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

feel something for him, but . . .”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI’m just not
in love
with him anymore. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t even like him very much these days. I don’t think I can be with him anymore
and
keep the secret that I’m a witch. And if I have to choose between the two, I choose being a witch.” She held my gaze. “And I think that tells me all I need to know about the relationship, because if I truly loved him, heart-and-soul loved him, like I did with Kyle, then there wouldn’t be a moment’s hesitation to tell him the truth about the Craft.”
    Kyle Chadwick, who’d died last winter, had been Starla’s ex-husband. Theirs was a tragic relationship that had nearly destroyed Starla . . . twice. The fact that she had been willing to open her heart to Vince in the first place told me how much she cared for him, but caring and loving were two very different things.
    She took a sip of her tea and stared out the windows that looked into the backyard. “As much as I know what I need to do, I don’t want to hurt Vince by doing it. I need to figure out how to break up with him in the least painful way possible. It’s not going to be easy.”
    I had the feeling she’d been wrestling with how to do that for a while. I’d seen the signs over the past few months, the distance.
    â€œIt never is. I’m sorry,” I said.
    She sighed. “It was really good for a while.”
    It had been. She’d been happy, and Vince had been good to her. I wondered what had changed. Wondered if we’d ever know. I had to remind myself that sometimes relationships simply didn’t work out.
    â€œI don’t regret being with Vince,” she said, “but I’m kind of relieved to move forward without having to watch my every word. It’s been a bigger burden than I ever imagined. The sooner I break it off, the better.” She took a deep breath. “Tonight. I’ll do it tonight.”
    Once Starla set her mind to something, it was done. I just hoped Vince would handle the breakup well. He had his faults, but I didn’t want to see him hurt, either.
    Starla glanced around. “Now, do you need any more help with moving in here? My afternoon schedule is flexible.”
    â€œNot really. Most of my stuff was in Ve’s garage. It has to stay there until the crime techs are done. I just have a couple of little boxes left to move from my room at Ve’s, which I should leave there if I’m staying the night.”
    â€œI’ve been thinking about her memory or, more accurately, her lack of memories. Do you know if she’s tried the memory spell to recover those missing days with Miles?”
    That spell had worked wonders on me when I was trying to recall memories of my mother, but I’d
wanted
to remember. I wasn’t sure Ve did. “I’ll ask her. It’s worth a try.”
    Starla set her mug in the farmer’s sink. “I should probably get back to work. But first, I think I’m going to send a note to the Elder. She should know about the sorcery stuff—don’t you think?”
    A cold chill went down my spine. “Definitely. Sorcery is not something we want here in the village. That kind of evil is scary. Speaking of, that reminds me I need to go see Dorothy Hansel Dewitt about Miles Babbage.”
    Starla laughed as she headed for the front door. “Scary is right. Good luck with that.”
    She gave me a hug, and I squeezed her tight.
    â€œThanks for listening,” she said.
    â€œAnytime.”
    I leaned against the doorjamb and watched her head down the sidewalk toward Terry’s house and Archie’s cage. As the Elder’s messenger, Archie would see to it that my mother received Starla’s note.
    As I headed back inside, I could only hope that Vince wasn’t in over his head with this sorcery nonsense.
    But I