Page 51 of Love Summoned

I nod when she kisses my cheek, then watch her walk away.

For weeks, all I saw was a dagger, with no other context as to why it was important. Coming to Hemlock, clues, like pieces on a chessboard, all began moving into place. They’re all laid on the table, just waiting for someone to make the final move.

So why does it feel like the biggest piece is still waiting to fall?

21

The front door bursts open, pulling my attention from my needlework.

Len and Hynde move into the kitchen. I set my needle and hoop on the couch, and join them.

“What happened to you?” I ask.

Hynde leans against the kitchen counter with a smirk while Lennox wipes himself down with a towel. His face is covered with soot and a scowl that could make the hellhounds scurry off.

Lennox huffs as he slams the towel against the bench. “That fucking hunter.”

“You found her?” I ask. Thank fuck, I wasn’t sure how they’d follow her trace from the wolves store since it had been a few days.

“We got lucky,” Hynde says. “She was talking with a bounty hunter. Trying to make a deal for information, but she gave us the slip.”

“Not before she almost blew me up.” Lennox grips the kitchen bench until it cracks beneath his fingers.

“Wait, she’s a witch?” My hopes rise as I pry his hand away from the counter.

After Sera’s vision last night, I came home to tell my brothers. I felt bad for betraying her confidence. She didn’t say I couldn’t tell them, it was just this odd sense that my allegiance didn’t know where it stood—with my brothers or my witch. Still, revealing that satisfied Hynde enough to pursue the hunter instead of Sera. As long as she’s safe, that’s all I care about.

“Either that or it was a fucking booby trap. She knew we were after her.” Lennox pours himself a glass of whiskey, tossing it back without recapping the bottle, then pours himself another.

“We were chasing her,” Hynde says. “She probably led us back to that place on purpose.” He walks behind Len, clapping him on the shoulder a few times. “Nice going, General.”

Len shrugs off Hynde’s hand with a growl. “Everything been okay here?” he asks me.

I nod. I don’t actually know. After they left and Jett was happily distracted at the record store, I went to Laconia. It’s a small town not far from Hemlock where I grew up, and the same place my mother is buried.

At the time of my death, we were all each other had. My father disappeared when I was five. I kept an eye on Mom in the first few years as a demon, but it soon became difficult. I knew I needed to move on, to leave my human life behind entirely.

“There’s only ten days left ’til the full moon,” I say, turning to Lennox. “We need to be certain she’s connected to the bloodline then somehow convince her to lift Catori’s curse.”

“Shouldn’t be hard.” Hynde rolls his eyes when he notices Jett watching another of his shows. “She’s a fighter, a survivor, we tell her to remove the curse or we kill her.”

“That won’t work. All that does is tell her we need her more than she needs us, that’s why we came up with the story that we’re good guys and we need her help to release Catori to defeat a greater threat.”

“That’s why he’s the General.” Jett doesn’t take his eyes away from the blonde and brunette bickering on the TV screen. “Plus I don’t feel good about using violence to get my way.” Jett waves a hand around his stomach. “It feels wrong in here.”

“We’re demons.” Hynde narrows his eyes at Jett. “Violence is the only way.”

“Being a good demon hasn’t been all that bad.” Jett shrugs. He’s not at all put out by Hynde’s obvious disdain for the human realm. “You know what humans do that might help you? It’s called yoga. Sometimes they even do it with goats or puppies.”

“What in Lucifer’s name is wrong with you?” Hynde rubs his temples while Len and I hide our laughter. Jett truly is one of a kind. Way too good to be a demon, but I wouldn’t trade my brother for anything.

“Are you sure it’s not this that has your gut out of sorts?” Lennox snatches up an empty packet of potato chips from the coffee table. “You know we can’t tolerate too much human food.”

Jett snatches the packet from him. “Couch snacks are a rite of passage when watching reality TV.”

“Yes, well, your training has slipped the last few days.” Lennox picks up the remote, shutting off the TV. “Give me five minutes to shower, then we should head down to the basement. I think we’d all benefit from some sparring.”

“Hold that thought,” Hynde says with eyes blazing in neon blue. Catori is sending a message. After a few seconds the color fades back to their normal dark brown. “There’s an attack at the park. He means business with this one.”