Page 33 of Bewitched By the Voodoo King (The Bewitching Hour #7)

My shadows writhed around my ankles as I flipped through the pages of a grimoire. I’d never been very studious growing up. I breezed through school and my magical teachings just fine, but I didn’t care to read much else or really try outside of what was required of me.

Guilt swam in my stomach and forced me to look for answers that I wouldn’t have cared to find before.

A null.

I’d never heard of one before, not in all of my years of school or being a diplomat for my father. Maybe it was because no one wanted anyone to know if one was born of their coven, with fears others would find them weak, or maybe it was because they didn’t exist.

My magic and the spirits whispered around me, but I couldn’t make out their words. They overlapped in a frantic hurry.

A knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts, and the spirits stopped their whispering.

Louis opened the door without need for approval.

Usually it would have bothered me, but now that things were on the rocks with Maple…

it didn’t matter. He would be simply walking in on me, moping for who knew how long.

“Why aren’t you getting ready for the full moon?” Louis crossed his arms over his chest and eyed me with a funny expression.

I closed the book with more force than necessary. “I’m not exactly in the mood for rituals and revelry.”

Louis raised a brow. “You’re the Voodoo King. Mood isn’t a factor.”

I scowled but said nothing.

He stepped further into the room, letting the door shut behind him with a soft click . “So you’re really going to sulk while your coven prepares for the biggest magical convergence of the year?”

“She lied to me.” I’d brought him up to date on everything when he found me at breakfast sulking instead of enjoying a lazy morning in bed with Maple.

“She hid something from you,” he corrected. “There’s a difference.

And let’s not pretend you haven’t been keeping secrets of your own.”

I ran a hand down my face and exhaled hard through my nose. “She’s a null, Louis. Do you know what that means?”

Louis tilted his head. “Do you ?”

I paused. “It means she has no magic. She doesn’t belong in a coven—especially not in ours, where magic is tied to survival.”

Louis scoffed. “That’s the dumbest shit I’ve heard all week.”

My eyes narrowed. “That’s rich coming from you. You didn’t think she could even have the power to save the coven. You didn’t even want her here!”

He ignored me and rolled his eyes. “Do you think your mother would’ve let her stay if she didn’t see something in her?”

I scrubbed my hands down my face. He was right, but… “How did I not see it? How could I have been so blinded?”

I felt silly. I felt ridiculous. I thought she had magic. I thought I felt it buzzing and writhing under her skin. I could have sworn it was there.

“Do you want to talk about how you never told her that she was your wife? Do you want to talk about how you weren’t completely honest with her either?

I don’t care about her magic or what you felt or blah blah blah.

Get your head out of your ass and do your duty as the Voodoo King, and then come back here and look for answers. ”

He was right. I straightened my shoulders. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I have a duty to uphold for my people, and I’m over here sulking.”

“You’re sulking because you put all of your eggs in one basket. You thought she was going to be the coven’s savior,” Louis pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I get it. but you have to try now that we are the closest with the spirit world and our magic is at its highest.”

I hung my head. Louis was usually the hot-headed one out of the two of us, and here he was giving me sound advice.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen. Louis moved closer to me and slapped me on the shoulder.

“She could still be our coven’s savior. You don’t know what she’s hiding in that mighty brain of hers. ”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Since when are you positive Patty?”

Louis cracked a crooked smile. “Last night was a good party.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to know about who he took back to his room. I was sure I wouldn’t approve.

“Let’s go prepare.” Louis opened my door and looked over his shoulder.