Page 12 of Spit

I nodded in agreement.

“What’s the game plan?” She pressed, flicking her hair away from her face. “Dodge his calls? Change your name?”

I shrugged, tugging on the lapels of my leather jacket. It was dark enough that my shadow melted into the bar's floor, though I felt its hunger ping back and forth as it curled around the other patrons like a dog searching for scraps.

“Demons have long memories,” I said, reaching for my drink, so I didn’t have to elaborate.

“I wouldn’t know.” Kailee’s eyes roamed the bar as she studied the people around us. “I’m just human, remember?”

I exhaled. “Believe me, that’s a good thing. I used to wish I didn’t have magic.”

“Your null abilities keep the lights on.” Kailee pointed out. “Though your food bill would be easier to manage if you didn’t have Shadow.”

I kept my hand wrapped around the cool glass of my drink. “Let’s just say that other witches don’t like it when you make them feel powerless. Besides, sometimes even magic can’t protect you. It just makes things worse.” I had a scar on my side that burned when I thought about it. The skin had healed, but the wound never would.

The bartender walked over to our side of the bar, even though our drinks weren’t even half empty. He slid something across the chrome bar top until it rested beside my hand.

“Mr. Bub sends his regards.” The bartender nodded before frowning and shaking his head to clear it. He stood, for a moment, like a man that had forgotten why he had entered a room before walking away.

I eyed the card on the bar like a snake about to strike.

“What’s that?” Kailee chirped, reaching for the business card before I could warn her otherwise. Luckily, it hadn’t been spelled. My best friend turned it over in her hands. “Pennies?” She said, reading the handwritten note on the card.

I shrugged. “I thought it had something to do with Lydian coins. Demons use them to travel between dimensions.”

“Huh.” Kailee’s lips turned down as she digested that information. “Pennies is a bar in the ninth ward.”

“The ninth ward?” I echoed. “How do you know that?”

“It was hit really badly by Katalina. Some big tragedy. It was all over the news for years. My father owned a few of the shops on the same promenade.” Kailee took another sip of her drink. I knew she didn’t like to talk about her father—he had walked out on their family when she was a kid. The only conversation she had with him was a one-way Christmas email detailing his exploits, woes, and new property acquisitions.

“It's an invitation.” I stared at the card as if I could will it to burst into flames. I didn’t tell her that there was a message on the other side that only I could see.

“I don’t like to be kept waiting, Ms. Boudaire.”

When I got home from the bar and back to my empty apartment, I finally admitted to myself that I was excited to get away from New Orleans for a little bit, if only to get away from Maverick and to stop Mr. Bub from using everyone in my life like his own personal courier service.

It didn’t surprise me that there would be a demonic hangout where Katalina had ravaged the city when the levees failed. Tragedy and death tended to create rips between the fabric of worlds, places demons could use to hop between Hell and the Human Realities.

I had no desire to go to Pennies, and the Elementals tour would take me far away from Nola. A new city every night. I hadn’t thought much about the job save for the boon it would be to our professional reputation and checkbook. Still, it was a win in my book if I could get away from Beelzebub.

I wished I could wear a charm to try and hide my presence from demons, but I was a null witch. Charms didn’t work for me. If a person wanted to find me, they just needed to look for an absence of magic, which would lead them to my door. Nulls were rare, but nulls that were imbued with Gluttony? I was a hungry black hole eating through any magic around me. Brilliant for working security with supes, but not so great at making friends.

After the early afternoon bar trip with Kailee, I needed to start packing before work. I had weapons to clean and sharpen, and properly store.

I’d promised to go to the office that evening, as usual. I had to back up some files and leave some notes about a few contractors and clients for Kailee so she wouldn’t be too stressed when I was gone.

I kept my kitchen full, but I could always give the food away to Babette or Mr. O’Tooley.

My closet was organized with labels that Rosie had gifted me one Yule, making it easy to find what I needed. I took out my duffel and began to pack enough for a week at a time. I’d find a laundromat or a laundry service on the road if we got to stop off at a hotel.

Antonio Bandana had emailed over the itinerary, and the tour bus would pick me up in two days when they passed through the city.

I pressed my hand against my churning stomach. I was running away from my problems. Hiding.

The last time I ran away, Adelaide was with me. This time, I was all on my own.

It was easy to pretend that I didn’t have a collar around my neck when Beezelbub only tightened the leash once a month.

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