Page 83 of Which Witch Is Wicked?
Claire admitted. "With Death's bun in her oven, we're all in heat. And that's saying something coming from me as I'm always a few degrees above normal temp."
Aerin snickered. "You are one hot witch."
The tension lessened somewhat, and Tierra breathed a little easier.
"Ain't nothing being discussed until I have some coffee and biscuits on board," Moira said. "After a night of horizontal hokey pokey, I'm usually hungrier than a bitch with a litter of sucklin's pup. I'm sure Tierra could eat a horse, er that is, a farmer's market worth of organic vegetables."
"Don't forget tofu." Claire shuddered.
Actually, steak and eggs sounded good. She hadn't had meat since she'd become a vegetarian at the age of sixteen. And now that she could talk with the beasts, it didn't seem right to indulge in eating one. But the craving surprised and tempted her to give up the last ten years of healthy eating.
Moira held open the front door, and Aerin and Claire entered into the grand foyer. Tierra stepped up onto the porch to follow them into the house. The smell hit her as soon as she breached the entry. Burnt, rotten, suffocating.
"Where's Tommy?" she asked, covering her nose and taking a step back outside next to Moira.
"Not this again." Claire turned and fired at Tierra, her words searing. "I'm tired of hearing you complain about Tommy. Keep it up, and we'll both move out and you won't have to put up with either one of us."
Whatever is to come, you must remain as one."No, Mom said we have to stay together."
"Mom?"Moira asked. "Just what in the Sam Hill have you been up to?"
"I have lots of stuff to tell you, but not inside the house. It's not safe." She took another step back.
"Are you insane?" Aerin asked, standing next to Claire, the threshold a line between them and Tierra and Moira, who stood on the porch. "It's the most protected place in the world we could be right now.
It's warded out the ass."
"I don't think I can go in there." Now that she'd spent some time away from the manor, the smell seemed stronger and more repulsive. "I have information that someone or something dangerous got past the wards and is in the house."
"Aunt Justine hasn't arrived yet," Moira muttered.
"It isn't Aunt Justine."
"You forget about it being Tommy," Claire warned. "You've had it out for him since he arrived."
"Claire, do you remember how he showed up?" Tierra asked. "He isn't alive. He isn't the same man that you loved. He's something else."
"Every relationship has issues. Look at yours." She scoffed. "Now there's a man who gives new meaning to the term dead-beat dad."
Aerin laughed. "Good one. How long you been waiting to use that?"
"A while actually. I have a bunch of them. Want to hear?"
"No.Ido not," Tierra said.
"Later then, we’ll compare notes," Aerin said. "I have a few of my own."
Tierra tried again with Claire. "Tommy isn't the same man that you loved, and in some part of your heart, you know that."
"You know nothing about it, Tierra, and if we want to keep this discussion civil, I suggest you drop it."
"Wait? So the relationship, for lack of a better word, between me and Killian is fair game, but you and Tommy are off limits?"
"Yes."
"Tierra's got a point, Claire," Moira pointed out.
"Killian Bane is the Fourth Horsemen of the Apocalypse," Claire sneered. "He is Death and our enemy. He tried to kill Aerin just days ago, and will no doubt try again. So, I have plenty to say."
