as soon as she saw her door.
“Something’s wrong,” she said.
“What? How can you tell?” He looked up and down the hallway.
“There was a barrier when I left. Remember I checked, put my hand on the door when we left? My spell was in place.”
“There was a soft glow on the door,” he said absentmindedly, as though remembering. His eyes narrowed and Ruby could see his veins throb in his neck as his jaw tightened.
“Only witches would be able to see it, but it’s not there.” Ruby took a few steps forward, placing her hand on the door, which was now simply cool and wooden. She retrieved her key and turned the lock, but Cooper stopped her.
“I’ll go in first.”
He swung the door wide open; he held his hands up in case of a fight or a spell, but silence greeted them. Cooper did a quick sweep of the apartment while Ruby waited in the entryway. He returned with Aziza in one arm and a letter in his hand.
“This was on your coffee table,” he said grimly. “Aziza was hiding behind the couch. She hissed until she realized it was me.”
Ruby took the note from him. As she opened it, Cooper stood beside her to read over her shoulder.
“Not all witches are equal. Some are born with extraordinary gifts; anyone can practice, but few are truly powerful. You are one of the lucky ones, Ruby. I apologize about your friend Courtney. She was powerful, but nowhere near your capabilities. I’m afraid that in order for my powers to thrive, yours must come to an end. I’ll be seeing you very soon. -X”
CHAPTER NINE
Neither of them spoke for over a full minute. Ruby reread the letter a dozen times, her stomach twisting more with each read. Cooper seethed with anger, his lips set in a snarl. Finally, Ruby broke the awful silence.
“He was here. He knows where I live ?” She gripped the letter, crumpling it in her hands as she stared at it in horror. The lights flickered once before cutting off. Ruby took a breath and tried to calm down. It took another thirty seconds before the lights buzzed and came back to life.
“How the hell did he get past your security wards?” Cooper set Aziza down; she rubbed against Ruby before padding off to the kitchen.
“I have no idea.” Ruby's mind spun as she took off to her bedroom. She barely heard Cooper shut the front door as she raced to the armoire that contained her most precious Wiccan materials. She stared at the small double doors; it was still locked, but there it was, the tiniest scratch by the lock. Courtney's murderer had not only gotten around her protection spell, but had been in her apartment, touched her things.
She struggled to get the key from her necklace. Her hands shook as she opened it and she quickly assessed that everything was still in its proper place. He hadn’t gotten through the locks or the very personal protection spell she had on her Book of Shadows, at least. A short sigh of relief escaped her. Cooper watched her from the doorway.
“Everything there?” he asked.
Ruby nodded, her adrenaline and panic beginning to wear off. Now she felt dizzy, nauseous at the idea that a stranger had broken into her safe space. She brushed past Cooper to do a walkthrough of her entire apartment.
“He didn’t take anything. He only came in here to leave me a note?” Ruby asked Cooper as she sunk into her couch.
He handed her a glass of water and sat close to her. “He came in here to prove a point. He wanted to show you that he could break your protection spell, to make you think he could get to you.”
“Can’t he?” Ruby replied dully. She stared at the water glass, wrapping her hands around its cool surface.
“No, he can’t. He won’t. I’m going to stay with you until this blows over.”
Ruby almost dropped her glass. She set it on the table and met Cooper's face with surprise. “Say what now?”
“I think it would be best for everyone if I stayed with you, to make sure you’re not alone in case this asshole
“Something’s wrong,” she said.
“What? How can you tell?” He looked up and down the hallway.
“There was a barrier when I left. Remember I checked, put my hand on the door when we left? My spell was in place.”
“There was a soft glow on the door,” he said absentmindedly, as though remembering. His eyes narrowed and Ruby could see his veins throb in his neck as his jaw tightened.
“Only witches would be able to see it, but it’s not there.” Ruby took a few steps forward, placing her hand on the door, which was now simply cool and wooden. She retrieved her key and turned the lock, but Cooper stopped her.
“I’ll go in first.”
He swung the door wide open; he held his hands up in case of a fight or a spell, but silence greeted them. Cooper did a quick sweep of the apartment while Ruby waited in the entryway. He returned with Aziza in one arm and a letter in his hand.
“This was on your coffee table,” he said grimly. “Aziza was hiding behind the couch. She hissed until she realized it was me.”
Ruby took the note from him. As she opened it, Cooper stood beside her to read over her shoulder.
“Not all witches are equal. Some are born with extraordinary gifts; anyone can practice, but few are truly powerful. You are one of the lucky ones, Ruby. I apologize about your friend Courtney. She was powerful, but nowhere near your capabilities. I’m afraid that in order for my powers to thrive, yours must come to an end. I’ll be seeing you very soon. -X”
CHAPTER NINE
Neither of them spoke for over a full minute. Ruby reread the letter a dozen times, her stomach twisting more with each read. Cooper seethed with anger, his lips set in a snarl. Finally, Ruby broke the awful silence.
“He was here. He knows where I live ?” She gripped the letter, crumpling it in her hands as she stared at it in horror. The lights flickered once before cutting off. Ruby took a breath and tried to calm down. It took another thirty seconds before the lights buzzed and came back to life.
“How the hell did he get past your security wards?” Cooper set Aziza down; she rubbed against Ruby before padding off to the kitchen.
“I have no idea.” Ruby's mind spun as she took off to her bedroom. She barely heard Cooper shut the front door as she raced to the armoire that contained her most precious Wiccan materials. She stared at the small double doors; it was still locked, but there it was, the tiniest scratch by the lock. Courtney's murderer had not only gotten around her protection spell, but had been in her apartment, touched her things.
She struggled to get the key from her necklace. Her hands shook as she opened it and she quickly assessed that everything was still in its proper place. He hadn’t gotten through the locks or the very personal protection spell she had on her Book of Shadows, at least. A short sigh of relief escaped her. Cooper watched her from the doorway.
“Everything there?” he asked.
Ruby nodded, her adrenaline and panic beginning to wear off. Now she felt dizzy, nauseous at the idea that a stranger had broken into her safe space. She brushed past Cooper to do a walkthrough of her entire apartment.
“He didn’t take anything. He only came in here to leave me a note?” Ruby asked Cooper as she sunk into her couch.
He handed her a glass of water and sat close to her. “He came in here to prove a point. He wanted to show you that he could break your protection spell, to make you think he could get to you.”
“Can’t he?” Ruby replied dully. She stared at the water glass, wrapping her hands around its cool surface.
“No, he can’t. He won’t. I’m going to stay with you until this blows over.”
Ruby almost dropped her glass. She set it on the table and met Cooper's face with surprise. “Say what now?”
“I think it would be best for everyone if I stayed with you, to make sure you’re not alone in case this asshole
Similar Books
