Page 28 of Herbs & Hex-breaking

“Whatever you did on Halloween seems to be working,” she said.

They’d also had some good news with the paperwork for the house they were buying. Things seemed to be moving forward for them at last. Still, before she left, I gave her a protection candle compliments of Circe and a fresh herbal protection sachet that I’d made, urging her to keep the tiny bag on her person.

She promised that she would. “Thank you for everything!” she said, giving me a hug. “Tell Circe I said thanks, too!”

“Of course,” I said, patting her back. “Keep in touch, and blessed be, Hattie.”

With a smile on her face and a bounce in her step Hattie Broussard left the store, and it cheered me, knowing that I’d been able to help her.

Now it was Friday evening, and I had just pulled my car in the parking spot behind my section of the building. Night had fallen, and what Alabama claimed for fall foliage had already passed and fallen, dry leaves were scuttling along the pavement. I’d run to the store for groceries and climbed out of my car, slung my purse over my shoulder, popped open the trunk, and reached in to pull out my groceries.

I was hefting the first bag up when the security lights mounted to the rear of the buildings went out with a sizzle and a loud pop. My solar plexus tightened painfully in a warning. Pivoting, I surveyed the area. Suddenly a cold breeze rushed through and with it a shift in the energy. Dogs began to howl, and the barometric pressure dropped. The air felt heavier... Something or someone was trying to cloak their presence.

For the first time ever, I found that I did not feel safe in the alley behind our building. I allowed the bag of groceries to slip out of my arms, and it plopped back into my trunk. My Mama hadn’t raised a fool. I wanted my arms free, for whatever was about to happen. Shifting the keys I still held in my hand, I secured them in my fist, between my fingers and pointy end out, in case I would have to use them as a weapon.

Swinging my head around, I tried to pinpoint where danger was coming from. I had a split second to decide if I should dive back in my car and lock the door, or if I should try and haul ass up the rear stairs and get into my apartment. My intuition said I didn’t have that much time. The car then.

I began to back towards the driver’s side door and reached with my left hand, feeling for the door handle. My thumb slid over the unlock button on the key fob when I saw a figure approach from out of the darkness.

“Hey!” I shouted at the tall person in the black hoodie. “What do you want?”

I blinked once, and yet somehow they’d managed to move from across the alley to only a few feet away from me. I didn’t even have time to scream.

“Kate.” The voice was low, masculine, and I recognized it immediately.

“Dex?” My voice came out in a surprised squeak.

He lifted his head, allowing me to see his face. “I’m sorry for the cloaking spell,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I don’t want to be seen on the security cameras.”

“Don’t want to be seen?” I sputtered. “Are you in danger?”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a semi-smile. “No.”

“Where the hell have you been? What happened to you?” I asked.

“It’s complicated,” he said.

Now that my fear was lessening, anger was taking its place. “I bet it is complicated, Beauregard.”

His eyes widened. “So you know.”

“What your true name is? Yeah, I know.” I poked a finger into his shoulder. “Lorna hired a PI to locate you. When he interviewed me, he told me what your legal name was.”

Dex sighed. “I’m sorry you found out that way.”

I folded my arms. “So am I.”

“Would it be okay if I came in and explained everything?”

My eyebrows went way up. “You really think after what happened and how you left, that I’m just going to let you back in my apartment?”

He stepped closer. “I’m sorry, Kate. Please give me the chance to explain. Once I’ve done that, if you don’t ever want to see me again, I’ll understand.”

My eyes narrowed. “You better have a damn good explanation, son.”

The lights at the rear of the building flickered. “The cloaking spell is about to run out,” Dex warned. “I can stay or go. It’s completely up to you. But whatever you decide, you need to do it now.”

I hadn’t even been aware that he practiced magick and still, my curiosity was getting the better of me. Because I did want to know what had happened. “Fine,” I said, feeling the spell’s energy beginning to wane. “Go on up, I’ll grab the groceries and be right behind you.”