“You also said that you’d give me the time.”
“It’s at seven.”
“I mean, the date before, ya know, the day of?” I looked toward the clock. I had less than an hour.
“Oh, well, I’m sorry,” apologized Faith. “Will you still be there? It’s at the Mud Queen down on Locust at seven. I guess I should’ve told you that sooner, huh? You’re right. Sorry.”
“It’s fine, though it would’ve been helpful.”
“I almost forgot too.” A loud bang sounded on her end of the phone. “But then I saw it in the planner Essie got me for Yule.”
“Faith, what are you doing?”
“Reorganizing. Again. I started a new track of study within my Arthurian quest, and it is going oddly well. Did you know that though the Arthurian era was mainly thought to be during the medieval age, there are references of people having experiences and connecting stories all the way up until World War II? I had no idea until now. Witchcraft in World War II, Ana!”
“That does sound super cool.”
“I’m working on it.”
“I’m glad.” I listened as she hummed. I glanced back at Dom, who was listening in with a single raised bushy eyebrow. “You’ll be at pottery, right?”
“Oh, yes, of course. I signed us up for two after all. I’m the one reminding you. I’ll be there. I just have a few things to get done first …”
“At seven.” I put my hand on my forehead, shutting my eyes again.
“I’ll see you there. Come creative!”
“I …” I didn’t finish whatever it was to confirm her hopes of me before Faith hung up, likely flipping through whatever oversize interlibrary loan had ended up on her desk.
Clicking off the phone, I dropped it on the bed before I leaned back into the pillows again. I could fall asleep right here and ignore everything for a little while longer, including the fact that, somehow, Dom had squeezed his way in next to me on the bed, against the wall. Had he climbed over me?
I moaned, as if in pain from this whole day.
“Well, now, I know what we have to do tonight.”
“Another new and improved ritual?” Dom asked, trying to sound excited.
I rolled my eyes at how fake it’d sounded.
“Something like that.” I might have let myself and Dom down today, but I wasn’t going to let down Faith.
I watched Dom stretch as he climbed out of my bed without a word and headed toward where he had left his boots by the couch.
That was something at least.
9
Mud Queen was lit up on the corner with its round sign out front. After losing the battle of whether to drive the few blocks across town, I was able to take a deep breath the moment I was outside Dom’s car again. He wasn’t a bad driver. In fact, he had found the place without directions easily enough. But the two of us had been silent the whole way across the bridge and onto Main Street and then turning onto Locust.
The moment Dom and I had left the apartment, it had felt as if something had been altered between us. For the past week, we had been sharp and quick with our words. Now, we were quiet, and it made energy buzz inside of me, growing just like the curse the closer he stood to my side. This was starting to feel like a worse and worse idea.
Now, we were here.
Faith had better be too.
I slammed the passenger door behind me, looking toward the large brown shop that must’ve been a home at some point, like many Barnett businesses.
Shoving one hand into his pocket, Dom used the other to direct me up the path. “Ladies first.”
