by M. L. Briers
Claudia snapped her fingers like she’d just remembered something. “And I don’t suppose you have a good length of chain or chains?”
“Not on me,” Amber said.
“I know who does,” Claudia said, raising her witching finger and turning on her heels.
“Hey, what about the binding spell stuff?” Amber asked.
Claudia stopped at the door and shot a grin over her shoulder. “You own a witch shop, you’re a witch if you don’t know what goes into a really good – strong – hard – firm binding spell by now, how are you still in business?” she said and yanked open the door. “Bring it with you to your mother’s,” she called as she strolled out onto the street. “Bring double!” she yelled.
Amber’s eyebrows reached for her hairline, and she took a deep breath in and turned to Sandy. “Crazy aunts, you gotta love ‘em.”
“Yeah, I don’t have that problem,” Sandy said.
“You do now,” Amber assured her.
“Oh, – cool.” Sandy looked pleased with the idea.
“Seriously?” Amber scowled as she placed her bag down on the counter and turned to the stock with a small sigh. It might only have been a few minutes happiness at the thought of goofing off with Josh, but it still felt like a loss.
“Like I said, I’ve never really had a family, and crazy or not; a big family is fun.”
“And annoying,” Amber said, taking items from the shelves and clutching them to her chest.
“Still, fun,” Sandy said, and she wouldn’t be dissuaded no matter how much Amber protested.
“Tell you what, we’ll have this conversation again in five years and we’ll see how differently you feel then.”
“Bring it on,” Sandy said, chuckling. She was more than happy to put up with the rough and the smooth, just for the chance to be a part of the family that were crazy cool.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
~
Claudia knew that she stood little chance of getting over the seven-foot-high chainmail fence in what she was wearing, and sure, she could have kicked off her heels, hitched up her pencil skirt, and climbed it, but it would have been a crazy chance to take. There wasn’t anybody around the back of the hardware store, so she thought smart, and decided that magic was the easiest way out.
From the fence, she could see what she hoped would be the answer to her prayers, a length of thick chain that was a little rusty and a lot dirty, but it was also just lying on the ground ready for the taking. After all, who would climb a fence to take a rusty old chain on a sunny afternoon – apart from her? And with the store closed, she couldn’t exactly ask nicely for it, now could she?
Claudia drew her magic into an electric ball within the heart of her, and that feeling warmed her as it tried to twist and turn and spread its tendrils to do what it was intended to do. She lifted her hand and slowly pushed her magic out, feeling the chain with her senses until she found the end, and then she slowly drew it towards her.
The chain moved like a snake across the concrete. It made a little more noise than she had intended, but who was going to hear that? She was alone, or so she thought.
“I’m pretty sure that’s theft.” The deep gravelly tone of his voice made her jolt to awareness. If she’d been a cartoon cat, then she would have jumped in the air in fright and probably been on top of the fence, hissing down at the damn shifter who had startled her in her wicked deed.
“It’s borrowing,” she bit out in annoyance at getting busted, and scared, and turned to find Cain standing not three feet away. His big muscled arms were folded across his broad chest, and he was staring at her like she was doing something wrong.
Claudia resented that look; it wasn’t as if she wasn’t going to make someone return the damn chain for her when she was done with it. How dare he judge her with no information whatsoever about why she was doing what she was doing – she could have been about to prevent the apocalypse for all he knew.
“Without permission?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s a yes,” Cain said and noted the way she pulled her head back and cocked an eyebrow at him. “That’s a double yes, and that’s also a crime.”
“Do you work for the police now?” Claudia asked. She was a little miffed that he’d caught her, and her feathers were ruffled that he was judging her with those damn puppy dog eyes. Men.
Cain bit out a chuckled. “Hell, no.”
“Then mind your own business and go chase your tail or something,” she said and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
Just as she was turning back to the store, a low, deep growl rumbled towards her, and she stopped and shot a look at him. “You know you’re proving my point, right?”
Cain shifted his weight on his feet and eyed her right back. He knew the type, and he didn’t like it. She might have looked good – who was he kidding, she looked really great, but he hated the way witches thought they were better than everyone else. In his book; a witch’s moral compass was just about as dodgy as you could get. “Lady…”
“Oh, don’t confuse me with a lady. I can get down and dirty with the best of them,” Claudia said, and when she took a second to think about it – that probably could have come out better than it did.
The one thing it had done was confuse the hell out of Scooby-Don’t, and from the way, Cain stared back at her she could tell he was thinking long and hard about that one. Of course, he was, and why wouldn’t he? When all she wanted to do was dismiss it and get back to stealing the chain – or rather borrowing it for her devious plan.
“I can see your point,” Cain said and eyed her up and down.
Claudia gasped inwardly at the nerve of the man, but the hell if she was going to show that he’d gotten to her. “If you’re not gone when I do what I need to do and turn back then I’m going to weave a spell to make your wolf lose every strand of fur on its body,” she informed him – which was a lie – him bald? Sure, but she wouldn’t hurt his wolf unless she had to.
Cain stood his ground. He pulled his body a little straighter, stuck out that big muscled chest a little more, and eyed her right back. He had no intention of turning tail after being threatened by a witch, no matter how much his wolf wanted him to turn and walk away. That witch was up to something, and he wanted to know what it was.
“Go, fetch a stick, play chase the ball with your son,” Claudia said, shooing him with her hands, but he stood firm. She huffed and gave up.
The way Claudia saw it was, Cain already knew what she was doing, and if he wanted to tell on her, then he would, so she might as well get on with it and steal the damn chain. “You’re annoying,” she bit out.
“Then I’m in good company,” Cain said and got a backwards glare for his trouble. The moment she turned back to the fence, he couldn’t help but smile. But he was still damn curious as to why the witch needed a rusty length of chain.
The slow scraping sound of the metal against the concrete grated on his nerves and set his teeth on edge, without what that noise did to his ears, and it seemed to be taking forever for the chain to snake its way towards them. Cain decided that he wasn’t getting any younger. Finally, he caved, grumbled, and jumped the fence with ease.
“What are you doing?” Claudia hissed out a whisper.
“Now, you’re not being quiet,” he tossed back over his shoulder as he stalked over to gather up the chain and headed back to where she was standing. One good jump and he was back on her side of the fence with the chain slung over his shoulder.
“That’s mine,” Claudia said.
Cain offered her a smirk of a smile that irritated her and drew her in with equal measure. “Looks like it’s on my shoulder,” he said.
Claudia didn’t have time to play games. She needed the chain but not the shifter it was attached to. “How much?”
“Excuse me?”
“How much do you want for the chain, you’ve obviously seen an opening to exploit the situation, and now you’re going to exploit me for money
– so, how much?”
“That’s offensive,” Cain said, and his eyebrows played on his forehead like two lost caterpillars that had reared up to fight each other.
Claudia couldn’t figure the man out. He obviously hated witches, or maybe it was just her he didn’t like, but right then he was the fly in the ointment of her plans, and she needed that chain. They either made a deal, or she needed to take it from him.
In truth, she was a little reluctant to use magic to zap the annoying and troublesome shifter back to the dark ages where he obviously belonged, but only because he was sort of family. But, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t do it if he didn’t play ball. “Just name a price.”
“Tell me why you need it so badly that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow to buy some from the store,” Cain said.
Claudia frowned. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“And I tell you, and you’ll give me the chain?”
“I’ll give you the chain.”
Claudia mulled that one over for a moment. It seemed straight forward enough. “Fine, there’s an undead guy, and a dead guy and the dead guy just took over the undead guy’s body, and I need that chain to spell it so I can keep the undead guy tied up until we can figure out a spell to get the dead guy out of the undead guy.”
Cain scowled back at her. “That’s a joke?”
“On my honour,” she said and crossed her heart.
“You’re a witch.”
“Now that’s offensive,” she said and eyed him with a stern glare.
Cain considered it for a long moment. He wasn’t entirely sure that he’d followed her story, but he was pretty sure that he didn’t want her to repeat it. “Who’s the undead guy?”
“A vampire,” she said as if it was obvious or should have been even to him, and noted the way he straightened a little.
“Neal?” he asked.
Claudia nodded. “Yeah,” she said.
“I’m coming with you,” he said, and when she snorted a chuckle, he offered her a no-nonsense look.
“Oh, you’re serious,” Claudia said and chuckled again.
“Ya think?”
“Well, I do, but I’m not sure we can say the same for you,” she offered back as sweet as apple pie with a big dollop of ice cream thrown in.
Still, she needed the chain and if it came with the shifter attached then so be it. She guessed it saved her from carrying the damn thing.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
~
Claudia pulled her car around into the back alley where Cain was waiting for her. She had to admit that the closer she got, the better he looked.
Six-foot-something of pure hard muscles and an air about him that said – danger here – and who didn’t like a bad boy? While he was less boy and all man, she figured that a lifetime of experience made him a total badass. What wasn’t to like?
In another lifetime, when he hadn’t found his mate and didn’t have a son, she might just have zeroed in on him with her wicked witchy ways, and they could have spent endless nights wrapped around each other, doing what mankind did best. But, that wasn’t to be, and wishing wouldn’t make it so. The man was taken, and even if she was that kind of woman that got involved with a married man – which she wasn’t – a mate would never stray – which made him even more attractive.
That was one of the reasons that she was happy for Amber. The woman had found a good man and one she’d never need to spend a sleepless night worrying if he was going to come home or was out sowing his wild oats around town. While Claudia loved men and their company, she hated cheaters, and she’d vowed a long time ago never to be taken in by a hot body and a nice smile again.
In her book, most men left eventually, like Jake, so if she left first, she would never get blindsided again as Marilyn had when Jake had walked out for the cheerleader Barbie. Pain was controllable, modern medicine did it all the time, and she did it by never staying too long in one place to put down roots and become stuck or attached.
Claudia pulled up next to the sexy shifter and got out of the car. “Get in,” she said. While she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to spend the time it would take to get to Marilyn’s sharing car space with Mr Hunky; she couldn’t leave him behind as per their deal.
“No, thanks; I’ve seen the way you drive, and I’ll take my truck,” Cain said.
“I never took you for a coward,” she said and walked around the car to pop the boot so he could put the chain inside.
Cain grunted in annoyance; his beast didn’t like the witch’s words, and it was already antsy about being that close to her. He yanked open the back door and threw the rusty length of coiled chain onto the backseat.
The sound of the witch’s squeal might have hurt his ears, but it was satisfying. “All yours,” he said and slammed the door shut with a little more strength than was needed.
Claudia drew in a slow, deep breath as her anger level soared, and breathed it out down her nose like a fireless dragon. “There is going to be a time and a place when you least expect it when payback is going to bite you right on your furry little ass,” she said and slammed the trunk so hard that the car protested with metallic groans.
Cain shot her the kind of a smile that could make a woman’s panties drop around their ankles. “I’ll look forward to it,” he said with a little bit more gravel in his tone than normal. Then he turned and walked away.
Claudia had to admit that she liked watching him walk away just as much as she liked seeing him coming her way, but she was still mad at him, and payback was a bitch, especially when it was delivered by the hand of a very wicked witch.
~
Lottie walked the hallway with a large book of shadows open in her hands to the page that she wanted Louann to look at. She’d found a spell that might end the unpalatable need to kill the vampire over and again every few minutes, but it involved keeping both the vampire and ghost as one but immobilised.
It wasn’t a solution to the whole ‘getting the ghost out of the ghoul problem,’ but it might work while they figured out how to push the golfing guy out of Neal’s body, and it would save the time and effort to watch over him all the time.
Nobody wanted a vampire who wasn’t in control of himself out there on the streets running loose, who knew what the golfing guy might get up to. Power like that could go right to a man’s head, and it was one of the reasons that newbie vampires were so damn annoying to have around.
Louann shot a look at her friend as she walked towards her. “This was fun at first, but now it’s getting old fast,” Louann said. “And don’t tell Marilyn I said this, but even I’m starting to feel sorry for the damn vampire.”
“Oh, that’s the first thing I’m going to tell her,” Lottie said and thrust the book out for Louann’s opinion.
Louann checked out the spell with a hum and a snort and finished with a chuckle. “Looks good, and I wonder if we can add a little something to it to keep the vampire from darkening Marilyn’s doorstep again?”
“That’s not fair to either of them – it’s cheating – and they need to find their own way in this world,” Lottie scolded her. “We intervened once before, and it didn’t bring Marilyn any more happiness than leaving things alone might have done,” she reminded her. “Heck, the woman has been a virtual hermit for the last ten years on the dating scene.”
“That doesn’t mean she should…” She waved a dismissive hand at Neal who coincidentally sprang back to life. “Dead!” Louann snapped out, and it wasn’t the only thing she snapped.
“You lied, you enjoyed that one,” Lottie said, looking down her nose at her.
“That’s because you got me thinking about his possible intentions towards my Marilyn,” Louann informed her, pulling back her shoulders and feeling the stretch through her muscles as she stood tall and proud. “I’m not having a vampire son-in-law in the family.”
“Why not, you’ve got a shifter,” Lottie teased. “Heck, find a Cousin Itt and an Uncle
Fester, and you could be a real-life Addams Family.”
Louann lowered her chin to her chest and eyed her from beneath a deep frown. “Do I look impressed?”
“Do I look like I care?” Lottie shot back and splashed on a teasing grin. “Now, is this spell going to cut the mustard, or what?” she asked, thrusting the book under the witch’s nose.
“Probably,” Louann said and batted it aside. “Make plans, and if it doesn’t work, I’m sure I can spend a little while longer snapping his damn neck.”
“You’re all heart, Louann,” Lottie said, turning on her heels and walking back the way she’d come. “Don’t ever change.”
~
Marilyn was busy in the kitchen when she heard the car pull up on the drive. She flicked back the curtain to see Amber and Sandy climb out. “Looks like the meeting of the accidental coven is about to take place,” she said to herself, plastering on a smile, and trying to make it look real as she made her way to the front door.
Amber was already inside by the time she got there, and Sandy was just entering the house. “Claudia told us what happened, and we’ve come to help with the spell – whatever that may be,” Amber said.
“I wouldn’t go upstairs if I were you, your grandmother is busy torturing Neal,” Marilyn said with a little too much venom in her voice for anyone not to notice. Then she snapped on a brighter smile and motioned for them to go through, but the sound of something very familiar blasting out of a set of car speakers alerted Marilyn that Claudia was back.
Marilyn groaned to herself at the witch’s choice of song. “Really?” she grumbled as the younger witches chuckled. She stepped out onto the doorstep, folded her arms, and cocked her head to one side as Claudia drew up with what looked like Cain’s truck following on behind. “That’s your choice of music?” Marilyn called over the track and got a teasing smile back in return.
“You don’t like it anymore?” Claudia asked, turning the sound down just a little bit. “I remember when you used to love this track…”