Page 29 of Witches Be Damned

Mine was always flat without any product in it. I was dying to style my hair and get some heat on it. Inject some sexy waves or curls for a night out on the town. One of many luxuries deprived this girl while being locked up. My release couldn’t come soon enough. Once I was out, I was going crazy, having a facial, doing my makeup, coloring my hair, getting a manicure and painting my nails, even a shiatsu massage. Everything and anything girlie.

Luna let out a tinkled laugh at the onslaught of my questions. “If I told you, I’d have to lock you up.”

I hit her in the shoulder. “Not funny.” It kind of was.

“Hey, big guy,” Luna called out, shrugging off her bag and dropping it to the floor. She took my hand, leading me to sit down with her. “You give those vampires hell?”

I covered his mouth before he admitted to tearing their heads off.

“I’ll leave you to catch up and get to work then.” Gable took out a series of crystals and metal instruments.

Luna giggled at her dark knight, as she called him. “Yeah, you get busy and let us princesses catch up.”

I smiled, remembering when we competed in a magical exercise in class and shook on a promise of the best princess winning. Better days.

Jokes aside, my friend was a real royal, and I was an imaginary one. Though, these days, she ruled over a fallen kingdom, the Brotherhood’s power dissolved and the members clung to whatever influence they could trafficking gantii, thanks to some spell she cast. Obviously, I wanted more details on how that came to be, but she was vague on the phone, preferring in-person conversations on that topic. Maybe today was the day.

“Yes, my princess.” Gable rolled his arm and bent over like a gallant knight, and I sighed at her princess treatment when I became a knight in service to the Guild.

Raze got up and crouched by the fire, adding twigs.

Gable approached him and set a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, big guy. Help me set up protective crystals and wards around your cabin. We’re just thehandsome muscle.”

Raze paused for a beat, as if he didn’t want to leave my side. I knew how he felt when the threat of leaving him behind to return to the Guardians hollowed my heart.

He finally relented and climbed to his feet. “Astra enjoys objectifying me.” He shifted his cock in his pants, and my cheeks stained pink.

Hashtag fact. Multiple times I happened upon him naked after he shifted out of his Lycan skin, and my gaze drifted below the belt. What was a romance novel fiend like me to do? Look away? Yeah, right. I was appreciating every hard edge of his body and not apologizing for it.

“See you in a minute!” I called out after him, crashing into my friend’s shoulders again and bursting into a fit of giggles.

Girl talk and friendship felt like a thing of the past when we hardly caught up, thanks to my limited communication privileges. We made the most of it and adopted a schedule to keep in touch every two weeks. I appreciated that my friend didn’t forget me and leave me behind when she had a busy timetable with Academy classes and four boyfriends to entertain.

Luna dragged me back for a longer hug that squeezed the breath from me. “Liv told me what happened. I’m so sorry. How are you?”

“Fine now, thanks to the healer,” I replied.

My heart gave a flutter that she erased the worst of my memories… at least I think she did… a black hole in my recollection gave it away. Probably for the best it was gone.

“Hot drink?” I got up and searched Raze’s cupboard for snacks or tea, finding a box of black tea.

“Please.” Luna came with me and grabbed the coffee mugs.

Just like old times. We had many late night study sessions before tests or exams. Other times, we grabbed a coffee or hot chocolate in between classes. The reminder of the Academy sent another stab in my chest. God. That was so long ago. Eighteen months. Time flew.

She grabbed milk from the fridge as I filled the kettle. “I admire how strong and brave you are. I would have collapsed into a fraught heap at half of what you’ve been through.”

I smiled at her compliment. “I have, plenty of times.”

“How are your men doing?” Luna hunted for sugar, but didn’t find any, since Raze was against the product when his mom was diabetic.

“They’re good.” One hand twist. “Back at the prison.” Two hands twists. Shit. Missing them prompted my anxiety. “I don’t want to go back.”

Luna pulled me in for another hug. “I know you don’t. We’re working on it.”

Her words felt like an empty promise, and I withdrew, shoving my hands under my armpits. Wouldn’t her influence as savior of the Guild been enough to warrant a favor for a friend?

I shut that topic down and raised another. “I healed Tor’s back.” I exited the kitchen and did a lap of the lounge to work off excess energy.

---