The Hidden Grimoire by Karla Brandenburg (pride and prejudice read TXT) 📕

have as much in common as I thought. Imagine what we can do. Together.”

LeAnne bent to pick up Georgia, but Ash hissed and swatted at her.

“Call off your cat.”

“I don’t control what Ash does,” I said.

LeAnne reached for Georgia once more, but wasn’t able to breach the circle Ash had built around her. She pulled back, assessing. “You know,” she went on, “we wouldn’t even need Jason. I’ll leave Remy with him, and us three can go wherever we want.”

She’d leave Jason? And the baby? “I like it here.”

She turned to me, a flash of disdain in her eye. “You need to think bigger picture. What we can do is nothing compared to what Georgia can, and she’ll do whatever we tell her to.”

I took a step back, dumbfounded. “I still don’t know what you’re hoping to achieve. You know the rule of karma, don’t you?”

“Except it wouldn’t be us. It would be Georgia, and with double the power, she should be able to manage karma.”

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. “You wouldn’t put her in harm’s way, though. Right?”

LeAnne’s eyes glittered. “She would never be in harm’s way. Not with her power.”

The baby cried again and LeAnne rolled her eyes. “Will that brat never shut up?”

“Don’t cry, Wemy,” Georgia blubbered. “Mommy’s not mad at you.” She reached through the sides of the crib, outside the circle Ash had walked off. LeAnne put Georgia into the crib beside the baby. Georgia cradled Remy’s head in her lap and smoothed his forehead with her little hand while she sobbed. LeAnne just shook her head.

I picked up the baby, bobbing as I carried him away. LeAnne lifted Georgia out of the crib and Georgia took hold of my pants leg, following me out. Ash trotted alongside and LeAnne made a move to kick her, but Ash raced ahead. Instantly, I wanted to kick LeAnne.

“You can’t imagine what it’s like with him crying all day and all night.” LeAnne sighed.

I settled onto the couch and Georgia curled beside me once more, petting her little brother while I held him. “Go to sleep, little one,” I whispered to Georgia. “Is he hungry?” I asked LeAnne.

“Who knows. I’ll get him a bottle.”

When she disappeared around the wall to the kitchen, I texted Jason, and damn the consequences. Even if this was post-partum depression, LeAnne needed help. His children needed help.

“What are you doing?” LeAnne asked as I hit send.

“I’m rocking Remy.” With a mental block firmly in place, I reached for the bottle she carried. The baby had quieted, staring into my face.

“I meant with your phone,” she said.

“Well, you did tell me to let Kyle know I might be longer.” Even if that wasn’t what I’d done. I offered the bottle to Remy.

A moment later, LeAnne set a glass down in front of me. “What kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t offer you something to drink?”

Something red. I flashed on the spell the grimoire had shown me multiple times, the spell to separate a witch from her powers, and the potion. Rosemary. Dandelion. Clematis. Mix it and let it combine until it turns red. I picked up the glass and sniffed. Definitely rosemary.

“It’s my own recipe,” she said. “It helps me keep my strength up.”

“Then I wouldn’t want to deprive you,” I replied.

“Oh, I have enough for both of us.”

I glanced at the innocent child in my arms, at the little girl asleep beside me. “I’m afraid I have my hands full at the moment.”

“You don’t have to drink it right away.” LeAnne’s eyes glittered, and a wave of negative energy rolled toward me. With my arms full, I couldn’t call on the white light.

Her phone buzzed with a text. She checked it, and LeAnne’s face grew red. Her lips drew tight and the muscles in her jaw pulsed. “You told Jason you were here?”

“I didn’t feel right sneaking around behind his back. He is family, after all.”

“What else did you tell him?”

Georgia whimpered and snuggled in tighter. “Mommy’s not mad at you...” she murmured.

“Shhh.” I rubbed Georgia’s back and she startled awake, crying again.

“Thirsty,” she whined, reaching for my glass.

“That’s for Aunt Brynn,” LeAnne said.

Without a doubt. Would she let her daughter drink a potion meant to take away her power? Somehow, I doubted she’d allow it. “I don’t mind sharing,” I said as a test.

Georgia leaned closer to the glass and LeAnne batted it away, spilling the contents on the floor.

“I told you that was for Aunt Brynn,” LeAnne shrieked.

“Let me clean that up for you,” I offered.

“Leave it alone,” LeAnne said.

Georgia cried harder. I set the baby on the couch beside me and wrapped an arm around Georgia, trying to comfort her. “Go back to sleep, sweetie.” Ash hopped onto the couch and paced back and forth. Creating another wall of protection?

LeAnne spoke an incantation under her breath. “Cure her gifts like fired clay.”

A line of green fire licked across the floor toward the spilled potion. My muscles tightened in response, like squeezing a sponge whose expelled droplets coalesced into an ice cube. If she meant to take my powers, she would lose hers in the process, a risk I was willing to take to protect Georgia. I pinched my fingers together, calling on the white light.

Ash issued a low growl and arched her back, prancing sideways. She brushed against me, easing my chill.

“Like fired clay,” LeAnne repeated.

Georgia tensed beside me. Was she in range of the spell? “Momma stop.”

Someone knocked on the door, but LeAnne ignored them. “Cure her gifts,” she whispered. “Like fired clay.”

I tried to get off the couch and couldn’t move.

“We aren’t finished,” LeAnne said.

Kyle called from the other side of the door. “Brynn, are you okay?”

“Hands full at the moment,” I called.

“You’re not going anywhere,” LeAnne said.

Georgia wiggled free and hopped to the floor. She stomped her foot and the green wave rippled toward LeAnne, causing LeAnne to stumble. “Mommy, no!”

“Mommy’s not mad, Georgia, honey.” The same phrase Georgia had repeated