Page 33 of Consume Me
“Natalia, no.”
“You promised.”
“Actually, you said if I walked out of that house with the daggers in my possession, I’d call Tori. But I didn’t. I walked out without either of them.”
She stares at me, waiting.
I sigh. “Fine. I’m not exactly free of them, but I just need a little more time.”
“Kendall—”
“One of the daggers is gone,” I blurt.
She stares at me, and in true witch fashion, she doesn’t look happy about the news. “Gone, how?”
“Destroyed. Someone at the party knew of the daggers and managed to destroy one before I stopped him.”
“You stopped him?”
“Their magic has infiltrated parts of me I can’t—” I shake my head, frustrated, desperate. “I don’t know if I’ll survive both of them being gone.”
Natalia sighs. “All right. What’s your plan?”
“We’re doing some research to see if we can find a way to break the connection. So we can get rid of the second one.”
The dagger vibrates in its holster.
Fuck you, I tell it.
“Who is ‘we’ exactly?”
“A friend.”
“The friend who destroyed the first dagger.”
“Yes.”
“Someone I should know about?”
“They possess a talent I have a need for.” I shrug like that’s all there is to it. “Nothing more.”
Her brow arches like she knows that’s a lie, but she lets it drop and goes back to organizing jars. Natalia’s not exactly known for her friendliness, which is exactly why I love her—when I don’t want to talk, she won’t push. Not right away, anyway.
The morning drifts by in a quiet rhythm.
Customers come and go, the bell over the doorchiming every so often. Some want sachets of herbs to tuck under pillows for more pleasant dreams; others ask for talismans to ward off bad luck. The more serious inquiries Natalia takes alone in the back room. It’s not like I don’t know she’s negotiating for everything but their firstborn in exchange. But I don’t exactly want to help her with those kinds of deals either.
Out front, I smile, take payment, and keep my answers short.
But the dagger… the dagger never shuts up.
Its whispers curl around my ribs, sharp and insistent.The fae male is dangerous. He’ll betray you. One strike, and you’re free from all of this.
I ignore it.
The more I ignore it, the more unrelenting it becomes, the words slipping into my thoughts like claws.You’re weak. You’ll regret this.
By the time the sun has drifted past the highest pane of the shop windows, I’m gritting my teeth. Natalia notices my tension—she’s too perceptive not to—but she says nothing. I catch her glancing at my hip once, at the single dagger in its holster, the other empty. I note a flicker of something in her eyes, but she doesn’t comment on the missing twin.
