Page 28 of The Secret Life of a Witch

“Faerie hybrids?” I ask.

He zealously nods as he snatches up the bills with his grubby fingers. “That and all the other kinds. So many kinds. Vampire kinds. Werewolf kinds. Pixie kinds. An army of kinds.”

“Anarmy?” Hunter and I say at the same time.

A sinister smile carves across the demon’s face as he glances from Hunter to me. “Yes, an army.”

I swallow hard. “An army for what?”

The demon pushes to his feet and stuffs the money into his pocket. “Who knows? But you should probably be worried, considering you might be one of them.”

My muscles constrict as Hunter’s fingers tense on my arm.

The demon grins, taking a step toward me. “You didn’t know?”

My heart slams against my chest as I worry he might be right. Then I remember how powerless of a witch I am, definitely not half-demon material, and laughter sputters from my lips.

“Boy, oh boy, that was a good try,” I tell the demon. “But next time you try to worry someone into thinking they’re some special sort of creature, you should probably make sure the person is super talented and unique, instead of mediocre.”

His lips curve downward. “You think I’m kidding?”

“No,” I stress. “Iknowyou’re kidding.”

A low growl rumbles from his chest. “Stupid girl. But that’s okay. One day, you’ll realize it. Then you’ll come crawling back to me.”

I roll my eyes. “Nice try, tricky demon. If you want the rest of your money, you better start telling me the truth.”

Now he rolls his eyes. “Fine, tell me what else you think you need to know.”

“Well, for starters, I want to know who this sample of magic belongs to.” I nod my head at the container Evan is still holding.

The demon’s contorted grin sends a shiver down my spine. “You mean, you want to know who the hybrid is who stole your sister’s body.”

Evan nearly drops the container as he realizes what my lost “object” is. “That’s what the demon took from you?”

“Sorry I wasn’t straight forward,” I tell him. “I just didn’t want to seem like a total nutjob.”

His expression softens. “I’d never think you were a nutjob, Eva. In fact, you’re probably the most levelheaded person I know.”

I offer him a smile. “Thanks for trying, but I know there’s no way that can be true.”

He reaches out to either pat my arm or take my hand, but when his gaze strays over my shoulder, he pulls back. “I’m telling the truth. You’re one of the smartest, bravest girls I’ve ever known.”

My lips part in protest, but the demon’s creepy-ass cackling cuts me off.

“Oh, my God. Drama, drama, drama,” he says then laughs, hunching over and cradling his sides.

“Yeah, keep laughing, you little twerp.” I wave the money in the air. “Maybe I’ll just hang on to these.”

His laugh promptly dies. “You can’t. We have a deal.”

I fan the money in front of the wall. “Then tell me who the hybrid is who broke into my house and stole my sister’s body, and how I can get her back.”

“The last answer seems pretty self-explanatory. But since you’re obviously stupid, I’ll give you the answer,” the demon says in a bored tone as he examines his chipped fingernails. “You go to the underground tunnels.”

I take a subtle breath, trying to remain calm, but my patience is wearing thin. “And how exactly do I get there?”

He looks up from his fingernails. “You really don’t know?” When I shake my head, he dramatically sighs and inches even closer to the barrier. “To the place on the card in your pocket. You know, the one your sister left behind for you.”

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