Page 54 of Hexes From Exes

“Do you want the council to know that? Do you want them to know that seeing Randall tortured and his magic drained upset you so much you’ll overlook that he broke the law? Not just any law, but a serious one, so bad that they want to execute him. Think about that. What are they saying by killing him?” Dread was waiting for her answer.

Cass had it, but she wasn’t ready to tell him.

“You don’t trust them either,” she surmised.

“Well, duh. You’d be a fool to trust them. Age doesn’t always mean wisdom,” he replied. “But don’t repeat that, that’s rule three. Don’t repeat anything I say.”

“Are those all the rules?” Cass asked.

Dread shook his head, “I got one more. Rule four, you owe me a favor.”

“What kind of favor?” Cass asked. She’d started with that proposition but now it seemed too open, like she was inviting danger.

“Depends. If your friend dies before we get there, a little favor. If he makes it out, a big favor. Do you accept? Clock’s ticking.” He backed away from her, heading back to his computer.

“I accept,” she said quickly. It was her only chance to save Rick. And some selfish part of her realized she needed to know why the council was so upset. Rick was the only one who could tell her what happened when he mated with Stephanie and confirm if her texts were telling the truth or not. She also needed to know how he got caught so she would never make that mistake herself. Her thoughts strayed to Alice and Eric, but quickly went back to Dread.

“Good,” he said. He was back at his desk, fumbling through the drawers.

“In two days’ time, meet me – first thing in the morning – by the council’s chambers. Make sure no one sees you…”

“Two days? The day before he’s executed? What if he doesn’t make it that long?” Cass asked. Her previous hysteria was rising again, hurting her chest. He was setting this up to fail, she knew it.

“Listen, you’re asking me to break into the most secure place in Anathamea, other than the council’s homes themselves. I need more than a few hours to plan. I got a rough idea. It’s not pretty, but I need to explore the loopholes. Here.” He handed her a ring he found in the bottom of the drawer. “When you’re alone put this on and meet me outside the council’s chambers. Make sure no one sees you, this is important, okay? You need to be alone and out of sight when you put that ring on.”

“How will I find you?” she asked. She motioned to his magical disguise, which he didn’t take off even when she admitted to knowing he was an enforcer demon.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find you,” he said. “Now get out of here. I have work to do.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Telling Zed that Cass hated Rick was harder than she thought it would be.

He’d finally caught up with her at work. It was clear Zed hadn’t gone back to work and was becoming more and more hysterical. He smelled awful, he was dirty, and people were staring. He basically broke down the door to her office in Magical Investigations to find her, looking like a crazed demon on a mission.

“Zed,” she said with a frown, standing from her desk. It was impossible to pay attention, but she needed to keep the semblance of normalcy. Now that she had the night to think over her meeting with Dread, she felt less scattered, more focused. She’d run through the facts in her head, not daring to write them down on paper.

Rick was arrested for a crime, and they were going to execute him. The punishment didn’t seem like it fit the crime. Why was the council making an example of him?

Rick looked like he was going to die. They’d drained his magic from him, but how? What would they do with it? Dread mentioned Ynnia having creations. What did he know?

If the council knew that she was sympathetic to Rick’s plight, she could be next. She needed to keep her head on straight. If anyone asked her about Rick, she would be forced to pretend she agreed with the council. No sympathy.

Not even for Zed.

“Cass, did you see him?” Zed asked, his voice too loud.

“Come on, Zed, take a seat,” Cass offered, keeping her voice as placating as possible.

Zed collapsed into the chair across from her. “I’ve been a wreck. How was he? Is he okay?” he asked. Others in the office were staring and openly eavesdropping. Good, she thought, even as her heart dropped in her chest.

“He’s fine, just very sorry for his actions,” she said. “As he should be,” she added, a little louder.

Zed blinked at her. “Sorry?” he questioned.

Cass nodded. “He knows what he did was wrong, and he accepts his punishment. After all, he did break the law…and a very serious one. It’s what’s best.”

The words felt like lead on her tongue, but she had to say them. Everyone had to hear, even Zed. Especially Zed.