Page 11 of Payback is a Witch

“Kiss you?” taking his lead to lighten the mood we followed behind him. “If she turns you into a frog I’ll eat you.”

The shifter’s eyebrows shot up all the way to his hairline and Sissily choked next to me.

“I meant I’ll fry your drumsticks, fool.” Glaring at his excited face I elbowed my best friend for good measure. “The two of you are horrible.”

Ace bent down and picked up the shoes I threw at him without slowing his stride. Both of them kept snorting and choking while I stewed in frustration.

“Whatever you say, princess.” Ace snickered, not knowing how blessed he was for holding my shoes in his hands. If I had them I would’ve jabbed the heel in the back of his skull.

“Just hurry up. Nutjob.” Shaking my head, I ignored their shenanigans

“We wasted precious time sneaking around and coming here. We didn’t hear any useful information.” Sissily mumbled as she rubbernecked to make sure no one was watching us leave.

“Not necessarily true.” I pointed out, watching Ace lift his nose and sniff the air. He was making sure no one was hiding around us. “I learned that the ritual chambers have air vents tucked in the corners.” Incredulously I shook my head, still baffled by that discovery.

“Not all chambers, just that one.” Sissily corrected me but she stiffened at my mention of the duct she opened so we could eavesdrop. “And it’s not an air vent.”

“What else could it be, Sissily?”

“It’s a drain, not a vent.” Her tone was short and I frowned at her, my curiosity peeked.

“A drain for water when they clean the floors you mean?” when she stayed silent and stared ahead as if we were facing a horseman of the apocalypse I tugged on her arm. “A drain for water?”

“No.”

“you have to give me more than that. I won’t stop until you tell me.” She knew it, I knew it, too. I spoke the truth.

“For blood.” Sissily rushed the word hoping I won’t hear it.

I tripped over my own two feet.

Chapter 6

After a quick shower and a visit to my store size closet at Danika’s house, I was tucked in at the back seat of Ace’s SUV with my eyes closed listening to him and Sissily bicker about some band. I’ve been tense and on the edge for so long, it was taking a huge toll on me. Emotionally more than any other way. Every night I literally passed out the second my head would hit the pillow but I woke up every morning more exhausted than when I went to bed.

My head rolled to the side and I lifted my arm to look at my skin. The sigils that were covering every inch of it and conveniently turned me into a glowstick were nowhere in sight. Whatever juju Danika did to make them invisible to anyone else didn’t work on me so I knew they were gone for real. At least for the time being.

Not like I was complaining, or anything.

But, I did kinda got used to them.

“I could kill for a Danish.” Sissily twisted in the passenger seat to wiggle her eyebrows at me. The more adversity we faced, the more she came out of her shell. She was no longer constantly serious or stoic.

“I just need coffee.” Eyes slightly opened so I could see her through my lashes I pressed a hand over my belly. “Anything more than that might cause more trouble than it’s worth it.”

“Maybe you’ll learn one of these days to stay away from drinking early in the morning.”

“Can you imagine Danika’s face when she walked into that chamber?” Ace just shook his head at our snickering like two-year old’s before I was finished talking. “Just by her tone I pictured it scrunched up like she sucked on a rotten lemon.”

“She’ll make us pay for it.” Sissily threw at Ace as a justification for our immaturity. “This one,” her thumb pointed at me over her shoulder. “sprinkled her shoes around the ritual room like breadcrumbs. A blind person could see them.”

“Yeah, she knew it was us.” I agreed unperturbed.

The city was passing by as I stared limply through the window as office buildings and stores blurred into a never-ending line of splattered water colors on the canvas of life. My butt slid across the leather seat when Ace took a sharp turn on East street as he tried to beat the red light.

“If you want I can drive.” Sissily sassed him, insulting his driving skills in a nice way.

“I’m good, thanks.” Was Ace’s drawled reply and I just rolled my eyes.

---