Page 13 of Wolf, Willow, Witch
“Why?”
“Because we could rob banks,” she said, voice smooth as silk. “We could gut the Metropolitan Museum overnight, clean out Cartier and Tiffany’s, hell, we could stageassassinations.” She furrowed her brow, laughing under her breath. “We’d have a never-ending supply of soldiers at our disposal. Soldiers with no fingerprints, no opinions, nothing to lose, and no viable link back to us. That’s power, Lincoln. Like, real, tangible power.”
“And I’m guessing your intention is to take it for yourself?” Lincoln snorted.
She inhaled a long, deep breath.Yeah, obviously. But with his eyes trained on her, and sunlight glowing on the frosty window, Tehlor couldn’t decide if her ambition was pointing toward ascendance or self-destruction. The Breath of Judas was Judeo-Christian magic, and her Norse roots weren’t known for being merciful when it came to false prophets. But Lincoln Stone, demon aficionado, might be a stronger ally and a more reliable vorðr with it in his toolkit.
“You’re the demonologist,” she tested, leaning on the back two legs of her chair.
“Oh, so I can pack a heftier punch as your spiritual battery? Cut the shit, witch.”
“Okay, look, I… I get it—I made some assumptions, but—”
“Assumptions? Open your phone, Googleenslavement, and—”
“I’m sorry,” she snapped, letting the chair smack the ground again. “You’ve made your point. Can we move on?”
Lincoln finished the last of his pancakes and held his hand open, allowing Gunnhild to place her front paws on his palm.
“I’m not above killing you,” he murmured, shifting his attention to Tehlor.
“You’ve made that abundantly clear.” Nervousness filled her chest. Watching her familiar sniff his wrist, knowing he could squeeze the life out of her, plucked cruelly at her confidence. She swallowed hard. “She’s been with me for eight years,” Tehlor said, hardly above a whisper. It was an olive branch, that tender information. A peek at her underbelly. “I’m surprised. She’s usually shy.”
Lincoln stayed quiet. He leaned down, allowing Gunnhild to stretch her nose toward his own.
“Corpses have no free will,” he said as if he was mulling over his decision.
“Like I said, you’d have the perfect army at your disposal.”
He hummed thoughtfully.
Quiet stretched, filling the house like molasses. The silence stuck to her clothes and caused her skin to tighten, clinging to bone and hope. Tehlor faced the sliding door, tracing their transparent reflection on the glass.
“If you ever put your hands on me again, I’ll cut them off,” she said, remembering his boot on her chest, his hand around her neck. Her throat went dry. She clenched her teeth until her jaw throbbed. “I’m not saying I didn’t deserve it. I did what I did. You did what you did. It’s done. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” he rumbled.
“Good.” She took her rat from his hand and held her close, meeting his inquisitive gaze. “Get your stuff while I put the dishes away. I’m pretty sure there’s a service at Haven tonight.”
“I never said yes.”
She rolled her eyes. “Lincoln Stone, will you pretty please help me infiltrate the LuLaRoe equivalent to Jesus Camp or do I have to find someone else to be my broody spiritual battery?”
Lincoln slowly closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. “You’re insufferable.”
“I’m aware.”
The moment hung between them, strangled and thick, until Lincoln gave a curt nod and stood.
“These itch,” he said, pointing to the stitches beneath his chin.
Tehlor smiled and pulled a sleek, black lipstick container from her pocket. She pressed a hidden button on the bottom of the tube and a blade sprouted free. “I got you, boo.”
Chapter five
Havenmetinsidearetail space reserved for pop-up markets and seasonal Spirit Halloween stores. Fold-out chairs were arranged in curved rows on either side of a makeshift aisle. The dingy carpet had a nineties vibe reminiscent of old mall culture and Macy’s blowout sales, and the harsh overhead lights turned the room clinical and grim. A fine layer of dust covered empty shelves, a janky podium, and outdated speakers. Tehlor loved watching people push Versace sunglasses to the top of their heads, adjust their high-end streetwear, and simultaneously scan the area for unsavory critters. It was like watching dolphins fuck in front of children at the aquarium. No one knew how to explain it, or what to say, if they should say anything at all, but everyone pretended to be comfortable.
“Tehlor, hi!” Amy’s voice echoed. A few eyes flicked toward Tehlor, inspecting the newcomer while Amy greeted her with a grin and laid her hand on Tehlor’s upper arm. “I’m glad you made it.”
