Page 158 of The Black Witch

“I like Rafe as well, and haven’t the foggiest idea what you are talking about!”

“Are you romantically involved with my brother?” If she can be blunt and tactless, so can I.

She snorts haughtily. “Of course not. He’s not Lupine.”

“Then why do you spend so much time with him?”

“He likes the woods. I like the woods. We both like to hunt. We both like to hike,” she says, exasperated. “We gohiking!”

“And that’sit?”

“What, exactly, are you asking me? I keeptryingto answer you!”

“Are you running around naked?”

“No, I am not,” she replies, glowering at me. “Not since you and your brother informed me of how offensive my magnificent form is to Gardnerian eyes.”

“Have you kissed him?”

“That is mating behavior. Your brother is not Lupine.” Now she’s talking to me like I’m three years old. “I will not mate with a man who is not Lupine, sono, I have not kissed your brother! Can I go back to eating my chicken, please? Or is there some stupid rule about that, too?”

“Go ahead!Eat!”

“Thank you,” she says, her tone clipped.

“Randall’s not so bad,” Aislinn says weakly, finally finding her voice.

“Jarod said Randall’s an idiot,” Diana repeats around another mouthful of meat.

I grind my own teeth in deep irritation.

“Well,” says Aislinn defensively, “you can tell Jarod that I could do a lot worse!”

Diana laughs derisively at this, spitting out some pieces of meat in the process. I have to make sure Rafe sees her eat. If there is any attraction on his part, watching her destroy a chicken with her teeth will surely kill it dead.

“That,” Diana says, grinning widely, meat sticking out between her teeth, “I findcompletelybelievable.”

“You tell Jarod that Randall’s not so bad!” Aislinn insists.

Diana points a rib cage at a spot behind Aislinn. “Tell him yourself.”

Jarod has just come in. He quickly spots us, smiles warmly and makes his way over to our table. “Hello,” he says as he reaches us. “Are we eating together now?”

Aislinn turns to glare at him with open hostility.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, concerned.

“I told Aislinn what you said about Randall being an idiot,” Diana explains nonchalantly.

Jarod blanches and swallows hard. Diana doesn’t seem to notice this as she tears a wing off the rapidly disappearing carcass in front of her, her hands and lips slick with chicken fat. Apparently, complete tactlessness isn’t a Lupine trait. It’s a Diana trait.

“That wasn’t really something I wanted repeated,” Jarod tells his sister, his voice weak.

“Why?” asks Diana. “She should know this. Before she does this awful wandfasting thing.”

“He’s not an idiot,” Aislinn says as she stares at her plate, sounding hurt and as if she’s trying to convince herself that the sentence is true.

“I’m sorry, Aislinn,” Jarod apologizes, his voice low and kind. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I...I think highly of you and would not think most men were good enough for you.”

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