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“Why?”

“You need to revoke the promise they made on your behalf. In the ocean. Bring a towel.”

“Damian, that water’s freezing.”

“You don’t have to go in deep. It’s better than being promised to an ancient parasite.”

“When you put it like that—”

“I’ll pick you up at six-forty-five.”

I ended the call and put the tin of tea Damian had given me into three small sandwich bags. Ten minutes later, all three women were standing in my living room, tired from work and fresh from flirty texts, looking at me, waiting for me to tell them why I’d asked them to come over.

“So I went down an insane rabbit hole,” I said, fidgeting with the cuff of my sleeve. “And apparently we’re supposed to bathe in salt.”

All three of them looked at me blankly.

“Salt?” Priya said.

“It’s supposed to cleanse us of any bad juju. Especially if you dream of the retreat or feel yourself pulled toward going back to another one.”

Jess was the only one who understood.

“Makes sense,” she said. “Salt cleanses the aura.”

“I think it’s, like, really important,” I said.

“Since when do you have an aura?” Priya said. “About five minutes after I met you, you told me you thought manifestation was…what did you call it?”

“Girl math for prayer,” Callie supplied.

“And now you’re prescribing bath salts.”

“And then all this crazy shit happened,” I said. “People change.”

I looked away, and my eyes fell on my spider plant. Even Doug looked doubtful.

“Look, I’ve been reading about ceremonial plant medicine. Apparently aftercare matters, and we got none of it,” I said, inventing in real time. “The stuff she gave us was strong, and it leaves a residue. Energetically,” I said. The word felt like a borrowed sweater. “And if there is something sketchy going on with the stuff we talked about yesterday, it’s going to protect you.”

“Protect us from what?” Priya said.

“From a hex,” Jess said. I could have hugged her.

“Exactly. From a hex.”

“You think we were hexed?”

“Maybe,” I said. “Look, we all talked about how nothing good comes from summoning a demon and asking for a hot guy. A hex is more than likely,” I said, crossing my arms. “And a hex doesn’t always feel bad. It’s about manipulating you.”

Jess nodded. “Yeah, maybe she’s right.”

“And you have to revoke it, while you’re in the tub.”

“What now?” Priya said.

“Just say, ‘I revoke whatever Aurora has done in my name or sent my way.’ Or something,” I said, shrugging.

“What kind of salt?” Callie said.