Page 19 of Spies without a Face
My bear pushed forward, jubilant to be near Pandora again, eager to get even closer.
Calm down,I warned. The last thing I needed was for him to urge me to trip over my own feet like a big, clumsy oaf in an attempt to approach her.
“Pandora.” I tipped my head forward, striving to keep from appearing overexcited to be invited here.
“Come with me.” She started down the hall.
We passed by rooms with vials and jars on tables and then one with a long conference table. On the outside, it looked like an old New England house. Inside, it was more of a mix of magical wonderland crossed with modern office space.
I followed her into a room with more small vials and jars as well as books on spells and potions strewn across a long wooden table. The scent of sage and lavender was strong, and my gaze traveled to locate them nearby on a small round table with other crushed herbs along with a mortar and pestle.
She motioned for me to sit and then walked around to the other side of her desk with a laptop and large monitor on it. Those were the modern elements in a room that appeared more suited for one of the magical stores that were prominent throughout Salem.
I glanced around the room. “So, this is where you work?” What a striking conversation starter. I suppressed a groan. Why not point out more of the obvious, like the weather?
“It is.” She pushed her black hair behind her ears. “The reason I asked you to stop by here was I thought I’d introduce you to one of our staff. Lucas,” she called out into the hallway. “Can you come into my office, please?”
A few seconds later, a tall guy with shaggy blonde hair slid into the office like he was auditioning for Tom Cruise’s role inRisky Business. “Yes, boss.”
“This is Austin, my new neighbor I told you about.”
Pandora turned to me. “Lucas works with me here at the Network. He moved to Salem a few years ago.”
His scent wasn’t human, not entirely, but I couldn’t identify it. It wasn’t one I’d encountered before.
“How are you doing, man? It looks like I’ve been promoted to drive the unofficial welcome wagon,” Lucas said with a grin, which flashed wider when I glanced at Pandora.
It looked like they shared some sort of private joke, or at least he appeared amused by it. Pandora, on the other hand, turned a shade of light pink. It was incredibly adorable—if not downright alluring. What was it about her that affected me so? Did it all have to do with this mate business?
Yes, my bear answered.
I ignored him and shook Lucas’s hand. “Great to meet you.”
“Since you’re new here, I’m happy to show you around. Are you free on Thursday?”
My gaze drifted to Pandora. If there was anyone I wanted to show me around, it was her.
But what could I say? If she volunteered this guy, she wasn’t interested. Besides, she was probably busy here at work. “Yes. That would be great. Appreciate it.”
I’d have to figure out another way to spend time with her.
CHAPTER9
PANDORA
On the new moon, it was my turn to host book coven, a gathering with elder witches. I’d met this group of women when I moved to Salem and sought mentors. Tanya had been my mentor when I’d started at the Network. When she was ready to retire, she helped prepare me to take over the reins.
She’d introduced me to the other witches who used to meet up every Thursday as part of a coven. Now that they were in their seventies and eighties, they cut it down to once a month and called it book coven. It was more of an excuse to get together and drink wine than to talk about books or practice magic. I still went most months. Not only did I like these women, but I still considered them mentors.
Besides wine, the witches loved to eat. I made sure I had plenty of snacks with mini brie puff pastry bites, artichoke dip, and the standard chips and dips. Since the women brought wine and dishes themselves, we’d have plenty to indulge.
With my unsettling sensations—or paranoia—as of late, I had to make sure my property was safe. I walked through the backyard to ensure the protective measures were in place and even took to my broom to scan from the skies. That wasn’t something I did here often. Seeing a witch fly on a broom might be too much even for Salem. But I took proper measures by performing a spell that would camouflage me to match the night sky before I mounted my broom. When I kicked off the ground, I soared over my backyard. I must have startled some nearby birds as I heard the movement of rustling leaves before they flew away.
The night was dark and peaceful with few stars twinkling in an otherwise velvet black sky. A gentle breeze ruffled my hair. I flew in a circular area of the area, over both Austin’s house and mine, ensuring there was nothing down below that would pose a threat. Nothing.
I descended back to my yard and parked my broom inside near the cauldron in my kitchen. Then I resumed preparing for the witches’ arrival.
Maribel arrived first. She was a witch in her seventies with white hair that hung halfway down her back. She’d dyed the ends of it pink, refusing to have an “old lady hairstyle.” She sauntered into my kitchen, a vivacious pep in her step for her age and raised a bottle of wine. “Rosé all day I say.”
