I spent the next three hours deep in research mode while whipping up some dinner. I had chicken in the oven with garlic spinach and white rice on the stove. Truthfully, I wasn’t finding shit. Nothing that could keep Khalid here. Nothing that sounded safe. Nothing that even seemed real half the time. Most of it was forum junk written by people playing witch for fun. Or old ass texts scanned and uploaded with half the words faded out. And the rest was bullshit blog articles about “spiritual ties” and “emotional anchors.”
None of it gave me answers. And the clock on my nightstand was getting really disrespectful with the way it kept ticking closer and closer to midnight. I slammed the laptop closed and let out a loud-ass groan as I stabbed at my chicken.
“Ugh. Why is everything so vague? ‘Sacrifice must match the summoning’? What does that even mean?”
Khalid chuckled, licking his fingers in between bites of food at the kitchen table. “You stressin’, ma.”
“I’m tryingnotto lose you, and you think it’s cute.”
“Nah, that’s you. All sexy, focused, and frustrated. Poutin’ like that.”
I glanced at him sitting across from me, a frown embedded in my expression. “Khalid. Be serious.”
He smirked. “I am bein’ serious. You don’t even know what you really brought back. You just knew you wanted somethin’… someone.” He stood up, trashed his empty plate, and walked over to me, dick sitting heavy in his boxer briefs.
All I could do was clench my jaw in frustration. “I don’t wanna lose you,” I said again, softer this time.
He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. His hand slipped between my legs, just resting there, heat to heat, like a promise. “You ain’t gotta lose me,” he said low, smoky. “We just gotta figure out how to do this shit together.”
I smiled despite myself and went back to eating my food while he browsed on my laptop. “Okay, so maybe I’m looking in the wrong places. Maybe this ain’t some basic spell shit. Maybe it’s deeper than that.”
Khalid looked up from the screen, eyes locked on mine. “I told you, my grandmama was on some shit. She used to tell me stories all the time, but I just thought she was a lil’ cooked in the head. So, you right. Shit is deeper, but how deep? Could get dangerous.”
I shrugged, reaching for the bottle of water. “I’m already talking to a dead man with dick game from the underworld. What’s a little danger now?”
He smirked. “True.” I finished up my food and tossed my empty plate in the trash before finishing off my water. And then, like music to my ears, he looked up from my laptop and snapped his fingers. “Midnight Candle — Hoodoo & Voodoo Root Shop. Says it’s open ‘til 3AM.”
“For real?” I damn near floated to his side, pulling the laptop to face me. It was an hour away but worth a fucking shot. My breath caught. “This could be a solution.”
Khalid stood up immediately. “Then let’s slide.”
“Oh, hell no,” I chuckled, pushing his chest slightly. “We gotta shower first. We smell like hella sex.”
He grabbed my ass and slipped his tongue into my mouth. “I could get used to that shit.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway.
The shower was quick, steamy, full of whispered teases and caresses, but we stayed focused. Kind of. He stepped out first, towel slung low on his hips, his chains already back around his neck. I watched him in the mirror as I brushed through my hair, still barely able to believe this man wasn’t all the way real.
We got dressed in silence. Not awkward. Just heavy. The air felt charged with something I couldn’t explain, like time was folding in on itself. As we locked up and stepped into the hallway, the wind hit my face sharply and coldly.
The streets were eerily quiet. Halloween night was usually loud and busy, but for whatever reason, outside was silent like something was watching. I looked over at him, and his profile was strong in the streetlight with that jaw sharp and beard glistening like magic. I couldn’t let this be the end. Whateverthat shop had… whatever I had to do… I was going to find a way to keep him.
Because losing Khalid wasn’t an option after everything we’d just shared. Not after he made me feel alive in ways I hadn’t in years. And not after he rose from the fucking dead just to devour my pussy and claim my heart in the same night.
WEDNESDAY
T h er i d ew a smostly quiet, but not awkward. As we passed a blunt back and forth, the vibe felt heavy as hell, like the air between us knew what was on the line.
Khalid was driving, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh like he owned it. He kept glancing over at me like he was memorizing my face just in case shit didn’t go right. The windows were cracked, letting in the night breeze, and the GPS glowed on the dash with directions to the voodoo shop in the middle of nowhere.
We pulled up just after ten-thirty, and the sign said: “MADAME DIVINE’S ROOTS & RITUALS.”
Neon green letters buzzed like a bad omen. The place sat low between a boarded-up pawn shop and a check-cashing spot.The windows were painted black, the front door marked with faded sigils and chalk dust. There was no light inside until we stepped closer. Then, an overheard light flickered on by itself, causing me to stop mid-step.
“Nahhh,” I whispered. “This shit already feels cursed.”
Khalid exhaled as he placed his hand on the small of my back. “Ain’t no turnin’ back now, ma. Come on.”