Page 128 of De-Witched

She shied away from the words as they echoed in her mind. As gut-wrenching as Gabriel’s situation was, it was still easier to focus on than the fact that she’d apparently stopped breathing.

It could’ve been so much worse. And she still had no idea who would want to set the shelter on fire. Mitch was right, it was like they were being targeted for some reason.

At least the animals would be okay, having been saved by being rounded into the yard. Unfortunately, although Bastian had done his best, smoke damage had still caught some of them before they’d got the fire out.

Sonny had immediately linked with their on-call vet to come assist, Joanne and other neighbors also offering help once the all clear was given. Luckily, thanks to the warlocks filtering the magic out of the blaze, firefighters had finished putting out the fire shortly after Leah had woken up. She’d been bundled off to the hospital for a checkup, but she’d been told Gabriel had also contacted his sister in search of something to help the animals. None of their usual elixirs would work for non-humans, but Melly, as he’d told Leah once, loved to experiment, so she’d been tasked with tweaking some of their existing medicines. According to Emma, the early results were promising.

Gabriel had also solved the problem of where to house the animals longer term and volunteered his manor, at least temporarily, until the shelter could be assessed and repaired. Leah couldn’t even imagine how his housekeeper would cope, but she knew Melly would be in heaven. And luckily, with Gabriel and all her other witch friends to help, the shelter wouldn’t be a write-off. Everything would be okay. For her.

But Gabriel was going to lose everything.

“Leah.”

His voice had her gaze flying to the open door. He stood in the doorway, dressed in one of his three-piece suits. Immaculately armored once again. His hair was freshly washed, face freshly shaved. He looked perfect and unattainable, not like the man who’d held her so tenderly when he’d taken her away from the shelter.

They still hadn’t talked and their last words before the fire throbbed between them. She’d hoped he’d come but now he was here, her stomach knotted at his watchful gaze. He’d only worried she was fragile before; now he knew it.

She scooted up to sit, making the mattress dip. Rosie moaned in her sleep.

Unsure what to do with her hands, she tucked hair behind her ear. “Hi.” Her voice was scratchy, uncomfortable.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine. Alive.”

He nodded and stayed in the doorway.

Her heart dropped farther, to her toes. She curled them under the covers. “Did I say thank you?”

“Yes. But there’s no need.”

“Sure. When I save someone’s life, I always think it’s no big deal.”

Delilah stirred. On seeing Gabriel was there, she lifted her little body and wiggled it, yipping.

He hesitated then crossed the threshold to scratch her behind her ear. He focused on the dog. “I have to go to New Orleans.”

Leah chewed the inside of her cheek, lifting her knees up so she could wrap her arms around them. “To tell them.”

“They’ll already know. The binding... Breaking it forcefully will have caused a ripple effect back through their magic, since they created it.” He smoothed a hand down Louie’s back as the lazy spaniel lifted a paw. “I have to explain.”

“Maybe they’ll understand.”

“Maybe.” But his tone wasn’t encouraging. It wasn’t anything really.

Any hope she might have harbored about the two of them melted away in that moment of silence.

Tears burned at the backs of her eyes, for him, for her. For what they may have been. She held them back. “Do you want me to...would it help if I came? Explained?”

“No. It’s best I face the consequences alone.” Another marked hesitation lapsed into silence. Then he shifted to look at her. His eyes were vibrantly green. “We need to talk.”

Hope, a thing more dangerous than a blade or gun, unfurled in her chest.

His gaze caressed her, a frown marking his brow. “You’re tired.”

“I’m fine.”

That same gaze called her a liar.

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