Page 15 of Payback is a Witch

“I can control my magic now, for the most part.” I muttered that last part under my breath. “All I need to do is find the demon, knock his lights out, bag him and come back.”

“Right.” Sissily deadpanned in a flat tone.

“It’s an Anger demon, Sissily. I mean, how hard could it be?” taking hold of Amber’s hands I stepped away before she ripped my pants. There was barely any fabric left from her scrubbing. “It would’ve been helpful to know which general direction the bastard was hiding at but I’ll figure it out.”

It dawned on me then about Alex’s warning to Ace. “Do you think this is what Alex was warried about when he told you not to leave me out of your sight” I asked him.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Pushing himself up he straightened and stretched both arms over his head. Even disheveled the way he was, the shifter was a perfect eye candy. “If you’ve made up your mind to go, lead the way.”

“You’re right,” moving around Amber I walked up to him and took his hand. “There is no way you’ll let me out of your sight.”

“Damn right.” He nodded, a line forming between his eyebrows while he watched me hold his hand. “What…”

“Sorry.” My magic trickled through my fingers into his, and he stiffened from the electrical current I was pushing at him.

“Hazel, no.” Sissily shrieked as she scrambled up and rushed to where we were standing.

Afraid I might accidently hurt him I slipped a hand behind his head and stopped the magic flow the second his eyes rolled back and with Sissily’s help -who made it to us just in time- we lowered him on the floor. I’d be lying if I said that I was not internally freaking out until I saw his chest rise and fall. I’ve never done that before but I had no doubt it’ll work.

After our crazy trip to Hell and back I learned that lesson.

Lesson number twenty-one: Everything you resist will turn your life upside down. To win in life you need to embrace the unthinkable. Like being a dud with ancient power ready to make itself known to the worlds.

“He’s okay.” Guiltily I glanced at Amber over my shoulder. “He’s going to have a killer headache but he’s okay.”

“You could’ve hurt him.” My best friend slapped me with the back of her hand.

“You sure developed a gift for stating the obvious, girl.” Annoyed I stood up from where I was crouched next to Ace. “You think it would’ve been better if he followed me outside? He would’ve hurt a human or worse, he would’ve killed someone. You think Ace will be able to live with himself if he hurt an innocent?”

“That was smart, Hazel.” Amber spoke but she was not looking at us. She was staring at the rioting crowed outside. “Thank you for taking care of our pack. Pack males act all though in front of the outsiders but we know better. They are kind and honorable deep inside.”

A loud growl broke the silence after her words and my face heated up as I pressed a hand over my belly. With everything going on I totally forgot how hungry I was, but using a bit of magic at the street and in the café on Ace just added to the mounting gurgling in my gut.

“I’d hate to ask…”

But Amber was already in motion like this was that one task she was born to do. Her entire domineer changed for melancholy to full of energy. “I have just the thing, ladies. We baked a lot of stuff before the problems started and we had to lock up the shop. I had a horrible feeling since we opened so I sent the two girls home before the shouting exploded into…well, this. I was going to pack up all the food and take it home for everyone but you two should have first picks.”

Sissily and I were inching closer while she fussed around behind the counter and the moment she slid the glass door of the display and waved us in we fell on the pastry like rabies infected racoons on steroids.

“Tfank fu.” I mumbled with a mouth full of a blueberry muffin. “Itf delifious.”

My best friend swallowed half a Danish without chewing and laughed out loud at the breadcrumbs spraying from my lips. “If she wasn’t an animal she would’ve said thank you it’s delicious.”

Amber was grinning from ear to ear like a proud mama bear while we stuffed our faces for good five minutes. Slowly the weakness tugging on my shoulders and spine dissipated and I felt better than I had in weeks. Sissily was munching on a cherry Danish happily humming a tune only she could understand when I caught Ambers attention and tried my best to relay what I was planning to do. Much to my surprise she leaned forward and tucked my best friend in a one arm hug.

Reaching for Sissily’s hand I squeezed her fingers in apology before zapping her with a current of my magic. She stiffened, dropping he half eaten Danish with a splat at our feet and sagged in Amber’s arms.

“Sorry.” I told my unconscious friend.

“I’ll take care of her, go.” Amber pulled Sissily firmly to her body and walked her around the counter toward the plush armchairs on the end of the café.

“I’ll be back as fast as I can.” Sticking a croissant in my mouth I grabbed one more in my hand as I started for the door. My free hand was on the doorknob when Amber called out to me.

“And Hazel. Don’t make me regret thinking this was a great idea. You come back alive, you hear me?”

“You mean unharmed right?”

“No.” Snorting a laugh her eyes danced with mischief when they locked on mine. “The demon can take a limb for all I care, we can work with that. Be banged up all you want, just come back alive. I can fix alive.”

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