“Sins?” the man asked, his smile deepening.
That’s when the final piece slipped into place for Hannah. “The seven deadly sins. Seven strands of a nexus.”
The second part of the statement clearly caught the man off guard because he made a face. “Who mentioned the nexus to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Cooper replied, crowding Hannah toward the door. “We’re leaving.”
“Oh, you’re not leaving.” The man who inspired gluttony hoisted himself onto his feet and moved his hands, signifying the others in the restaurant should also stand. They did as one, as if their minds were already gone. “I can’t just let you leave. That’s not ... very smart.”
“We’re leaving.” Cooper was firm as he gave Hannah a solid shove. “Right now, Hannah. We cannot stay.”
Hannah clearly wanted to argue because she opened her mouth. Unfortunately for both of them, it was too late to escape.
“If you’re truly hungry, my friends,” the big man intoned, “I think I know a little something you can eat.” He inclined his head toward Cooper and Hannah. “They might look gristly, but I bet they taste delicious.”
“Holy ... .” Cooper’s heart dropped to his stomach and he automatically looked around for a weapon to use. In the heat of the moment, he’d forgotten Hannah was a weapon.
She didn’t, though.
Hannah raised her hands, her fingers igniting in a flash of pink. She never understood how to call the magic. It mostly happened in moments where she was terrified and her mind (and body, for that matter) simply reacted. That’s what happened now.
“You can’t take me,” the man warned when he saw the glowing orbs circling her hands. “You’re a new witch. Everybody knows that. You don’t have the power.” The words were barely out of his mouth when the restaurant patrons attacked.
“Hannah!” Cooper was desperate to keep her safe, although they were woefully outnumbered and his gun was locked in his truck downstairs.
Her magic was already in motion as the customers closed the distance, her hands blurring as an explosion of magic erupted from her fingertips. It was only then, with the magic finally showing its full form, that the man realized what he was dealing with.
“Oh, my,” Jenn muttered, quickly turning on her heel and covering her face. She seemed to understand what was coming.
“No!” The man tried to throw up a shield, but it was already too late. Hannah’s magic ripped through the feeble attempt as if it had never been conjured in the first place, and when the magic bolts hit him, he went rigid as his eyes rolled back in his head.
Fascinated, Cooper watched as the huge man’s body went completely still. As he fell backward, he started to fray at the edges, and by the time he hit the ground, he was nothing more than a massive pile of dust.
The moment he broke apart, the spell on the patrons shredded, too, and the attack they were mounting fell by the wayside as couples turned to each other to express words of confusion ... and dismay.
“Why is there food all over my dress?” someone yelled. “I mean ... what the hell?”
Hannah lowered her hands, her eyes automatically going to the spot where Jenn had crouched only seconds before. She was gone, as was all evidence that something bad was about to happen.
“That was ... interesting,” Cooper said, his arm automatically moving around Hannah’s waist as he pulled her close. “I didn’t expect that.”
“Me either.” Hannah worked her jaw, her heart pounding hard as blood rushed through her ears. “We should get out of here.”
“You read my mind.”
10
Ten
Cooper kept checking the rearview mirror as they drove away from the restaurant. He couldn’t get what happened out of his mind. Next to him, Hannah was largely quiet, her attention focused out the window.
He had no idea what to say. He didn’t consider himself a chatty guy on a normal day, but now he was completely bereft of words. Still, he knew exactly where to go, and he was on autopilot as he navigated the residential streets.
Finally, Hannah stirred when she realized she had no idea where they were. “Are you trying to see if we have a tail or something?”
He shook his head as he pulled into a driveway. “No. There’s someone I want to talk to.”
Hannah was taken aback. “Now? I ... .” She trailed off when a teenaged girl poked her head outside the front door of the nondescript house. “I don’t understand.”
“Cooper?” The girl looked positively giddy to see the man behind the wheel of the truck as she hopped out of the house. “What are you doing?”
Hannah was frozen in confusion until a familiar figure moved into the open doorway behind the girl. Boone. “Oh.” Understanding washed over her. “You want to tell him what happened.”
“I think that’s probably best,” Cooper agreed, killing the engine of the truck. “Are you okay to go in there?”
She nodded and automatically reached for her seatbelt. “Yeah. Is that Boone’s daughter?”
Cooper nodded, his lips curving. “Lindsey. She’s ... a typical teenager. You might like her, though.”
“I’m sure I will.” Hannah took a moment to look herself over, check her clothes, and then followed Cooper to the front porch. She watched with amusement as the flirty teenager threw her arms around his neck.
“It’s been so long since you visited,” Lindsey enthused. “I can’t believe you’re actually here ... and with a date.” Her eyes flicked to Hannah and there was a dollop of unhappiness reflected in the brown seas. “You must be Hannah.”
Hannah nodded. “You must be Lindsey. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She extended her hand.
Lindsey stared for a long beat and then straightened when her father cleared his throat behind her. “Unfortunately, I’ve heard a lot about you, too,” Lindsey said, clasping Hannah’s hand limply. “I kind of wish I had never heard of you. No offense.”
Hannah was confused. “I ... don’t understand.”
“Ignore her,” Boone grumbled, making a face. His eyes immediately went to
