Page 234 of Castings & Curses

“Shit. No. I couldn’t find the t-time,” she stuttered, and I could see her shaking limbs. She looked bad.

“I’m sorry, Arlo, but they were discharging her, and I needed to reach out before she joined her roommates. They hate me!”

“All right, hang on. Here, I brought you this,” the big blond wizard grunted, hefting a bag from his pocket.

“Is that blood?” I asked, completely horrified by what I was about to witness.

“Promise you won’t tell,” Arlo said, his eyes begging me to understand.

I did not know what was happening, but as Mabe moaned, clutching her stomach in pain, I knew something was very wrong with the witch.

“It’s blood. The reduction of magic in the world has taken a heavy toll on her, Jade.” he said, inching forward, careful not to touch Mabe’s suddenly long, black claws.

The witch grabbed the plastic bag, puncturing it with her pointy teeth, fangs, I supposed was a better term, just before she slurped the contents down. A small trickle of crimson dribbled down Mabe’s chin, her black eyes were big, rimmed in red, but she did not cease her drinking—not even as I crumpled to the floor, my name on Arlo’s lips like a faraway scream.

“Jade!”

I guess I was more injured than I thought.

CHAPTER4

I snuggled deeperinto the warm, hard pillow cushioning my face. This was much better than the stiff bed I’d woken up on in the infirmary earlier that day. The steady beating beneath the soft white material had me stilling.

Do pillows typically have a heartbeat?

A nice, rock steady heartbeat that pulled at my own heartstrings and made me feel snuggly warm and secure?

I hoped so, but I really didn’t think so. Not like I did this sort of thing all the time. And by this sort of thing, I mean snuggle up to a strange, warm, pulsating pillow. It smelled good too. Like peppermint leaves and lemon scented breezes. I knew instinctively this was no pillow—which meant I’d have to move, and soon.

Sigh.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” Arlo murmured as I opened one eye to check if I was dreaming.

Nope.

Not dreaming.

I was definitely on top of the sexy, hot boy healer, Arlo Glenn. The back of my hospital gown was open, and he was using a cloth to apply salve to my wounds as I lay across his lap. I was so embarrassed I could have died, but even as I made to get off him, crushing him no doubt with my chubby butt, he held me firmly against him.

“You tore two stitches crumpling to the floor like that, Jade. Don’t. You. Move. A. Muscle. Doctor’s orders,” he growled, and the timber of his voice had me warming in the oddest of places.

That, coupled with the tingling sensation of his very capable, long fingers smoothing salve on my back, and I was damn near purring in his lap like an overgrown kitten. My mind replayed the events leading up to me passing out and him rescuing me—again, and I frowned. He seemed to be taking care of Mabe, and if they were together, I had no business being on his lap like this.

“Can I sit up?”

“Do you really want to?” he countered.

Not really.

Wait.

Did I say that aloud?

Oh my Goddess, I really should not say that out loud.

Like, ever.

Judging from the look on his perfect face, I’d kept my lips zipped. Good on me for not blabbing. I cleared my throat and tried to look like I was totally fine waking up pressed against some sexy as sin body.

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