Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
And his very smart boyfriend caught the hint, giving him the sweetest kiss.
“All right! Enough of the kissy faces. Let’s get this show on the road. Some of us have potions steeping in the cauldron back home!” Audrey bellowed across the field.
Sky playfully rolled his eyes at Nolan and handed over his drink. “Stay out of danger. We’ll have this done quickly.”
“Hurry up, Grave Gremlin. I’ve got things I want to do to you later,” Nolan replied with a devilish smirk.
That was one way to get his ass in gear. He most definitely wanted to let Nolan do things to him. That had to be more fun than catching dandy dogs in the dark with a bunch of witches.
Chapter 8
Nolan Banks
Nolan wandered over to a cluster of picnic tables covered in a variety of purses, bags, and backpacks belonging to the witches. He sat on the worn wooden bench, clutching Sky’s cold drink between both of his hands as he watched the witches gather in the center of the field. Their voices were a low, indistinct rumble.
Part of him wished he could be right there with Sky to hear their plans, but after his injury earlier in the evening, it was smarter to keep his distance.
As much as he’d argued that he wanted to be in the middle of the fight, right there at Sky’s side to support him, the necromancer had a good point. He was vulnerable. There were going to be times his support had to come from deep on the sidelines if he didn’t want to get himself killed.
“Sucks to be stuck on the sidelines, doesn’t it?”
Nolan’s head snapped up at the voice right next to him. A short woman stood a few feet away, a smirk lifting one corner of her thin lips. Her long dark hair was braided with a few ribbons and beads woven in among the strands. He couldn’t remember seeing her with the other witches. Maybe she’d arrived late.
There was something about her that screamed witch. A heavy aura about her that sort of thickened the air and weighed on his skin like an old quilt.
“I’m sorry?” he said, blinking a couple of times to clear his head.
Her grin widened, and she plopped onto the bench next to him with a jingle that reminded him of Sky’s Grammy. She slid the large patchwork bag from her shoulder and set it on the ground. A soft glass clink rose from it as the items inside shifted.
“To be left out. To be stuck on the outside.” She waved her hand at the crowd of witches in the center of the soccer field. “It sucks.”
“It does, but everyone can’t be born a witch, right?” Nolan squinted at the dark figures. He couldn’t see Sky in the crowd, but he could pick out where Mad, Moon, and Red were because they were taller. They had to be right next to their friend. Nolan shrugged. “Besides, Sky knows I’m here waiting for him. If there’s something a human can do to help, I’ll be there.”
The witch at his side clicked her tongue, and he looked over to see her shaking her head. “It’s dangerous dating a witch.” She pointed a bony finger at the crowd. “Particularly that witch. He is a magnet for trouble. Especially now that he’s made friends with that demon king.” She dropped her hands and huffed at him. “If you’re so fond of witches, why don’t you find yourself a nice, quiet witch? What about Esme? She’s a nice, quiet witch with an affinity for animals. She has a cottage in the woods, always got rabbits and chipmunks running around.”
This time, Nolan grinned at her. “I like boy witches.”
She narrowed her eyes at him for a second before turning her attention to the crowd. “There aren’t many boy witches in the world. I’d set you up with Fox. He’s pretty good at staying out of trouble, but he’s got himself a vampire and there’s no separating them.” She slumped and sucked on her bottom lip. “Moon’s not too bad. He knows how to keep his nose clean and avoid trouble. Those other three…” She shook her head and sighed. “Troublemakers.”
Nolan didn’t know whether to laugh or groan. She was trying very hard to set him up with someone other than Sky, but it wasn’t happening. Meddling old witch.
“I like Sky. We haven’t known each other long, but I think…I think I could be falling in love with him. I don’t want another witch.”
“He’s dangerous. His life is dangerous.”
Nolan twisted around and placed Sky’s beverage on the table. When he turned back, he wiped his cold, damp hands on his dirty jeans. He was still in the same blood-splattered clothes as earlier. Thankfully, there had been a jacket in his car trunk, which was now covering the disaster that was his shirt. He knew firsthand how dangerous Sky’s life was. But he was undeterred.