Cooper kept his expression neutral, although it took profound effort. “The three of us.”
Astra’s smile slipped. “Of course. I don’t do weird threesomes, just for the record.”
“That’s good.” Cooper inclined his head toward the patio at the back of Astra’s store. “I’m only interested in twosomes.” He realized Astra could take the statement the wrong way given her returning smile. “With Hannah only.”
“Ugh. You’re absolutely no fun.” Astra stalked toward the patio, not even putting up a token fight. “Fine. Let’s talk. It has to be better than listening to Stormy’s plans for world domination.”
The witch behind the counter, the one who had been giving Astra fits since she joined the coven, smiled serenely. “Not world domination. That would make me a megalomaniac. My efforts are more localized than that.”
“Whatever.” Astra was still grumbling under her breath when she slid into one of the wrought-iron chairs that belonged to the table set she had strategically placed in the middle of a magical wonderland that was only accessible to the chosen few she deigned to allow into her personal space. “If this is about Stormy convincing those guys to fight at the bar last night, I’m not to blame. She’s her own witch ... and she won’t listen to reason.” Astra’s expression was so dark it sent a shudder down Hannah’s spine.
“We’re not here about Stormy,” Cooper countered, pulling out a chair for Hannah before settling next to her. He was careful to arrange the chairs so they were close, presenting a united front, and Astra was located on the other side by herself. “Although you should probably rein her in or cut her loose. She’s going to be trouble.”
“That’s such a black-and-white response,” Astra groused, shaking her head. “Only a consummate good guy would think it’s that easy. Stormy is smarter than she looks — I would never say otherwise — and I can’t simply cut her loose now. She’ll cause problems for all of us.”
“Keep your enemies close, huh?” Hannah mused.
Astra shrugged. “Something like that. If this isn’t about Stormy, I’m guessing it’s about the nexus. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it to Hannah the other day because she’s obviously worked up about it. I was serious when I said she should let you go for your own good and I refuse to take that back.”
Cooper scowled. “You suggested that for your own benefit. It had nothing to do with what’s happening at Casper Creek.”
“Believe it or not, I have no interest in watching you die,” Astra countered. “Suffer? Absolutely. Dying is another story, though. Your little girlfriend has obviously caught the attention of some very bad magic-wielders. You’ll die if you don’t distance yourself from her. I’m the messenger, not the threat.” She shot a wicked smile in Hannah’s direction. “At least this time.”
Cooper made a disgusted sound deep in his throat and shook his head. “Stop saying stuff like that to her.” He was annoyed because he believed Hannah was the type who would actually push him away in an attempt to protect him. Astra was the exact opposite. She would cling and sacrifice him to save herself in a heartbeat. That was only one of the myriad of ways the two witches were different.
“You’re just worried she’ll actually listen to me.” Astra’s smile was sly. When Cooper refused to be baited into an argument, though, she sighed. “What do you want? I can’t help you with the nexus. It’s not my business ... and I have no intention of dying.”
“You recognized the nexus for what it was, though,” Hannah pressed. She was so used to Astra’s bad attitude she barely registered it these days. It was a significant development, although it was something to consider later ... when a bunch of furies weren’t barreling down with murder on their minds. “How did you manage that?”
“Just lucky I guess,” Astra drawled, making a big show of staring at her fingernails. “I could use a manicure. Where do you go?” She flicked her eyes to Hannah’s hands and frowned when she saw the ragged and unpolished surfaces. “Um ... never mind.”
“Don’t be a pain,” Cooper chided. He had a short rope where Astra was concerned on a normal day. Given the events of the afternoon, he refused to allow her any leeway for playing games. “We’ve faced off with two of these creatures now. We need to know what you know.”
Astra’s brow furrowed. “You’ve faced off with two creatures?” Even though she wanted to pretend she didn’t care, she’d always been the curious sort. “What kind of creatures are you referring to?”
“They’re furies,” Hannah replied, taking control of the conversation. “They’re not the female furies that just go after men, though. Apparently those chicks are famous because they weren’t quiet about their plans. The furies we’re dealing with are basing their attacks on the seven deadly sins.”
“At least we think they are,” Cooper clarified, shrinking in his seat when Hannah shot him a quelling look. “We’re almost certain that Hannah’s theory is correct. We’ve only faced off with two of them, like I said, though. The first seems like an open-and-shut conclusion. The second, though ... .”
“He was wrath,” Hannah snapped, irritation bubbling up. “How can you not believe me after what happened?”
“Baby, I didn’t say I didn’t believe you.” Cooper was exasperated. “I’m just saying that I’m not sure the second guy is conclusive. You still kicked his ass and were totally amazing. You saved everybody. I would never take that away from you.”
“Whatever.”
Amusement slid across Astra’s face. “Oh, you guys are so cute. Even your fights are saccharine. Who loves who more? It’s a fight to the death.” She shook her head but seemed resigned to being dragged into the conversation. “Tell me what happened.”
Cooper was ultimately the one who told the tale, in halting terms. When he got to the part where he and Tyler attacked one another, his cheeks colored with embarrassment, but he held it
