Page 4 of Witch Please
No was on the tip of my tongue but since my bestie rarely sassed me about males, I took a deep breath and examined my thoughts and feelings on the matter. Life was crappy as it was without taking things too seriously; so, we both acted immature on most days to offset the stress we faced. Occasionally though we had to be adults.
“I am a hot-blooded female, Sissily. It would be a lie if I said I don’t think about jumping Blackman’s bones at least three times a day. I have a vagina.” Both eyebrows raised, I pointed to my crotch in case she didn’t know where the organ was located. “That being said I rather he stays away from me as far as possible; so, him talking to other females is a good thing.”
There. I could be an adult. Don’t look at me like that! I could!
Neither Sissily, nor I for that matter believed a word coming out of my mouth.
“I can always zap her and burn her hair to a crisp.” Sissily offered conversationally while plucking layers of flaky dough from the croissant she’s been gnawing on the last twenty minutes. “No one looks good with a typhus hairstyle. I bet she won’t look good then.”
I snorted despite myself.
“You’re so stupid.”
“Genius you mean?”
“That, too.” Returning her smile, I continued eating because I really hated the fact I couldn’t get out of the damn room and get plastered because of dizziness from lack of nourishment. With everything going on, I would forget to eat on most days unless someone reminds me. Amber was mothering the hell out of me but with the increase of attacks on pack lands the poor female could barely remember her own name.
Howls sounded from outside, loud enough to be heard crystal clear in my room. Another reminder that thanks to me no one was safe. And here I was dwelling on River’s love life instead of facing my own crap. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, or maybe my faraway gaze aimed at the window was an indication, Sissily reassuringly squeezed my arm.
“We will figure things out eventually.” She muttered like she was scared to say it too loud and tempt fate.
Speaking of which…
“What do you suppose it means?” my bestie knew exactly who I was referring to without me voicing it. “It could be a demonic trick.”
I still refused to accept the fact that the cursed book was somehow a portal for communicating with the Fates. The way the demons have been attacking every chance they get and recruiting the rest of the supernaturals, I wouldn’t put it pass them to try trickery. It was their very nature after all. No one could blame a snake for biting them. It’s a snake, it’s what they do.
Same with demons.
Unless they try to eat your designer shirt. That shit is simply unheard of.
Sissily lifted her face and made a loud sniffing sound. My frown made her grin at me like a fiend. “I can smell something burning. You are trying to use your brain, huh? Don’t think too hard it’ll short circuit.”
I kicked at her, or at least I tried halfheartedly to kick her, I should say. Her giggle was short-lived and cut off when the second set of howls nearly shook the house with its intensity. After a few seconds of staring at each other owlishly, we scrambled off the bed and raced toward the curtain covered window.
Parting the thick fabric slightly, I did my best to see in the pitch black what was going on with one eye. Sissily was doing the same on the other side, her breath seesawing in the silence of the room but I doubt she was having any better luck. It seemed that someone plunged the grounds around the large home into darkness and only an occasional eerie glow of predatory eyes broke it. Luckily those I saw all belonged to the wolves.
“Something is going on out there.” Sissily said, her voice trembling from the adrenaline I too was experiencing.
“You think?” craning my neck and pressing my forehead harder to the glass where my nose was squished sideways, I snorted at her. “No shit, Sherlock.” My breath fogged up the window, and I missed if it was a wolf looking up at where we were or if it was something else.
“You’re such a jerk.” My bestie groused, pouting at me from the other side of the window when I looked her way.
“I’m going.” Not allowing her time to process what I said, I rushed around the room and hurriedly stabbed my feet into the flattest boots I could find. They ended up having a two-inch heel but better than a stiletto, I guess.
“Like I thought you’d do something else, Hazel. You do remember I’ve known you since we were kids, right?”
A shrill scream rattled the windows, and I made a mad dash toward it yanking on the curtain without a second thought. We were beyond the point of hiding. Whoever was out there didn’t care to stay hidden anymore, so I didn’t see why I should be hiding either. After all, I was pretty sure they were here for me. Sissily stepped up next to me as we gazed down into the darkness of the back yard.
A shadow slithered between two shrubs, their leaves rusting from the disturbance, but they were too fast for my eyes to track. A few of the clouds parted that moment thankfully allowing the partial moon to illuminate the yard long enough that I was able to identify the usurper. My heart skipped a beat before stuttering into a rapid-fire rhythm.
“Mazzikin.” Sissily and I said at the same time as we locked gazes.
Mazzikin is not a type referring to any demons of Hell specifically, but rather a broad range of evil spirits in the same way we see demons. They are the cheeky little blighters of the demon hierarchy, maddeningly irritating and hard to get a hold of. They are as pesky as the imps who are permanently armed with the spanners that so often get thrown into the works but more vicious when it comes to harming supernaturals. In short, Mazzikin are mean little critters, or invisible types of demons, who cause everyday stressors and tribulations for humans. The problem was, wherever these little buggers showed up, much bigger problems followed for those like me.
There was only one way to get rid of the Mazzikin and luckily for the pack, Danika being her typical self and tormenting me with useless knowledge was about to pay off big time.
“Let’s go.” I snatched my bestie by the hand and yanked her along with me through the door and out into the hallway. It was as empty as a tomb which was expected with all the fighting and howling going on outside. “I know what to do.”
