“What was what?” I asked, knowing full well he was only talking to me in an effort to ascertain where I’d gone. I couldn’t make out his features under the limited light in the lobby, but I saw his head snap in my direction.
“That ... spell,” Brian seethed as he stomped in my direction. “What was it?”
“Oh, a little of this.” I remained still in the darkness and watched in satisfaction when he slammed into the invisible wall I’d erected.
“Son of a ... !” He swore when colliding with the magic, his body doing a little dance as the energy zapped him. “What is that?” He almost sounded shrill.
“You’re in my world now,” I said. I knew he wouldn’t be able to see me in the dark hallway. Landon had once hidden in the same alcove that I now stood in, jumping out to terrify me. He’d been trying to teach me a lesson about safety. Of course, because he was Landon, it had turned into a sexy game of hide-and-seek that ended on my office couch.
The outcome would be different this time.
“No, this is my world,” he snapped, raising his fingers and glossing them over the barrier. “It’s my world and you stole it.”
“Nobody stole anything from you. You lost it.”
“Your boyfriend stole it,” Brian hissed, his voice reminding me of the snake in The Jungle Book cartoon Disney released long before I was born. “It was mine and he bullied me into selling it to him ... and for almost nothing.”
“You tried to oust me, and Chief Terry rallied the townsfolk,” I countered. “You underestimated their loyalty to me.”
“Yes, loyalty to a witch. Do you think they would’ve stood by you if they knew that little tidbit?”
I cocked my head, considering. “Yes,” I replied. “They would’ve stood by me.”
“They love you that much, do they?” He sounded furious when he tested the barrier again and singed his fingers, waving them quickly to fan the heat and then sticking them in his mouth to alleviate the pain. He was a like a small child with a too-hot slice of pizza.
“The people of Hemlock Cove made a business decision,” I said. “They did what they had to do when they turned this town into a tourist destination. They saved it. They’re well aware that they need the newspaper if they want it to keep thriving. You couldn’t give them what they needed.”
“I’m a good businessman.”
“You’re a little boy playing at chief operating officer. You don’t understand the reality of this business.”
“And you do?”
“I understand more than you think.” I angled my head to keep an eye on him. “I want to play a game with you, Brian,” I said. “Are you up for it?”
“Is this like that movie Scream? Don’t they play games in that movie? Are you going to kill me?”
“There’s a very good chance, but right this second, no. If I was going to play horror movie games with you, I would channel my inner Aunt Tillie and go Saw, not Scream. I like the quips in Scream, but the kills in Saw are more my style.”
His grimaced. “What’s the game?”
“I’m going to ask you a question. You’re going to answer it honestly. Then I’ll do the same for you.”
“Why would I play?”
“You have questions. You might know I’m a witch, but you don’t understand all of it.”
He was quiet a moment, the only sound coming from the barrier as he tested it again. “Fine.”
He agreed far too easily. “Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he agreed. “You don’t think I know what you’re doing, but I do.”
“Oh?”
“You believe you’ll be able to use your phone to call your boyfriend here. That’s why you’re dragging this out. I believe he’s otherwise engaged ... what with his boss coming to town and all.”
I narrowed my eyes in the darkness. “I knew it. You’re the reason Steve is in town.”
“I might’ve placed a call.” Brian chuckled. “Does that bother you?”
“You’re messing with his livelihood.”
“He stole mine.”
“You did this to yourself. If you’d followed William’s wishes you’d still own the newspaper. Of course, you would’ve run it into the ground by now and gone bankrupt.”
“So smug,” Brian sneered, grunting when he slammed his fist into the magical barrier.
“You’re not powerful enough to take down that wall,” I told him. “You can’t get to me.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“I’ve been at this longer than you. Do you want to play the game or not?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “Sure. Let’s play.”
“When were you taken over by the shade?”
He laughed. “Of course you’d want to know about that. You’ve always been a busybody.”
“You have to follow the rules,” I insisted. “I have questions. So do you. I won’t answer yours unless you answer mine.”
“Fine.” He sounded bitter. “When I left this place, I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I had a clear plan before your boyfriend ripped what was mine away from me. I was aimless when I left ... and I had a persistent case of chlamydia that refused to clear up. I would get it treated, think I was fine, and then three weeks later — like clockwork — it returned.”
I had to press my lips together to keep from laughing. “That’s Aunt Tillie. If you haven’t gotten over that yet, you probably won’t. You have to learn from your mistakes to overcome the curse.”
“That mean old terror just likes torturing me. I have plans for her.”
My heart rolled. “She’s better than you. You can’t take her.”
“You’d be surprised what I’m capable of. I’m going to kill you first, so you won’t have to watch her die.”
I figured that was the ultimate goal. Hearing it out loud like that made me uncomfortable. “Go back to your story,” I
