100% That Witch - Celia Kyle Page 0,17

on fire, mentally rifling through her wardrobe in search of the perfect outfit to meet the Rhonelle family on their own turf. It was going to take the right outfit to make the kind of impression she wanted. Too bad Aurora wouldn’t be there to help calm her nerves.

As she hummed up the stairs, she drew out her phone and flicked through her contacts. After all, she couldn’t let her own happiness steer her away from one of the tasks she had been charged with. Duty was duty, especially when it came to her friends.

Ryan Glittermist.

Bringing up a text feed, she leaned on the wall outside her room and considered just what to say.

Guess who is having fancy drinks in the garden. Meeting him tomorrow for “tutoring.” ;-D

She felt a slight twinge at being so cavalier, but she was in far too good a mood to trouble herself about it. The message sent, she pushed open her door to see every wall painted in rainbow prisms. Like the whole sun had reflected off her mattress.

Seven

The little map on Tiffany’s phone seemed to be sending her in circles. After a demoralizing day of classes, driving down a series of winding forest roads was leaving her more and more anxious.

Maybe I should just forget it. By the time I find this place, I’ll be too frustrated to get any good work done.

Sighing hard, she decided to keep with it. Dr. Judd’s disappointed eyes hovered in her mind, accusing her of slacking. Besides, having an actual OCU professor offer to tutor her for free was too good to pass up. Especially since it served the dual purpose of finding out just what was going on between him and Nathan.

Considering Nero’s naturalist vibe, it shouldn’t have surprised Tiffany that he lived in the Weeping Woods outside of Othercross proper. Never one for the outdoors herself, it was the first time she’d ever been this deep into the wilderness. In many ways, it was actually much more soothing than she’d anticipated.

Meander Lane. This is my turn!

As if by magic, a quaint sign appeared, pointing down a thickly treed little road. Turning down it, Tiffany felt as if she had gone back in time. Just a short distance down, the rutted path opened up to a modest, bucolic clearing, at the center of which stood a picturesque log cabin. Smoke trailed from the chimney and the windows glowed with an inviting amber light.

The sounds of the forest greeted her when she climbed from her car. Despite the Weeping Woods’ reputation, it seemed like a normal forest, as far as she could tell. Except that the wind seemed to carry a kind of faint, mournful song—not quite melodic. Just a sidestep from a breeze through leaves.

“I was wondering if you would find the place.”

Nero stood in his doorway, hands on his hips, looking as if he had just finished felling the trees that made up his perfect little abode. The sleeves of his solid dark red flannel shirt were rolled up, showing off the bulging muscles in his forearms. The canvas jeans he wore hung low on his hips, bulging at the thighs... and one other spot she tried not to look at. Framed in the warm light from within, something was decidedly irresistible about him that melted whatever tension remained from the drive.

“It was a little dark and winding,” she admitted. “I’ve never been out this far.”

“Not many people have.” He nodded, looking around like he was in love. “That’s why I like it. Nature gets to be itself out here.”

The peacefulness in his voice echoed the peace in her heart at simply standing in the middle of the clearing. For a moment, she wondered why anyone would live in a city.

A sudden furry brush against her ankle startled her, and she looked down to see a young rabbit nuzzling against her. Far from one of her own fluffy, pink creations, this one had the brown and grey mottled coat of a forest dweller. “This isn’t one of mine,” she said, smiling up at him.

“No, it belongs to the forest.” The sentiment of that settled just behind her breastbone with a kind of homey glint. “Come on in. We can get started.”

She followed him across the threshold, pausing for a moment to take it all in. The one-room cabin was rustic, but well-appointed. Everything seemed to be made of felled wood, and it was all so inviting, her cheeks ached from smiling.

“I’ve got some turmeric tea