Page 16 of Payback is a Witch

Gulping down all he emotions that were trying to choke me I did something I would’ve never done before. Darting back inside I threw my arms around her and hugged her so tight like my life depended on it. On a sigh she wrapped me in her embrace and rocked us from side to side for a long moment.

“Thank you.” I whispered in her hair that smelled like vanilla and coconut.

“Sweet girl.” Petting my hair, she finally pushed me at arm’s length. “You have no idea how much you are loved.” A tear trickled down my cheek and she whipped it away with a secretive smile. “Alex and I wouldn’t know what to do without you anymore.”

Blowing air multiple times through pursed lips so I don’t break down crying in the middle of the cafe I nodded at her. “Alive. Right. I can do that.”

“You better, Hazel Byrne. Don’t make me come out there looking for you. You won’t like what happens.” The stern words were softened by her smiling face.

“Jack has told me all about it. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

I walked out of the café with Amber’s laugh still feeling my ears. I only hoped I didn’t lie to the one person that has treated me like she’s my mother since I’ve known her. My soul would not have peace if I ever hurt Amber.

Chapter 8

It took me good ten minutes to duck under swinging fists, twist away from kicks and grabs for my hair. Out on the street was brutal. Inside the shop the sound was mostly muted so we couldn’t hear the blood curdling screams, animalistic shrieks and snarls echoing off the tall buildings. It was hard t believe these were humans arguing and fighting.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

So, lost in my disbelieve that they would turn into this when influenced by the demon I didn’t see the tall man who stepped in front of me until it was too late. Knowing my luck, the human couldn’t have been a tiny scrawny accountant type of a person. No. I got the gym enthusiast that had arms so beefed up I bet he couldn’t wipe his own ass.

“Me?” acting scared I betted my eyelashes at him. I’m trying to hide from all the bad people.” Hoping he would fall for it and leave me be was too much to ask. The moment I was about to circle around him he grabbed a handful of my hair.

“Ah, fuck.” I hissed when my skull was lit on fire from the way he was pulling my hair. “I really,” taking hold of his beefy arm I used it as leverage to swing myself in the air and kick him in the head. He immediately released my poor strands. “didn’t want to hurt you.”

He dropped like a rock at my feet along with a few chunks of my tresses but I couldn’t mingle longer unless I wanted to deal with more of those. On a whim I darted left when I exited the café hoping to go as far as the angry mob was. My plan was to look for the demon on the outskirts of the affected area. From what I’ve read back when I was hoping that I’ll be a great witch one day, anger demons are easily recognized because you feel absolute rage when they are near. Since I was not affected by the bastard I had no idea how I would pin down who it is.

My heart skipped a beat when two barrel chested humans circled a young woman and her three children. Without realizing what I was doing my feet were eating up the space across the street when I froze mid-step. The oldest of the three children, age twelve or so by the looks of it, picked up a piece of a broken brick I didn’t notice until then that was by his feet. With a screech of a banshee he jumped on one of the humans and started bashing his head with it. The other two children followed their brother and latched onto the man’s legs and started biting.

The second human didn’t know what to do and while he gapped at his buddy didn’t see the woman yanking her heel off her foot and swinging it at his head. His scream made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end so I missed that I was standing in the middle of a busy street with people yelling at each other, arguing and fighting.

The hit to the back of my head came as a surprise.

“Sonofab…” stumbling forward I threw my hand back with intention to block if another hit was coming.

My magic however didn’t get the memo so I heard the screech of the person when my power slammed into them. Eyes watering, I blinked behind me to see if I killed the human only to be shocked with a whole bunch of them staring at me with open mouths. The one who hit me in the head was crumpled on the ground but from what I could see still breathing.

“Ummm…” I had no idea what to say.

“Witch!” somebody thundered from my open-mouthed audience and I cringed when the rest of them joined, their eyes bloodshot and crazed.

They all moved as one, hunching their shoulders and ready to chase me. I didn’t wait to find out if I can fight my way out of it. Spinning on my heel I bolted like the wind away from all of them.

“That will teach you,” I huffed and gasped as I ran. “to go help others when you can’t even help yourself.”

When I turned a corner and saw an alley within reach before the mob could get to me I took the chance. Ducking in the narrow passage I slowed down my pace so my feet smacking the concrete doesn’t give away my hiding place. Buildings towered over it on both sides forming deep shadows good enough to conceal my presence so half way in the alley I plastered myself to the wall near two trash containers. Heart hammering in my throat I had to flare my nostrils to drag as much air as I could so I don’t gasp and give my hiding place away.

Maybe I should be more like Danika. She would’ve blasted the lot of them with magic without blinking an eye. My grandmother would not be losing sleep over hurt humans. I on the other hand took care of them for most my life and had no intention on stopping now. One angry mob was not going to change my mind.

Shouts and hoots came from the mouth of the alley and I watched as much as I could as the river of people ran pass it, chasing after their own rage than me. I was no longer leading that sprint yet they continued as if they could still see me in front of them. My leg begin bouncing while I waited, impatience crowding my every thought.

I needed to stop messing around and find the demon. Who knows how long Ace and Sissily would be out? Worse than being the reason for an actual witch hunt, was to be the reason your friends get hurt. Or hurt others. So, the moment the last chaser hooted and dashed after the rest I inched closer to the street, tiptoeing my way to the entrance of the alley.

If it wasn’t for my personal witch hunt I never would’ve seen him.

About five foot eleven tall, with plain features, unassuming t-shirt and jeans and a dirt brown hair, the demon was…well the best way to describe it was, forgettable. How I knew it was the Anger demon was very simple and uneventful, too. He had his hands in his pockets and a shit eating grin as he strolled leisurely behind the running humans.

Ducking my head out of the alley in a quick succession to check that no one was going to ambush me the second I step foot out I narrowed my eyes on the bastard. The fury I felt building in my chest had nothing to do with the demon’s power but everything to do with him. I wanted to rip him apart limb from limb.

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