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We were so close to catching Mona alone, we couldn’t afford to be noticed by theon my feet for what felt like the hundredth tih the keyhole

The rooain, praying that Mona wouldn’t be gone er

"I wonder who that warlock is… Coen," I said

Erik didn’t respond

I reached out and touched his shoulder

"I’ulped

"Yeah… We just have to get him back" As I withdrew my hand, I realized that I could see it

I pushed aside the gowns covering Erik

I could see his tense face too, his chestnut-brown eyes wide

"The spell is gone!" I gasped

He griot inside this closet first" "Do you… do you think thishas happened to Patricia?" "I don’t know" Coh the keyhole once again as though doing so would somehow hasten her return

The room was still empty

We stood in silence for the next hour, and I tried to stop looking through the keyhole

It was onlythe orse

When the front door finally clicked open, both Erik and I let out a deep sigh of relief

I bent down to look through the keyhole while Erik reainst the door

Warhts flickered on in the bedroo her hand

Judging by the way they were staggering slightly, they’d both had a little too much to drink

"Well, Coen," she said

"Thanks for this evening" He raised her hand to his lips and placed a kiss over it

"Any ti at each other for several moments before Coen reached out slowly and slid his hands around Mona’s waist

He drew hi kisses on her skin, working his way frolad Erik wasn’t watching this--it would have only made him feel worse about his brother