Page 21 of Cursed Sight
“Hey, you okay?” he asked, worry tainting his words.
Another man stood before them, and she realized it was the last of the brothers. Serena cleared her throat and forced a polite smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes before giving her a pass. “Serena, this is my brother Max. I’ve spoken about him to you.”
Her mood lightened drastically, a genuine smile tipping her lips. “Yes! You can speak with animals!” she told him and nearly clapped with excitement.
Max curled in on himself, his accusing eyes darting toward Ethan. Serena’s excitement vanished as quickly as it had come. Reaching out, she laid a hand on Max’s arm to draw his attention from his brother.
“Please don’t be mad,” she whispered. “He may have told me, but it’s because we’re both fascinated by your gift. I’ve never met someone who could do what you do. You’re truly blessed!”
Her words seemed to soothe the tension, and Max eyed them a moment. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to people knowing, especially strangers.”
“Serena’s not a stranger,” Ethan said for only their ears.
Glancing at him, she found an intensity in his gaze she had not expected. Their connection ran deep and caused a jumble of emotions to flit through her.
“I’ve been through a lot with your brother, sister, and Ryan,” she told Max quietly, unable to break her gaze with Ethan.
Max cleared his throat. “I think a lot has been left out,” he said, his brows reaching his hairline as he stared at Ethan.
“Food’s ready! Let’s eat!” Brandy called from across the room.
Serena released a breath she’d been holding and walked along Ethan’s side. Trailing the rest of the group gave her time to shake the intimate moment with him. It seemed they were occurring more often and in front of others now.
A large farmhouse table with benches on each side filled the area. Food was set on the table family style, with beautiful natural arrangements of orange, red, and brown flowers. To her left was an open kitchen, and on the center island, she spotted potted rosemary, thyme, and basil plants.
Ethan guided her to the bench on the right so they could face Brandy and Ryan. Serena could not stop herself from taking in the rest of the beautifully grounded room. Varying plants filled the space, and the soothing aroma of herbal candles wafted throughout.
“Thank you, Lord, for bringing us together and for the food before us. We also thank you for the people in our lives. Please keep us safe and stop Brandy from making this wedding into a large affair,” Junior called from his spot at the head of the table.
“Hey!” Brandy yelled as the others snickered.
“Let’s eat!” James shouted, and the room erupted into a chorus of pleases and thank-yous.
Serena watched with surprise before falling into comfortable silence. Ethan glanced her way a few times but did not say anything past offering her whatever food went around. Throughout the process, she did not miss the way their thighs pressed against each other, invisible energy pulling them together.
The family shared funny and embarrassing stories as they ate. Brandy updated them on the latest of her pregnancy, leaving out Ethan’s declaration. Ryan wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close.
As everyone sipped on their coffee or whiskey, they relaxed with their bellies full. “All right!” Brandy declared with more enthusiasm than Serena could muster. She was ready for a nap pronto. “I have a few dates I want to run by you. We all know Grandmother Cassandra performed a handfasting here only a few months ago, but I’d—we’dlike a more formal ceremony others can attend to celebrate our marriage.”
After quite a few minutes of discussion, a date one month from then was decided, a date in which each brother and Serena could attend. It was also a date in which Brandy’s bump could still be relatively hidden in pictures.
“Serena, why don’t you tell us about yourself?” Junior’s words formed a question, but she felt the demand nonetheless.
“Junior…” Ethan, Ryan, and Brandy warned, though Brandy and Ryan observed her response with curiosity.
For a moment, she debated ignoring him. Since she was a high priestess, many were not privy to her private life. She looked at her friends before her eyes narrowed on Junior.
Under the table, Ethan grasped her hand. She’d considered putting Junior in his place until Ethan’s thumb ran soothing circles along her skin. Serena pushed her shoulders back and exhaled.
A push of magic hit her from Junior’s direction, and her eyes flared. How dare he use his persuasive magic on her? “Now you’re being rude,” she stated firmly before shoving the magic back at him with a gust of air. Junior’s eyes widened, and everyone stared down the table at her. “Almost everyone in this room is gifted. In a group of nonmagical beings, you’d be safe enough. Using your powers, even without realization, could get you seriously hurt around the wrong person. I suggest you get a hold of it.”
“Are you threatening me?” Junior exclaimed, his hands flat on the table as he leaned in.
“Junior!” Ethan snapped in a hard tone, the sound unlike the easygoing man’s normally soothing voice. His eyes flashed with anger, and his lips pulled into a straight line. Serena felt another burst of magic before items on the table levitated.
When she sensed Ethan’s rising frustration, the floating objects suddenly made sense to her. She squeezed Ethan’s hand and whispered his name. “Please look at me,” she told him hoping to calm him from Junior’s aggressive stance. “Brandy?” she called and nodded toward Junior.
