Page 73 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

“Human thing. I don’t love them, but sometimes they’re a necessary evil. I’ll summon some later. Could you send another message to the supernaturals asking for their phone contact details?”

Barrow nodded. “Of course. That’s spelled F-O-H-N?”

“P-H-O-N-E,” I replied, trying not to laugh. “Rooke got in touch with you about sourcing ingredients from other covens?”

“On the job, High Esteemed,” he answered.

I smiled. “Thank you, Barrow.”

He paused. “Thank you for all you’re doing. You’re the leader we needed.”

That made one supporter in the coven.

Maybe even two. Speaking of the second person, I had an idea to grab thirty minutes of cuddling time with him.

I managed to make it to my temporary guest chamber without further interruption. Wild was lying awake on the bed.

“Looks like you slept as well as me,” I murmured, snuggling into his side.

His arms wrapped around me, and he pulled me close.

“There’s a lot to fine-tune,” Wild said.

“There was always going to be after their next attack. At least this one was just doors opening.”

A real attack could have done us in.

“How’s everything else going?”

I filled him in on the various updates, then mentioned what happened at the centering circle.

“Frond has to be dealt with,” he said tightly. “His group is going too far.”

“I don’t place much importance on what the likes of Josie says, but there are genuine concerns and feelings from others. Fertim players are naturally going to feel robbed, and oppressing that isn’t fair.”

“Them accusing you of cheating isn’t fair.”

“No,” I agreed. “They know that deep down—and those who can’t admit that to themselves right now might be able to one day. Or maybe never. I don’t need everyone to like me. I just don’t want us to be divided and helping the demons. Except that’s all I’m doing.”

“You’re not doing any of that.”

“Who I am and what I’ve done are doing that.” Every aspect of my life was biting me in the ass. “Corey felt terrible.”

“Good,” Wild half snarled. “He should’ve known better than to say that at this time.”

“Josie caught him with his linens down. He’d just finished centering.”

“He’s always finishing centering these days.”

I didn’t want Wild angry at his friends. “You know he didn’t mean any harm. He apologized after. My quipu would have been common knowledge eventually—I’ve already told people. Probably better to have that out in the open and have the opportunity to answer questions. My quipu is the one thing I don’t feel I have to hide.”

Wild was simmering, and while the demons’ magic could be influencing him—as he’d been at the gates all night—I had a feeling our halted mating ritual was getting to him more each day. He hadn’t looked at me once since I arrived, and it wasn’t out of anger.

“Is my magic really bright?” I asked him.

“Blinding,” he admitted.

I sighed. Nothing was moving anywhere. The coven, me, and Wild were stuck taking one step forward and the same damn step back again. Something had to give or break or be loosened so we could get out of this rut.

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