Page 61 of Charmed

Kaida shuddered. "Clowns are creepy."

"Mimes, too." Ceara canted her head. "Although, mimes are just clowns who can't talk, aren't they?"

"I don't know if they can't talk so much as they choose not to."

"Regardless, still creepy."

"Agreed. Right up there with spiders, if you ask me."

"Know what else is creepy? Dolls."

"Enough!" Fiona pressed her palms to her eyes, seething. "You might be willing to plunge head-first into the happily-ever-after nonsense, but I'm not."

"Love isn't nonsense," Kaida snapped. "Where would we be without it?"

"Here, actually. Right here, in this very moment." Fiona lowered her hands and paced anew, itchy and mad. "Three centuries with nothing but misery. If we don't do our duty, that's it. There won't be a forever, a lasting love. Why would I take that chance? Furthermore, why would you?"

Kaida slowly shook her head as if she felt sorry for Fiona instead of the other way around. "What do you propose? Shut down our hearts, never try in the first place? You may be able to control your feelings, but the rest of us aren't that talented. A little secret for you. People don't get a say in who, when, where, or how they fall in love. And there is no guarantee. Curse or no curse, that's a fact."

Her sister was right, but Fiona would rather not know what it was like, not have someone she cared about that deeply in her life. Wasn't it worse to open herself up, only to have that person ripped away by the cruel hands of Fate? Because that's exactly what history proved would happen.

"Better off alone," she mumbled, stumbling to a stop. Numbly, she stared at her feet, questioning the statement.

Alone. She couldn't recall a time when she hadn't felt that way. She loved her sisters, her aunt, more than anything. They'd always been there for support. Yet, because of the curse lurking in the background, she'd built defenses, had always been apart. Then destiny had unfolded, announced its arrival, and for months she'd belonged to something greater than herself.

Not just family, but friendship.

Riley was both and neither. He didn't fit into a category or a premade box. He was the kid she'd passed in the halls at school, an obscure member of their rival bloodline, and the guy who'd reluctantly agreed to accept his role when he'd been asked. Since then, he'd shown his true colors. He'd become someone she admired. A man who stood beside her, challenged her, and protected her at every turn.

The frightening fact remained... Had she truly been alone once they'd been paired?

Ceara drew a slow breath, her weary gaze on Fiona. "What scares you more, sister? That we'll fail in our tasks, or that we'll succeed and you'll have to face what's in your heart?"

Fiona opened her mouth, but a knock sounded, cutting off any reply she might've made.

"Ladies?" Brady ducked his head around the door. "I hate to break up your pillow fight, but Tristan's wearing the finish off the floorboards waiting to discuss what happened last night."

Kaida wrinkled her nose. "We're having a meeting about Fiona and Riley getting it on? Isn't that kind of—"

"Ugh." Fiona sighed. "No. Riley and I were attacked coming out of the shop yesterday. That's what we're discussing."

Kaida's jaw dropped. "Way to bury the lead, Fiona." She hopped off the bed and grabbed Fiona's wrist, dragging her from the room.

Chapter Seventeen

Riley strummed his fingers on the dining room table, his knee incessantly bouncing while Fiona finished telling the others what had gone down in the alley the night before. Hearing her relay the story, even with her dramatic, sarcastic flair, had him reliving the nightmare all over again. He'd never been so damn terrified in all his days. For a moment or five, he'd thought that was it. His uncle was going to kill Fi, and it had ripped the beat right out of his heart.

"Wait." Brady held up his hand. "He tried to get you to switch teams?"

Yeah, and then there had been that weird factor to the encounter. As if Fiona would ever help the Minister or his warped quest.

"Yep. Pretty much pulled a Facebook meme and said, Come to the dark side. We have cookies." She crossed her arms. "Except he didn't offer cookies. Not even oatmeal raisin. Which, by the way, aren't really cookies. They're glorified granola bars."

Brady chuckled. "Cookie debate aside, what in the world was he after? He brought a Venetores to the meeting, blocked your exit, and had the witching blade on him. It doesn't sound like he was trying very hard to lure you."

"I'm not so sure that was his goal." Fiona chewed her lip. "I think he was either testing me or attempting to mess with my head."

"Epic success, wrong participant," Riley muttered. "He freaked me out. You? Hardly batted an eyelash."

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