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Evan

T he coven members gathered in the sitting room. I’d admit I was shocked by who they were. Just ordinary-looking people. It wasn’t like Cary when I first met him, dressed all in black with an air of mystery that I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the time. These were just regular folks. If I passed them on the street, which I probably had at some point, I’d never know they were practicing witches. And very powerful ones at that.

Al came over and sat next to me and Cary. “Roy’s not doing too well,” she said, shaking her head. “I knew the boy had the gift, but I didn’t realize he had the sight as well. He’s been working for Christie and me for years, and despite knowing who we are, he’s never even mentioned his gifts.”

“So, he saw the nasty one?” I asked, and Al nodded.

“He saw the whole thing,” Al looked up at me, “Roy said the old man, the one we call the nasty entity, possessed your ex, Mr. Owens. That’s what scared Roy so much.”

I sighed and nodded. “Cary and I had already come to that conclusion. Is Roy going to quit? The entity isn’t the only spirit here.”

Al shrugged. “I think after today he might, but to be honest, we have bigger fish to fry right now than Roy’s fears. The entity is too strong if he’s possessing people at will now.”

“Maybe not at will,” Cary replied. “I’m sorry, Evan, but I need to speak plainly. Leon Cordelia was a cruel man. Evan’s ex has a similar nature. My working theory is that when Evan’s ex showed up, probably with malintent on his mind, it allowed the entity to escape his confines. Now he’s gone, and I think the other spirits have him back under control, but—”

“But,” Al continued. “If he could escape with one narcissist here, why not when another comes through the door?”

I sighed and rubbed my temples because my head was beginning to hurt. “We have to do something about him. What, though? I don’t know.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Al said, gesturing toward the coven of witches around us.

I nodded. “Well, what’s first?” I asked.

Christie walked into the room smiling and said, “Okay, let’s eat.”

Al winked at me and stood, before saying, “First we eat, then we do a little partying with friends, then we let the universe lead the way.”

“Okay, so no séance? Nothing scary?”

“Not yet,” Al said and left Cary and me to go join the festivities in the dining room.

“Is this going to work?” I asked Cary, who pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head.

“If nothing else, it’ll clear the air. Celebrating, family and friends, gathering as a group, a collective. That’s powerful and can sometimes do more to undo negativity than anything else. So, come on, let’s eat Christie’s amazing food. You can get to know our friends, and we’ll put so much positive energy into this place, the entity will run screaming.”

I chuckled, liking the image, and followed my sweet boyfriend into the celebration. If this was what it meant to be in a coven, count me in. I didn’t have any magical abilities, but damn, I could be a support system, and I knew how to have a good time with friends, even new ones.