“It’s really fucked up. But why were you there?”
“Oh, right.” I pull the phone away from my face to cough. “A hunter was found murdered and they think a witch did it, but that’s not true. So they called their best hunters in to assign us the job of finding said witch.”
“But you’re a witch.”
“I know. They think I’m a regular human they want to recruit into the Order because I went with Ethan to a job that was supposed to be an easy ghost-removal but we ended up killing ghouls instead.” Reaching over, I grab the mug and take another few sips, waiting for the whiskey to hit me so I can fall asleep.
“But the Order,” I go on, needing to talk to someone about it. “They’ve brainwashed their hunters and they have them all believing that witches are evil, we get our powers from the devil, and summon demons to do our bidding. Ethan believed that until he met me.”
“And them thinking a witch killed a hunter is a big deal.”
“Right. It’s just fucked up on so many levels, Har. I don’t like that Ethan is a part of it, but I can’t ask him to leave, can I?”
“Does he know you don’t like the Order?”
“Oh, he does. And he doesn’t like it either.”
“Can he even leave?” Harrison asks. “I’m thinking about it almost like a gang. You can leave but you’re never really out.”
A chill goes through me. “I kinda got the same impression.” Starting to feel the effects of the tea, I pull the blankets back up over me. “Oh, why’d you call?”
“The same clients from Chicago want me to come back to deliver another pitch. And if this goes well, there’s a chance I’ll be offered a promotion.”
“Oh wow. That’s awesome, Har. I’m sure you’ll get it.”
“Yeah,” he says but doesn’t sound excited.
“There’s a catch, isn’t there?”
“Yeah. I’d be transferred to the Chicago office.”
“You’d move to Chicago?” I sit up, thrilled at the thought that my brother would be close enough for weekly visits.
“Eventually. And I kinda feel bad asking since you have a lot going on right now, but could I, uh, stay with you for a few weeks while I suss out the city and find a place to live?”
He’s right. We do have a lot going on right now. But who I am to turn down family?
“Of course. When would you come?” I ask, thinking I’ll have time to prepare and maybe—just maybe—we’ll have caught the real killer and things will be back to normal by then.
“Next week.”
Chapter
Fourteen
“How are you feeling?” The mattress sinks down under Ethan’s weight. He brushes my hair back and gently presses the thermometer against my forehead. “Fever is down.”
Since I just sat up, I start coughing and hold up my hand. “Better,” I say between coughs. “I don’t sound like it, I know.”
“You gotta get all that crap up and out of your chest.”
Nodding, I sit up even more and lean forward, coughing so hard my head hurts. “Ugh. This sucks.”
Ethan rubs my back. “I know. I feel bad for you, babe.”
“I do like you taking care of me.” Smiling, I turn toward him. “It’s nice.”
“And I like taking care of you. Which I’m going to do the rest of today and again tomorrow. Because you’re not going to wake up and be all better,” he adds, knowing how stubborn I am when it comes to this. “I meant what I said about going after demons when you’re sick. You’re not able to react as fast, and coughing like that is kind of a dead giveaway when you’re trying to hide.”
“That is a good point. I was really hoping to sit in on one of Ruby’s classes tomorrow.”
“You have all next week.”
“Speaking of next week,” I start and lean back, taking Ethan’s hand in mine, tracing one of the tattoos on his forearm. “Harrison is coming for a visit.”
“Oh, nice.”
“Yeah…”
“I thought you’d be happier about your brother coming into town.”
“I am, but he’s going to be here for a while this time. Well, maybe. He has some sort of marketing presentation to do and if it goes well, he’ll get a promotion and will be moved to the Chicago office, which means he won’t have a place to live for a while and asked if he can stay here while he checks out the city.”
“It’s a bit of a drive, going back and forth, though when I lived in Chicago I knew a lot of people who commuted from this general area. The cost of living is a lot less.” Ethan mused.
“Right. He said he’ll be in a hotel on Monday and Tuesday since he’s presenting those days. T hen he’ll come here for the rest of the week and should find out about the promotion by Friday.”