Page 65 of The Glittering Edge

Alonso is face down on the pavement. His arms are splayed like he fell from a few stories up instead of out an open car door—and he’s not moving.

Corey grimaces. “Alonso? You good?”

The witch doesn’t move.

“What happened?” Penny asks Milton.

“He’s fine,” Milton says. “Until I decide that he isn’t.”

Alonso doesn’t get up. Slowly, with what looks like a lot of effort, he turns his head just enough that they can see his face.

“Well, look at that,” Milton says. “I wasn’t expecting a De Luca to show up on my doorstep today.”

“Happy birthday,” Alonso mutters.

“My birthday’s in April.” Milton crouches so he can look Alonso in the eyes. “Been a while since somebody triggered the alarm spell. I thought maybe it needed a re-up, but I guess it’s working fine.”

“This is a security spell?” Penny asks.

“Sure is. Works on a whole long list of folks, from human fanboys to petty criminals to every exiled witch in existence. Keeps them in place so we can ask them questions.”

Corey narrows his eyes at Milton. “Do you know each other?”

“Every coven knows the De Lucas,” Milton says. “That curse they made was a big deal in our world.”

“Lemme up,” Alonso says through clenched teeth.

“Nope. This is where you belong.”

Penny moves between Alonso and Milton. “Please hear us out before you assume that Alonso came here for some nefarious reason.” She holds up her phone again. “Your family made a ward for the Barrions, right?”

Milton glares at her. “We didn’t mess with no curse. We made a standard dark magic ward, and the Barrions are using it however they want.”

Something about the nonchalance in Milton’s tone makes Corey bristle, and he says, “If it’s so standard, why did you only make one? And why did you agree to do it in the first place?”

Milton ignores him and looks at Penny. “How are you connected to all of this?”

“My mom was in a relationship with Corey’s aunt,” Penny says.

“Ah. She’s dead?”

Corey shakes his head. “Not yet.”

Milton sighs and holds out a hand.“Heavy as air, light as earth.”

Alonso shoots to his feet. His hair is askew, and there are tiny pieces of gravel embedded in his cheek.

“I’m giving you ten seconds to tell me why you’re on Pierre land,” Milton says. “One—”

Corey opens his mouth, but Penny beats him to it, speaking fast. “We want to know why your family helped the Barrions when no other witches would because we want to break the curse and we thought you could tell us more about other covens in Idlewood and also maybe agree to help us with the curse-breaker because Alonso said no coven is as powerful as yours and—”

“Okay, okay, stop. Don’t pass out.” Milton looks between Corey and Alonso. “Y’all really came here together?”

Corey sighs. “We’re trying to… I don’t know what we’re trying to do. Anything we can.”

“Interesting.” Milton’s jaw ticks to the side as he considers them. He seems to come to a decision about something, because his face softens and he says, “My great-grandma made that ward. It was supposed to help victims of the Barrion curse.”

“I thought your family didn’t mess with the curse,” Corey says.

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