Page 311 of Evil Hearts

“Not like that, silly boy. Sit back down.”

She gestures to the chair, and I do. For some reason, I stay, even though this all feels kind of weird.

“Okay, so what is this, then?” I ask.

“You want something, but you don’t want to admit that you want it. I can see it from here.”

“There are a lot of things I want,” I say with a smirk. “Like a million dollars. Can you help with that?”

She smiles at me. “You hide your pain behind your humor. That’s okay, a lot of people do. But you won’t have to for long. Not if you get my help.”

“And how much does your help cost?” I say.

“Free,” she says simply.

“Free?” I ask, and she nods.

“The biggest scams are either too expensive or free. What do you want?”

“Truly, I want nothing. Let me explain. My name is Madame Zella, and I have many deals going with many people. Ongoing contracts and such. I know what you seek, and I can ensure that you get it.”

“And what is it I seek?” I ask, my heart pounding a little harder.

“True love.”

I hold her gaze, feeling almost trapped by it. Like I can’t move. Finally, I pull my gaze away and get up again.

“This is nuts.”

“Humor me,” she says quickly.

Again, I turn to look at her, but I don’t know why I’m staying. I should just leave.

But what if…

Gesturing to the chair again, she says, “If you think this is all a scam, and I want nothing from you, then humor me.”

“By doing what?”

“There is a list of things I will give you. Collect the items and follow the instructions during the next full moon and you will have all you desire.”

“That’s it?” I ask. “How?”

She gestures around us with a slow wave. “The powers that be.”

“That sounds like a crock of shit.”

Her smile grows, her gaze still on me as she walks toward the small shelf beside me, near the entrance. She pulls open the drawer, digs around, and pulls out a small sheet of paper. Handing it to me, she says, “Humor me. Wait until the full moon and do all the things listed. I promise you will not be disappointed.”

And because I’m either drunker than I thought or really dumb, I take the paper from her fingers and go find my friends.

“Where have you been?” Miranda asks as I shove the paper into my back pocket, hiding it from them. The last thing I need to give the guys is fuel to make fun of me some more.

“Just wandering around.”

I don’t breathe a word to them about Madame Zella, but once I get home and I’m safe in my bed, the first thing I do is find when the next full moon is.

Chapter Two

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