Page 51 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

“Walker?” Cady said.

I snapped out of my jealousy and forced a smile. With a deep breath, I willed my magic to recede. Though it lurked under my skin like liquid heat, the lights returned to normal.

I used the keycard from the front desk to unlock our room and hurried inside. The scent of bleach and chemicals burned my nostrils, but at least the two beds, patterned carpet, and quaint bathroom were cleaned. Cadence removed her puffy pink coat and crawled into bed. Within seconds, she snored. Meanwhile, sleep evaded my grasp. As soon as I laid down and stared at the white, popcorn ceiling, all my suppressed thoughts raced.

The Ranger’s terrified face flashed behind my eyes, followed by the visual of Cadence lying trapped and vulnerable on the ground. When I tried to tune out the battle, Freya swarmed my thoughts. Though only feet separated us, it might as well have been dimensions between us.

Across the hall, the witch had probably changed into her most comfortable sweats, piled her fiery curls on top of her head, and crawled into bed with her werewolf ex-boyfriend, whom even my baby sister thought was hot. Aside from his good looks and tendency to be in the nude, however, this trip had shown me that Ryder was halfway likeable when he forgot to be a jerk. He had protected Cadence with his life without a second thought. Though I had managed to tame my magic on a couple occasions, Ryder was far more stable.

He was from Freya’s world.

He wasn’t an anomaly like me.

I had no right to be jealous. Freya had thoroughly dumped my ass. I just wished my heart, my hormones, and my magic had gotten the memo.

I rolled over and tried to force myself to sleep, but my magic buzzed like a fly in my ear. I rolled over again and tried to count sheep to distract myself. When I had imagined seventy-four fluffy farm animals, I sighed in defeat and got out of bed. As quietly as I could, I threw on my boots and t-shirt and grabbed the key-card to the room. I gently shut the door behind me, but a flicker of red hair caught my eye.

Across the narrow, beige hall, Freya was a slash of color. Just as I had imagined, her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and sweatpants hung low on her hips. My gaze dipped to her dark t-shirt and got stuck there for a heartbeat too long. She wasn’t wearing a…

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked in a smoky voice.

I cleared my throat and prayed she hadn’t noticed my staring, but that hope was in vain. Freya noticed everything. Judging by her rose-tinted cheeks and knowing smirk, this was no exception.

“Yeah,” I said and scratched the back of my neck.

She studied me. “I sensed your magic across the hall.”

“Oh,” I said and winced.C’mon, Walker. Use your words. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you up.”

Freya waved me off. “No, I only noticed because I was already awake. Sorry, I didn’t mean to blame you or anything…”

Awkward silence stretched between us. I wanted to apologize again, though I wasn’t sure where to start.

I’m sorry for getting us into this mess.

I’m sorry for making your coven question your judgment.

I’m sorry for staring at your chest.

My eyes dipped again, and I forced myself to walk away, even as my fingers itched to touch her. A low thrum of magic filled the hall, and, with a start, I realized it wasn’t just my own. A heartbeat later, Freya cursed and stifled her power. Before I reached the exit at the end of the hall, she caught up to me.

“We’re not going to be this goddessdamned awkward around each other,” she sniped and pushed open the door. I reached over her smaller frame and held it open for her.

The moon shone down on us, though clouds blotted out the stars. Humid, heavy heat pressed in, but it was a relief to be outside. Though my magic had quieted,it still hummed like crickets in the night. Freya’s words chafed me.

“You’re the one who dumped me right before we went on a road trip together,” I argued and leaned against the textured beige wall of the hotel.

We stood on its side-exit, facing the expanse of the parking lot. Buildings towered nearby, and drunken laughter flowed down the streets. We were by all means, however, alone.

“Dumped you?” she said and crossed her arms. “Really? Are we back in high school?”

I snorted. “Nope. Otherwise, you would’ve never stooped as low as a human.”

My words hit their mark, but the flash of pain on her face didn’t satisfy me. It didn’t assuage the fears bottlenecking in my choked throat either.

“I fell—” she cut herself off, and I refused to let myself hope for what she had almost said. “Isavedhuman Walker.”

“Yeah,” I admitted, “you did. Too bad you’re stuck with whatever the hell I am now, huh?”

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