Page 62 of The Most Wanted Witch

“You think I won’t?” Hawk asked. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard the rumors. Trust me when I tell you that not only will I kill you, but I’ll enjoy it. You two have been nothing but a pain in my ass. I’d be happy to kill you.”

Bibbi walked over and stood on my other side, a letter opener in her hand. “Let me have a chance at them. We’ll see what they know.”

I swung an arm out, stopping her from getting too close. “Hang on there. I think we should give them a chance to talk first.”

“Fine. We can give them a chance. But for the record, I don’t have a lot of patience.” She dropped her hand only enough so it was no longer level with their necks.

Braid and Spike’s faces were white enough that you couldn’t help but wonder if they had any blood left.

Braid said, keeping his eyes on Bibbi’s letter opener, “Marvin mentioned in passing once that we either found him more pop-ups, ones who weren’t totally useless—”

Braid elbowed Spike in the ribs. Braid seemed to catch his error and looked at me, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to say you were useless. Just most pop-ups are weak as hell, and—”

“I don’t care. Keep going. What else did he say?” I asked.

“He’d have to go back to ‘the hill,’ and he didn’t want to do that again. That’s it,” Braid answered, putting up his palms.

I kept staring at him for another few moments, trying to smell a lie. They squirmed a bit, but nothing worse than what I’d expect with a rabid Bibbi ready to gut them.

“Don’t move,” I told them.

“I’ll watch them. They won’t go anywhere,” Bibbi said.

I walked to the other side of the office. Everyone followed me but Bibbi, who stood in front of them, flipping her letter opener end over end.

“Do you think they’re telling us everything?” I asked.

“I do,” Hawk said.

“Yeah. Me too,” Oscar said.

Musso and Zab agreed. It was unlikely we were all wrong.

“Bibbi, cut them loose,” I said.

She turned toward me. “Really? Do I have to?”

Braid and Spike took off. Bibbi let out a grunt as she watched their backs. They were lucky she wasn’t giving chase.

Musso hummed. “What hill could they be talking about? After all my years here, I thought I was aware of every nook and cranny in Xest.”

“Maybe the hill behind the mailbox?” Zab asked.

“I think I might have a lead on the hill,” I said, remembering the place Bautere had brought me. It had seemed like nothing, but it might be the only lead.

Hawk turned back my way. “You do, do you?” There was no need for him to say anything further.

“I wouldn’t get all judgmental if I were you.” I went and grabbed a jacket, and everyone in the office went to do the same. “Um, I’m not sure if we should all go. It’s in Bautere’s…”

I didn’t have to finish. They were already putting their coats down. That was easy enough.

Hawk walked to the stairs, waiting, the only one who didn’t mind going into Bautere’s territory.

26

It was more of a mound, and that was a generous description. This thing wouldn’t trigger a deep breath if I ran up it hard and fast. But this was the place Bautere had said seemed odd. It was our one and only lead at the moment.

Hawk walked cautiously around it, giving it much more respect than I did. He circled in tighter and tighter rings as he approached.

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