making it possible for him to walk freely through the house, to feel the warmth of the sun while it’s magically filtered through enchanted glass.
But to actually go outside?
It bothered us both before, more than either of us wanted to admit. And I know it’s bothering him now, because our child will be able to go out in the sun too. I’ll be able to take her on playdates, to school, or go out to lunch with friends.
It hits me all at once, just how much Lucas will miss out on. How I get the best of both worlds while he’s stuck in the dark…and how he’ll remain in the dark once both his child and his wife have aged and died before his very eyes.
Chapter 5
I flip the hood of my cloak up and pull it tightly around my shoulders. It’s a good ten degrees colder in the thick of the woods, and I’m wishing I’d put on my winter coat. The wind has picked up, and gray clouds stretch across the sky, blocking out the sun. It’s a sight I better get used to, since most of the winter and spring in the Midwest are full of chilly, cloudy days just like this one.
“If the Ley line wasn’t here,” I mutter, watching Pandora gracefully leap over a fallen tree. “We’d be living on a warm beach.”
Binx turns around, looking at me the same way a human might if they were rolling their eyes. Every year around Valentine’s Day, both Kristy and I decide we’ve had enough and make grand plans to move to Mexico or Hawaii and become perma-vacationers. And then the weather starts to slowly warm up and we’re content living in Thorne Hill once again.
Though demon hunting on a sunny day with warm, seventy-five-degree days sounds better than trekking through two feet of snow along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, this is my home, and I’ll never abandon Thorne Hill.
I’m getting close to the door, and the forest is still quiet. I’m a few minutes early, and no one is hurrying last-minute to make it to the summons in time. My stomach tightens, and my nerves are making me feel sick all over again.
I sent both Kristy and Evander a text before I left, begging them for information. Neither answered, leaving me to believe they are both still inside the Covenstead walls, hopefully snuggled up naked together. Evander will be the first to tell you he’s “not into commitment” and Kristy has had her string of ex-boyfriends in the past and keeps going back to Daniel, her most recentl ex. He’s nice and all, went to the Academy with us, but is too bland for Kristy. In my opinion, at least. I have very high standards when it comes to my best friend, and I don’t think I’ll approve of anyone besides Evander.
Leaves crunch under my feet, and I slow as the scent of fire and oil waft through the forest. It brings up a memory, and my body reacts to it before I have a chance to repress. The last time I was summoned to the Covenstead was to officially renounce my ties with the coven. I signed my name in the book, and my blood wouldn’t absorb.
Tabatha was able to divert the attention for the time being, and now that Ruby is on our side, surely things are swayed more in my favor. Maybe? Fuck, I hope so. I bring my hands to my mouth and breathe on my cold fingers. I should have put gloves on. I pull my phone from my pocket and quickly type here and send it to Lucas so he knows I arrived to the door in one piece.
My familiars slow to a stop, waiting for me to step through a clearing. Someone is standing by the door, holding a torch. The hood of her cloak hangs over her forehead, making it hard to see just who it is. The flame flickers in the wind, blowing the scent of oil my way. I see the witch before she sees me, and I hesitate for just a second, finally recognizing her as Erin, a witch on our coven’s council.
“Hey,” I say, not wanting to startle her.
“Callie,” she replies in greeting. “Come on in.” She turns, puts out the flame, and opens the door to the coven. Binx patters ahead, slinking between my feet.
“What’s going on?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
“I’m not too sure,” Erin replies, putting the finger she pricked with