Page 79 of Hexed, Vexed, & Undersexed

The shaman in question growls at my impolite request.

Bellamy steps forward and sweeps a protective hand across me, pushing me out of Bodie’s way.

“We have unfinished business,” Ballamy snarls at the shaman.

I look back at Bellamy in confusion, but then I hear him remembering what Bodie did to me—locking me in the room with the fire to kill me.

“Awwwww,”I coo mentally,“You totally like to me!”

“Don't push it, Princess,”he returns severely.

I refocus attention on Preston. He is still glaring daggers at Jake—who is hunched on the floor, covering his bleeding face. Chance huddles next to him, clearly upset at the display of violence.

“I hit him because he pretended to be your friend,” Preston explains simply.

I realize that he’s right. I expect Mindy and Bodie to be assholes; they’re the bad guys, after all, but I didn't expect Jake’s and Chance’s betrayal. It hurts worse because I thought that they were true friends.

“Why?” I ask quietly, struggling to understand.

“Mindy is Jake’s sister,” Chance explains.

Of course the bitch has to have family members that I actually like.

Why couldn’t she just be a lone witch hater?

“And to think that the glitter was starting to grow on me,” I lament facetiously.

“Don't worry, Princess,”Bellamy taunts mentally.“I'll be sure to get you some for Christmas.”

“Don't even fucking think about it!”I snarl right back at him.

Bellamy chuckles, making Bodie tense.

“Can we just get on with this?” the shaman demands.

“Thank you,” Mindy agrees. “Do you think we're stupid enough to believe that Mother Shipton's prophecies are buried somewhere in the Salem woods?”

I kind of give her a look and shrug.

“Um. . . yeah—that’s why we said it.”

From the floor, Jake lets out a muffled laugh, and my heart squeezes before I remember that he's the enemy now.

“You little bitch!” Mindy sneers.

“It's witch, get it right, but I can work with both names,” I rejoin lightly.

“I'm going to end you and your little whore harem, but first, you're going to tell me where the prophecies are.”

I raise a brow at this announcement.

“I highly doubt Bodie is magically strong enough to overpower the three of us,” I challenge, indicating Kai, Bellamy, and myself.

“Ahem,” Preston clears his throat, “there's four people here.”

“You know what I meant—three peoplemagically,” I hastily clarify.

His shoulders droop and I realize my mistake. I open my mouth to take my foot out of it, but Bellamy cuts me off through our bond.