Page 20 of The Most Wanted Witch

Zab and Bibbi walked over, standing on either side of me. I ran my hands over my face and then through my hair, so they probably thought I didn’t see the look they shot each other. I had. Oh yes, I wasn’t just going to die. I’d do it in hell. What was that old saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I’d always thought that was just a saying. No one warned me it was literal.

“I’m sure it’ll work out,” Bibbi said.

She was officially the worst liar in Xest.

“Yeah, I’m sure this will work out,” Zab said. “Just because we haven’t been able to fix anything for months doesn’t mean a miracle can’t happen.”

They all thought I was a goner.

* * *

No one banged on my door for dinner. How was that possible? I could hear the chattering in the back room, but it died quickly as I walked in and everyone made a point of not looking at me, but notnotlooking at me either.

“So like I was saying, it should be a slow day tomorrow,” Zab said, as ifthathad been the conversation going on before I walked in.

“The tea tastes a little funny today, right?” Bibbi said.

“It does taste odd,” Musso agreed. “Did you notice the clouds today? I think we’re going to have a few more inches of snow by morning.”

Bertha agreed and then chimed in about a new spell for knitting she’d read about. The conversation went in circles like this, while everyone tried to avoid talking about my issue. The space between sentences lengthened and they couldn’t think up one more mundane thing to discuss. Then the topping on the cake finally arrived with Hawk, who wasn’t acknowledging me at all. He walked into the room as if I wasn’t there, not a glance, a nod, nothing.

The tension was suffocating to all in the room, and one by one, they found an excuse to leave. I wasn’t leaving. I still didn’t think I’d done anything wrong.

I curled up on the couch, the idea of sleep so far away that I might not see it for days.

It’s not that bad. What else was I supposed to do? Did I really have a choice? No. I didn’t, and of course now he’s all bent out of shape because whenever there is no choice he seems to get mad.

I jumped as Oscar dropped onto the couch beside me.

“You know, you have a really strange way of getting messed up in every possible predicament there is.” He smiled right before he sipped his tea.

He wasn’t screaming at me, but clearly Hawk wasn’t the only angry one here. I’d done the right thing to help save Xest and now everyone either thought I was insane or a dead woman walking.

“Um, thanks?”

“Sure, let’s pretend that was a compliment.” He continued to sip on his tea.

“What is your problem?” I gave him all of two seconds before I continued. “The way I see it, I was doing the right thing. I was saving your asses for a month. I can’t imagine what Hawk’s issue is with it, or yours. It makes no sense. You people should be happy.”

“Yeah, can’t imagine why we’d be pissed off,” Oscar said. “Not like I didn’t have to work at getting your ass a job and making sure no one killed you or threw you out of Xest. I did a lot of work so you could just toss it all away.”

I sat up straighter. “I’m not tossing it away. I’m trying to repay the favor.”

“It’s not repaying the favor when you might be the only way we can get rid of what’s ruining Xest.” He put his drink down and turned so he was sitting sideways on the couch, facing me. He didn’t speak for a few seconds. “Don’t you get it? You’re the only thing it’s afraid of, and there’s got to be a reason. If you’re gone, we’re sunk. How is that a favor?”

I knew some people might’ve viewed me as the key to the solution, but Oscar? “I’m not the key. I’m a stopgap. I know me, and I don’t have what it takes to stop whatever that thing is.”

“Then you better figure out how to get whatever it takes, because you’re all we’ve got.”

9

My back slammed into the snow.

Bautere hovered over me. “Why did you want to practice if this is what you’re going to do?”

“I thought it would be a good idea.”

“Go home. It’s getting late, and I’m tired of knocking you on your ass.” Bautere walked away, leaving me in the field alone.

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