Page 96 of Midnight Waters

“It’ll have to be, because you won’t remember exactly. It’s impossible,” Kira said.

It would. If only I had had the memory potion Ben had brewed for me before we dove under that bed together.

“I hope this works. Thanks, Kira,” I said.

“I’d say anytime, but please don’t ask me to do this again soon. The High Priestess will have my ass if she learns I used all these ingredients.”

“At least you have plenty of weed killer now,” I said.

“Just call me if you ever get a bad case of strangulating knotweed.”

Ah yes, the knotweed that strangled more people than it did plants.

“Take this one, too.” Kira picked up the smokescreen potion and handed it to me. “Last time a smokescreen went off in here, we had to move in with the dryads for a week.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I said, taking the potion from her.

Kira pursed her lips. “It was. They wouldn’t let us put hammocks up in the trees so we had to sleep on the floor.”

Hashtag fae problems.

We woke Allison, and the flower opened up for us. I walked stiffly down to the leafy street and pocketed the potions while I took my phone out with the other hand.

I was almost disappointed when I saw there were no messages. What had I expected? For Ben to text me?

Shoot. Had I hoped he would text me?

“Checking if your boyfriend texted you?” Kira asked, yawning as we made our way down the street.

“Shut up.” How had she known?

“You need to talk to him, anyway. He was there to see the potion, too. You need to coordinate how you’re going to approach the police.” Kira wrapped an arm around Allison’s shoulders as she rested her head on her shoulder.

“Damn it, you’re right. I’ll try now.” Not that I was eager or anything.

My fingers shook as I called Ben. I held the phone away from my ear a bit as it rang. But after three rings, the call ended.

I sighed, a weight in the pit of my stomach. “Doesn’t look like he wants to talk to me.”

“Text him. He can’t ignore that,” Kira said.

I punched out a quick text that I needed to talk to him about Tyler. But the message didn’t send.

“Son of a bitch, he blocked my number,” I muttered through gritted teeth.

How the hell was I going to approach the police about Tyler’s death and Michaela’s illness now?

Without Ben, it was just my word against George’s, and that would mean so little, even with a potion in tow. Was this thing between us worth letting his best friend’s killer escape?

“Next time I see him in town, I’m throwing a pine cone at him,” Allison said sleepily.

“I don’t know, I’d rather do your switch idea,” I muttered.

“Kinky.”

“Kira, shut up.”

One way or the other, I had to contact Ben soon, or Michaela would be in real trouble.

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