I should have known that Alice would be his first port of call. Sisters ranked somewhere way below girlfriends, even at our age.
Beth stopped the car in front of Alice's house, or rather her parents' house, since she still lived with them.
Henry turned and met each of our eyes one by one. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.”
“Hey,” Deva said using her best mom voice. “Keep yourself out of trouble.” She patted Henry on the shoulder and he flinched like she'd stabbed him. I guessed it would take some time to get over whatever the sirens did to him.
“Enough gambling!” Carol said as she swatted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be out too late," I added, not wanting to say that my nerves were shot after today and that if he didn't come home I might assume that the siren queen, who had introduced herself to me as Ariquia before we left, had decided to take that blood payment after all. I didn't honestly think she would change her mind, but I also knew how my mind worked and how it would jump to the worst possible conclusion after something like this.
Henry merely nodded at me before getting out and bounding up the front steps of Alice's house. Beth waited to see him knock on the door. When Alice opened it, her face lit up and she threw her arms around Henry's neck. Suddenly I felt like a jerk for wanting him to spend time with me and not her. They obviously adored each other. We pulled away once the door shut behind them and made the short trip back to my place.
As soon as we walked into the house, I went for the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge. “If ever we’ve deserved some celebratory wine, it’s now.” I rummaged through the drawer next to the fridge for the bottle opener.
Deva appeared next to me and ran her finger up one side and down the other of the bottle. “Now it won’t run out for the next couple of hours.”
Once I had the bottle open I carried it and the glasses over to the table rather awkwardly before pouring four glasses and handing them out to my friends. We sat around the kitchen table and sighed, relaxing for the first time all week.
“To Emma,” Deva said. “We are so happy to have you as a part of our coven.”
“And if you officially join our business, you can be paid and help us. And we can help you figure out your magic. Honing it, making it stronger,” Beth added.
I nodded eagerly. “I’m in! Totally in.” It sounded amazing. I couldn’t help but be gleeful. I had a real future, a real reason to look forward to waking up tomorrow for the first time in so many years.
"Before we have too much wine, I have a present for you," Deva said.
My brows furrowed. A present? After I'd been a crappy friend for all these years?
"Stop looking like that. I knew you'd get your brother back tonight. In fact, I was so confident that I made up this necklace for you."
"Necklace?" I asked, just getting more confused.
"It's a protection charm, but it's not so much for you as it is for Henry." Deva pulled one of her rings off and flicked the stone.
The whole thing opened up, kind of like a locket. Inside there was a short needle and what I could only assume was a drop of blood. There was nothing else in the world that was quite the same color as blood. Deva pulled a necklace from her purse and set it on the table, dripping the contents of the ring onto the pendant. It sizzled and the blood seemed to be absorbed into the metal until there wasn't a trace of it left.
"There," she said a moment later. "Now, if Henry gets hurt you will know. This pendant will warm against your skin, letting you know he's in trouble. That way we can react as quickly as possible."
"Was that his blood?" I asked, dumbfounded.
Deva nodded. "I just gave him a pat on the shoulder with this, and it collected what I needed to activate the pendant." She waved the ring in the air before slipping it back on her finger. There was no way I would have guessed that it held a needle inside, or that it would shoot out and collect someone's blood.
Relief coursed through me. "Thank you. This is--I--"
Before I could continue to stumble over my words, the doorbell rang. I took another long gulp of wine and secretly wondered if maybe it was Daniel at the door. I hoped so. “Be right back.”
When I opened the front door, a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. I left it there and stepped onto the front porch, but in the dark, with the roof shielding us from the light of the moon, I couldn't see anyone around. I gave the neighborhood a long, narrow-eyed stare, as though I was getting ready to scold it, before picking up the paper and going back inside. Whoever dropped it off had hightailed it out of there faster than I would have thought possible. I was exhausted though, so maybe I was moving slower than I thought.
My mood was still light and happy. I opened the paper and gasped. In an instant, my happy, hopeful future crashed around me like a ton of bricks.
I know what you did. You’re going to pay.
“What is it?” Carol asked as I stumbled back into the kitchen, barely making sure the door was latched and locked behind me.
“It’s about my ex husband,” I whispered.
Beth took the note and almost immediately dropped it on the table. “Whoever wrote it is full of power. I mean overflowing.”
Deva held her hand over it. “I feel it too. What did you do?”
They all looked at me with wide, worried eyes. Beth gave me a pointed look that said it was time to share the full story of what happened when I became karma with my other friends. I'd let it slip when it was just Beth and I, but ever since then I'd tried to keep quiet about it. I still felt guilty about what I'd done, even if they deserved it, and I didn't know what kind of ramifications doing something like that had in the supernatural world. Hell, I hadn't even known the supernatural world existed when it had happened.
I sighed and slumped down at the table, pulling my wine to me and taking a long, fortifying drink. I had to tell them the truth if I hoped to get their help getting myself out of this. “Once upon a time, a woman accidentally turned her ex husband and his new girlfriend into toads. Turns out she wasn't living in the fairy tale she thought, and now the evil witch is after her.”
Their eyes widened, and I took a long sip of my wine.
I saved Henry. But now, somehow, I needed to save myself.
Did you enjoy this book? If so, preorder book two, Karma’s Shift.
Also By Helen Scott
Don’t forget to check out Helen’s other series.
Immortal Hunters MC (Cowritten with Lacey Carter Andersen)
Van Helsing Rising
Van Helsing Damned - Coming Soon
Magical Midlife in Mystic Hollow (Cowritten with Lacey Carter Andersen and LA Boruff)
Karma’s Spell
Karma’s Shift - Coming Soon
The Wild Hunt
Daughter of the Hunt
Challenger of the Hunt
Champion of the Hunt – Coming Soon
Prisoners of Nightstone (Cowritten with May Dawson)
Potions and Punishments
Incantations and Inmates - Coming Soon
Twisted Fae
(Cowritten with Lucinda Dark)
Court of Crimson
Court of Frost
Court of Midnight
The Hollow
(Cowritten with Ellabee Andrews)
Survival
Seduction
Surrender
Salsang Chronicles
(cowritten with Serena Akeroyd)
Stained Egos
Stained Hearts
Stained Minds
Stained Bonds
Stained Souls
Salsang Chronicles Box Set
Cerberus
Daughter of Persephone
Daughter of Hades
Queen of the Underworld
Cerberus Series Box Set
Hera’s Gift (A Cerberus Series Novella)
Four Worlds
Wounding Atlantis
Finding Hyperborea
Escaping El Dorado
Embracing Agartha – Coming Soon
Wardens of Midnight
Woman of Midnight (A Wardens of Midnight Novella)
Sanctuary at Midnight
The Siren Legacy
The Oracle (A Siren Legacy Novella)
The Siren’s Son
The Siren’s Eyes
The Siren’s Code
The Siren’s Heart
The Banshee (A Siren Legacy Novella)
The Siren’s Bride
Fury’s Valentine (A Siren Legacy Novella)
Standalones, Shared Worlds, and Box Sets
The Sex Tape
Spin My Gold (Cowritten with Lacey Carter Andersen)
Buttercup
Neve
Also By Lacey Carter Andersen
Monsters and Gargoyles
Medusa’s Destiny *audiobook*
Keto’s Tale
Celaeno’s Fate
Cerberus Unleashed
Lamia’s Blood
Shade’s Secret
Hecate’s Spell
Shorts: Their Own Sanctuary
Shorts: Their Miracle Pregnancy
Dark Supernaturals
Wraith Captive
Marked Immortals
Chosen Warriors
Wicked Reform School/House of Berserkers
Untamed: Wicked Reform School
Unknown: House of Berserkers
Royal Fae Academy
Revere (A Short Prequel)
Ravage
Ruin
Reign
Her Demon Lovers
Secret Monsters
Unchained Magic
Dark Powers
An Angel and Her Demons
Supernatural Lies
Immortal Truths
Lover’s Wrath
Legends Unleashed
Don’t Say My Name
Don’t Cross My Path
Don’t Touch My Men
The Firehouse Feline
Feline the Heat
Feline the Flames
Feline the Burn
Feline the Pressure
God Fire Reform School
Magic for Dummies
Myths for Half-Wits
Mayhem for Suckers
The Icelius Reverse Harem
Her Alien Abductors
Her Alien Barbarians
Her Alien Mates
Collection: Her Alien Romance
Steamy Tales of Warriors and Rebels
Gladiators
The Dragon Shifters’ Last Hope
Claimed by Her Harem
Treasured by Her Harem
Collection: Magic in her Harem
Harem of the Shifter Queen
Sultry Fire
Sinful Ice
Saucy Mist
Collection: Power in her Kiss
Standalones
Scars
Beauty with a Bite
Shifters and Alphas
Collections
Monsters, Gods, Witches, Oh My!
Wings, Horns, and Shifters
Also By L.A. Boruff
A Ghoulish Midlife (Paranormal Women’s Fiction co-write with Lia Davis) https://laboruff.com/books/witching-after-forty/
The Unseen War (Paranormal Reverse Harem): https://laboruff.com/books/unseen/
Valentine Pride (Complete Paranormal Reverse Harem co-write with Laura Greenwood): https://laboruff.com/books/valentine/
Coven’s End (Complete Paranormal Reverse Harem co-write with Lia Davis): https://laboruff.com/books/ce/
Academy’s Rise (Paranormal Reverse Harem co-write with Lia Davis): https://laboruff.com/books/ar/
Lucifer’s War (Paranormal Romance co-write with Lia Davis):
https://laboruff.com/books/lucifers-war/
Tales of Clan Robbins (Paranormal Western Romance co-write with Laura Greenwood):
https://laboruff.com/books/the-tales-of-clan-robbins/
The Firehouse Feline (Paranormal Comedic Reverse harem co-write with Laura Greenwood and Lacey Carter Andersen): https://laboruff.com/books/the-firehouse-feline/
Magic & Metaphysics Academy (Paranormal Academy Reverse Harem co-write with Laura Greenwood):
https://laboruff.com/books/m-m
Southern Soil (Sweet Contemporary Reverse Harem): https://laboruff.com/books/southernsoil/
About the Author
Helen Scott lives in the Chicago area with her wonderful husband and furry, four-legged kids. She spends way too much time with her nose in a book and isn’t sorry about it. When not reading or writing, Helen can be found absorbed in one video game or another or crafting her heart out.
Thank you for reading!
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About the Author
L.A. (Lainie) Boruff lives in East Tennessee with her husband, three children, and an ever growing number of cats. She loves reading, watching TV, and procrastinating by browsing Facebook. L.A.’s passions include vampires, food, and listening to heavy metal music. She once won a Harry Potter trivia contest based on the books and lost one based on the movies. She has two bands on her bucket list that she still hasn’t seen: AC/DC and Alice Cooper. Feel free to send tickets.
About the Author
Lacey Carter Andersen loves reading, writing, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. She spends her days taking care of her husband, three kids, and three cats. But at night, everything changes! Her imagination runs wild with strong-willed characters, unique worlds, and exciting plots that she enthusiastically puts into stories.
Lacey has dozens of tales: science fiction romances, paranormal romances, short romances, reverse harem romances, and more. So, please feel free to dive into any of her worlds; she loves to have the company!
And you’re welcome to reach out to her; she really enjoys hearing from her readers.
You can find her at:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laceysrealm
Email: [email protected]
Mailing List: https://www.subscribepage.com/laceycarterandersen
Website: www.laceycarterandersen.wordpress.com/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Lacey-Carter-Andersen-1940678949483316/
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