Joy of Witchcraft Read Online Free PDF Page B

thing onto my property.”
    I knew better than to start with if he did . Instead, I said, “He’s trying to provoke you. He wants you to break the injunction. He wants the Court to find against you before they ever get close to deciding his case.”
    “He could have killed—”
    I shook my head and settled a finger against his lips. “He didn’t.” David started to protest again, but I pressed harder. “He didn’t,” I repeated. “We’re safe. Pitt failed.” When David showed no sign of relaxing, I leaned in to brush a kiss against his cheek. “Besides,” I said, purposely making my voice light. “You have much more important things to worry about.”
    “What could be more important than—”
    “Clara,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Clara back in town.” Another squeeze. “Clara taking classes at the University of Maryland, practically in our own back yard.” One more clutch of my fingers. “Clara jabbering on and on and on, until my only choice is to go crazy or turn her into a toad.”
    I felt the moment he made the conscious decision to set aside his tension. His shimmering anger crumbled, releasing his shoulders, relaxing his spine. After all, the satyr was gone. We’d defeated Pitt. Again.
    David curled a finger beneath my chin, tilting my lips toward his. “She only makes you crazy because you let her.”
    I pulled back enough to protest. “What am I supposed to say when she starts raving about ancient Greek hellmouths ?”
    “How about, ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’”
    “Like that would work!”
    “Try it,” he said.
    I laughed and tightened my arms around his waist. I was surprised when he sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth. “You are hurt!” I said.
    “I’ll live. That thing probably cracked a rib or two.”
    “Let’s go,” I said, setting a fast pace across the grass. “I want Neko to take a look at you. He can tape you up, at least.” The fact that David didn’t protest made me realize just how injured he was.
    I only started to relax as we approached the house. The curtains were open in the front room, and warm light splashed onto the porch. Inside, Neko was skirting the coffee table, balancing a tray that looked like it held enough food to feed a football team. “Looks like a trip to the grocery store is at the top of tomorrow’s agenda,” I said to David.
    “But first, you have something more important to do,” a voice said. A shadow rose from the top of the porch steps, sleek and graceful as a panther in the night.
    David’s hand tightened on mine, but he didn’t try to edge in front of me. I blinked hard, and the shadow resolved into a human shape, a woman’s body. Teresa.
    “And what might that be?” I asked, edging my words with defiance. “What’s more important than caring for my magicarium?”
    Teresa took the steps slowly, like she was sizing me up for a fight. “Paying your debts,” she said, closing the distance between us. “Jane Madison. Magistrix and witch. I hereby claim the right of benefaction.”

CHAPTER 3

    “For the everlasting love of Hecate,” I swore, not entirely succeeding in keeping my curse under my breath. I planted my hands on my hips and said to Teresa, “You have got to be kidding.”
    “I never ‘kid’ about witchcraft.”
    Of course she didn’t. Not when she was the strongest Coven Mother in the Eastern Empire. Not when she’d held that position since she was freaking ten years old. Not when she had me over an astral barrel.
    “Fine,” I said. “But not until after I’ve checked on my students. And had a chance to change.”
    “Of course,” she answered, her lips compressed into a superior smile. I couldn’t help but notice her dress was dry and every hair sat in perfect place on her head. She’d used magic to pull herself together, blatantly grandstanding that she had power to burn even after our near-disastrous working in the circle.
    I brushed past her, barely resisting the urge to toss my