Page 9 of Shadow Witch

“You’re pushing forty, Paige. You will.”

She glared at the glittery dress covering his carrier. “I’m not that close to forty.”

“It’ll be here before you know it. Anyway, just think about it. It wouldn’t be a terrible thing to be Mrs. Devon.”

“Please stop saying that. I’m not going to marry Devon no matter how much food I can eat.”

“Think of all the Cheesy Does It pizza parties we could have.”

“Then you’ll get fat,” she said as she tried on the last dress.

“No, because I’ll spend all day playing racquetball and exercising like rich people.”

“Why would you spend it like a rich person? I’d be the rich person.”

“Who would take her best friend along with her. You could adopt me. I’d be happy to be your and Devon’s first child.”

Paige shimmied out of her last option and slid her clothes back on before she lifted the dress from his carrier. “I’m not marrying Devon, and I’m not adopting you.”

A curse escaped his lips as she set aside the dresses she’d picked.

“Let’s go.”

“Which ones did you pick?”

“The white, the pinkish white, and the ivory white. Why are they all so white?”

“You’re the bride, duh.”

“Not if I can help it,” a new voice said as she exited the dressing room.

Paige twisted toward it a second too late as a blur barreled into her and knocked her to the floor. The carrier rolled away from her as the gowns fluttered down into a heap.

“Ow, get off me!” she shouted as she fought with her unknown assailant.

“I don’t think so,” the woman growled as she straddled her and shoved her hands to the floor.

Paige’s eyes went wide as she stared up at Ivy Delacroix. The woman had always been against her, but now it was even worse. This time, there would be no escape. Ivy had her cornered and was going in for the kill.

CHAPTER 3

Paige wriggled under the woman’s iron grasp, trying to free herself, but she found it impossible.

“I don’t think so, darling,” Ivy spat at her. “You’re not getting away this time!”

“What are you going to do? Kill me in the middle of a Paris boutique?”

“I believe so, yes.” She removed her hands from Paige’s wrists and pressed them around her neck.

Paige choked as she tried to pull her hands away and suck in breath, but she found it impossible. Where were the salesclerks? Wasn’t anyone going to help her?

A second later, the pressure lifted off her windpipe. She gasped for breath as Ivy rose into the air by some unseen force.

“Why don’t you play with someone your own size?” Drucinda said to the woman before she hurled her across the room.

Ivy smashed into a mirror, cracking it. “Drucinda.”

“In the flesh, darling. And none too pleased to find you attacking my dear friend, Paige.”

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