Page 70 of Which Witch is Willing?
“Except you weren’t standing,” Claire added.
Tierra hugged her baby tighter until Violet squeaked a complaint.
Moira strode to Tierra and held her arms open to Violet. “Come see Auntie Moira.”
Violet reached for her, and Moira scooped her up and propped her on a hip, while Tierra wiped her eyes. Violet placed a small hand on Moira’s stomach, and her cheeks pushed out in a wide grin.
“That’s right,” Moira said. “You love your little cousin, don’t you, and he’ll be here soon, and the two of you can catch lightning bugs and chase frogs all the live long day.”
Moira switched her gaze to the adults in the room. “If those dusty-crotch lemon-sucking biddies have a problem with this little one, I can only imagine what they’ll think of what I got cookin’. Don’t matter, though, Tierra. We got everything we need in this house, and if they want to throw a hissy-fit, we’ll let little Violet steal all their souls.”
Tierra blinked wet lashes and sniffed. “That’s not all. Violet burped. Aerin freaked out and tossed her.”
“I didn’t toss her,” Aerin interjected. “I gave her back to you. In a hurry. She burped, and I thought she was going to puke all over me.”
Tierra sent her a look of disagreement. “That doesn’t mean you can just throw her.”
Aerin glanced from Violet to Tierra. “I’m sorry. I…I panicked.”
Things were rapidly declining between her sisters, and Claire felt the need to intervene fast. “Long story, short. Aerin caught Tierra by surprise when she handed over Violet, but instead of falling to the floor, Violet sprouted adorable, little white wings and flew, which sent the witches into a panic, and they all rushed out of here. The end.”
Moira raised her brows high enough to wrinkle her forehead and gazed down at Violet. “You flew in front of them?”
Violet giggled.
Aerin lifted a forefinger. “You’re forgetting about Gwen’s threats at the end.”
“Her threats?” Tierra cried.
Claire shot Aerin a look that said she wasn’t helping matters. “No one cares what Gwen thinks.”
“Some do,” Tierra argued. She exhaled a shaky breath. “There’s worse than that, too.”
Her statement surprised Claire and apparently Aerin as well.
Tierra looked toward Aerin. “Your gift. I don’t know if you meant it as a joke or what. But if so, it wasn’t funny.”
Moira frowned. “What in the Sam hill are you talkin’ about?”
Tierra reached for the small box from Moira and Aerin. “You gave Violet a piece of brimstone.”
Aerin strode forward and thrust out her hand. “What the shit?”
Tierra dropped the small box into her hand and then shooed Aerin away from her.
Aerin took several steps and then carefully opened the box. Her eyes widened in horror, and she quickly snapped the box shut. “I promise you that is not what we got Violet.”
Moira shook her head. “No, ma’am. It was one of them Tiffany rattles, only Aerin and I fixed it up with a teething spell.”
Claire glanced at her aunt and sisters. “Someone must have switched them out. But who?”
Killian strode into the room. “I’ve stayed away from the hen party and minded my own business as long as I could. My guess is Lucy brought the brimstone.”
Tierra hurried to Moira and pulled Violet into her arms. “What do you mean, Lucy? She wasn’t in the house.”
Killian folded massive arms across his chest. “That’s what I originally thought, too. I sensed her a couple of times and figured she was nearby somewhere. But she’s pretty much wasted into nothing, so I wasn’t too concerned.”
Tierra inhaled a sharp breath. “Not concerned? How could you not worry about our child?”
