Tart Paws (Kitten Witch Cozy Mystery Book 12) by Corrine Winters

Author:Corrine Winters [Winters, Corrine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-02-14T23:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

“Strange, I thought, how you can be living your dreams and your nightmares at the very same time.”

― Ransom Riggs

* * *

Ember’s eyes fluttered open as strong but gentle hands gripped her around the waist. Suddenly, the memory of her attack rushed back, and she struggled against the unseen grip.

“Ember, calm down! It’s me!”

Ember nearly fainted again from relief at the sound of Cedric’s voice. She was safe. She became aware that she had been draped over a thick branch, her broom laying on the ground several feet below.

Cedric carefully helped her to the ground, setting Ember on her feet. She immediately collapsed, too weak to bear her own weight. Fortunately, Cedric caught her before she hit the sodden ground.

“Easy, I’ve got you.” Concern written all over Cedric’s handsome face, he gently caressed her cheek. His fingers felt at the burning flesh on her neck and she winced. Ember opened her mouth to cry out in pain, but only a dull rasp escaped.

She panicked, realizing she couldn’t speak. Had whatever attacked her crushed her windpipe?

“Who did this to you?” Cedric asked. “Was it Joe?”

Ember frowned. In truth, she didn’t know. She flashed back to the attack, remembering the feel of claws on her skin…but her thoughts came in thick, hazy waves. Ember couldn’t be sure she actually remembered the same claws on her back from the root cellar, or if she’d just imagined that aspect.

One thing she was sure of: Someone or something had tried to kill her, strangling her like the other victims.

“Ember, can you hear me?” Cedric asked again.

Ember nodded, then pointed at her throat and let out another rasp. Cedric hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry! Don’t try to talk. I’ll get you out of here. I’ll get you to help.”

Cedric lifted her as if she weighed nothing and picked his way through the swamp. Ember leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed. Her neck was aflame with pain, and just the act of swallowing brought its own agony. A dozen aches and agonies flared over her body. She’d taken quite the tumble through the trees and counted herself lucky to be alive on many levels.

“I swear, when I find Joe…” Cedric muttered darkly under his breath, speculating about which painfully horrific death he would choose to inflict on Sleepy Joe. Ember wasn’t sure if Joe had attacked her or not, but she almost felt a stab of sympathy for the fugitive. Cedric was a decent, honorable man, but he often lost his cool rationality when it came to his wife.

Ember drifted in and out of consciousness as Cedric carried her the several miles back to Sleepy Joe Turner’s domicile. When they came out of the tree line and into the open, the sensation of cooling rain on her face revived her somewhat.

Cedric sat her gently in the passenger seat of the cruiser. He dug out a bottle of water from the glove box and twisted it open with a plastic snap.

“Here.” Ember took the water from him and placed the nozzle to her lips.

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