Page 68 of Extra Witchy

“Let’s get back to your problem. The council might turn your man into a squirrel!”

That was a joke, but not a funny one. “Thanks for the reminder. I wasn’t nearly stressed enough.” She sighed and sat across from Vanessa. “For now, they have no proof, just a suspicion. I’ve done everything but tell Trev to deny everything and stay cool, but—”

“That’s not a solution. The only reason the council hasn’t already stepped in is because technically no rules were broken. Nobody informed him of anything. So they’ll probably debate the issue internally before reaching a formal decision.”

In such cases, generally the council ruled to protect witches. That was why the council existed, after all, but it occurred to Leanne that using magic against mundanes—even if it was to protect witches—was no different than the hunters severing a witch’s connection to magic and making them forget that part of their life entirely. Actually, she thought it could be argued that it wasworsesince mundanes had largely stopped believing in magic altogether.

Witches going underground made sense before, during all the purges. If they hadn’t hidden, they would’ve been annihilated by a fearful, superstitious populace. But it had been hundreds of years, and maybe it was time they rejoined the world officially. From certain comments Ethel had made, Leanne suspected they weren’t the only supernatural community currently lurking in the shadows either.

I’ve been tapped to join the council. I just need to shield Trev until my term starts, then I can change things from within.

Finally, she said, “For now, I need protective charms. Nothing that will hurt another witch but strong enough to keep them away from Trev.”

Vanessa raised both her perfectly shaped brows. “You’re all in with this one? I thought he wasconvenient.” She stretched the word out, smirking like she received dividends for messing with people.

I made her feel like I was leaving her behind. This is the least I deserve.

“I don’t know, but what Iamsure of is that he doesn’t deserve to live out the remainder of his days as a chipmunk. He fell into this mess trying to help me, and frankly, he’s been a godsend. He keeps Junie in check, handles my socials, plus he cooks and cleans.”

“And fucks like a champion?” Vanessa guessed.

Leanne groaned. “I’m pretty sure I never said that.”

“You used the words ‘surprisingly awesome,’ and I speak fluent Leanne.”

“Whatever. Do you think the rest of the coven will help me with the protective charms? They’ll be stronger if we work together.”

“Damn, you’re really worried about this little fixer-upper.”

“Don’t call him that,” Leanne snapped.

Vanessa held up a hand, smiling so wide that it showed off her white teeth and her dimples. “You’re in so deep that you can’t even see the shore. Of course we’ll help you. Even if we don’t understand your choices, we’ve got your back.”

“Areyoufeeling better?” Leanne asked.

“Much. People act like it doesn’t happen, but friends tend to drift when one of them couples up. I don’t want that to happen to us.”

“It won’t,” Leanne said fiercely.

I wish I could tell her about being picked as a council member.But if Leanne broke the rules or made waves, saving Trev would become impossible.I can’t helpanyoneif I get turned into a hedgehog.With a faint sigh, she got the glasses and set out the wine. Just in time, because the rest of the witches turned up soon after—only a minute or two separating their arrivals. It stood to reason since driving from one side of St. Claire to the other took fifteen or twenty minutes, depending on the route chosen and traffic.

Leanne greeted everyone, offering hugs to Priya and Danica. Margie, Ethel, Clem, and Kerry abstained. She could see them assessing her condo, trying to spot any changes due to Trev’s influence. But he’d confined his traces to the guest room, which…was a little worrying, now that she considered it, like he didn’t think his tastes and preferences belonged front and center in their lives together.

“I gather this isn’t the usual meetup,” Ethel said briskly. “There are some quality shields already in place. Worried about eavesdroppers, are you?”

Priya came over and took Leanne’s hand. “Is it serious?”

Kerry sighed. “I thought we might get some peace after the witch hunter left town, but it seems like we go from one crisis to another these days.”

Eyes narrowed, Clem scowled at Kerry. “He has a name, you know.”

“Let’s not fight,” Margie said.

Danica agreed and added, “Why don’t we hear what Leanne has to say first? Congratulations again on the city council win, by the way. I’m so excited for you.”

That was the kind of thing many peoplesaid, but Danica was one of the few who actually meant it. Leanne spared a smile for one of the sweetest witches she knew and glanced at Vanessa, who knew her well enough to understand she was asking for a breather. She’d already told the story once, so her bestie took over from there, laying things out more succinctly than Leanne could’ve managed since her emotions were all over the place. Right now, it took all her composure not to fall on the floor and just start crying.

I can’t handle it if anything bad happens to him because of me. I just can’t.

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