She merely smiled at me, as if she’d read my mind. I kept my expression blank. “Talk.”
“My wards alerted me. The demon wasn’t expecting them. Wards drain power,” she explained. “Most witches only ward from their porches or front door.”
“What did you do?”
“I crawled over to the window, staying out of sight.”
I would not feel an ounce of sympathy that the old crone had needed to crawl to the window. And yet, she was leaning on the walker she usually used as a prop. “Are you in pain?”
I regretted it the moment I asked. She sniffed and ignored the question. “He knew I was there.”
Her voice didn’t tremble, her eyes didn’t lose their hard glint, but I could practically feel her fear.
I glowered at her and pulled out my phone, messaging Bael.
Send the healer to the black witch. Danica will be pissed if she ends up permanently damaged.Unlikely. At best, she would have a bruise or two. But what did I know about elderly human women? I could practically feel Bael’s smirk when he replied.
Done.
I ground my teeth.And a guard.
Sure.
Son of a bitch. I slid the phone back into my pocket, my mood turning even darker.
“What happened then?”
Hannah frowned. “He stared at me and smiled. His hand lit up with his fire, and I knew I was dead.” Her frown deepened. “But he didn’t kill me. Why?”
A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. “Because he wanted you to call the tower and report the sighting. You were the distraction.”
I launched into the sky and arrowed toward Meredith’s.
16
MEREDITH
There was a body in my car.
A body that had been burned alive.
The smell of burned flesh slid up my nostrils, and I gagged. For a moment, all I could feel was my heartbeat. All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears.
I backed away. Tears pricked my eyes. This…thing was once a person.
My hands shook as I called Nelson. Then I called both Evie and Kyla. I was ending the last call when Vas landed. I hadn’t needed to call him. I’d somehow known he would just be here. My face was buried in his chest before I realized I’d moved. He stroked my hair, and we both stood in silence.
Vas trembled with fury, and I just soaked in the feel of him, ignoring the businesses opening nearby, the people stopping for coffee or to meet before work.
What felt like three centuries later, Nelson arrived, but soon after, he began strolling around my car, the area filled with cops.
“Mere?”
Evie and Kyla arrived, and whatever she saw on my face had Evie throwing her arms around me. I took a deep, steadying breath, watching as the cops sealed off the area with yellow crime scene tape.
“What happened?” Kyla asked.
I filled them in.
