Page 46 of Boss Witch

“I can’t stop sleeping with him!”

“The hunter him? Gavin Rhys.”

“Yeah,” she muttered.

“Fuck,” Danica said.

“That’s precisely the problem. It’s like I’m bewitched.”

“I guess that’s one way to distract him. Not the path I would’ve chosen, but maybe…”

Clem sighed. “I’ll figure it out. And for the record, you’re forgiven. We’re good.”

It was easy to say that, not so much to mean it deep in her heart, but she had to be the bigger person so they could get past this.Damn, I have a lot to process.On the plus side, however, at least she didn’t need to feel guilty about disregarding Gram’s bullshit about giving Barnabas a second chance. With the Lughnasadh approaching, she was waiting for that shoe to drop. So far, Barnabas had tested that she still had his number blocked—­four calls today and counting. He’d proceeded to sending emails; Allegra and D-­Pop would be arriving soon.

Won’t that be fun?

She’d worked nonstop while Danica had her mini breakdown and now, finally, she could take some time off. Danica offered to let Clem rest at least, and she took her cousin up on it. Clem’s brain hurt from fretting, and she was no closer to deciding a course of action than she had been. Priya and Kerry had been calling, asking why she wasn’t down to hang out. Same with Vanessa, Leanne, and Margie. The only person who had the full picture was Ethel, but the older witch wouldn’t say a word until Clem was ready to do it herself.

Hell if I know when that will be, though.

With a tired sigh, she called Priya, knowing she was the least likely to ask difficult questions. The other witch picked up on the second ring.

“I’ve been so worried about you! The stories the squirrels tell me are most alarming.” Priya probably wasn’t joking either.

“Nosy bastards,” she muttered.

“Your lights are on at all hours, it’s to be expected. Now what’s up?”

“I need to reapply the sigils that keep my power on the down low,” she said.

She had been using a combination of Ethel’s tinctures combined with life magic runes, and goddess knew what would happen if she relaxed her precautions even for an instant.Calamity. Mayhem. Calm down, you’re coping. It’s fine.

“That, I can assist with. Do you want to come over?”

“If you can, it’d be better if you came over here. Danica wants to have a party to mingle the coven with Titus’s pals, and if Gavin finds out, he’ll think it’s weird if I don’t invite him.”

Priya was silent for a long moment. “That…is a big risk.”

“I’m aware. I have to completely dismantle the wards for the night and cleanse the premises.” Exhaustion swept over her just thinking about it.

“We’llallneed some of Ethel’s dampening charms so we don’t trigger his witch hunter senses,” Priya pointed out.

Clem sighed. “I know it’s complicated. Ethel told me she and Gladys are already carrying them, and that they socialize with him at the coffee klatch. So far, so good.”

“You’re asking us to assemble as a coven,” Priya said in a cool tone. “And socialize with a hunter. Please think about what you’re suggesting for a second.”

Since Priya was normally quite easygoing, it highlighted the recklessness of her plan. “It’s the best way to throw him off the scent. If we pass this hurdle, I suspect he’ll decide the magical signature belonged to a witch traveling through.”

“And then he’ll leave town.” Priya fell quiet again, probably weighing the risks against the potential rewards. “Fine. I’ll help you, but it’s against my better judgment. This might be the most nerve-­racking party any of us have ever attended. For multiple reasons.”

“Thanks. What time can you make it?”

“I’m still at work. Be there in two hours. Have everything set up for me,” Priya said briskly.

“On it.”

Clem was about to take a nap when someone knocked on the front door. She was half expecting Hazel Jeffords with some complaint about Goliath, but instead, she found her mother, Allegra, and her stepdad, D-­Pop. Allegra was thin and graceful; she took after Gram in appearance more than Minerva, and she favored the same classic style: simple color combinations instead of patterns, natural fabrics, and elegant accessories. Today, she had on sand-­linen capri pants, polished coral toes, and sandals with a wedge heel, paired with a lemon-­yellow sleeveless blouse. And from how fresh Allegra looked, nobody would ever guess that she’d flown in from Florida that day. D-­Pop was a little grubbier in a wrinkled polo shirt and cargo shorts, sporting a beard that suggested he’d never heard a Jimmy Buffett song he didn’t adore.

---