Page 93 of How to Flirt with a Witch

I shift under everyone’s stares. Beneath jeans and a soft pink blouse, I’m wearing my sexiest bra and underwear set made of barely-there red lace.

Natalie and Sky are seated at a long wooden table, along with Will, Sebastian, Agnes, Hayley, and three others I haven’t met. If I’m right in guessing all their jobs, that’s two witches from each of the five guilds to witness my oath. Natalie and Sky smile encouragingly, steadying me as I battle stage fright. The rest wear deep frowns, probably wondering why I’m doing a rite meant for witches.

And yeah, I’m not so naive as to think I belong. I’m the only non-magical person who’s ever sworn this oath. But my ability is enough to have earned Fiona’s acceptance, so it’ll have to be enough for the rest.

“You’ve shown a dedication to our cause,” Fiona says, fixing me with her stern gaze. “But to be a member of the coven is to walk the path of secrecy.Allof what we do must remain hidden from the world. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Guilt twists in my gut. Natalie risked a lot by telling me she’s a witch. I guess she trusted me more than I thought. Would she have been punished if I turned out not to have an ability and she’d spilled their secrets for nothing?

“As a non-magical member, you will only be given knowledge about our operations on a need-to-know basis,” Fiona says. “Accessing information beyond your station will result in punishment for all involved.”

I nod solemnly. I’m getting a rising feeling that I’m going to have to work extra hard to prove myself.

“This means,” she continues sharply, “you are not to try andcoerceinformation out of anybody here. You are not toacceptinformation should somebody offer it. You are not tominglewith others in any way that could compromise their oath.”

I nod again, discomfort writhing in my stomach. Okay, Natalie really did tell me more than she was supposed to—about CSAMM, the guilds, earth magic… And my repeatedly asking her to spill confidential informationmightqualify as coercion…

Agnes gives a very audible, “Hmph!”

Fiona raises her eyebrows.

Agnes flushes. “Suffice it to say she’s been minglingalready. Anon-magical member… What’s next, inviting the Madsens for coffee? Honestly, she’s not even wearing ceremonial robes. This is a mockery of our practices.”

Nausea rises as she confirms what a total outsider I am.

“Interrupting a ceremony,” Sky snaps, “is a mockery of our practices.”

“Quiet, everyone.” Fiona’s eyes widen in stern warning, and Agnes and Sky sink back in their seats.

Fiona returns her attention to the book, and I catch Natalie’s eye. She gives a reassuring half-smile and eye roll, a silent dismissal of Agnes’s grievances, and the tension in my shoulders melts away.

After spending so long wanting nothing more than to join CSAMM, I just want this rite to be over so Natalie and I can head back to my room and pick up where we left off. My skin tingles where her hands were all over me, my heart flipping as I recall how she felt pressed up against me. Her taste lingers on my tongue.

Dammit, focus,I tell myself.This ceremony is important, and you’ve been wanting this for ages.

It doesn’t help that Natalie’s gaze is traveling hungrily up and down me, a flirty look for me alone.

Her thoughts, like mine, are clearly elsewhere.

“Objections?” Fiona asks.

My heart lurches.Of course there are objections. Look at all the frowns.

Sure enough, Agnes’s hand shoots up, followed by Will and Hayley. Nausea bubbles again at all the hands in the air—at the disapproving atmosphere penetrating my skin.

Before Fiona can call on one of them, Agnes lifts her chin. “Why do we need someone to help detect curses when we’ve been doing fine for all these years?”

“Because fine isn’t good enough,” Natalie says coolly, peeling her gaze away from me. “We have to move faster. Oaklyn Madsen has already gotten her hands on a dagger because we didn’t get there first, and God knows what they’ve got in place around their house that fucked up Trevor like that. The last thing we need is them obtaining something even more serious.”

Agnes shrinks a little under her sharp tone.

The others put down their hands.

Natalie’s faith in me is like a supportive hand squeeze from across the room. After all the time she spent trying to keep me safe, she’s making it clear whose side she’s on. And her assertiveness is… super hot.

Let’s get a move-on,I think, shifting impatiently.

“Yeah, look at the Pet Emporium,” Sky adds. “We couldn’t find that one at all until Katie came along.”