They sat at a large kitchen table. The man picked up a coffeepot that rested on the stove and poured coffee into the three waiting cups. She was more of a latte girl but she was up for the challenge. Still, she waited for the other two to drink theirs before she touched hers.
Her host smiled. He looked to be in his late sixties or early seventies. “Young lady, I am a witch and you are in my home. I know thirteen ways to kill you without poisoning the coffee I paid so damn much for.”
Lexi took a sip. She put the mug down and opened her mouth to speak.
“I have a situation I’d like a little help with,” he said before she could say anything.
“I’m here because I need—”
“I know why you’re here. We’re discussing the price.”
She didn’t doubt that he somehow knew exactly why she was there. “I’m happy to pay your price but I’m not shielded right now, and—”
“There are more ways to protect you than a mage’s shield. You have been under my shield since you entered the bar a week ago.”
That startled her and she raised an eyebrow. “You’re remarkably well informed.”
“Louis told me you’d arrive the day before you showed up. Although he didn’t say any more than that.” Mike shifted his gaze briefly to the other man before he returned it to her. “Why did you think I don’t get bothered by Kindred?”
“I don’t know. I assumed you were small-fry.”
Her boss’ jaw dropped. “I thought you wanted my help.”
“I did. Now I want his help.” She nodded at Louis.
Mike shook his head. “Louis, I know you have cream and sugar around here somewhere.”
Lexi scowled. She wanted cream and sugar too.
The old man turned his head to the end of the table. “Heidi, pass the milk and sugar, would you?”
When she turned, she saw a figure seated about three feet from her. “Jesus!” She almost fell out of her chair.
The old woman pushed a sugar bowl and cream jug up the table. She would have bet money, if she’d had any, that neither the woman nor the cream and sugar had been there a moment before.
She thanked her and glanced at her hands with a frown. They looked young but when she looked at her face, the worn, wrinkled skin, teeth missing, hair missing told a contrary tale. Something was wrong.
“This is my granddaughter, Heidi. She’s eighteen.”
Lexi looked at Louis. “What?” She turned and addressed the girl directly. “What happened?”
“A boy. Or, to be precise, another girl who liked the same boy.” Heidi shrugged but it looked like even that was painful.
“Another witch?”
She nodded.
“We both liked him. He asked me out on a date. The next morning, I woke up spitting a tooth out. I had a pile of hair on my pillow, and my hands—”
Lexi looked at her hands and realized that although they appeared young, they were arthritic. She was outraged. “What can I do?”
The two men went to the porch to speak while Heidi gave her the details.
“If you ask Grandpa, he’ll say to kill her. I don’t want that. If you can’t get her to fix me, leave it be. I’m resigned to this now and I don’t want to be the cause of another death.” The girl went on to give her all the information she would need to find the girl. “I’m tired now. Please watch yourself.”
Louis walked them to the car. “I suppose she told you not to kill the girl.”
It didn’t seem like it needed a response so she remained silent.
He continued in a calm tone. “Do your best to stay true to Heidi. But if that devil can’t fix this, rub this on the sword first and don’t clean the blade.” He handed her an oily pouch in a small, clear, plastic bag. “Keep it close to you as it will also shield you until your charm is repaired.”
They had made good time given how late it was and were close to the bar when she looked out. “You can drop me here.” The last thing she wanted was for Mike to see where she lived.
“Your stuff’s still at work, remember?” Lexi had forgotten. She nodded.
He let them into the bar which had long since closed, and she retrieved her bag. When she returned to his office, he held some notes out.
She looked at the money. “That’s twice what we agreed.”
“You might need it. I wouldn’t like this job to go south for want of a few dollars. Heidi’s depending on you.”
With an inward sigh, she took the money, nodded her thanks, and left. She stood in the shadows and waited for his car to pull away. It had taken much longer than usual. She crept to the bar and inched to the back. Quietly, she hopped the fence, took her knife out, and slipped it along the edge of the ground-level window, feeling for the catch. It opened, and she slid into the basement.
Lexi had slept on a pile of collapsed boxes at the bar from the first night she arrived. She crept through the darkness to the corner where the boxes were usually stored but something was different.
A little anxious, she took her cell phone out. It was a cheap burner and had never rung. The only text messages were updates from the service provider, but it had a flash that she used as a flashlight. She flicked the light on. Instead of the pile of boxes, a camp bed had been set up with a sleeping bag, a sandwich, and a couple of cans of coke.
“That sneaky sonofabitch.” With a grin, she climbed into the sleeping bag and lay back to wonder if she might dream of Bryan. She took a glass vial from the lining of her leather vest. When she held it up to the light, she could see it was almost empty. It had been a few
