Page 60 of A Roar for Magic

“I’m doing no such thing.” But warmth crept into her cheeks as she adjusted a display of protection candles. The soft glow of their enchanted flames cast dancing shadows across the polished wood counters.

“Sure, sure.” Poe ruffled his feathers, moonlight catching the iridescent sheen. “And I’m not the most devastatingly handsome familiar in all of Mystic Hollow.”

Her phone buzzed with a text from Rook:Can’t wait to see you. Save me from Banner’s terrible jokes. He’s been practicing tiger puns all afternoon.

A smile tugged at her lips as she typed back:No promises. His whisker jokes are growing on me.

Traitor,Rook responded.See if I save you any of Sabine’s chocolate eclairs.

Before she could reply, another call came through—Halle’s name flashing on the screen.

“Clover?” Static crackled through Halle’s voice. “I’m so sorry, but my grandmother’s protection wards are failing. If we don’t reset them before moonrise...” She trailed off, panic evident.

“Go.” Clover’s heart sank, but she kept her tone steady. “Family comes first. I’ll cover the shop.”

After hanging up, she messaged Rook again:Slight change of plans. Halle’s grandmother has a ward emergency. I’ll meet you at the dinner after closing.

Want backup?His response came quickly.Banner could use a break from workshopping “Why did the tiger cross the road?”

I’ve got it handled. Save me a plate?

Always.

The next few hours passed in a blur of customers and sales. The shop’s protection charms hummed contentedly, warming the air with the scent of lavender and sage. As the last customer left, Clover began her closing routine, magical energy thrumming beneath her skin.

A gust of wind rustled the maple leaves outside, carrying an odd metallic tang. Something dark slithered at the edge of her magical awareness—wrong and twisted like ink bleeding through parchment.

Before she could raise her shields, shadows erupted around her. Thick, oily tendrils of magic wrapped around her limbs, choking off her power. The shadow witch materialized from the darkness, his hooded face a void of swirling black mist.

“Now, now.” His voice scraped like rusty nails. “We can’t have you causing trouble.”

Cold metal snapped around her wrists—enchanted shackles etched with runes that made her stomach turn. Her magic flickered and dimmed, trapped beneath layers of suffocating darkness.

“Perfect timing.” Justus stepped from the shadows, three more figures emerging behind him. Pride members whose tiger energy crackled with barely contained violence. “I was worried you might skip dinner.”

“What do you want?” Clover fought the shadow witch’s hold, but dark magic pressed down on her like a physical weight.

“Just a friendly chat.” Justus’s smile twisted, showing too many teeth. “Somewhere more... private.”

They dragged her toward the enchanted forest, the witch’s magic crushing any attempt at resistance. Dead leaves crunched beneath their feet, the normally vibrant forest gone silent and cold around them. No birds sang. No small creatures rustled in the underbrush. Even the trees seemed to draw back from their passing.

The cabin sat in a hollow where moonlight couldn’t reach, its windows glowing with sickly purple light. Inside, dark magic pooled in the corners like spilled oil, thick and choking. The shadow witch’s altar dominated one wall—black crystals pulsing with corrupt energy, bowls of nightshade essence releasing poisonous vapor, a mirror that seemed to swallow what little light remained.

“Secure her properly.” The witch’s magic pressed harder, forcing Clover into a chair while the others bound her with more enchanted restraints. “The barrier must hold for the ritual.”

“Why go to all this trouble?” Clover met Justus’s gaze, channeling her fury into her words. “If you want to challenge Rook, do it directly. Or are you too much of a coward to face him without hiding behind dark magic?”

The crack of his hand across her face echoed in the small space. “Mind your tongue, witch. You’re only alive because I need you.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

“Need me for what?” Blood filled Clover’s mouth where her teeth had cut her cheek. She spat it at his feet, satisfaction flaring when he stepped back.

“To kill Rook, of course.” His eyes blazed with a manic light. “Who better than his precious mate? The ultimate betrayal.” A harsh laugh escaped him. “I’ve waited years for this chance. Watching, planning, enduring while others took what should have been mine.”

Justus paced before her like a caged animal, tiger energy leaking through in savage bursts. “First, they gave the alpha position to my younger brother instead of me. Me! The eldest, the strongest, the one who understood what our pride needed.” His face contorted with rage. “So I fixed it. Arranged the perfect little accident. A plane crash to eliminate them all—my brother, his wife, those brats.”

Ice flooded Clover’s veins. “What are you saying?”

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