Read Online The Problem With Black Magic by Karen Mead - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen Mead
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eyes. “No, tomorrow afternoon, after a bunch of vampires have carted you away. That’ll be real useful.”
“Oh. Right. Sure.” Somehow, when Serenus had been talking about putting some kind of protection around her house, she hadn’t imagined that would entail taking the bus with Sam at one in the morning. Cassie gulped: she didn’t feel comfortable spending more time with him, but it didn’t look like she had much of a choice.
Chapter Five
Sam’s scuffed hiking boots kicked some pebbles on Cassie’s driveway as he approached the front of the house. Cassie stood on the sidewalk, not sure how to act around him now that Jay wasn’t around to serve as a buffer. The kid had taken the bus with them, peppering Sam with whispered questions Cassie mostly couldn’t hear, none of which Sam had deigned to answer, although one did make him laugh.
Jay had wanted to see the spell performed, but Sam had sent him home to his house two streets away, saying it was suspicious enough that two of them were poking around the house this late. Cassie had a feeling there were other reasons why Sam might not want Jay around, but she wasn’t sure what they were; maybe he didn’t want anyone witnessing his magic who wasn’t strictly necessary. Jay had only gone home when she promised to tell him all about the spell in excruciating detail.
Sam scowled as he looked at her house. “You would have to live in a brownstone,” he said quietly.
“Sorry,” Cassie snapped back snottily before she could stop herself. “Why does that matter?”
He turned to her, looking tired. “Does it look like I can pace a circle around your property?”
Cassie exhaled in realization; part of a complex of townhouses, her house was physically connected to all of the other ones on the block.
Sam looked away, perplexed. “Either I make a really huge circle around the whole block, which is hard to maintain, or I just put some sort of hex on your front yard and driveway. Easy, but unsafe.”
Cassie knit her brows, thinking about that. She didn’t want to seem needy, but after her experience with vampires, she wasn’t sure she wanted any sort of half-baked protection spell. If that meant asking Sam for a favor, so be it.
Cassie gave him what she hoped was a winning smile. “Do the big circle, if it’s safer. You’re a big, powerful demon, right? I’m sure you can handle it.”
He gave her a look that couldn’t have been much more frightening if he was using his red glare. Oh my God, she thought, what ever made me think that saying that was a good idea?
He broke eye contact, looking at the prim row of brownstone houses. “I suppose I can,” he said quietly.
Cassie looked down at her shoes while Sam considered the property. There was something she wanted to ask him, and he probably wasn’t going to stick around after the spell was cast. Now was the time.
“Hey, Sam…” she began. He turned to her, one eyebrow raised.
“Cassie!”
Annette flung open the front door, running out on the driveway in her nightgown and fluffy slippers, Jon following close behind her. Cassie stifled a groan; great, now on top of everything else, she had to introduce Sam to her parents.
“Your parents are still up at this hour?” he whispered to her.
“I guess they were waiting up for me,” said Cassie, feeling miserable as her parents approached, both eyeing Sam warily.
“There she is! Do you know what time it is?”
“I told you I was going to be home late, Mom.”
“You also said you were going to be coming home with Jay. This is not Jay,” said Annette, crossing her arms. Cassie thought she looked ridiculous trying to act tough in a pink nightie, but Annette didn’t seem to care.
“He did come home with us, Mom. He only left just now, to go to his house. Sam walked me home.”
Annette fixed her eyes on Sam. “So, I take it y ou work with Cassie at the shop, Sam?”
Sam smiled in what Cassie assumed was his best attempt at being
“Oh. Right. Sure.” Somehow, when Serenus had been talking about putting some kind of protection around her house, she hadn’t imagined that would entail taking the bus with Sam at one in the morning. Cassie gulped: she didn’t feel comfortable spending more time with him, but it didn’t look like she had much of a choice.
Chapter Five
Sam’s scuffed hiking boots kicked some pebbles on Cassie’s driveway as he approached the front of the house. Cassie stood on the sidewalk, not sure how to act around him now that Jay wasn’t around to serve as a buffer. The kid had taken the bus with them, peppering Sam with whispered questions Cassie mostly couldn’t hear, none of which Sam had deigned to answer, although one did make him laugh.
Jay had wanted to see the spell performed, but Sam had sent him home to his house two streets away, saying it was suspicious enough that two of them were poking around the house this late. Cassie had a feeling there were other reasons why Sam might not want Jay around, but she wasn’t sure what they were; maybe he didn’t want anyone witnessing his magic who wasn’t strictly necessary. Jay had only gone home when she promised to tell him all about the spell in excruciating detail.
Sam scowled as he looked at her house. “You would have to live in a brownstone,” he said quietly.
“Sorry,” Cassie snapped back snottily before she could stop herself. “Why does that matter?”
He turned to her, looking tired. “Does it look like I can pace a circle around your property?”
Cassie exhaled in realization; part of a complex of townhouses, her house was physically connected to all of the other ones on the block.
Sam looked away, perplexed. “Either I make a really huge circle around the whole block, which is hard to maintain, or I just put some sort of hex on your front yard and driveway. Easy, but unsafe.”
Cassie knit her brows, thinking about that. She didn’t want to seem needy, but after her experience with vampires, she wasn’t sure she wanted any sort of half-baked protection spell. If that meant asking Sam for a favor, so be it.
Cassie gave him what she hoped was a winning smile. “Do the big circle, if it’s safer. You’re a big, powerful demon, right? I’m sure you can handle it.”
He gave her a look that couldn’t have been much more frightening if he was using his red glare. Oh my God, she thought, what ever made me think that saying that was a good idea?
He broke eye contact, looking at the prim row of brownstone houses. “I suppose I can,” he said quietly.
Cassie looked down at her shoes while Sam considered the property. There was something she wanted to ask him, and he probably wasn’t going to stick around after the spell was cast. Now was the time.
“Hey, Sam…” she began. He turned to her, one eyebrow raised.
“Cassie!”
Annette flung open the front door, running out on the driveway in her nightgown and fluffy slippers, Jon following close behind her. Cassie stifled a groan; great, now on top of everything else, she had to introduce Sam to her parents.
“Your parents are still up at this hour?” he whispered to her.
“I guess they were waiting up for me,” said Cassie, feeling miserable as her parents approached, both eyeing Sam warily.
“There she is! Do you know what time it is?”
“I told you I was going to be home late, Mom.”
“You also said you were going to be coming home with Jay. This is not Jay,” said Annette, crossing her arms. Cassie thought she looked ridiculous trying to act tough in a pink nightie, but Annette didn’t seem to care.
“He did come home with us, Mom. He only left just now, to go to his house. Sam walked me home.”
Annette fixed her eyes on Sam. “So, I take it y ou work with Cassie at the shop, Sam?”
Sam smiled in what Cassie assumed was his best attempt at being
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