Page 35 of Outlaw Witch

“Seriously, I’m fine. I sleep fine. Eat fine. The only times I don’t eat everything is when it’s gross stuff I hate, like cabbage or a whole plate of kimchi. Gross.” He turns his nose up and gives a sniff. “What about you? You look like crap. Like you haven’t slept or showered all week.”

I let out a sigh and turn my eyes to the screen, watching him hack at zombies with a machete. Trust the teenager to not try to spare my feelings. Although running a hand through my hair, I grimace. He’s not wrong. I can’t remember the last time I took a shower.

Fuck. No wonder Seb doesn’t like me squawking at him. I can barely take care of myself these days.

*

AFEW HOURS LATER ANDI’m just about getting over my impromptu meeting with the witch.

Silver. The blood magic witch who might stand a chance at helping remove this damn curse.

I’mreallyhoping I didn’t conjure her up from my imagination. That she’s not another of my weird daydreams.

I have to hang around in the kitchen, waiting for confirmation that she was actuallyhere,and said the things I thought she did.

“She hasn’t agreed yet,” Zeph grouches, scowling down at a massive plate of pasta as Ro hands me mine.

“She will,” Ro replies. “We’re going to make it so she can’t say no.”

Z scowls at him. “Dude, watch your mouth or it’s going to get you into trouble.”

Ro just shakes his head, shoveling pasta into his mouth. “I meant, like, we’re going to make her a deal that’s so good she’d be an idiot to refuse us.”

“I don’t trust her,” Z says.

I snort. He doesn’t trustanyoneapart from the two of us in this room.

“Aren’t you the ones that found her?”

Z shrugs his massive shoulders. “Sure, she’s the best hope we have right now. But that doesn’t mean I trust her.”

She also happens to be beautiful. Striking. She has eyes like starbursts that made my breath catch in my throat.

Z doesn’t trust beautiful people.

But now that I’ve confirmed, she was real, flesh and blood. Her presence has left me with a little buzz in my chest. A feeling that’s unfamiliar. I haven’t felt it in a long time. Which makes me feel properly ancient.

It feels a lot like hope.

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