Page 73 of Shadows of the Soul

That stung. For me and for him. She wasn’t winning any grandparent of the year awards. She’s certainly not the cookies and ice cream type of grandma everyone else seemed to get.

“That’s between me and Cora,” Hudson growled. I eyeballed the laptop. Come on, dude, work faster so we can get back to the supernatural drama and out of my love life.

“I see,” my grandmother drawled. A little southern accent entered her tone, showing her true roots. My eyes snapped to hers. Oh boy, when the smooth southern belle came calling, you ran. Don’t walk. Don’t look back. Run, like your life depended on it.

“She’s beautiful, intelligent, witty, she could bear your children, they might not be cats - but they would be powerful.

Hudson stiffened behind me. “Are you upset on your granddaughter’s behalf, or because you lost your spy in my camp?”

“I was never a spy,” I muttered.

“Because I came to live on your lands, giving you no excuse to go to mine.”

My mouth fell open, and I twisted my head to look at him. And here was me thinking it was because he’d actually liked me. How utterly foolish I’d been. I’d fallen for his act, hook, line, and sinker.

“Don’t pretend you weren’t acting under the orders of your grandmother,” he said, frowning down at me.

“My grandmother was asking me for information, but none of my actions when it came to you were under the guise of anything but following my heart.”

His hand stroked my cheek. “Neither were mine. But your grandmother wants our union for different reasons, Cora. You know this.”

“As touching as this is, it doesn’t explain why you’ve jilted my granddaughter.”

My head snapped back to her. “The outside world will see your manipulations for their true colors. People will believe a powerful elemental has influenced him and not take him seriously.”

She arched her brow. “Is that so?”

I nodded and folded my arms. Just once, I wanted a non-complicated relationship with no strings, no influence, no games. I wanted normal. The white picket fence, a Labrador, and three kids normal.

“The reasons behind the pause in our relationship are many and private,” Hudson ground out.

He kept saying pause, like he had the power to freaking press play whenever his highness decided. It didn’t work like that. I guess he’d only learn I was serious when he tried pushing the button.

The laptop whirled to life, and the home screen appeared. Everyone stared.

“What is that?” Sebastian said with horror.

“Kittens,” I said with my chin in the air. “Lots and lots of kittens.”

“It’s disgustingly cute,” Rebecca stated.

“Childish,” my grandmother intoned.

I huffed and clicked on the file browser before opening the video file. The clip played. My aunt was in a restaurant, alone. A minute passed before a waiter appeared, waving a man to the chair opposite her. He sat, and the waiter wrote several things on his pad before hurrying away.

“Is there sound?” my grandmother asked.

Sebastian shook his head. “No.”

“Do you recognize him?” she asked, looking at each of us.

I leaned in closer. Come on, dude, look up. He tipped his head like he’d heard me and looked into the camera.

I gasped. “That’s the voodoo priest who blinded me. That’s him in the flesh.”

My grandmother removed her spectacles from her bag and looked down her nose at the laptop. “Wrong,” she sighed. “That’s Stephen Proctor. Number one most wanted elemental in the world and a satanic priest. He’s your worst nightmare.”

Chapter 26

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