Read Online Double-Sided Witch (Covencraft Book 3) by Margarita Gakis - Free Book Online
Authors: Margarita Gakis
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flesh wounds.”
Jade bandaged her fingers quickly, having to use several bandages to cover the round shape of her fingertips. Finger wounds were the worst. She’d have to bring bandages with her to work and change them out over the day as they got dirty or wet. Wet bandages were gross - all clammy and cold against the skin.
She shivered and pretended it was just from the thought of dealing with dirty bandages all day long and not the lingering cold from the dream. As she worked on her hands, she could see her misshapen reflection in the broken mirror - doing the same things she was doing only in reverse. A strange doppelgänger.
Had the figure in her dream been Lily? Was she back? And if so, was she angry with Jade? Jade remembered the arguments they’d been having, right before Lily disappeared. Circular, circuitous, always whirling around the same topic.
Go away, you’re distracting me. It’s my turn.
I don’t have anywhere to go.
Just sleep. It’s time you slept.
You sleep. You haven’t slept in weeks.
Neither have you.
Bruce hit her leg with his tail, a solid ‘whap’ against her skin that jerked her out of her thoughts. She’d been standing there with the water still running, staring at blood on the white porcelain of the sink. Not a lot of blood. Not like before, when Lily left. She shut her eyes. This wasn’t the time to think about this. She looked up at the small clock on the wall of her bathroom.
“You’re right. I’m going to be late for work.” She left the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind her, hoping it would keep her from seeing the broken mirror with her distorted reflection.
#
Given what he’d felt when Jade had been trying to cast her dream protection spell, Paris took it upon himself to cast some rudimentary protection runes over Jade’s cottage as he was leaving the previous night. They were simple ones his mother had used and Jade likely wouldn’t even notice them. He felt duplicitous in not telling Jade he was doing it, nor why he felt the need to. He felt as though he needed to gather more information first. Someone had stopped Jade from casting her dream spell, but hadn’t stopped her from doing any other magic that night. That same someone hadn’t stopped Paris from casting the dream spell on himself, although in the middle of Jade working on her runes, he’d gone to her kitchen under the pretense of cleaning up the spell items and tried to cast it for her and found it similarly blocked. Whoever it was, they didn’t want Jade to have a peaceful night’s sleep. That was eerily disturbing to Paris.
When Jade had first come to the Coven, Paris had been shocked to discover Matthew, one of their weaker witches, had entered a demon deal to try to steal Jade’s magic. After that, Paris learned about Dex and Veronica betraying not only their own Covens but Paris’ as well. Paris had always believed in the cardinal rule of witches: do what you will, though it harm none. Now, he was wondering how many witches truly followed that rule and if he was naive for ever assuming it was all witches everywhere.
Paris wondered if whoever was responsible for stopping Jade was also responsible for the magical disruption out at the Preserve.
Once at the Coven the next morning, he waited until he saw Jade’s icon on the internal link system light up indicating she was at her desk and online. He ran out quickly to the local coffee shop he knew she favored and ordered her a large latte - something he’d seen her order for herself once or twice. Once back at the Coven, he detoured from his office and headed toward Counter-Magic, spotting her at her desk, typing away on her keyboard.
As if sensing she was being watched, Jade looked over as he came. Her eyes immediately fixed on the two cups he was carrying.
“One of those better be for me.”
“Or?” he teased, handing her the larger of the cups. Jade sniffed it once and, happy with what she smelled, took a sip. She smiled, a
Jade bandaged her fingers quickly, having to use several bandages to cover the round shape of her fingertips. Finger wounds were the worst. She’d have to bring bandages with her to work and change them out over the day as they got dirty or wet. Wet bandages were gross - all clammy and cold against the skin.
She shivered and pretended it was just from the thought of dealing with dirty bandages all day long and not the lingering cold from the dream. As she worked on her hands, she could see her misshapen reflection in the broken mirror - doing the same things she was doing only in reverse. A strange doppelgänger.
Had the figure in her dream been Lily? Was she back? And if so, was she angry with Jade? Jade remembered the arguments they’d been having, right before Lily disappeared. Circular, circuitous, always whirling around the same topic.
Go away, you’re distracting me. It’s my turn.
I don’t have anywhere to go.
Just sleep. It’s time you slept.
You sleep. You haven’t slept in weeks.
Neither have you.
Bruce hit her leg with his tail, a solid ‘whap’ against her skin that jerked her out of her thoughts. She’d been standing there with the water still running, staring at blood on the white porcelain of the sink. Not a lot of blood. Not like before, when Lily left. She shut her eyes. This wasn’t the time to think about this. She looked up at the small clock on the wall of her bathroom.
“You’re right. I’m going to be late for work.” She left the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind her, hoping it would keep her from seeing the broken mirror with her distorted reflection.
#
Given what he’d felt when Jade had been trying to cast her dream protection spell, Paris took it upon himself to cast some rudimentary protection runes over Jade’s cottage as he was leaving the previous night. They were simple ones his mother had used and Jade likely wouldn’t even notice them. He felt duplicitous in not telling Jade he was doing it, nor why he felt the need to. He felt as though he needed to gather more information first. Someone had stopped Jade from casting her dream spell, but hadn’t stopped her from doing any other magic that night. That same someone hadn’t stopped Paris from casting the dream spell on himself, although in the middle of Jade working on her runes, he’d gone to her kitchen under the pretense of cleaning up the spell items and tried to cast it for her and found it similarly blocked. Whoever it was, they didn’t want Jade to have a peaceful night’s sleep. That was eerily disturbing to Paris.
When Jade had first come to the Coven, Paris had been shocked to discover Matthew, one of their weaker witches, had entered a demon deal to try to steal Jade’s magic. After that, Paris learned about Dex and Veronica betraying not only their own Covens but Paris’ as well. Paris had always believed in the cardinal rule of witches: do what you will, though it harm none. Now, he was wondering how many witches truly followed that rule and if he was naive for ever assuming it was all witches everywhere.
Paris wondered if whoever was responsible for stopping Jade was also responsible for the magical disruption out at the Preserve.
Once at the Coven the next morning, he waited until he saw Jade’s icon on the internal link system light up indicating she was at her desk and online. He ran out quickly to the local coffee shop he knew she favored and ordered her a large latte - something he’d seen her order for herself once or twice. Once back at the Coven, he detoured from his office and headed toward Counter-Magic, spotting her at her desk, typing away on her keyboard.
As if sensing she was being watched, Jade looked over as he came. Her eyes immediately fixed on the two cups he was carrying.
“One of those better be for me.”
“Or?” he teased, handing her the larger of the cups. Jade sniffed it once and, happy with what she smelled, took a sip. She smiled, a
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