feared the more time he spent around her the harder it would become not to tempt the power of the curse.
The rest of Annie’s dinner party had gone smoothly. They all ate and talked; sipped on wine and joked with each other. As the evening wore on he found himself enjoying their company. The four of them had created a bond with three of them orbiting one. None of them seemed aware of what they were doing; but as Duncan sat back and observed he began to notice it more and more, they were protecting her. More than once he caught one of them glancing into the shadows, like they were watching and waiting for something dangerous to appear out of them. Duncan was sure two of them were druids. Kat and Griffin shimmered silvery; in fact Duncan was almost positive Griffin was the druid he had seen controlling the mist earlier that morning. He decided to put his theory to the test.
“Since you’re all practicing witches,” he began. “Can you think of a reason someone would be practicing magick early this morn?”
His eyes shot to Griffin as the man squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Kat and Griffin exchanged nervous glances while Robert feigned interest in a nearby bush. Annie instantly became angry and immediately jumped to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at Griffin. The man shot him an angry glare and Duncan who tried to look as innocent as possible, all the while doing a happy internal jig.
Paybac k, he thought.
“You promised you wouldn’t,” Annie hissed at Griffin.
Griffin raised his hands in an attempt to calm Annie. “In my defense you are not the only one on this street that has been bothered by that little shit.” His eyes filled with hatred as he ground out those last words. “In case you forgot there was damn near a street fight out here the other night.”
Duncan sat up straighter, and leaned forward, his interest more than peaked, and he needed to know more. “What is goin’ on?” he asked quietly.
“It’s nothing really,” Annie muttered in reply.
Duncan ignored her and asked the question again. This time he directed it at Griffin. Griffin hesitated a moment then refocused his attention on Duncan. “There’s this ass hat that lives next to Kat,” he said giving the woman nestled on his lap a squeeze. She patted his hand comfortingly in return. “He’s a menace, and that’s putting it lightly. At first he was just a pest. Now,” he said sighing. “Well let’s just say he won’t’ be a problem anymore.”
Duncan nodded at the other man silently thanking him for taking care of what he could not. He wondered if that was what they were all on alert about. He would have to keep an eye out for the human. Duncan glanced over his shoulder up at his window where he knew Knackers would be watching and listening. He caught Annie watching him; he saw her squinting into the darkness at his window. He saw the curtain quickly shut and hoped she had missed it. She wasn’t ready to meet Knackers just yet.
“Is there somebody up there? She asked still squinting up at his window.
“Just my cat, Knackers,” he explained.
Just then a loud crash, followed by what Duncan could have sworn was a yelp came from inside Annie’s house. All their heads turned at the sound but it was Robert who broke the tension.
“Yep! Definitely a Brownie.”
Chapter Six
A Walk in the Willows
Morning came too early for Annie. The early morning sun lit up her bedroom and poked incessantly at her closed eyelids. She let out a groan as she threw her arm over her eyes in a feeble attempt to shut out the bright light pouring in through her window. Sleep had come in short bursts last night and had been peppered with scattered images that although had persistently haunted her last night refused to be recalled now as her consciousness took over her groggy mind. She pushed the memory of dreaming aside and begged
The rest of Annie’s dinner party had gone smoothly. They all ate and talked; sipped on wine and joked with each other. As the evening wore on he found himself enjoying their company. The four of them had created a bond with three of them orbiting one. None of them seemed aware of what they were doing; but as Duncan sat back and observed he began to notice it more and more, they were protecting her. More than once he caught one of them glancing into the shadows, like they were watching and waiting for something dangerous to appear out of them. Duncan was sure two of them were druids. Kat and Griffin shimmered silvery; in fact Duncan was almost positive Griffin was the druid he had seen controlling the mist earlier that morning. He decided to put his theory to the test.
“Since you’re all practicing witches,” he began. “Can you think of a reason someone would be practicing magick early this morn?”
His eyes shot to Griffin as the man squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Kat and Griffin exchanged nervous glances while Robert feigned interest in a nearby bush. Annie instantly became angry and immediately jumped to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at Griffin. The man shot him an angry glare and Duncan who tried to look as innocent as possible, all the while doing a happy internal jig.
Paybac k, he thought.
“You promised you wouldn’t,” Annie hissed at Griffin.
Griffin raised his hands in an attempt to calm Annie. “In my defense you are not the only one on this street that has been bothered by that little shit.” His eyes filled with hatred as he ground out those last words. “In case you forgot there was damn near a street fight out here the other night.”
Duncan sat up straighter, and leaned forward, his interest more than peaked, and he needed to know more. “What is goin’ on?” he asked quietly.
“It’s nothing really,” Annie muttered in reply.
Duncan ignored her and asked the question again. This time he directed it at Griffin. Griffin hesitated a moment then refocused his attention on Duncan. “There’s this ass hat that lives next to Kat,” he said giving the woman nestled on his lap a squeeze. She patted his hand comfortingly in return. “He’s a menace, and that’s putting it lightly. At first he was just a pest. Now,” he said sighing. “Well let’s just say he won’t’ be a problem anymore.”
Duncan nodded at the other man silently thanking him for taking care of what he could not. He wondered if that was what they were all on alert about. He would have to keep an eye out for the human. Duncan glanced over his shoulder up at his window where he knew Knackers would be watching and listening. He caught Annie watching him; he saw her squinting into the darkness at his window. He saw the curtain quickly shut and hoped she had missed it. She wasn’t ready to meet Knackers just yet.
“Is there somebody up there? She asked still squinting up at his window.
“Just my cat, Knackers,” he explained.
Just then a loud crash, followed by what Duncan could have sworn was a yelp came from inside Annie’s house. All their heads turned at the sound but it was Robert who broke the tension.
“Yep! Definitely a Brownie.”
Chapter Six
A Walk in the Willows
Morning came too early for Annie. The early morning sun lit up her bedroom and poked incessantly at her closed eyelids. She let out a groan as she threw her arm over her eyes in a feeble attempt to shut out the bright light pouring in through her window. Sleep had come in short bursts last night and had been peppered with scattered images that although had persistently haunted her last night refused to be recalled now as her consciousness took over her groggy mind. She pushed the memory of dreaming aside and begged
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