Page 124 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

She laughs, the sound like tinkling bells. “Why would you assume that?”

I hike a thumb over my shoulder at the cave entrance. “With the zombie spiders and all.”

She nods. “Ah, a little protection spell of mine, although nobody has ever manifested that fear. You know zombies aren’t real?”

The tiny bone squirms in my pocket. “So everyone keeps telling me.”

“It was an illusion. You weren’t in danger, and you figured the solution out. Not all fears can be slain, some you must contain.”

I harrumph and snap my fingers in front of Zee’s face, who blinks and gives her his ‘I’m going to eat you alive, but in a good way’ grin. I roll my eyes before sidestepping the table and parking my ass next to her. I swivel to the men standing frozen. I glance at her and swing my thumb over my shoulder. “Is that your doing?”

A tiny smirk tilts her lips as she glances between Zee, Aaden, Jed, Uncle Charlie and Duncan. She points at Jed. “He’s pretending, so I don’t figure out who he is.” Jed shrugs and drops on the cushion next to me. She tilts her head at Duncan. “He’s being polite, but I don’t have enough power to affect him.” Duncan bows a little before taking position opposite her on another cushion. She stares at Zee beneath her eyelashes. “The only ones who should be under my thrall are him,” she beckons Zee with a crooked finger. Zee shuffles forward with a wide, goofy grin. He plonks himself opposite me, on the witch’s right. Aaden follows with an equal look of idiocy. She glances back at a slack faced Uncle Charlie. “And him.” She repeats the process until all the men surround her. I wave my hand in front of Uncle Charlie’s face, he doesn’t even flinch. I try Zee, he blinks, his grin drops as he focuses on me. He looks back towards the opening, and at the floor.

“How did I get here?” He stares at the witch. “And where did you come from?”

She narrows her eyes on him, before turning to me. “I thought you were with Archan?”

I frown, why is my love life the talk of the supernatural world all of a sudden? This is why I’ve avoided dating for so long. The supernaturals gossip more than grannies at a tea party. “I am.”

She pushes her red curls over her shoulder and darts her gaze between me and a frowning Zee. She waves her hand between us. “So have you two ever…?”

“No!” Why do people assume this?

Zee grins. “Only in her dreams.”

“Nightmares,” I mutter.

Marsha harrumphs. “Only lovers, or people who are entwined, can break my compulsion.”

“Something else you’ve broken,” I grouse to Zee.

“They’re bonded,” Duncan supplies.

Marsha’s eyebrows creep up. “Like the gods once bonded mortals?”

Duncan nods. “She saved his life by giving him her blood.”

She glances between Zee and I. “But you are sexually involved with Archan?”

“Yes,” I say. Jed chuckles and nudges my side. I side eye him. “Is it you who keeps spreading around the info on my love life? Did you put an announcement in the ‘gods Bleeding Hearts’ weekly?”

He shakes his head. “No, Natia. You might not be aware, but during your,” he makes a lewd hand gesture. Oh God, he’s going to discuss my orgasm, I smack a hand against my forehead. It was embarrassing enough discussing with a strange demon, friends, I won’t survive it. I grasp his hands. “I got it.”

“Got what?” Zee asks.

“The magical world felt it when they exploded,” Jed explains, pushing his hands together, up and apart like an erupting volcano.

Zee screws his face up in confusion. Why me? Marsha chuckles. “Pandora and Archan released quite the power wave when they broke her shields and shecameinto her power.”

Zee’s face blanks. There we go. “Is that likely to happen every time?” he asks. Wow, how embarrassing would that be? Although given my rampant sex life all of a sudden, I would say not.

Marsha shakes her head. “No, Pandora is linked to her power and humanity the way they made her to be now. Whilst it makes her powerful, it also paints a huge target on her back.”

I nod in agreement. “I’m aware.”

“And now to the reason you are here.”

Duncan shuffles forward and crosses his legs, striking a yoga pose. “Marsha, we have come seeking a spell to put the last evil back inside the Jar.”

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