Page 69 of Heart of a Witch
“Just be ready at nine. I’ll pick you up from your house.” He let go of my hair, pulling back a couple of inches. “I’m glad I came here after all.”
I glanced at his pants. “That was fast,” I said teasingly, but I knew what he meant.
He almost smiled but hid it. “Speaking of, are you going to do anything about that?”
“There’s a restroom at the back if you’re desperate.” My heart raced. “You can take care of it yourself.”
He undressed me with his eyes. “You drive me crazy.”
I shrugged, although my cheeks heated. “It’s not as difficult as you think.”
He smirked and turned away from me. “Don’t be late tonight.”
I went to throw back a quip, but he was already at the other side of the shop, looking at some shelves—maybe waiting for his dick to go soft again. He shoved his hands in his pockets, his white shirt bunching at his hips. What was I doing? Was I really checking him out? I didn’t do that, not to a human—especially my enemy.
I hurried to the counter. “Cas, I’m heading home. Can you close?”
“Yes, you’ve been a great help.”
I nodded and quickly left, not looking back. The cold air was welcomed against my hot skin and flushed face. I hated that he had an effect on me. It had been a long time since I’d been with a man. That had to be it, because there was no way I wanted Elijah Shaw.
A raven flew into me, jolting me back against the shop’s wall. I splayed my fingers over my racing heart, looking up as the inky bird flapped away, against fierce gusts of wind. I leaned down, picking up a lone feather. It reminded of my friends who’d fled persecution and went to the kingdom of the white sea, a voyage unreachable from our lands. The Ravenwoods were a raven-sorcerer race who could turn into ravens at will.
I pocketed the feather. I could use it in our next hex bag, which I’d have to put off, as Elijah was picking me up tonight. I gazed upward, wondering where he’d be taking me. I was surprised he wanted the real Victoria more than the slightly nicer version I’d shown him. I guessed the entire family was a glutton for punishment.
A flurry of white circled in front of me as I stepped out into the street. Snowflakes caught in the winds, catching in my black strands and on my coat. I pressed my chilled lips together, inhaling the icy air, and decided I’d be taking the carriage home instead of walking.
Twenty
Elijah
Father yawned, cracking his neck to the side. His bloodshot eyes landed on me, and he assessed my outfit. “Going somewhere nice?”
“I’m meeting someone.” I tugged at my collar. “You look tired. Bad night’s sleep?”
He drummed his fingers against the coffee table. “It’s nothing but a few nightmares,” he said, leaning back against the cushions of the sofa. “The high priest will be coming to town soon, so I decided to postpone your training by a couple of weeks.”
I loosed a sigh of relief. “I will make sure I’m there to greet him.”
“Yes, you will.” He closed his eyes slowly. “Where is your brother?”
I had no idea, but I didn’t want him getting in trouble. “Upstairs, I believe.”
“Tell him I want to talk to him.”
“Has he done something?” I asked.
“It is between your brother and me.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Good.” He waved his hand dismissively. It was 8:15 a.m. already, but I couldn’t leave without finding Corbin first.
I searched the house, then found our housekeeper. “Have you seen my brother?”
Her eyes widened. “He went out with the young Miss Weathermore.”
I had seen them together at the ball. What was he playing at? “Thanks,” I said and hurried back to the lounge, where I found Father snoring lightly. Thank Zerheus he was asleep. I wanted to be here when he and Corbin talked.
