Witch Undecided: The Thirteenth Sign Book 2 Page 14

  Wren smiled sweetly at her. “Not for Wren.”

  Oh boy, my mogwai had the kitchen staff wrapped around his paw.

  Leif pulled me into a hug and kissed my head. “Rain check on movie night?”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tight. “Be safe. Please.”

  Leif stepped back and Tor took his place.

  He lifted my chin with the crook of his finger and looked deep into my eyes. “I’m sorry for snapping. I can’t change my stance on Jasper until we know more.”

  “I get it. But he’s not the enemy.”

  Tor stroked my jaw with his thumb. “I’ll try. But I’m not used to sharing.”

  Rune and Leif coughed meaningfully at the same time.

  Tor looked heavenward. “Not you guys. I can share with you guys.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “I get it. Go. Keep the packs safe. I’ll see you guys in a couple of days.”

  “Hello, guys, she’s not leaving the country,” Sloane said.

  Tor shot her a hard glance and she held up her hands and stepped back. “Take your time, not like I have anywhere to be.”

  Tor leaned in and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent, allowing the mating bond to surge up between us and pull me closer. He hugged me to his powerful chest for a long beat, and need washed through me, urging me to push up against him and nuzzle his throat. I tamped down on it, focusing instead on the warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest, this new sensation of home and safety. Crazy because Tor was danger and sex. He was authority and command, the kind of guy who’d put me over his knee and spank me, and fuck, I’d even let him. But right now, there was an overwhelming feeling of security.

  He released me almost reluctantly and looked deep into my eyes, his expression serious. “Stay out of trouble.” He looked at Sloane. “If she gets hurt it’ll be on you.”

  Sloane crossed her arms and flicked up her brows. “Would you like to rephrase that, Tor?”

  His jaw ticked. “Just take care of her.”

  Sloane smiled. “With pleasure.”

  I left the guys to head upstairs to pack a bag.

  “Less boots, more clothes,” Sloane called after me.

  Yeah, like that was gonna happen.

  Wren made a beeline for the dining hall as soon as we got into the mansion, and it wasn’t long before he’d been carried off by one of the resident ghosts. He was going to get his cocoa after all, and probably some baked treats to go with it. Wren was living the dream.

  Sloane insisted on walking me all the way to the east wing. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to being back in the room where I’d been attacked by a revenant, and my face must have communicated that.

  “The wards are back up,” Sloane said. “You’re safe.”

  “I know. It just feels weird being back here. The cabin and the guys feel like home.”

  “The coven is your home too,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “It’s not easy straddling two worlds.”

  “It helps that these two worlds are so intertwined.” We climbed the steps that would lead us to my floor.

  She slid a glance my way. “I spoke to Conah. He had some epic stories to tell about you.”

  “He did?”

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I’m far from epic.”

  “Oh? So, you didn’t ride a dragomite? You know, fire-breathing, dragon-like demon?”

  Ah, that. I grinned. “Yeah…I might have done that.”

  She shook her head. “Epic.”

  “How is Conah getting on with the translation?”

  “You can ask him yourself tomorrow. Is he always so particular about how things are filed?”

  I winced. “Is the library unorganized?”

  She shrugged. “We haven’t had a librarian in a decade. He spent his first few hours refiling books, then gave up. Apparently, it’s a lost cause and needs a whole new categorizing system.”

  Yep, that sounded like Conah.

  “He suggested he be allowed to work on it. You should have seen Anna’s face; she looked like the cat who got the cream. We have boxes of texts in the vault that haven’t been logged and shelved yet. She’s probably planning on kidnapping the reaper.”

  That sounded like Anna. “He’s a Dominus and I doubt he’ll be able to stay with us for long.”

  “I know,” Sloane said. “But Anna will make use of him while she can.”

  “Wait, her mojo doesn’t work on him, does it?”

  Sloane smirked. “Nope. But you should have seen her try.”

  I sagged in relief. “Well maybe she should try using it on the silent sisters and get them to hurry with that glamour spell.”

  Sloane shrugged. “I’m assuming creating a glamour spell to fool the Order takes time.”

  “Yeah, but how much time do we have? While we wait, the revenants are having a feast.”

  “Trust me, I know. It bothers me too.”

  We reached the door to the east wing and came to a halt.

  I sighed. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you for training tomorrow.”

  Sloane gave me a strange look. “Um, I think you’ve got the wrong idea here, Cora. I’m staying with you tonight.”

  “What?”

  “The wards are up and no revenants, banshee, or slau can get in, but the original vamps are a different breed of creature. We have no idea how effective our wards will be against them. You’re not spending the night alone.”

  Okay, that made sense. “I hope you don’t snore.”

  “No, but I do hog the covers.” She grinned, electric-blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight streaming in from the windows. “I can probably control that, but I’m also a snuggler.” She leaned in. “That’s something I may not be able to control.”

  I arched a brow at her. “Are you flirting with me?”

  She tipped her head to the side. “What if I am?”

  We’d spent a ton of time together over the last two weeks and she’d been strictly business. I’d almost forgotten about our kiss, but now, with the moonlight highlighting her sharp high cheekbones and sliding its fingers through her silver hair, the kiss was all I could think of. My gaze dropped to her full mouth and the memory of it on mine was a sharp tug in my lower belly, followed by liquid heat.

  She traced the line of my jaw with her fingertip. “Fuck, you’re hot when you’re speechless.”

  She’d called me hot. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Yeah, I guess I am flirting with you. Probably shouldn’t, though. Tor might be happy to share with Leif and Rune, but I don’t…” She leaned in so her mouth was inches from mine. “Share, that is.” Her tongue peeked out to touch the corner of her mouth and her eyes narrowed. “You haven’t gotten intimate with them, have you?” She didn’t wait for my response. “When’s the last time you came?”

  My chest flushed with heat and then annoyance flared in my chest. I stood taller. “When’s the last time you came?”

  “Last night.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “I’m good with my hands.”

  I smiled. “Good for you, Sloane.”

  I turned away and shoved open the door. “Now if you’re done coming on to me, maybe we can get some sleep?”

  Her chuckle followed me into the east wing. It was going to be a long night.

  Sloane double-checked the wards before stripping down to her panties and vest and climbing into bed. Her body was lean and toned. She obviously worked out. I noted the symbols tattooed across her upper back and shoulders.

  “Runes?” I pointed at her ink.

  She craned her neck to look over her shoulder as if seeing them for the first time.

  “Ah, shit. Yeah, a little shield to stop unwanted siphoning and possession. We considered these for you and your Jasper problem, but they’re proactive, not reactive, and Jasper was already bonded to you. The amulet was the best bet. Silent sister work.”

  I touched it absently. “The sisters made this.”

  “Yeah.” She pulled back the covers. “Elijah argued that as a potential we needed to make sure you were taken care of. Anna wasn’t too keen, though, but hell, it’s just as well she went along with it.”

  She lay on her back with her arm tucked behind her head, staring at the ceiling.

  “I don’t bite, Cora. Not unless you want me to.”

  I pulled my sleep shorts and tee from my bag. I should change in the bathroom, but the wicked side of me reared up, wanting to give her a taste of her own medicine. I peeled off my top and her gaze zeroed in on me, body going still.

  I reached for the clasp of my bra and her mouth parted expectantly. Pulse thudding in my throat, I fixed a smirk on my face before turning my back on her, unhooking the bra, and sliding it off. I pulled on the sleep tee, then turned to find her standing a foot behind me.

  My heart slammed into my ribcage as her electric-blue eyes bore into me. Her fingers brushed the strip of exposed skin between the hem of my tee and my jeggings. My breath stuck in my throat as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of my jeggings and peeled them over my hips and down my thighs, dropping to her knees so her head was level with my groin. Her warm breath filtered through the thin material of my panties, touching skin and promising a delicious invasion.

  Oh fuck.

  Her hands slid up my calves and stopped at my upper thighs, fingers pinching as if she was about to urge them apart. I sucked in a sharp breath, unable to fight the urge to tilt my hips toward her mouth. Unable to fight the heat of arousal spiraling at my core.

  Sloane slid her hands up a little more, thumbs brushing the juncture of my thighs, and then stood and locked gazes with me. “Word of advice, Cora. If we play the teasing game, you’re gonna lose. Every. Fucking. Time.”

  Thank goodness for large beds and thank goodness for Wren. He joined us a few minutes after we got into bed and settled between us. Perfect barrier, not that anything would happen between Sloane and me. She’d made that clear, and I wasn’t about to tease her again, because my pulse wouldn’t be able to take the consequences.

  Wren smelled of cocoa and chocolate.

  “He’s adorable,” Sloane whispered.

  “Yeah, he is. Do you know much about mogwai?”

  “No. But I’m pretty sure Conah will. Get some sleep, Cora. We can train some more tomorrow if you like.”

  “Yeah.” I snuggled into Wren, closed my eyes, and opened them what felt like minutes later to the sound of Sloane’s soft snores, but my body was in alert mode. Something had woken me. My body was covered in goosebumps and the air felt lighter, like there wasn’t enough oxygen. I breathed shallowly, scanning the room. My gaze tracked to the wardrobe sitting snug against the wall like a shadowy, hulking beast, then my heart stalled as a shadow detached itself from it.

  Fuck, there was something in the room with us.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I reached for Sloane under the duvet as the shadow moved toward us, slow and deliberate. My fingers brushed her arm, and I was about to pinch her when the moon came out and lit up the shadow.

  Not a shadow.

  A silvery-gray ghost.

  “Meredith?” I sat up, head swimming.

  “Hush, child. There isn’t much time. I need to tell you…tell you it all while I remember, while it’s still here.” She tapped the side of her head.

  “What?” My body felt odd and fuzzy.

  “It’s not what happened. What they say isn’t what happened. What they did to us. The truth. The horrible, greedy truth is … is…” She squeezed her eyes closed. “That night I saw her start it. I saw her and I tried to stop her, and she did this.” Meredith plucked at her clothes, and they were suddenly charred and black. “She did this and she took it. She took it all and now—”

  She looked out the window. “No time. No more time. Listen to me. It’s not true. You don’t have to—”

  She shuddered and her gaze went blank.

  My head was suddenly clear. “Meredith?”

  Sloane stirred and opened her eyes. “What the fuck?”

  Meredith turned away and began floating toward the door.

  “Meredith?” I pushed back the covers and stood. “Stop. What were you saying?” I took a few steps toward her, but my legs had that awful pins-and-needles sensation running through them.

  “Cora?” Sloane was right behind me.

  Meredith passed through the wall and was gone, and then my legs gave way.

  Sloane caught me and swung me into her arms before carrying me back to bed. “What the hell just happened?”

  Wren remained fast asleep as Sloane shifted him from the center of the bed and urged me to shift into his spot.

  I shuffled into it. “She was babbling stuff. She said she had to tell me something while she remembered.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, stuff about it not being real and about someone doing stuff to her.” I exhaled. “I feel weird.”

  Sloane touched my forehead with the back of her hand and then pinched my chin to force my head up so she could scrutinize my face.

  “I think she may have drawn energy from you.” She frowned. “It’s not something ghosts are permitted to do. I’ll report this to Anna in the morning.” She climbed into bed beside me and put her arm around me, tucking me into her side. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

  I wanted to protest at being so up close and personal to her, but her body was hard and soft in all the right places, molding to mine, and I was so fucking tired.

  I drifted off to the sensation of her thumb making circles on my shoulder and Meredith’s confused words circling like vultures in my mind.

  She’d been trying to tell me something, but what?

  Sloane was already gone by the time I woke, but she’d left a note telling me to meet her in the atrium for training after lunch. Meredith’s haunted face came to mind. Yeah, Sloane needed to speak to Anna about that. I was sure the ghost meant me no harm, but she’d managed to sap my energy good and proper. I still felt icky.

  As a rule, ghosts weren’t permitted to draw energy from the living. Ghosts were classified into levels from those who were barely corporeal and unable to move solid objects to those who could draw energy from the environment and affect matter around them.

  But Meredith was ancient, and last night, she’d seemed confused. What had she been talking about?

  Wren groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. “Wren hurting.”

  I scooped him up. “Headache?”

  He closed his eyes and groaned.

  Had Meredith drawn energy from him too? But not Sloane. I guess the tattoos across her back protected her from that sort of thing.

  “Come on, let’s get you some food. You’ll feel better.”

  I made it to the dining hall in record time carrying my mogwai, but by the time we got there, Wren was unconscious and unresponsive, and a strange silvery film had grown over his eyelids.

  Fuck! I ran into the room. “Help, there’s something wrong with Wren.”

  Several witches left their breakfast to rush over. I recognized Justine and Kel, the two witches who’d brought Wren to me a couple of weeks ago.

  “Oh shit, what happened?” Justine asked.

  “I don’t know.” Panic writhed in my belly.

  Shit, what was I doing? I needed to get him to med bay. “I need Pippa!” I headed out the door and almost strode into a solid wall of muscle.

  Hands bracketed my shoulders. “Cora? What’s wrong?”

  Conah? “It’s Wren. There’s something wrong with him.”

  Conah looked down at Wren and his brow furrowed. “Is that a…mogwai?”

  “Yes, do you know about them, can you help him?”

  “Has he been eating a lot? Like all the time?”

  “Yes…Wait, is that not normal for mogwai?”

  Conah reached out to stroke between Wren’s ears. “He doesn’t need help, Cora. He needs time. He��s entering the first phase of his maturation.” He locked gazes with me. “You’re the one who’s going to need help.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Fully matured mogwai are dangerous.”

  Jasper had said Wren was dangerous too. I looked down at my furry buddy. “He’s not dangerous.”

  “Not now,” Conah said softly. “But he will be.”

  “Explain.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “What? Not yet. Conah, focus.”

  “I focus better on a full stomach.” He smiled. “Wren’s in no immediate danger.”

  “Fine.”

  “Wait here and I’ll—”

  One of the ghost servers materialized carrying a tray of food.

  Conah smiled, flashing perfect teeth, sapphire eyes twinkling. “Thank you, Trudy. Say hi to Ella and Gemma for me.”

  He knew their names? He’d only been here a day.

  Trudy simpered and then dematerialized.

  I arched my brow at him.

  “What?” He gave me a wide-eyed, innocent look.

  “Never mind. Just help me with Wren.”

  “Let’s get him to my office.”

  “You have an office?”

  “Library, but while I’m here the space is mine.”

  Figured. Conah would live in a library if he had the choice. He headed for the stairs and I followed, Wren clutched snuggly to my chest. He’d be okay. He had to be. Conah wouldn’t be so calm otherwise.

  Would he?

  The library was a grand room with a vaulted ceiling and enough books to keep someone busy for years. It was also a mess. Books were piled on chairs and on the floor and shoved haphazardly onto shelves.

  Conah frowned as he entered. “Shame. There’s a wealth of knowledge here.”

  “Sloane told me you’d been tidying up.”

  “Someone needs to.”

  “I’m surprised they let you go through these books. Witches are notoriously protective of their knowledge.”

  “I’m an exception.” He grinned. “Anna likes me.”

  But my attention was on Wren again. The silver shit was spreading across his face.

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