Page 91 of De-Witched

She grew very still.

He moved his hands into her wild curls. “I can’t stay away. It’s stupid. Dangerous. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Gabe.” That one word stopped him. “What are you saying?”

“It’s selfish. But I’m asking for one month. My last month. Be with me. And then I’ll let you go.”

Leah gazed up at him, a million thoughts flickering behind the blue. Chuck had given up on them and had wandered off to find his chew, and the padding of the dog’s feet echoed inside Gabriel’s deathly quiet mind as he waited.

Finally, she squeezed his wrists. “Yes.”

Leah didn’t let the small fear of what her friends would say keep her from barreling through the bar’s doors.

“Break out the Cauldron Cosmos,” she announced, bouncing up to the bar and ignoring the few stares she received at her entrance. Her grin felt so wide, it could fall off her face.

Emma took one look and turned to Bastian, who worked beside her. “Girl time.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I could be a girl.”

“No, you really couldn’t.”

He grazed her cheek, grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Leah shooed him. “Leave. Where’s Tia?”

“New Orleans.”

“Well, poof her here.”

“You really have a handle on the magic thing,” Bastian said dryly. “We’re not genies. We can’t poof people.”

That distracted her. “Genies exist?”

“Oh, yeah.” Bastian picked up a vodka bottle, handed it to her. “Rub this three times and see what happens.”

“Rub this.” She made a rude gesture at him and he laughed.

“Why don’t you go find Tia?” Emma set three chilled glasses on the counter, despite the afternoon trade.

Bastian turned her face to his, kissed her thoroughly. A blush stained Emma’s cheeks when he drew away. “Miss me.”

“Eh,” she said noncommittally and he grinned, kissed her again. Then, with a nod to Leah, strode out the back to portal to New Orleans.

Leah hopped onto a stool, waved at a couple of regulars. “When did Stan dye his hair?”

“About a week ago? Says it’s lucky for baseball.”

“I’m all for it, then.” Leah turned back around. “I feel like I haven’t been here in ages.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve been spending more time at the shelter lately.”

“Do you know how many adoptions we had today? Six. Six. That’s more than we had in the last two weeks.” She wriggled her shoulders.

“That’s amazing.” Emma’s grin widened. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I mean, I know we’re not out of the woods yet, and Sonny’s still being weird and making noises about getting away for a bit.”

“You think he’ll really retire?” Emma’s brows drew together as she selected a shaker.

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