Page 97 of The Howl
I need a place to cool off. Can I come over?
Adira sent me to the Roost. Sorry.
I tossed my phone to the seat and tore out of the garage, sliding on the slush. If Adira thought sending Ashlyn to the Roost would keep me home with my mom, she had another thing coming.
Reaching the Roost in record time, I got out of the car and slammed the door. The music thumping in the air did nothing to soothe me. I pushed my way through the doors and scanned the thin crowd.
“Someone’s looking hot and tempting,” a boy said.
I turned my dark gaze on him.
“I suggest you run away, boy, or fall now to tremble at my feet. I am the destroyer of men.”
The boy paled and ran out the door. The rest of the dancers moved to the far side of the room. I turned away from them and looked for Ashlyn. She sat in her usual spot in the back row of booths, looking down at a book.
I stalked across the room and slid into the bench across from her. For the first minute, I focused on calming my breathing then on my vision. Through it all, Ashlyn remained quietly focused on her book. A book she was actually reading and not just holding as a decoy. I realized it was one I’d never seen her with before.
“Is that new?” I asked.
“Yep. Adira used it to bribe me here. You okay?”
I sighed.
“Not really. I just argued with my mom and called Adira a she-devil.”
Ashlyn snorted.
“I don’t imagine that went over well.”
“I didn’t stick around to find out. My mom’s staying, Ashlyn. She won’t leave until I have sex with someone and feed.”
“Uh…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not here looking for volunteers. I’m here looking for ideas.”
“Ideas?”
“Yeah. Ways to get rid of my mom that don’t involve having sex with someone.”
My bench seat shifted under me, and someone peered over the booth’s divider.
“We can maybe help with that,” a girl said.
I recognized her from the bathroom at Girderon and from the other night in the Roost. She was one of the three druid girls. The one with all the jewelry.
“How?” I asked.
“A transference spell. It’s like a portal, but only one way.”
She had my attention.
“Is it dangerous?” I asked.
“No. The spell and the portal can’t kill anyone. Worst case, the person ends up a little off course.”
“Could you send my mom outside the barrier?”
“If she has her mark, sure. But her mark also means she can get back in.”
