Page 35 of The Most Wanted Witch

“Did you want me to go get you a cocoa?” I asked, then sipped my drink under the evil eye of Bibbi.

“No. I’m fine.”

“What’s the deal with the cocoa?” Zab asked.

“I don’t think it tastes very good lately,” Bibbi said, her tone suddenly snooty and her face matching.

“Really?” Zab nearly gave himself whiplash, he swung his head so fast toward Bibbi.

Musso laughed but then caught himself, looking at his papers and muttering, “Read something funny.”

“Yes, it’s bad cocoa,” Bibbi said. “I’d rather have tea.” She walked toward the back room. She paused at the threshold. Her shoulders rose with a deep inhale, and then she continued.

“Zab, did you bring your cauldron when you moved here?” I asked.

He squinted, looking toward the ceiling. “I think so. It might be in one of my boxes.”

“Good. I need to borrow it.”

* * *

I took a couple more steps toward where I thought their cottage would appear and then retreated again. It was a good twenty minutes past nightfall and still no sign. Every minute they took, the more my hackles rose. They’d been working against me since I’d met them. Thinking they could be bartered with might have been the stupidest move yet. It was one of the only moves we had, though. I had to trace back my origins to get to Dread, and this was the single best way, whether I liked it or not.

“They’ll show. They wouldn’t have bothered to reply if they weren’t,” Hawk said from beside me, in the same spot he’d been since we got here.

“What if it’s a trap?”

“I don’t think so. They want a steady supply of what’s in your hand,” he said, looking at the bottle I carried.

My attention was drawn away from where I thought the hags would show. “How did you know I’d even bring some?” I asked.

“I know what was in your letter.” He smiled.

Damn mailman. Must be nice to have those kinds of connections. Maybe I should do some mailing and bring a net next time.

I was still staring at him when he said, “One of them is approaching.”

I spun around. Where was the cottage? Where were the other two? Why was there a lone figure approaching in the distance?

The Lead Hag neared as a lone figure. She hadn’t exactly been a favorite, but it was probably a tossup. None of them had liked me.

“Well, this is interesting. I think someone might be getting greedy,” Hawk said, glancing at my hand and the bottle I held.

She walked slowly toward us, taking her time, her eyes fixated on the bottle.

“Is that it? Let me taste it,” she said, looking nowhere else. She clenched her hands, as if she was struggling to not wrest the bottle from my hands.

“No,” I said. “You’ve already gotten a taste of my potions, as your face can attest. This is going to go my way. You give the information. Then you get it.”

Hawk let out a quick laugh. He might’ve approved of my handling, but Lead Hag wasn’t thrilled. Her eyes turned to slits as her mouth flattened. She could stare me down all day. I was already a citizen of Xest and there was nothing she could do about that. She was done calling the shots. Although I should probably check into that matter before I pushed too hard.

“Do you have information for me?” I asked.

It took another few seconds for her to answer, and it was clear she was not used to taking orders. She glanced at Hawk, as if she’d rather deal with him.

“She’s asking you a question,” he said.

When he was good, he was really good. It was unfortunate that those times were so few and far between.

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