Page 13 of Curses & Cold Brew (Maple Hollow #2)
RAMONA
I never should’ve put her in that kind of danger. What was I thinking? As I retraced my steps, my fury rose until I was drowning in all the things I shouldn’t have done. Including waiting for Iris to storm off toward the apothecary so I could reenter the demonic council without her.
I straightened my coat, trying not to think of that look in her eyes.
A good demon would’ve taken her help, put her in harm’s way, let her get herself killed.
I shouldn’t care. But apparently, there were some things that I refused to waste, use, and abuse.
Most souls, I wanted to hunt, but Iris’s, I wanted to protect.
And I wasn’t willing to examine that thought any further.
Charging back through the hall and into the atrium, I spotted Naphula leaning against the pillar at the foot of the stairs. “I had a feeling you’d need backup,” she said and held out her hand.
Naphula made a fist then opened it again a moment later. In a flash of magic, a large pastry box appeared in the air before it delicately landed in her outstretched palm. “Apple cider donut?”
I gave her a quizzical look.
She’d never been one for sweets, but my old friend clearly knew my penchant for them. I appreciated the thought after several shitty days in a row. And I suspected it wasn’t a great hardship for her to visit the beautiful werewolf baker who seemed to have snagged her attention.
“Where did you manage to get those?” I asked.
She grinned. “The bakery, of course.”
“No, those.” I pointed to the marks on her forearm that peeked out from her sleeve. The flesh looked like it was freshly healed with a bright pink hue.
“It’s nothing.” She pulled her arm back, but I wasn’t going to let her get away without explaining.
“Aw, come on, Naphula, tell me. You getting freaky with that succubus again?”
She pursed her lips, her brow pinched, and challenged my power of will. “A one-night tryst may have gotten out of hand.”
I winked at her. “I knew it.”
With a laugh, she opened the box and handed me a still-warm donut. The wafting scent of cinnamon and melted butter made me salivate. “Before you cross the void and get the both of us in trouble for not being able to handle our shit here on this plane, run through your plan with me, okay?”
I bit into the soft crumb and savored it, disregarding the granules of sugar that fell onto my lapels. “There are a few bounty hunters in hell who could help us,” I mused.
“What outcome are you hoping for, Mona? Because I have a feeling Billy will not be happy if a horde of demon underlings swarms the town looking for a needle in all his decorative fucking haystacks.”
“I still have solutions. This isn’t a lost battle, even though I still appreciate the consolation pastries. Who’s the top hunter these days?” I knew that the threat of souls being taken out from under me was a more serious matter than employing a freelancer. “Shax, perhaps?”
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 the L word. “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.”