Page 72 of A Trial By Blood

“Oh…okay. Let me see if she’s free.” I took a step back just as Else walked around the corner.

“Else,” he said, his smile brightening. “You look lovely.”

Else scowled. “What the hell are you holding, Conner Travis?”

“Flowers, for you,” he said, the smile still in place. “You love hyacinths, so I don’t want to hear any complaining.”

This guy clearly knew Else well.

She took them from him and shoved them at me. “Do something with these, will you?”

I bit back my smile. “Will do.”

My great-aunt turned back to Connor. “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with.”

The guy chuckled, completely unfazed by Else’s attitude.

“And you can stop that as well, chuckles,” she said and grabbed her coat.

He rushed forward, helping her into it. “You love it,” he muttered under his breath.

Was Else blushing? “I won’t be late,” she said. “I’m being forced to attend the ridiculous CEA bimonthly gathering.”

The CEA, the Coven Elders Assembly, had been trying to get Else to join for a long time, but she’d refused, until now apparently.

“You have fun, and there’s no need to rush back.”

She scoffed, then limped out the door. Conner smiled and waved, and then they were gone. I couldn’t help but smile as well. Else had met her match there.

Then I remembered Mags and spun around, running through the kitchen and out the back door. She wasn’t on the balcony anymore, so I climbed the ladder to the tree house, and knocked, calling out for her, but she didn’t answer. I eased the door open and poked my head inside. “Mags?”

Nothing.

I went back to the house and searched for her inside, but she wasn’t there either.

A car started. I rushed back to the front, but she was already driving off when I got there. Dammit.

I sent a group text to Iris and Willow, in case she was heading their way, then texted Mags, telling her to call when she could. I looked up from my phone, about to head back inside, and spotted a car parked across the street. There was an older, dark-haired male sitting behind the wheel—and he was staring at me.

He froze.

I lifted a hand and waved. Maybe he was a friend of Mom or Art? He lifted a hand, waving back. I took a step toward the car. He started it, and without looking back, sped off.

Weird.

* * *

The forest closed in around me, any light from the moon smothered by the thick tree canopy above. Wind whispered through the leaves. Howls and wails of despair filling the night.

I spun around, knowing who would be there. Terror quaked through me when he stepped from the shadows. I tried to take a step back, to run, but my feet were stuck fast to the forest floor.

The tall, broad figure draped in black moved closer, his twisted wooden staff gripped in his hand. “I waited and you never came,” he said, voice so deep and terrible, I was positive it froze me to the marrow in my bones.

“I’m not sick anymore. You can’t expect me to come to you now. I’m not ready.”

He kept advancing. The hood of his cloak concealed his features, but as he drew closer, eyes, blue and frigid, glowed through the darkness, piercing my soul. “We had a deal, witch.”

“I know, and I’ll hold to our bargain, but not yet. When I’m old, when my time comes—”