I wish I could tell her about being picked as a council member. But if Leanne broke the rules or made waves, saving Trev would become impossible. I can’t help anyone if I get turned into a hedgehog. With a faint sigh, she got the glasses and set out the wine. Just in time, because the rest of the witches turned up soon after—only a minute or two separating their arrivals. It stood to reason since driving from one side of St. Claire to the other took fifteen or twenty minutes, depending on the route chosen and traffic.

Leanne greeted everyone, offering hugs to Priya and Danica. Margie, Ethel, Clem, and Kerry abstained. She could see them assessing her condo, trying to spot any changes due to Trev’s influence. But he’d confined his traces to the guest room, which…was a little worrying, now that she considered it, like he didn’t think his tastes and preferences belonged front and center in their lives together.

“I gather this isn’t the usual meetup,” Ethel said briskly. “There are some quality shields already in place. Worried about eavesdroppers, are you?”

Priya came over and took Leanne’s hand. “Is it serious?”

Kerry sighed. “I thought we might get some peace after the witch hunter left town, but it seems like we go from one crisis to another these days.”

Eyes narrowed, Clem scowled at Kerry. “He has a name, you know.”

“Let’s not fight,” Margie said.

Danica agreed and added, “Why don’t we hear what Leanne has to say first? Congratulations again on the city council win, by the way. I’m so excited for you.”

That was the kind of thing many people said, but Danica was one of the few who actually meant it. Leanne spared a smile for one of the sweetest witches she knew and glanced at Vanessa, who knew her well enough to understand she was asking for a breather. She’d already told the story once, so her bestie took over from there, laying things out more succinctly than Leanne could’ve managed since her emotions were all over the place. Right now, it took all her composure not to fall on the floor and just start crying.

I can’t handle it if anything bad happens to him because of me. I just can’t.

“So, basically, you’re asking us to side with you when the council might be coming for your mundane husband,” Kerry said.

Priya shot her partner a look, but the other witch merely shrugged. The others wore varying expressions. Danica seemed the most sympathetic, likely because Titus and Trev were close, and if things had gone differently, it could be her in this situation instead of Leanne. Clem and Margie both wore neutral looks, while Priya seemed mildly vexed with Kerry.