Page 1 of Boss Witch

Chapter 1

Clementine Waterhouse had been fixing problems for as long as she could remember.

As a kid, when she heard her mother, Allegra, sobbing, she’d be the one to magic up a cup of tea after the latest knock-down-and-drag-out fight that ended with furniture broken and her bio dad, Barnabas Balfour, abandoning them.Again.Somehow, that pattern continued with her cousin. Clem was the one who ended up sweeping up the wreckage and trying to piece together whatever was broken.

For the past month, she’d had an ominous feeling about Danica’s growing attachment to Titus Winnaker, the mundane baker who was stirring up family drama during a time already way too fraught with it.

A quiet throb started in her right temple as Clem waited for Danica to come home and carpool to their coven meeting. Her cousin dashed in, out of breath, radiating anxiety. Clem didn’t push for details, knowing that whatever was wrong, her cousin would explain at the meeting. So Clem headed to the car and drove over to Kerry and Priya’s place, two coven sisters who were among Clem’s closest friends. They were also a committed couple who’d just moved in together. Kerry Quarles was an angular woman with blond hair and sharp features while Priya Banik was softly rounded, her bronze skin a glowing complement to her river of silken black hair.

Clem and Danica greeted their hosts with hugs and a bag of yogurt-­covered pretzels. Then Danica beelined into the house. With growing concern, Clem watched her cousin pace the cozy living room, chewing her thumbnail as she went. It had been a while since she’d seen Danica this agitated, and Clem swapped a look with Priya while Kerry set out drinks and snacks. In silent reply, Priya lifted a shoulder.

Looks like she doesn’t know what’s up either.

Kerry and Priya lived in a two-­bedroom town house with a good-­sized living room decorated in a pale palette with splashes of color and set adjacent to an open kitchen. The furniture was comfortable, and Clem took a seat to wait for the rest of the coven. Margie Bower tended to arrive first. She was a quiet woman in her forties with brown hair and circles under her eyes. Vanessa Jackson got there next; she wore her hair in beautiful braids, and today, she was glowing in a yellow sundress that was the perfect foil for her dark skin. Since they lived on the same street, Ethel Murray came in with her, a plump woman in her sixties with silver hair cut in a pixie style. Leanne Vanderpol rolled in last, a redhead in her late thirties with warm olive skin who favored pencil skirts to show off her curves and who always had on a pair of heels.

Ethel took one look at Danica and grinned. “You got laid. And it waspowerful.”

At the old witch’s words, Leanne took a closer look. “Damn. So she did.”

“It’s been ages for me,” Margie said with a sigh. “I demand vicarious satisfaction.”

For fuck’s sake, she was navigating family interference like it was an active land mine, while her cousin was off boning. Clem’s eye twitched as Danica made a shooing motion.

Then Danica said, “I’ll take questions about my sex life later. Something big might be looming. Titus told me a big, scary guy barged into the bakery and started yelling about witches. He made threats and flipped the cash register and spiked his coffee on the floor when they asked him to leave.”

Fear swirled inside Clem, exacerbating her headache. Though witch hunters weren’t usually so overt in their actions, she couldn’t assume it was a mundane with mental issues. The safety of their coven depended on staying hidden.

Kerry cursed quietly, addressing Danica. “You’ve made two service calls there recently. If this guy’s a hunter, he could have followed your energy trail.”

Danica let out an unsteady breath. “Exactly what I’m thinking. I haven’t bothered using a dispersal ritual in ages. I got comfortable. And careless.”

Of course she did. She’s obsessed with the baker and his buns.

“The hunter hasn’t got us yet,” Ethel said with a pragmatic air. “My mother told me about one who came sniffing around in the thirties. They didn’t find us then either. Try to calm down.”

Breathe, Clem told herself.Stuff like this happens. It’ll be okay. I’ll find a way to keep them safe.

Seeing how upset her cousin was, Clem moved to comfort Danica, but Priya got there first. She rubbed Danica’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. I suspect that none of us have been as careful with our magic as we could’ve been.”

Vanessa nodded. “It could have been any one of us that pinged on his radar.”

With a sigh, Danica shook her head. “But I’m the one who’s spiking like crazy. My output is off the charts lately.”

“At least you admit there’s a problem.” Clem tried to sound neutral, but she was angry and scared in equal measure.

How the hell do I put this cat back in the bag?

If anything happened to her coven sisters, she wouldn’t be able to live. Clem loved all of them so much, even if she wasn’t the most demonstrative, and the idea of anyone hurting them exacerbated her headache. Visceral fright lodged in her brain like a rusty railroad spike. To make matters worse, her cousin didn’t even acknowledge her words.

Danica turned to Ethel. “You said there was a hunter here in the thirties. Did your mother tell you how they got rid of him?”

“First, we protect this place so he can’t sense our workings,” the old woman said. “And then we do a joint casting to confirm if he’s the real deal.”

“Divination is your forte,” Vanessa said.

Ethel nodded. “That’s why I’ll be taking the lead. Priya, can you lock the apartment? You’ve lived here for years, and your imprint is stronger than Kerry’s.”

“Understood. I’m on it.” Priya bolstered her wards in each room, creating a secure site that shouldn’t leak any sign of their workings.

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