Page 53 of Wicching Hour

Dad shook his head. “No need. You already accounted for him when you created this ward.”

I glanced up and found Declan grinning back at me.

Dad stood and pulled me up, the pillows disappearing. “Good,” he said and we were back on the ground near Gran’s front door again.

Declan went to move the bench back to where it belonged.

“I look forward to our next lesson,” Dad said, and he was gone.

TWENTY-FOUR

He’s Not Your Underling

“How cool was that?” I whisper-shouted.

Declan put down the bench and then picked me up and swung me around. “Look who’s getting fae lessons from her dad.” He kissed me, cutting off my laugh.

“Oh, wait. My backpack!” I looked up on the roof and grimaced. Declan was going to have to climb back up there to retrieve it.

He tapped my back, and I felt it. “Your dad’s got you covered.”

I took it off and looked inside. Sure enough, the octopus bottle that had been in my lap was now inside the backpack. I picked it up and almost dropped it. It was cold, far colder than the water I’d put in it an hour ago. I popped the top and sniffed. It smelled of the inky black ocean. What did I mean by that? No idea. When I smelled this water, though, I saw deep, dark waters hiding leviathans.

“He changed my water?” I said, awed.

Declan paused and stared at the octopus in my hand. “What do you mean?”

“This isn’t the water from beside my deck. Feel it.” I put the bottle in his hand.

He held it a moment and then looked up at me with a shrug. “What am I feeling?”

“You don’t sense it? It’s cold, colder than it was when I first filled it.”

He wrapped his fingers around the bottle a moment but then handed it back to me. “I think that’s a you-and-your-dad thing. To me, it feels like your water bottle always does.”

“I can’t explain how I know, but this water is from the deepest part of the ocean, far below where any human has ever explored.” I poured some into my palm and the world became clearer and brighter. I shook my head on a grin. “He gave me the good stuff.”

I slid my gloves back on, stowed my very valuable seawater, and took Declan’s hand to walk back in.

He paused at the door. “We could just jump in my truck and take off. There’s no rule that says we have to go back in.”

I tugged him down for another kiss while reaching for the door. I felt something akin to static electricity.

“Put your hand on the door,” I said.

He did and then looked at me again, waiting for something to happen.

“Interesting,” I said. “I wonder if they’ll feel it.” I pushed open the door and found Mom, Gran, and Bracken standing at the large picture window overlooking the patio, cliff, and ocean.

Mom turned and waved us forward. “We heard a hiss of pain out here, but we don’t see anything.”

“That was your daughter,” Declan said with no small amount of pride in his deep, growly voice.

Bracken turned at that. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” I said, waving away the concern. “He means I’m the one who set the ward that burned the dark entity circling Gran’s house.”

“Oh, darling. That’s wonderful.” Mom crossed to me and took my forearm, squeezing. We’d discovered lots of ways over the years to hug without hugging. “What did you do, and is that thing gone?”

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