I thought I could have my cake and eat it too.
Be a witch. Kill demons. And still go on with my day-to-day life.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Ethan parks in front of my house.
“Sure.”
He gives my thigh a squeeze and gets out, unbuckling Hunter for me. Moving on autopilot, I carry the leftovers Mom packed for us into the house. Hunter runs in ahead of us, and I put the food on the coffee table and then sink down on the couch.
“You can’t blame yourself,” Ethan starts.
“I can, though. I know I didn’t send the Pricolici to attack Leslie, and I didn’t tell her to go outside toward the woods for whatever reason, but the blame is on me. The demons are after me for one reason or another, and she got caught in the crossfire and it’s not fucking fair.”
My face crumples and Ethan pulls me to him, running his fingers through my hair. “I know,” he agrees. “It’s not your fault the demons are after you. You didn’t summon anything or put Leslie in harm’s way on purpose. But you’re right. It’s not fair, not at all, and I’m sorry this happened, Anora. Demons don’t care. They’ll kill whatever is in their way, but it’s not your fault.”
“I thought the hardest part about this was having my friends believe me. Now I know it’s hoping they don’t get mixed up and hurt.”
“It’s a lonely lifestyle,” he says quietly. “But I’m not going anywhere, and a demon has yet to kill me.” He kisses my forehead. Eyes falling shut, I swallow the lump in my throat and try not to think about anything. Ethan turns on the TV.
“Do you want any comfort food?”
“No,” I tell him. My appetite is gone, and I don’t know when it will ever come back. “You can eat though.”
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll put the food away.” He kisses me and gets up, taking the leftovers and putting them in the fridge. He comes back, covering us both with a blanket. The next hour passes in a haze, and the rollercoaster of emotions I’m on is making me nauseous.
Ethan’s phone rings, and he reaches across me to pick it up off the coffee table. “It’s my dad. I should take it.” He goes into the kitchen to answer, and Hunter takes his place. I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his fur.
Ethan comes back a moment later.
“My dad was able to get Isaac, the hunter who dealt with the Pricolici before, to come into town to help us track those fuckers down and kill the demon sending them. He’s at the house now.”
“Then let’s go.” I get to my feet, eyes wide and heart set on revenge.
“Isaac is old and paranoid and won’t talk if there are outsiders around. I’ll go, find out what I can, and will come back.”
Feeling like I got another punch to the gut, I nod. “Okay.”
He kisses me, tongue slipping past my lips. My hands go to his waist, fingers hooking around his belt. I pull him to me, kissing him harder.
“Anora,” he starts, pulling away and resting his forehead against mine. “I…I…be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
I walk him to the door and lock it behind him once he leaves. Hunter, who’s still on the couch, lets out a soft whine, tail wagging. I go back to him, pulling my Book of Shadows from the coffee table and into my lap.
“They want me,” I tell Hunter. “And I’m not just some damsel in distress.” I close my eyes, feeling heat gathering around my fingertips. Holding my hand up, I look at my fingers and feel a sense of clarity. Tiny flames ignite from each finger, burning steadily for a minute before I close my fist and put the fire out.
I have power, the ability to kill demons without breaking a sweat. I might not have grown up as a hunter, but dammit, I’m capable.
There are few things in life I’m one hundred percent certain about, but one is and always will be that I’m loyal to a fault when it comes to my friends and family. I’ll do whatever I can to support them…to protect them.
And I know what I have to do right now.
The parking lot is completely empty at Hollow Creek Stables. I was almost worried there would be a police officer here, patrolling the pasture, waiting for the mountain lion to attack again. It started raining on my way here, and the oncoming storm drove the search party home.
I put my Prius in park, grab the enchanted dagger, and get out of the car. Something comes over me as I attach the dagger to my belt. I can’t explain it, but it’s like my shell has broken and I know without a doubt who I am.