Page 3 of Cursed Sight
Except, now that Brandy was safe and no longer needing Serena’s assistance, he did not know if his call would be welcome. If he was honest with himself, his desire to call her had little to do with his powers.
He missed the beautiful witch.
Before he could stop himself, his thumbs flew across his phone.
Ethan: Back in town. Coming by tomorrow so you can quiz me. ;)
He pressed the send button and stared at his text. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Ethan set his phone on the charger and undressed. “Just because she helped you unlock the mess in your brain doesn’t mean she wants to hear from you again.” He shook his head and grabbed a clean pair of shorts.
Blaming jet lag and exhaustion for his stupidity, he stepped under the cold spray of water and clenched his jaw tight. Her dark-green eyes danced before him, not in a vision but a memory. Whenever he’d made a mistake, Serena would correct him, but her eyes were always filled with kindness and amusement—unlike the hard set that had faced off with his sister when they met.
If he let himself think too much on it—on her—he would talk himself into thinking he was the difference. “Don’t be an idiot,” he told himself and rinsed off the suds. “She didn’t feel anything. If she had, then she’d have texted or called to see how you were.”
With a heavy sigh, he shut off the water and dried off. He called forth each of his brothers to mind and winced when he caught Junior mid-climax. A shiver of disgust rolled through him as his gaze shot to the red numbers on his nightstand. Ethan padded down the hall and decided he would not take the same chance with Brandy.
He was sorely tempted to check in on Serena, but he could not take the risk of finding her with another man. When he reached the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and filled it with water. He leaned against the counter and crossed his ankles as he downed the entire glass.
Regardless of how Serena felt toward Ethan, he intended on seeing her, even if it meant boxing up his confusing attraction toward the woman. She was the first person in his life to understand him and what he knew to be his powers. He refused to mess it up.
Ethan shot up in bed, sweat shimmering along his skin. Blinking his eyes, he peered around his room unseeing, as the images from his dream faded. Nightmares were far from his norm, so he could not exactly call whatthathad been. The awful pressure on his chest and the feeling of foreboding on the other hand made his mouth dry with fear. Fear of what or who, he didn’t know.
He rubbed his face and bent his knees, the sheet dropping to his waist. The staccato beat of his heart pounded away in his ears and chest. “What the hell?” he whispered and sucked in a breath. Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes.
A woman’s bloody fist dripped onto the hardwood floor.
Ethan’s nose flared as he focused on the image, his stomach threatening to revolt with each passing second. As hard as he tried, he could not identify anything but the delicate size of the wrist.
Searching his mind, he found Brandy. She sat on Ryan’s lap, a smile brightening her face. It chased away the darkness the dream had left inside him.
Exhaling loudly, Ethan tossed aside the sheet and did not bother with the shorts on the floor. Another cold shower would be needed, to chase away the tendrils of fear and wash away the sweaty remnants.
Too early to leave his apartment and too late to bother attempting to return to sleep, he made himself a cup of coffee. As the aroma wafted to his nose, Ethan thought of Serena. What would she say of the strange dream, he wondered. With a flick of his gaze to the microwave’s clock, he knew he would have to wait for his answer.
Unable to do anything else, Ethan grabbed his coffee and unpacked from the night before.
Chapter 3
“Thanks for coming in, Mary,” Serena said, handing the wisp of a woman her bag and receipt.
Mary nodded, a wobbly smile tipping her face before she hurried out the door. The moment the bell rang on her departure, Serena turned and lifted her lit white sage. She cleaned the store of the shameful residue oozing from the woman.
It was not like the woman had come in asking for some black magic spell—not that Serena dabbled or offered that sort of thing. Mary had merely wanted incense for her home. Serena knew her store was the only one for miles, and she sold the best of the best.
Poor Mary had been torn between her religious beliefs and entering an occult shop. Serena shook her head and exhaled. After the cleansing, she grabbed the palo santo, wanting to pull in positive energy.
Mary was not the only customer who entered the store with emotional baggage. Serena cleansed the space a few times a day. Sometimes it was new witches who disturbed the peaceful energy. If Serena noticed them and was not occupied with another customer, she would engage them in conversation. Sometimes all she could do was suggest certain crystals to aid in balancing their energies. A few times she had even pulled them into the back and gave them the real help they needed.
She took her position as high priestess seriously, not only for the witches of her coven but for others who were without guidance.
Smoke billowed from the tip of the palo santo as she set it on the stone slab holder. Serena looked at the door, and when she did not see the shadow of anyone through the thin lace fabric covering it, she turned. Walking through the curtain, she made her way toward the new shipment of crystals. They were one of her best sellers, with her incense selections being number one.
Serena opened the box as she returned to the front. Her hand stopped and hovered over the crystals, and she could not help but smile at their vibrations. One by one, she grabbed the crystals and resupplied them as needed. She was careful not to touch each piece too long, as she did not want to transfer her own vibrations onto then. It was the main reason she did not use her magic to move them. The magical imprint would last longer than the brush of energy transferred through touch.
Her heart stuttered, and her breath caught for a moment as the hairs on her neck stood at attention. Releasing the crystal in her hand, she gripped the box to her chest and turned.
“Ethan,” she said in a raspy voice, releasing a breath and reigning in her defensive magic.
