Page 64 of Malice

Aster frowns. “It’s your spell. It’s keeping us in and everyone else out.”

“Seriously?” She huffs with her hands on her hips. “I’ve been calling since last night. I thought something bad happened.”

“My phone hasn’t rung at all.”

Aster pulls his phone out of his pocket and sighs. “No service.”

“You’re trapped in there?” Jocelyn asks.

“That’s what the house spirits said.”

“The house spir—what?”

“They told Crash, who is like Aster’s spirit guide.”

“Ooh, I like that,” Crash says, appearing on the banister.

Jocelyn’s eyes go wide. “Holy Hecate.”

“You can see him?” Aster asks.

She nods, bumping Elaina’s arm. “Can you see the guy on the stairs?”

Elaina peers inside. “No.”

“He’s a ghost?” Jocelyn asks.

“I’m a spirit,” Crash says. “Benign. I won’t hurt you or your brother.”

“He’s talking to me.”

“He does that,” I say. “I’m fine. We’re all fine, but we can’t leave. Your spell is very powerful apparently, and we might’ve added something to it. We were warned not to mess with it.”

“What did you add to it?”

“A guy at one of the witch shops you sent us to gave it to us. Said he was told someday his instinct would lead him to give it to someone. Maybe it was too strong.”

She rubs her forehead. “This is awful. I trapped you inside with that thing?”

“It’s okay,” Aster says. “It’s depleted right now. It’s been using energy it doesn’t really have to get rid of me. I’m working on my plan for what to do when it’s active again.”

Jocelyn nods. “Okay. I’ll consult with my coven and see if there’s anything I can do.”

“You have a coven?” I ask.

Elaina smiles. “How do you think we met?”

There’s apparently a lot I don’t know about my sister.

“I guess I’ll come back here to report what I find since your phones don’t work,” Joss says.

“We’ll be here.” Aster smiles.

Joss nods, but her eyes are on my face. “Can I talk to Hud alone for a second?”

“Of course.” Aster turns away, scooping Otto into his arms.

Once he’s in the dining room, Joss gets as close as she can to me. “Are you certain everything is okay? Is he still a good guy?”

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