Page 64 of Obsession

“Thank you, Chris!” I shout at his back. “Weren’t those the words you were looking for?”

Azrael whistles. “That angel’s a freakin’ smoke show!”

“I suppose, if you’re into the whole silent and deadly vibe.”

“Yes, please,” he says wistfully.

“So what are we going to do about Bettina?” I demand. “She’s obviously a terrible human being, and if she has the opportunity, she’ll cast more than just a breakup spell on me next time.”

“Fear not, she can’t do anything from her current realm.”

“How are you going to find her?”

“Get off my back! You sound just like Metratron!” I hold up my hands in surrender. “Guess I’ll be getting on back to Purgatory.”

“Accent’s getting better,” I fib, only because I’ve now seen him in his full-on Angel of Death form and it’s terrifying.

I light a sage bundle and smudge myself and B.B. “I hope you don’t mind, but just in case any of that nasty energy from Bettina is still hanging around, this will get rid of it.”

The cats and I walk upstairs. It’s late, and Grandma and Aunt Callie are already in bed. I show B.B. to the litter box and pour her a bowl of food and water using old plastic yogurt containers, just in case Elvis doesn’t want her eating from his bowls.

Elvis hisses at us both, letting us know he doesn’t appreciate the interloper in his kingdom.

“Sorry Elvis, there’s a new king in town.”

Chapter 26

I spend the next day researching and working spells to break Bettina’s hex. Nothing’s worked thus far, and I’m worried my one and only shot at the spell reversal got smashed to smithereens on Bettina’s hardwood floor. Although I’m consoled by the fact it’s summer in Mississippi, and if and when Bettina returns to her apartment, the vinegar poop mixture is gonna be something special.

My cell rings and I answer the call from Charlotte. “Gabe called Damion last night and told him Bettina worked a breakup spell…” she trails off.

“But,” I sigh.

“But Damion insists there is no spell. He’s adamant he just doesn’t want to be with you. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, Damion’s made that pretty clear to me too.” Each time I cast a spell to break the hex, I text Damion to see if he’s back to normal. He’s liable to get a restraining order against me. In fact, his last text simply said:

Damion: If you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to get a restraining order against you.

Alright, so no liable about it.

“I’m working at the hospital this evening, but let me know if you need my help tomorrow,” Charlotte says.

“Thanks, will do,” I say, hanging up with a sigh.

B.B. watches me intently as I cast a circle and light a black candle, dripping the wax into a bowl. Using the hot wax to adhere the bottom of the candle securely to the bowl, I pour in the water, filling it to the rim, leaving the wick dry and burning. I visualize Bettina’s hex as the flame, the water as the power that will wash the hex away.

Watching the flame burn down until it reaches the water and is extinguished, I carry the bowl and a garden trowel downstairs. Outside, I dig a small hole in the grass near our parking area and pour out the spell remnants, covering it with dirt.

Even though I desperately want to, I decide not to text Damion. The last thing I need is to be hauled into court on a restraining order. I can image how my defense would play out. Well, you see your Honor, Mr. Blackmon did tell me to leave him alone on multiple occasions, but I couldn’t because our relationship was hexed by an evil witch and I needed to see if my spell broke the hex. Go ahead and make room for me with psycho Brad at the Wolf River Bend Mental Health Institute.

Later that afternoon, I take B.B. for a checkup. The vet guesses my new cat to be around three to four years old. B.B.’s already spayed and Elvis is neutered, so I don’t have to worry about them in that department. My cat handles the whole experience a whole heck of a lot better than Elvis. Grandma asked me to take Elvis to the vet once and I told her never again. That cat hissed at me the entire car ride home.

We make a quick stop at the pet shop. I splurge with a top-of-the-line self-cleaning litter box. Not having to scoop cat poop? Sounds like magic to me.

Brenda enters the shop the next morning carrying a large package. “Girl, who peed in your corn flakes?”

“Aubry here is sad because she and her demon are still on the outs. Remember I told you all about that witch who worked a breakup spell on them,” Grandma says. Of course she did.

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