Page 4

Chapter Four

‘So, what can you tell me about this guy? This property developer?’ I asked Maddie as I drove.

Eva was sprawled across the back seat of the car. If ever there was a sofa, a seat or a bed of any kind, she claimed it instantly – usually after a lengthy roll that left a substantial sprinkling of her golden fur behind. I admired her for it: she saw what she wanted and took it. It was the kind of confidence I aspired to but could never quite achieve, mostly because human society frowned upon rolling around on furniture in public spaces.

I didn’t blame her for getting comfy; we had a long journey south ahead of us. Witchlight Cove is in Cornwall, the southernmost county in the UK. The rugged landscape, with its miles of coastline, undulating hills and epic scenery, is a favourite with both magical and non-magical tourists, and Witchlight Cove itself is one of the premier holiday destinations for magical folk. The small village has it all: quaint houses, stunning views and some gorgeous coffee shops.

Nostalgia and longing hit me like a sledgehammer: Witchlight Cove had never been a place to me but a living, breathing entity that I had loved as much as my own family. I’d been born there, taken my first steps there, had my first kiss there. Everything important in my life – the good, the bad and the downright ugly – had happened there.

I remembered that when I was young lots of holiday visitors talked about moving there but very few ever did. It had that small-town vibe that always felt good in the short term, but after a while it could grate on you if you weren’t used to it. And even if you were used to it, it could get frustrating: you couldn’t sneeze without half the village hearing about it. And dating? That was even worse. Not that that had been something for me to worry about because in order to date someone, they had to be willing to speak to you. Even people I’d gone to school with had given me a wide berth after my grandmother's visit. Fear is a cancer in society, eroding friendships and raising walls instead.

Yanni, Maddie and Ezra, the scrawny werewolf kid we’d grown up with, were the only friends who’d stuck by me. They’d tried to make me feel it wasn’t my fault and I’d always appreciated that – no matter how wrong they were.

Gods – Ezra. The thought of seeing him made a flutter of excitement and nerves rear up and take residence in my stomach. Would he be happy to see me? Or would he want to chew me out too? Maddie was dragging me back not quite kicking and screaming, but close; how would he feel about seeing me, the third of the Three Amigos?

I wondered what he’d look like, what he’d be doing. Maybe he was married by now with a pup or two on the way. He’d been fairly scrawny but he was good looking in that guy-next-door kind of way, and he had a warm sense of humour. He could always make me laugh back when I still had something to laugh about.

‘He keeps to himself.’ Maddie’s voice interrupted my thoughts and I realised abruptly that she was talking about the property developer prick, not Ezra. That made more sense because Ezra was part of the werewolf pack, and that meant he was as likely to keep himself to himself as a goblin was to wait politely in line.

‘His name is Fraser Banks,’ she continued. ‘He’s already bought up a couple of businesses in the village. He lives by the coast, so I reckon he’s some sort of water shifter – or maybe he likes the view. Plus that’s where all the rich people live and he wants everyone to know he’s loaded. ’

She sighed loudly, obviously annoyed that she knew so little about him. ‘He’s arrogant and broody – honestly, just seeing him is enough to make me rage. He’s one of those men who always dresses perfectly – he looks like he walked straight out of a luxury cologne advert, except instead of running through waves in slow motion he’s ruining my village! I’m sure you can dig up something on him. There’s no way a man with that many designer suits doesn’t have skeletons in the closet next to them. You can’t get rich without getting your hands dirty.’

Maddie wasn’t in a place where logic could prevail, so I didn’t point out that plenty of people had family money or successful businesses without being unscrupulous. Still, this guy was looking to steal my inheritance; that alone was enough to seal my dislike of him .

I’m never perfectly dressed; I sniff the clothes on the floor to decide if they’re lying there because they’re dirty or because I’d emptied the dryer and couldn’t be bothered to put them away. It is a sophisticated system; some might call it lazy but I think it’s efficient. Laundry is my most hated chore and frankly I’d rather poke hot needles in my eye than do the ironing.

‘Okay, I’ll start digging as soon as I can,’ I promised, hands on the wheel. I slid Maddie a sidelong glance. ‘I might dig into what made you faint, too, because that wasn’t normal.’

She huffed. That same nervousness that I’d sensed the previous night was still rolling from her body; every now and then it got more intense as if she were thinking about something unnerving. ‘So, how are the other aspects of your life going?’ she asked, pointedly changing the subject.

‘Other aspects?’

‘Are you dating? Is there someone special?’

I snorted. ‘Seriously? Who’d date me? I’m such a rubbish witch that no one with magic would want me, and normal men seem to be intimidated because I can quite easily break several bones in their body without so much as breaking a sweat.’ I looked at her hurriedly. ‘I hardly ever do that,’ I reassured her.

I felt the need to add that last part in case Maddie thought I’d turned into some violence-loving vigilante. I hadn’t, but some guys didn’t accept that no means no and a few lousy dates had ended with me proving it to them.

Still, I don’t enjoy violence for violence’s sake, and because I can deliver it doesn’t mean that I have to be cruel. One of the biggest complaints my students have is that they know I could go harder on them but I won’t. It was bad enough risking broken bones and fractures in Witchlight Cove, where one of the covens could sell you a brew that had you healed in half an hour; there was zero chance I’d get over the guilt of harming one of my students.

‘I don’t think Ezra would be intimidated by that.’ Maddie smirked. ‘And just so you know, he’s still single.’

My neck warmed. I’d been thinking of him but not like that. ‘Ezra? You’ve got to be joking,’ I said evenly. ‘Ezra’s very sweet, but he’s not the type of guy I want to get down and dirty with.’

‘I think you’ll find that he’s changed,’ she said, the smirk still firmly in place. ‘And he still asks after you. Not that I ever have much to tell him. He texts now and again to see if I’ve heard anything.’

I ignored the dig; I deserved it, after all. ‘That’s sweet, I guess. Since I’m going to be in Witchlight Cove, I expect I’ll pop in and say hi to him.’

Like Maddie’s, Ezra’s family had been a solid feature in my childhood. His parents – and his huge posse of siblings and cousins – had welcomed me into their homes despite me being a witch and them being shifters. His dad was the pack’s alpha so he was a little bit scary, but it had always been his authority that intimidated me; the man himself couldn’t have been more welcoming.

‘Ezra will probably be at the fayre,’ Maddie went on. ‘Maybe even taking part in the pasty-eating contest.’

I grinned. ‘ No way! He takes part now?’

‘You bet.’

‘You?’

She looked horrified. ‘Gods, no!’

I laughed even though a slight tension rose in me. I’d felt so excited when Maddie had said I’d be back in time for the fayre, but in hindsight I couldn’t think of a worse time to arrive.

Talk about a hard launch. In such a tight-knit community gossip travelled fast. In an ideal world, I’d have given myself a couple of quiet days to let the news of my return spread slowly, like a tortoise planning a flashmob. If I went to the fayre, my presence would be a flame to a powder keg. Maybe I shouldn’t go. Maybe it would be better to lie low for a couple of days.

I slid a glance at my best friend and grimaced.

For her, I’d go to the damned fayre.