Page 24 of Curses & Cold Brew
Naphula smirked. “And if he hunted down the culprit to that little witch’s door?”
My mouth went dry midchew. “It wasn’t her.”
“She cozied up to you rather quickly after that first soul was snatched,” she countered.
“She’s just bored,” I said flippantly.
“Are you sure she wasn’t trying to get your attention? You can’t trust the witches, Mona. You know this.”
“She doesn’t want information. And there’s no way she was the soul thief. She just wants something to do.”
I already knew what Naphula would say.
“The full swing of seasonal tourism isn’t enough to keep her busy?” she asked. “Or the thousand other beings who live here who are far more interesting than you? No offense.”
“None taken.”
“She wants to chase after the local demon with no ulterior motive? I mean, don’t get me wrong, Mona, you’re hot shit, but there are a hundred other paranormals that Iris could be chasing after if she just wanted a woman who was hot and magical, you know?”
Silence fell over us. I had no answer to that. Iris could have started a new hobby or thrown herself into a committee. Lucifer knows that Billy Bacchus and the other town elders were always harping about civic duty and getting more involved with town events. I knew boredom wasn’t the only reason. But a quiet, ashamed part of me had hoped there was another reason why Iris wanted my attention, something beyond one salacious night. I hated that I’d even had the thought.
I clenched my jaw and set those wishy-washy notions aside.
“Fine, let’s not beat around the bush any longer.” Naphula’s sharp tone cut through the room, pulling my attention back. “I think you should cut all ties with the witch until you figure out who exactly is threatening your job. Fuck her after?—”
I let out a growl. “Don’t talk about her like that.”
“Oh, Mona.” Naphula let out a mocking laugh. “You can’t afford to be distracted by worthless feelings and passing crushes.”
“I don’t have crushes.”
“You’re right. You either fuck them once or you love them so deeply that the world practically implodes when it ends. The last woman you pursued was so intense that when it was over, you were pure bloody chaos to deal with for three whole decades.”
That memory stung.
“Please listen to me,” Naphula implored. “L—” I gave her a sharp look, and she recalculated using theLword. “Romance, especially right now, is a distraction you can’t afford. You have too much at stake.”
I didn’t need the reminder.
“Then where should I go, if not to the council?” I sighed in frustration. “I have nothing to go on. No trail to track.”
“You’re friendly with the local vampire group, right? Those bloodsuckers are always in everyone’s business.”
I groaned. I hadn’t wanted to pull the vampires—or anyone else for that matter—into this, but Naphula was right. Agnes knew everything about everyone. She could tell you their favorite drink, their latest kink, and how regular their bowel movements were. And I knew exactly where she’d be tomorrow.
“Thanks for the pep talk.” I tapped the box. “And the donuts.” Turning on my heel, I threw over my shoulder to my friend, “And if you’re going to sleep with werewolves, you should really invest in chainmail first.”
She grumbled a low, “Noted.”
13
IRIS
“Lavender matcha latte?” Harlow offered, sliding the drink across the corner booth.
It had been three days since the demonic council. In my perpetual stubbornness, I’d decided that my only course of action was to continue the soul-snatching investigation from afar. And the best way I knew how to do that was through stacks and stacks of old books.
Harlow dropped into the seat opposite me and eyed the mountain of dusty tomes strewn about the table along with notebooks filled with my frantic chicken-scratch writing.
