Haunted Hex (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 10) by Sara Bourgeois (best value ebook reader txt) 📗

“That would be good,” Thorn agreed.

Once she was strapped in, I made Thorn sit down while I fixed him a plate. I got Meri some cooked bacon from the fridge and crumbled it up.

Everyone sat down to eat together. Well, except Laney. She was snoozing away in her bouncer while Thorn kept an eye on her. As soon as Meri was done eating, he hopped up onto the table and snuggled into her bouncer.

“You know, a lot of people don’t let their cat on the table,” Thorn said to Meri.

“How many of them have talking cats that can cast spells?” Meri snarked back.

“You have a point,” Thorn said.

“And as usual, you don’t,” Meri retorted.

Thorn just laughed at that and then turned his attention to me. “This is so delicious, sweetie,” he said. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“It’s a fairly simple recipe,” I said. “Plus, my mom was here. Don’t be surprised if there are nights we eat frozen pizza or macaroni and cheese.”

“Good thing I love both of those,” Thorn said. “The house looks immaculate too. I thought when you left the shop, you were going to come home and rest.”

“That’s what my mom thought too,” I said. “But, I don’t know. I’ve got this nervous energy again. So I used it to get some things done. It was better than sitting around dwelling.”

“Dwelling on what?” Thorn asked. “Do you mean the break-in and the spell bag? Kinsley, you should let me investigate. File a report so I can do something official.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said. “Mom said she’d have the Coven look into it. I’m supposed to focus on being a mother and let the Coven focus on protecting me and Laney.”

“That sounds like an amazing idea,” Thorn said.

“But how are they going to do that if…” I trailed off.

“What?” Thorn asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you think it was strange that my mom had to run off and check on Lilith?” I asked.

If I would have blinked, I would have missed it. A look flashed across Thorn’s face for a microsecond. Some of the color drained from his cheeks too. Just a hint, and if you didn’t know him as well as I did, you’d have completely missed it.

He was hiding something about Lilith. Mom had said he’d already been over to her house to check things out, so Mom was in on it.

“You better tell me right now, Thorn Wilson,” I said.

“Kinsley,” he said and put his hands out in front of him in a placating gesture.

“Don’t you Kinsley me,” I said. “Spit it out or we’re going to have a problem.” The last part I’d whisper-growled because Laney stirred a little when I said the first.

“Lilith called 911 today,” Thorn said. “She was scared that someone was walking around her house looking in the windows.”

“Since when is Lilith scared of anything?” I said. “My mother didn’t say anything about this.”

“She was here with you and didn’t want to leave,” Thorn said.

“You talked to my mom? How did I not know any of this?” I asked.

“Well, she was probably dealing with it on the phone with me while you were cleaning. I swear I probably heard the vacuum in the background at least one time while we were talking,” Thorn said.

“And she didn’t go to see Lilith right then?” I was more questioning the universe than Thorn, but he answered.

“Your father met me over at Lilith’s house,” he said. “Your mom thought it was important that she stay with you. She didn’t want to alarm you, and she wanted to be here and help you all day.”

“So, you all orchestrated this entire thing to keep me from finding out? What is this, Thorn?” I had stood up from the table without realizing it.

“What it is… is your family looking out for you and Laney. What would you do?” he asked. “How could you have helped? And what would Lilith want? Would she want you coming over there and dealing with it while you’re supposed to be recovering?”’

“Dealing with it?” I said. “She’s my family.”

“And so is Laney,” Thorn said. “Laney is your priority.”

“Don’t tell me what my priorities are,” I said, but all the fight went out of me. He was right. He was right about all of it. Not only was there nothing I could do to help Lilith, but she wouldn’t want me fussing over her when I was supposed to be caring for my new baby.

“What is going on?” I asked as I sat back down. “What could be happening to Lilith?”

“I don’t know,” Thorn said. “I think it looks like dementia. It’s coming on so fast, but…”

“But if the spells that were keeping us all young are wearing off…”

“You need to keep your head in the game,” Thorn said. “Your mother and father are going to worry about Lilith for now.”

I didn’t want to accept that, but it was the right thing to do. My mother and father could do just as much for my Auntie as I could.

But for the first time, the powerlessness of the magic shift had begun to get to me. I felt like an idiot for ignoring it.

I didn’t want to be normal. Not if this was the cost.

Something had to be done.

Chapter Four

The next morning, I woke up before dawn. It was so early that you probably couldn’t even consider it to be morning yet.

Thorn hadn’t gotten up for his run yet, and Laney slept quietly in her cradle at the end of our bed.

Only Meri was awake, but he wasn’t on the windowsill or in the cradle with Laney. I looked out in the hallway, and he was poised with his haunches up and all of his hair standing on end. His tail looked like a bottle brush.

“Meri, what is it?” I whispered as I got out of bed.

The sheriff was asleep next to me, but I didn’t even think to wake him. Instead, I hurried out into the