Corruption (Grumpy Old Wizards Book 2) Read Free Page B

slut.”
    “You don’t belong in a retirement community.”
    “I’m older than you,” Josephine retorted.
    “You have all the advantages of youth and shouldn’t get to use any retirement benefits.”
    “I contributed to taxes and social security the same as you.” Josephine strove to keep calm as she began to harbor doubts about her goodwill mission.
    “Why don’t you take your slutty ass and march it on out of here,” Dale said.
    Josephine opened her second sight and examined the security enchantments and wards protecting Dale’s condo. It took her only a couple of moments to disarm everything. She made a sweeping gesture with her hand as she forced the door open with a potent burst of telekinesis. Dale gaped at Josephine with stunned disbelief for several seconds before he turned to flee. Josephine reached her hand out and used telekinesis to toss Dale across the room and pin his body against the wall. Josephine made a sweeping motion at the door to cause it to slam shut as she approached Dale. Her mind simmered with hostility and anger. Dale’s fearful gaze locked onto hers as he tried to pry himself away from the wall to escape. Josephine halted in front of him and frowned at him with reprisal.
    “You’re making it very difficult to be nice to you,” Josephine said.
    Dale’s mouth opened and closed several times in a comical fashion that almost made Josephine burst out in hysterical laughter. She bit her lower lip to keep the amusement at bay as she didn’t think it would help her cause.
    “What do you want?” Dale asked.
    “I want to call a truce. I don’t plan on jinxing you anymore if you stop pestering me,” Josephine said. “Don’t you think it would be nice to enjoy your retirement without looking over your shoulder all the time?”
    “You don’t scare me,” Dale said with false bravado.
    “I come with a peace offering.” Josephine held up a gift box which caused Dale to flinch with alarm. “It’s a powerful cleaning enchantment. I thought you might find it useful.”
    Josephine released the telekinetic hold on Dale and he pushed away from the wall but didn’t try to flee. Dale regarded the box with obvious suspicion.
    “How do I know you don’t have it jinxed?” he demanded.
    “I’m trying to show you that I want to be a good neighbor,” Josephine said. “Do you think we can stop slinging spells at each other?”
    “I’ll think about it,” Dale said.
    “That’s all I ask.”
    Josephine held out the gift box and Dale hesitated before accepting it. Josephine’s lips formed a strained smile.
    “Thank you for giving this a chance, Dale,” she said.
    “I’m still thinking.”
    Josephine left Dale’s condo with mixed feelings. Mending fences could prove to be a prudent course of action; however, Josephine didn’t trust the old fart and seriously doubted he would stop hounding her. Early the next morning, on the drive to Siesta Key beach, Josephine thought she saw the same blue sedan tailing her for almost the entire trip. Josephine tensed with nervousness as she wondered if someone suspected she was illegally tapping into the vortex. When she turned into the parking lot, the blue sedan continued on down the road without slowing down. She heaved a sigh of relief and wondered when she would stop suffering from guilt and paranoia over shutting off her aequitas enchantment. Just because category six wizards were so powerful didn’t mean they should be banned from doing what everyone else could do.
    Josephine reached out with her mind and linked with the vortex. Potent energy flooded through her mind and body. Josephine jogged along the shoreline in her bare feet, enjoying the feel of the soft crystalline sand against her skin. She took deep breaths of the salty air but never grew tired as long as she maintained her psychic connection with the vortex. Her body thrummed with pleasure and she savored the delightful sensation, wishing these moments would never end. A male