Page 14 of Hexed & Hazy

If Laurel had her way, he’d wait for the hex to expire. But I can see how it’s affecting Seth mentally. I want to help.

“Something like that,” I say.

“Cool.” Laurel inspects her nails—covered in chipped green polish, a perfect match for her waist-length hair. She has fresh finger tattoos, symbols belonging to Hermes and her demon girlfriend. It’s romantic, I suppose, though I would never give myself such a permanent mark. “You know, I’m fantastic at studying.”

I snort. “Since when?”

There’s no dissuading her. When I sit down at the kitchen table, they both join me. I can’t explain the prickle of annoyance; something I shouldn’t feel. Having another witch around is helpful. Laurel is a divination witch and a seer, able to see potential future outcomes. I won’t underestimate her magic.

The truth is hidden behind a veil—the real reason her presence is frustrating me—and I would prefer not to pull it back at this moment.

Jealousy. Again. For no good reason.

It’s not her fault that Seth is in love with her.

I flip the grimoire open. “There are a few generic hex-clearing spells we can try out, but hexes are strange. They’re trickster magic, often enlisting the help of trickster gods.”

“Hermes, maybe?” Laurel fiddles with the necklace around her neck—winged shoes.

“It could be him, but I have a feeling it’s a trickster love god in this case.” I shrug. “Aphrodite is considered a trickster deity by some. Or perhaps no god at all. There are other ways to call into the power for a simple hex.”

Seth peers at the book over my shoulder, but I doubt he knows what he’s looking at. “Are we going to do this one?”

“It requires a full moon. Are you willing to wait a month?”

He groans. “I guess.”

I flip the page. “I believe the best course of action is to find the witch who cast the hex. That’s the only foolproof way to remove the spell, and it allows us to make things right.”

Seth’s face, usually so jovial, becomes serious. “I guess that’s true. But how are we going to do that?”

Laurel’s eyes light up. “I have an idea…”

“No tarot,” I say, shaking my head.

As much as I respect the form of divination, it isn’t my favorite. It’s too emotional. Listening to the stars and studying their exact positions is far more helpful. No matter how many ways I’ve looked at the transits, I must admit, they haven’t told me anything about Seth’s condition.

The stars aren’t even aligned properly for a hex. Whoever cast this spell on him is likely sloppy, younger, or lacks a decent mentor. That should make it easier to break, but it also makes it more unreliable. Unsafe, even. The witch may be operating with raw magic and intention, and emotional spells tend to backfire—on both ends.

A hex usually won’t do long-term damage, but they’ve been known to cause people to lose jobs, relationships, and opportunities, and even to sustain injuries. If we do this right, we can avoid all of that.

“Why not?” Laurel pouts and crosses her arms. “Maybe it can give us some ideas, help us know where to try first. Trust me, if you’re going to comb through everyone Seth has hung out with lately⁠—”

“The list wouldn’t be that long,” Seth says defensively.

It should be his choice, though I’m sure I can handle this alone. Maybe she can help him more than I can.

I watch Seth with a level expression. “Would you like Laurel’s help?”

I don’t know why I’m holding my breath. Waiting. Everyone who wants to help should be able to, but the idea of him choosing Laurel’s assistance over mine is a punch to the gut.

He shrugs as if his answer means nothing, and I’m once again left feeling like a fool. “Sure. Why not?”

This won’t be the first tarot reading he’s received, and some people—people who aren’t me—find them helpful.

I hold back a sigh. “Fine.”

Laurel perks up, running upstairs with preternatural speed borrowed from her patron deity. I look away from Seth and scratch my cheek, twitchy and ill at ease.