Starlight Web (Moonshadow Bay #1) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,12

of the house until I can hire someone in to do a proper warding.”

I perked up. “If you need any help, just ask. But it has to be tomorrow, because I’m too tired tonight. I’m from a Fam-Trad lineage. So is Ari.”

“Well, I thank you for that. And I’ll probably take you up on it if I can’t dislodge the psychic grunge myself.” He stood, setting his cup down. “Thank you for the cocoa and cookies and being so welcoming, but I’ll leave you to your evening. I imagine you’re as tired as I am.” As he headed for the door, I followed, feeling oddly reluctant to see him go.

“If you need anything, just ask,” I said, opening the door.

As he stepped into the chill night, he ducked his head. “Sleep well,” he said, glancing back at me. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

I watched him go, finding myself thinking just how nice he seemed. And he was a veterinarian, which meant he loved animals.

“You like him,” Ari said, when I returned to the living room.

“He seems nice,” I said. “So, what about the séance? You still want to hold it?” I wanted to get out of talking about him, but Ari wasn’t taking the bait.

“We can do that later. But January, you like him. I can tell. I always knew when you liked a boy back in high school.” She snickered.

I blushed. “I sounded like an idiot.”

“You did not. You were delightfully quirky. Well, he’s a looker, all right, if you go for that type. I, myself, prefer boobs and—”

“I know what you prefer!” I said, laughing. “Speaking of preferences, are you dating anybody right now?”

She shrugged, curling her legs beneath her on the sofa. “Yeah, kind of. What’s on TV? Or is the cable on yet?”

“Yeah, I had all the utilities turned on last week before I got here, so I wouldn’t have to deal with that after moving in.” I flipped on the giant flatscreen my father had bought the year before, and flipped through the channels till I found the guide. “What about The Great British Baking Show? They have a holiday special on.” As I flipped to the channel, I added, “What do you mean, you’re ‘kind of’ dating? I didn’t think you did casual.”

“I usually don’t, but this time, I am,” Ari said, but I could hear something behind her words that told me she wasn’t happy with it.

“What’s going on?” I picked up my cocoa and dipped a cookie in it.

“Nothing. Just…nothing,” Ari said. “I don’t feel like talking about it right now, okay? Can we just watch the show and enjoy the evening?”

I relented, but I knew Ari enough to know that there was something going on she didn’t want to go into about. “Okay.” I paused before turning up the volume. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“I’m afraid so,” she said. “I managed to get today off, but I need to be there tomorrow.”

Ari was a self-employed hairdresser. She had a salon in her house, and had quite a number of clients. She was good—very good—and was usually booked solid for several weeks in advance.

As we watched the show, I began to relax a little. Outside, the snow began to fall again, and the world outside the big bay window looked luminous and beautiful.

I glanced at my phone. Ellison had tried to call me four times today, and there were a dozen texts from him, all screaming about his precious convertible and how he was going to sue me. I stared at the jarring words on the screen. For the first time in months, I felt really, truly happy. I quietly blocked his calls and erased his texts, and went back to watching the show.

The next morning, I decided that it was time to fill the fridge, reacquaint myself with the town, and as much as I was reluctant to, I would contact Conjure Ink and ask about the job.

I dressed with care—if they asked me in for an interview right away, I wanted to look good. I decided on black jeans, a royal blue tank with silver trim below the bust line, and a black lace overshirt shirt. I threaded a silver belt through my belt loops. Then, after zipping up my ankle boots that had chunky heels so I wouldn’t slip in the snow, I brushed my hair back, holding the cascade of waves in place with a bright blue headband. I finished with my makeup. I loved the glamour