Free Burning in a Memory by Constance Sharper Page A

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                  “Hey, it’s a good reminder why I shouldn’t feel too suffocated by my coven being too close. Covens are what protect mages. It’s damn hard for a shade to attack a bunch of us so they almost never bother.”
                  “They sound important,” she said to the floor.
                  “Yea, well let’s put it this way. I’ve never heard of a mage surviving without a coven—never, not once in my life. They’re easy targets, and they are always taken.”
                  She hoped desperately that her face wasn’t as white as it felt, but Adam never commented on it either way. Adelaide then hurried to take control of the conversation and change the subject.
                  “I’m sorry I was so upset at you for telling me that you were leaving. I understand more now,” she said.
                  He smiled.
                  “It’s all right.”
                  “I was pissed that I met you and you were disappearing so quickly. How many times am I ever going to meet someone who will save my life twice now?” It might have been a shameless technique but it earned a blush from Adam.
                  “I don’t think it counts as twice if I’m the cause of one of those times. Those shades weren’t waiting around for you,” he said.
                  And just like that the mood of the entire room shifted on her again. She tried to catch his gaze but he seemed determined to stare at the door.
                  “Is this going to turn into a whole ‘I can’t be around you without putting you in danger’ thing? Don’t let it turn into that. Talk about a romantic stereotype,” she chirped, but she knew at that moment it already had. She’d lost him again. Desperate, she reached out and touched his arm. The sudden skin-to-skin contact made him react quickly.
                  “It’s not just you. I can only assume that my life isn’t going to change anytime soon, you know?” he said. He didn’t move far enough away to break the contact, but he did shift enough to stare at her. “Is someone going to notice you missing? Have you told your family you won’t be home?” he asked.
                  She opened her mouth but a loud buzz interrupted her. It took her a second to recognize the familiar ringtone that followed it and then she madly dashed to silence her phone.
                  “Did you use your magic to make that ring?” she said and tried to laugh. She smacked the end call button and stopped the buzz.
                  “No, I’m just incredibly lucky,” he said. This time she laughed more genuinely, but the spell between them was broken. “I’ll let you get that call and catch up on some sleep. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
    She watched him leave reluctantly. When he was gone, she pulled out her phone. No one but her obnoxious redheaded neighbor would have noticed her missing. When she pulled up the number, it came up as unidentified.
                  Adelaide dropped the phone back into the sheets and checked the hallway. The entire second floor was quiet and empty. She shut the door and returned to the bed. Right on time, the phone started to buzz again from the same number.
                  She answered quickly.
                  “Bad time,” she hissed into the receiver, hoping to end the conversation. The exterior walls to the house might have been made of brick, but the walls inside were made of something cheaper and likely not soundproof.
                  “You asked me to look into things for you,” Bradley protested on the other line.
                  She considered for a fleeting moment whether or not she should hang up. But Bradley sounded concerned and she had to hear out any time pressured information. She let