Page 4 of Daddies' Little Assassin

I flipped the card over, searching for any other instructions, but that was it. If I wanted in, I had to eat the invite. I sighed, tossing the card on the kitchen counter as I headed for the fridge.

It's not like this was the weirdest thing I'd done. After all, I was an assassin. But still. Who comes up with these ideas?

I grab a carton of milk and start pulling ingredients for pancakes from the cupboard. If I had to eat the invitation, I might as well enjoy it. Breakfast for dinner was a favourite of mine, and pancakes were the perfect vehicle for this kind of nonsense. Shredding the invite into tiny pieces, I folded theminto the batter, watching as the red script dissolved into the mix. The smell of frying pancakes soon filled the air, and I felt a little spark of excitement despite my fatigue. This was exactly what I needed to get my head off what Jas had told me.

I didn't like dwelling in sadness, choosing to focus on the happier things in my life.

After a while, I had a stack of golden, fluffy pancakes in front of me. I drizzled syrup on top and dug in, each bite reminded me that life could be weird, but at least I had this.

Pancakes for dinner. The world might be full of curses and shady warlocks, but if a girl could have breakfast for dinner... there was still hope.

By the time I finished, I felt the familiar hum of magic settling over me. Guess that meant the invite was officially accepted.

"Well that's one way to get inducted," I muttered, wiping my mouth and heading for the bathroom.

Soon the tub was filled with hot water, and buckets and buckets for bubbles to make my heart feel just a smidge better. The scent of lavender and vanilla filled the room, and I let out a deep breath as I sank into the water. My body ached, but the heat soon worked its magic, relaxing my muscles and soothing the tension from the night's events.

As I soaked, I couldn't help but replay the warlock's words in my head. A curse. A Lucky Foot. It sounded insane, but there was a part of me that couldn't shake the truth of it. Was that why every relationship I'd ever had fell apart? Why I, could never find someone to stick around, no matter how hard I tried?

Is that why my mom gave me up?

I slid deeper into the water, blowing bubbles across the surface. "I'm not cursed," I whispered to myself. "I'm just... unlucky."

But the words felt hollow, even to my ears. And there was only one way to find out if it was true or not.

I had to find a witch. Someone who could break this supposed curse once and for all. I wasn't sure where to start, but I knew one thing; I couldn't live like this anymore.

Once the bubbles started to fade and the water turned lukewarm, I stepped out, wrapping myself in a soft towel. Pulling on my teddy bear pyjamas, I padded into my bedroom, where Mr Big was waiting on the pillow. I grabbed him, snuggling him close as I crawled into bed.

Before I turned out the light, I reached for the book on my nightstand. Exactly what a Little needed after a long, hard day. A bedtime story. Something soft, sweet, and far removed from the insanity of my real life. As I read, I couldn't help but let my mind wander.

Was love really impossible for me? Or had I just been chasing what I was never meant to have? Maybe, if I could break the curse, things would be different. Maybe there was still hope.

I closed the book and hugged Mr Big tighter. Tomorrow, I'd start my search for the witch. But tonight, I'd let myself dream. Dream of love, of connection, of something more than just the pancakes and a stuffy to keep me company.

"Goodnight, Mr Big," I whispered, turning off the light. "Here's hoping tomorrow is better."

And with that, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a future that, for once, didn't seem so far out of reach.

Chapter three

The Spell

Finding a witch in Clytia Falls wasn't exactly easy. It wasn't the kind of place where occult shops lined the streets, but I wasn't about to give up. I'd been ghosted again after what I thought was a pretty decent date. We'd had a good conversation, a shared love of bubble baths, and he'd even laughed at my bad bunny puns. But then... poof. Gone. No texts, no calls, nothing.

I knew it was too good to be true. Most guys are intrigued by being a Daddy until faced with the reality of it. So I was back to the drawing board and focused on my witch hunt.

An old lady looked at me strangely as I snorted out loud at my bad pun, but I paid her no mind as I stood in front of a shop that could only be described as 'obscure'. The Hex-a-Gone was sandwiched between an ice cream parlour and a pharmacy like it had squeezed itself into a sliver of space no other business dared claim. The sign was faded, and the window display was a strange mix of crystals, tarot cards, and something that looked suspiciously like a chicken foot.

No humans could see the shop unless they'd been given a direct invite or address by someone in the know.

I glanced up and down the street before stepping inside.

A bell jingled above the door, and the smell of incense hit me immediately. It was thick, almost overpowering like the shop had been steeped in it for decades. The lighting was dim, and shelves crammed with jars, herbs and trinkets lined the walls.

"Hello?" I called my voice, sounding out of place in the stillness.

A woman emerged from behind a beaded curtain, her eyes wide and a little too excited for comfort. She had long, frizzy grey hair and wore a mismatched outfit of a floral dress layered with scarves, all clashing colours. Her lips were painted bright purple, but some of the lipstick had strayed beyond the lines of her mouth. She looked... frazzled.

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