Chapter Five

Sasha was bored. She flew through town searching for something to entertain her. The Enchanted Garden Floral Shop proved to be an animal-friendly establishment with a darling courtyard entrance, complete with birdbath and feeder. She’d visited here for several days now. There were a couple of wrought iron benches strategically placed in the shade. She waited for the feeding hour to wrap up, and when the other birds took off, she ventured closer to the birdbath, taking a seat on the edge of the basin. A fountain spilled into the bowl, and she leaned in and drank. The water tasted clear and cool. Hopefully it was fresh and not simply circulated from the bath. Yuck.

The owner’s daughter, Saffron, replenished the feeders every afternoon once the feeding frenzy had ended. Sasha waited patiently.

“You’re such a sweet birdie,” Saffron said. “Not pushy like the others.”

“Thank you,” Sasha said in her parrot voice. Of course, she wasn’t like the other birds—she was a feline shifter. Perhaps that’s the reason the others left whenever she arrived. Perhaps it had nothing to do with being done eating and everything to do with sensing she was different. Whatever the reason, it was fine by her.

Saffron sat on one of the benches, watching while Sasha nibbled on seed. She guessed it was instinct that drove her to eat. Caroline had also set out birdseed. The body of a bird was small compared to a human, and the kernels she consumed didn’t satisfy her. Still, at the moment it wasn’t so much that she was hungry as she liked the company.

“Saffron?” the little girl’s mother called from inside the flower shop.

“Coming, Momma.” She jumped up and looked over her shoulder. “See you later!”

Not if I can figure out a way to get rid of this horrible spell…

With a thrust of her feet and flap of her wings, she launched into the air. Flying was the one thing she liked about being a bird; she might even miss it when it was all over.

Her gaze skimmed the street, and she spotted a dreamy guy sitting in a blue Mustang in front of Illusions. She executed a deep dive and perched on a wire not far from him. She dipped her head and then straightened abruptly. It was the same guy she’d been eyeing last night at Mummy’s!

Damn, he was gorgeous. He had a deep tan and his short hair was spiked fashionably. He drummed his fingers on the side mirror as if waiting for someone to exit the store.

She flew closer, landing on the THIRTY-MINUTE PARKING sign, right in front of his car.

He stared at her, narrowing his eyes. His brow furrowed.

Sasha filled her birdy lungs with air. “What a hunk.”

He leaned forward, a dreamy smile curling his lips.

Dear Gods, had she said that out loud? Her heart fluttered. And hell’s bells, he gave her an odd feeling—calm and excited at the same time. She ruffled her feathers.

Gradually, he extended his palm, motioning for her to come to him.

What? Did he expect her to land on his hand?

It was an unexpected invitation…

Moving entirely on intuition, she glided and rested on his open palm, staring at him, studying him, trying to figure out why she felt this heady connection to him. For some reason, she trusted him to keep her safe, to—

The jewelry store door opened, and the angel the man had been with at Mummy’s strolled toward the car. Sasha took to the air once more.

She couldn’t explain it, but she saw both men as warriors in their own way—rugged, dominant protectors, embodied with strength, courage, and determination.

She headed into a tall pine and waited for her heart to stop pounding.

* * *

As the gray bird flew away, a hawk crossed her path. At least he thought she was a female. He sensed it somehow.

The hawk intruded on his thoughts. You must own your power, be the visionary and seer and healer you were meant to be.

Kianso clenched his jaw, aware he was being thrust in a direction he didn’t want to go.

“What in the hell were you doing holding a bird?” Seth asked, climbing into the car and closing the door.

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” Kianso muttered.

Seth rolled his eyes. “Ugh, I’ve never liked that idiom. Way too safe. It discourages taking chances.”

“Whatever.” Kianso wasn’t sure why he’d even spouted it. Perhaps because both the hawk and Seth had caught him off guard. He tried to shake his sullen mood as he drove.

“Hungry?” he asked the archangel.

“Oh yeah. Let’s hit Howler’s on the way home.”

* * *

Sasha paced atop the picnic table in Caroline’s backyard. She hopped effortlessly over the spaces between the wooden planks. Since this afternoon, she’d had a whole lot of free time. And no matter what she did, she kept thinking of the man in the Mustang. He had nice hands, she recalled. And she couldn’t believe she trusted him, enough that she’d perched on his hand without fear or concern.

She stretched and refolded her wings. Her friend hadn’t returned from work yet.

Caroline owned a small three-bedroom house on Crossbones Drive. It was a nice place with lots of trees, a fenced-in backyard, and plenty of room for pets, which she had, of course. Three dogs and three cats lounged somewhere around the house. Caroline had wanted to keep the number even, so as not to play favorites, she’d explained.

Sasha snorted. That was Caroline—always the diplomat.

The purr of the VW pulling into the driveway drifted into the backyard. Sasha flew to the roof and peered out front.

Good. Caroline was home.

Anxiety didn’t begin to describe the tension simmering in Sasha’s stomach. She desperately needed to connect with the witches of Nocturne Falls, and tonight was her chance.

She flew down and into the house, passing Caroline as she held open the front door.

“Hey, wait until I put my stuff down before you fly into me,” Caroline said with a laugh.

Sasha landed on the back of a chair at the kitchen table. In the dining room, a tiny bird popped out of Caroline’s grandfather clock and chirped five maddening times.

Nothing like being a bird listening to a fake bird to annoy the heck out you.

The wonderful thing was, on the clock’s final chirp, Sasha changed into her human form. She stretched, extending her arms over her head and then bending over to touch her toes. She finished by elongating the muscles of her hips and back.

“How was your day?” Sasha asked, trying not to be as pushy as she felt. What she really wanted to do was get to Nick’s place for the engagement party and talk to the witches. But she was well aware that she needed to chill and move slowly in that respect. She was essentially crashing the event, which wasn’t something she was very comfortable with. It was a special occasion, and she didn’t want to do anything to detract from the couple.

She inhaled a deep, calming breath. “Mind if I take a shower?” she asked.

“I told you,” Caroline said, “make yourself at home.”

Sasha smiled. “Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

“What time do you want to leave?” Sasha sauntered to the fridge, opened it, and peered inside, looking for a snack to eat before she got ready. She grabbed a cheese stick. As she peeled the wrapper back, Fritz, a male dachshund, trotted over and sat up on his hind legs.

“Fritz, stop begging,” Caroline admonished.

The wiener dog held his position, eyes intently fixed on Sasha. She didn’t mind; she always saved the last bite of her food for the animals, anyway.

Caroline grinned. “Since Nick’s place is right next door, we’ll head out at six. ’Kay?”

Sasha nodded, and then tossed the wrapper in the trash. “Sounds good.”

She tried to sound positive and happy, even though her anxiety was skyrocketing. The time constraints on her human form sucked. It was better than nothing, of course, but she would have only about an hour to plead her case to Pandora and the others.

With a sigh, she spun toward the spare bedroom and bath. She took a shower, blow-dried her hair, dabbed on a bit of makeup, and dressed in the black pants and coral top she’d purchased yesterday. Her favorite band of arm beads completed the outfit. She slipped on the stretchy string, settling the pale pink and ivory crystals an inch or so above her elbow. Rotating, she checked the look in the mirror, satisfied. Since the top was a bare shoulders style, she had bought a coordinating wrap for her shoulders to ward off the chill.

Caroline was in the kitchen when Sasha entered the living area. “Wow. You look great!”

“Thanks. It feels good to dress up a little.” She paused as her throat caught. “It’s been so long since things have been…normal.”

Caroline closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a hug. “We’ll figure this out and undo the spell. Don’t you worry.”

All Sasha could do was nod.