Page 4

CHAPTER 4

“W ell, what do you think?” The man who used to be a crow came out of her bedroom and did a little twirl with his arms held wide.

He wore a pair of Cece’s pajamas that she’d left at Elora’s. Cece was tall and curvy, but the pink cotton tank top still stopped halfway down his midriff, revealing those ridiculous abs and a highly distracting trail of dark hair below his belly button. The matching cotton shorts clung to his thick thighs and his crotch as a rampant reminder that the guy was packing the biggest dick Elora had ever seen.

“I don’t usually wear pink, but I think I can pull it off, yeah?” he said.

“I think you look ridiculous, but it’s better than you being naked,” she said.

“Well, that’s hurtful, but I know you’re still in shock, so I’ll let it go,” he grinned.

She backed away when he walked toward her, putting the wooden altar between her and him as he grabbed the top of the kitchen doorway and - holy fuck - did a few pull-ups. She didn’t know what to stare at - the bulging biceps that lifted him effortlessly or his cotton-clad, absolutely perfect, tight ass.

He dropped to the ground, and she blinked when he did ten push-ups before bouncing back to his feet. He stared at his hands and then his feet with undisguised delight. “Fuck, I’ve missed my fingers and toes.”

Elora clung to the altar, still not entirely certain she wasn’t dreaming or hallucinating. Maybe the spell she’d tried last night had fried her brain, and now she was in some weird coma. That could be a possibility, right?

Not that she wanted to be in a coma, but it was preferable to the alternative of realizing that not only had she been naked many, many times in front of the very hot man currently doing sit-ups in her living room, but she’d also shared with him her deepest fears and disappointments, and her silliest hopes and dreams. Lilianna had been a good listener, and Elora had never once considered that she was sharing such intimate thoughts not with a fellow witch but a… a… muscled hottie of a man trapped in a crow’s body.

“I’m in a coma,” she said in a low voice. “Please, goddess, let me be in a coma.”

“You’re not in a coma,” the man who used to be a crow said cheerfully as he jumped to his feet and walked over to her. “This is real, little Elora. You broke the spell.”

“I broke the spell,” she said.

“Fuck, yeah, you did,” he held his fist up, and she stared blankly at it before tapping it with her fist.

She cleared her throat. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a guy?”

“How could I?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said as hysteria made a home in her chest. “You could have… have… tapped it out with your beak in Morse code.”

He laughed loudly, his dark eyes flashing with amusement. “Do you know Morse code, little witch?”

“No, but that’s not the point,” she snapped. “I thought you were a female! The shop owner said you were a female! She said you were a witch named Lilianna.”

“She decided I was a trapped witch,” he said. “She named me Lilianna.”

Elora shoved her hands through her hair, the hysteria still thumping in time with the frantic beat of her heart. “I can’t… this isn’t happening. You can’t be a guy.”

“I am,” he said with relentless cheerfulness. “Do you need to see my dick again?”

“Jesus, no,” she said as he reached for the waistband of the too-small shorts. “Keep that thing put away. I don’t want my damn eye poked out.”

He laughed. “I will admit it’s pretty big.” He pulled the waistband out and stared at his junk. “I’ve missed you most of all, big guy.”

“Oh my God,” Elora said. “Stop talking to your giant penis!”

He let the waistband snap back against his stomach. “I know this is a shock, but I’m still me, Elora. I’m Lilianna.”

“No, you’re not. You’re… you’re some guy wearing my best friend’s pajamas talking to his penis while I have a very quiet panic attack,” she said. “I don’t even know your real name.”

“Jonah,” he said. “I’m Jonah.”

“Jonah,” she repeated.

His nostrils flared, and for a moment, the cheery amusement disappeared to be replaced by a look of hot lust that did weird things to Elora’s insides. She blinked, and the look was gone. Jonah smiled at her. “I’ve wanted to hear you call me by my real name for so long, little Elora.”

“Right,” she said.

They stared silently at each other before Jonah said. “I’m starving. Are you hungry?”

“No,” she said.

“I need to eat something - I’m going to make a sandwich. Do you want one?”

“No,” she repeated.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the kitchen and she could hear him rattling around in there. She clutched the altar and stared at the candles she’d used for the spell last night. The spell book still sat on the altar, and there were small splatters of the flower paste she’d used on the gleaming wood. She’d have to clean that off before her grandmother came home from the old country. She hated if the altar was anything but sparkling clean.

I think the bigger problem is the man formerly known as the crow Lilianna living in your apartment. You think Helen won’t have something to say about that?

Lilianna - Jonah - was still banging around in the kitchen. He was humming a tune she didn’t know, and she stared at the spell book again as he stuck his head out the doorway, a mustard-covered knife in one big hand. “You sure I can’t make you a sandwich, Elora? It’s ham… your favourite.”

“No, thank you,” she said.

“All right.” He winked at her and disappeared back into the kitchen.

A key rattled in the lock before the front door opened, and Cece called, “Elora? You okay?”

Elora heard her hang up her jacket before she walked down the hallway to the living room. Relief crossed her face when she saw Elora standing by the altar. “Oh, thank God. I’ve been texting you for the last forty-five minutes. Why didn’t you answer? I was afraid something had gone wrong with the spell you tried last night.”

Elora stared silently at her as Cece dropped her bag on the couch. “I can’t stay long - I have to be at work by ten, but I wanted to make sure you hadn’t burned down the apartment or…”

She cocked her head, studying Elora. “Honey? What’s wrong?”

“Cece,” Elora said. “Cece, I…”

“Cece!”

Cece turned around at Jonah’s delighted shout. He’d come out of the kitchen with a ham sandwich in one hand, and Cece shrieked in surprise when he charged toward her and threw his arm around her waist, lifting her and hugging her hard before kissing her forehead.

She squirmed out of his grip and ran across the living room to join Elora behind the altar. She grabbed Elora’s arm. “What the hell? Elora, you’re letting one of your hookups wear my damn pajamas? And how does he know my name?”

“He’s not a hookup,” Elora said.

Cece glanced around the room. “Where’s Lilianna? Why isn’t she trying to pluck out this guy’s eyeballs?”

Elora pointed to Jonah. “He’s Lilianna.”

Cece’s mouth dropped open, and she looked Jonah up and down. “What the fuck?”

“That’s what I said,” Elora said.

Jonah waved at Cece and said, “Hey, girl,” before taking a big bite of his ham sandwich.

He walked over to the large picture window and stared out of it, eating his sandwich in enormous bites and making small sounds of happiness as he chewed. “This,” his voice was muffled, “is a fucking delicious sandwich.”

“Elora,” Cece said, “who is that guy?”

“He’s Lilianna,” Elora said. “I broke the spell. I didn’t think I had because it didn’t work right away. When we went to bed last night, Lilianna was still Lilianna. When we woke up, she was gone, and he was in my bed.”

“How do you know it’s… he could be anyone, Elora. He could have broken into your apartment, murdered Lilianna, and climbed into your bed.” Cece picked up one of the thick candles from the altar and held it like a weapon.

Jonah ate the last bite of his sandwich before walking toward them. Cece raised the candle. “Stay back. And take off my pajamas!”

“Do not take them off,” Elora said when Jonah reached for the shorts.

“Cece, it’s me,” Jonah said in a quiet, placating voice. He inched closer, raising his hands in another ‘I’m harmless’ gesture.’ “I would never hurt you or Elora. You know that.”

“I don’t know you,” Cece spat at him. “Elora, call 9-1-1.”

“A month ago, you had a Tinder date,” Jonah said. “You met him at his place for a ‘hit it and quit it’ situation, only you quit it before you could hit it and came to Elora’s apartment where you got super drunk and then told us the reason you bailed was because the guy called you mommy while you were making out and asked you to pee on him.”

Cece made a strangled sound of surprise as Jonah drifted closer. “You’re an apprentice green witch, you’re addicted to fuzzy peach candy, and two weeks ago, your aunt died in a car accident.”

The cheerful look dropped from his face, and he gently took the candle from Cece’s hand. “I’m sorry about your aunt, sweetheart. I know how much you loved her.”

“Holy fuck,” Cece whispered. “You’re Lilianna.”

“I am,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you officially, Cecelia.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” she said faintly before staring at Elora. “He’s Lilianna.”

“He’s Lilianna,” Elora echoed.