Page 129 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

“We don’t know what’s going to happen. I want them to have what we had.”

Connor held me tighter. “No one will ever have what we had, babe.” I started to sigh, thinking how romantic the big, dummy hellhound could be until he opened his sexy yap again. “Because there’s not a man alive who’s as good a lover as me.”

“I’m sure you need to think that.” I patted his stomach before walking over to the sofa where I plopped down very awkwardly and unladylike, folding my feet under me. Connor’s phone rang from his pocket. He fished it free, answering. “Luc, what’s up?”He paused and then said, “Babe, manifest to hear the call. I don’t want the rest of the room hearing, but Luc says you need to and we can’t go in the private room now.”

Did that bother me? Nope. I regretted nothing. They deserved the slap and tickle. I nodded, closed my eyes, and thought,Let me hear Luc over the phone.Let Luc hear me.

“She’s here now, isn’t she?” Luc asked. “I feel her.”

“Dude.” Connor growled. “You don’tfeelmy mate.” Okay, so maybe the jealousy only took a day trip. Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that.

Luc laughed.

“She’s here,” I said, though I said it in my head. Because I’d joined his pack, if you will, I didn’t have to manifest for Connor to hear me. He already could. “But she prefers to be addressed as ‘Her Excellence, the Exalted Simone’ from now on.”

Both men started laughing.

“Right. We ready?” Luc asked.

“I’ve been ready,” Connor answered.

“Her Excellence the Exalted Simone?” Luc waited for me to answer.

“I’m ready.”

“Great. So after I looked into shit going on at Monnie’s, I took a meeting with Mike.”

“Mike?” I asked.

“Mike—Michael. We’re still close.”

“As in Archangel Michael?”

“You know where I used to live.”

“Right,” I replied sheepishly. “Sometimes I forget. You’re so… so…regular.”

“Sweetheart, I’m anything but regular.”

“Then maybe you need more fiber in your diet. I meant you don’t sound regal.”

He laughed. “Neither are they. I promise.”

Okay, that made me chuckle and I noticed eyes of witches turning to the crazy woman laughing at nothing—and to be clear,Iwas the crazy woman.

“Focus,” Connor snapped. “What did Mike say?”

“He said they’re out.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Connor muttered.

“He has a point this time. They can’t get involved.”

“Why?” I asked, hanging on his words. I found myself totally invested.

“We know a demon is leading this charge, but he’s charging against the Earth plane, not Heaven. If Heaven gets involved, it’s the same as declaring war.”

“Declaring war?” I asked.

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