Page 41 of Outlaw Witch

“Yeah, it can do a whole bunch, not just healing—” Roscoe starts, grinning widely, and I wonder what the hell he’s about to say. I don’t get to hear it though, since Zeph punches him.

“Dude. Not her business.”

Roscoe rolls his eyes. “I won’t spread any family secrets, man. But whatever,” he grumbles.

“Anyway,” Fabian interrupts and I wonder how much of their dynamic is him trying to rein in both Zeph and Roscoe’s leashes. Although for different reasons, naturally.

Roscoe’s clearly a golden retriever type, sprinting off after a ball and coming back with someone else’s sandwich. While Zeph’s a... something snappy and aggressive, and sometimes downright mean.

A Chihuahua.

Yep, that’s it. I snort to myself and then grin at him while he looks at me with suspicion.

“Anyway,” Fabian repeats and I focus my attention on him again. “We made a deal with the vamps and they supplied me with blood for Sebastian. Until one day they stopped. They just decided they were done with us, or maybe that the deal we were hatching wasn’t going through fast enough. I figured, if their blood could do the trick, then maybe mine could too.”

“I hate this next part of the story,” Roscoe mumbles through a mouthful of cheese.

“I started giving Seb my blood, hoping that would work to heal him.” He shrugs. “It helped for a little while. But again, after a while, it stopped being effective. My blood wasn’t powerful enough. I tried a million different things to increase the power in my blood, even tried to go back to the vamps to see if they could help. There was one vamp who would still do business with me, but instead of winding up with more power, I ended up with... this.” He waves a hand down his body and then slumps in his seat.

He looks exhausted, and more than a little defeated, which seems to be freaking Roscoe out. He keeps shooting him concerned glances and then opening his mouth like he wants to say something, only to shut it again.

“I think you’re done for the day,” Zeph says to me. I actually agree with him, Fabian looks knackered and I’m not faring much better.

“You’re right,” I say and then grin at my own words, especially as his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “First and last time you’ll hear those words from my mouth, big guy. I didn’t sleep last night, so I’m gonna head next door to my new bed and take a nap. I figure maybe you should do the same,” I tell Fabian.

With that bit of wisdom, I grab the duffle bag I dumped by the door when I came in and head down to my new home for the next few weeks. Although having seen what Fabian is dealing with, I think I might be here longer than I first expected.

I let myself into the apartment next door and meander through the clean, open space for a couple of minutes. To be honest, I’m relishing the fresh scent of cleaner in the air and the lack of a background scent of mold. Plus, it doesn’t look like my foot’s likely to go through any of the floorboards, which is something.

I let myself into the bedroom, which is just beyond the kitchen. It’s a bright space with a massive bed covered in what I’m hoping are fresh sheets. Doing a quick sniff test confirms no unfamiliar odors, just the smell of washing powder, so I’m trusting that this whole place has been set up for me.

Right now, the bed is calling to me and I’m all out of fucks to give. I quickly strip down to my undies and slide under the sheets, burrowing my face into the soft pillow with a sigh.

Before I let myself sink into my nap, I figure I should let Ember know that I’m all good so he can pass the message along to the others.

“Oi,”I mentally message him. “Just about to take a nap, but wanted to let you know things are going fine here.”

He only takes a second to respond. “Good. Hanna’s been going apeshit since you disappeared and left Rook to let us all know where you’d gone. Trying to get details out of him is like talking to a damn wall, so she’s mad as hell. Don’t be surprised if she shows up sometime this week to see that you’re not being sold at auction or some other shit she’s convinced herself of.”

I snort. Hanna’s a lot when she’s in a mood, and I do feel slightly guilty for not telling her I was moving in here. But then it would have become a whole thing, and I didn’t have the energy to fight with her about my decision to come here. Not when I’d just gotten over warring with myself about it.

“Is everyone all right?”I ask.

“We’re all good. No need to go momma bear on anyone. You focus on your own shit.”

This time I roll my eyes at him, even though he can’t see me. “Thanksdad. Anyway, I’m going to sleep for a thousand years. Still need to catch up from last night.”

“Well, I’m sure one of the handsome princes will come wake you up with a kiss, princess,”he snarks like a total brat.

“Fuck you too, Ember,”I snip back and it’s just like being in the same room as him. My annoying pseudo-brother. I only hesitate for a moment before adding,“One last thing. Could you ask Luna to make up a sleeping draught, especially if Hanna’s heading over here sometime this week?”

“Why, you having trouble sleeping?”

“It’s not for me. Just... it might help with this job, okay?”

“Sure, I’ll ask her.”Although he doesn’t sound too happy about it.

Then again, when does Ember sound happy about anything?

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