Page 20 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
He doesn't elaborate, and I don't press. Whatever it is, it's too faint to track, too elusive to name. But it speaks to my wolf all the same.
Maybe Sadie's spell worked after all. Or maybe it's just Friday night in a town full of supernatural beings, and my wolf is restless for the hunt.
Chapter
Five
REGINA
Morning check-out at the hostel comes with the subtlety of a fucking firing squad.
The front desk guy pounds on my door at exactly 10:45, his voice carrying through the thin wood like it's not even there.
"Fifteen minutes! Check-out's at eleven!"
I sit up, momentarily confused by my surroundings until reality crashes back. Right. Runaway witch. Runawaydisfiguredwitch mauled by shifters, my memory immediately reminds me. Depleted magic. Ex-boyfriend with a vendetta.
And now, homeless.
"Got it," I call back, voice rough from sleep.
My phone shows three more texts from Kyle, each more threatening than the last. No missed calls from Cadence now. She's given up for now. The countdown in the latest message from Kyle's burner phone makes my stomach clench.
UNKNOWN: 6 hours left. Stop running, Regina. No one else is going to want you. You do realize that, right? I’m the only one who doesn’t care what you look like. You're only making things harder on yourself.
He’s full of shit.
He cares. Big time.
But my eyes are stuck on thesix hourspart of the text.
I've burned through most of my time sleeping. I was just trying to recharge my magic a little, but it looks like I'm already running on fumes.
This fucking sucks. I'm a siphon. A bonded siphon who traded her independence for magic a long damn time ago, and just because I regret the deal I made when I was young and stupid doesn't mean I'm immune from the cost.
After a quick shower, I pull my damp hair into a ponytail and dig through my duffle for my last clean clothes. Black jeans, gray t-shirt, and thank the gods, my oversized hoodie. I pull the hood up, adjusting it to shadow my face. Not a perfect solution, but better than nothing.
I count my money again even though I already know I don't have enough for another night here. Not enough for much of anything.
The clerk watches impassively as I drop my key on the counter. "Leaving us so soon?" he asks with zero interest in the answer.
"Apparently."
"Sign says no loitering after check-out." He returns to his phone, dismissing me without another glance.
Outside, the morning is bright and crisp. A perfect autumn day that feels like a personal insult, considering my circumstances mean it's fucking impossible to enjoy it. I pull my hood lower and walk, no real destination in mind. Just away from the hostel. Away from streets Kyle might search first.
My feet carry me through the city while my mind races through options. I've exhausted most of them. Vampires? Too shallow. Other covens? Too risky. Cadence? Last resort.
Which leaves one place Kyle might hesitate to come after me.
Stormvale University.
The campus grounds are protected by Council wards, designed to limit supernatural violence and maintain the secrecy of our world from humans. Even Kyle would think twice about causing a scene there. It might buy me time if nothing else.
Yeah. This feels like the right move.
Maybe myonlymove, but the right one.
