15
NESS
Sitting in the passenger seat of Ryder’s muscle car, I sucked on my iced hazelnut mocha like it would give me the answers to the universe. Beside me, Ryder tucked a chicken strip into a folded waffle, drizzled it with syrup, and handed it to me. The salty sweet sustenance eased the knot growing in my chest.
Cerri had given us the address of the witch who’d crafted that curse. I still couldn’t believe that Harvey had been about to plant a curse on my car. I shuddered to think of what it might have done. Harvey didn’t want me dead the way his father did. Harvey had made his intentions clear.
The food in my stomach churned. I paused between bites and stared down at the chicken in my hand.
Things were getting out of hand. I wondered if asking Ryder for help might have frightened Alvin too much. It seemed as though Alvin and Harvey were getting more and more violent. Had I caused that change in them?
Ryder studied me. “None of this is your fault.”
Unconvinced, I grunted. How he could read me so easily, I didn’t know. His scrutiny left me uncomfortable. I could feel something else behind that gaze that he didn’t want to share with me just yet.
“Shut up and eat your food,” Ryder said.
“I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”
Down the street sat an unassuming house. It was a small cookie-cutter home built in the baby-boom era. More just like it lined the streets of this part of Lakesedge. Those unfamiliar with witchcraft wouldn’t know a witch lived here.
I, however, noticed the bones in the windchime hanging from the porch. I saw the chalk sigils on the sidewalk leading up to the house. The curtains were wide open, revealing the hanging plants and the grumpy cat inside.
Was it a cat, or a demon familiar taking the shape of a cat? I would have to bring Vi along to find out. She would be able to see through demonic illusions.
Ryder didn’t have much else to say. He’d been protective, yet distant since the ordeal with the curse. I didn’t know how to ask him what was wrong, and I prayed that he hadn’t figured out that I didn’t know how to help him.
Part of why I’d wanted to visit the witch had been to ask for answers. Now that we were close, I wanted to run in the opposite direction. The thought of seeing a witch face-to-face frightened me. I did not want another witch telling me that I had to do something.
No more prophecies, please.
“Eat the rest of your food,” Ryder commanded.
I had the waffle halfway to my mouth before I stopped myself. His command gripped my shoulders and pushed me to continue eating. I glared at Ryder for using his alpha dragon powers on me. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have my own Alpha doing that all the time.
Every damn time I thought he was cute or sweet, he had to go and be a dumbass like that. I shook off his command, shoved the waffle back into the take-out container, and shoved my door open. Outside the car, I could suck in a deep breath.
“You need to eat, damn it.” Ryder got out of the car and glared at me over the roof.
“I do what I want,” I growled.
The twist of his lips bothered me. My stomach flipped nervously. What had that look been about? It had almost seemed like he hated me for a reason he would not share. Though I wanted to say I hadn’t done anything to deserve that ire, I recalled the fight at Alvin’s house. I’d used my voice to stop him, too.
I hadn’t meant to, but there was no way I could tell him that. If I did, he would figure out that I had no idea what I was doing. Then, he would abandon me here. Alone, I wasn’t enough to help my pack. I needed Ryder’s help if I was ever going to change anything.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s get this done and over with.”
Ryder nodded and followed me up to the witch’s front door. Her wards made my skin crawl like a million bugs had swarmed me all at once. I rubbed at my arms and willed the sensation to go away, but to no avail.
A woman with her hair in dreads opened the door and barred the entryway by sliding one, dark hand up the doorjamb. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at us. There wasn’t even a crack in her feline eyeliner as she looked Ryder up and down.
Without thinking, I imposed myself between Ryder and the witch. She lifted her brows, her lips forming a pursed smile. I mentally kicked myself. Ryder could handle the witch on his own; he didn’t need me to protect him.
Then again, he’d gone into Queen Beryl’s court and left with a pact. Maybe he did need protection against hot women. This witch was, in fact, very hot. She wore a sheer black bodysuit with lace roses and snakes rising to cover her abdomen and bust. The snakes’ tails disappeared in the waistband of her black high-rise jeans.
Inside, she paused and glanced back with a come-hither look glowing in her eyes. I sighed.
“Well,” she asked, her voice as smooth as glass with a jagged edge. “Are you going to come inside?”