Witches Get Stitches

by Juliette Cross

  “Oh, you wouldn’t, would you?” Violet stood in the arched entry to the living room from the hallway.

  She was wearing my Rolling Stones T-shirt, which hit her mid-thigh, her hair looked like a rat’s nest, and the stitched cut at her hairline had turned blue from the faded bruising. She looked like hell, but still my stomach somersaulted and my mouth went dry.

  I stood and went to her, then gently cupped her jaw and tilted her face up to get a look at the cut. “How do you feel? Want some Advil?”

  “Meh.” She shrugged. “A visit to Isadora will do the trick better actually.”

  “I’ll go feed Fred,” Clara called out to us before disappearing.

  “Smart sister. Giving us privacy.” Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her sweet mouth.

  She kissed me back, then slipped her hands around my waist and burrowed her cheek into the middle of my sternum. “Why did you leave me in bed all alone?”

  “Because you were sleeping like the dead, and I didn’t want to wake you.” I smoothed my palms in circles on her back.

  “You should’ve.”

  “You needed sleep.”

  “What smells so good? Did you cook?”

  “That would be bacon and pancakes from three hours ago.”

  “Pancakes?” She lurched back and gave me her wide-eyed excited face.

  “Chocolate chip.”

  “Aww! You remembered?”

  “I remember everything you say.”

  She didn’t respond, just looked at me. I’m perfectly content with that smug expression on her face. I have no problem that she knows how twisted I am around her little finger.

  “I’ll go heat up a plate if you want to tell Clara she can come inside.”

  Right then, Clara opened the door and stepped into the entryway off the kitchen. “I forgot to tell you, Devraj figured out Archie’s escape trick.”

  “No way.” Violet turned to the side so she could see Clara. “How was he doing it?”

  “A jump to an upturned bucket then to the recycling bin then to the garbage then over the fence. Quite the acrobat, that Archie. Anyway, Fred can come home now.”

  I tightened my hold on Violet. “I kind of like having him here. It’ll make you visit more often.”

  “Or I could just move in with you. He loves his new house you made him.”

  I was stuck on the moving in with me part. “Seriously?”

  She scoffed. “It’s better than the one he has at our house.”

  “No, I mean about you moving in.”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Why not? I know what I want now. Plus, I like the idea of getting sex on demand.”

  Stunned. This woman had put me off for so long, and now was perfectly fine to move in. “What has made you so agreeable?”

  She arched a brow and slid her bare leg forward between my jeans. “I think you know.”

  “Noted.”

  “Nico, I love that statue you have of Violet,” interrupted Clara, her voice coming from the kitchen. “Did Mateo make it for you?”

  My pulse skittered ahead as Violet’s head swiveled toward the kitchen then back to me.

  “Whaaaat?”

  “Okay, I know it seems weird—”

  Violet took off running outside with no pants and in bare feet.

  Heaving a sigh, I gave Clara a disgruntled look after walking over to the entryway “You were my favorite sister. Now she’s going to be impossible.”

  “You mean she didn’t know?” Clara rolled her eyes, tearing off a piece of chocolate chip pancake and eating it cold. “For a witch, and a psychic, she’s so clueless.”

  Following Violet out to the courtyard, I found her standing in front of the fairy on the far side of the fountain, grinning like the cat who got the cream. She propped her hands on her hips.

  “You were so in love with me the whole time.”

  “She bears a slight resemblance to you.”

  “She’s me. Exactly me. She’s even got a smirky smile that looks like me, not Clara.”

  Crossing my arms, I pretended nonchalance. “You’re delusional.”

  “Admit it.” She hopped from one foot to the other.

  “It’s fucking freezing out here, Violet. Come here.” I started toward her around the fountain.

  She maneuvered away from me, circling to the other side. “Just say I’m right.”

  “I’m not saying that.” I juked her and ran around the other side.

  She squealed and yelled, “Say I’m right!”

  I caught her around the waist and swept her off her feet, tossed her into the air, then caught her in both arms, knees dangling over my left arm. She cackled with laughter, flinging her head back with unfettered joy. The sound lit something inside me, rekindling that deeply rooted warmth we’d found in the bedroom last night.

  I leaned down and nipped her exposed neck, smiling against her tender skin while striding toward the house.

  She wrapped her hands around my neck and sing-songed, “Just say it!”

  “Okay, fine, fine,” I whined begrudgingly. I stopped on the stoop right in front of the door and hauled her closer till I could press my forehead to hers, then I whispered, “I was so in love with you.” I closed my eyes, admitting words that had terrified me months ago and now only made my heart soar with bliss. “The whole time.” I opened my eyes to make sure she heard me. “And it might’ve taken you two years to figure out what I already knew, but I would’ve waited longer for you.”

  She sucked in a shuddering breath. “Well…” She swallowed hard and pulled on a longer lock of hair at my nape. “I might be as clueless as my sister says I am, but my eyes are wide open now.”

  “Yeah?” I set her gently on the welcome mat and rested my hands on her hips. “And what do you see?”

  “I see…” She tilted her head, her crazy bed-hair so wild and untamed like the woman herself that it made my heart hurt. Her hands skated up my shoulders to rest on the sides of my neck. “My man.”

  “That’s right, you do.” I opened the door behind her then popped her behind. “Now go eat breakfast before you earn another spanking.”

  She marched through the door then tossed me a sexy look over her shoulder with a low, “Yes, sir.”

  When I growled, she jumped right back into my arms and cupped a hand against my ear to whisper, “I really want breakfast because I’m starving. But I want another spanking later, too.”

  Then she was swishing back toward the kitchen, my T-shirt just barely covering her fine ass. That woman could twist my heart and my dick into knots so fast, I never knew what I wanted to do more, cuddle her or fuck her. What I did know was that now we had plenty of time for both.

  And no matter what happened from here on out, what trials and tribulations life threw at us, one truth would never change. She was mine. I was hers. And that’s all that mattered.

  Chapter 33

  ~VIOLET~

  * * *

  “You’ve got us all here. Now tell us what this is about.”

  Jules was on edge, and I didn’t blame her. When she asked why I wanted all of these people assembled together, she demanded to know why. I’d told her I wasn’t going to tell her until we all met and she just needed to do this for me.

  There were a few reasons I wanted to handle things this way.

  One, Jules might’ve used the time leading up to this meeting to contemplate and create a counter-argument without the presence of all those here. Particularly Ruben. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the thing between these two a decade ago had caused a rift that made her want to avoid him at all costs. But for this to work, we needed Ruben.

  Ruben had offered the use of his bookshop lounge for the meeting. It was an elegant blend of art deco design and luxurious comfort with velvet seating and Tiffany lamps on side tables. Devraj sat next to Isadora with their hands entwined and on his thigh. Clara and Livvy were curled on a blue velvet chaise, delicate coffee cups and saucers in their laps. Jules was in
a chair next to them. Mateo was in another plush chair to Jules’s right, Evie sitting on his lap, his hand wrapped around her abdomen.

  “Wait,” I told her. “We’re waiting on one more.”

  The outer door opened and closed, then in stepped Henry. As usual, he was decked in all black. Scanning the room, his gaze lingered on my twin. That familiar ping of magic buzzed along my skin, then he wound through the seating to lean against the wall next to Ruben who had remained standing, hands in his pants pockets. I could see Jules wanted to ask why a grim was here, but thankfully she held her tongue.

  To be honest, I wasn’t sure of Henry’s role within his community of grim reapers, but I did know that he had influence and held some power. The display at my so-called rescue, along with what Nico had told me about their abilities, meant that grims weren’t just Gothic decoration in the supernatural world. And apparently, the Blackwaters were not only powerful grims, but they had access to invaluable data as well as the ability to pass information through the Supernatural Net. And whatever other secretive paths they held in their hands. They’d also proven themselves to be allies with my family. That family now included Nico and his friends and brothers in the Blood Moon pack.

  Nico stood next to me at the front of the assembly, arms crossed as he leaned back against a bookshelf.

  “Right. As you are aware, I was recently kidnapped. The recent incident with the Blood Moon pack has taught me something that I was too stubborn to realize before.” Honestly, I was expecting some sarcastic remarks at this point, but no one said a word. All were intently listening. “Shane and his pack did what they did out of desperation. Not desperation to hurt or harm me, but to receive the magic they needed the only way they knew how. This magic, my spells, has the ability to calm their volatile impulses. Nico can attest that my most recent charmed tattoo has had the positive effect on them that we’d hoped.” I glanced at Nico by my side. He nodded to show agreement and gave me a small smile of encouragement. “I’ll be giving the entire pack the spelled ink that they need over the next week or so, but that isn’t enough.”

  “That isn’t the full pack?” asked Devraj, one arm on the sofa back, his fingers casually playing with Isadora’s hair.

  “That’s not what I mean. The problem is that all werewolves need this kind of charm. It’s more than a spell to keep their beast in check. Am I right?” I turned to Nico again.

  Holding my gaze, he addressed everyone loud so they could hear, “It’s a healing charm. For in here.” He tapped his chest.

  “Then that’s great,” said Livvy. “You can help all the werewolves in our region then.”

  Shaking my head, I added, “I don’t want to help just the werewolves here where we live. I want to help all of them.”

  “All?” Jules understood the enormity of what I was saying.

  “All.”

  Mateo held Evie close, tucked tenderly against him. In turn, she had her hand resting on his stomach beneath his shirt. Skin to skin contact was a comfort to werewolves. I smiled at the two of them, understanding now the zinging through my bones.

  “You know, there aren’t many mixed couples with werewolves. And we all know why. It’s not just the fact that the werewolf race has had a history of violent behavior. It’s the prejudice that was created against them a long time ago because of this. I’m sure that the first werewolf, Diego Ortega, created by the witch Ethelinda”—yes, I did my research before coming today—“deserved his punishment. But do every descendant beyond him, innocent men only guilty by birth alone, do they deserve the intolerance of the entire supernatural world against them?”

  Jules’s usual stoic veneer faltered. Her brow furrowed to one of concern. She’d been taught by our mother what every witch and Enforcer before her had been taught. Beware of werewolves. Keep them away for your own safety. But then, she also made an exception when she saw Mateo in trouble, when he needed the help of a good witch to break the hex put on him.

  “What I want,” I declared with emphasis, “is a revolution against the too-long discrimination of an entire race of supernaturals.” I reached beside me without looking at Nico. He took my hand immediately and squeezed with reassurance. “It may have taken me to fall in love with a werewolf to see this, but the problem isn’t just to help them with a spell. We need to help our world to see that they’re one of us. The fact that they’ve been suffering for centuries when one witch could’ve created a spell to help them all along honestly makes me sick.”

  “But Violet…” Clara straightened, looking off to the side, a frown marring her usually tranquil face. I felt the tug of magic as it flowed through the room from her and hummed along my skin with familiarity. She was tapping into her psychic eye. “You were the only witch who would’ve thought to use the permanent charm for werewolves. And you were the only witch powerful enough to cast it.”

  She said it not as a compliment or as a means of support for her twin sister, but as a fact. She’d read the otherworld for knowledge and had been told by the Spirit. The effervescent glow of her skin proved it.

  “It won’t be easy,” said Jules, concern still etched in her brow.

  “I know,” I agreed softly. “Which is why we’ll need help.” I looked at Ruben and Henry. “It isn’t just a witch problem anyway.”

  Ruben’s mouth tipped up with his devilish, crooked smile. “I’ll do whatever you ask in the vampire community.”

  Henry didn’t say anything, but he nodded alongside Ruben. I suppose that’s all I’d get from a grim as far as compliance.

  “I think it needs to be a group effort,” I told him. “Actually, it’s the witches and vampires who are most outspoken in their discrimination against the werewolves so I was hoping to work with you and Jules to figure out how we can take this all the way to the top.” Jules glanced nervously at Ruben, but I went on. “Clara may be right, and it may be only my spell that can help them, but I’m in no way capable of tattooing every werewolf in the world. But I can spell enough ink and train other willing witches, other powerful Seers, to cast the spell.”

  “That would require a lot of organization,” agreed Devraj.

  “And open-minded Enforcers to allow the practice in their covens,” Jules added.

  “Not to mention the regions run by vampire overlords who would need to agree to the same.” Ruben’s voice was gruff, but I think it was at the thought of dealing with arrogant vampire overlords in other territories who wouldn’t take it kindly to be told to play nice with werewolves.

  “So you see,” I said, “I need your help.” Then I stepped closer to Nico’s side. He wrapped an arm around me and tucked me close, pressing a kiss to my temple. “We need your help.”

  Without a second thought, Ruben dipped his chin. “Given.”

  Jules actually smiled at him, and I thought the earth might open up with the onslaught of the apocalypse. Then she turned her smile to me, pride in her eyes. “You have my full support. And I know you’ll have our parents as well.”

  “And Maybelle’s,” added Livvy with a chuckle. Maybelle was our wild grandmother who had been spending her time traveling the world and trying out foreign lovers in every port. “If I recall, she’s had more than one love affair with a werewolf and would certainly support this venture.”

  Isadora piped up then. “I’m not sure what I can do, but if you need me for anything, I’m at your disposal, Vi.”

  “Thanks, Iz. So I guess everyone is with me on this?”

  “I’m always up for a revolution.” Livvy winked.

  Clara glanced around before settling back on me. “We’re all with you. Nico and Mateo are our family now. It’s our responsibility to show the world that we can’t shun a race simply because our ancestors did. What’s wrong is wrong.”

  “Agreed,” said Jules, standing. “Ruben, I’ll email you with some meeting times on this. We’ll need a detailed plan moving forward.”

  “As you wish,” he said with a bow of his head.

  For some
reason, that had her frowning harder than normal before she headed for the door. Everyone else started to stand and make their way toward the exit. Clara stopped Henry as he passed to tell him something. They walked, and he listened as they left the lounge. Evie and Mateo headed straight for us instead.

  Evie grinned so hard I thought her face might break, then I saw the glassy look in her eyes. She blinked back the tears and swept me into a tight hug. “Fuck, Evie, I can’t breathe.”

  She laughed, and I could hear her fighting the tears. “You’re the bestest, Vi. Such a softie.”

  “Shut up. Don’t tell anyone.”

  “It’s our secret.” Then she smacked a kiss on my cheek, took Mateo’s hand, and tugged him toward the door.

  But not before Mateo chucked me on the chin. “Thank you.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, unable to respond so just gave a little wave. I wasn’t the mushy kind of girl, but all this teary-eyed gratitude had my emotions running amuck.

  Big, strong arms wrapped around me from behind, then Nico dipped his mouth close to my ear. “She’s right. You’re the bestest.”

  “You’re not biased at all.”

  “Not at all.”

  I turned in his arms. “Let’s go home. I have something I want to add to the list.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Let’s just say Isadora sent me a list of her favorite toys.”

  “Isadora?”

  I laughed at his shocked expression. Isadora didn’t appear to be the adventurous type to the outside world, but that girl knew her sex toys better than anyone. I’d seen the packages she’d ordered when she lived with us in the house. So I knew she’d be the one to give me some tips.

  “And I had a notification that my package was delivered while we’ve been out.”

  He grabbed my hand and led me toward the exit, pressing a kiss to my inner wrist. “Let’s go home.”

  Home. A stirring of warmth filled my chest because I knew now that my home was with him. Clara was right. Nico was family. He was my better half, and I had no problem admitting that. I might be slow on the uptake, as I was when I left him high and dry in Austin two years ago and when I pretended we were just friends after he moved here to New Orleans to pursue me, but I can tell you something about myself that’s always been true. I learn from my mistakes, and I don’t waste time.