Page 28 of Prey

Great, more of the black magic bullshit. Things have been so crazy the last few days that I can’t even catch my breath. I’m glad the guys and I are settled though, because now I can focus on what the hell is happening in the witch community, and me in particular, without having to worry my mate is going to take us out first.

I look back at the guys and see that Ethan looks uncomfortable, so I push a bit of reassurance through the bond to him. I feel him answer in thanks and then turn back to the box, wrapping it in a barrier so that nothing can leak out on the way to Grams’. The last thing we need is one of us to catch another dark spider when we just got rid of one.

Something about this feels foreboding, though. That can’t be right because my grandmother is the one who gets the premonitions; not me. Maybe some of Ethan’s emotions are rubbing off on me. Shaking it off, I turn back to the guys.

“Let’s just lock up the shop. I’ll put a barrier up that will tell me if anyone is tampering with the door for now while we go toGrams’. This box being sent tells me we may not have any other issues tonight so I’m ok with taking a chance.”

We won’t be able to get here quick enough to stop them from doing something but maybe we can catch them in the act anyway.

“Are you sure Shasta? I can stay,” Joaquin asks.

“It’s fine, Emmett was here and then you’ve been here since he left. I’ve taken up enough of your time today.”

“I’ll call one of the other guys and have him come and sit across the street, so someone has eyes on it,” Ethan says and walks away to make the call.

Oh yeah, I forgot there were more people who could help. I mentally smack myself in the forehead because I didn’t think of it. I’m going to have to get used to the fact that I have a whole club behind me now. Having a bunch of criminals at your beck and call is a little surreal and something I’m definitely not used to.

Ethan comes back and talks with Kadi for a moment and then they both look at me and nod. Joaquin walks over and gives me a quick hug and I hear a couple of growls. Yeesh, male shifters. Sensitive noses, and even more sensitive feelings.

Joaquin just laughs and waves. He’s a brave vampire. Though, as old as he is, I’m sure he’s a little bored, so he likes to live life on the edge. I don’t blame him. I really hope Jessa gets brave herself and lets him in a little. He’s a great guy.

“Down boys, he’s harmless, I think. Besides, Jessa has her eye on him so I’m hoping some things happen there,” I say with a smirk.

Kadi walks over and boops me on the nose and leans in for a kiss. “Oh, I wasn’t worried at all. He has a normal dick, and I think we both know at this point that you aren’t into those. At least, not anymore.”

Asshat. Though he isn’t wrong. “You don’t actually have to say that out loud you know,” I stage whisper.

Ethan snickers.

I point at him. “You are still on the probationary period, so I’d be careful who you’re laughing at over there, El Presidente,” I say, sauntering past and zapping him just a little on my way by.

He groans and Kadi is the one to laugh this time as they follow me out. I put the barrier up after locking the door. It’s not going to stop them from getting in. I could put a barrier around the shop that would do just that, but it’s a process and I’d need a couple of other witches to do it. Big magic like that isn’t as easy to do as people think it is.

I’m powerful. I don’t know much about my dad’s side of the family, but they must have been extremely powerful. So are my mother and Grams, but in a much different way. My elemental magics are crazy strong and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think maybe there was an elemental Fae or deity somewhere in my dad’s bloodline.

I won’t ever get any answers to these questions though. My dad’s family were all dead when he and my mother met. The only thing I have is the Grimoire from him and I don’t understand what the family tree says because it’s written in an odd language.

I’ve looked everywhere and haven’t been able to find anyone who even knows what the language is or anyone who can translate it. The crazy thing is that’s the only thing in the whole Grimoire written that way.

We take the bikes to Grams’. After we pull up, she and my mother meet us on the porch and Grams looks pleased. Well, I guess she knows Ethan and I made up, though I have a moment of panic when I think about how she might know, and I send a little prayer up to the Goddess that she didn’t see how.

The worst thing about having a grandmother that’s power is premonitions is that she has seen you in some, shall we say,awkward positions. Groaning, I take off my helmet and place it on the seat of Kadi’s bike. Ethan is starting to look a little green, so I walk over to him and place my hand in his.

“It’s okay. Just take a breath. This is my family’s home and has been for hundreds of years. You’re safe here. I promise. There are so many wards around this place that no one who is a black magic user could ever get in.”

He nods and steps forward. “I’m sorry about earlier. I wish I could say I wasn’t myself because of the spider. The truth is the spider only amplified what I was feeling inside.”

Grams’ eyes soften as she listens to him tell her about his parents and I hear my mother stifle a sob. She’s such a gentle soul. She immediately runs over to Ethan and wraps him in a hug, murmuring as she leads him into the house. I’ll let her handle that for now while I show Grams the box.

Kadi walks it over to me. He strapped it onto the back of Ethan’s borrowed bike for the ride over. Grams raises her brows and says, “Another box?”

“Well, this one came this way, the other I boxed up myself. We haven’t opened this one though because Joaquin suggested opening it here in the basement. Probably not a bad idea considering everything that's happened the last couple days.”

She nods and waves us in. We head down to the basement and Mom and Ethan come down shortly after us. Once me, Mom, and Grams have all assembled around the table, the three of us clasp hands and put up a barrier around the box. We can open it with magic from outside the barrier. This way there aren’t any surprises.

Taking a finger, I trace a pattern in the air and the flaps open, revealing an envelope and a…wand? What the hell?

Grams looks at my mother and they share twin expressions of guilt. Uh, what's this about? After waving a hand to remove the barrier, my mother reaches into the box pulling both items out.I recognize the handwriting on the envelope immediately. My father’s.

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