Page 6 of A Match Made in Coven (Paranormal Romance #2)

Chapter Six

Spread Your Wings and Lie

SARAH MICHELLE

At the police station, Sarah was about to call it a night, but in her haste to leave the courtroom after Black’s little stunt, she’d left her case files behind.

With a sigh, she shuffled down the corridor, her steps heavy, resigned to trudge back to the courthouse. What a night. Hex, she wasn’t even sure if she should call it morning. She rubbed her eyes, the exhaustion settling deep in her bones.

As she approached the wooden doors of the courtroom, she found them still ajar and froze on the threshold.

Inside, Lorcan Black sat slumped in a chair, his broad shoulders curved inward, his head bowed. Gone was the confident, arrogant demeanor he’d displayed during the hearing. In its place was a man weighed down by sorrow, looking utterly… vulnerable.

A pang of sympathy shot through her, mingling with curiosity.

What was he still doing here? Hadn’t he been so eager to leave?

After all the work that pompous otter lawyer of his had put into freeing him, why wasn’t he home being tucked in by a valet and having his pillow fluffed by a personal pillow-fluffer?

He’d won, so why did he look so… defeated ?

She shouldn’t pry. It wasn’t any of her business. And yet…

On impulse, she reached for her magic. It surged through her like a cool breeze, shimmering around her in a pearly rainbow whirl. Her body shrank, wings unfurling from her back—iridescent, pastel, made of light—until she was no taller than a fly.

Flying as a fairy felt like slipping into a second skin, her senses sharpening, the world expanding and contracting at once. She zipped through the air, alighting on the back of a chair near Lorcan.

That’s when she noticed the tears glistening on his cheeks. Lorcan Black was crying? It hit her then. For the entire night, she’d treated him as a suspect, but now she only saw someone in mourning.

“I didn’t take you for the sneaking around kind, Detective Callidora.” He spoke without even lifting his head.

His voice was hoarse, weary, but it still made her heart jolt. Hex, he’d spotted—sensed?—her. Heat flooded her cheeks as she fluttered to the center of the courtroom, shifting back to her normal height in a shimmer of magic.

She landed gracefully, but inside, she was anything but composed.

“I—I forgot my case files,” she mumbled, averting her gaze.

Lorcan lifted his head, his blue-green eyes rimmed with red.

His focus drifted to her iridescent wings, a strange expression flickering across his face.

Under his scrutiny, Sarah Michelle felt exposed, as if he could see straight through her.

She flapped her wings once, and they disappeared in a burst of glittering dust, but the air felt heavier without their light.

With the wings gone, Lorcan’s gaze snapped back to hers, and that was even more unnerving. “Sorry.” The apology tumbled out. “I didn’t mean to—” She cut herself off. Didn’t mean to what? Spy on him? That was exactly what she’d done, even if it hadn’t been her original intention.

Lorcan’s gaze shifted to the case files on the persecution desk. He stood, his movements slow as if each step carried his grief. He picked up the files and walked toward her, holding them out. When she reached for them, his fingers brushed against hers, sending a jolt of electricity through her.

He didn’t release the folder. “You don’t need to call my lawyer if you have more questions for me.”

“You sure your otter minion won’t drag us back to court if I dare disrespect the mighty Black heir?”

A ghost of a smile touched Lorcan’s lips, but it died just as quickly as it had appeared. “I’ll deal with Osric.” As he kept his sizzling gaze locked on her. “You focus on finding the killer.”

Despite herself, Sarah Michelle nodded. A determination that mirrored her own shone in his eyes, a shared resolve to uncover the truth.

Lorcan released the files, his fingers brushing hers once more before he left the room.

Sarah Michelle watched him go, aware of his absence just as much as she’d been sensitive to his presence.

She had a premonition that tonight had changed her life forever, even if she still didn’t know how.

She felt as if she were teetering on the edge of a precipice, with a wind at her back threatening to push her over.

And she wasn’t sure even her wings could save her.

***

Sarah Michelle squinted against the morning sun filtering through the kitchen window as she entered the room, her head throbbing like a troll had whacked it with his club.

Andromeda, her roommate, was perched at the round table, working on her laptop as usual.

Andy’s official job title was independent IT consultant, both in the magical and human worlds.

Sarah suspected Andy’s definition of “consulting” occasionally involved bypassing a few security measures, but she preferred not to ask too many questions.

Their familiars were in the kitchen, too. Quill, the hedgehog, sat curled up next to the computer while Nox, Sarah Michelle’s ferret, scampered around Andromeda’s flannel-clad legs.

“Morning,” Sarah Michelle grumbled, shuffling to the coffee pot and pouring herself a generous cup.

“Hey.”

Sarah Michelle turned to the refrigerator and opened it, squinting against the harsh light.

What she wouldn’t give for a time-stretch pill right about now.

Just one extra hour of blissful, uninterrupted slumber.

Reaching for the carton of unicorn milk, she made a mental note to visit her magimedic for a refill.

“Long night?” Andromeda asked, eyes glued back to her screen. Her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders in tousled waves, prompting a twinge of envy in Sarah Michelle at how effortlessly put-together her roommate always looked, even in pajamas.

Sarah rubbed at her eyes, stifling a yawn. “Yeah. A new case is kicking my ass. I didn’t get in until dawn.”

She poured some milk into the coffee, put the carton back in the fridge, and slid into the chair next to Andromeda. Nox abandoned his mischief-making to scurry over, nuzzling Sarah Michelle’s hand in greeting. She scratched him behind the ears.

“Something gruesome?”

“Yep.” Sarah Michelle sipped her coffee, inhaling the rich aroma. The hit of caffeine soothed the pounding in her temples.

“Gargoyles, what happened?” Andromeda set her laptop aside, leaning forward.

“A murder, and guess what?”

“What?”

“I had a Black in custody. Lorcan Black.”

“Wait, as in the heir to the kingdom?”

“The very same.” Sarah Michelle massaged her temples as if that could erase the memory. “I was forced to let him go after his otter lawyer strong-armed the judge.”

Andromeda snorted. “Come on, Shelly. No judge would release a suspect without good reason.”

Sarah Michelle shot her roommate an irritated look, but couldn’t argue the point. “Not after the stunt he pulled,” she muttered begrudgingly.

Interest flickered in Andromeda’s whiskey-colored eyes. “Ooh, do tell. What did he do?”

Sarah Michelle contemplated jinxing a rash onto herself just to avoid this conversation—hex, by the way her skin was prickling, she may not even need to use magic. But her tech-savvy bestie was more tenacious than a bloodhound on a scent trail. Andy would pry it out of her, eventually.

With resignation, Sarah Michelle recounted the surreal scene that had played out in court. How Lorcan had commanded the room with this insanely powerful spell that shattered the protective enchantment on his truth-telling dagger and drew it right into his hand.

She swallowed against the unsettling memory. “I thought he was going to stab me. But he just placed the hilt in my palm.”

Sarah Michelle absent-mindedly traced the faded rune etched into her skin, a souvenir from her academy days. “Then this shimmering bubble shield encased us, blocking out the rest of the world. And within that impenetrable magic cocoon, Lorcan solemnly declared his innocence.”

Andromeda leaned back in her chair, tilting her head. “And that’s it?”

Sarah Michelle took another sip of coffee, but its warmth failed to touch the chill that had settled in her bones. “No. When the blade didn’t react, I called him out on it. Accused him of putting on a show.”

“And?”

“And…” Sarah Michelle hesitated, heat creeping up her neck as she recalled what had happened next. “He lied on purpose, saying his name was Binky Bananahammock. And…” She mumbled the last part into her mug. “That he found me wildly unattractive. He almost melted my hand.”

A feral grin split Andromeda’s face. “Hold up. So, he lied about finding you unattractive?”

Sarah Michelle’s cheeks burned as she avoided her roommate’s gaze. “It’s not important,” she muttered, taking a hasty swig of coffee. “The point is, the blade reacted, proving it could detect lies and that he hadn’t lied about not killing his partner.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. That’s the takeaway.” Andromeda leaned forward, x-raying Sarah. “Not the fact that Mr. Tall, Dark, and Magical just heavily implied he’s into you.”

“What? No. He’s not dark, for starters. And that’s not—he wasn’t—” Sarah Michelle sputtered.

Andromeda’s fingers flew across the keyboard of her laptop, her eyes alight with mischief. “Let’s fact check.”

Before Sarah Michelle could protest, images of Lorcan Black in vivid high-definition flooded the laptop screen.

But not the somber, grief-stricken man she’d encountered in the courtroom.

No, this Lorcan exuded charisma and confidence, his eyes sparkling with a roguish charm that made her breath catch.

In one photo, he wore a tailored tuxedo that hugged his broad shoulders and trim waist, a champagne flute dangling from his long fingers as he laughed at something off-camera. In another, he was mounted on a sleek broomstick, his blond hair tousled by the wind, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

Sarah Michelle swallowed hard, unable to tear her gaze away from the screen. Seeing Lorcan so carefree and magnetic was a punch to the gut.

Andromeda smirked, clearly enjoying Sarah Michelle’s discomfort. “Mr. Black is fair, I’ll give you that. Still very easy on the eyes.”

Sarah Michelle tore her gaze from the screen, her face on fire. “That doesn’t mean anything.” She gestured at the photos. “So what if he looks…” She trailed off, not wanting to say the words “drop-dead gorgeous” out loud.

“So, we’re sticking to the version that we don’t care if Tall, Blond , and Magical is into you? Not even when he looks like he stepped straight out of Wizards Weekly’s Most Eligible Bachelor issue?” Andromeda supplied helpfully.

Sarah Michelle glared. “It doesn’t matter how pretty his face is. Or if he’s into me, which he’s not.” She set her coffee mug down with more force than necessary. “He’s a Black. He could be the most attractive wizard in the world, and he’d still be off-limits to me.”

“Oh, come on,” Andromeda protested. “Just because his great-great-grandfather supposedly killed your great-great-grandmother centuries ago?”

“No, not supposedly. Actually killed,” Sarah Michelle snapped. “I can’t ignore the longstanding feud between our families because he has a nice smile.”

Andromeda rolled her eyes. “Shelly, we don’t live in the Dark Ages. You can’t let some ancient grudge or coven loyalty dictate your love life. Or lack thereof.”

Sarah Michelle bristled, but Andromeda cut her off before she could talk. “Look, all I’m saying is, maybe Lorcan is more than his last name. Was he upset by his partner’s death?”

The image of him crying alone in the courtroom assaulted Sarah Michelle.

“Yes.”

“He doesn’t sound like the heartless monster your family has made the Blacks to be.”

Sarah Michelle chewed her lip, Andromeda’s words echoing in her mind. She hated to admit it, but her roommate had a point. Lorcan’s grief had been authentic, raw, and unfiltered. It was a far cry from the callous, unfeeling reputation that preceded the Black family.

“Even if you’re right, he’s still an interested party in a case I’m working on. So double off-limits.”

Andromeda threw up her hands in exasperation. “Fine, be that way. But don’t come crying to me when you end up a spinster witch with only Nox for company.”

Sarah Michelle lifted her gaze to the ceiling, but a smile tugged at her lips. “I’ll survive.” She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. “Right now, I need to focus on the case. Speaking of which, I should shower and get ready.”

“Ready for what? I thought you just got off a night shift.”

“I did. But I have to attend the victim’s funeral.”

“Will TBM be there?”

Sarah frowned at the unknown acronym.

Her roommate rolled her eyes at her thickness. “Tall, Blond, and Magical.”

“I’m going to a memorial, not a bachelor auction.”

“Umm. So he’ll definitely be there.”

Sarah Michelle threw her arms up in exasperation and left the room, but still caught Andromeda’s parting salvo. “Shave your legs and wear nice underwear, just in case…”