Page 70 of The Witch is Back

“Yeah. You’re worried your magic won’t be flashy enough? Well, we’ll combine our talents and give them one hell of a show.”

CHAPTER 14

Bastian didn’t sleep well. He hadn’t been sleeping well for months, but last night’s reason had a name, an attitude and soft pink lips.

Emma...

The morning after he’d begun his tutoring of Emma’s powers and roughly thirty-six hours after their second kiss, Bastian stared up at the ceiling as he lay on the couch. And tried to push the memory of those seeking lips out of his head.

It was Emma, he reminded himself, as he punched the pillow and resettled. Shy, sweet Emma. Old-childhood-friend Emma. But as a reminder, it was losing power. His hormones just nodded sagely and agreed that yep, it was Emma. Sassy, sexy Emma.

Trustworthy Emma?

When he’d heard about the truth potion, half of him had leaped in terrified excitement at the prospect of finding a way around the silencing hex. He should’ve known something so simple wouldn’t have worked—the hex was still clearly being refreshed. And yet, things would’ve been so much easier if he could have asked Emma straight-out what she knew. If she’d really meant that she wouldn’t know what to do with a lot of power.

Because...

Because he wanted to give himself permission to like her, he admitted.

The small mirror he carried as a conduit chirped with his mom’s chime. It flew across the room at his will and he smoothed a thumb across the surface to answer it, relieved to have a distraction.

His mom’s thin-boned face wavered before settling into a solid picture. The bruises under her eyes were dark, but those eyes shone when the connection was made. “Do the ladies go for that scruff on your face?”

He had to smile. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, baby. I didn’t expect you up so early.”

“Then why the wake-up call?”

“I had an idea and I wanted to run it past you. We want to invite you and Emmaline to dinner.”

“Emma,” he said automatically, running the invitation through his mind like a ribbon through his fingers. “She prefers Emma. Dinner?”

“Yes. We don’t really know the girl—woman—and if she’s going to be my daughter-in-law, that shouldn’t be the case.”

It made something inside him shift to hear that. He squirmed. “It’s not like it’s going to be a real marriage, Mom.”

“Are there rings involved?”

“Well, yes.”

“Are you going to stand at an altar under a full moon and recite the binding words?”

“Okay, but—”

“That reminds me—have you done any planning for the wedding?”

He blanched. It was enough for him to deal with the engagement, let alone plan a wedding. And he couldn’t see it being at the top of Emma’s list either.

His mom’s sigh reached through the mirror. “That’s what I thought.” She pursed her lips. “We’ll hire someone. But you’ll still have to be somewhat involved.”

“Why? I just show up and say the right name, right?”

Apparently weak jokes and weddings didn’t mix. Or so his mom’s expression said.

He hadn’t even really thought about wedding prep. He knew it had to happen ASAP after the Divining to restore his mom, but hell, he was a guy. Name one guy who lived to pick out flowers and rings and bands...when he hadn’t picked the bride.

Even if he did like her.

---