the witch department.
Gideon continued growling for a minute, but eventually turned back to Sassy when Gwen stared him down. Sassy now stood with her back to the wall, all talk of clothes and shared sizes gone.
“Sassy,” Gideon said after taking a deep breath, “we’re here on a little assignment for Baba Yaga.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong since I left the magic poky,” she said, raising her hands in defense. “Well, unless you count zapping these noxious hairballs on occasion, but that shouldn’t count because they’re really unbearable to live with and the zaps just come back at me anyway.” She rubbed her ass, which Gwen noted was still smoldering a bit as the three fat cats laughed and made lewd gestures.
“Wow, that’s just…” Gwen didn’t know what to say. She’d never seen a cat use its tail in quite that manner before. “That’s, wow, um…” She trailed off lamely as she looked toward Gideon for help. He was laughing at her.
“So, Sassy,” Gideon said, wiping the smile from his face and jumping back into his intimidating Boguman mode again. “You haven’t been doing anything lately that Baba Yaga needs to know about? Maybe using magic you shouldn’t be using? Anything you want to tell us about?”
“No!” shouted Sassy, a little panicky now, but she seemed to be telling the truth. Besides which, Gwen couldn’t see any sign of extra magic in Sassy. She had her own and nothing more.
Sassy shook her head. “For the last week, I’ve either been here babysitting Zelda’s smelly familiars or out on a date with my boyfriend, Jeeves. He likes to cook for me,” she said, all smiles again as she looked at Gwen. “He’s a Kangaroo Shifter. Powerful legs. Comes in handy, if you know what I mean. I can see if he has a friend for you.”
“What the Goddess is it with all you witches dating Shifters? She doesn’t need a Shifter. Kangaroo or otherwise.” There was a protective growl to Gideon’s tone that would have sent Gwen into a giddy schoolgirl crush all over again if she hadn’t wised up a bit in the last two days. Sure, she was young and naïve and new to this whole having-a-body thing, but she was growing up quickly. Gideon might like to flirt, but that’s all he was doing. Just messing with her mind and her heart.
Sassy scoffed. “Who else would she date? I hope you’re not suggesting she date a warlock.”
“Yes! She could date a warlock. We’re not all selfish A-holes who don’t know how to make a woman—”
“Aaaand, that’s enough of that,” Gwen said, cutting Gideon off with both her words and a hand clamped over his mouth. “What we really need to know, Sassy, is if you’ve seen anything unusual lately. Heard about anyone using magic they shouldn’t be? Maybe suddenly having a lot more power than they should?”
Sassy ignored Gwen’s question and shifted her gaze from Gwen to Gideon and back again before wiggling her eyebrows. “Oh, I see. I guess she doesn’t need me to introduce her to any single guys after all.”
Gwen gritted her teeth. This was not a conversation she wanted to have. “Sassy, focus. Anyone new around? Or anyone using magic they shouldn’t have?”
Sassy shrugged. “Nope. I haven’t seen a thing. Like I said, I’ve either been with Jeeves or here with the wonder triplets.”
“Great. Thank you.” Gwen tugged a still mumbling Gideon from the house as she said her goodbyes. “Thank you so much, Sassy. Let us know if you see anything!”
Chapter Eight
“Well, that wasn’t useful,” Gwen said in an exaggerated tone, proud of herself for using sarcasm for the first time.
Gideon stopped and looked at her. “Gwen.”
“What?”
“I think you meant to say that was useful.”
“But it wasn’t. She didn’t know anything.” She wrinkled her nose at him. Maybe her tone hadn’t really been sarcastic after all.
“Yes. I know. It’s just you said it in a sarcastic way, but if you’re trying to be
Gideon continued growling for a minute, but eventually turned back to Sassy when Gwen stared him down. Sassy now stood with her back to the wall, all talk of clothes and shared sizes gone.
“Sassy,” Gideon said after taking a deep breath, “we’re here on a little assignment for Baba Yaga.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong since I left the magic poky,” she said, raising her hands in defense. “Well, unless you count zapping these noxious hairballs on occasion, but that shouldn’t count because they’re really unbearable to live with and the zaps just come back at me anyway.” She rubbed her ass, which Gwen noted was still smoldering a bit as the three fat cats laughed and made lewd gestures.
“Wow, that’s just…” Gwen didn’t know what to say. She’d never seen a cat use its tail in quite that manner before. “That’s, wow, um…” She trailed off lamely as she looked toward Gideon for help. He was laughing at her.
“So, Sassy,” Gideon said, wiping the smile from his face and jumping back into his intimidating Boguman mode again. “You haven’t been doing anything lately that Baba Yaga needs to know about? Maybe using magic you shouldn’t be using? Anything you want to tell us about?”
“No!” shouted Sassy, a little panicky now, but she seemed to be telling the truth. Besides which, Gwen couldn’t see any sign of extra magic in Sassy. She had her own and nothing more.
Sassy shook her head. “For the last week, I’ve either been here babysitting Zelda’s smelly familiars or out on a date with my boyfriend, Jeeves. He likes to cook for me,” she said, all smiles again as she looked at Gwen. “He’s a Kangaroo Shifter. Powerful legs. Comes in handy, if you know what I mean. I can see if he has a friend for you.”
“What the Goddess is it with all you witches dating Shifters? She doesn’t need a Shifter. Kangaroo or otherwise.” There was a protective growl to Gideon’s tone that would have sent Gwen into a giddy schoolgirl crush all over again if she hadn’t wised up a bit in the last two days. Sure, she was young and naïve and new to this whole having-a-body thing, but she was growing up quickly. Gideon might like to flirt, but that’s all he was doing. Just messing with her mind and her heart.
Sassy scoffed. “Who else would she date? I hope you’re not suggesting she date a warlock.”
“Yes! She could date a warlock. We’re not all selfish A-holes who don’t know how to make a woman—”
“Aaaand, that’s enough of that,” Gwen said, cutting Gideon off with both her words and a hand clamped over his mouth. “What we really need to know, Sassy, is if you’ve seen anything unusual lately. Heard about anyone using magic they shouldn’t be? Maybe suddenly having a lot more power than they should?”
Sassy ignored Gwen’s question and shifted her gaze from Gwen to Gideon and back again before wiggling her eyebrows. “Oh, I see. I guess she doesn’t need me to introduce her to any single guys after all.”
Gwen gritted her teeth. This was not a conversation she wanted to have. “Sassy, focus. Anyone new around? Or anyone using magic they shouldn’t have?”
Sassy shrugged. “Nope. I haven’t seen a thing. Like I said, I’ve either been with Jeeves or here with the wonder triplets.”
“Great. Thank you.” Gwen tugged a still mumbling Gideon from the house as she said her goodbyes. “Thank you so much, Sassy. Let us know if you see anything!”
Chapter Eight
“Well, that wasn’t useful,” Gwen said in an exaggerated tone, proud of herself for using sarcasm for the first time.
Gideon stopped and looked at her. “Gwen.”
“What?”
“I think you meant to say that was useful.”
“But it wasn’t. She didn’t know anything.” She wrinkled her nose at him. Maybe her tone hadn’t really been sarcastic after all.
“Yes. I know. It’s just you said it in a sarcastic way, but if you’re trying to be
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