Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
A smile built in his chest because, yeah, he’d noticed.
Just then, the noise around them turned louder, so she’d evidently dropped the ‘bubble’.
Paisley glanced from him to Emberlyn. ‘What are you keeping so secret?’
Emberlyn waved her hand. ‘I’ll tell you tomorrow, it’s not important.’
‘Speaking of tomorrow,’ Ripper cut in, ‘you’re working, right?’
‘Until two p.m.,’ Emberlyn told him. ‘I’ll drop off some clients’ laundry on my way home, and then I’ll be done for the day.’
‘I’ll meet you at your place around six.’
She tilted her head. ‘You were serious about spending the full moon with me?’
‘Very serious.’ And equally serious about what he’d promised he’d do to her.
She must have been remembering that promise, because heat seeped into her eyes. ‘All right.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Stood just inside the doorway of her apartment, Paisley knocked back the elixir and shuddered a little. ‘Tastes like green tea, but super minty.’
Emberlyn took the empty potion bottle from her and jammed the stopper into it. ‘You nervous about tonight?’
Paisley let out a quick breath, putting a hand to her stomach. ‘Yes. Crew keeps reassuring me that I’ll be fine; says he’ll be right there and won’t leave my side. But even now, the lunar goings-on are affecting me. Like my body knows that a full moon is coming. I’m a little scared to find out just how strong an impact it’ll have. I don’t want to end up in my In-between form, or wake up smelling of bad sexual decisions.’
‘If Crew said he won’t leave you, then he won’t leave you. Which means the only person you’d be getting down and dirty with is him.’
Paisley’s lips hitched up. ‘He rocks in bed, so I’d be fine with that.’
Kage pushed away from the wall. ‘Wait, you’re sleeping with Crew?’
‘Why, you gonna be the protective big brother and go order him to treat me right?’ Paisley asked, a mocking note to her tone.
Kage blinked. ‘And contribute to your happiness?’ He paused, humming. ‘I don’t know. The thought never really crossed my mind.’
Paisley squinted at him. ‘You’re such an ass. We’re twins. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?’
‘Should it?’
Letting out a sound of exasperation, Paisley turned away from him. ‘Be thankful that you’re an only child, Emberlyn. Siblings are the worst.’
Feeling her lips twitch, Emberlyn peeked up at the wall clock. ‘We’d better get downstairs. The hub needs to open in, like, two minutes.’
‘First, you have to tell me about the secret convo you had with Ripper last night at the game. You told me you’d give up the goods today.’ Paisley folded her arms. ‘Let’s hear it.’
Kage cocked his head, visibly intrigued.
‘Reena came to see me yesterday.’ Emberlyn relayed the entire conversation to her friends, adding, ‘I wouldn’t have thought she’d ever seek me out for advice; it still feels weird that she did.’
Kage rubbed at his cheek. ‘She could be just trying to make you think she means you no harm when, really, she’s plotting to take you down. But that doesn’t sound like Reena.’
‘No, it doesn’t,’ agreed Paisley. ‘She may be right that she’s the real target. It would actually be kind of smart of whoever’s responsible to make it seem that they’re after you. It’d mean that people would suspect your enemies, not hers.’
‘I think it has to be someone in the faction, or maybe several of them.’ Emberlyn looked from Kage to Paisley. ‘Do either of you have any inkling as to who might be part of the group?’
Kage pursed his lips. ‘There are lots of witches who think the coven should be taught about malevolent practices for informational purposes. I’ve never heard anyone openly admit that they want to dabble in them, though. Whatever the case, this faction will be tight. Secretive. Maybe even generational.’
Emberlyn nodded. ‘And they will have infiltrated Reena’s inner circle for certain. They’d need to keep tabs on her and be sure she isn’t figuring shit out. It also means they can mislead her and paint people as trustworthy when they’re anything but.’
‘It’s partly her fault that it’s gotten this bad,’ Paisley claimed. ‘She never took the faction seriously. Prior High Priestesses kept an ear to the ground. She ignored any and all rumors of the group, acting as though it didn’t exist; too arrogant to consider that it might ever work to undermine or overthrow her.’
‘Well, she’s considering it now,’ Emberlyn muttered.
Paisley plucked at her lower lip. ‘I don’t believe any of my family are part of it, but I also don’t think they’d much care if she was replaced. They don’t like having a leader who never holds her close ones accountable for anything. She always makes excuses for them, especially Tyra and Sera, and will even give them false alibis.’
‘Speaking of Sera, I wouldn’t be surprised if she wants to be part of the faction. I don’t think she is, because they seem intent on not drawing attention to themselves. No one can say that about Sera.’ A secret organization wasn’t likely to trust her.