No More Black Magic by A. L. Kessler Read Free Book Online

Clarissa to come over and watch me on the full moon. Three nights away. I was hoping the hex would be gone by then, but I guess better safe than sorry.
    “What are you thinking?” He asked after a few minutes of silence.
    I shook my head. “My mind is just on the case and the people that are trying to kill me. You know, the usual thoughts that occupy my mind.”
    “You should try to think of nice things. Like rainbows and unicorns.” He laughed. “Okay, no, I think I’d be thinking about the same things.”
    He pulled up to a ranch style house. A weeping willow sat in front covering most of the small yard and I saw a pine tree peeking out from behind the house. It was quaint, large enough for a family, and seemed perfectly normal.
    “You can’t run here in the city. I guess I was expecting you to live out in the woods.”
    “We have a pack house in the woods. I go up there a few nights a week to check on the pups that come in. The newly changed pups that is, and I run then. I don’t have to run often since I have nearly perfect control over my beast.”
    Nearly, that was comforting. I was glad that I was planning on staying in the guest room. “Where am I sleeping?”
    “Right this way.” He opened the door and led me through the living room and down a hallway. “My room is right next door. I’ll be able to hear if something is wrong.”
    I nodded, pulled out a piece of chalk from my bag and drew a rune of protection on the door. “Not that I don’t trust you, wolfy, I just don’t know what else is lurking around.”
    “Fine by me. I'd rather you were safe, Levi would murder me if I let something happen to you.”
    Yeah, and half the city on top of that. “I’m going to draw one on your door as well.”
    “I don’t need witch craft to keep me safe.”
    I turned and faced him. “Simon, these guys blew up a barn, cut the arm off a human, and put me in the hospital.”
    He met my gaze and considered for a moment. “Okay, fine, I guess some extra protection won’t hurt.”
    “Mmhmm, that’s what I thought.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    T he night passed without incident. I slept better than I had expected, no strange dreams of red runes, no crazy people claiming that Ra sent them to me with a message. Nothing of that sort. I walked out to the kitchen to find Simon cooking breakfast, at noon. I watched him for a moment, wondering why this was starting to feel normal. Him and I spending so much time together was new, but without him hounding me for a date, it was kind of nice.
    “I just need to call Detective Mason about the arm, and then we can be on our way.”
    He turned to me as he flipped a pancake in the pan. “Is that all you think about?”
    “Pretty much, the sooner I know more about the arm and the people who did this the better. The sooner I’m done with the arm, the sooner I can get to looking through those new notes and figuring out exactly what those people did to me.” I sat at the breakfast bar that overlooked the plain kitchen.
    He nodded and slid the pancake on a plate. “Well eat up, if what I saw last night is any indication, you’re going to need your strength.”
    “Yeah, this spell is going to drain me. It takes a toll on a normal day.” I sighed and took the plate from him. “Thank you, you didn’t have to cook breakfast.”
    He shrugged. “You have to eat too.” He pulled his own plate over to him and then put two more pancakes from his plate on mine. “Now, make your phone call and eat up.”
    I pulled out my phone and called Detective Mason.
    “Do you have something for me?” Mason’s voice made it sound more like a demand than a question.
    I glanced at Simon and rolled my eyes. “No, not exactly, but I’m going to the morgue to deal with the arm.”
    “Good, someone is breathing down my neck to get this solved.” He sounded irritated. Of course maybe he didn’t have someone making him breakfast.
    “I’m working as fast I can. It’s not my fault that I landed in