Page 38 of Kisses at the Crossroads

“But first,” Pike starts. “We need—Shit.” He grabs for me just as the magic pull starts.

I dig my feet into the gravel street. “He can’t have me.” I squeeze my eyes shut. I know the magic is still too strong to resist, but I’ll fight it as long as I can.

“Let him go,” Wren says. “We’ll find him again.”

“No. Please. I can fight it!”

“Let him go!” Van yells.

“You’re hurting him!” Wick says.

“I’ll find you again,” I say through sobs.

Pike looks broken the moment he lets me go. Drake’s magic sucks me back, back, back. This time, his front door opens and I’m slung right into the dreaded cage in the living room. With the grandfather clock that never stops.

Chapter 21

Pike

“We had him. He was right here.” I howl into the rainy night.

“He fought the magic,” Van points out. “That has to mean it’s not as strong as it was before.”

“It’s not.” I fist my hands. “What the fuck can I do?”

Wick stops short from his own pacing. “Call a tribunal against Drake. Ethan told me about one he went to as a kid. His uncle ran the coven at the time and pissed them off.”

“We’re not part of the coven.”

Wick shrugs. “I don’t know how it works, but I think if there’s someone with beef against the coven and they have proof it goes against the coven rules they can call the tribunal.”

Rain sizzles around me, burning off my overheated skin. “Coven of Hex, I summon thee!” I bellow the words and they echo off every building. There’s no doubt every resident heard the call. “I demand a tribunal for Drake Speller. On account of him siphoning magic from his captive Fae.”

A huge fiery blue ring circles us, blocking out the rain as witches appear all around us. The circle grows until it’s large enough to contain spectator stands where witches find a seat and gossip with their friends. A long table forms in front of the stands and a half a dozen judge’s seats settle into a half circle in the very front.

The four of us stand waiting for the coven and their judges. Drake still hasn’t arrived by the time the final judge bangs their gavel.

“Who are you and why do you call a tribunal?” They stare down at me with hard dark eyes and it takes everything in me not to growl.

“I’m Pike, a crossroads demon.”

“Yes, but why do you call a tribunal? You are demon not witch.”

And I remember. “True, but I am partial owner of Flutter, and I have a major grievance against Drake Speller.” I smile to myself, because this has to be my in.

“We can proceed,” the judge calls. They snap and Drake stumbles in.

“What is the meaning of this?” Drake screams. “I am the leader of this coven. No one has the right to call me in for judgement.”

“Demon. State your grievance.”

I’d already stated it during the summoning, but I start again. “As you know, I’m part owner of Flutter. Over the last few weeks, Drake and I have gotten close as business partners, and the business has expanded. I knew Drake had a soul tether on his pet Fae.”

The audience gasps.

“Impossible,” the judge says. “Drake would never.”

My tail wiggles as if it’s a shaking fist and I have to take a hold of it. “You can’t see the tether because of all the other clever spells Drake has it hidden beneath. But it’s there.”

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