Page 143 of Beyond the Cottage

Nat studied her longer. Finally, he opened a drawer to remove a bank draft folio and a miniature pen. After some aggressive scribbling, he ripped a half-sheet of paper from the book.

“I will.” He waved the paper to dry the ink. “Despite my personal opinion of the miscreant, his product is compelling.”

Gretta’s excitement dimmed. She knew Nat well enough to hear the ‘but’ coming.

“But. I have terms.”

“What are they?”

“You will personally head this project. With the election coming up, I don’t have the time, and you seem likeliest to keep the bounder in check. Consider it the career change we discussed.”

“For real?” she said, stunned. When she’d decided to help Ansel, she hadn’t considered she might become a longterm part of his business. She’d never thought to quit hunting, and had definitely never pictured herself behind a desk. The concept brought a stab of anxiety. It would mean more upheaval in her already jumbled life. And giving up hunting felt like losing part of her identity.

But.

Wasn’t this kind of the perfect solution to…everything?

Working with the repellent would do more to fight spellcraft than picking off witches one by one. And hadn’t she been fearing she was burned out, anyway? For godssake, she forgot to take a braid at the aria witch’s hovel.

And now she’d be fighting witchcraft withAnsel. They’d both have jobs—careers they deeply cared about. And he’d have to move to the capital permanently, giving them all the time theyneeded to figure out whatever the hell needed figuring out between them.

She’d also be his boss. They could have a lot of fun in the bedroom withthatdynamic.

Gretta bit her cheek to keep from grinning. “I guess I could be talked into that. What else?”

“There will be a morality clause in his contract. If I hear he so much as spits on the sidewalk, the contract will be terminated, and he’ll forfeit all gains with interest.”

She sat straighter. “He’s a good person, Nat. I get your perspective, but you don’t know him.”

“He signs it or this conversation is over.”

“Fuck, alright. He’ll sign.”

Nat tapped his pen on the desk. His expression drew an icicle of dread along her skin.

“My final term. As this project’s administrator, you will maintain a strictly professional relationship with Mr. Wallenfang. No fraternizing outside work hours, no inappropriate touching. Whatever the hell you’ve been doing, it ends today.”

Gretta dug her fingers into the sofa, making the leather squeak. “You will not tell me who I can be friends with, Nat. This papa bear bullshit is what needs to end.”

“I know you think you don’t need anyone looking out for you, but I’m doing it anyway. This spiral you’ve been on has gotten completely out of hand. The way you’ve taken up with the dust thief only illustrates the fact.”

“Goddammit, I’m not on a spiral! And I’m not your constituentoryour kid sister.”

“You’re not my sister, but I’m the closest thing to family you have.”

Gretta scoffed. Maybe that was true once—at least, she’d thought it had been. Not now.

“When did you become such a condescending prick?” she asked. “I swear to god, I don’t recognize you anymore. You used to have fucking integrity, but now you’re just another asshole politician.”

Nat rasped a laugh. “It always comes back to the office, doesn’t it? I’ve changed, yes. I’ve had to. The problem is, you haven’t.”

“Go to hell, Nat.” He had no idea how much she’d changed.

“If the Hag Hacker had her way, we’d still be chain-locking arcana libraries and firebombing potion shops—accomplishingnothing. Those places are only illegal now because of what I’ve done in this office.”

“You had a good first year. Now you spend all day raising money for your fraud of a campaign. When’s the last time you did a goddamn thing to fight witchcraft?”

“I’m funding your dust thief, aren’t I?”

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