Page 7 of Payback is a Witch

“Open, and check.” I mouthed while she stared at my mouth trying to lip read. Pressing my back to the wall and shaking my hands off like some boxer I nodded encouragingly at her and raised two thumbs up.

She glared at me.

“Open.” I mouthed more firmly adding a frown for good measure and she rolled her eyes at me.

Squaring her shoulders and petting her hair to smooth it out my best friend took hold of the doorknob firm enough to turn her knuckles white and without delay yanked the door open so hard I was shocked it didn’t come off the hinges. I watched her hold her breath as I held mine for more than thirty seconds. When nothing happened and no one spoke she turned to look at me with a frown.

I shrugged.

Glowering at the presumably empty hallway Sissily leaned forward still holding onto the door and not stepping foot outside. “Hello.” She whisper-yelled at the empty space and followed it with a loud hiccup. “Great.” She muttered on a groan and I had to fight a snicker. Try as she may, she still hiccupped when nervous.

“You okay?’ I whispered but her glare made me shut my mouth.

“This is ridiculous, you know?” my best friend hissed and hiccupped once again. “I’m an adult. I can deal with stress without sounding like an idiot.”

“Of course, you can.” I agreed solemnly.

“I will zap you, Hazel Byrne. Don’t patronize me.” Sissily threatened so I raised both hands in surrender without a word.

“I meant it, I swear.” I bit the inside of my mouth so I don’t laugh when she hiccupped again. “You are a woman, I hear you roar. Rawr.” I growled and pawed at the air between us until she cracked a smile. “But you do sound like an idiot with that hiccup.” I told her a second before she punched me in the sternum.

“Jackass.” Growling, she shoved my shoulders too when I doubled over, the earlier pain returning with a vengeance. “Lucky there was no one there. We are horrible at staying quiet. Danika knows that. I have no idea why she expects today to be any different.”

“It could be because Alex stuck up for me.” pulling the door closed I moved away from the wall. “She must think I’m finally a responsible adult now.”

“You stink like you’ve lived a month in a whisky barrel, girl. I assure you, she doesn’t think you are a responsible anything. The least of all an adult.” Waving her hand in front of her face she scrunched up her nose and stepped away from me.

“Why do you have to kill my dreams, Sissily?” I snickered under my breath when she chortled. “Officially, starting from today, you will be known as a killer of joy.”

“I always wanted to have a title.” Twining her fingers under her chin she twirled and blinked rapidly. Shaking my head, I chuckled flicking a finger between us. “This is why we are friends.”

“And because I can drink as much as you can so you don’t have to do it alone.” She pointed out.

“That, too.” Conquering to her wisdom I bowed and we grinned at each other. “I want to know what they’re talking about, too.”

“Oh, thank goddess I thought you’ll never say it.” Dropping all humor, Sissily snatched my hand and started dragging me toward the door. “If we circle around where the gym and the fighting mats are I think we can eavesdrop through the vents from the new moon chamber.”

“Sissily, you naughty girl.” I bared my teeth in a gloating grin. “Who have you sneaked around with so that you know these things? Huh?”

“Mike.” She grimaced as she glanced at me over her shoulder.

“Can I kill him now?”

“No.”

“You suck.” I pouted but at least she smiled.

We were creeping along the long intestine that was the main hallway circling the coven building like two thieves. Occasionally a jiggling or a clinking sound would rattle from somewhere in the building, the sound echoing along the empty space, making us jump and plaster ourselves to the sides in hopes to make ourselves as small as possible. Magical, smokeless flames danced on top of the sconces attached to the black surface casting ominous shadows all over the floor and walls that didn’t help with our mounting paranoia. Just as I was about to suggest we should turn back, voices trickled from a chamber a few doors down from where we were standing.

Excitement lit up Sissily’s face and I couldn’t help but share it. Unease twisted and turned in my gut but I had to see this through or I would never hear the end of it from my best friend. And she did not need more ammunition to hold over my head, thank you very much.

With a finger pressed to her lips she led me toward the first door to our right. Latching onto her cold fingers I followed obediently, cursing myself to high heavens for not picking some flats to wear when I left pack lands. My toes were going numb from placing all my weight on them or I would alert the dead if I stepped on a whole foot in the hallways. Who in their right mind would try to sneak around on four-inch heels? Me. That’s who.

Entering the ritual chamber felt foreign to me. It could’ve been because I knew I was not punished to clean it so my mind rebelled when I entered reminding me that I don’t belong there. But I did belong now. So, I squished that feeling down with a force of a rhino stomping on glass. I had every right to enter any room in Gatekeeper’s coven or any other.

The pentagram on the side of my finger tingled and Sissily dropped my hand with a tiny squeak, jumping away from me with owlish eyes.

“Ouch.” She dragged the whisper, shaking her hand like she’s been holding onto live wire.

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