The Lying, the Witch, and the Werewolf (Down & Dirty Supernatural Cleaning Services Book 4) by Kate Quinn (uplifting books for women .txt) 📗

“I don’t...I just...sorry,” she turns away from me but I stop her. “I’m sure this formula is safe.”

I stare into her eyes, trying to make her feel uncomfortable. Seraphina squirms. “Adorra was experimenting with belladonna. She was worried that someone with a chocolate allergy might consume the bars and the belladonna can sometimes counteract difficulty with breathing.” Seraphina forces a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it’s only toxic to humans if they eat too much.”

I clench my jaw to keep from screaming. Adorra put poison into the candy—enough to apparently kill some of her own people—and nobody here has a problem with it. This is the problem with cults; they get people so sucked in that they don’t question things that very clearly don’t add up. Like putting poison in chocolate that’s spelled to make a person compulsively eat it.

I pocket the bars and give Seraphina one last look up and down. “Maybe you should talk less and work more,” I tell her. Pretty sure I nailed my Giselle impersonation.

I glance at Seamus, but he gives me a small shake of the head. I’m not supposed to approach him—fair enough. I tuck the charm into my shirt and make a mental note to return it later. After I break up an attempt to turn a Humans First rally into a death orgy.

I bust out of the lab and head back to the yurt, still disguised as Giselle. I figure it’s better to look like her than Paige “Broom Flasher” Harper. Hopefully Adorra is too busy working to wonder why Giselle is here and not in New Jersey.

Actually…wait. How are they going to get that chocolate to New Jersey in time for the rally? I stop dead on the path, confused. Could I be wrong about all of this? No, there’s no way. Even Seamus had said he didn’t agree with what Together We Come had planned for the Humans First rally. So—

A cracking noise fills the air and I jump forward, afraid a tree is about to fall on me. But nothing is moving in the woods, and when I uncover my ears, they’re still ringing. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know I’ve got to get out of here.

I hoof it back to my yurt and duck inside. Nico spins, suddenly snarling.

“Wait! It’s me! It’s Paige!” I say, hands up. Nico steps forward and takes a hesitant sniff, then nods.

“What’s with the glamour?”

“Long story,” I say, handing over one chocolate bar. If we get separated, we’ll each have proof. “Do not eat that. If you eat too much it’s deadly.”

“What? I had a ton last night! How do you know this?”

“I looked like Giselle. I learned a few things. Like belladonna is one of the ingredients in the chocolate.”

Nico shakes his head. “Nope. No way. I did not smell that.”

“There is literal magic at play here. Don’t you think that maybe trumps your werewolf sniffer?”

“Maybe,” Nico admits.

“Did you hear a weird noise a second ago? Kind of like a sonic boom?”

Nico nods. “That’s magic travel. When a portal opens or closes it can cause a disturbance. Especially if something heavy—or many things—are being transported.”

“Like trucks full of sex candy?” I ask.

“Exactly,” he says. “Luckily, we also have—”

Before Nico can finish that thought a man calls out, “Coming in!” and then Mac barges into my yurt with Cassie at his side.

“Paige?” she asks, her eyebrows coming together in confusion.

`“Sorry, yeah. It’s me,” I take off the necklace with Seamus’ charm and tuck it into my pocket.

“Thank gods,” Cassie breathes when she sees it’s the real me. “I hoped I would be able to find you in time.” She stretches a hand out to me, “I’m about to see something!” She doesn’t look good. Her face is pale and her eyes are weirdly unfocused.

“Please tell me you haven’t been eating chocolate,” I say.

“No,” Nico says. “I know that look. She’s about to have a vision.”

Mac lowers Cassie onto my cot and gently tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. “She felt it coming on and knew it was about Paige, so we hurried right over—”

“Hello, I’m right here!” Cassie says. “Stop manscaping my life!”

“I think you mean mansplaining,” I say quietly. “But either way, right on girlfriend!” I hold out a hand for a high five and Cassie is stretching out her own hand to meet me when her eyes roll back in her head.

“Paige,” she intones in a creepy monotone voice. “You will be taken.”

24

I stare at Cassie, barely able to take her words, because I’m so freaked out by the milky sight of her eyeballs blindly staring at me. But then she gives herself a shake and smiles, all back to normal. “Whoo,” she says. “Felt good to get that one out. As I get older, I can feel the visions coming on, almost like some people can sense a storm rolling in. It’s always a relief when they’re done.”

“Cassie,” Nico says, his voice harsh. “What did you mean about Paige being taken?” Nico’s mouth is in a firm line and his glamour begins to shimmer, like it can’t cover the anger boiling underneath.

“Oh, c’mon Nico. Calm down,” I say, not needing him to get all over-protective on me. “Taken?” I repeat, trying not to laugh. “I’ve been living in a sex cult all weekend and haven’t been taken once.”

“Paige, this isn’t a joke,” Mac says, helping Cassie to her feet. She’s still pale and a little waxen, but her eyes are back where they're supposed to be—and she’s super-focused on me.“Please don’t unfriend me,” she says. “I hate being the bearer of bad news.”

“Cassie, I could never hate you,” I assure her. “And it doesn’t seem like that bad of news,” I add, grabbing what few of my possessions came with me to the yurt. “Are you sure it wasn’t more like caught? Because Adorra totally caught me in the mansion.”

“No,” Nico says, grabbing my wrist. “The prophecy wasn’t about being caught. It was