Chapter 32

The group burst into applause, and Ian looked at me with retribution in his eyes. Uh-oh. The moment Key distracted the group, I turned around and ran. Ian caught me a few seconds later. He nudged me on the side, sending me sprawling onto the grass. Gasping for air, I rolled onto my back as a series of snapping noises filled my ears.

Inthe next instant, Ian loomed over me in his human form, his naked body pressing me against the ground as he peered into my eyes.

Myhands automatically went to his upper arms, then ran along the smooth skin up to his shoulders, mapping the contours of his muscles and the small scars on his skin.

Hiseyes were a bright green, visible in the darkness surrounding us away from the spotlight, his expression unreadable in the shadows created by the short curtain of his hair. His arms slid under me, caging me, and it should’ve made me wary or scared, but I found I liked it. My heart did too, kicking around inside my chest as if it wanted to be absorbed by him.

Ashe studied me and I studied him and neither of us spoke a word, I realized no words were needed.

Ileaned upward and licked the delicious skin of his shoulder.

Westilled.

Oh, GoodMotherEarth, did I just do that?

Hearched his brows. “I’m sweaty.”

Hewas delicious, that’s what he was. The knowledge didn’t stop my face from growing so hot I hoped he had hoses nearby because I might set the grass on fire. Tentatively, I rubbed my hands down his biceps again and whispered, “I don’t care.”

Fora moment, I thought he might lean down and nuzzle my neck, but he remained still, intent. “You ran away.”

“Not very hard,” I pointed out.

Heshowed no signs of amusement at my jest, his gaze roving my face as if he was trying to read my soul. “Why are you so scared, Hope?”

Suddenly, there was not enough air to be had. My chest grew tight, my fingers clenching around his arms. I swallowed hard, words already forming on my tongue telling him I didn’t know what he was talking about and that I wasn’t scared, but the look in his eyes stopped me.

Thoseeyes, glittering with something deep. And yet, he was not pushing, not demanding. He was simply asking.

Itook a deep breath. Ian had shifted for me. He had broken his own rules because I was in danger and he needed me safe. He deserved my real thoughts. And, for the first time, I allowed the tiny, tiny voice in the back of my mind that had held me back all this time to bubble up to the surface.

“The paranormal world is harsh.” Tears formed out of nowhere, and I blinked them away, concentrating on Ian’s eyes.

“And?”

Iswallowed hard. “I… I don’t want to wake up one day and have only a spellbook to remember you by.”

Hisexpression softened, his eyes growing tender as he studied me again. “There’s more.”

Bitingmy lip, I nodded. “What if I don’t get the shop?” I blurted out, and the dam broke open, sending words tumbling out of me. “What if they give it to someone else and I can’t stay in Olmeda? What if they decide I’m not good enough and I have to go back home and I can’t be here, and what will I do?”

Ibreathed in big gulps of air, my heart hammering now, demanding an exit from my chest.

“Shh.” Ian leaned down and rubbed his cheek against mine. “Easy now.”

Myhands contracted around his arms. “ButIan…”

“The shop is yours. You know it, I know it, we all know it. Soon, the Council will know it too.”

“But what if they don’t? What if the next person who comes looking for Bagley decides to kill you too?”

Leaningback, he shifted his arms until he was holding my face in one hand, his thumb stroking my cheek. The caress soothed my nerves, awoke my magic until it was tingling against his skin.

“If that happens, then we’ll deal with it like we’ve dealt with everything else.”

“But what if you die?” I insisted.

Hepressed his mouth to mine in a fast kiss. “ThenI die. We all must, at some point.”

“ButI don’t want you to die!”

Idon’t want to be alone again.

Asif reading my thoughts, he smiled. “You won’t be alone. You’ve made a family here. Any of us could die to paranormal matters or get into a fatal accident on the way home. There is no controlling that.”

Iknew he was right, but the stubborn part of me wanted to argue. “But you can avoid some dangers.”

Hepressed a finger to my lips. “That’s for me to decide, not you. My life is my responsibility, not yours.”

Ipouted against his finger. “Unfair.”

“Perhaps. But you can’t change a thing about that.” Leaning down, he gave me another kiss. Longer, deeper, the press of his body reminding me of how solid he was, that it was such a silly thing to let these fears control my life rather than acknowledge my fears being silly.

Wasn’tthat what Ian had always done for me? He’d never lied to me when it mattered; he had been honest and realistic. Yes, my fears were not unfounded: like Grandma, he would one day die.

Andif that were to happen before my time came, I’d carry his memory with me forever, as I did with Grandma’s. MemoriesI wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

IfI kept myself walled off, would I have any decent memory to hold on to? Wouldn’tI regret that I hadn’t been more adventurous and less scared?

Fora witch who prided herself on finding the bright side of any situation, I had fumbled badly here.

Kissinghim back, I whispered, “I’ll try.”

Ifelt a flash of a smug smile against my lips, then he was asking for entrance and taking the kiss into the land of scorching heat and melting lava. My body turned languid; my hands explored his back, relishing the play of muscles under his skin. Everything felt deeper, hotter, more thrilling now that my fears were out in the open, as if by vocalizing them, they had opened my soul to him. As if there had been a filter between us that had now been ripped open. As if I could allow myself to finally, really, feel.

Aloud cough pulled us apart. I peeked over Ian’s shoulder to find Hutton looking pointedly away from us. He was breathing heavily, as if he’d run a long way.

“I see I’m not needed,” he said dryly.

Iblinked at Ian. “You called him?”

Ianshrugged and rolled away from me and up to his feet. I tried to keep my gaze on his face and when I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I sat up and looked elsewhere.

“I assume the snotty mess is the witch?” Hutton asked, tossing Ian a pair of black jeans. “Pepper spray?”

Ipuffed out my chest and nodded regally. “Yup.”

“Good job,” Ian said with approval.

Thesound of his zipper going up gave me permission to turn his way again, and I gave him a cheeky grin. “You inspired me.”

Huttongave Ian his phone and keys. “Found them on the way too.”

Thefact that Ian had shifted for me hit me all over again, and I grew teary-eyed once more. “You shifted.”

“I’m more protected from magic in wolf form.”

“Sure,” Hutton said in a voice that telegraphed that even he could tell that was one weak explanation. “Now, what do we do with the witch?”

Whichwitch? And good question.

“CallBrooks,” Ian said as we made our way back to Hannah. The spotlight was down again, but we dragged her farther in to cover our bases. She was sobbing quietly and hiccuping every once in a while. “Show her Crane’s body and pin her as his murderer.”

“Sheis his murderer,” I pointed out. “But what if Hannah tells her about the shop?”

Huttonhuffed a laugh. “She won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Snitches get stitches.”

“She can make a deal to get free with the information about the shop, then disappear.”

“No, she won’t,” Bagley said.

Huttonjumped and whirled toward the voice. “What the hell?”

Sighing, I went over to where Hannah had kicked Bagley. “Hannah put Bagley?—”

“That’sMs. Bagley to you.”

“She put the old hag in some object before I caught her. Help me find it.”

Wesearched the small area until Hutton found something.

“Here,” he said, pointing at the grass and smart enough not to want to taint himself by touching whichever accursed object Bagley now haunted.

“How are you, my boy?” Bagley crooned. “Pack treating you well? How’s your dear mother?”

“Give it up, Ms. Bagley,” I said, picking up a heavy locket, chain included. “He doesn’t need your potion anymore.”

Bagleysnorted. “Oh, I’m sure he will at some point.”

Huttonscowled and gave me an accusatory look. Luckily, he was smart enough not to engage in front of Bagley, although I had a good feeling he’d be paying me a visit soon.

Ibrought the locket to a spot under better light and examined it carefully. Weeks of hauling her haunted objects out of the shop had given me some resilience to handling this one. My skin no longer crawled at the thought of touching Bagley’s evil presence.

Thelocket was a thing of beauty, with elegant etchings on both sides glinting under the dim light, and the heavy weight of it made me think it was an antique. Way too precious to hold such a horrid ghost.

“How do you know Hannah won’t tattle about the shop?” I asked.

“Ah, me and Darla, or Hannah as you know her, we go way back, don’t we, dear?” Bagley asked aloud. There was a muffled whine from Hannah’s direction. “I know some things that if made public would make some people very angry with her. Thekind of people who would love to get some retribution and who have the means to get to anyone they want.”

Atleast it was coercion through blackmail and not dark magic, I consoled myself.

Ilooked at Ian. “Okay, let’s call OfficerBrooks.” Now that Bagley was back in my hands, she’d make sure nothing happened to the shop until she got another evil loser to do her bidding.

Iangot on the phone. After a few short, to-the-point sentences, he pocketed it again. “She’s on the way.”

Ibrought my attention back to Bagley. “This really is too beautiful for you.”

“Only the best for the best.” She cackled, and I resisted the urge to throw her against a tree.

Thething was, if I destroyed this locket, where would Bagley go? Maybe she’d disappear into the ether, maybe she’d snap to a gravestone or an object from someone in the tour group. There was no way of knowing. It was obvious Bagley needed to stay confined to this locket for the rest of time, so we’d always know where she was.

Thatdidn’t mean Bagley had all the power, though. Far from it.

Crouching, I used one hand to dig a small hole in the grass.