Page 9 of The Secret Life of a Witch

“Aw …” I playfully pretend to be charmed. “And there’s my gentleman friend again.”

His eyes narrow into slits, but his lips threaten to turn upward. “He never left.”

“Tell that to the bump on the back of my head,” I tease, moving to touch my head, but he tightens his fingers around mine.

“Nope. I need you to hold still for this.”

“Yes, boss, sir.” I grin sweetly at him when he gives me an impatient look. “What? I thought you liked my sarcasm.”

“Most days, yes. But right now, I need you to be serious, because we’re about to do some serious things.” His grin is all sorts of wicked and conspiring.

“Serious things?” I mockingly shiver. “Now you’ve got me terrified.”

“There’s no need to be scared,” he assures, gently stroking the back of my hand. “I’d never let anything hurt you.”

“Aw …” This time, my gushing is far less playful. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“Good.” He smiles, but appears nervous, which makes me a mountain of jitters. “Okay, so first, I need you to assure me that you’ll trust me and won’t freak out.”

“Um … I’m okay with the trusting part, but freaking out might be out of my control, depending on what you’re about to do.” I pause. “Although, if you told me what you’re about to do, I might be able to keep my freak out level under control.”

He swallows hard. “I want to try a connecting spell with you.”

My jaw nearly ninja punches the floor.

“A connecting spell?” I ask, positive I didn’t hear him correctly.

He bobs his head up and down. “To help you answer your phone.”

“Oh.” My brain stops functioning. Words don’t exist at the moment. And not just because I’m having one of my spaz moments.

No, my stunned confusion is mainly coming from the fact that he wants to use a connecting spell with me. A spell that allows another wizard or witch to temporarily share their magic with another. A spell that is considered intimate by many and rarely used by anyone other than couples.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Hunter says after a minute of silence ticks by. “I know it’s not a spell that’s generally used between friends, but I figured since we’re such good friends … you’d be okay with it. And I think it might help you harness some control over your powers.” He blows out a stressed breath. “You know what? Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

He starts to move his hands away from mine, but I clutch his fingers.

“No, it’s okay.” I sound embarrassingly breathless. “We can?—”

A thick, rolled up piece of newspaper smacks me in the face. My hands leave Hunter’s as I press my fingertips to my throbbing forehead.

“What the hell was that?”

“An emergency newspaper delivery,” Hunter mutters. “Are you all right?”

No, I want to say.I’m not all right! I want to go back to a minute ago, put my hands in yours, and do the connecting spell. Only, instead of you saying we were doing it because “we’re such good friends,” you’d declare your undying love for me.

Instead, I manage a, “Yeah, I’m just peachy.” Sucking in a subtle breath, I lower my hand from my head. “So, what’s the emergency?”

Hunter already has the paper in his hand and is reading the front page. “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask. When he makes no move to show me, I lean over to sneak a peek.

He hurriedly puts the newspaper to his chest and swings around me, rushing toward the kitchen at the end of the hallway. “You know what? I think we should get you to school before you end up missing the entire class.”

Worry clutches at my throat, and I dash after him. “Hunter, tell me what it says.”

“I can’t, Eva. Not right now, anyway.”

---