I rake my hands through my hair, then pull my messy ponytail out and redo the whole thing. That can’t be right. It can’t be.
“What? What did I say?” Caleb asks. “What’s wrong?”
Hands shaky, I swipe the napkin in my lap over my lips then place it on the bar.
“I’m going to go to the bathroom,” I tell him. “I’ll be right back.”
I grab my purse from the hook where it rests under my chair, and unsteady on my feet, I weave through the crowd of tables and people and noise until I reach the bathroom.
Thankfully it’s unlocked and unoccupied, and I go in and turn the lock as fast as I can, bracing my hands against the sink and staring at my reflection.
Calling the corners.
I’ve heard of it. It’s a myth as much as anything else in witchcraft, so why am I having this reaction to it?
Maybe I just had too much bacon.
I splash some water on my face and wash my hands, taking a moment to recover.
And then I check my phone because I’m still not quite ready to go out there and figure out what the hell it was that gave me such a reaction.
I have about fifty new texts in my sister group chat.
Hazel: there’s a few runes and wards that could work
Hazel: nothing matches the one in the scrapbook Ivy said she saw
Rose: I’m trying to sleep
Posey: Put your phone on silent like a normal person
Rose: But what if there’s an emergency
Hazel: I don’t think it’s in here. I also just… I don’t know. You guys don’t feel like you recognize that rune?
I frown. I would recognize it if I’d seen it before… wouldn’t I?
Hazel: I’m gonna call grams.
Posey: No, you’re gonna ice your ankle and go to sleep. It’s three AM.
The three of them continue bickering for a long while in texts, with Rose finally putting her phone on DND around thirty minutes later.
The next set of texts are shorter.
Rose: I baked a fuck ton of your weird ass bread this morning Ivy. I texted Owen the recipe too and told him we could get it out to everyone today.
Posey: You did fucking not
Rose: Yeah, I did, because he has commercial ovens and a fuck ton of yeast or whatever
Posey: Traitor
Hazel: I’m trying to sleep
Rose: Ivy, are you awake
Hazel: I’m awake now. Did you bone him Ivy
