The Witch and the Dead by Heather Blake Read Free Book Online Page A

wrong, let alone apologize.
    â€œDid you accept the apology?” I asked.
    Glinda had made her bed, so to speak, with Starla last January. It had been an emotionally painful experience that had taught us all some valuable lessons.
    â€œI did. Darcy, you know I forgave her a long time ago, but it was nice to get the apology. What she did to me . . .” She took a deep breath. “Although I didn’t agree with her methods, of course, when I put myself in her shoes and looked at that situation through her eyes, I could understand—a little—why she’d done the things she did.”
    It was part of Starla’s inner magic—her ability to look outside herself, her feelings, and understand someone else’s point of view. It was one of the things I loved most about her.
    â€œBut,” she went on, “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to be friends with her. I’m not entirely sure how you’re able to do it.”
    We’d had this conversation before. I’d been afraid Starla would see my relationship with Glinda as beingdisloyal, but Starla had set my heart at ease. I laughed. “It’s getting easier.”
    â€œShe does seem different lately. You think it’s Liam? Or Mimi?”
    Glinda had fallen in love with Liam Chadwick, Starla’s former brother-in-law. They lived together with their dog, Clarence, who was a lovable golden retriever. As for Mimi . . . when they’d first become friends, I fully believed Glinda had insinuated herself into Mimi’s life solely to get closer to Nick, as she’d had a crush on him at the time. And maybe that had been true. But somewhere along the line, Glinda had come to love Mimi deeply, and Mimi loved her like a favorite aunt.
    â€œLove is powerful motivation to change. But I like to think she finally recognized she wasn’t the person she wanted to be and decided to live a different life.”
    â€œI hope that’s true. Because to truly change who you are, it has to come from within.”
    I nodded.
    â€œAnyway,” Starla said, “if she can convince Vince to drop this witch-hunt of his, I’d like her a little more.”
    Smiling, I said, “Sounds like it’s been rough between the two of you lately.”
    â€œWe’ve been fighting constantly, and not just about the witch stuff. It’s wearing on me.”
    Starla added a little bit of sugar to her tea and dunked her tea bag mercilessly. “His Seeking isn’t necessarily a secret, but I highly suspect he believes I’m a witch and is looking for confirmation.”
    Suddenly chilled, I held my mug between my hands for warmth. I didn’t know what to say.
    â€œAnd not only that,” she added. “I’m now questioning whether he’s always suspected it. Is it why he pursued me so relentlessly? Was I so desperate to be loved again that I was blind to his true motives?”
    â€œNo,” I said firmly. “Don’t even think that. There’sno question that Vince is a complicated person, but if there’s one thing I know for certain about him, it’s how much he cares for you—whether you’re a witch or not.”
    She sighed. “I don’t think I can be in a relationship where I’m going to have to be constantly on guard. Is he going to try to get my DNA some other way? Is he going to pluck a hair or test my toothbrush?”
    If he was on a quest, I wouldn’t put it past him. Seekers tended to have one-track minds.
    With a spoon she scooped up the tea bag, then wrapped the string around both, effectively wringing out the bag. She placed the spoon on a napkin and looked at me, her sky blue eyes filled with confusion. “I don’t know what to do.”
    â€œIf you take his Seeking out of it, how do you feel about him? Do you still love him?”
    She slid her mug from side to side between her hands. “I’ll probably always