Once Bitten (Shadow Guild: The Rebel #1)(37)

“I can’t believe this place,” I murmured.

“Well, get used to it. These are your people now.”

I spotted two inebriated men brawling, horns protruding from their heads and drunken eyes rolling as they tried unsuccessfully to land a punch.

“Uhhh…” I said.

“Not those old goats. They’re not your people.” She pointed to some laughing women who looked mostly normal as they sat at an outdoor cafe drinking wine. “They are. Or maybe the old dudes playing cribbage over there.” She laughed.

“You know, I’m not bad at cribbage.”

“Maybe you can give old Larry and Watson a run for their money one day.”

“I’d like to try.”

As we passed through the main city gate and walked down the darkened tunnel to the other side, I felt a prickle of attention that made my heart race.

The Devil was watching. I could feel it in my soul, in the way the gaze felt like a caress over my skin.

“Can the Devil see inside here?” I asked.

“It’s safe to assume he can see almost anywhere,” Mac said. “Either through magic or through a secret hiding place. That man has eyes everywhere.”

I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably. “Cool, cool, cool.”

We reached the other side, and when we stepped out into the light, the ether pulled me in and spun me through space. A moment later, we appeared in the empty, darkened hallway of the Haunted Hound.

Quinn, the handsome bartender, stood near the shelves of liquor, adding another bottle. He looked at us, and his brows rose. “Come to cover your shift, Mac?”

“Ah, no. Can you?”

His eyebrows lowered, but his glower did nothing to obscure his handsome face.

“I’m helping Carrow,” Mac said.

Quinn’s face cleared again, and he seemed to be considering. “I could help Carrow. Be delighted to.”

“You don’t know what we’re doing. She’d be better off with me.”

“I’m not so sure of that.”

“We’re going to get our hair done.”

He scowled. “Liar. But I’ll still cover for you.”

“Thanks a million,” Mac said. “You’re a hero.”

“Seriously,” I added. “Thank you. I could really use the help.”

“Need a second person?” Quinn asked.

“We’ve got it,” Mac said with a grin. “You’ll have to flirt with her later.”

“I’ll count down the hours,” he replied, charming as hell.

Unfortunately, it didn't do much for me. Sure, he was hot and nice, but he was no scary vampire with mind control. Which seemed to be the only guy I was interested in right now, which was insane, because I was also freaking scared of him.

“Actually,” Mac said. “We could maybe use some bailout help later.”

“Bailout help?” I asked.

“Hopefully not. But there’s no point having friends if they can’t bail you out of trouble.”

“What are you up to?” Quinn asked.

“Breaking into the city morgue,” I said.

“And if we get in trouble, we might call you,” Mac said. “We’ve already got the witches as an option, but they’re unreliable. You’re not.”

“That’s true. But why are you giving me a heads-up? Normally, you wait until you’re up shit creek to ask for a paddle.”

“Because we’re going to look different.” Mac dug into her pocket and held up two little potion bottles. “And we need you to know which two damsels to come rescue.”

“You’ve never been a damsel.”

“Damn right I haven’t.” She grinned.

She handed me a tiny vial of potion. “This one is for you. Specially formulated by the witches.”

“Thanks.” It was warm in my hand—unusually so.

“Same time?”

“Yep.” I uncorked the vial and raised it, waiting for Mac.

Together, we swigged them back. Mine tasted disgustingly sweet and syrupy, and a shiver went through my whole body, followed quickly by a shaft of pain. I doubled over, the pain turning to agony.

Were the witches trying to kill me?

Mac groaned and nearly collapsed.

Scratch that, they were trying to kill both of us.

As suddenly as it had arrived, the pain departed. I gasped and stood. Mac did the same, and I gasped.

Quinn started to chuckle, his gaze moving between the two of us.

Mac looked different. Like, way different.

And not in a good way.

In fact, she reminded me of a toad—green skin and all. The only good part was that she was still standing on two legs and not four.

“Wow, you’re hot!” Mac said.

“What?” I asked.

“Yeah. Totally hot. What do I look like?”

“Uh…”

“Come on,” Quinn said. “There’s a mirror behind the bar.”

We followed him out. The place was half full, but no one paid us any mind.

Well, that wasn’t quite true. There were some looks, a few cringes, but they didn’t point and laugh, so I considered it a win. Apparently, frog girls were normal in the Haunted Hound.