Page 12 of Warrior Witch

“Can you buckle up, please? Driving is dangerous in inclement weather, and the risk of a wreck increases exponentially with the deterioration of conditions.”

She gave me an odd look, but thankfully reached for the belt and fastened it across her chest. An improvement, even if it wasn’t what I’d hoped.

A low-level buzz vibrated in the air, an energy that made me twitch with the need to move. To do something. It increased with every unintentional brush of her fingers, and I felt a warmth building low in my gut. Cutting another look at my seatmate, I froze as realization dawned on me.

She was the source of the anxious feeling. And while most of it could be attributed to her behavior verging on paranoia, I knew some of it was something else. A knowing. We were meant to meet.

The fates were at play here.

“So…” I said, trying to catch her eye. She glared intently out the back window before finally sitting in her seat properly with a grunt.

“Addie tells me you’re on a quest? That sounds exciting.”

“Addie needs to keep her mouth shut.”

I cringed, glancing toward the seat in front of me where the poor girl’s shoulders were curled up to her ears. Harlow followed my gaze and sighed.

“It’s fine. Yeah, we’re on a full-on vision quest—”

“Epic Road Trip of Destiny,” Lindsay crowed from the driver’s seat.

Harlow rolled her eyes and pointed at the guy. “Yeah. That. Apparently, Spells Hollow is the place to be these days. Why are you going?”

I perked up, always happy to talk about my research.

“I’m a botanist. I’ve been searching for a rare plant for years. Actually, my mom first started the research, and I took it over when I finished my degree. The plant is supposed to have sedative properties that will revolutionize the way we practice medicine on supernatural beings, and I’m determined to find it. Do you know how many shifters have broken bones set poorly and then have trouble with their shift because of the speed of their healing? It’s the same reason they can’t be operated on. Their body absorbs the anesthetic too quickly for surgeons to operate. I learned that the local fauna in Spells Hollow is unique because of the town’s history, so I’m hopeful this might be the place to find it.”

“That sounds interesting.”

I watched Harlow steadily for a moment, looking for the telltale signs of boredom, but while she wasn’t as enthusiastic about the discussion as I was, she also wasn’t already looking for the exit.

“So it’s kinda like a family thing? Does your mom still help you with research?”

I flinched. The truth was, I hadn’t had a mom for a long time now.

“My parents aren’t around anymore. They died in a car accident when I was—”

“Dog!” Addie screeched, throwing her arm to point out Lindsay’s window. The car swerved wildly before settling back on course. My heart leaped into my throat, and I briefly wondered if literally shitting myself in their car would be a stretch of this new friendship.

With a slow, deep breath, I encouraged my fingers to release the death grip I had on the seat below me as the car straightened out. Shit. That was close.

“Jesus, fuck, Addie!” Lindsay growled, batting her hand away from his face.

“Did you see it? I swear, it was the same dog. He’s following us!”

I glanced out the window. Rain streaked along the glass, and beyond it was a gray landscape where nothing appeared to move. “I don’t see anything.”

“He was there, I swear.”

Harlow sighed and turned back to me. “Sorry. That was kind of shitty timing, considering what we were talking about.”

“It’s fine.” I shrugged.

“So tell me more about botany.”

We settled into an easy conversation, and it was less one sided than I feared. Harlow knew more about plants than I would have suspected, even if she did claim it was only things she remembered from high school. The way Lindsay snorted made me think it wasn’t something she learned in science class. As the weather outside devolved into a howling, soggy mess of a day, I got to know the people I was traveling with.

Harlow chuckled. “So then Lindsay gets this bright idea to go under the fence with all the warning signs.”

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