Free Mark of the Witch (Boston Witches) by Jessica Gibson Page A

were not mad with power. I stayed with them for many years; we traveled together for sixty years or so before they returned home to Russia.” He had a wistful expression that Jilly found very appealing for some reason.
    “I’ve never been anywhere,” she said with a touch of longing in her voice. “I’ve always wanted to go to England and Ireland, and Rome. Rome seems so romantic and full of culture.” She blushed slightly when William looked at her.
    “Oh, Italy is very romantic, Rome is beautiful, and Venice and Florence are superb. We should go in the summer, when the air is warm and sweet. We could rent a villa in Tuscany, or Rome if you prefer.”
    The slight blush was full blown now, and Jilly was at a loss for words. Luckily the buzzer on the oven went off and she was saved from having to respond. As William got the pizza out, she set the table and brought over a trivet for the pan.
    Once they were seated, he took his first bite and said, “You know, this isn’t half bad for frozen pizza.”
    “I know, right? It’s one of my guilty pleasures. This and chocolate ice cream I can’t live without.”
    They both laughed and continued eating in silence.
    Caroline finally emerged from her cocoon of sleep about an hour after they finished eating. She looked sleepy, but otherwise ok. “We saved you some pizza; it’s in the oven on the pan still,” Jilly told her sister.
    “Thanks,” she mumbled in response as she shuffled over to the oven. Once she had her plate full of food, she joined them at the table to eat. “So, what have I missed since I’ve been in my drug induced coma?”
    “Not much actually,” Jilly replied. “Em and I reinforced the wards on the house, and William is staying here for a while. Emily says you can crash at her place until this all blows over if you want.” She looked at her sister, trying to gauge her feelings by her face.
    “Ok, well I guess it’s reasonable that William stays here; we have the room, right? As for staying at Emily’s, I think I’ll pass; I wouldn’t feel right abandoning you with all of this.”
    “You wouldn’t be, you would just be staying safe.”
    “I don’t see it that way, Jill. If you’re in this, I’m in this,” Caroline said, her words as fierce as her expression.
    Jilly was surprised. This was a side of Caroline she hadn’t seen in a long time. “I’ll call and tell her you’re staying here then,” she said with a proud smile.
    They chatted about nothing in particular while Caroline ate, enjoying each other’s company.
    Once she was finished eating, Caroline pushed her plate away and looked from Jilly to William. “So what’s our plan of attack?”
    “As of right now, we don’t have one. We’re waiting to see what Sabine does next,” William said. “I think we should give it a few days before we do anything. I told Jilly she has to stay in the house since it’s protected, and that goes for you as well since you’re staying.”
    “Ok, I can do that.” Caroline turned and faced Jilly. “I’ve been thinking a lot the last few days, and I think I might want to start some training. What you said made sense; it is reckless to be in possession of something so dangerous and not know a thing about it.” She had a shy smile on her face, her tone sheepish.
    Jilly was shocked; never in her wildest dreams did she think her sister would ever want to claim her heritage. She tried not to let her surprise show on her face. “I guess since we’ll have a few days at home we can start you off with a few basic spells. We can begin in the morning if that’s ok with you?”
    “I appreciate this, Jill. I know it’s rotten timing, with everything that’s going on. But I never want to feel as defenseless as I felt when that man attacked us in the forest.” She stood up and put her plate in the sink. “I’m going up to my room to watch some TV and relax; I should be in there for the rest of the night if you need me.”
    She washed her