Page 9 of All's Fair in Love and Magic

Nothing like I would’ve expected the Supernatural Resort’s owner to claim.

It was the size of a normal hotel room. Everything matched the decor in the rest of the resort. There were no personal effects in sight.

The only sign that someone lived there at all were the rumpled blankets on the bed, and the dry swim trunks hanging over the bathroom door. I figured they must’ve been draped there when they were wet.

I did find clothes hanging in the closet. When I checked the drawers of the built-in dresser and found more, I felt slightly better.

A quick check of the bathroom proved that there were large bottles of shampoo and conditioner, as well as body wash, in theoversized shower. There were toiletries under the sink too. All of that proved Liam was at least living there.

Though I was dying to wash off the grit of three days of travel, and still felt oddly floaty from Liam’s magic, I wasn’t about to get in the shower when everyone in the Resort had the code to get into my room. There was no deadbolt or child lock or anything else I could use to keep other people from barging in, so I would’ve been completely vulnerable.

Instead, I sat down on the edge of my bed and pulled my burner phone out of my bag. It only took a few minutes to send my mom’s burner a quick message and let her know I’d gotten into the resort.

The Supernatural Resort had been our backup plan since the beginning, so she would know where I was even if I didn’t tell her. The burner phone was a part of that backup plan—the coven would kill her if they knew we were still in contact.

She was busy pretending that she had no idea I was a blood witch, and probably being questioned intensely. Thankfully, she was well-practiced at lying about my magic.

If the lies failed, she would join me at the resort because the coven would try to kill her for hiding me.

Neither of us had expected I would get caught when I did. The strongest witches in the coven ran surprise checks for blood magic, but I’d never been found practicing. I’d figured I was safe enough to work on a few small blood runes the day after their last check, but they came back through again a few hours afterward.

Luckily, I’d been carrying my wallet and keys with me when I heard about the second check and had to run. Otherwise I’d already be dead.

Unluckily, the coven had the resources to find me if I accessed any of my accounts. I stopped at a bank a few towns away from the coven on the first day and withdrew all of the money I’d saved, but I didn’t have much.

Because the magic I’d been born with was forbidden, I’d spent my life feigning weakness. As far as my coven had known since my magic came in, I was nearly powerless. I could manage to infuse runes with tiny amounts of magic and work small charms without my blood, but I didn’t let myself practice potions or try to create spells.

I needed blood to make my potions or spells work even somewhat passably.

Unfortunately, selling magic was the best way to make money as a young witch. And mine just wasn’t worth much, hence my lack of money.

I’d had enough to stop at a thrift store after I ditched my clothes so I couldn’t be tracked that way, though. And to get me across the country, so I could reach the resort. That was plenty.

Me

I made it safely. They sort of gave me a place to stay

Mom

Thank goodness! But, sort of?

Me

It’s a weird story

I’ll tell you when I’m a little more settled

Mom

Alright, be careful

Me

I will

How is the questioning going?

Mom

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