Page 20 of Spies without a Face
I added, “You’re a poet, and you didn’t know it.”
She laughed. I pulled out the cork and poured her a glass of wine. Then I put it in my fridge to keep it cool. I’d already poured myself a glass of chianti while I set out snacks on the table on my deck. It was a beautiful summer night, so we had to make the most of it.
We moved outside with our drinks. I glanced over at Austin’s apartment, but his lights were out, and his car wasn’t parked. That was likely for the better. If he was home and stopped by to say hello, the elder witches with zero filter would likely embarrass him while trying to get a better look. Or they’d mortify me while asking questions about the hot shifter next door.
Aurelia and Rosa arrived together. Aurelia used a walker to navigate to one of my deck chairs. Rosa added a charcuterie platter and a bottle of prosecco to the table. Tanya arrived last, bringing a rich German chocolate cake and dessert wine. We poured drinks, filled plates, and gathered in around the chairs on my deck.
“Did anyone read the book?” I asked.
“I tried. Too dry. I gave up.” Rosa sipped her wine.
“I read the first fifty pages.” Maribel flashed a conspiratorial smile. “Then skimmed the cliff notes.”
I turned to Aurelia. “You?”
“Almost a third of the way. My expectations went from great to meh.” She raised her hands to the heavens. “Who picked this, anyway?”
“I did.” “Great Expectations” might have been too long and ambitious for our monthly book club. I almost didn’t finish it in time myself.
Tanya said, “I read it when I was younger and didn’t bother to read it again. I figured I’d remember some of it while we chatted tonight.”
Okay then, I was the only one who read the book. I tried to lead a conversation about it, but it was quickly squashed in favor of chatter, much of it gossip. The wine flowed and snacks were eaten.
Oh well, I’d tried. While I had them here, I wanted to ask about what concerned me. “Did any of you sense anything off when you came in?”
“What do you mean?” Tanya asked.
“Did the protective wards seem in place?”
“I believe so.” She mashed her lips together as she stared out toward my backyard. “I didn’t notice anything.”
“Let’s check,” Rosa declared.
We headed down the stairs of my back deck, which took some time navigating with walker aids. Once out back, the witches walked around my house, sensing the protective spells that they’d helped set up to ensure I’d be safe within my home. Maribel tipped her head back and closed her eyes. Aurelia raised both hands before her, palms open, spreading them around in a circle as if they were sensors. Tanya stared straight ahead, eyes appearing to be fixed on nothing, but I knew there was plenty going on inside.
Rosa walked through my backyard as if out for a stroll. She’d helped set up the barrier that would allow my cats to roam outdoors yet not pass the property line. It would protect them from predators, such as coyotes, and prevent them from running into the street. “The wards are up. Why do you ask?”
I gauged what I should reveal before I answered. “Lately, I’ve had the sense that I’m being watched. I wonder if I’m imagining it.”
They asked follow-up questions to which I couldn’t provide many details. “I haven’t seen anything. It’s this prickling unease.” With a nervous laugh, I added, “Maybe I’m being paranoid.”
“Don’t discount your feelings, Pandora,” Tanya advised.
I thought about telling them about Marius, but that would lead to a cauldron-full of questions and a discussion of my love life. What I needed was to know if there was anything back here, not to have my past probed for juicy gossip.
Then there was also Austin next door. No, it was best to focus on the issue and let them see if they found anything.
“We’ll do a pass,” Aurelia said.
They walked or glanced out along my property. I felt their magical energy project as they searched.
“I don’t sense anything,” Aurelia said.
“Me either,” Tanya added.
“Nothing,” Rosa said.
“Do you feel it now?” Maribel asked.
