Page 49 of Obsession

Nope, you’re going to have to do better than that, I manage weakly, escaping his arms.

Challenge accepted, he says, looking down at my hard nipples with a smirk.

Let’s go, I gripe, my arms now crossed over my traitorous chest.

Stepping inside a voodoo shop, it dawns on me I should have asked Brenda her thoughts on this place, being that she’s a real voodoo practitioner. It’s mostly tourist kitsch from what I can see. “Welcome. Anything I can help you with? How about a tarot card reading?” a rather robust hippie-looking woman calls from behind the counter. She’s probably in her late sixties, with salt-and-pepper curly hair, and a weathered face.

“Are you Jade?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“You used to be in Lucy Parks’s coven?”

“Who are you again?” she asks, giving me a hard stare.

“I’m Aubry, and this is my boyfriend, Damion.”

“Jade, is there somewhere we could go to speak in private?” Damion says, flashing his dimples.

“Sure, follow me,” she answers quickly, practically falling all over herself. We reach a door that says Employees Only and step inside a tiny break room.

Jade takes a seat at a small card table and we sit across from her. She grabs a pack of cigarettes, holding it up to offer us one. We both shake our heads no.

“Jade, Lucy’s invited me to join her coven. Since I don’t know her very well, I just wanted to talk to you about your experience. Lucy told me you left the coven, but I wanted to get the story straight from you.”

“It’s not a very exciting story,” she says, lighting up and taking a long drag. “I was a solitary witch until I joined Goddess of Light Coven, and now I’m back to the solitary witch lifestyle.” She blows out a puff of smoke. “It wasn’t a bad experience; I’m just not a rules follower and a coven is all about rules.”

“Why did you leave?” I ask.

“My daughter is about to give birth, and so I moved here to be closer to my grandbaby.”

“Congratulations,” I say.

“Thank you.”

“What kind of magic did the coven practice?” I ask.

“Mostly ceremonial magic. Yeah, we raised an impressive amount of energy when we focused, but the direction that energy went didn’t always jive with my wants and needs. Again, that happens when you’re in a group.”

“How was Lucy as a coven leader?” I try.

“Lucy’s a born leader. The problem is I’m not a born follower. There’s no bad blood. It was just my time to go.”

“You never found her manipulative or controlling?” I try.

“No. Why do you ask?” She eyes me curiously.

“I just want to make sure I know what I’m getting into.”

“Look, I have nothing bad to say about Lucy or the coven. I’m still really close with a few of the members. It was just my time to go.” The door chimes. “I’ve got to get back out front.” She stands, stamping out her cigarette in the ashtray.

“Thanks for talking with us,” I say, and she nods.

We follow her out of the break room and exit the shop.

What did you think? I ask Damion as we make our way to the alley.

She doesn’t appear to have a dog in the fight, so to speak. I see no incentive for Jade to cover for Lucy.

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