Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)(102)

“WHATCHA WORKING on?” Jeremy asked as he lounged over Simone’s desk trying to look at the paperwork covering it.

Simone separated her files into four piles. She pointed at the first one. “Human glamour failure.” Her finger moved to the next one. “Hex gone wrong.” She pointed at the remaining files with two fingers. “Suspected but unproven hexes. Why are you so interested?”

“You guys are acting weird.” Jeremy crossed his arms. “I know you’ve been working overtime, but I haven’t seen a case that warrants it.”

“Hmmm.” Simone rubbed her chin. “It’s almost like you can’t be trusted. I wonder where you got that idea from.”

“Ah. Pushing me to the side to make you assholes feel better about yourselves. Congratulations, you’re acting like a bunch of primary school children.”

“Is that your way of admitting we’re hurting your feelings?”

“No, but it does add to my feeling of superiority over you.”

“Keep telling yourself that, and no, you can’t sit at our lunch table.”

“Are you still pissed at me?”

Simone looked up at him. “More like I’m disappointed in myself for thinking that you’d grown up a little. You might act like less of an asshole sometimes, but you’re the same secretive guy who won’t trust anyone. I’m tired of making the same mistake. That’s all.” She waved her hand at the inner door. “You can go now.”




SIMONE COUNTED down. A few more seconds and she would see if the spell had worked. She rubbed her bandaged thumb that she had prodded with a needle numerous times. If it didn’t work, she had probably created an extremely dangerous love spell. The whole blur on the picture slowly solidified into the red outline of a man with his arms around Desmond’s neck. “It’s working!”

Edarra focused her inhuman vision on Simone’s work. “There’s no discernible bone structure to his face yet. How long before the image is whole?”

“Half a day maybe, but we can’t hold on to it any longer if we want to keep Psycho Bitch in the dark.” Simone sighed as she turned over the photo to Edarra. “I guess I won’t get to see who it is.”

“That might be for the best. I don’t think it’s a good idea to be in possession of something that people will kill for. I’ll be on my way.”

After Edarra was gone, Simone picked up the copy of the unaltered photo that she had doused earlier with a potion that had failed. That concoction didn’t have any of her hair or blood, so it was safe to leave remnants on it for more authenticity when they gave it to the energy vamp. Simone took out the newspaper clipping of a year-old obituary used as packing paper in one of their recently delivered boxes. She imagined the stranger’s facial features in her mind. The outline of his lips and deep eyes appeared, and then she pictured the outline of his chin.

Soft footsteps entered the lobby, and she looked up to see Clive standing near her desk.

“Finished?” he asked.

“Yep.” Simone slid the copy to Clive to inspect it. She might not agree with his outlook on Desmond, but those photos were her best work. They were also good enough that she was glad Clive and Psycho Bitch wouldn’t blab to the world that she performed the spell. Not hiring out her services as a full consultant would look even more suspicious. She had really lucked out being sent to an otherworlder with no clue about coven politics.

Clive inspected the copy from every angle and nodded in respect. “I can’t tell the difference between this and the original.”

“Awesome.”

Clive put on the coat that had been resting in the crook of his arm. “Now it’s my turn to take the reins.”

“Be careful,” Simone said as Clive tipped his head again and left. She let out a large breath as she reached under her sweater to hold her amulet. “Please let this be the end of it, and don’t let my boss get killed.”




THE CROWDS cheered at the TV as a football team with gold helmets crossed the thick line in front of the tall yellow fork. A frosted beer slid next to Clive’s hand.

The energy vamp sat next to him without glancing in his direction. “I’m flattered a knight like yourself feels so threatened by me, but warding the whole block from energy drainage was excessive.”

Clive took the photo from his pocket and held it at waist-level below the bar. “Not taking precautions would be foolhardy.”

The witch sighed. “I hate how otherworlders don’t underestimate me for being a woman. That makes them so much harder to kill. My essence.”

Clive reluctantly passed her the small envelope. I wish Jeremy had told me about it instead of handing it over to her when good planning could have made this a great weapon.

“You shouldn’t look so disappointed. It only would have been used to annoy me. Give Mr. Ragsdale my love.” She got up and left while the crowd broke out into loud groans.

“Are you paying for her meal?” the server asked.

The energy vamp was already gone from sight. “Evidently so.”





Chapter 26


THE PHONE rang. Clive glanced at it, and his fingers felt heavy with dread. His clairvoyance was a minimal ability, so when it warned him of bad news, his day was going to all the hells. He reached for the phone and crashing noises filled the room before it touched his ear.