Page 13 of Bewitched By the Djinn (The Bewitching Hour #8)

Chapter

Nine

We step into a park, under the shade of a sprawling oak tree, its thick roots bulging from the earth.

The trunk is wide and solid, its bark unbroken, like we didn’t just step out of it.

Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the grass in gold and green.

In the distance, children squeal with laughter, the rhythmic creak of swings blending with birdsong.

Bennet turns in a slow circle. “Where are we?”

“About a mile from where we were. Richard does this kind of thing.” I chuckle, shaking my head.

“When he was making us the hex bags, he insisted on staying at our place for a full week. He said he needed to ‘sit in the space,’ but really I think he just wanted to annoy us. He wouldn’t leave me alone.

Followed me everywhere, asking questions, and he kept stealing my hairbrush. ”

Bennet tilts his head. “He seems lonely.”

I snort. “That’s a nice way of saying obnoxious. He might consider not being an asshole if he wants friends who actually enjoy his company.”

Bennet’s brows knit. “He has a strange scent.”

I glance at him. “Yeah?”

“Like oranges,” he says slowly. “Dripping in sugar. Cloying and sweet, slightly off.” His nose wrinkles. “But there’s something else underneath the scent. Almost as if the scent is a mask, which is why it smells wrong.”

“A mask for what?”

His eyes dart to the side. “I’m not sure. He kind of smells like you, but not.”

Okay. That’s weird. “Maybe that’s left over from when he stayed with us? Although that was a month ago and I would hope he’s showered a few times since then but who knows. What do I smell like?”

His posture stiffens, his mouth opening slightly before snapping shut.

A grin tugs at my lips. “Oh, come on. That bad?”

He clears his throat. “I—uh?—”

My pocket chirps.

I dig out my phone and check the message.

The job I was supposed to take later. I’ll have to push it back.

My stomach flips. They’re asking if I can stop by tomorrow, but I don’t know how I’ll have my magic back before then.

We don’t even know if the vamp will be able to track Helen, let alone if she can fix this curse.

I blow out a slow breath and text back, pushing it to next week.

Bennet moves to a nearby bench, sitting with his back straight, scanning the park. He’s close enough that our bond doesn’t stretch to that weird, uncomfortable pull.

He takes in the park, and I scan our surroundings with him. A family plays in the grass, a little boy shrieking as his dad swings him into the air. A woman jogs past with a golden retriever trotting happily at her side. People living their lives, completely unaware of the magic in their midst.

Completely unaware of the djinn watching them from a park bench.

I bet they have hot water at home.

After a minute, I drop onto the bench next to him, leaving about a foot of space between us.

The breeze stirs his hair. “Tell me more about this vamp we are meeting. What does ‘vamp’ mean?”

“Vampires are creatures that can manipulate energy. They can feed on it, feel the source, track it. I’m hoping one of them will be able to sense Helen’s magic. If she’s powerful enough, they will be drawn to her.”

He tilts his legs in my direction. “Would they harm her?”

“No. They might be able to draw on some of her energy, but it wouldn’t hurt her. It would be like losing a little bit of blood. Your body replenishes it. They can’t take enough to cause harm, or else it hurts them as well. A bit of magical energy blowback.”

He nods. “What was the noise from your cell phone?”

“That was my next job. Had to push it back a week.”

“Why?”

I rub a hand over my face. “Because my job involves magic.”

“This makes you sad.”

I huff a laugh, but it’s hollow. “Yeah. In case you haven’t noticed, my family needs someone to support them. And that someone is me.”

Bennet hesitates, then asks, “What about Mimi?”

“She does as much as she can to help. But she’s in her seventies.

She has some health issues and she doesn’t have the energy to work and cook and clean and run after two kids all day on her own.

She helps me with them while I work, and does more than I could ever ask, but it’s still a lot.

” Although she likes to say we all make her feel ten years younger, but I think she’s just trying to lessen my guilt at relying on her so much.

His lips part, but then he presses them shut again. His eyes search mine. “You do all that, take care of everyone, hold everything together. You’re—” His gaze dips to my mouth.

My heart stutters.

He moves closer. Or am I moving closer? His breath feathers against my lips. One more inch and?—

I jerk back, heat flooding my cheeks. “Whoa. Okay. That, uh, that can’t happen right now.” I push off the bench. “Come on. Kevin’ll be out of school soon, and I need to check on Jackie and some of my other clients. We’ll head to Fritzel’s after dinner.”

Bennet lingers for a second longer, gaze sweeping the park, then stands and follows.

I spend a couple of hours in the kitchen alone, giving up my office to Kevin to get his schoolwork done on the computer.

I take care of phone calls with clients, moving my schedule around and checking in on my regulars to find out what items they might be needing in the future—once I have the time and ability to search for them.

I’d give up my left arm to stop hustling for a day and just hang out in a museum. Or go back to school and finish my degree. Or just escape. When I was in college I had all these plans for a gap year, traveling through Europe or Asia or literally anywhere else.

Those dreams are long gone.

As I head upstairs, voices drift from my office. Bennet with the kids. I slow my steps, stopping right outside the door.

“...and those are reality shows,” Kevin is saying, his voice serious. “They’re not scripted, supposedly. Just people being dramatic on camera.”

Bennet sounds skeptical. “So these individuals volunteer to be recorded while engaging in conflict and strange mating rituals?”

Jackie giggles. “Pretty much. It’s like watching wild animals, but with more hair gel and bad decisions.”

I peek through the crack between the door and the frame.

“Here, you have a lot to learn. Let’s watch this.” Kevin hands Bennet a tablet. The screen lights up his face. Probably one of those “top ten reality TV meltdown” compilations, Kevin loves those.

There’s a pause and then Bennet asks, “Why are these people so scantily clad?”

My eyes widen. What the hell is he showing him?

“It’s Love Island ,” Jackie says. “That’s just what they do.”

“Why?”

“It’s like a game,” Kevin says. “These people go to an island and they have to play games and couple up, and people who watch them get to vote on their favorite couple. The non-favorites get kicked off each episode. At the end, the best couple is given money and they get to choose to keep it all or share it with the other person.”

“To see if they are legit,” Jackie adds.

Bennet scratches his head. “Is this how courtship is handled in your world?”

“Only for people who want to be famous and get money.”

They watch for a few more minutes. “Your world is...” Bennet starts, searching for words. “Excessively chaotic.”

“Yeah,” Kevin agrees. “It’s great.”

I press my lips together to keep from laughing.

Kevin steps closer and bangs his knee hard against the side table. He yelps, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth. “Ughhh, my knee.”

Jackie sits up straighter. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. I already can’t feel it. I’m basically a superhero.”

Bennet drops the tablet, his eyes shooting up to Kevin, but my brother is already moving on, plopping on the couch next to Bennet and picking up the dropped tablet.

“Anyway, wanna watch something else? Maybe Vampire Diaries since you’re going to see a vamp later?

It’s not really accurate, but it’s funny. ”

Oh, no.

I step in to the room. “Does everyone have their homework and chores done?”

Kevin hands the tablet to Bennet. “I did all my homework.”

“My work is done too,” Jackie says.

“And chores?” I lift my brows.

They exchange a glance. “No,” Jackie says and Kevin says, “Not yet.”

“Well get to it. They need to be done before dinner.”

“Fine.”

They trudge out.

Bennet sets the tablet on the table. “Your siblings are entertaining.”

I gesture to the tablet. “Are you done learning about Love Island ?”

Bennet’s lips twitch. “Not even close, but I believe I have learned enough about television for one day.”

“Want to learn about the magical washer and dryer?”