A breath hitches in my throat and I hold it. Logan steps over to her and nods.
“That’s right, Chloe.” He glances at Rory in her obnoxious throwback of a wedding dress and I’d swear he looks a touch depressed. “It’s the same place Skyla and I went to when we first started dating, but they sold the place and the new owners have changed the name to The Matador. Skyla and I have quite a few memories there.”
That we do. I nod his way as tears begin to sting my eyes.
Rory swats Logan on the back. “Come on. We need to get downtown and pick out some new clothes before Demetri takes the card away from Tad. I want new shoes and boots, and some coats. It’s so awfully cold here. We’re going to move soon after the wedding. I don’t know why people bother living in this drudgery.” She picks up her dress and heads for the hall. “I’ll be right back!”
“I think I’ll stay behind and help Em with the kids,” he calls out after her.
“Have fun,” I whisper as I sneak a quick kiss to Jaxson’s forehead and little Barron comes up and gives me a swift kick to the shin.
“Dat’s my dinosaur. You can’t eat her!”
“Him,” I correct. “And I don’t eat babies.”
“That’s right.” Em comes in and snorts “She eats naughty boys.”
Both Barron and Nathan begin to scream with delight and incite the rest of the miniature crew to do the same.
“Sorry,” I mouth to Logan. “I guess I’ll see you tonight.” I give a little wink.
“Where are you off to?” he calls out.
“Let’s just say I’ve got a surprise brewing.”
Ihop into Chloe’s death trap of a car and head straight toward the north side of town where Dominique Winters’ apothecary sits nestled between a vitamin shop and a smoothie place.
I head on in and can’t help but note the dark and depressing décor. Walls of old dusty books line the shelves and look as if they’ve been around for two hundred years, and there are miniature Mason jars filled with sprigs and powders lined up on shelves behind the counter.
This place gives me the creeps. I’m pretty sure this is what the inside of a witch’s anus looks like, Messenger,Chloe grunts, never shy to tell me how she feels.
Yes, well, desperate times call for desperate witches,I tell her just as an older woman wearing a purple shawl emerges from the back.
“Dominique,” I say as I lift my chin. It’s her, all right. She’s a redheaded beauty with a dark mole just below her left cheek, and she’s a looker no matter how many centuries she’s managed to finagle herself into.
“Chloe Bishop.” She rolls her eyes dismissively. “Let me guess, poison for Skyla? It never ends with you two. Demetri has filled me in on the little row you girls have going.”
“I’d hardly call it little, but as it stands we’re on the same side.” I stop cold. Technically, I am here to kill Skyla, but Dominique doesn’t need to know that.
“What can I do you for?” She pulls the shawl off her head, unleashing long luscious curls. Boy is my mother lucky Demetri is obsessed with her. I know for a fact Dominique has made an outward play for the demon. Honestly, she and Demetri would make a dastardly pairing. A wicked supernatural power couple if ever there was one. It’s probably best my mother holds him over in the blue-ball zone for as long as she can. Although judging by those early mornings I’ve seen him ducking out of the Landon house, that spring in his horny step, he’s in the end zone scoring touchdowns night after night.
How I hate him.
“I need something strong,” I tell her. “Something that could knock out a horse. Something that might actually have the power to stop the beating heart of a five-foot-five, one hundred and forty pound female. Oh, what the heck, let’s make it a two hundred and twenty pound man.” I figure while I’m trying to knock my own body into the next world, I might as well go for the gold and try to off Demetri, too. I have no idea how much Demetri weighs or if he could feel pain, but it sure will be fun trying. I probably won’t do a thing to Demetri, but at least the thought of it brings me a little joy.
She shoots me a wry smile. “I knew we’d have fun the second I saw you standing there.” She turns to the glass jar behind her. “Our best bet will be to mix a few herbs with nightshade. I’ve got a proprietary blend I’ve used time and time again.”
“How many people have you offed with your lotions and potions, Dom? It’s just us girls here, you can tell me.”
Chloe chortles.I think you’re getting the hang of being me. And just for the record, I’d double the dose of whatever she suggests if I were really going to kill you.
I snort.Good to know you wouldn’t go easy on me.
That is me going easy on you. Poison isn’t a part of my fantasy when disposing of you from this planet, Messenger.
I make a face.Then why help me at all?
She laughs openly.Because, my dear nitwit, I love Celestra more than I hate you.
