Page 61 of The Trouble With Spells
The house didn’t need to be saged–I’d done it two days ago while Michael had been taking care of some last-minute things in Boston–and there weren’t any lingering spirits about.
Well, besides the two chambermaids from the turn of the century, but I rarely saw them, and they weren’t a bother. I had wisely not told Michael that our house–gah, I loved saying that!–was occupied by two ghosts. I loved this house, and while he had come around to all things witchy, I wasn’t sure where he stood on ghosts and really didn’t want to find out. At least not until we had unpacked everything and lived here a while.
I had filed the ghosts under things he really didn’t need to know about. Like when Jessica would stop by the shop to have me read her cards and I wouldn’t charge her. That definitely went in the Michael-doesn’t-need-to-know file.
But Daph was gonna do what Daph did, so we were now getting a second house saging.
Derek wrinkled his nose as the scent of burning sage drifted into the room. Neither Michael nor I missed how Derek’s brown eyes lit up with blatant interest as my sister pranced into the room, black waves of hair bouncing around her shoulders.
Daphne stopped short at the sight of Derek, cocking her head to one side, and giving him a top-to-bottom look that was slightly disturbing.
“Please stop eye fucking our friend,” I ordered, frowning. “It’s super rude.”
Finally tearing her eyes from Derek, she tossed her hair over one shoulder. “No one likes a cock blocker, Callum.”
Derek, poor fool that he was, looked absolutely besotted with my sister. Michael ran one hand down his face, speechless. Though after a year, he really shouldn’t be surprised by anything Daphne said or did.
Putting the still burning sage in her stone smudge bowl, Daphne deposited it on Michael’s ridiculously expensive desk. Then to all our complete surprise–and horror–she grabbed Derek by the front of his dirty, sweaty t-shirt, pulled him flush to her, and kissed the man senseless.
Stepping back from the stunned detective, she waved her hand over him then ran the same hand down his chest.
“Hi, I’m Daphne. Callum’s much wiser, younger sister. And who might you be?” She purred, holding her hand in the air in front of him, like she was expecting him to take it, bow, and kiss the top of it.
Michael made a what-the-fuck face at me, his hands flopping wildly in the air in front of him.
“Older sister,” I corrected her dryly, rolling my eyes at Derek. “She is myoldersister.”
Daphne shook her head, dropping her voice to a stage whisper, “Callum can’t do math. Don’t listen to him.”
“Daphne,” I said slowly, narrowing my eyes at her when I felt what she had done, “remove it.”
She pouted prettily, while Derek grasped her hand lightly in his and introduced himself. “I’m Derek. Michael’s best friend.”
“Daph–” I warned her, pointing my finger, “remove it now.”
Derek looked confused, his eyes traveling from Michael, to Daphne, to me, and back to my slyly smiling sister. “Remove what? What’s going on?”
“Ummm,” Michael hedged, looking at me for help.
“You’re no fun, Callum,” Daphne pouted prettily. “Besides, he needs it.”
“Remove. It. Now.”
“No!” She stamped her foot, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, causing my glasses to go slightly askew.
“Don’t make me call Mom,” I warned, “because you know I will.”
“Oh my God, Callum, you are such a little tattletale!”
“Learned from the best. If you don’t remove it, I will,” I warned her, and she snort laughed.
“As if you could.”
“My…I can so!” I huffed.
Michael winced, “Baby, I love you, but please don’t. You’re better, but things still go a bit…” he glanced at Derek whose head was swiveling so fast keeping up with the conversation he very well might end up with whiplash, “sideways. And this is Derek. He’s like a brother to me, so maybe just…don’t.”
“Nothing has gone sideways,” I assured him, knowing that wasn’t quite the whole truth. My spell casting was better, but some days…well, we just wouldn’t talk about that.
