Page 23 of Curses and Cauldrons

“That’s enough visiting for now. Go away.”

Ava stands up and immediately falls on her face. “What the hell?” Her voice is muffled by the ground.

Vines are curled around her ankles, tying them to the chair. Fitz starts laughing as Ava kicks free, losing a shoe in the process.

“Why?” she huffs as she swipes up her shoe and stuffs her foot back inside before standing up.

“Just a little reminder. Sometimes the things that hold us back are sneaky sons of a bitches.”

I don’t know which one of us the reminder is aimed at. Maybe both of us.

“Yeah. Sure. Okay. Thanks, I guess.” Ava brushes off her clothes, inching away from Fitz.

The two of us hurry out the garden gate, nearly escaping before Fitz shouts after us. “Don’t come back until you’ve found something interesting to share.”

About what? The Briar Witch? The notion that the Maiden, Mother, and Crone are all different aspects of our magic? Or that Lumen and Tenebris used to be one coven? Or how about the fact that they split because of a disagreement over our curses? Which makes it sound like there’s something that could be done about them. I can barely think.

“We should have baked something,” Ava mumbles as soon as the gate shuts behind us.

12

ROMAN

“Why the fuck is there so much traffic?” I snarl at the slow crawl of cars in front of me. Ambrose looks up from his phone where he’s watching some video on social media. He angles his head, looking out the window. We’re supposed to be meeting my brother and Odie for dinner, and unfortunately, to go out after.

“Ah. It’s the parade.”

I groan. “Fuck. I forgot.” Last weekend was the founders parties, but this weekend is the founders parade. This event has nothing to do with the covens. It’s something the city puts on along with a marketing push to bring in early holiday shoppers to the little stores that litter either side of the Briar Hollows River.

The parade crosses over into both sides of Mystic Hollows, using the larger bridges that allow car traffic to traverse the river. It’s only now moving from the Tenebris side of the city intothe Lumen territory. It’s already dark out and the floats light up the street like a carnival.

I check my mirror to see if I can back up and get out of traffic, but the cars are too close.

“Uh, isn’t that our turn?” Ambrose points to a road that’s blocked off. Probably because of the fucking parade. There’s no way I can get around the barricade unless I run the damn things over.

“Looks like we’re heading into Lumen territory,” I mumble.

Ambrose chuckles. “I hope it’s as amusing as last time.”

I glare at him, and he gives me a shit-eating grin. He rests his elbow on the center console and props his chin on his fist. “Do you want to talk about what happened last weekend? I thought you would have shared a few details by now.”

“I’m sorry. Have we met?” I grip my steering wheel and pull forward when the parade traffic clears the bridge.

“We have, although I’m not sure who that was last weekend. A random hook-up? With a pure Lumen witch. That’s so unlike you.”

“You must have imagined that. Maybe if you get your head out of the gutter, you wouldn’t be constantly thinking about sex.”

Ambrose shifts back into his seat. “Protest all you want, but I have eyes. I know what I saw. Plus, I heard what your new friend said after you left the room.”

The car swerves when I jerk my head to look at Ambrose. His hand shoots up to the handle over the window and he braces himself.

“What? What did she say?”

“Your Delvaux witch was chatting with the shy redhead. It was very interesting.” Ambrose hums.

I hesitate, needing to know what he heard, but not wanting to give Ambrose more ammunition. The man is a dog with a bone. He will dig until he uncovers secrets.

“What did you overhear? And she’s not my anything.”

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