tries anything again. I’ll stay in your guest room, of course,” he added hastily.
She opened and closed her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Aziza slunk in and jumped on the couch between them, nuzzled her head against Ruby's arm.
“This is crazy, you can’t stay with me.” Ruby could hear the half-heartedness in her voice. She scratched Aziza behind the ears to avoid looking at him; she was sure he’d read the fear all over her face.
“You said yourself I shouldn’t stay at Courtney's. We can tackle her stuff together at a later time and I can be sure you’re safe.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard, Cooper. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m not saying you can’t, but I would feel better knowing that you aren’t alone here. He got into your apartment, Ruby. Who’s to say he won’t come back when you’re sleeping or set a spell for something awful?”
Ruby considered the options. On the one hand, it would be very strange to have Cooper there, especially considering her thoughts about him. She did not, however, want a serial killer attacking her in the middle of the night and liked her heart exactly where it was in her chest. She shuddered thinking about it. Her silence made Cooper press more.
“Ruby, please. I can’t lose you, too. Let me help.” His green eyes bore into hers with such intensity she didn’t want to say no.
She sighed and slowly nodded. “All right, I guess it’s not the worst idea. I don’t exactly want to risk it, either.”
Cooper sat back in relief. Perhaps he’d been expecting more of a fight. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbed the stubble on his jaw, and looked around once more.
“We should call the police,” she said.
“I hate to do it, but I gotta agree. I can call the detective in charge of Courtney's investigation.” Cooper whipped out his cell phone and a business card.
“Why do you hate to call them in?”
“I can’t imagine the idea of witches and magic will go over well with them. That letter is pretty clear about his thoughts on you. They might chalk it up to pure crazy and not take it as seriously as they should.”
“Ah, I see. Well…I also think we should inform Michael.” Ruby braced herself for Cooper's reaction, which was expected.
“Are you kidding me?” He stopped dialing numbers to stare at her. “Michael has nothing to do with this.”
“Maybe not him specifically, but it definitely deals with the coven. What if you’re here and the killer can’t get to me, so he goes after one of them?”
“He said in his note he wants power. You’re more powerful than any of them and they know it, so he probably does, too.”
“Michael could be in danger; he’s the High Priest of a coven for a reason.”
“And he’s always been threatened by you.” Cooper's voice was so flat Ruby could’ve skipped rocks on it.
“That’s not true. Michael can freaking transport.”
“You know as well as I do that plenty of witches can do that with enough practice and spellwork. You and Courtney have done it lots of times. You’re making excuses. Why do you think Lacy wants to practice with you?”
“Because she wants to get away from Rebecca,” Ruby feebly argued.
“Partly, but she could go anywhere. She wants to practice with you because she knows how powerful you are, how focused you can be. You won’t let anything happen to those people. Michael, no matter how powerful he is, will always look out for Michael, and everyone knows that whether they admit it or not.”
Ruby looked down at her water glass again and said nothing. She didn’t want to sound arrogant, but she knew she was powerful; she always had been, even as a teenager, when being a witch could be most difficult. Michael had never been able to control the weather as she had or affect electricity. Any witch could write and do spells, but it took certain power to do more. He was a wonderful High Priest, but it was because he was charming, had
She opened and closed her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Aziza slunk in and jumped on the couch between them, nuzzled her head against Ruby's arm.
“This is crazy, you can’t stay with me.” Ruby could hear the half-heartedness in her voice. She scratched Aziza behind the ears to avoid looking at him; she was sure he’d read the fear all over her face.
“You said yourself I shouldn’t stay at Courtney's. We can tackle her stuff together at a later time and I can be sure you’re safe.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard, Cooper. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m not saying you can’t, but I would feel better knowing that you aren’t alone here. He got into your apartment, Ruby. Who’s to say he won’t come back when you’re sleeping or set a spell for something awful?”
Ruby considered the options. On the one hand, it would be very strange to have Cooper there, especially considering her thoughts about him. She did not, however, want a serial killer attacking her in the middle of the night and liked her heart exactly where it was in her chest. She shuddered thinking about it. Her silence made Cooper press more.
“Ruby, please. I can’t lose you, too. Let me help.” His green eyes bore into hers with such intensity she didn’t want to say no.
She sighed and slowly nodded. “All right, I guess it’s not the worst idea. I don’t exactly want to risk it, either.”
Cooper sat back in relief. Perhaps he’d been expecting more of a fight. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbed the stubble on his jaw, and looked around once more.
“We should call the police,” she said.
“I hate to do it, but I gotta agree. I can call the detective in charge of Courtney's investigation.” Cooper whipped out his cell phone and a business card.
“Why do you hate to call them in?”
“I can’t imagine the idea of witches and magic will go over well with them. That letter is pretty clear about his thoughts on you. They might chalk it up to pure crazy and not take it as seriously as they should.”
“Ah, I see. Well…I also think we should inform Michael.” Ruby braced herself for Cooper's reaction, which was expected.
“Are you kidding me?” He stopped dialing numbers to stare at her. “Michael has nothing to do with this.”
“Maybe not him specifically, but it definitely deals with the coven. What if you’re here and the killer can’t get to me, so he goes after one of them?”
“He said in his note he wants power. You’re more powerful than any of them and they know it, so he probably does, too.”
“Michael could be in danger; he’s the High Priest of a coven for a reason.”
“And he’s always been threatened by you.” Cooper's voice was so flat Ruby could’ve skipped rocks on it.
“That’s not true. Michael can freaking transport.”
“You know as well as I do that plenty of witches can do that with enough practice and spellwork. You and Courtney have done it lots of times. You’re making excuses. Why do you think Lacy wants to practice with you?”
“Because she wants to get away from Rebecca,” Ruby feebly argued.
“Partly, but she could go anywhere. She wants to practice with you because she knows how powerful you are, how focused you can be. You won’t let anything happen to those people. Michael, no matter how powerful he is, will always look out for Michael, and everyone knows that whether they admit it or not.”
Ruby looked down at her water glass again and said nothing. She didn’t want to sound arrogant, but she knew she was powerful; she always had been, even as a teenager, when being a witch could be most difficult. Michael had never been able to control the weather as she had or affect electricity. Any witch could write and do spells, but it took certain power to do more. He was a wonderful High Priest, but it was because he was charming, had
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