Page 9 of Hexed & Hazy

Seth hops out of the car and turns to me, offering a hand. He’s just being polite, I think, but it still makes my mouth dry when my soft fingers brush against his strong, calloused ones. He keeps hold of me as I lower myself from the truck.

Ozan’s heavy footsteps tell me he’s going inside, but Seth and I remain there for a moment. My fingers slip out of his, the warmth of his touch leaving me too soon.

“You’ll be okay,” I whisper. “Hexes are temporary.”

“How temporary?”

Snowflakes fall into his hair, sticking to the inky strands.

A smile threatens to tug at the corner of my lips. “Depends on how badly you upset the witch, I’m afraid. Come on. It’s cold out.”

“But—”

“We’ll talk about it later. The last thing we want is to make the others wait, yes?”

I’ve never been a fan of being late, and Seth—Seth, who was already late to meet me once—should argue with me. He doesn’t. A rain cloud floats above his head—metaphorically, of course—as we trudge into the weathered red house. It’s a towering home, one that has enough room for each of my four sisters.

And me. I’m still here, and I’m unsure if I'll ever leave, or if I want to.

The entryway to the home is clear of snow, thanks to Ozan—or perhaps it was Mac’s turn to clear it out. When we stomp into the home, warmed by a woodstove and too many bodies, I turn to see the water droplets sticking to Seth’s dark hair and lashes.

I scurry farther inside.

This is the only place I’ve ever been able to call home. My mother could have said the same, and her mother before her. Rosemary and smoke permeate the air, and there are plenty of comfortable seats—from the well-worn sofa to the large table in the dining room. A large red rug splays over the living room floor, padding the sound of my shoes as I walk through.

Seth’s mother, Liezel, rests on a rocking chair near the fireplace, chatting with Mac’s mother, Edith. I can always see so much of Seth in Liezel. She’s an older Filipino woman with the same warm bronze complexion and deep eyes. Her hair, though it’s as dark as his, is peppered with gray streaks—likely from the stress of raising three children on her own. Still, she has nary a wrinkle on her face, aside from the beautiful lines in the corners of her eyes.

I stop by and hug her—she’s always been a hugger, and I’m willing to make exceptions for my no-hugging rule.

Hugging Liezel is warm and safe. She wraps both arms around me, tender but firm, and I inhale her familiar perfume—the same one she’s been wearing since I was young.

Mac’s mother, Eden, is not the hugging type. I offer her the same stiff nod I always have, and she does the same.

“How are you feeling?” I ask Liezel uneasily.

Many of my sisters are more comfortable around death than I am. Juniper’s goddess is Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld. Laurel’s patron is Hermes, a psychopomp. My patron goddess, Athena, may be an expert in battle plans, but she’s no help in moments like these, when I’m facing the potential loss of someone I care for so deeply.

Liezel has been ill for years, but her bright spirit remains. That’s what I hang onto.

“I’ll be better once we’re eating,” Liezel says, chuckling under her breath.

I laugh and shake my head. “Soon, I’m sure. Do you know what Maple is making?”

Maple is an expert chef. Though she’s more skilled in pastries and sweets, she’s just as good at anything savory.

Eden chimes in. “Roast chicken.”

“Perfect.” I look toward the kitchen, where laughter and bantering float in.

Before I can leave, Liezel grabs my hand. “You have been watching out for Seth, haven’t you?”

I freeze. Does she already know about the hex? I certainly won’t be the one to tell her.

I clear my throat and nod, incapable of meeting her gaze. “Of course. Seth will be all right.”

When I finally detangle myself from her, I know I’m correct. Seth is huddled in a corner of the kitchen, smiling at something Laurel—my younger sister—is rambling about. I can’t watch them together.

Seth and Laurel have been best friends for as long as they’ve known each other, and while Laurel is now in a serious relationship with a demon who rules a sector of the Underworld—somehow, that still sounds so strange—I know he’s always wanted her.