Page 122 of How to Flirt with a Witch

Millie balls her hand into a fist, letting it drop. She looks over her shoulder, her gaze skating over the people who might be eavesdropping.

She smiles and squares her shoulders. “It was nice meeting you, Katie. Get well soon.”

Before I can open my mouth, she walks away, leaving me with just as many questions—and ready to do something desperate to get them answered.

I glance at my bag, where that business card might as well be fighting like an animal trying to get out of a cage.

Hazel’s warning about Natalie lingers in the back of my mind. “I feel like there’s still a lot you don’t know about her.”

There’s a lot I don’t know about any of this. But if I’m going to continue to risk my life to keep the world safe, to uphold my oath, I need somebody to tell me what I don’t know. I have to understand what I’m fighting for, why it matters, and what I’m up against. That’snottoo much to ask.

Contacting Freddie is a dangerous move and a betrayal to CSAMM—and more importantly, to Natalie. But…

A lack of information is worse. This isn’t just about solving a mystery or satisfying my curiosity. This is about understanding people—my guiding force. I’ve seen how understanding can make all the difference—it improved my relationships with my sisters and countless others in my life. I’ve never regretted having knowledge when the alternative is ignorance.

Now, CSAMM is keeping something important from me. What critical mistake am I going to make by not knowing? Who is going to suffer as a result?

There must be a reason Freddie Madsen is willing to kill to obtain magic. And I might be the only person in CSAMM close enough to him to ask why.

As the phone rings in my ear for a fourth time, my nerve is about to snap. I crumple the business card in my clammy palm and let out a shaky breath.

Sitting on my bed, it’s hard not to remember all the time Natalie and I have spent here. Murmured conversations while sharing a pillow, grappling with feelings I’ve never had for anyone…

A pang of guilt shoots through my gut. This is a betrayal. I should hang up before—

A voice breaks through the silence. “Hello?”

My mouth goes dry. I don’t know how I expected Freddie to answer the phone, but the ordinary greeting and his soft, pleasant tone are at odds with what I know about him.

Unable to sit still, I swing my good leg, my toes brushing the floor. “It’s Katie.”

A pause. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear those words.”

His voice is deep and close, tingling down my spine.

“Yeah, well, keep it in your pants. I just have a question.”

He chuckles. “One question leads to another, and another—”

A dog barks in the background, and I wince.

“Wyatt wants to know how your ankle is doing,” Freddie says.

I ignore the taunt, eager to get this conversation over with. “What do you know about the other type of magic? The kind nobody can talk about.”

“Ah. So you’ve found out about it. Is this what finally tempts you over to me?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” I chuck his business card on the floor for Ethel to play with, relishing the sight of her sinking her claws into it. Petty, but satisfying.

“What do I get in exchange for answering your question?” Freddie asks.

I hesitate. I’m not about to promise my allegiance, even if he tells me everything.

“I want one of those vials from Alchemy 13,” he says.

“I don’t have access.”And it’s a lot more complicated than getting your hands on a vial, dumbass.

“Then figure out how to get one some other way. Slip your hand into Nat’s pocket while you two are making out and take one.”