Page 48 of Draven

"You keep checking your phone today," Lucinda remarked from behind the counter.

I looked up, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Troubles with you and your dragon beau?" she asked casually.

My heart skipped a beat. "You knew what Draven is?" I asked.

Lucinda shrugged nonchalantly.

"At this point, everyone knows. The local pard tried to keep the incident with Justin's car quiet, but you know how it is,” she said.

I did. The locals in Red Vine always loved to gossip when they had nothing better to do.

"So is he giving you any grief?" Lucinda's protective tone caught me off guard.

I shook my head, sighing.

"It's everyone else—Bruce, the leopards, my brother—they're all acting like Draven's a potential danger to the town when I know he's barely able to get up in the mornings. Draven's been through hell," I explained, unable to keep the frustration out of my voice.

"Before, you mentioned he made an enemy of a black witch," Lucinda hedged, her tone careful.

I realized it was eerily quiet in the library, even more so than usual. There was no one there but us.

I looked at Lucinda, wondering if I trusted her enough to divulge more. I had always thought we were just colleagues, but maybe I was wrong.

Were we possibly... friends?

Then again, it wasn’t like I could talk to anyone else about this, certainly not Tom. Lucinda was also a witch and could give me some useful insight.

"He didn't make an enemy of anyone," I explained, deciding to confide in her.

I continued, “My bad. I was trying to keep his secrets and used the wrong word. A witch named Belladonna Payne pretended to need his help, then put an awful binding curse on him."

I hadn't intended to blurt out the name of Draven's enemy, but Lucinda's reaction caught me off-guard.

She was usually so self-assured and confident. I had always considered her a very capable witch. Seeing her scared was a shock.

"Lucinda?" I ventured, concerned.

She grasped my arm with surprising strength. "Say that name again," she whispered.

I repeated it, and she released my arm, still looking shocked.

"Lucinda, what's wrong?" I asked, my concern deepening.

Lucinda took a deep breath, visibly collecting herself. "Belladonna Payne... she's not someone to be taken lightly," she said, expression grim.

Lucinda continued, “The Paynes, they’re a very old and very powerful family of black witches. Most of them were eradicated by a group of shifters a century ago.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” I asked.

“A few Payne witches survived that culling and Belladonna is one of the more powerful members of her clan. If Draven has crossed paths with her..." She trailed off, her expression troubled.

I felt a knot form in my stomach at her words.

"What does that mean?" I pressed, my worry growing.

"It means trouble," Lucinda replied solemnly. "Serious trouble."

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