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“Why on earth did you bring her here?”
Ella rubbed her hands over her face and groaned. “Because it seemed like the only safe place after what I did to Anthea and her gothy friends.”
“Fine,” Raven conceded, “I give you props for laying those witch-bitches out flat on their backs, and nailing the hottest woman in Winslow, but it still wasn’t the smartest idea to bring her here.”
“I haven’t... there’s been no ‘nailing’!” Ella squawked and turned to Morgan beseechingly.
Addison was in their fenced-in backyard, pacing beyond the closed patio door. She glanced at them every so often, but seemed willing to give them privacy for the moment. It wouldn’t last long, though. Ella knew questions had to be bouncing in her mind, eager for an outlet.
Calm as ever, Morgan let out a long breath and said, “Does she know what you are?”
“No. I mean, she thinks I’m a witch, like her and Anthea, but that’s it. Though I haven’t even mentioned the w-word. Not yet.”
At least they could speak freely. Even though Addison was outside, Morgan had constructed a soundproof bubble to protect them from being overheard. It didn’t diminish Ella’s anxiety over the conversation she still had to have with Addison, but it helped her organize her thoughts.
“Okay, keep your secret. That’s the main thing. Don’t lie, of course, but don’t tell her everything. She can’t know what any of us are or it defeats the purpose of being assigned to her,” Morgan reminded Ella. “It’s almost like a human court mistrial. They have to throw the whole thing out, get a new godmother involved, and start over again. If that happens, it’s usually harder to gain the human’s trust again. Or, well, witch’s in this instance.”
The idea of having someone else take on Addison’s case was like a punch to Ella’s gut. She sucked in a breath. “I won’t let that happen. It would end up being more work for someone else to come in and try again. I can do this. You have to let me finish the job.”
Morgan put her hands on Ella’s shoulder and squeezed. “I know you can. You’ve got this, Ella. You finished top of your class and there’s a reason you’re here for your apprenticeship. Go on. Talk to her.”
Ella nodded. Her mentor was right. Why had Ella excelled academically, if not to put it to use in the real world? Even though neither Morgan nor Raven had given her advice specific to Addison’s case, their presence strengthened her. She could do this and she would.
She glanced at Raven who gave her a little fist pump of encouragement. That was all it took for Ella to square her shoulders, turn on her heel, and step out of the sound bubble to open the sliding glass door. She pulled it most of the way closed behind her, but left it ajar to allow the other godmothers to hear her conversation. They would rescue her if she needed it, but she hoped her confidence wasn’t misplaced.
“Hey there.” She greeted Addison with a wave and a grimace.
“So, now’s the time when you finally tell me what’s going on, right?” Addison didn’t sound annoyed, or even impatient, but her expression was taut.
“It is.” To some extent. Ella perched on one of the wicker chairs placed around the small stone fire pit. It was one of her favorite features in the yard—a place to relax and bask in sunlight by day, flame by night. Something about the summer-warmed seat comforted her even more and she gestured to the chair next to her.
Addison shook her head.
“Okay, we’ll get on with it.” Ella crossed her legs, folded her hands in her lap, and leaned forward. “You told me your mother was a Bruja and then you showed me those powers of yours. Then those women showed up and, well, there you have it. You’re a witch, like your mother, and they’re witches, too.”
“Is that what you are?” Addison asked.
“I have a set of talents not unlike theirs.”
Addison folded her arms and her gaze, usually soft with love, had hardened into something Ella didn’t recognize. “They didn’t even do anything to us, yet you knocked them on their asses. Why?”
An icy sensation flooded Ella’s veins and she swallowed, wishing she could ignore the too-loud beat of her heart. “Because I was afraid they would hurt you or...”
She bit back the confession that rose in her throat. If she said, “Because they came to take you from me,” she knew how Addison would react. Ella’s fear wasn’t a romantic sentiment. It was a selfish one, and she knew she would get called out on it.
“Or what?”
Ella dipped her head and closed her eyes.
“Or I would be the one doing the hurting.” A warm hand rested atop Ella’s, chasing the chill. When she opened her eyes again, Addison was crouching in front of her, expression twisted with worry. “You acted instinctively to protect us both and I appreciate that, because I don’t know who those women are or what they want. But I really want to know what you know. It’s only fair.”
“They’ve been... watching you,” Ella said. “I think they want you to become part of their coven.”
“And how do you know this?”
The questions were getting uncomfortably close to uncovering the truth, but Ella knew she couldn’t back down. “There are rival factions and they’re drawn to you. Them, us, and maybe others. You might not think you have big power, but you’d be surprised at the possibilities.”
Addison leaned back slightly, but she didn’t remove her hand from Ella’s. “Is that why my mother left her coven?”
“What do you mean?” This was a new angle to the conversation they’d had about Addison’s mother, the Bruja she cared so much about honoring.
Addison cleared her throat. “Well, I didn’t tell you the whole truth about that side of my family, but I think it might be pertinent now.”
Ella waited, glad Addison didn’t draw away from her. Addison’s touch strengthened her, made her feel like they could get through anything, as long as they were together. To emphasize that, Ella whispered, “I’m here for you.”
“Thank you. Um, well...” Addison cleared her throat again, clearly nervous by the way her skin flushed deep red. “When I said my mother didn’t have supernatural, TV-show-like powers, I lied. She does. Nothing too out there, but she’s a bit of a seer, among other things. Her coven relied heavily on her ability for a number of years before she decided she wanted to leave them. To them, she was a tool they could use for self-gain, not a person. So she left and made friends among other people like her in the Sedona community, but with the express understanding that she would never be used for her gifts. Not without proper payment and respect.”
“I see.” Ella let Addison’s revelation process for a moment. “Did she ever talk to you about your own future?”
“To some extent. She told me I was fortunate not to have manifested any kind of power, and that being of service in a trade would earn me more respect in the long run.” Addison straightened to stretch, but kept her hand on Ella’s. “She was right and so are you. Now that I have some kind of power, witches are looking to use me, not be my friends. Is that why you reacted that way in the park, to protect me?”
Ella nodded. Somehow, Addison had managed to articulate everything on her own, without Ella having to try to dance around the complete truth. This was perfect.
“It is, yes, so even if you didn’t think your mother had supernatural powers, there’s still something. Something she passed down to you that other witches want as part of their coven.”
“Do you want it, too?”
Ella wanted to tell Addison everything, but she knew it would mean the end of their association. So she settled on a half-truth in hopes of preserving what tenuous connection still remained. “I want you, regardless of any power or rivalry.”
Addison’s gaze seemed to search hers, as if looking for something. She must have sensed the truth in Ella’s words—another blessedly useful thing about being a faerie godmother—because she leaned in to mold her lips to Ella’s.
The kiss wasn’t as sweet as the previous ones, but hungry and full of need. Addison pressed closer, her body between Ella’s legs, her chest against Ella’s, their hearts beating as one. All Ella wanted was to stay here like this forever, and let the world turn around them. Forget witches and godmothers, covens and everything else, and live in this moment without any other cares.
“It doesn’t matter what you are,” Addison whispered, her mouth moving over Ella’s. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Ella looked into Addison’s eyes, her anchor in a world that had suddenly tilted on an already-unsteady axis, and said, “I think I’m falling in love with you, too.”
It didn’t matter that the three of them shared the house. Morgan was scrupulously careful about privacy. Each room had its own soundproof bubble and charms on the doors. They couldn’t hear one another or burst into a room without knocking, and then being invited.
Even still, Ella locked her bedroom door behind her as she and Addison stumbled toward her bed. Somehow, the next words out of Ella’s mouth were, “I want to touch you.”
Never had she been so forthright, so blunt with a person. She was always kind and gentle. Not bold like this. For a moment, she held back, her body tensing with the fear that Addison would reject her.
“Yes, please.” Addison silenced her fears with another kiss, her tongue thrusting between Ella’s lips. The moment took Ella’s breath away, and she wrapped her arms around Addison, eager to hold her. And so, so much more.
Ella savored Addison’s touch, especially when her hands came up to cup Ella’s breasts, both at the same time. She let out a hiss of need. It’d been so long since she’d had sex with anyone, and she’d never done this with a non-fae. She wondered what to expect when Addison teasingly ran her thumbs across her nipples.
“Do you like that?” Addison asked before kissing her neck. .
Ella stuttered out an affirmative response. Her entire body was on fire, tingling from head to toe. Each firm stroke of Addison’s thumbs made her squirm, especially as the woman continued to kiss all along her neck. Ella clung to her shoulders, her legs weak and shaking.
“It’s been a while since I was with anyone,” Addison told her, “so I want you to know that I have been waiting too long to do this. Usually, I go for it on the first date. It’s just how I am, but I knew you were worth waiting for. Please tell me if you don’t want to do this.”
“You have no idea how much I want it.” A throbbing ache had built in Ella’s very center and she thought she might lose her mind if she didn’t do something about it. She couldn’t help but beg for more. “Don’t stop.”
“Now that you’ve said yes, I don’t plan to.” Addison’s mouth met hers again and her tongue thrust deep. Ella let her hands settle on Addison’s hips, finally touching those soft curves she’d admired ever since she laid eyes on her. .
Somewhere along the way, they managed to disrobe, helping one another undo zippers and buttons, until their clothing pooled beneath them on the floor. Ella wanted to explore every inch of Addison’s body, but her lover took the initiative, lowering her head and flicking her tongue out against one of Ella’s tightly-budded nipples.
“I want to get you in bed so badly,” Addison said, as confident naked as she was clothed.
Those words that sent Ella’s heart racing. Addison’s surprisingly aggressive approach made her want to lay back and surrender to her. Which is exactly what she found herself doing. Addison straddled her and ran her hands up and down Ella’s body, from her shoulders to her waist and back again.
“You are so beautiful, Ella. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Ella swallowed, unsure of why the question brought tears to her eyes. All she knew for certain was if Addison said it, it had to be true. So she reached for Addison’s shoulders and tugged her closer for the sweetest, neediest kiss of Ella’s entire life.
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