Free Barely Bewitched by Kimberly Frost Page A

and climbed in with me. I was too exhausted to argue about it.
    He pulled me to him so I was lying along his side, his muscles all warm and solid, a comfort after my long, crazy night.
    “You remember that time we were alone at my parents’ house and TJ came home early? He dropped his key in the dark and couldn’t find it, had to break in?”
    “I remember you thought he was a burglar and almost killed him with your daddy’s rifle.”
    “I was fourteen, and there was only one thought in my head: If he gets by me, he’ll get to her. It’s okay if I die, so long as I take him with me. So long as my girl’s safe.”
    My body tightened in response. Zach would always be protective of me, and a part of me was glad. It was the same part that made a habit of kissing him whenever he said anything I liked, so I wanted to snuggle close to him until things took their natural course. But I knew I couldn’t encourage that kind of intimacy. Instead, I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
    “It’s a real good thing I saw your back after I’d already been to Earl’s house,” he said. I heard his knuckles pop as he made his hands into fists. His breath went in and out in short, angry sighs. “I didn’t kill him, but I ain’t ruled out the possibility that I’ll have to do it sometime soon.”
    “I’m glad to hear you say that, ’cause if he needs killin’ this week, I’m going to be too busy to do it.”
    Zach laughed, and so did I. Deep down, though, the state of my life didn’t seem funny at all.

Chapter 9

    When I woke up the following morning on Tuesday, Zach had left for work. The room felt cozy and warm, and I curled the pillow to my face so I could inhale his scent. He was handsome, sexy, and completely loyal to me. I wished he hadn’t gone; I’d have worked on saying good morning in the way I knew he liked best. Except . . . Except what?
    I stopped the tumbling flow of my thoughts. My body felt extremely light, as if I might float off the mattress if I rolled over suddenly.
    I heard kids laughing and realized my window must have been left open. I climbed from bed, hoping my neighbors wouldn’t notice me pulling up the fire ladder. When I got to the window though, the ladder was rolled in a pile under the sill, and the window was shut and locked. I looked through the glass and saw kids in the driveway several houses down. Unless I’d gotten bionic ear surgery in my sleep, I couldn’t have heard those children. I wandered away.
    Looking in my dresser, I couldn’t find any clothes I wanted to wear. I dug through the trunk at the end of my bed. I can’t say why, on the twenty-eighth of October, I felt compelled to wear the jade green chiffon dress I’d bought for Georgia Sue’s summer garden party. I had wedge sandals to match, but I couldn’t make myself put them on.
    “Bare feet are better,” I said and knew it was true, the way I know my right hand from my left, the way I know if you don’t use a double boiler, you’ve got to watch the temperature of melting chocolate like a hawk or you’ll scorch it.
    Something’s changed. Then I remembered about Incendio and Jordan and their magical drinking game. I’d lied, more than once, after Jordan cast his truth spell.
    My heart sped up a little, but I didn’t feel sick or scared. I felt like I was a bottle of Sprite that someone had shaken up. Like I needed to be uncapped so I could bubble over onto the whole world. If this was being cursed, I should’ve tried it a long time ago.
    I went downstairs and stopped at my back door. Help. I felt it, or maybe I heard it. I opened the door, and sunshine blazed in like a yellow Amtrak train. I blinked. The tree canopy looked like the leaves were made of green satin.
    I stepped outside, and the dirt burned my soles. The ground was not right. Pain shot up my legs like hundreds of needles were being dragged along my skin.
    The wind whispered through the leaves, and the tree talked in my head, telling me that I’d