Page 76 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

“We didn’t bring it,” Madigan said. “We didn’t know we needed to. It was just a pretty piece of gold.”

“How could you have known?” I asked. “A witch told me. Did you consult any powerful witches?”

“We never had the chance,” Simeon said. “Madi and I tracked down a powerful one named Agnetha, but we were attacked before we got to her. Then we were on the run, trying not to die.”

“What about the book?” Luc asked.

“It’s the family grimoire,” I admitted and I swore you could hear a pin drop in the room from the dead silence. Yeah, that was quite the bombshell.

“The family grimoire?” Lily Joy asked. “As inourfamily?”

“As in Lilith’s grimoire,” I replied. “She left it with me with it. The gem found me.”

“The gold knife hilt found me,” Simeon said. “I was metal detecting in a farmer’s field about three years ago. I got a hit and dug that out of the dirt. Since it was clearly worth something, I kept it.”

“Did Lilith leave you with anything as a baby?” Connor asked my brother. And now more than ever, I needed to know the answer too. She had to have, right? If she left me the grimoire, she had to have left Simeon something important, too.

“A book. A handwritten book with leaves or flowers pressed between the pages. A description of each of the plants on the page.”

“Do you still have it?” Connor asked then.

“It’s at home, with the hilt.”

“You don’t think she left you—” I started to say.

“Plants from the Garden of Eden,” Lily Joy finished for me. Yeah, she was smart.

“So let me get this straight,” Luc said, pausing for effect. “Lilith left you”—he pointed at me—“her grimoire and you”—he pointed at my brother—“plants from the freaking garden of Eden? And you left them unguarded?”

“We didn’t know their significance,” Simeon said in our defense.

“How could we have?” I defended us, too.

“Not helping,” Connor snapped at his best friend.

“So here’s the plan,” I said because someone had to take charge. “We need Luc to do some snooping and try to identify Beetle for us. Lily Joy, you start researching what kinds of magic those demons got a hold of. How did they find us? How did they off themselves without a beheading?”

“I’ll get right on that,” she agreed.

“Sim, Madi—you need to get back to your home to get the botanical book and the hilt. Connor and I will go after the grimoire.”

“All right, I’m out,” Luc said. “Check in at least once a day, okay? I need to know you all aren’t dead.” Then he kissed Lily Joy’s cheek and she blushed. Then he kissed Madigan’s cheek, and my brother gave him a death glare. When he bent in to kiss my cheek, Connor growled, baring his teeth. “Down, boy,” Luc teased and my mate narrowed his eyes at the fallen angel who was totally taking his life in his hands once again. “You’re right, Simone, thisisfun. But seriously, I could no more bump uglies with you than I could Connor here. You’re like a sister now… Unless—are you and my boy here solid?”

“Hades, Luc!” Connor snapped. “Quit hitting on my mate. Today isnotthe day, man.”

“You’re right. My apologies. I’ll try again tomorrow.” Luc dodged my bag that Connor threw at his head and jogged out of the room calling, “Later,” over his shoulder. I tried to use magic to keep my bag from falling and spilling out the contents all over the floor, but I lacked the strength to do more than slow the descent so it hit with a smallpoof. The flap opened, but only a couple of trinkets rolled out.

“We’re not going anywhere today, sweetheart,” Connor said, his eyes moving between my bag and me. “Please don’t argue. You’re not ready and I can’t—” He cut himself off, shaking his head.

I felt what he felt. He’d almost lost me. It gutted me to even imagine what he’d gone through while waiting for me to get through the transfusion and time in recovery.

“I won’t argue,” I said and he stood from the chair so fast that it tipped backward, hitting the floor as he dropped into a fighting stance.

“Who are you and what have you done with Simone?” he barked, and at first, I thought he was serious until he winked at me. “What?” he asked cheekily. “My Simone takes every opportunity to argue with me. I figured you had to be a demon in disguise.”

“You truly are an idiot.”

“But you love me.”

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