Page 68 of Paws & Order

Both of us freeze.

I groan.

Cassian drops his forehead against my shoulder.

"Please tell me that's not another ghost."

A second knock follows. Then a cabinet door quietly swings open in the kitchen. And closes again.

We stare.

I bite my lip.

Cassian sighs. "Teddy has terrible timing."

My laugh fills the apartment.

And somehow, that feels exactly right.

CHAPTER 15

LIZA

Hex & Honey is packed to the rafters, as usual. There's a queue out the door—tiny witches in rainbow sweaters, two mermen arguing over a punch card, and a harried mom trying to wrangle twins armed with levitating sippy cups.

The place could survive the apocalypse as long as Clover stayed behind the counter.

I join the line and pull out my phone. Three unread texts.

Cassian: Busy?

He includes a photo of the world's saddest police-station coffee pot. And, somehow, a second text complaining about the first coffee pot.

I smile before I can stop myself.

When it's finally my turn, Clover leans across the register.

"Rough morning?"

"Dealer's choice," I say. "Heavy on the serotonin."

Her eyes narrow immediately. "Town council rough or wolfman rough?"

My cheeks heat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar."

She boxes up a coffee cake and slides it toward me. Then adds a tiny blue cupcake.

I point. "No."

"Yes."

"Clover."

"It's free."

"That doesn't answer the question.”