A Little Green Magic (The Little Coven #1) - Isabel Wroth Page 0,44

life, and that meant she was willing to do anything, even hurt you, to make sure you survived.”

With a ragged huff, Ivy deflated and let him draw her in, resting her head on his shoulder, her temples throbbing with renewed vigor. Her heart ached for him, for the loss of his family and having to face the reality of what had been done to them.

He did understand, and she found herself confessing things to him she might not have been able to say to her coven sisters. It was easy with her eyes closed. Easy with his arms around her. Easy with his enormous body heat seeping into her, warming her muscles, soothing aches she didn't realize she had.

“I'm terrified to open that journal,” she confessed in a hoarse whisper. “I'm... I'm not sure I'm ready to know the truth. I don't want to know. I mean, obviously I want to know who killed my mother, and I want to be able to identify whoever is coming for me before they actually show up on our doorstep or hurt you or my sisters to get to me, but—”

“Nobody is going to hurt your family,” Uriah interrupted, his strong arms banding around her like his hug alone could keep the monsters at bay.

Ivy wanted to believe him, but in comparison to the Silver Wives, the Little Coven was a tiny group of devout nuns. What chance did they stand if the evilest witches on the Eastern seaboard couldn't withstand an attack?

“Ivy.”

Le Doux's letter said, 'They killed your mother.' So, it was clearly more than one person. Ivy knew there were other clues in the letter, but her head hurt too much to remember them. Had she brought the letter with her? Or was it still at the coven house?

“Honey?”

She couldn't go back to get it, not now. If whoever was looking for her showed up at the coven house, the girls could honestly say she wasn't there. Would it matter, though?

Ivy didn't have enough confidence in her abilities to say she could use her green magic to protect her people, because seriously, flower power wasn't exactly an offensive magical weapon.

It could be, but without having progressed through any of her basic classes, Ivy hadn't ever learned it. How could she possibly help defend their home? Grow some thorny vines and make them dance like octopus arms?

Uriah gave her ear a sharp nip, shocking Ivy into saying, “Ow!”

She jerked back with a scowl, intending to demand why, but Uriah reached down and lifted her up to straddle his lap. Her robe slid open even farther, leaving nothing to cover her except the sash tied around her waist.

Uriah made a sound of deep satisfaction, holding her in place with one arm so he could set the flat of his other palm between her breasts. “Your thoughts are racing around so fast I smell burning rubber,” he told her with a teasing grin.

“Uriah—”

“Honey, take a breath and relax,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss the corner of her lips. “McManus called. Tynan sent him and a few other enforcers to roam the woods for a scent of strangers. They'll patrol the grounds around the coven house tonight, and if anyone steps over the boundary line of the property, they'll be ripped to shreds.”

“That... that's good,” Ivy managed. Some of her panic lessened at knowing her sisters would have a first line of defense.

If push came to shove, Astrid could create a traveling portal that would allow the coven to escape. It would take an unbelievable amount of energy to hold the portal open long enough to let the five of them pass through, and Astrid would likely only be able to do it once.

Ivy trusted Rowena would have an extremely practical, simple escape plan in place by now, and if they had enough time, the coven would escape.

“It is good. You don't have to read your mom's journal right now, and you don't have to worry about your girls. Tonight, everyone is as safe as they can be.”

*****

Muscle by muscle, Uriah felt Ivy slowly relax as his assurances settled through the quagmire of her wild thoughts. She draped her arms around his shoulders and ducked her head to meet him halfway for a soft, sweet kiss.

He felt like a complete bastard, unable to keep from taking more, hugging her tighter, kissing her harder, dragging the scorching heat of her pussy along the crotch of his jeans. She shuddered, feeding him a low moan as