Page 5 of Daddies' Little Assassin

"Ah, you've come," she said, her voice sing-songy as she clapped her hands together. "I knew you'd find your way here eventually."

I blinked. "Uh, you did?"

She nodded, then leaned in closer, her breath smelling faintly of mint... and mothballs. "You're cursed, aren't you?"

My heart skipped a beat. "How did you—?"

"Oh, I know these things, my dear. I can smell it on you." She shrugged, before continuing. "And I saw you in a vision." The old woman took a deep breath as if to emphasize her point. "It's a deep curse, one that runs through your blood."

I shivered, goosebumps rising on my arms. "Can you help me?"

The witch—though she hadn't exactly introduced herself as such—grinned, her eyes gleaming. "Help you? Oh, I can do so much more than help. I can free you."

"Free me?" I echoed, hope blooming in my chest.

She turned and floated back toward the shelves, her hands fluttering over the jars before she plucked one down. Inside was a bundle of dried herbs and what looked like a scrap of parchment.

"This," she said, holding it up, "is what you need. It's an old spell, ancient. You'll have to follow the directions exactly." She lowered her voice as if sharing a secret. "No shortcuts, no skipping steps. Understand?"

I nodded, eager to get started.

"The spell is simple," she continued. "You'll take these herbs, burn them under the full moon, and recite the incantation." She handed me the parchment and herbs. "Once you've done this, the curse will begin to unravel."

"Just like that?" I asked, my scepticism creeping back in.

"Just like that," she replied, though there was a glint in her eye that made me wonder if there was more to it than she was letting on. "But remember, magic is tricky. If you don't believe it will work... well... it might not."

I thanked her and left the shop, clutching the bundle of herbs to my chest. This had to work. It just had to. Ineededsomeone to love me. As much as I liked to tell myself that I was doing okay by myself, there was still the small part of me that yearned for a Daddy to love me.

When I got home, I set everything out on the coffee table. The parchment was covered in symbols I couldn't understand, but the words were easy enough. I waited until nightfall, then gathered the herbs in a small dish and headed out to the balcony. I chose to believe that I found the shop and that getting the spell on the day of the full moon was fate. The moon was hanging low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the town.

I took a deep breath and lit the herbs, watching as the smoke curled into the air. The smell was sharp, almost bitter, but Iforced myself to focus. Holding the parchment in one hand, I recited the incantation.

"By blood and bone, I break this chain,

Bad luck falls, love will reign.

With heart anew, my path set free,

Fate, bring my love to me."

Nothing happened.

I frowned, glancing around. The moon was still shining, the smoke still rising, but I didn't feel any different. No tingling, no rush of energy, nothing. Not even the familiar hum of magic I'd grown used to. Maybe I'd said it wrong? Or maybe...

I tried again. This time I spoke louder, my voice steady as I repeated the words. Still nothing.

Frustration bubbled in my chest. What if the witch had sold me a dud? Refusing to give up so quickly, I remembered I'd heard somewhere that spells worked best when done in threes, so I gave it one last try. If this didn't work... well, I didn't know what else to do.

On the third try, something changed. The air around me seemed to shift, and a strange sensation crept over my skin. It started as a tingling, a faint prickle, but quickly intensified until it felt like my entire body was vibrating. My breath hitched, and I staggered back inside, gripping the edge of the table for balance.

It wasn't painful, but it was intense, like an itch deep beneath the surface of my skin that I couldn't reach. And then... heat. Spreading through my veins, pooling low in my belly. I gasped, pressing a hand to my stomach, but the heat only grew, thrumming through me with every pulse of my heartbeat.

I was aroused.

Suddenly, overwhelmingly aroused.

"What the hell?" I whispered, but there was no stopping it now. The tingling had turned into a throbbing need, and before I knew it, I was stumbling toward my bedroom, shedding clothes as I went.

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