Page 25

CHAPTER 25

E lora studied the torn and ragged fabric piled on the altar before holding out her hand and speaking the incantation in a low voice. Her hands glowed blue as her magic flared to life. God, she loved this feeling, loved how it pulsed and pounded through her veins.

She stared at the fabric and repeated the spell, letting her magic flow as she concentrated. The fabric pieces trembled lightly before rising into the air. Elora repeated the incantation, the magic swelling inside her in a lovely wave of pure energy that brought her incomparable joy.

She watched with satisfaction as the bits and pieces of fabric joined themselves together, weaving and swaying in the air until they had returned to their original shape. A lavender coloured cocktail dress with a fitted bodice and sweetheart neckline made of soft and delicate silk gently floated above the altar. Elora reached out and snagged it. She studied the dress carefully, but there were no lines or tears in the fabric to show it had once been hacked to pieces by a jealous roommate.

The magic faded, and the light disappeared from her hands. She carefully placed the dress in a fabric bag before blowing out the two candles on the altar. She looked up to see Jonah staring at her from his spot on the big leather sectional.

“What?” she asked.

“That was very cool,” he said.

She grinned and did a mock curtsy. “Thank you.”

“Why were you putting a ripped dress back together?” he asked.

“It’s for a client. Her roommate found out she was going to a party next weekend with the guy the roommate has been crushing on and, in a fit of jealousy, hacked up her dress with a pair of scissors.”

“Seriously?” Jonah asked.

Elora nodded. “Yeah, they’re barely out of their teens and pretty dramatic. They fight constantly, and I’ve repaired plenty of their stuff over the last year.”

“Wait, is this the same girl who showed up at your apartment that time losing her absolute shit because,” Jonah affected a Valley girl accent, “that bitch Courtney totally, like, broke the strap of my Louboutins with her giant horse feet?”

Elora burst into laughter. “Yep, that’s Jinhee. I make a lot of money doing mending spells for Jinhee and her frenemy Courtney.”

He grinned at her before returning to the journal he was looking at. After their talk yesterday, he’d brought out the journal from his bedroom safe this morning. He’d joined her in the front room to read through it while she worked on spells. She thought she might find him a distraction, she usually preferred to do her spell work without others around, but instead, she found his quiet presence soothing.

He reached for his coffee, sipping at it as he studied the journal. The cold sunlight coming through the window made his dark hair gleam, and when he smiled faintly at something he’d read, Elora felt a wave of love for him that nearly staggered her on her feet.

Christ, she’d really done it now. She was in love with Jonah and headed on a path of pure heartbreak. She gripped her makeshift altar as panic rolled through her. Why the fuck did she fall in love with him? She, better than anyone, knew the dangers of loving someone like Jonah. He would never love her back and -

“Little witch, are you okay?” Jonah’s low voice broke through her panic.

“Yes, why?”

He pointed to her hands. “You’re gripping that table so hard, I’m pretty sure you’ll break it in half soon.”

She relaxed her grip, forcing herself to smile at him. “I’m good. Hey, do you mind if I do a cleansing of the room?”

Jonah studied her for a few seconds more before saying, “Go ahead. Mi casa e su casa.”

Her smile slipped a little, but she quickly turned away to grab her sandalwood incense. She wished this was her home. Wished she could live here with Jonah forever and pretend he loved her like she loved him. But that was a dream, a sad, stupid dream that she needed to forget. In fact, she would be packing up her stuff tomorrow and returning to her apartment, which she had always loved but now felt too empty.

She took a deep breath and tried to center herself. She was full of negative energy, and it was wearing her down. When she returned to her apartment tomorrow, she would meditate and do a lavender cleanse to rid herself of the negative energy and help calm her.

Jonah’s arms slid around her waist, and he kissed the back of her neck. “After you cleanse the room, come up to the bedroom.”

He cupped her breast gently before trailing kisses along her throat. “Unless you’re too sore?”

She was a little sore, but that wouldn’t stop her from banging Jonah’s brains out. Not when fucking him was as deliciously addictive to her as her magic.

She turned her head and kissed him. “Not too sore. I’ll be up soon.”

He kissed her again before leaving the room. She opened some windows and lit her incense, letting it flame for about ten seconds before blowing it out. Holding the stick, she walked in a clockwise direction around the room, the smoke drifting into the air.

“With this flame, I invite peace, strength, and harmony to wash through this space. Let any tensions be unraveled, let jagged edges be smoothed, let what is stagnant be swept out,” she said in a soft voice.

She repeated the intention as she walked the room, the familiar ritual helping to calm her. She extinguished the incense and set it in a ceramic bowl on the altar before closing the windows.

Before she could go upstairs, Jonah returned to the living room, his face pale and grim.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Caleb just texted me. He’s on his way over to pick up the rest of his stuff.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “He doesn’t want me in the house, and if I try to talk to him, he’ll leave with or without his things.”

She rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, Jonah.”

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I want to sit him down and force him to talk to me, but if I do that…”

“You’ll lose him forever,” Elora said.

He nodded, looking so sad and lost that her heart ached for him. He forced a smile and said, “I’m going to the greenhouse.”

“I’ll stay here. I’d like to meet Caleb if you’re okay with that?”

He studied her before nodding. “I am, but don’t feel like you have to.”

“I don’t,” she said. “I want to meet him because he’s important to you, and you’re important to me.”

He hugged her before giving her a brief, hard kiss and pulling away. “I have to go. Caleb will be here soon.”

She watched him leave, rubbing her hands nervously on her robe before quickly taking it off and draping it over the altar. She walked out of the living room and into the foyer, reminding herself that despite what Caleb had said and done, Jonah loved him very much. Elora would not widen the gap between them by being a dick to Caleb.

Then why are you here? You should go with Jonah to the greenhouse. You know you’ll say something you’ll regret to Caleb if you stay.

No, she wouldn’t. She would stay calm. She would be polite and friendly and make sure that Caleb knew in a polite and friendly way that Jonah was not the goddamn monster he tried so hard to make Jonah believe he was.

Her hands glowed blue as her magic spiked, and Elora took a deep breath. Oh, she was doing a bang-up job of staying calm. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

The lock on the door clicked, and adrenaline rushed through her as the door swung open. Caleb stepped inside, followed by a tall and muscular fae woman with short brown hair and… Elora’s eyes widened as she gazed at the woman’s midsection. She was very obviously pregnant.

Caleb stopped in the foyer, giving her a mistrustful look. “I said if he were here, I wouldn’t stay.”

“He isn’t here,” Elora said. “He’s in the greenhouse.”

Caleb glanced at the woman, who gave him a reassuring smile. Elora joined them, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Jonah’s friend Elora.”

Caleb shook it briefly. “Caleb.”

His arm went around the fae’s waist, and Elora could hear the pride in his voice when he said, “This is my fiancee, Nimera.”

“Hello, Nimera. It’s nice to meet you.” Elora shook the fae’s hand.

Nimera smiled in a friendly way. “You as well, Elora.”

Caleb took Nimera’s hand. “Come on, honey, let’s get my stuff and go.”

“Caleb, wait,” Elora said as they headed toward the staircase. “Can I speak with you about your brother?”

“No,” Caleb said. “I have no interest in talking about our relationship to my brother’s flavour of the week.”

“Caleb,” Nimera said gently as she rubbed her round belly.

“I’m not interested,” Caleb said sharply before sighing. “Sorry, babe. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

He started walking again, and Elora said, “My half-sister is a shapeshifter.”

He gave her a startled look. “Are you fucking with me?”

“No,” Elora said. “My sister is a shapeshifter, and our relationship is very similar to yours and Jonah’s.”

Caleb glanced at Nimera, his hand visibly tightening on hers. “I’m listening.”

“Sarina wasn’t around much when I was growing up because she was forced into the Academy just like your brother. Like Jonah, she was taken against her will and forced to do things she would never have willingly chosen to do.”

Caleb scoffed. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Elora said firmly. “Sarina would never have chosen this life, just like Jonah wouldn’t have. But life isn’t always fair, is it? And the people who were supposed to protect them didn’t. Now they both believe that this is the only thing they’re good for, the only skill that makes them worth anything.”

She folded her arms over her torso. “But we know that isn’t true, don’t we? You know that Jonah is so much more than what the Academy told him he was. Even if you don’t want to admit it right now.”

Caleb cleared his throat. “Jonah is the most confident person I know. He could do anything he wants, but he chooses to do this.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” Elora said. “Jonah is brilliant and amazing and one of the best people I know. But he was stolen from his family at four years old and put through a type of hell and trauma that you and I can’t even imagine. That type of abuse messes with you and makes you see the world a little differently than the average person. Is he perfect? No. But he loves you deeply, Caleb, and he needs a relationship with you. You’re the only family he has left.”

“I barely see him,” Caleb said. “His job and money are all that matter to him.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Nimera said thoughtfully. “If it were, he wouldn’t be constantly trying to give money to you.”

“I haven’t touched the money in that bank account,” Caleb said hotly.

“I know, my love,” Nimera said. “But my point is that people who care about their money rarely give it away. Look at my father’s actions, and you know I am right.”

“I know how hard this is, Caleb. I’ve had the same thoughts about my sister, but I also know that she loves me deeply. I see her a few times a year if I’m lucky, but when we are together, she does her best to show me how much she loves me,” Elora said.

“You might be okay with your sister killing people for money, but I’m -”

“Okay with it?” Elora scowled at him. “I am absolutely not okay with it, but I also love my sister. Sometimes loving someone is hard and scary, but you don’t abandon them because of it.”

“Jonah abandoned me,” Caleb said.

“He told you he was trapped by a witch’s curse, sweetheart,” Nimera said.

Caleb sighed. “It doesn’t mean it’s true, Nimera.”

“It is,” Elora said. “Jonah was stuck in his crow form and spent a year trapped in a small cage in a potions shop. I bought him two years ago from the shop owner and have been trying to break the curse ever since. Jonah’s been living with me in his crow form for the last two years. I can show you pictures, and I can introduce you to friends who will confirm it. Jonah didn’t abandon you, and the first thing he did when the curse was broken was tell me about you. He loves you, Caleb, very much, and he misses you.”

“You should talk to him, Caleb.” Nimera smoothed her hand over his arm. “I’d like to meet him.”

“He thinks you have me under your influence,” Caleb said. “He doesn’t even believe that you love me.”

“Then let me show him I do,” Nimera said, touching her belly again. “I don’t want our child growing up with a father who holds sorrow and pain in his heart. And I want our child to know their family. All of their family.”

Caleb rubbed at his forehead, and Elora could see the glint of tears in his eyes.

Nimera kissed his cheek. “You miss him, my love. I know you do.”

Caleb sucked in a breath. “I can’t, Nimera. I’m sorry, but I don’t want our baby around someone who kills others for money, even if he is my brother.”

“He quit,” Elora said.

Caleb stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“He’s not taking contracts anymore,” she said. “In fact, he’s thinking about opening a greenhouse.”

Caleb’s jaw dropped, and Elora could practically see the surprise emanating from him in soft waves. “You are fucking with me right now.”

“No, I am not,” Elora said with a scowl. “I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t the truth. Jonah is out of the killing business, and he isn’t going back.”

Caleb stared at Nimera, and a silent communication passed between them before Nimera smiled and kissed him. “Go talk to him, Caleb. I’ll wait here for you.”

“Okay.” Caleb hesitated, staring at Elora as his hand tightened on Nimera’s. “You’re a witch, yeah?”

“I am,” Elora said.

“Don’t even think about hurting Nimera or doing some sort of hocus pocus spell,” he warned.

“I would never do a spell with the intent to harm someone,” Elora said, “and if she wants a hocus pocus spell, it’ll cost extra. They’re not easy to do.”

Nimera laughed, her pretty brown eyes lighting up with her amusement. “Good to know. You don’t happen to have any peppermint tea, do you? This baby gives me terrible indigestion.”

“There’s peppermint tea in the kitchen,” Elora said. “Why don’t I make you some while Caleb talks to Jonah.”

“I’d like that,” Nimera said. She kissed Caleb and gave him a gentle prod. “Go on, my love. I’ll be fine.”