MAKING MAGICKAL ALLIANCES: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel by Leigh Raventhorne (best color ereader .txt) 📗

southern accent exaggerated. I bit my tongue short of telling her she was far too nasally to pull it off and shoved my jealousy down. “What are you doing here with these two old ladies, handsome?” She put a hand out to stroke his arm. Sparks flew and Suzette screamed, yanking her hand back. Faster than she could disappear, Rand grabbed her wrist. I don’t know who was the most surprised when he caught it—Rand, Suzette, or me. Suzette began struggling, but couldn’t escape his hold. After a brief struggle, he grabbed her other wrist. She closed her eyes tightly and just stood there shaking.

“What’s going on?” Tess asked, looking from me to Rand to Rand’s hand. “What was that flash of light?”

Finding my voice, I said, “Suzette was being her usual self and Rand . . . caught her. I don’t think she can go anywhere.”

Suzette’s eyes flew open. “Rand?” She narrowed his eyes at him, recognition finally flaring in them. “That ghost dude that follows you around like a lovesick puppy?” She began struggling again, but he held her easily. “How are you doing this? How are you, no, what are you? Tell me!” Her voice rose to a shriek. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two more ghosts pop their heads through the wall, gasp, then promptly disappear.

“How about you just tell us where Jeremy is so we can get on with our business?” Rand’s voice was hard now, with no trace of the charm from seconds ago.

Suzette’s string of profanities would have made Tess proud. I almost felt bad she couldn’t hear her. Then I remembered the little gift for Jeremy that I’d tucked into my purse. Digging around, I pulled the jewelry box out. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before we got here, Tess. Quick, put this on.” I handed her the ring.

“Rox, I didn’t realize you felt this way about me. Isn’t this kind of fast? We haven’t even slept together yet.” Despite her joking tone, she took the ring and slipped it on her thumb, since it was sized for a man.

“You, Sam, Annie, and I have shared a bed more than most married couples have, girlie.” I opened my mouth to say more, but Rand chose that moment to clear his throat. I paused and looked over to see both him and Suzette staring at us, their eyebrows raised. Suzette’s mouth hung open a little.

“So, you swing both ways?” Suzette looked at me with a new light in her eyes. Her gaze roamed over me contemplatively. “Huh. I never would have figured you for that, what with you walkin’ around with that big stick up your butt all the time ‘n all. Not that you’re my type or anything, but still.”

Rand shifted slightly and I glanced down. Suzette’s gaze followed mine and she made an appreciative sound. Exasperated, I rolled my eyes. “Really? Get your mind out of the gutter, the both of you. You know what I meant.”

“Hey, Rox,” Tess whispered. I looked over to see her grinning as she held up her hand. “It works. I can hear her!”

Relief flooded me. I’d been working on the ring as an experiment for the last week, but I hadn’t had a chance to test it. Before today’s events, I’d planned on having either Tess or Danai try it on to see if they could hear Jake. Though I’d known Rand could still see and touch Jake, it hadn’t occurred to me that he would be able to see—and touch—other ghosts, as well. I also wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with the magick from the sapphire bracelet or if I was actually getting better at Making, but everything I’d attempted to Make over the past two weeks had come to me much easier.

“Great. Suzette, will you please tell me where Jeremy is? I brought him the ring as a gift, so you won’t have to shout at him to be heard all the time.”

She jutted her jaw out stubbornly for a moment then, with a dramatic sigh, she seemed to deflate. “Fine. He should be back any second now. He had to take care of something at the restaurant, but you know how chatty he can be.”

Rand released her wrists and she practically flew away from him, coming to a stop on the other side of the desk. “I still wanna know what he is. He ain’t no ghost, that’s for damn sure.”

Didn’t we all? I immediately felt guilty over the errant thought.

Five relatively uncomfortable minutes later, Jeremy strolled in. He stopped and gave a rather cawlike exclamation of surprise. “Ms. Roxanne, what you doin’ here at Jeremy’s? Come, come.” Without waiting for an answer, he ushered us into his office. “How you gets here? I don’ sees no car.”

I explained that we’d been dropped off as we sat. And that we needed his help.

“Sher, sher. What can Jeremy do fer you? Any’ting, anyt’ings at all, you just says.” His dark eyes bright, he leaned forward behind his desk. “Who dis wit’ you?” He motioned to Rand.

That’s right. He didn’t know about what had happened to Rand. I hadn’t seen Jeremy since before that day, and even then I’d only spoken to him briefly, mainly to let him know about the attack itself. How much should I tell him about Rand’s . . . situation? If I told him the truth, I could see him begging me to bring Suzette back, too. That thought left a decidedly bad taste in my mouth. She was bad enough as a ghost. Or if any of the resident ghosts found out, there would be no peace for me at all, whenever I had to come to town. I didn’t even know if what had happened could be repeated.

“This is my friend and bodyguard, Rand.”

Jeremy cocked