Page 34 of Curses and Cauldrons

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I fight the smile that threatens to take over my face. After what happened at myhouse, I thought I’d scared Josephine away. There was a day or two of silence, but then she shocked me with her very creative dick pic. Since then, Josephine has been texting me almost every day. If she doesn’t, then I find myself reaching for my phone to find out how her day is going. I’m not sure what the hell I’m doing, but there’s something innocently exciting about the whole exchange.

“Why are you smiling like your middle school crush just asked you out?” Ambrose nudges my shoulder enough to move me, but I don’t feel the contact.

There are enough streetlights illuminating the gravel lot where my car is parked that I’m able to see Odie’s hands as she signs.

“Because his crush is texting him.” She points to the phone now in my hand and bats her eyes like a cartoon character in love. I flip her the bird and frown down at my phone. Josephine’s name pops up on my screen, but it’s not a text. She’s calling. My stomach flips, and a completely foreign nervous energy skitters down my spine. Neither of us has called each other yet.

I don’t hesitate to answer. “Hello.”

“Yeah, hey. You don’t know me, and I have no clue what you’re up to with Jo, but she needs your help.” A woman, who is definitely not Josephine, is on the other end.

“She needs my help? What happened?” That nervous energy is quickly turning to fear.

“Hang on. I’ll drop a pin on the map and send you our location,” the woman responds, completely ignoring my question.

“Why does she need help?” Anger surges, my question coming out as a command that won't be ignored.

“Because you’re the only one who can touch her, dumbass. Get here.” The phone clicks as she hangs up without another word.

“Did someone just call you a dumbass?” Bram has the door of my car open, one arm thrown over the top of the frame.

“Get in. We need to get to the other side of town,” I growl, throwing open my door with enough force that the hinges creak. What the fuck is wrong with Josephine? Bram, Odie, and Ambrose scramble in before I take off and leave them all behind.

“By other side of town, you mean Lumen coven territory?” Ambrose asks with an excited bounce. He’s sitting in the backseat behind Bram. Odie’s behind me.

My phone vibrates again, and I toss it at Bram. “She’s sending their location. Where are they?”

Bram makes an unintelligible sound. “They’re in the Grimwood.”

The forest surrounds the city of Mystic Hollows. We just came from the Grimwood, but on the Tenebris side of town. They are obviously in the woods on the Lumen side of town.

“Are you sure this isn’t an ambush? What if they’re waiting for you to cross into their territory, and then bam.” Ambrose smacks his hands together.

“Bam, what?” Bram turns around to glare at Ambrose, shaking his head. “Are you afraid they’ll shoot off a cannon?”

“Odie says it could be fireworks or a car backfiring,” Ambrose adds in helpfully. I can’t see Odie from where I’m sitting to know if she truly said that or if Ambrose is being a smartass.

“It’s not a set-up. Something’s wrong with Josephine.”

“Josephine, huh.” Ambrose says her name in a sing-song voice. “Are things heating up? Are the two of you playing out a kinky Romeo and Juliet roleplay?”

“Stop talking,” I snarl, my anxiety creeping up with each second that passes. “Her friend wouldn’t have called unless something serious happened. I don’t know what’s going on, but I need you to shut the fuck up before I pull over and use my fists to relieve some of this fucking tension.”

“Turn here.” Bram indicates a back road that will take us as close to Josephine as possible.

I pull off on the shoulder, barely getting the car turned off before I’m out of the vehicle. Bram’s right next to me, still holding my phone and pointing us in the direction we need to go. At least I’m dressed for a hike in the woods from the Tenebris coven’s new moon ceremony. I’d prefer to leave my friends behind, but there’s no way they’re going to stay in the car and wait for me. I don’t bother suggesting it.

We’re not on the beaten path. The brush is thicker here, but still sparse because of the time of year. There’s no hope of us sneaking up on anyone, though. The sounds of snapping twigs and crackling leaves would alert someone of our approach from a mile away. If that doesn’t do the trick, then Ambrose will.

“Hello,” Ambrose calls out after we’ve been in the woods for a few minutes. Odie smacks his side.

“Ow. What was that for?”

I’m too focused on finding Josephine to turn around to see what Odie’s saying, so I only get one side of the conversation.

“They already know we’re coming. Even if it’s an ambush,” Ambrose deadpans.

Bram is still giving directions based on the map. We have to be close. The faint buzz of hushed voices reaches my ears. I pick up my pace and follow the sound. Just ahead on the path are the shapes of four bodies. Bram turns my phone’s flashlight toward the group.

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