Page 67 of Boss Witch

If Mina was a witch who had been keeping an eye on him, she must know what Clem knew by now. That would explain why she was uneasy around him, yet she’d still offered to cook for him.Grandad was right; I can’t trust the order.

Once Mina left, Gavin ate dutifully: the eggs, a plain croissant, and a cup of tea. He was stacking the dishes in the sink to deal with later, reflecting on how to tackle this dilemma, when another knock sounded.Did she bring me cookies this time?

He ambled over, smiling slightly. “What did you…?” When he got a look at who was standing on the other side, he stopped, his mouth open.

Enforcers, one of whom reported directly to Gavin’s old man. Ted was a snaky bastard with a coldness that made even Gavin nervous. The others, he’d seen some of them, not all, and he didn’t know their names.

The fact that they were here could mean nothing good.

Even though Gavin didn’t invite them into the flat, Ted still sauntered in, slamming into him with a shoulder as he shoved past.

“Stand down, hunter. We’re here to take over.” He made a shooing gesture and sprawled on Gavin’s fucking sofa like he owned the place. “Seems you’ve lost Jase’s trust.”

One of the minions laughed. “Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”

Ted propped his asshole feet on the furniture. “Move along now, wee Rhys. You’ve served your purpose.”

Chapter 21

“If it comes to war, we’ll fight, but let’s use nonviolent means first,” Ethel said.

“Try to minimize the danger,” Margie suggested.

It was the middle of the night, and they werestilldiscussing the best way to handle the current emergency. Allegra had fallen asleep on the couch after being convinced to message D-­Pop that she’d be back late and not to wait up. Numerous ideas got suggested and discarded, until Leanne said, “Have we covered our tracks at the festival site?”

“Shit. No,” Danica breathed. “They could find more of us.”

Kerry wore a determined look. “We have to get back out there. Tonight.”

“It’s a risk,” Vanessa said.

“I’ll do it,” Clem volunteered at once.

Danica shook her head. “Not by yourself. A small group will be able to handle it better and faster. Since I created this situation, I’m definitely going.”

“You’ll do better with a couple vivimancers for balance,” Kerry said, glancing at Priya. “Are you up for some midnight magic?” Somehow she made it sound flirtatious.

Priya smiled. “You know I am.”

Ethel ate the last of her cookie. “It’s settled, then. Our first step is to cleanse the site where we held the Lughnasadh. If the hunter goes back there, we don’t want him finding any echoes that would allow him to identify the rest of us. Clem should be safe at least for a little while because she’s formed an emotional bond with him. It’s not easy to hurt people you care about.”

Clem stood up, relieved to have a plan now that the situation had escalated. “On it. I’ll drive. Margie, would you mind giving my mom a ride? It’s outside town.”

Margie shook her head. “Not at all.”

Clem woke Mom gently, making sure not to startle her. The night had been traumatic enough already, though thankfully she’d focused more on Gram and Barnabas than on the conversation Clem had with Gavin. As Allegra sat up, rubbing her eyes blearily, Margie asked, “Where are we headed?”

Clem hugged her mother quickly, and Mom gave the address as everyone got ready to go. Ethel pressed a bag of supplies into Kerry’s hands while Clem waved to acknowledge the chorus of “good lucks” from Leanne, Ethel, and Vanessa, who were the only ones not exiting en masse. Vanessa lived up the street, and Leanne appeared to be calling the surfer dude to find out if there was any chance of resuming their coitus interruptus.

With Danica leading the way, Clem headed out. When they got to the car, Priya and Kerry were in the back seat, while Danica chose shotgun. Clem swung into the driver’s seat and headed toward the ritual site without saying a word. She’d spoken to many of them earlier, and they’d debated over so many plans.

“What music is good for narrowly avoiding calamity?” Danica asked, likely to break the tense silence.

Kerry held Priya’s hand in the back; Clem could see the comforting gesture in the rearview mirror. Priya got her phone out and scrolled through her playlist, then Kerry seemed to take up the challenge as well. They all had connections to the car audio, but Kerry got there first. The speakers blared “Everything Ends” by Slipknot, and Clem burst out laughing.

“Maybe not quite that dark?” she suggested.

Priya punted that choice and substituted “Who Wants to Live Forever,” which started Danica singing along while a pop of magic produced brightness in her hands that she waved like a lighter. In the back, Kerry joined in, and Priya offered a triumphant gesture that proclaimed her musical supremacy. From there, Danica played “Good Things Fall Apart,” a proper sad boi anthem if ever there was one. A few songs later, and they arrived at the concealed and ensorcelled parking area that kept anyone from noticing so many cars in an empty field. Clem’s vehicle slipped through the spell barrier without trouble, and the four of them got out of the car, trekking on foot to the festival site.

---