Page 77 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

“Unfortunately,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“You seriously aren’t going to argue with me on this?”

I shook my head. “If I had been in your place…” Tears actually pricked my eyes.

Connor scooted me over on the bed so he could sit down next to me. He caught the one tear that fell with his finger. “You don’t have to worry about that, babe,” he replied low, but with lots of feeling.

“It’s not that I like you,” I countered through my sniffles. “It’s just you do that thing with the twist and I’d miss that.”

“And this is where I nope out of this conversation,” Madigan said, patting my arm. “I don’t need to hear those details about my brother.”

“But I mean, it’s life-changing,” I said to her, laughing. “If we compare notes, you might?—”

“La, la, la, la, la,” Madigan singsonged.

“You shouldn’t go today, either,” Lily Joy told them. “Simeon still looks tired. Rest today. Leave in the morning.”

It felt wrong to waste another day, but we needed to be healthy for this to work. The world depended on us, and most of humanity didn’t even know it.

Chapter

Twenty

Iheard them all downstairs talking at the dinner table and it pissed me off to miss it. Somehow, Lily Joy got it in her head that I needed to stay in bed to rest. I understood she was trying to get me strong enough to use my magic, but alienating me from the rest of the group totally hurt my morale. In a big way. I needed people around me. I needed stimulating conversation mixed with the adoration of my mate. Okay, so I laughed at myself for even thinking that last part. But I missed the big lug’s face and his scent, and the way he held me. I missed how gently he stroked the skin on my arm totally unaware that he was doing it. Ididsay I needed people around me.

The four walls closed in on me to the point that if I didn’t get out, I’d go mad. Could some call me overdramatic? Yes. Did I remotely care at this point? Hell no. Even though I stood slowly, my head spun, causing me to put a hand to the bed for balance. Then once I felt ready, I pulled the quilt from the end of the bed and made my way downstairs. The food smelled good. Connor laughed at something Madigan said. I felt completely alone as I slipped out the front door. Slowly, I made my way over to a two-person swing that Lily Joy built around the side of the house to watch the setting sun.

The big, orange ball burned beautifully in the sky. I wondered how Mrs. Hildibrant was faring. I needed to check on my cat. At least he knew how to get into his food and her water fountain lasted for weeks.

So much had changed within such a short span of time. I missed my Jeep and my store, and the days when there weren’t demons and a man named Beetle trying to kill me. Lilith had been selfish to bring me here, to lay all this on my shoulders. A good man died because of her decision. Jeffery didn’t deserve that. If I’d stayed in my time, then he might have met a nice, mortal woman and they would’ve lived in a nice house with a couple of beautiful kids. He could’ve led a blissful life.

But then there was Connor. Surely, the universe would’ve picked a woman better suited to be his mate. Maybe another death hound. Lilith set all this in motion, now leaving me to clean up the mess caused because of it.

Even thinking of my mate with another woman hurt, though. What I needed to do was try to manifest myself away from this place right now so that nobody I loved got hurt fighting this foe who had it out for me in particular in a big, fricking way. But I wasn’t so naive to believe that Connor wouldn’t get himself killed trying to find me. He’d set the world on fire to get to me.

I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes, frustrated by the whole situation. What did I do? What was the right course of action here? How much clearer could the universe make it? I wasn’t strong enough to take on an enemy like Beetle. The state of my injuries proved that.

If I only had the power to go back in time and take out Adam before he had the chance to attack. Or at the very least keep this Beetle from discovering my secret.

My thoughts kept me occupied for a while longer. I supposed that was how Connor dropped down next to me and I hadn’tseen him coming. I sensed him, but I always sensed him. Our bond made sure of that.

“What are you doing out here all alone?” he asked as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close to his body.

“I felt a little left out. You all were having such a good time at dinner and I needed to clear my head.”

“You weren’t thinking of doing something stupid, were you?”

“Technically, stupid is relative to the person or situation in conjunction with performing an action. But to put your mind at ease, no. I was just out here lamenting our situation.”

“What exactly are you lamenting?”

“That I’m not strong enough to protect you. That I’m not strong enough to defeat Beetle when that inevitable battle comes.”

“Simone,” he said softly. “I’m not exactly helpless and you won’t be alone.”

“It’s not fair. Lilith shouldn’t have ever put this on our shoulders. I have a target on my back and you’re forced to wear one too—you weren’t given a choice.”

“Neither were you. I have to believe she had her reasons. This might’ve been in the works with a much worse outcome because you weren’t here and we didn’t find each other.”

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