Page 4 of Cursed Sight
His brows knit together. “You okay?”
Serena chuckled. “You startled me,” she said as her eyes moved toward the door. She had been in a deep conversation with the crystals and had missed the sound of the door’s bell. “I didn’t expect you.” Serena cleared her throat and asked quickly, “I thought you were out of town?” Her voice evened out as her heart squeezed at the gorgeous man before her.
Ethan stepped closer. “I texted you last night.” He brushed her cheek with a kiss, and her lids fluttered at the softness of his lips. His breath was warm against her skin, lighting her from the inside.
Needing to fortify her walls and her will against him, she cradled the box against her chest. “I didn’t get your text,” she snapped and stepped back.
Hurt flashed in his eyes. From her tone or from the distance, she did not know, but he lowered his eyes as he removed his phone from his pocket. “Damn it, the text didn’t go through. I’m sorry. I texted to let you know I’d be coming by today.”
Serena was partly thankful for that. If she’d received it, she would have been anxious for his visit. No matter how many times she told herself she did not feel anything for him, her body disagreed.
“How was your trip?” she asked and padded behind her counter, setting the box on a shelf underneath. The space between her and Ethan was like a wall, and the way he eyed the counter let her know he was not impervious to what she had done.
Ethan shrugged. “I’m jet-lagged and exhausted, but overall, I got what I needed to get done.”
Meeting his eyes for the first time, she noted the dark circles under them. His jaw was stubbled, and his hair needed a trim. He did not seem well, and the possibility something was wrong with Ethan caused her stomach to roil.
Serena’s shoulders pushed back as her spine lengthened. No matter the confusion of their relationship, or friendship, or temporary alliance, she found herself rounding the counter and scrambling for the shop door.
Turning the lock with one hand, she flipped the sign to closed with the other. “You haven’t been cleansing like I showed you.”
Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but she pierced him with a glare, and his jaw clamped shut. “I told you, you have to raise your defenses and perform proper cleansings after each practice!”
Her heart thundered against her chest. The bracelets on her wrists were suddenly heavy, and the amulet hanging around her neck warmed.
What Ethan had done—or better yet, had not done—was a common mistake with new witches. His own sister had short-circuited herself after a couple large uses of magic. Logically, Serena knew she was overreacting, but she could not seem to calm down.
“Sit,” she snapped, sending a stool toward Ethan. It came off the wall and only slowed enough to push against the backs of his legs, urging him to do as she commanded.
“Serena—”
Their eyes clashed.
She searched the counters in the back, knowing what she wanted but unable to see past the worry plaguing her mind. If he went too long and didn’t cleanse himself, the negative energy he would eventually draw in could harm him. A light breeze swirled around her legs and up her body, the long strands of her hair framing her face and floating away.
“Breathe,” Ethan whispered, his breath tickling the small hairs along her neck. He grabbed ahold of her shoulders, and his chest brushed her back.
His touch both shocked her skin and rooted her to the spot. Her eyes closed as she followed his orders, and her long skirt ceased its dance.
“That’s good. Now another.”
Mahogany and lavender filled her nostrils. Ethan smelled exactly as she remembered, and butterflies woke from their chambers.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Serena swayed when he returned to the stool. Her heart still gave chase in her chest, but she could see clearer. She moved to her left to open a cabinet and grabbed a box she had tucked away after Ethan left for work. She removed a selenite wand and a small velvet bag, leaving two bundles of white sage and palo santo inside.
She placed one of her bamboo plants, a bowl of water, and a lit white candle on the floor around him. Serena handed him the selenite wand. “Hold this above your head and rub it. Ask the goddess to cleanse you and fortify your walls against those who would harm you.”
Ethan nodded and stared at the white selenite stone for a moment before raising it over his head. Standing behind him, she moved the air around the room. She was careful not to disturb the candle’s flame and wound streams of air between the objects and Ethan. Centering herself, she tuned her magic to his and called to the goddess.
Seconds and then minutes passed before Serena found herself in the circle, standing behind Ethan. Their magic wound and played as it chased free any harboring negativity they had collected. Her skin tingled, and her poor heart reverted to the staccato rhythm it seemed to find wherever Ethan was concerned.
It had not always been like this. Somewhere in the hole he’d left when he returned to work, she found herself thinking about him. Missing their time together. Missing the easy conversation. Missing the man under the handsome exterior.
Serena dated. Hell, she had dated Ryan, Brandy’s mate, for a period, but it was never more than a good time between the sheets. Men caused more trouble than they were worth. At least, she used to think they were. Now she found herself unable to fill a hole.
Her head fell back, her hands outstretched to the sides, and her mouth parted. An inexplicable pleasure flitted across her skin, drawing her back to the powerful exchange between them. With wide eyes, she stared at the back of Ethan’s head.
