even to my own ears, and I winced.
“I’ve never heard of a witch’s magic being tainted unless someone was deliberately casting against them. Hexes or curses, but even then, this is extreme. I’d sooner think that someone was sabotaging your gardens naturally than something being wrong with your magic. Honestly, Sloane is actually the best with this shit; he excels at wards. I’ll talk to him today and see if he can come out and put some protections in place. If anyone is directly sabotaging you, he’ll find out.”
“Really? That would be great. This is driving me crazy, and I need my plants for my business. I haven’t even checked the moonstone beds or the crystal caverns. I’m scared to see if those have been tainted too.” I really,reallyhoped they were fine. Gran never grew crystals; I’d started that project on my own after I finished my college courses. Running my fingers through my hair, anxiety swirled in my belly like a warning of things to come. Rocks and crystals were already a finicky bunch; the slightest misstep could ruin everything, and they were a huge source of my sales in the shop.
“Yeah, let us help you. It’s the least we can do since you’ve been so helpful by showing us around town and introducing us to everybody. I’ll see if he can come out later today or tomorrow. I know you have a hot date tonight.” He winked at me and smiled, seeming genuinely happy for me. I guess between him and Kai, that made two who were jealousy-free.
“Kai texted me last night, and I only just saw it.” I opened my phone and slid it across the table to him.
He chuckled. “Goddamn it, Kai.”
“Explain,” I said flatly.
“Kai was out last night letting Bagheera run. If he keeps the beast locked down for too long, he starts to lose it. My guess? He was running in the woods, and he picked up on our scents outside. Then his super hearing picked up on something more interesting than scent, and he’s a dirty fuck, so it’s not really a surprise he eavesdropped. What do you think about that?” he asked, leaning closer to me. Instead of the question possibly going the flirty route, it seemed like he was actually interested in my feelings.What a novelty.
“At first, I wanted to be upset, but it kind of makes me hot knowing he heard how you were making me scream, and he wasn’t mad about it,” I admitted, winding some of my hair around my finger.
“Kaito loves to watch, little witch. Don’t get me wrong, he loves to participate, too, but he wouldlovewatching me work you over.” Cam shifted in his seat, adjusting his most likely growing erection.
