“I mean how could a witch even get past a Hunter?” he asked with a stark tone. “What, did you take a break to reapply your lipstick?”
“No.” She flushed.
“There’s a reason a girl has never carried the gene, Iris. You’re not meant to be a Hunter. You and your mom should just hop on a boat back to Colombia and eat tacos or whatever.”
Rage. Iris never truly understood the term. But standing there in front of Deacon, she wanted to kill him. The worst part? Because of his father, only Deacon was bold enough to say this to Iris’s face. And if he felt this way, there was a good chance other Hunters did too.
“So what are you going to do, Iris?” Deacon said, raising his brows. “You gonna hit me? Or are you going to go apply some more makeup?”
Iris tightened her jaw and she stood there silent, nearly growling under her breath. She was ready to pounce and give this asshole a punch to the gut like he deserved.
“Hey. There you are,” Arlo said, walking up beside them.
Iris gasped. She was caught off guard, probably because she was focusing so hard on not killing Deacon.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Arlo said. He turned to Deacon. “You’re Dickhead, right? Or is it Deacon?”
“Ah. Well, if it isn’t her knight in shining armor.” Deacon smirked.
Arlo flinched. “No way she’s mine, dude,” he retorted.
“Really? Didn’t realize you were such a pussy.”
Arlo tilted his head to the side. “Well, you’re a real treat,” he said with a laugh. “Hey, Iris, we need to go upstairs. You’re brother has some assignment for us. You know since we are real Hunters and all, in the field, not just a C-grade schoolboy like this prick. Have you even been on an assignment before?” Arlo asked Deacon.
Deacon turned white. Looked like Arlo hit a nerve and in that moment, Iris was grateful for it.
“I’m guessing that’s a no.” Arlo turned to Iris. “Let’s go.”
Iris gave Deacon one last glare and followed Arlo up to the main house.
“What is with that guy?” Arlo asked as they walked up the stairs.
“I don’t know,” Iris said with contemplation. “Maybe he’s just pissed because he’s still waiting for his balls to come in. Where’s Knox sending us?”
“Nowhere. I just wanted to get you away from that jerk-off before you killed him.”
“Would that really have been the worst thing in the world?”
“No. But you wouldn’t want to throw away your career over an asshat like that. You’re too good at your job.”
Her eyes beamed and Iris finally let out a grin, feeling the rage seep from her body. They barely made it up the top of the stairs when the doorbell rang.
“That’s odd,” Iris said, pensively.
“You don’t get visitors often?”
“Not through the front door. The Hunters use the underground entrance. Coming through this way is just reserved for family.”
“Nice. So I’m family, then.”
Iris lightly chuckled before opening the front door. She gulped in horror to find Belinda standing on the other side. Instinctually, she threw on her glasses and pulled out her gold knife.
“Oh put your knife away, Buffy, I’m not here to fight,” she said with a seductive smile.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Iris asked. She blinked in confusion. “And how did you even get through? We have Oras protecting this place.”
“One of the young Hunters was up by the fence and I convinced him to let me in and take down the shield,” Belinda said, nonchalantly. “It was like taking candy from a prepubescent baby.”
“What?! How did you get them to do that?” Iris wondered if it was Deacon. She wouldn’t be surprised but she wouldn’t think he would be that stupid.
“He didn’t have his glasses on.”
Okay, maybe he was that stupid.
“Look, to your credit. It usually isn’t,” Belinda explained. “I’ve tried a handful of times and have never been able to get in before today, so.”
“This can’t be happening.” Iris put her hand to her forehead and took a long breath. “So why are you here?”
“Well, I’m not here for you.” Belinda turned her attention to Arlo. “I just want to see if Arlo wanted to have coffee with me?”
Iris felt like she couldn’t breathe. A witch wanted to grab coffee with a Hunter? That’s definitely a first.
“Me?” Arlo said, pointing to his chest. He sounded as surprised as Iris looked.
“Yes. You.” Belinda effortlessly flipped her gorgeous butterscotch locks.
“I don't freaking think so,” Iris snapped. The words just flew out. Maybe it was Belinda’s perfect hair, or her perfect boobs, or maybe it was her perfect lavender eyes, but Iris felt a twinge of jealousy. But of course, she didn’t want Arlo to know that. So naturally, she backtracked. “I mean … You can do whatever you want. If you want to go to coffee with her, then go to coffee with her.” She hesitantly pointed at the witch.
“Do you want me to go to coffee with her?” Arlo asked in almost a whisper.
“I’m not saying that I want you to go, but I'm saying that you can,” Iris asserted. She was starting to sweat and hoped Arlo didn’t notice.
“Okay,” Belinda interrupted, “this is getting weird. Look, Arlo, I’m going to be at The Coffee Bean on Wilshire at 2 p.m. and it’d be awesome if you joined me. But, I put my number in your phone so if today doesn’t work you can always text me when you’re available.”
Iris flinched. It was the same coffee shop where she met Silos a week ago.
“How did you put your number in my phone?” Arlo asked, searching his pockets.
“Magic.” The witch smiled and tilted her head to the side. “Well,” Belinda cooed. “I’m gonna go. TTYL.”
Iris blinked as she watched Belinda flitter away to the witches’ white Range Rover and drive out of their gate. The car’s engine roared loudly and Iris could feel the exhaust make its way into her lungs.
“I can’t believe she would come to the Fortress like that,” Arlo started. “I mean—”
“I think you should meet her,” Iris said, interrupting him.
“Excuse me? You want me to go grab a coffee with Belinda?”
“Yes. We can have a wire on you and just maybe we can figure out what is really going on here. It’s not ideal, but I think it could work.”
“I don’t know,” Arlo said, resting his hand on his chin.
“Well, if you’re uncomfortable, you really don’t have to do it,” Iris assured.
“What about Knox?” Arlo asked. “Shouldn’t we run this by him first?”
“Knox is taking a day off today so he and Dex can get wasted. I’m guessing we have his permission.”
“Iris, I don’t know. I mean, I … Well … I’d like to maybe go for coffee with … maybe you, not Belinda.”
Iris’s heart caught in her throat as she stared at Arlo standing before her. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, why she was so guarded toward him and why she was so willing to send him to the wolves.
Arlo reached over to Iris, slowly pulling off her aviators. His eyes looked exceptionally green today. Brighter than yesterday and the day before. The perfect emerald that nearly glowed in the morning light. He reached behind her, pulling her necklace out of her shirt and tracing his finger along the gold chain.
“So you really want me to do this?”
She swallowed hard, desperately searching to say something, anything.
“Yes,” she finally said.
“All right. Then, I’ll do it. For you.”
Nineteen
Iris and Arlo arrived at the Coffee Bean thirty minutes before two to scope out the premises. They spotted a young singer on a coffee run, and an actress who left the shop with what looked like herbal tea. This place was a celebrity magnet, which meant it was also a hot spot for witch activity.
The plan was for Iris to wait in Th
e Armada and observe the entire meet-up. Arlo had an earpiece, and the Hunters had hacked into the security cameras inside the cafe. Everything was ready to go.
A nagging feeling tugged at the back of Iris’s mind, alerting her that something was out of place. She wasn’t sure if it was Belinda, or the fact that Arlo was about to have coffee with another girl on her orders, but regardless, she was nervous.
Her left eye twitched. “You ready?” she turned to Arlo and asked. “Just don’t take your glasses off.”
“I won’t.” Arlo let out a sigh as he closed the car door, leaving Iris behind.
She watched on her screen as he strolled inside the coffee shop. Bruma enveloped the entire café. One table was filled with well-dressed businessmen, another with a mother and her two fussing children. An older couple with graying hair sat in the corner, loudly slurping their iced teas.
Arlo stopped, midstep. Iris continued scanning the room until her eyes fell on a familiar face.
“Hi, Arlo.”
There was a girl sitting in front of him and it was unmistakably Belinda. Even on screen her lavender eyes burned brightly.
“I’m really glad you came,” she said coyly. Her body language was inviting. She crossed her arms under her chest giving her cleavage an extra bump.
“I … uh … Me too,” he replied, putting his hands in his pockets.
Why is he stumbling on his words? Iris thought. “Get it together!” she ordered in his earpiece. She watched Arlo jump on the screen.
“Is there something wrong?” Belinda asked with a wide smile.
“Oh no. Just weird to be talking to a witch is all.”
Nice save.
He pulled out a chair and sat across from Belinda at the table. He was playing with his hands and nervously looking around the room.
“Time to ask some questions,” Iris said, growing more and more uneasy.
“So … why did you help us last night?” Arlo demanded with a feigned confidence, drumming his fingers on the table. Iris noticed he couldn’t look directly at her.
“Wow, you Hunters,” Belinda said with a grin. “You don’t even want a latte first before you give me the third degree?”
She gently stroked her hair with her hand, tugging on the ends as she playfully circled the strands around her finger. Arlo seemed mesmerized by the motion.
Give me a freaking break.
“I’m sorry. I’m being a dick. I … I shouldn’t have asked you that right off the bat.” Arlo huffed as he threw his hands up in the air.
“No,” Belinda replied bashfully, folding her hands in her lap and staring down at the table. “You’re not being a dick. I bet it was weird for you, seeing a witch kill a bunch of other witches. And now you’re having coffee with that same witch … These sorts of things definitely don’t happen every day.”
Arlo smiled. “Yeah. It was pretty weird.”
Iris blinked her eyes and stared at the screen. “Keep the smiling to a minimum there, buddy. It’s okay to be a dick. You’re dealing with a witch.”
Arlo nervously played with his shirt. Belinda flashed him a smile that quickly faded away. Taking its place was a look of genuine concern.
“I’m just going to be real with you,” Belinda said, appearing disheartened. “I invited you here today because I need your help. There’s something about you that feels different to me. I’m sure you’ve learned that witches can sense a human’s intentions, right?”
Arlo nodded.
“So, I can sense that you’re incredibly kind, Arlo, and good, and that’s why I’m hoping that you can maybe help me out.”
Belinda was right about that. Arlo was incredibly kind. Too kind, at times.
The witch paused and cleared her throat. “And you can take your stupid glasses off. I won’t use any of my spells on you. You have my word.”
Arlo flinched.
“Don’t do it, Arlo,” Iris hissed in the com. “Don’t you freaking take those glasses off.”
Arlo was motionless. “You know what, Belinda. I will take my glasses off just to show you that you can trust me,” he said loudly. “I want to be able to trust you too.”
What? Iris hated the idea. Arlo sitting across from a witch with the risk of being spelled. She hoped Arlo knew what was he was doing.
He slowly removed the glasses from his face. Iris wondered if Belinda even needed to use her magical abilities on him, or could her looks just do the trick?
“Now, that’s better,” Belinda said, an infectious grin spreading from ear to ear. “There’s something strange going on, Arlo,” she spoke softly, leaning closer. “Since that actress was murdered and well, since you came to town, I feel different.”
“How do you mean?” He perked up.
Driving the point home, Belinda focused her attention on a used coffee mug that was sitting on top of the adjacent table. The mug hovered, ever so slightly and a small tornado formed underneath. The tornado swallowed the mug, crushing it into thousands of little pieces and making it disappear.
Holy. Freaking. Crap.
“Did you just do that?” Arlo asked. He looked excited and frightened all at the same time. “That tornado just ate that cup like it was nothing?”
Belinda sighed. “I know. And if I get angry, that little tornado will grow and swallow up this entire store without me telling it to. I’ve always had the power to manipulate air, and believe me, I’m good at what I do.” Belinda paused to clear her throat. “But now, my power seemed amplified, and I have no clue why! That’s why I could kill all the Nomads yesterday with just raising my hand. But the thing is, it’s unpredictable. I’ve gone from having less power that I could control to having more power that’s completely beyond me.”
“Wait a minute.” Arlo put his hand on his chin. “So your spells are suddenly amplified. And you said you didn’t kill that actress, but Iris said she was killed with a strong spell that they haven’t seen in years—”
“It wasn’t me. It was a Protas spell. And I didn’t kill those people at Rodeo Drive either.” Belinda dropped her head and Iris watched her chest rise. She couldn’t tell if she was lying or not. “Arlo,” she said in a hushed voice, beaming at him with a raw gaze. “I think someone else is here. Another witch. Maybe even a powerful Protas. And maybe somehow they’re making my spells stronger.”
Iris didn’t like the sound of this. A new witch in Hollywood that was more powerful than Belinda?
“I have to say,” Arlo mused. “I’m really surprised you’re bothered by the extra power. You seem like a go-big or go-home type of girl.”
Belinda’s eyes fluttered. “Believe me. I am,” she said seductively. “I don’t mind having more power, but I can’t control it. And I don’t like being out of control.” Belinda reached across the table and grabbed Arlo’s hand. “This is why I need your help.”
Arlo jolted as Belinda put her hand on top of his. He instinctively pulled away. Iris grinned with satisfaction.
“I still promise I’m not going to spell you,” she said sincerely.
“I know, but I just have to be careful.” Arlo folded his arms and backed away.
Well done.
“I respect that,” said Belinda. “But here’s the deal. I’m wondering if you can talk to Knox, or one of the witch historians, and see if they’ve ever heard of a witch’s spells getting amplified. I’m worried about what could happen. I mean, I could get pissed off and destroy this whole city without even meaning to. Plus, we know nothing about this mysterious Protas; she could be dangerous.”
“So you want me to lie to my fellow Hunters?” Arlo’s face soured.
“Well, not really. If there is a witch here powerful enough to be amplifying my spells, then we’re all in trouble,” Belinda said, her voice shaky, as were her hands. “And truthfully, I don’t like the idea of someone more powerful than me in this town. It makes me uneasy.”
Iris shook her head as she was hit with a realization: Belinda was afraid of being run out of Hollywo
od. Typical.
Suddenly, Belinda gazed past Arlo in silence. He turned as well. It was a man, and a very manly man at that, with large muscles bulging through his pale-blue button-down shirt.
Iris recognized him as one of the “businessmen” she spotted when Arlo first came in. There was something about him Iris didn’t like. He was cold. Focused. He walked with determination toward their table, feasting his eyes on Belinda.
“Hey, baby. Why don’t you ditch this loser and come sit with me at my table. I make two hundred K a year.” The man turned to Arlo. “My shoes are worth more than your life, loser.”
Iris cringed. She swore she could see the faint outline of the words “douche bag” written across his forehead.
The man smirked as he ran his eyes over Belinda, staring at her body the way a guy beams at the Victoria’s Secret catalog when he thinks no one is looking.
“Wow, ‘loser.’ That’s creative.” Arlo’s tone reeked of sarcasm.
“Seriously, doll, come sit with us.” The man pushed harder. “I promise you won’t regret it,” the douche bag insisted as he crept closer to Belinda.
“No, thank you. I’m perfectly fine right here.”
“Oh come on, baby, just give me five minutes. I know I can change your mind,” he tried again, with that smug, holier-than-thou grin still plastered on his creepy face.
Iris’s body tensed and her pulse quickened. She was desperately hoping a fight would not break out in The Coffee Bean. With Belinda’s new amplified spells that she apparently had no control over, that would be dangerous.
“She said she’s not interested,” Arlo said. The man didn’t acknowledge this, and instead pushed closer to Belinda.
“Come on, baby, just hear me out.” He placed his hand on Belinda’s shoulder. She flinched with disgust.
Arlo quickly stood, throwing his chair to the ground. “Get your hands off her, you stupid prick!”
Whoa. Iris thought.
“Whoa,” Belinda said. Arlo was standing his ground. The man gave Arlo one last look and finally walked away.
Iris felt like she was going to spontaneously combust into a fiery inferno. She wasn’t sure if it was the rush from almost seeing a fight break out or the fact that Arlo had unexpectedly stood up for a witch, but either way, Iris was heated.
Hollywood Witch Hunter Page 12