Witching Fire (The Wild Hunt #16) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,3

a load of laundry.

Raj was sitting politely on the sofa, watching TV, a bowl of popcorn by his side. He glanced up as I came in.

“Raven’s home! Did Raven bring food?” He had such a plaintive note in his voice that it made me want to pinch his cheeks and indulge in baby-talk with him, but I restrained myself. His cadence might be odd, and while he liked TV shows targeted toward children, he was a deeply intelligent being who happened to have a gargoyle’s perspective on life.

“The place looks wonderful,” I said, smiling. “Good job! Raj really helped Kipa out. And yes, Raven brought food. Raven’s mother should be here soon, so Raven’s very happy that the house looks good.”

Raj grimaced. “Will Raven please stop Phasmoria from making Raj try to sit at the table for dinner?”

Last time she was here, my mother had gotten the idea that, since Raj was actually intelligent and not a pet, he should sit properly at the table during mealtimes. I had let it go a couple times until it was obvious that Raj was uncomfortable. I had promised next time she tried to make him sit in a chair with a napkin tied around his neck, I would put a stop to it.

“Phasmoria won’t make Raj sit in a chair anymore when he’s eating,” I said. “Remember, Raven talked to her about that several weeks ago? If Phasmoria forgets, Raven will remind her.”

“Raj thanks Raven.” He went back to watching his show. He had switched loyalties from Acrobert and the Alphas to Captain Ghost—a cartoon about a ghost sailor superhero who sailed the oceans, helping people avoid pirates. Raj had a deep, abiding love for cartoons and comics. They made him happy, and that’s all that mattered. He didn’t like opera or ballet, which suited me fine. I liked The Nutcracker, and I would occasionally watch a play, but I had no love for opera or the symphony.

Kipa carried in the groceries. “Everything look good?”

“Everything looks perfect,” I said. “Thank you.” I followed him into the kitchen and started putting away food as he brought in the rest of the bags. As I was debating on whether to put the apples in a crystal or a china bowl for the table, I suddenly felt dizzy. It was as though something blew past me so fast that it spun me around.

“What the hell?” I muttered, looking around. I closed my eyes and reached out to see if any ghosts had come through, but my wards were strong and nothing was in sight. I kept the house and my car heavily guarded, given the run-in I’d had with Pandora.

While the Elven therapist I was seeing had helped me move past the PTSD, I remained wary. The chaotic goddess was still out there. I had thwarted her plans and her fun by escaping her torture chamber. While I wasn’t sure she’d be out for revenge, I didn’t want to take any chances on leaving the door open for her to waltz in.

But there was no sense of a spirit, nor of anything out of the ordinary. Frowning, I went back to putting away the food, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling something big was barreling my way, and I was right in the center of the road.

Chapter Two

I spent the next half-hour making the chowder. After it was done, I poured it into a slow cooker to keep it warm. The extra time would blend the flavors even more. While I cooked and simmered, Kipa sliced the French bread loaves in half, buttering them and then wrapping them in foil. He stowed them in the fridge, then made turkey and provolone sandwiches for lunch. We cleaned the kitchen again, together, and had just finished when the doorbell rang.

I glanced at the clock. “Three p.m., precisely. That’s my mother.”

Phasmoria was seldom late, but she never overstepped her boundaries when it came to my privacy. She rang the bell, knocked at the bedroom door when she stayed over, and didn’t try to snoop in my mail.

Beyond that, I knew that she was always a step ahead of me. But I didn’t mind because she was on my side, and that was the one place you wanted the Queen of the Bean Sidhe.

I opened the door.

She was leaning against the doorpost, clad in black leather—both jacket and pants—with knee-high platform boots. Beneath the jacket, she wore a blood-red tank top. Her hair