Raven Ridge (Witches of Sanctuary Book 2) by Savannah Blevins Page A

Lyric…not so much. “Could you please make that cat stop ringing that damned bell?”
    Lyric clutches his head and groans again. Reid said the aftereffects of the spell felt like a giant hangover, which from the expression on Lyric’s face, sounds about right.
    Romeo scratches his paw in the air at Lyric and hisses. When Lyric looks up, Romeo does it again to make sure he gets the point. “That would be cat talk for ‘I’ll ring my bell if I feel like it,’” I say, smiling at him.
    Lyric leans his head back and starts to groan again as Romeo continues to play with his bell.
    Ding . “Your cat is trying to kill me.”
    Ding. “Just put me out of my misery. Reid is never going bring that potion to make this go away.”
    Without looking up, I send a book on the counter flying across the room toward Lyric’s head. He barely darts out of the way as it flies over the back of his chair and hits a bookshelf on the other side. “Hey.” He shoots me a dirty look. “That almost hit me.”
    I shrug. I meant it to hit him.
    Lyric grumpily turns around in his chair and stares back out the window. “I’m serious, Wilhelmina. Where is Reid? He promised me a feel better potion two hours ago.”
    I throw another book at him, but this time he catches it easily. The Haunted have panther-like reflexes. I sigh and put down my pen. There will be no working with Lyric here. “Reid had a meeting this morning. He said he’d stop by on his lunch break.”
    Lyric wrinkles his nose. He doesn’t believe me.
    The doorbell rings, and I’m beyond thrilled to see Abby come in with her co-worker, Haley. “Hey, guys.” I quickly round the counter, happy for any kind of distraction.
    Abby gives me a quick hug. “Good morning. I brought Haley by to get that recipe book she ordered for her mom.”
    “Sure, it’s in the back. Give me a second and I’ll go find it.”
    “That’s okay,” Abby says, smiling knowingly at me. “I’ll go grab it and check her out for you. Reid told me you were babysitting this morning.”
    Abby trots into the back room without even a glance at Lyric. He huffs behind me. “I’m not a baby. I don’t have teen after my age anymore.”
    I smile over my shoulder at him.
    “Willa, do you care if I read through that catalog of travel books again?” Haley asks, her smile smaller now as she twists her fingers impatiently next to me. “My mom still has this insane notion she needs to go to Spain this summer.”
    I wave her on. “Sure, you know where it is.”
    Haley wanders over to the stack of catalogs I keep on the table in the back and sits down to look through them. Lyric instantly waves me over. I roll my eyes and drag myself to him. “What now?”
    He narrows his eyes at me. “I’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours, but every person I’ve seen today keeps looking at me like that.” He tries to inconspicuously nod toward Haley.
    I glance over my shoulder. Haley isn’t reading the catalog. She’s staring at Lyric. She quickly darts her eyes away.
    “It’s because you look a lot like your brother.”
    “That doesn’t explain the scowl.”
    I glance back at Haley, and sure enough, she’s staring at Lyric again, her lips contorting into a grimace.
    I turn back to him and sigh. “You know how in Charleston no one really knew about you? Or at least the other you.”
    “Yeah.”
    I lean over and whisper in his ear. “In Sanctuary…everybody knows.”
    Lyric bites his lip, contemplating something. He takes off his glasses, and I see his eyes flash black, the slim rim of red growing around the iris, and his grin suddenly turns wicked. Wickedly sexy. He pulls his hood down and smiles at Haley. “Hey, girl.”
    Damn those Cote boys and their mad flirting skills. Haley gasps and turns away. I shove Lyric’s shoulder. “Stop it. You are not allowed to do that here.”
    “What? I thought you said everyone knew.”
    “It doesn’t mean we want the other you getting any ideas. No using your