Something About Witches Read Online Free

nape, down the delicate valley of her spine.
    The carved oak sign welcomed the visitor to Sweet Dreams.Like a freaking bed-and-breakfast, which was actually how the place was listed for tax purposes, but he’d bet money no one had ever come to this bordello to sleep, despite the heavy, languorous feel that lay over it like a fantastical mist.
    The three-story Queen Anne structure had an elaborate roofline of cross gables and a block tower, a chaotic design he knew was helpful to box in and contain energy flow where needed. On top of the tower was a wind vane, a wrought iron depiction of a witch riding a broom. The fronds of the broom curled like the witch’s long streaming hair.
    The wraparound porch on the first level matched the balcony on the second and third, with elaborate turned posts and lots of bead- and spindle work. The upper corners of the outdoor living space were embellished with brackets and delicate arches. A wide front door displayed original colored-block stained glass windows with a matching transom. On that small tower balcony, there was a similarly impressive entrance.
    He suspected the tower was where Raina’s personal rooms were. The laws of gravity made it far easier to disseminate protection spells and other magics over the square footage of the large house from a higher point. And considering the only reason the succubi and incubi in residence didn’t fatally drain the clients was the moderating effect of Raina’s spells, her location in the house was vitally important to its feng shui.
    His lip curled. The whole place suggested an escape into lush, unhurried fantasy, with a subtle undercurrent of erotic danger impossible to resist. A perfect reflection of the female who owned it.
    “It’s about time you got here, you worthless piece of shit.”
    It should have bugged him that he hadn’t sensed her approach from the side porch, but the list of things he was fucked-up about right now was at capacity. “Could have been here sooner if someone had told me where the hell she was.”
    “Doesn’t work that way. Unfortunately friend loyalty trumps friend stupidity. Plus, I didn’t expect it to take a big bad sorcerer three years to find one broody little witch. Oh, let me guess.” Her sultry laugh had a sharp edge that could cut off a man’s balls. “The world was in peril half a dozen times and you just couldn’t pull yourself away.”
    “Pretty much.” It was that, but something more as well, something that had him lifting his gaze and locking with Raina’s, showing her this dog wasn’t in the mood to have his chain yanked, unless she wanted to see teeth up close and personal.
    He’d gone over it a hundred times since Ruby had sent him away. She’d always kept her soul open to him, so they could increase their intimacy, feed that energy, but the day she’d tossed him out of her life, she’d been cold, locked down. The woman he’d seen today was still battened like a ship in a gale. The only good thing about that was it had helped him rein in the million things he’d felt when he turned the knob and saw her standing behind the counter. Controlling his own reaction had helped him notice the big thing that
had
changed.
    Ruby had always lacked the confidence to explore her magical potential on a deeper level. In contrast, the woman he’d seen today had enough energy hovering around her it was like watching Pandora’s box throw off sparks. Of course, given what had finally brought him back to her side, finding she’d embraced her potential was a bitter confirmation, not a surprise.
    He’d
never
have left her under the circumstances in which he had in fact…. left her. For three years, it had bugged the hell out of him. He’d known something was terribly wrong. Any other time, he would have hung around, dragged the truth out of her. Instead, he’d convinced himself it was best to give her some space. He’d come back later when she’d settled down, figure it out