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“Oh, lovely. Thank you for letting me know.”
When the wizard leaves, Nadine fans her face with her hands and pretends to swoon. “You know Callius Crane?”
Josie laughs. “He was my grandmother’s lawyer. I guess I inherited him.”
Elara throws her hand into the air dramatically. “For the creatures of shadow, and those who roam the night, one warlock will stand as your solicitor. Callius Crane: warlock of the ten parishes.”
Josie and Nadine both burst into a fit of giggles.
I make a mental note to take these ladies out drinking more often.
Drunk Elara is a hoot.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
FINN
When Rune leaves to take the girls home, I say good night to Josie and head out on my nightly rounds. Even with all the excitement of Josie accepting our bond and the pressures of the witch trials, there is still vampire business to take care of.
We’ve got a sunstone dagger to find. And while Rune is tasked to keep tabs on the wolves, I’ve been instructed to watch Lilian Beauchamp.
Sebastian doesn’t trust the old crone.
Neither do I.
The spongy ground beneath my feet yields slightly with every step, as if the earth itself wants to swallow me whole and keep me from getting to my destination.
I’ve been coming back to stake out Lilian’s cabin since Sebastian asked me to keep an eye on her. From what I’ve been able to discern, Lilian hasn’t left once in all that time.
Did she really spend the last twenty-five years in that cabin? What would she have done if Josie hadn’t shown up? Would she have stayed in there?
What a boring life. If it were me, I’d rather face my chances of living in the open than be shut away.
The only activity I’ve seen during my visits comes from Violet, the teenage Beauchamp witch.
I’m almost certain she has a secret escape hatch hidden somewhere in her room. Either that, or she’s mastered a teleportation spell, because when Auntie Lilian thinks her niece is safely doing schoolwork in her room, Violet is out in the woods practicing magic.
Having come here every chance I’ve had over the past weeks, I know exactly where to tuck myself in to get the best view of things.
And once I’m in my blind, not even the most talented witch could find me.
No being can be as still as a vampire.
I’ve been hidden in a nearby tree for about an hour when the sound of tromping footsteps breaks in the distance.
Hmm…who has come to call?
The witch who pushes through the trees and approaches the cabin looks pissed. I know exactly why she’s mad. Summer Saint-Clair wasn’t happy when Josie made it to the final round of the witch trials earlier tonight.
But why is she here? Summer is a Sun Witch.
According to Lilian, the only ones who know about her faked death are her rogue Moon Witches, plus me, Josie, Rune, and Sebastian.
And, apparently, Summer Saint-Clair.
Lilian doesn’t look surprised to see her and invites her in without pause. The moment the door closes, the privacy wards lock into place and prevent me from hearing anything going on inside.
Well, shit.
