quietly. “You don’t know the whole story. When you discover the truth of the situation, you won’t judge Ana so harshly.”
“There is nothing that would excuse what she’s done,” Brec insisted, struggling to speak through his anger. “I’ve experienced the loss of my skin. Any longer and I would have gone mad.”
“You would have done anything to get it back?”
“Anything.”
The pixie paused as if waiting for Brec to say more, but he could think of nothing more to say. The miserable insect wouldn’t budge and he didn’t have time to waste interrogating him.
Whirling away from the source of his agitation, Brec stalked through the living room and down the short staircase to the lower split level. When his foot hit the thinly carpeted floor, his gaze locked on the left side of the room and he froze. Surprise raised his eyebrows as he stared at a large circular area completely surrounded by candles, incense, and rows of herbs. The scent of chamomile teased his senses, soothing away some of his anger, and he slowly walked closer to what looked like a magic circle.
Two large pots on either side of the circle contained aloe vera and red geraniums. He recognized other herbs around the circle as well. Chamomile, gotu kola, chaparral, tea tree oil, oats, plantain, and tamanu oil, some in dried form, some sealed in small vials with neatly printed labels. A simple silver knife glinted beside some of the herbs along with long matchsticks, and a mortar and pestle. Brec shook his head in disbelief.
“She’s a witch.”
“Not necessarily,” Nu spoke up, flying over to the circle and landing in the geranium pot. “Look at all this stuff. Name one thing here that you don’t use for healing.”
“You’re trying to tell me she’s a healer?” Brec sneered. “Bullshit. No healer would do the kind of harm she’s doing by stealing those skins. A black witch, however, might steal skins to use in shapeshifting rituals.”
“You think she’s a witch?” Nu echoed.
Brec pressed his lips into a thin grim line. “Only one way to find out.”
Chapter 9
The morning sun was an unwelcome sight. Ana glowered at the light shining in her window and tried to turn away. The little slack Brec had allowed her to help her sleep wasn’t enough to let her properly avoid greeting the new day. The mattress creaked beneath her and Ana cursed to herself as footsteps echoed on the floor outside her bedroom.
Great, he knows I’m awake.
Ana fought to keep her face impassive as Brec entered her bedroom again. The selkie had a determined set to his shoulders and his gaze seemed shaper, more alert. He glanced around her room as he approached the bed. Was it her imagination or did his gaze linger on her dresser and the little bowl with her waiting spell? Her pulse quickened. Now he was looking at the row of books on the shelf just above the dresser. Get away from there!
“What I said earlier about being lonely wasn’t a lie,” she spoke up, desperately hoping to distract him from his examination of her things.
Brec’s gaze immediately ceased its perusal to fix her with a withering glance of annoyance. “Don’t even try that one again. The whole ‘I just stole your skin because I wanted a selkie husband’ ship has sailed.”
Despite his obvious rancor with her, Ana felt a small wave of relief when Brec stepped closer to the bed, her spell on the dresser clearly forgotten. As he moved, she couldn’t help but notice that he’d removed his jacket. The green shirt she’d spotted under the coat earlier turned out to be a long-sleeved thick cotton garment that hugged his muscles. Momentarily distracted from her spell, her mind spun over her earlier thoughts about seducing the selkie. Warmth wove through her muscles as she pictured running her hands over the muscles under that shirt, feeling the strength that lay underneath.
It had been a long
“There is nothing that would excuse what she’s done,” Brec insisted, struggling to speak through his anger. “I’ve experienced the loss of my skin. Any longer and I would have gone mad.”
“You would have done anything to get it back?”
“Anything.”
The pixie paused as if waiting for Brec to say more, but he could think of nothing more to say. The miserable insect wouldn’t budge and he didn’t have time to waste interrogating him.
Whirling away from the source of his agitation, Brec stalked through the living room and down the short staircase to the lower split level. When his foot hit the thinly carpeted floor, his gaze locked on the left side of the room and he froze. Surprise raised his eyebrows as he stared at a large circular area completely surrounded by candles, incense, and rows of herbs. The scent of chamomile teased his senses, soothing away some of his anger, and he slowly walked closer to what looked like a magic circle.
Two large pots on either side of the circle contained aloe vera and red geraniums. He recognized other herbs around the circle as well. Chamomile, gotu kola, chaparral, tea tree oil, oats, plantain, and tamanu oil, some in dried form, some sealed in small vials with neatly printed labels. A simple silver knife glinted beside some of the herbs along with long matchsticks, and a mortar and pestle. Brec shook his head in disbelief.
“She’s a witch.”
“Not necessarily,” Nu spoke up, flying over to the circle and landing in the geranium pot. “Look at all this stuff. Name one thing here that you don’t use for healing.”
“You’re trying to tell me she’s a healer?” Brec sneered. “Bullshit. No healer would do the kind of harm she’s doing by stealing those skins. A black witch, however, might steal skins to use in shapeshifting rituals.”
“You think she’s a witch?” Nu echoed.
Brec pressed his lips into a thin grim line. “Only one way to find out.”
Chapter 9
The morning sun was an unwelcome sight. Ana glowered at the light shining in her window and tried to turn away. The little slack Brec had allowed her to help her sleep wasn’t enough to let her properly avoid greeting the new day. The mattress creaked beneath her and Ana cursed to herself as footsteps echoed on the floor outside her bedroom.
Great, he knows I’m awake.
Ana fought to keep her face impassive as Brec entered her bedroom again. The selkie had a determined set to his shoulders and his gaze seemed shaper, more alert. He glanced around her room as he approached the bed. Was it her imagination or did his gaze linger on her dresser and the little bowl with her waiting spell? Her pulse quickened. Now he was looking at the row of books on the shelf just above the dresser. Get away from there!
“What I said earlier about being lonely wasn’t a lie,” she spoke up, desperately hoping to distract him from his examination of her things.
Brec’s gaze immediately ceased its perusal to fix her with a withering glance of annoyance. “Don’t even try that one again. The whole ‘I just stole your skin because I wanted a selkie husband’ ship has sailed.”
Despite his obvious rancor with her, Ana felt a small wave of relief when Brec stepped closer to the bed, her spell on the dresser clearly forgotten. As he moved, she couldn’t help but notice that he’d removed his jacket. The green shirt she’d spotted under the coat earlier turned out to be a long-sleeved thick cotton garment that hugged his muscles. Momentarily distracted from her spell, her mind spun over her earlier thoughts about seducing the selkie. Warmth wove through her muscles as she pictured running her hands over the muscles under that shirt, feeling the strength that lay underneath.
It had been a long
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