Page 14 of Payback is a Witch

“I’m okay.’ The shifter wheezed still gulping air like he’d run a marathon.

Since I knew she will take better care of the shifter than me, I slid my butt closer to Sissily who was sitting mutely on the café floor just inside the door, staring at space. My best friend looked so dejected my heart twisted painfully in my chest. The moment I slung my arm around her shoulders she tipped over and tucked her head on my chest. It took a lot to make Sissily show emotions like this in public, so it spoke volumes about our mental state. We were all drained.

“I’m a horrible person.” Sissily muttered in my shirt.

“We already knew that. Why are you announcing it like it’s a revelation?” my attempt at humor made her lift her head to give me a flat look. “What? Too soon?”

“You’re not helping.” She wiggled her arm. “Rub my arm to make me feel better.” With a roll of my eyes I pressed my palm to her bicep. “Not too hard.” She immediately complained.

“Yes ma’am.” Obediently I did what she asked while she willowed in guilt for saying mean things to me. We both knew it wasn’t her fault but I more than anyone could understand where she was coming from.

Things sometimes stay imprinted on your conscience.

“As much as I hate to say it, I think we need to call Danika.” The silence following my statement confirmed that everyone felt the same way I did when it came to my grandmother. However, she was a necessary evil in the situation. “Or,” Since everyone was looking at me I shrugged like it was not a big deal. “I could go and deal with it.”

“Absolutely not.” Ace snarled where he was still kneeling on the floor. “I promised I won’t let you out my sight, and if I go back out there again there is no stopping the shift. My wolf will see only blood if that rage I felt consumes him.”

“Use your inside voice Ace.” I spoke sweetly giving the glaring shifter a sugary smile full of teeth. “I don’t need permission, I was just stating the options we have.”

“We could wait it out.” Amber suggested. “I already called this in after I warned Alex. The coven is notified.”

“And no one is here yet.” I said and Sissily and I looked at each other.

“Alex mentioned delegations visiting your grandmother.” As much as Amber wanted to seem like she was not concerned, twisting one strand of hair around her finger over and over told a different story. “Oh dear. You’re bleeding.”

As she rushed toward me I lifted my hand to look what she was talking about. At first, I thought I got hurt when we shouldered our way in, but what she was worrying about was my bleeding hand.

“Ah, that’s nothing, Amber. I scratched myself there.”

“How did you catch it that it’s an Anger demon, Hazel?” Sissily suddenly perked up. At my confusion she pointed at the hand I had up between me and Amber. “Did you snap out of it because you made yourself bleed? Was that it?”

“Ummm,” frowning at the mark I thought about it for a long moment. Was that why I was myself and not as rage filled as the rest of them? “I don’t think so? I mean, I was never really angry. Annoyed, yes. That the two of you kept bickering. But never really at a pint where I wanted to hurt or insult you.”

Sissily grimaced at the reminder but I simply shrugged. I was not reminding her to be an ass, I was simply stating facts. Maybe she had something there because I couldn’t remember when I started scratching the mark. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t remember it being itchy on the way to the café or after that either.

“She may not be affected at all.” Ace who finally took control of himself was now sitting with his legs bent at the knees, leaning back on his arms. “I saw when she was nearly hit by that car, which swerved her way on purpose. She was freaked out and she busted the tire but it was a typical Hazel move and attitude.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glowered at him and he raised both eyebrows as if to say touché. “Whatever.” I hated when he was right. “That assumption,” I glanced at him pointedly. “only confirms that I should go and find the demon. If this has been reported to the coven and yet here we are wondering what to do I think the message is clear. They are not coming.”

“I’d like to say that it’s a bad idea but I’m afraid I’d have to agree with Hazel.” Amber reluctantly backed me up when the other two immediately started arguing. “I trust she will do the right thing and not act recklessly.” Taking hold of both my hands she made sure I had my gaze locked on hers. “It would destroy me to have her hurt, too. Watching over River is hard enough, I don’t think I could handle something happening to both of you.”

“Is…” I couldn’t finish the question from the fist size lump that formed in my throat. From the corner of my eye I watched Ace look away from us and Sissily duck her head.

“Nothing yet.” Amber shook her head sadly, squeezing my fingers in a silent support.

“I smudged you with blood.” Clearing my throat, and changing the subject, I whipped her dirties hand off my pants and laughed when she looked at me with a horrified expression on her face. “It’s okay.”

“How is it okay to do that with pants that cost more than what this shop makes in a week?” recoiling from me she rushed to grab a towel and returned to clean up the fabric. “Amber it’s okay…”

“I know it’s okay I just need to do something so I don’t start fretting about you leaving the shop and going out there.” She muttered under her breath while scrubbing rigorously on my pants and throwing anxious glances at the floor to ceiling window and the fights breaking out everywhere.

“If I tie something around my leg, a fork maybe that would stab me every step I take, I might be able to withstand the influence.” Sissily suggested hopefully. “I’m not sitting here while Hazel is out there in that mob.”

“She’s not going anywhere without me, so…” Ace shrugged unapologetically daring me to say something.

Wisely I kept my mouth shut but only because I could see his wolf peeking through his irises. He was still struggling with the shift and we had enough trouble as it was without adding that to the mix.

One day. Was that too much to ask? Just one day where I stepped out of that damn room and the world didn’t go to shit.

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