Page 36 of How to Flirt with a Witch

Hazel’s grip is so tight on my arm that I can tell she’s going to detonate like a bomb the second we hang up.

“Okay,” I say, breathless.

Natalie ends the call before I can ask what the favor is.

I turn to Hazel. My inner victory dance is reflected on her face.I did it.The plan worked, and Natalie is finally going to answer some questions!

I just have to wonder what changed… and what favor she could possibly need from me.

Natalie steps out of a black electric car in a forest green button-up shirt, tight jeans, Vans to match the shirt, and her hair in that deep side-sweep. With her smooth movements and posture, she radiates such strong energy that it takes everything in me not to drool a little.

My parents got me a tapered wool coat for Christmas, thank God, because otherwise I would be in the ski jacket she met me in when I stumbled into the vet’s office—so between that, my most flattering jeans, and a tight black shirt, I’m feeling cute and confident as I walk over. I may or may not have spent an hour curling my hair and doing full makeup.

Natalie holds the passenger door open for me, and my knees weaken at the gesture. As I get in, her dark eyes trace over me and she smooths the front of her shirt, making my stomach swoop. Am I imagining the way her gaze is lingering?

It smells like her in here—warm, herbal, with a hint of sweetness. As she shuts the door and walks around to the driver’s side, I take a deep breath to get ahold of myself, which is a terrible idea because now my whole body is full of her scent.

I put on my seatbelt. “So, are you taking me to the Temple of Zacharias where all cursed items are stored?”

Her cheeks lift, giving me a peek of her dimples. “Not exactly.”

“But you’ll tell me what’s going on?”

“I’ll answer some of your questions in exchange for meeting up with me like this.”

Ha. She says it as if meeting up with her is a burden.

We drive through Vancouver, heading north. The sun’s long rays glint off patches of lingering snow, and Natalie puts on a pair of dark sunglasses.

Ugh, those cheekbones.

“You’re right that you’ve been finding curses.” Her words come out terse, like she’s struggling with the confession. “It’s my job to get rid of them.”

Everything inside me erupts into a victory dance.Ho-ly crap.

All my questions fight their way to my lips. The one that comes out is, “When you sayget rid of them—”

“I didn’t murder a kitten, Katie.”

“Good.”

When she doesn’t elaborate on what happened to Lucy, I move onto my next question. “Whyare all these things cursed?”

Her jaw works. “That’s one question I can’t answer. I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, but I’m breaking the rules for a reason.” Behind her sunglasses, she gives me a sidelong glance. “There’s something about you that I can’t figure out.”

“Okay…” It’s funny to think she can’t figure me out when I’m not the one running around with mysterious vials in my jacket.

She turns down West Broadway, making me wonder how far we’re going. A ripple of nerves flows through me. She’s not taking me to the highway, is she? Oh God, did I just get into a car with a stranger without thinking twice?

Natalie taps her fingers on the wheel and shifts in her seat. “When I asked you what attracted you to that kitten—”

“Lucy.” I’m determined not to reduce her tothat kitten, no matter what Natalie says about her not being what I think she was.

“Lucy.” She glances sideways at me again, a flash of concern. “I wanted to know whether you picked up on the curse or if it was a fluke. Then you came to me with a second item, and…” She huffs. “It’s rare for me to see someone more than once. People end up with curses by accident. It’s happened before that I’ve seen the same person two or three times, but only because they themselves were cursed.”

I look sharply at her. “Thepersonwas…?”

“Yeah.” She rolls to a stop at a light and turns to me. Her expression is steady. “But I don’t think you are. I think, somehow, you can sense curses. You sensed it in Lucy and in the doll.”