Page 87 of The Most Wanted Witch

Lou nodded. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again,” he said, before disappearing.

“You weren’t supposed to survive this,” Hawk said.

“No, I don’t think I was.”

34

“You’re awake.” Bibbi was sitting at the end of my bed, staring at me.

I nodded, wondering how long she’d been there as I stretched my stiff muscles.

“Hawk didn’t want me to wake you, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. You were half out of it when you came back, and Hawk told us what happened. You should have told us what you were going to do. I would’ve come with you.” She ran a hand back and forth on the quilted spread.

Which was the exact reason I hadn’t told her. There was no way I was giving full disclosure so she could get herself killed.

Shit. Why did that have a familiar feel? Did that mean I was like Hawk?

No. Definitely not. Wasn’t in the same stratosphere.

“I’m sorry. I woke up and knew I had to do it right then and there.” It was all I had to offer, and I hoped it was enough.

She pointed to a tea on my nightstand. “I’ve been keeping it warm for you.”

“Thank you. This is perfect,” I said, wrapping my hands around the hot cup. A cold, invisible nose pressed against my arm, but I didn’t dare pet Dusty while Bibbi watched. The last time she’d watched him, it had taken an hour to get the bow off his head and the shimmer powder off his fur. I’d woken to some dust bunnies for a few days after.

“As soon as you’re ready, everyone is downstairs waiting for you,” she said, her eyes narrowing on the indent in the cover where Dusty was sitting. He froze.

“Tell them I’ll be down shortly,” I said, knowing I owed Dusty. I got out of bed, throwing the blanket over where Dusty was.

“Great, see you in a couple.” She only looked back at the bed a couple more times before she left.

A poof of dust exploded through a gap in the blanket.

“I already apologized five times. Was that really called for?”

There were a few chattering sounds, but no more dust.

The sound of talking, yelling, laughing, and justbeingmet me as I made my way downstairs. How had I ever disliked this noise? It sounded like happiness and home. It was the best background music I’d ever heard.

As I headed for the back room, Helen began grinding her wheels until she made a whirring noise I’d never heard before.

I changed directions and walked across the workspace to lay a hand on her machinery, feeling a little buzz.

“I’m good. Just glad that day is over,” I reassured her.

She made a humming noise that reminded me of a cat purring.

I walked into the back room and a roar went up. When Bibbi had said “they,” I’d expected my roommates, not everyone who’d sweated out every moment of the last few months with us. The place had expanded to full capacity and they still barely fit.

Hawk walked over and put a glass of wine or something in my hand. Bibbi was right next to me a moment later, smiling and without fisted hands.

“Everyone is so excited aboutDreadbeing gone that they insisted on coming over. Nice, right?” She scanned the room as people began to notice my presence.

My stomach dropped.

Was that what they were being told? That it was totally over? I looked around, wondering how I was going to break it to them that it might not hold. We might have a week, or maybe a year, but I believed Lou when he’d said that it could only be temporary.

Oscar beat the crowd on their way over. “Why is the woman of the hour looking so glum?”

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