Page 6 of Spellbound
He took the ring in his hands, closing his fist around it. I couldn’t help but eye it greedily. The item could pass me through the arches and into Salvius, and it was only feet from my grasp. I looked away. Even if I could get my hands on it, I wouldn’t risk it. Not when the last time I’d tried to help my sister went so horribly wrong.
CHAPTER TWO
The day started fartoo brightly for me to want to get out of bed, but Naomi was coming over, and I missed my best friend. Between her coven and her father, she didn’t have much time to hang out anymore. I shielded my eyes from the harsh light, the sun catching on the silver band around my wrist.
I gazed out at the sprawling gardens and rolling hills, statues, and fountains. The mansion stood in a semicircle in front of the pale-blue horizon. The blue shutters on the windows creaked in the light breeze. Naomi waved from behind the iron gate. Tight black curls coiled around her heart-shaped face, matching the deep brown of her eyes.
“Nai,” I called.
Her full lips pulled up into a wide smile as I pressed the button to let her in. “Good morning, sunshine. I’m happy to see you awake this early!” she exclaimed as she strutted up the drive.
I looked at my watch. She was right. It was seven in the morning, and last night’s 1:00 a.m. trip still burned the back of my eyes. “Only for you.”
She grinned. “So where’s the pompous ass today?” She’d swapped her red robes, which signaled her position within the magician coven, for a pinstriped black-and-white shirt with ruffles and a black pencil skirt. “Didn’t come to greet me?”
I chuckled. “Maddox is inside.” I wrapped my arms around her, breathing in the fresh, peachy smell from her shampoo. “You look nice.”
She pulled away and tugged at the collar of her shirt, posing. “It’s new.”
I glanced down at the off-white dress I always wore. It was tattered at the knees, corseted at the bust. To complement it, I wore the same black leather jacket I’d had since I was eighteen. I needed new clothes but kept spending my skal on weapons for training or supplies for my art closet instead.
“It’s pretty. I’ve made coffee if you want one.” I motioned my head, gesturing us into the mansion.
I looked around the cluttered kitchen with wood shelves covering the yellow walls, filled with jars of dried fruits and herbs. Naomi walked to the kitchen table and sat on one of the six wooden chairs. I poured two cups, breathing in the deep, rich scent. There was no smell better than coffee in the morning.
“I have news.” Naomi’s eyes gleamed as I sat across from her. She hit her hands against the table, leaning forward. “There’s a new guy.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I know.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “He’s just come into town, like last night. There’s no way you could know.”
“He came by here first.”
“Why?”
“We needed to get the ring back from Frederick, who bought him here.”
