Page 49 of Hextreme Measures

“Do you really think it will help?”

Dora lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “I don’t know, but there is someone out there who has access to a cure. It’s our best shot.”

“If she has a cure, why not approach us and give it to us?”

“Maybe she didn’t hear about the attack at the party.”

“You heard about it.”

“Yes, but I get my information from 10 different pipelines. My feeling is that this creature lives a solitary life. She’s afraid to cross paths with the wrong witch.”

“Because it will invite questions,” Sully guessed.

“In a nutshell? Yes.” Dora bobbed her head. “We don’t know this person. She’ll know us, though. She’ll have watched us and formed opinions.”

“Which means she’ll be much more open to Ofelia approaching her than you.”

“I don’t need the attitude, but that’s essentially true,” Dora conceded.

“Okay.” Sully rubbed his forehead. “Just get me the list tomorrow. I’ll chase it.”

“There’s still time to save her,” Dora said in a soft voice. “My money is on Ofelia. She won’t let her friend go.”

At present, that was the only thing Sully was holding on to. “Yeah. Ofelia won’t allow herself to lose. Not when Angelique is the one on the line.” He managed a wan smile. “Be careful going home. There are wild banshees out there going nuts in the city.”

“Oh, I’m not a target.” Dora chuckled. “It isn’t anger or grief that fuel me. I might be targeted by a demon or something, but a banshee would never get anywhere with me. I’m too much of a glutton and not enough of a martyr.”

“That’s … an interesting take.”

Dora patted his cheek. “Everything about me is interesting.”

With that, she headed for the Cherokee. Rook helped her up into the passenger seat. Sully watched them until they exited the garage and continued to stare in their wake for another full minute. Then, rather than go upstairs to check on a situation that would break his heart, he headed into the bar.

He was familiar with Ofelia’s staff, and he stopped at the bar to check in with Dex, one of the bartenders. “Any problems tonight?” he asked the young shifter.

Dex was one of those guys with piercings all over his face and tattoos covering every inch of his arms. Even though Sully had an aversion to septum piercings — they just did not look cool to him — Dex was one of those rare people who could pull it off.

“No.” Dex shook his head. “Should I have been expecting problems?”

“No.” Sully pointed toward the bar. “I’m going to take up a cocktail for Ofelia before bed. Can you put together something mellow?”

“For both of you?”

“Yeah.” Sully definitely wanted a drink.

“Sure.” Dex could read people well, which was one of the reasons he was so good at his job. “Is there something I should be worried about?” he asked as he started mixing. “Like … you guys aren’t calling off the wedding, are you?”

Sully didn’t particularly like the question. “Of course not.”

“Just checking.” Dex’s smile was quick and showed off the dimple in his cheek.

“You’re just looking for an opening to hit on my woman,” Sully complained.

“That shows what you know,” Dex shot back. “I was looking for an opening to hit on Ofelia’s man.”

The flirting didn’t bother Sully. He knew Dex didn’t mean it. At least not in a homewrecker way. “The wedding is still on. We’re still happy.”

“And yet something is going on,” Dex guessed, his smile disappearing. “Is it anything I can help with?”