Page 9 of Witch's Spark

“Then what’s changed? Did you use the potion?” This time, it was curiosity that lit up the redhead’s face. Faye found she liked that emotion even more.

“How do you know about that?” She frowned. She hadn’t even told Reese about her sister’s idea, never mind someone she’d only just met.

“Someone called Mia text, I didn’t mean to read, but Reese was sending through the address, and I needed it, and...”

“It’s fine, I’d have told him anyway. I just got distracted by the sudden need for catering.” Faye laughed lightly.

“Sorry,” Reese muttered. “But wait, what potion?”

“Mia made us a potion, she hoped it’d help with the no touching thing.”

“Of course she did.” He leaned back, smiling affectionately. Faye loved how close he was to her sisters. He always had been. As their next door neighbour growing up, and the four of them being fairly close in age, it’d made sense for him to know them well.

“But what changed?” Penny prompted, again.

“I have a theory,” Faye said, thinking hard.

“Me too, but is there a way to test it?” Reese asked.

“You could kiss her too?” Faye teased, enjoying the slight shock on Penny’s face. “Or I could call Ettie?”

“Ettie might be the easier option. She might slap me if we’re wrong.”

Faye laughed lightly. “I don’t think we’re wrong. My necklace opened earlier,” she told him, then watched as delight, swiftly followed by confusion, washed over his face. It was kind of adorable how conflicted he was about it. Like he did and didn’t want her to be his only mate.

“Try Ettie.”

Faye nodded, picturing her familiar in her head. “Ettie,” she whispered. She wasn’t in the least bit surprised when a raven made up of bright white sparks appeared in front of them all, swooping about and trying to steal things from the dinner table. Silly bird. There was nothing there that could satisfy a bird made of magic there. Ettie couldn’t even work.

“Impressive, but I’m not sure what I’m looking at,” Penny said, her eyes not leaving Ettie as she flew about the room.

“How much do you know about witches and their familiars?” Faye asked.

“That they have them?”

Both Faye and Reese laughed.

“They are a little secretive. I’ve been mated to a witch for nearly twenty years, and even I still don’t know much about them.”

“Oi, you know as much as I do!” Faye protested indignantly.

“Which is...” Penny finally retook her seat, making Faye’s heart soar. Good, they weren’t going to lose her then.

“Familiars, like Ettie, appear to a witch when they turn eighteen. They’re part of our magic, but seem to have a life of their own. But they never appear to anyone other than the witch they belong to. If they can belong. I’m sure Ettie would have a thing or two to say about belonging to anyone.” Faye chuckled to herself.

“I hate to point this out, but I can see her as well as you can,” Penny said.

“You can yes. There’s only one other person a witch’s familiar will appear to.” Faye looked between Reese and Penny. “Well, in this case, two.”

“And they are...”

“Mates,” Faye said simply, watching the other woman’s reaction closely.

Chapter Seven

He watched as the redhead’s face witched from confused, to conflicted, to almost happy. But not quite. Though Reese suspected it was mostly the confusion that was making her react like that.

“What?” she blurted out. Reese exchanged a look with Faye, whose eyes had taken on a slightly nervous edge. He didn’t really blame her, he was pretty much feeling exactly the same. Part of him was longing to go over to Penny and kiss her too, but then, he wasn’t sure if that would be weird considering he’d just kissed Faye for the first time. He suspected that was the same kind of thing Faye was thinking. One of them needed to break the building tension, or something would explode and not in a good way.

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