Page 96 of Strike It Witch

The book hit me in the chest, my breath whooshed from my lungs, and I sank to my knees. Fennel galloped over with Cecil on his back, staying on the right side of the circle in deference to the gnome, since the cat could cross any circle. He hadn’t, because I’d told him earlier not to under any circumstances. He’d have been a dangerous distraction, and he knew it.

Speaking of… “This could all be a distraction,” I whispered. “Secure the perimeter of the park.”

The cat gave a brisk swipe of his tail and raced away, Cecil hanging on for dear life.

Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and Gnath’s lower half was sucked through the opening like a thick milkshake through a narrow straw.

“Nooooo. Please. Stop this horror, you vile witch.” Gnath waved his arms in mock terror and winked at me. The demon wasenjoyingthe pain of being forced into Hell, proving yet again that he was twisted in all the worst ways.

The remains of Gnath’s smoke form atomized, hovered damp and cloud-like in the atmosphere for one final heartbeat, and then he was gone. The opening zipped shut, and I had an officially uncursed grimoire in my hands.

I tossed it outside the circles, pushed wearily to my feet, and pointed at Alpha Floyd, who was walking toward me.

“Gladys moves in tomorrow, and the money for thisjob,not for thebook,” I said, in case the curse was listening, “hits my account by noon.”

He picked up the book, dusted it off, gave me a brusque nod. “Done and done.”

Margaux strode up and stood too close to me for her own safety. “Betty, you have to consecrate that soil. You cannot allow the demon Belial to return here. He’s dangerous.”

“And how do you know that?” I demanded.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” The witch’s face lost all expression. The urgent fear dropped off as if spelled to do so. “I tried to get you to listen to me. That demon was dangerous, and you did not have him under control.”

I was at the very end of my tether. Not a single drop of patience left in me. The gall of this woman had me balling my hand into a fist at my side.

“What are you hiding about my mom,you lying coward?” I snarled. I might not be a wolf shifter, but a stranger would’ve been hard pressed to tell the difference in that moment.

“Betty.” Bronwyn took a step forward, holding out a hand as if she meant to touch me.

Margaux gave her a warning look and she stopped. “I’m hiding nothing. There is nothing to hide,” the liar said.

“Nothing to hide except your shame.” I brought power into my voice, let it trickle off my tongue and wrap around my words. “Your permission to remain here is rescinded.Get off my property, Margaux Ramirez.”

The spell didn’t whisk her away instantly. That wasn’t how it worked. I couldn’t be that obvious in case a human wandered onto my property. What it did was make her sick and confused. The longer she remained in place, the sicker and more confused she got.

“Betty, this is ridiculous.” She backed up, step by step, talking the whole way. “This grudge you’re holding—I didn’t have anything to do with Lila’s death. She was myfriend, for goddess’s sake. Do you think I didn’t try talking to her that night? She wouldn’t pick up the phone.”

“You have a car. Why didn’t you drive over?”

“Because I knew what she was doing was dangerous.”

“What kind of spell was she casting?”

“I don’t know. All she said was that it was dangerous, powerful, and necessary. And to stay away.” She continued reversing in the direction of the SUV.

“And you did it,” I said bitterly, “even though you knew she needed help, and I was too far away to do anything.”

“Consider for a moment my position, the danger I’d have put my coven in if I’d?—”

“You’re a bad friend.”

Margaux’s dark brows drew down over her cold eyes. Pain streaked across her face, which meant my arrow had hit the bullseye. Shehadbeen a bad friend to my mom, and she damn well knew it.

“I’m responsible for all the members of the La Paloma coven. Lila knew the risk of what she was doing, knew you were coming home to help, knew it was dangerous to do alone, and she charged ahead with the spell anyway. The truth you don’t want to face is she made a reckless decision and?—”

“One. More. Word,” I said, drawing each syllable out. “One more word out of your mouth, and I’ll kill you where you stand, betrayer.”

Margaux wrenched open the door and barricaded herself in the SUV. Floyd followed, after flicking a meaningful glance at his son, who was now in hybrid form, which was mostly human, but with a light dusting of wolf fur covering his naked body.

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