Page 7 of Untraced Magic (Cutters Cove Witches #1)

“Sorry, I forgot you’re new. Old Man Cutter runs the local radio station’s graveyard special from 8 p.m. every night. The scary thing is… no one knows who he is, or how every night the radio just clicks over to him.”

I frowned. “You can’t be serious.”

She held her hands in the air, shrugging her shoulders.

“Legend is, there’s a town somewhere around here, cursed never to be seen again. No one knows if it’s true. Some people believe he’s stuck there and doesn’t know we can hear him.”

“That is just crazy,” I scoffed, looking in the mirror again.

“But you have to admit, very cool.” She held up her arms in front of me, revealing a length of goosebumps covering both. “Look at my arms!”

I shook my head at her, and she laughed.

“What? Don’t give me that look. I love that stuff. Now, let's get the hell out of here.” She motioned cheekily to the lipstick in my hand .

I smiled at her. “Fine.”

Reluctantly, I applied the redder-than-a-freaking-fire-truck lipstick and smacked my lips together.

“I guess it’s not that bad,” I said, trying to convince myself as I raked my fingers through my hair. I did look pretty damn good.

“Perfect, let’s go.” She craned her neck into the hall. “Jade, can you give us a ride?”

“Wait, Jade lives here too? Is she not coming with us?”

At that moment Jade walked into the hallway wearing shiny black pants and a cotton tank, her chestnut hair twisted high on her head, held together by what looked like a wooden pencil.

“Hey, Morgan,” she greeted. “Big night out tonight, I hear?”

I chuckled. “Sure seems that way. You’re not joining us?”

She shook her head. “Nah, full moon tonight… All the crazies come out to party.” She circled her fingers near her head with a stiff laugh.

“Ah, okay.” I gave Skye a questionable look as Jade turned towards the door but got nothing in return.

She led us out to a red mini cooper, and I crammed into the backseat, my knees almost hitting my chin. Skye fumbled with the radio knobs.

“Ohhhh, I love this song!” she yelled over the music and started dancing in her seat.

I smiled as the familiar melody filled my ears, and I welcomed its buzz on my skin.

As the chorus hit, Skye’s arms flew wide, and I chimed in with her and Jade, singing at the top of our lungs. “I wanna dance away these days!”

I loved how music had a way of taking you back to your past or escaping the present.

Suddenly, you could be somewhere else. Be someone else.

Or take you back to a time that you never wanted to forget.

I still remembered the song that was playing when I kissed a guy for the first time, dancing in a boozy bar fueled by far too much liquor.

I’d never forgotten that song, and every time I heard it, it was like I was there again, reliving the moment. Music to me was like the passport of memories. Moments stamped in my mind to its own lyrics.

I stared out the car window as it wound through the narrow streets, my attention gravitating to the streetlamps glowing amber above me as we made our way through town. I was right, they did make the place look spooky, barely bright enough to light up the street.

I bounced off my seat as Jade took a stone bridge over a river at a steady pace. “Ouch!” I cried out as my head hit the roof of the mini.

“Sorry!” she chimed from the front seat. “That one always creeps up on me!”

Skye’s hearty laugh erupted from the seat beside her, her head whipping round to find mine. “Nearly there, hold on,” she said with amused eyes.

The car finally came to a stop, pulling me from my thoughts.

Jade wound her head to mine in the back seat. “We’re here. Stay safe, ladies. I’ll meet you in there later. ”

I nodded as Skye tugged at the front seat so I could get out, crisp air gnawing at my legs as my heels hit the pavement.

I leaned back inside the vehicle.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said before shutting the door.

Outside, the streetlight above us flickered on and off on its own terms, our surroundings only otherwise lit by a milky full moon. It cased the area from behind dark clouds, leaving edgy shadows in its wake.

I glanced over at the bar, the stone building’s square structure reminding me of an old courthouse. A line of people stood alongside it eagerly waiting entry. A large timber door was centered at the front, and my gaze fixed on the metal letters that sat above the doorframe.

J I N X E D.

“Weird name for a bar,” I said as we made our way across the street.

Skye eyed me sideways. “I know, but so good, right?”

The air was charged with something unfamiliar; I couldn’t put my finger on it, or maybe it was just my nerves. New town, new venue, new people. Something tugged inside me, nagged at me still.

My gaze found hers. “Are you sure about this place?”

Skye grabbed my wrist, tugging me along. “It’ll be fine! Let’s go.”

She dragged me to the front of the line until we stood beside two stocky security guards that were a few good feet taller than us both. I flashed them an apologetic smile, aware we were jumping the que, but they didn’t seem to care.

“Looking good, ladies. Go on in,” one said, motioning us inside .

They made no attempt to hide their roaming eyes, causing me to hitch my dress down with my free hand. I frowned once again at how short this thing was.

“Do you know them?” I said under my breath.

Skye glanced back with a smirk. “Not at all.”

We walked through the bar’s intimate entrance, a mixture of pine, fresh leather, and men’s cologne hitting my senses. Like lust in a jar if ever there was a fragrance.

Oil lamps lined the walls, giving the entrance a moody vibe, and a large bar ran the length of the massive room off to one side.

At the back were leather-covered booths, each with its own floor-to-ceiling velvet curtain surrounding it.

The booths overlooked an area of dated couches positioned into groups, a pool table off to one side, and at the front was a dance floor full of people.

I eyed the original record player perched on top of what must be some sturdy suitcases from the 1920s and smiled. The dull lighting and grungy music had a seductive stupor about it, and I sank into it, absorbing its energy.

This place spoke to my soul. I loved it.

Skye mouthed over the music, “Let’s get a drink.”

I nodded, letting her zigzag me toward the bar as I scanned the crowd.

We were clearly overdressed.

Damn you, Skye.

She handed me a drink and I tipped my head back, taking a large gulp to take the edge off. I screwed my nose up at the strong taste of liquor easily overpowering whatever was meant to dilute it. My guess was vodka, double shot.

A familiar song came on. “Let’s dance!” I yelled at her, unsure whether she could hear me.

Skye nodded, and we wound our way through the crowd to the dance floor.

Raising my glass over my head, the music consumed me, the bass vibrating through my veins as the lyrics corrupted my mind.

Damn, it felt good to be out. This was my kind of bar.

We circled each other, laughing as we moved to the music, the dance floor a continuous wave of bodies all riding the same high. At some point, the music changed, and the vibe of the bar naturally shifted, people coupling up around us.

I looked across to Skye, who was dancing with a guy I didn’t recognize, when I felt a presence behind me.

Firm hands took hold of my hips from behind, the faint hint of cedar filling my senses. It’d been a long time since I’d felt the rush of a male’s touch, and the mixture of alcohol and lack of sex in my life rifted a need deep within.

The stranger’s lips scraped my ear, his hands brushing my hair away to expose my neck.

“You look divine. I bet you taste delicious.”

His smooth voice held a sly confidence about it. I felt the smile in his tone, like he knew what his body against mine did to me. But taste? This guy was more than confident.

“And your name is?” I said over the music, my back still to him. Hell, I might as well enjoy the rest of the song .

He spun me around to face him, and a smile quirked his mouth as his intense gaze captured my own, his fair complexion taking me by surprise. With hair dark as night and pale skin, his blue eyes glowered with interest.

He had an aged beauty about him I couldn’t grasp. Like centuries had perfected him.

“Jett, and yours?” he said.

I was about to introduce myself to this beautiful stranger when a foreign sensation washed over me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.

“Your name, darling?” he repeated, skimming his hand over my forearm.

His words didn’t register in my brain, my mind somewhere else. Someone was watching us; I was sure of it.

Without warning, a familiar heat landed on my skin, prickling the hairs on my arms.

I knew that feeling… I’d felt it before.

Tyler.