Page 71 of Malice

“It’s not drugs. It’s a shortcut. I’ll do it with you. Can we boil some water?”

“Uh, sure.”

I gesture for him to follow me, noting Otto’s unusually quiet demeanor as he stares at the man. Wilder, following my gaze, turns to my dog, bends down and whispers something I can’t hear, but it has an effect on Otto. My dog perks up, his tail and ears alert as he moves to sit at the bottom of the stairs.

“What just happened?”

“Your dog is an excellent protector,” Wilder says. “I just encouraged him to remember how important his job is.”

“He has a job?”

Wilder’s face almost cracks into a smile. Almost. “He can sense things much sooner than you can. He just needs to be reminded to alert you since he’s new at this too.”

“The animal criteria is starting to make a lot more sense.”

“Indeed.”

Wilder follows me to the kitchen, where I start the teapot. It’s a total disaster in here still since we haven’t made any attempts to clean up.

Wilder stares at a spot on the floor and visibly shudders. “There was violence here.”

“Yeah. That’s where Hudson was attacked by the man who is now the Horror.”

Wilder walks over to the spot, kneels and runs his hands over the smooth tile. I watch, completely enthralled, as he pulls another pouch from his coat and sprinkles it over the spot. Whatever is in that powder causes a spark of light and a fizzling sound. Wilder then stands, tucking the pouch away again.

“That’ll help.”

“What did you do?”

“Cleansing spell. It removes the attachment to the spot so the Horror has no tether. It’ll weaken it a little.”

“Where did you get that?”

Wilder’s expression softens slightly. “I’ve been doing this for two hundred years, my friend. I’ve amassed some tricks along the way. Word to the wise, find a witch and keep them close.”

“I think I know one.”

“Good. They can be very useful. Use all the tools you can because when it comes to the actual banishment, no one can help you. It’s the major rule of soul chasing. It has to be you and you alone, but you can get all the help you need before that.”

“Good to know.”

The teapot whistles and I whisk it off the stove before it can wake Hudson. I find two mugs that haven’t been destroyed yetand fill them with hot water while Wilder opens his pouch and, using a dropper, adds a few drops of liquid to each cup.

The water turns deep blue and swirls like a whirlpool. Nerves seize my chest, but I know I have to be brave. I have to do whatever is necessary to fix this situation. My life literally depends on it.

“What’s going on here?”

I swing around to find a completely nude Hudson in the doorway. Wilder nearly chokes before turning away, while Crash wolf whistles before blinking out of sight.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” I say.

“Who’s this?” he asks, using his hands to cover his dick. “How is he even in here?”

“Um, his name is Wilder. He’s a Chaser like me. He broke the spell keeping us inside.”

“Oh.” Hudson’s shoulders drop. “And he’s in my kitchen because…?”

“He came to help me.”

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