Free Under Witch Curse (Moon Shadow Series) by Maria Schneider Page A

his big hugs, his favorite technique for preventing me from getting in a word edgewise. I dug my feet in.
    “Dad, you let White Feather build this house how he wants it.”
    “To be sure. To be sure.”
    He hopped in his truck, but then rolled down the window. “Tracy has something. It’s of the earth. Your mother couldn’t tell either.”
    “He’s an earth witch?”
    “No, not like you, but something. I don’t think he knows what it is or what to do with it. It’s kept him from finding a place. He thinks in a nice straight line, but life isn’t ever that simple. You help him if you see it, you hear?”
    “Dad—” It wasn’t that I minded helping. But it was different now than when I was on my own. I’d never had to worry about anyone else being impacted by family strays, wild-haired ideas or relatives that weren’t quite normal. It was bad enough that my parents had never stopped nagging me about helping my sister Kas find a talent or at least passion in life.
    “You’ll give him a nudge in the right direction.” Dad smiled, his eyes sparking. “You take after me that way.”
    He put the truck in gear, leaving me sputtering as he drove off into the cold dawn. “I do not,” I told the empty driveway. I loved my parents, but I wasn’t anything like either of them. I’d worked hard to be my own person, my own witch with my own talents. I certainly didn’t go around hiring strays who had odd talents that didn’t fit into normal society.
    “Moonlight madness! Lynx better run some background on this guy,” I muttered on my way back inside. “And if this Tracy dude messes anything up I’ll—well, I won’t let Dad fix it. I’ll have to do it myself. And White Feather better not kick me out over this. I am not moving back in with Mom and Dad because of a little thing like a vampire.”
    I stomped out back to find White Feather, wondering how in the world to explain it all.
     

Chapter 11
     
    The sun was not yet up, but there were hints of morning light. The smell of frigid night air resting against Mother Earth was already drifting, letting bits of desert dance with the scent of smoke swirling out of White Feather’s fireplace. When the sun finally did flash its way across the morning, it would be lighting the stage of a beautiful backdrop.
    White Feather and Tracy dumped bricks around the outside wall. Tracy appeared to know his way around the tools and supplies without any encouragement. I considered pulling White Feather aside, but there really was nothing to say that would change anything, not at the moment.
    Maybe I should just tackle some of my own tasks and let this Tracy situation either work itself out or not. “I’m headed to my house to complete some spells in my lab. I’ll stop by Mat’s on the way home and check on her.”
    “She might need a shoulder to cry on?” White Feather guessed.
    “A shoulder?” I shook my head. “I thought I’d try to talk her out of cursing him for life since we’re practically relatives and all.”
    “Practically?” His eyes narrowed. “You’re having difficulty accepting all the ramifications of this marriage thing, aren’t you?”
    Admittedly, issues did seem to be presenting themselves with terrifying speed, but I wasn’t going down without a fight, especially for the easy problems like his lying, conniving brother. “In Jim’s case, I figure it’s not too late to disown him. That way I won’t be caught in a cross-curse.”
    “Mm-hmm.” He reeled me in for a kiss. “Do not let her kill him. He’s a pain in the ass, but I don’t want to have to console my mother over the loss.”
    “I’ll do what I can, but he got himself into this mess.”
    I left them to their work and headed out to do mine.
     
    * * *
     
    The lab was home sweet home. I was behind on at least three client spells because of the vamp invasion, but as excuses went, the clients were better off not knowing about any vamp visits. Two of the spells were for previous