“Of course not. But I’m pretty sure that was the woman who’s been intimidating me and breaking into my house!”

His eyes went wide. “What makes you say that?”

“Jade caught the intruder trying to get into my house again last night,” I said, making sure to steer clear of the mention of magic. “When she got up to run, I saw that she had long, dark hair. Besides, that woman has been in here before, scowling and sneering at everything.”

Jo’s face creased with confusion. “I…don’t think that’s right.”

I shot him a withering glare. “Let me guess; she said she didn’t do anything?”

“I didn’t ask her if she’s been trying to get inside your house.” He paused, rubbing his chin with his fingers and thumb. I threw my hands in the air, fed up with his short answers.

“Then what did you talk to her about?”

His eyes met mine. I couldn’t quite read his expression, but I could tell he was debating what to tell me. “I asked her why she came in here.”

I raised my eyebrows. “And?”

“And…she said that she was told to come.”

My eyes went wide. That was not the answer I’d expected. “She was told to come in here?”

That made no sense at all. Who would tell Chandra to come to my store? She lorded over everyone in this town, and I was sure she didn’t take orders from anyone.

“Is there some higher authority that Chandra reports to, then?”

It was Jo’s turn to look confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m almost a hundred percent positive that the woman who came in here is Chandra. She has to be the one trying to break into my house. There’s no other explanation, but who would tell her to come here?”

Jo shook his head. “That wasn’t Chandra. But…you’re right that she’s not safe.”

“She’s not Chandra?”

This was getting weirder by the minute. How did Jo know who she was? Was he even telling the truth?

“No, she isn’t. But she knows Chandra.”

“Who is she, then?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but a group of three women came in at just that moment. I tried not to glare when I greeted them. A few other customers followed behind them, so we had to cut our conversation short.

Jo hung around, looking at the merchandise and decorations I’d put up on the walls. I was dying to talk to him, but for some reason, all the citizens of Woods Crossing decided to come in that afternoon.

As I helped customers, I realized that Jade was gone. I looked for her when I went back to the apothecary to get ingredients, but she wasn’t there either. She must have slipped out when people were coming in. I began to worry, especially since she’d been injured only yesterday.

Five o’clock rolled around at last, but I still had some stragglers in the shop. One woman in particular seemed to agonize over the essential oils display, hemming and hawing over the best combination of oils. I wanted to scream.

I locked the door at five-thirty, then jumped when I turned around and saw Jo.

“I forgot you were still here.”

He gave a tight, uneasy grin. “We didn’t get to finish talking.”

“No, we didn’t. Who was that woman?”

Jo licked his lips a few times. “I’m not sure how much to tell you.”

I clenched my hands into fists. “If she’s the one trying to get into my house, I need to know!”

“Sage, that woman is not the culprit. Just trust me when I say she’s not.”

My mouth fell open. I could feel my cheeks reddening with rage. Was he covering for her? What kind of jerk could just overlook the fact that I was in danger?

“If she knows Chandra, and she has dark hair, then yes, Jo, she has to be the intruder.”

He crossed his arms, his lips drawing together in a firm line.

“It’s not her, Sage. She came in because she was instructed to keep an eye on you. Chandra wants to know how powerful you are, so she sent her daughter to spy on you.”

Once again, I stood there in a stunned stupor, my mouth agape.

“That lady is Chandra’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

I started pacing, my face contorting into a disgusted grimace.

“That woman reproduced?”

Jo let out a sharp laugh. Before I could ask what was so funny, the full import of his words hit me. He’d said the word “powerful.” My eyes widened as I wondered if he knew.

“Chandra wants to know how powerful I am?”

He gave a slow nod. I looked him in the eye, my heart thrumming.

“Do you know what I am, Jo?”

His sharp gaze softened. “If you’re Celeste Black’s granddaughter, then you’re a witch.”

I put my hands on my hips, finding it hard to breathe. “So…you do know about magic.”

He shrugged. “I’m a witch, too.”

I let out a shaky laugh. “Of course you are. All this time I’ve been keeping it a secret. I thought it would make you suspect me more.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I suspected you most because you’re a Black and a witch. I thought you knew I was a witch, too.”

Groaning, I covered my face with my hand and shook my head. “No, I didn’t. I only recently found out I was a witch.