Page 1 of The Baby Hex (Mori’s Mementos #2)

Crilus

Moonscale London

The Apartment Above the Raven’s Perch

“He’s nervous because it’s pitch dark,” my crow said to my wolf.

They weren’t wrong. The air always danced with nervous tension when new clients crept up the back stairs behind the bar to the tiny apartment I used as a workspace.

It wasn’t the main apartment where my cousins crashed with me for now but a smaller one off to the side.

It was supposed to be for storage, but I found other uses for it once I realized it was the perfect spot to host clients.

It wasn’t visible from the street, providing the perfect hideaway for when I needed to partake in magic that wasn’t completely above board.

The same sorts of magic that my sire spat nails about me practicing.

What’s a few hexes here and there? It was in my very elven blood because of him.

It wasn’t like I was enslaving a whole pack of wolves for the sake of a tyrant or to get revenge.

So, what if I hexed a few exes, cast a few revenge spells, and gave a few shifters a short-term case of magical mange?

“Don’t think so hard about Dad. He’ll start paying attention,” my crow warned me.

The birdbrain was right. He wasn’t a wolf, but he was all over the pack link and the family web seemed to grow stronger every day. I moved across an ocean to find some freedom to explore magic, and I didn’t need him butting in on this client in particular.

“Are you up there or is this some serial killer situation?” the cheetah shifter called out.

“You were given the instructions,” I said and took a long sip of my hot chocolate.

“Uh… Question.”

“Ascend.”

“Why can’t I see? I can see in the dark, dude!” he said, his voice quivering the tiniest bit on the ‘dude.’

“My brand of magic isn’t for the weak of spirit,” I said, blowing the sweet steam away from my mug before savoring another sip.

“Nothing about me is weak. This is just bad customer service. Do people really play along with this?” he asked.

“There is nothing to play along with. You were given instructions when you made your request. Either ascend or go back to your mundane life and stop wasting my time. I don’t have all night because you’re a fraidy cat.”

“Does that work on people?” he asked, taking another step up.

I didn’t answer. Either Jon would figure out how to walk up thirteen steps in the dark or he wouldn’t.

His deposit was nonrefundable. So it was no skin off my pointed ears either way.

I pulled my feet up under me in the chair and took another long swig of my hot chocolate.

The creamy liquid was going cold because Jon the cheetah couldn’t be bothered to hurry it up.

For the fastest land mammal, he wasn’t living up to his reputation at all.

A few minutes later, Jon sprinted up the last few steps and squinted at me through the candlelight when he reached the top. His lip snarled making him look even more like the annoyed cat he was.

“So nice of you to finally join me,” I said, pointing to the spot on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. “Sit.”

“Why do I have to sit on the floor?” he asked, opening his mouth to breathe in the scent of the room.

He crinkled his nose and shook his head. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Big cats seldom loved the scents that went along with my brand of magic.

“Sit,” I said again. “Look, you’re the one who needs my help. Either you do what I ask, or you leave empty handed.”

“How do I know for sure that you can even get the job done?” he asked, running his hands through midnight black hair before lowering himself onto the floor.

“You don’t,” I met his gaze. “Except you’ve heard what I can do. You’ve heard about the clan my genetics hail from. Meadow Clan Elves have never had a problem using their magic for whatever they wanted.”

“I also heard the Crow King’s forces beat their asses and wiped them off the face of the earth.”

“Not so. My sire survived as did his siblings. They are the Meadow Clan now. So am I. So do you want to flesh out your needs or do you want me to give you whatever I think you need?”

His eyes went big and for a second, I thought he was going to ask me what I thought he needed.

He wasn’t brave enough to make that inquiry.

Most of my clients weren’t. Instead, Jon leaned back on the heels of his hands and studied me in the candlelight.

He had midnight black hair and big cat eyes.

He was tall with long limbs and pursed his lips whenever he thought too hard.

His eyes shone brightly with my reflection.

My hair was down, and I wore the traditional elven robes that I spent two weeks sewing before I opened shop here.

The robes had nothing to do with my magic, but they did mean clients were willing to pay more because they believed the robes made me more authentic.

“I need you to make me loyal,” he said.

“Loyalty isn’t a quality magic can bestow. If you lack it in your character, you’d be better off with a therapist than me,” I said, hating to admit the truth because it meant saying goodbye to the other half of his payment.

“No, make me be loyal to this guy.”

“Which guy?” I asked, keeping my face neutral to hide how intriguing this request was.

Normally clients wanted me to bend the will of their partners to be loyal to them.

That wasn’t something I was willing to do but I was more than willing to hear them out and write anonymous letters to the magical council to watch out for them in the future.

“The guy I’m dating. Nic. I think he’s the one.”

“Then you won’t cheat on him,” I said, arching a brow. “Or at least you shouldn’t. Is it so hard to keep your dick in your pants? If it is, again, I must suggest therapy or perhaps waiting for your true-mate.”

“I love him but…”

“But?” I asked, my crow surfacing to the forefront of my mind and clicked his tongue. “Love shouldn’t be followed by a but. Why’s it so important to stay loyal to this particular guy? I bet you’ve cheated on your partners before.”

In fact, I knew he had. He’d been hexed with magical mange twice before by different partners, but I’d never admit to my part in that.

My loyalties lay with my friends, family, and magic.

Clients were a whole different breed, and I’d take money from both sides of an argument if it was offered and didn’t step on my moral compass.

“I---”

“Let me guess,” I said, sliding my feet onto the floor and leaning forward.

“This Nic guy is set to inherit his carrier’s cosmetics company any time now.

The old dragoness has one foot through the door and the other on a banana peel.

You could really use being in a family with that much money, huh? ”

Jon swallowed hard and my eyes turned black from my crow. I turned my head to the side, letting my smaller inner beast take over my motor skills for a moment.

“How did you know that?”

“I am the all seeing eye of birds,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “I’ll tell you what, Jon, I can do this for you. I can make you loyal to Nic for all eternity.”

“Ummm… Maybe scratch the eternity part. I was thinking for a few months. Maybe a year. We need to get married and….”

“Eternity,” I said again. “Eternity unless you pay a lot more. I have your number now.”

The door he came through slammed shut, and he spun around on his butt to face it, putting out the candles with his momentum.

“What the fuck, man?! I paid you!”

“You did and I’ve heard you out. Don’t you know that magic has a mind of its own and you came here to do something very naughty,” I stood up and crossed the room.

“You’re going to pay me and you’re going to confess to Nic all your wrongdoings.

You’re going to tell him exactly what you want from him or you’re going to spend eternity with him.

This life. The next and the next. Consider all the problems you’ll have with your true-mate and his.

From what the birds tell me Nic’s true-mate is a giant of a man this time who is currently in anger management but loyal you can be… ” I said, reaching out for him.

Jon crawled backwards away from me like he was a crab instead of a cheetah.

“Don’t touch me!” he hissed.

“Do we have a deal?” I asked, leaning closer and turning my head so that one black eye stared into his soul.

“How much?” Jon asked, pushing himself upright.

“Eternity or I’ll send you the bill for not stripping you of your freewill for being such a lowlife bottom sucker,” I spat the words out.

“I’ll pay!” he nodded hard and fast.

“And you’ll tell Nic why you pursued him.”

“No,” Jon shook his head. “Everyone loves Nic --- I’ll never get laid again!”

“Good. Maybe you won’t keep catching mange, then,” I said, pursing my lips. “Have we reached an agreement, or should I start reweaving your fate, Jon Alp?”

“I’ll---- I’ll do it! What the fuck, man? Do you think I won’t tell everyone about this?”

“Tell them what? That you came up here for my help stealing someone’s family legacy?” I arched a brow. “You have three days, or you’ll be stuck with him forever. His whims will be your only commands. Even with that one thing you’re not too keen on doing. He does want to do that. So much.”

“Just send me the bloody invoice!” he said, tossing his hands up and turning to sprint down the steps.

He smacked into the shut door and had to backtrack a few steps and go out of it properly once he had it opened.

I followed on his heels and locked the door leading onto the street once he was gone.