Page 90 of The Most Wanted Witch

We walked the last bit in silence. It was better than yelling as we approached.

“Xazier,” I said.

“Tippi,” he replied, and then, with less enthusiasm, he added, “And Hawk.”

“I’m guessing you’ll realize there’s no further need for meetings.”Please, realize.I had no desire to fight with anyone tonight, least of all Xazier. All I wanted from him was his absence.

“Actually, no, I’m not quite clear on that at all.”

Could he not feel the difference? How was that possible? He had to know. He had too many spies that would’ve told him something had changed. There wasn’t a person in Xest who didn’t feel something, either good or bad, with Dread’s presence around, and now the lack of it.

“We handled the problem,” I said. “It’s over.”

Xazier squinted and then began to shake his head slowly. “No, I don’t think it is. There are a couple of issues with that interpretation of events. If you’ll allow me to expand?”

I didn’t answer. He was going to expand whether I wanted him to or not.

“Please do,” Hawk answered, his words polite but his tone lethal.

“You agreed to eliminate a problem. Well, the first issue with that is you didn’t actually do all of the eliminating, did you? It wasn’t your plan. That had all the hallmarks of Lou. He’s the only one who would’ve known how to utilize that hill.”

“She did it all, and there’s no changing that,” Hawk said.

Xazier put his hands up. “I’ll give you that point if you insist, but there is another problem that is still lingering. That is most likely only a temporary fix.”

“You don’t know that,” I said. No one did. Not even Lou.

“Oh. But I do, or Dread wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

That was not good news, and not because he’d broken out of it once already. Dread had originated from the hill. It hadn’t only been a cage. It had been its birthplace. If our magic was so similar, what did that mean for me?

“You’re not taking over Xest, and you’re not taking her.” Hawk was bristling in a way I’d never experienced before. There was a strange feel to his energy, as if I were standing beside a bomb about to blow.

“I’ve decided to allow some leeway for partial progress.”

My heart was thumping. I wasn’t sure which was going to be worse: Xazier trying to take Xest or me, and then what would come next.

“I’ll just take you,” Xazier said, smiling.

“She offered up collateral that isn’t hers to give,” Hawk said. “She had a previous binding contract with me. You can’t have her. To be honest, I’m surprised you didn’t already sense it. Must be off your game.”

“You gave me a false pledge?” Xazier was darkening by the second. His eyes filled with awareness as the truth hit him.

“You’re never getting her,” Hawk said. He wanted the fight. Him holding back was the most surprising part. Was this sort of like Rest rules, where he wanted Xazier to swing first so he could kill him?

“He’s not getting her or Xest,” Lou said, appearing out of nowhere.

Great, the gang was all here. The only surprise was that I hadn’t expected it. Maybe we could have a little tea party next.

Lou closed the distance, looking unhappy with everyone but landing his primary focus on Xazier.

“You’ve overstepped, Xazier. Did you think you could do this under my nose? That I don’t have as many eyes and ears in this place as you do? Maybe more? You wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for me. Xest is neutral territory. You can’t do anything without informing us. Those are the rules.”

Maybe the additional company wasn’t so bad. If Xazier was too busy fighting off Lou, there wouldn’t be much fight left for us.

“I know exactly who I am,” Xazier replied. “I think you holier-than-thou people might have overestimatedyourplace.” He took a few steps toward me. Lou matched him step for step.

Hawk moved closer until his arm brushed mine, the violence vibrating in the air around him.

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