Curse of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  It’s a hex bag, made out of human skin.

  Chapter 27

  Betty’s eyes widen, and she pitches forward, gasping for air. Shit! Dropping my phone, I run over to her, heart racing. Pandora sniffs the hex bag, trying to get a read on what mixture of herbs and black magic were used.

  Betty’s hands go to her throat, and foam starts to form around the corners of her lips.

  Poison, Pandora tells me and stands over the bag, making sure no one else touches it.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I tell her and put both hands on her shoulders. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to think. It’s a hex, not a curse, which can be just as fatal but not as tricky to lift.

  “Converte hoc maledictio,” I chant, and Betty gasps. “Converte hoc maledictio.”

  Salt. I need salt. Where the fuck is my—oh, right. My purse is still on my shoulder. I frantically pull it off and dump out the contents on the counter, grabbing the little container of salt I take with me everywhere. I unscrew the lid, pour some in my hand, and then put the salt in Betty’s mouth.

  “Converte hoc maledictio!”

  She exhales and grabs onto me for support.

  “Are you okay?”

  “What just happened?” Her fingers shake as she wipes her mouth, spitting the salt out in her hand.

  “A hex bag. Obviously meant for me. Don’t touch it.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Sit. I’ll bring you some water.”

  “Am I okay?”

  “Yes,” I say, though I want to check her out one more time. I turn to take care of the hex bag and find Danielle staring at me, open-mouthed. There are a few customers in the store, but no one is close enough to have heard what just happened.

  “She had an allergic reaction. To…to peanuts,” I say, cringing at how bad my lie is. Danielle looks at Betty.

  “Is she…is she okay?”

  “Yes. I got the EpiPen in time.”

  “You put a handful of salt in her mouth.”

  “It counteracts the, uh, nutty-ness and…and—I’m not going to bullshit you. I’ll explain later.”

  “Everything?” Danielle’s eyes get a little glossy.

  “Yes. But for now, can you get Betty some water?”

  Danielle nods but doesn’t move. Her eyes are trained on me.

  “Now?”

  She blinks rapidly and then takes a few steps back, bumping into the display of books, knocking a handful off. Then she turns and hurries into the back to get the water.

  Grabbing a paper bag from the register, I lay it next to the hex bag and telekinetically flip it inside. I roll down the top of the bag and stand up just as a customer comes up to the register. I put on a fake smile and quickly start ringing her up.

  Danielle rushes back with water for Betty, crouching down next to her. Betty’s hands are shaking, and Danielle looks like she might throw up from fear.

  “Have a great day,” I rush out, practically shoving the bag of books in the customer’s hands. The second they step away I turn around, crouching down to Betty. She’s slowly drinking the water, and all three of my familiars are around her.

  “Anything?” I ask them, and Binx meows softly. “Good. I don’t feel anything, either.” I close my eyes and hold out my hand, trying to sense any traces of dark magic.

  “You’re a witch, aren’t you?” Danielle asks, slowly stepping away. Her eyes are wide, and she’s looking at me like I might jump up, curse her, and then chop her up and cook her for dinner.

  So much for saving your life.

  “I am,” I whisper, seeing no way around it now.

  “And that woman who kidnapped me…she…she was a witch, too?”

  “No.” I rock back on my heels and look at the contents of my purse that I dumped out on the ground. “She was a demon. But don’t worry, I killed her.”

  Letting out a breath, I get up and put everything back in my purse before someone sees my enchanted dagger or smudge stick. I help Betty to her feet.

  “Stay here,” I tell my familiars. “Just in case.”

  Then I carefully pick up the paper bag and put it inside the cardboard box it came from. The bottom of the box is filled with a bag of dirt, which I’m willing to bed came from a fresh grave.

  “Come with me,” I tell Betty, and we go into the office together. She sits in the swivel chair in front of the computer, and I close the door.

  “Am I okay?” she asks again, voice hitching.

  “Do you feel okay?” I ask seriously.

  “Yeah.” She closes her eyes. “It was like something grabbed my throat, and it tasted like…like…have you ever gotten a cavity filled?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t have any.” Which is another perk of being a Nephilim, I suppose.

  “Well, when they do the filling, sometimes you can taste the stuff they use to fill it with. And that’s what I tasted.”

  “It was magical poison,” I tell her, brows furrowing. “I’m so sorry, Betty.” I look at the shipping label on the box. It’s addressed to me, and there is no return address. “It was meant for me.” I rub my forehead and let out a heavy sigh. Does this mean Ruth knows the curse didn’t kill Lucas?

  “But,” I go on, “hexes aren’t as tricky as curses to remove. I still want my high priestess to check you out, though. She’s much more skilled than me for checking for traces of any sort of hex or curse.”

  “High priestess,” Betty repeats, looking at me with wide eyes.

  “Yeah. I’m going to try and get a hold of her now.”

  I send an SOS message to Kristy, Tabatha, and Evander, hoping one of them is out of the Covenstead right now and will get my text. I wait a few seconds and then call Nicole.

  “Hey, Callie,” she says, answering on the third ring. “Is everything okay? You never call.”

  “Someone sent a hex bag to the store,” I say, cutting right to the chase.

  “Oh my god. Are you okay?”

  “I am, because I wasn’t the one who opened the box. But I think we’re good now. Are you at home?”

  “Yeah. Naomi and I just got back from a barre class. Do you need us?”

  “I need you to get a message to Tabatha or Evander. They’re at the Covenstead and I…well, you know.”

  “Right. I’ll send Noir now,” she tells me, talking about her familiar who’s taken on the shape of a raven, like the other familiars in her family. The twins come from a line of wealthy witches and warlocks, and a raven is on their family crest. “Are you still at the store?”

  “I am. I’m going to hang out here just in case the hex bag was only the beginning.”

  “I can be there in like half an hour.”

  I don’t want to put anyone else in danger, but I could really use some backup right now. “That’s probably a good idea. You have an avoidance spell, right?”

  “Yeah. I’ll take a picture of the page and will send it to you,” she says, and I can hear her walking through her house.

  “Thank you.”

  “Of course. What should I bring?”

  “Um…salt and five quartz crystals if you have some.”

  “I’ve got tons. And I just got the book out.” She takes a photo and sends it. “I’ll see you soon.”

  I end the call and wait for her text to pop up. I squeeze my eyes shut, center myself, and then read the incantation.

  “Shutter the windows, shutter the door. Who is here now will be here no more. Go at once and go away, and far from here you will stay.”

  I feel a wave of energy ripple through me, and I turn to Betty. “Hang on. I need to get Danielle before she walks out of here, too.”

  Leaving the office door open, I run out and remove the spell from Danielle. The few customers in here hurry to ring up their items and leave. As soon as the last one is out, I lock the doors and turn off the open sign. The avoidance spell is temporary and will keep people from coming in for a day or so.

  “What
is going on?” Danielle asks, looking scared again when I pull the chain to turn off the neon sign.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” I assure her, though I think it just makes things worse. My phone rings, and I jog into the office to answer.

  It’s Kristy, and she’s on her way from the Covenstead. I call Lucas and fill him in on what happened as I walk to the front of the store and look outside. It’s a bright and sunny day, and people are walking down the street like normal. A few were headed to the store and stop right in front, getting a confused look on their face before quickly turning and walking away.

  Nothing looks out of the ordinary, yet I can’t shake the feeling someone is watching us.

  “Custodies nos a facie,” I say, pressing my hand against the glass. A dark blue cloud ebbs across the glass for a quick second and then fades from view, keeping anyone from being able to look inside.

  “What did you just do?” Danielle asks from behind. “Was it a protection spell?”

  “Not quite.” I turn and face Danielle. “I’m sorry,” I say, letting out a breath. “I’ve owed you an explanation for a while now.”

  “I thought I’d gone crazy.” Her eyes fill with tears, and I feel even worse now. “I told the police what I saw, and they didn’t believe me. And then the others started retracting what they’d originally said. But I knew…I knew what I saw was real.”

  “A demon kidnapped you,” I say slowly. “With the intention to harvest your organs. I’d been tracking it for a while but was too late.”

  “You weren’t, though. You saved us, Callie. And I don’t understand how.”

  I hold up my right hand, conjuring a ball of blue light. “Magic. That’s how.”

  “Do all witches kill demons?”

  “No. Most of us don’t. But for some reason it, uh, it’s kind of been my thing. I guess I kill them because I can.”

  “A-and demons…they…they just walk around?”

  “Kind of. Look, statistically speaking, you should be fine. Though, living in Thorne Hill, your chances of being demonically kidnapped again are a tad higher.”

  Danielle’s eyes widen even more. Shit. I need to stop talking.

  “I did something that pissed off someone, and now they’re trying to get back at me. Hence the hex bag. You really don’t have to worry.”

  Danielle just stares at me.

  “I can handle a lot,” I go on, and Scarlet looks at me with an expression I can only say equates a human rolling their eyes. “Look…” I start, letting out a heavy sigh. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

  Danielle holds my gaze, and a few awkward seconds tick by. And then she exhales. “It’s not, though. I mean…I always knew there was more. And then when vampires came out, I knew it—I just knew it. How can it just be us on this planet? I’ve seen so many things I can’t explain and now that I know—that I really know—I’m not crazy after all.”

  My heart lurches. “No, you’re not crazy. And I…I don’t understand why people in general are so quick to dismiss things they can’t understand. I think they fear it, you know? The unknown, that is.”

  Danielle swallows hard. “So that thing Betty picked up…what was it?”

  “A hex bag.”

  “And it was meant for you?”

  “Yeah. It was, and don’t worry. I know who sent it, and when I find her, I’m going to—” I quickly cut off. “I’m going to turn her over to the proper authorities.” Authorities meaning the pointy end of my enchanted dagger. Or Lucas’s fangs. Or a big, bright ball of energy.

  The possibilities are endless.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. Stop thinking about murder. And definitely stop feeling satisfied while thinking about it.

  “I’m nothing like him,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Who?” Danielle asks, and I bring my hand up to my forehead. I’m coming unhinged. Maybe this was part of the plan as well. Drive me to the point of insanity. Everyone knows I’m almost there on a daily basis anyway.

  “No one.” I let out a breath. “No one is going to come into the store for a while now, and I have friends on the way. I want to double-check that Betty is okay, and then we can go back to business as usual.”

  “Really?”

  “Probably? Maybe? Or we could close early for the day, which is probably what I’ll do. Who’s closing in tonight?”

  “Me and Vanessa.”

  “Perfect.” Only one person to spell. “Are you hungry?” I rush out. “I’m hungry. I can order food.”

  “No. I’m not hungry.”

  I just nod and turn back around, thinking about sushi and how someone is definitely watching, trying to see if they bested me. Witch, please. It takes more than a simple hex bag to get to me.

  “Keep watch,” I tell Pandora and go back into the office to check on Betty. Binx is sitting by her side and lets me know the energy she’s giving off is totally normal.

  “The house is coming along really well,” I start, sitting on the edge of the desk. “We’ll probably be able to move in sooner than I expected. The master suite is almost done, and the kitchen is just about there, too. So my current house will be available to rent in just a few months.”

  “Good. Because I really can’t take living with my parents for much longer.”

  “I couldn’t live with mine, either,” I say, my mind going to the Martins. I look at Betty and realize there’s so much she doesn’t know. Fuck, I wish I had some wine right now. “Are you feeling okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah. I feel fine, just like I did before.”

  “Good. You should be fine,” I repeat, needing to say it again. “Do you have any snacks? I’m so hungry.”

  Betty laughs and gets up. “I do. My lunch is in the back. And we still have popcorn in the back.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  We go into the backroom of the store together, and I immediately go for the microwave. The backroom is where we house deliveries and extra books, as well as the breakroom. We have a small kitchen back here, and Kristy and I used to keep it well-stocked with coffee and snacks. I tear open a new box of popcorn right as Danielle comes in with us.

  I extend my arm to open the microwave when the hair on the back of my neck prickles. I whirl around, looking at the empty shelves. Scarlet comes trotting over and sits by my feet. I open the microwave and put the popcorn in.

  Then Scarlet growls.

  I turn around again, magic sizzling at my fingers. Something scurries across the top shelf, hissing and gurgling. The undeniable scent of roadkill wafts over us all, and I bring my hand up to my nose, doing my best not to gag. A raccoon, looking like something from a zombie movie, peers over the top shelf and growls.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I huff, conjuring a ball of white light. Scarlet runs forward, barking at the raccoon, which is bigger than she is as a puppy. I can feel both Danielle and Betty step close behind me. All three of my familiars shadow forward, and Scarlet turns to me, wanting me to take her collar off and set her free.

  “Not now,” I whisper and take another few steps toward the raccoon. The thing is undead, brought back with necromancy, and by the way it’s surveying me, I think someone is controlling it.

  “You know what?” I say, eyes narrowing. “I’m getting really sick of you messing with me. Just attack me already and get it over with.” The ball of energy in my hands grows brighter. The raccoon hisses. “Too scared to come after me yourself, huh? You have to resurrect roadkill and send it after me. Pathetic, Ruth. Real pathetic.”

  The raccoon lunges at me, and I release the energy ball. Betty screams as the ball hits the raccoon, and the thing explodes, raining bits of rotten flesh and gooey, thick blood down on me. The smell alone is enough to make me want to puke, but feeling the putrid juices from the things intestines run down my cheeks has me gagging.

  “Could you get me a towel?” I ask, turning with my eyes closed to keep zombie raccoon guts from dripping into them. Someone scu
rries past me into the bathroom to grab a roll of paper towels.

  “Are you okay?” Betty asks.

  “Mh-hm,” I say, not wanting to open my mouth. I’ve smelled my share of dead and rotten bodies, but this one might take the cake.

  And it’s on my face.

  “Here,” Danielle says, and I blindly reach forward, taking a wad of paper towels from her. I wipe my face and open my eyes. My familiars check out the rest of the shelves, making sure there aren’t any more zombie animals in here.

  There aren’t.

  I go into the bathroom and clean myself up the best I can, but it’s clear this outfit is ruined.

  “Dammit. I liked this dress,” I mutter as I pick another clump of fur from my chest. I wipe myself down once more and pull the garbage bag from the trash. My stomach is still queasy from the smell of singed fur and rotten flesh. The last thing I want to do is clean up the floor.

  Betty and Danielle are still standing by the door, staring at me. Danielle wanted to know she wasn’t crazy for believing in the supernatural, and I think she got one hell of a show today.

  “Are you okay?” Betty repeats and takes a small step forward, pulling a gooey-looking tendon from my hair.

  “I’ll be better after I’ve showered ten times,” I tell her. “But I’m fine. That was an easy kill.”

  As soon as I say it, it hits me. It was an easy kill. An undead raccoon is gross, annoying, but not really a threat. If I wasn’t worried about Danielle or Betty seeing my familiars in their true form, I would have let them handle it, and I wouldn’t be standing here covered in guts.

  And the hex bag…that one was dangerous. It required fast action and a quick spell. But it wasn’t like the curse put on Lucas. Why would Ruth go backwards in her attack? Did the curse take everything out of her and this is what she has to resort to?

  Or maybe the hex bag wasn’t meant for me. If I hadn’t stopped by when I did and it was just Betty and Danielle in the store, Betty would have choked to death on her own saliva. And if Danielle touched the bag, she would have, too.

  I wasn’t supposed to be here today, and I haven’t been working at the store for weeks. If Ruth wanted to send me a hex bag, she’d send it to my house. I’m sure she’s been watching me for weeks, plotting her revenge. I set my jaw, anger surging through me, making the lights above flicker.