Page 7 of Elora and the Crow

“I am. Besides, the guest room bed is not comfortable. Plus, the house is always freezing, and you don’t have the extra junk in your trunk like I do to keep warm.”

“I’ll just bunk in here with you,” Elora said with a small grin.

“You recite spells in your sleep,” Cece said. “It’s weird, and it creeps me out.”

“It’s not weird!” Elora said.

“It’s so damn weird. Also, sometimes, when you recite them, I have tiny fireballs floating around the room. They go out fairly quickly, but I’m afraid one might land on a plant and then,” she glanced around the room, “poof, this room goes up like a tinderbox.”

Elora stared at her. “I don’t!”

“You do,” Cece said.

“Well, that’s horrifying, and I’m sorry,” Elora said.

Cece smiled faintly. “It’s okay. You know I love you, even if you conjure up tiny balls of fire in your sleep.”

“Maybe that’s why the last guy I slept with looked so freaked out in the morning,” Elora said. “Maybe I singed him with a fireball.”

“Maybe,” Cece said.

Elora studied Lilianna, who had flown to one of the plant shelves to use as a perch to nap on. Her eyes were closed, and her body completely hid her legs and feet.

“I guess it’s a good thing that Lilianna is such a cock blocker. I’d feel terrible if I set one of my booty calls on fire,” Elora said.

That got a soft giggle from Cece, who said, “I still can’t believe you haven’t had sex since you got Lilianna. That’s two years, Elora.”

“You know as well as I do that Lilianna freaks out if any guy other than Bren touches me.”

“You could lock her in another room while you’re getting… intimate,” Cece said.

“I tried that once,” Elora said glumly. “Lilianna screamed so loudly that the neighbours thought I was murdering someone and called the cops. They showed up just as I was about to get to the good stuff with Rajesh.”

Cece laughed. “Oh shit, I forgot about that. Okay, well, you could leave her at home and have a booty call at the guy’s place. Lilianna wouldn’t even know.”

Lilianna’s eyes blinked open, and she immediately flew off her perch and landed in front of Cece. She made four soft but menacing caws before pecking Cece’s leg through her sweatpants.

“Ouch! Lilianna, that hurt!” Cece said.

“She would know,” Elora said.

“I think you’re using Lilianna as an excuse for not being in a relationship because of what Doug did to you.”

“I’m over Doug and his ‘I could never be with a witch more powerful than me. It’s an insult to my manhood. My balls will shrink and fall off, and I’ll never get my tiny dick to stand at attention again if I date someone whose magic is stronger than mine now’ pathetic whining.”

“Oh my God, you never told me he said that,” Cece asked.

“I’m paraphrasing. Besides, you’re one to talk,” Elora said. “When was the last time you got laid, Cecelia?”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you,” Cece said.

“All I’m saying is that, unlike you, I have a good reason for not getting banged - Lilianna plucking out their eyeballs would be a real mood killer.”

“Ugh,” Cece said. “But I have a good reason, too.”

“Thinking you need to lose forty pounds first is not a good reason,” Elora said. “You’re hot with great tits and an ass that won’t quit. Men love curves like yours.”

“Darren stopped loving them,” Cece said.

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