The Witch Mother?What was with all of these special people? The Amarok. The Elder Fae. The Fae Lords. It was like I was making my rounds to the most powerful person of each species.
Maddy shivered. “I’ll be waiting outside again for that one.”
“I might wait with you,” I grumbled. I hadn’t even met the woman and already I didn’t like the idea. I didn’t know much about witches, but from what I’d read it couldn’t be good. Spells, hexes, and curses? No thanks.
“Oh, I’m totally going.” Leah reached down, picked up her gun off of the floor, and stowed it in her waistband.
“I was kidding, I’m going too,” I added, jealousy raging inside of me. No way was I letting Brayden and Leah go to see some witch alone.
“I’ll drive,” Brayden offered, and we all stepped out of the cabin. I followed after them, but my mind was still with the Elder Fae and this Novus creature. Or person. Whatever he was it was terrifying, and sad what he’d done to the man who’d helped hide my powers. No one deserved to die like that.
After sliding into the back of Leah’s car, we set out for downtown Coeur d’Alene, which the locals called CDA for short. It was about an hour’s drive. Brayden said the Witch Mother and her coven had a shop there where they took clients. I texted my mom on the drive down and told her I was going to sleep at Leah’s tonight. Meanwhile, Leah told her roomie she was sleeping at mine. We were going to need to have a talk about all moving in together pretty soon. It was apparent that it was too dangerous to live alone without Brayden or Maddy there. If Silas showed up at my house and hurt my mom, I would lose it.
Leah and Brayden were like two peas in a pod chatting the whole way down to CDA. She wanted to know everything about being a werewolf and all about the supernatural life and he was obliging all of her questions. Maddy looked over at me once, and I must have been making a stank face because she reached out and squeezed my hand. Maddy was tough as nails and loved to wear sarcasm like a shield, but I was learning she also knew when to be sincere and there for you.
By the time we pulled up to the little apothecary shop, I had to pee so bad I was dancing in the seat. The signHavenwood Apothecaryhung in black letters on a white background. Non-descript.
“Thank God, I have to pee.” I stepped out of the car and Brayden caught my arm.
He eyed the shop. “Not in there you don’t.”
I frowned. “No bathroom? Lame.”
He shook his head and pointed to the ice cream shop next door. “Go in there. The last thing you want a witch to have is a sample of your urine.”
My blood ran cold and I swallowed hard.
Was he serious?
He looked serious and so I nodded, ducking into the shop next door and asking the nice woman behind the counter wearing a hairnet if I could use the restroom. She looked and smelled human, but I didn’t fully trust my nose yet for that. Either way, I had to pee, so after finishing my business, I stepped back outside.
Leah and Brayden were laughing about something. I couldn’t help but remark at how well my bestie was taking the news that she was now a freaking werewolf! Not just any werewolf but a reincarnated one that was really powerful and could possibly die on her twentieth birthday.
I was the only one having a panic attack about the sudden life change.
Maddy walked over to me and handed me a hair tie. “Braid your hair and tie the end. Don’t touch anything, don’t eat anything, don’t sneeze,” she told me and dizziness washed over me.
“Are you for real? I thought we were cool with witches?.”
I started to braid my long red hair over one shoulder.
“We are cool,” she said, but then shrugged. “But we watch our backs and we don’t really trust each other.”
My eyes practically fell out of my head. “You let a witch you didn’t really trust put a spell on my mother?” I remembered that night in the ER when the witch had touched my mother’s shoulder and it had lit up with color.
“Selena is cool. Brayden keeps her on retainer, so she’s handsomely rewarded for sitting around and waiting to be of use,” Maddy said, and I calmed a little.
“But the Witch Mother?” I eyed the front of the shop.
Maddy blew air through her teeth. “The Witch Mother does what’s good for the Witch Mother, and she’s richer than the Queen of England, so money doesn’t motivate her.”
That made my stomach sour. “Whatdoesmotivate her?” Everyone had to have something right?
Puppies motivated me.
Maddy looked suddenly nervous. “She’s a collector,” she said, and chills ran down my spine for the fifth time today. I was going to need a stiff drink tonight after seeing the Elder Fae with gutted entrails, and now I was sure this woman was hideous looking with a crooked nose full of warts. She probably had one eye and black stringy hair and ate children for lunch. I didn’t dare ask what she collected. Secrets? Body parts? Souls? My mind was already working on overdrive.
“Let’s go,” Brayden said, and I pulled together my resolve, rolling my neck and stepping up to Brayden and Leah.
