Page 93 of De-Witched

“Knows what?”

“That I know.” She tried a smile. “About magic.”

Both of her friends stared at her.

One beat.

Two beats.

Thr—

“What?” Tia screeched.

Everyone in the bar quietened. A stray cough sounded in the unnatural silence.

Emma cleared her throat. “Um,” she said, lifting her voice and a hand. “Sorry about that. Everything’s fine.”

Conversation resumed slowly but Tia didn’t give them a moment’s look as she bunched hands in her hair, tugged, eyes a little wild. “You told him?”

“No.” Leah’s toes curled under the stool’s rung. “He figured it out. A while ago now.”

“He’s known for weeks and you didn’t tell us?”

“I didn’t know he knew for a while.” Leah lifted a shoulder, toyed with her drink. She couldn’t settle. “But after he kissed me, it was obvious.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Emma interjected, arms folded. Leah couldn’t see him, but below the counter, Chester whined in appreciation of Emma’s distress. As her familiar, he’d be able to feel it—or that’s what Leah had been told.

“Un-freaking-believable.” Tia wiped a hand down her face, did some audible breathing. “A Higher son knows and you keep it to yourself.”

“Okay, I know I probably should’ve warned you, but he isn’t going to tell anyone. He cares about me.” The glow returned.

“I hope you’re right.” Emma bit the edge of her thumbnail. “Kole is going to lose his shit.”

“We can’t tell Kole. He already doesn’t like him.” Which reminded her. “Do you know what they were talking about last night?” She’d spotted Kole and Gabriel cornered together and from their body language, they weren’t discussing their favorite Bridgerton brother.

“Kole was warning him off.”

Leah covered her face, mortified. “Jesus. You guys take overprotectiveness to a new level. He had no right.” She peeked through her fingers. “What did Gabriel say?”

“This feels like high school,” Tia complained. “Can we get back to the whole Gabriel knows thing? What are we going to do?”

“Nothing. Because that’s what he’ll do.” Leah dropped her hands and stared Tia down. The wood pressed reassuringly into her as she braced for her next words. “He’s going to finish his last month here and then he’s going back to New Orleans.”

“You’re sure?” Emma asked.

“Like Tia said, I’m human, he’s a warlock. A legacy warlock who’ll need a society wife and let’s face it, that isn’t me. I walked away from that life once already.” She forced herself to act like it was no big deal, like it wasn’t crushing the part of her that still wished for more.

Tia was quiet a moment. “I’m torn between arguing that you’re better than any society witch bitch and relief you understand this thing has an expiry date.”

Leah did laugh now, loving her friend for helping ease the discomfort that lodged, hard and tight, in her chest. “We both get it. We originally said one night but then...”

“The dress got ripped out from under you?”

Leah sighed. “Oh, yeah.”

“Gabriel Goodnight.” Emma’s expression was funny. “Ripping a dress in half.”

“I’m telling you, tip of the iceberg.”

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