Page 126 of Echoes of the Banshee

This is a dumb idea. I call her.

“Hey Benson!” she answers on the first ring, my face lighting up at the smile in her voice.

“Hey—” I didn’t think through this conversation. “Are you doing okay?”

“Honestly, it was a shitty day. I had no idea girls in this school were so desperate for good sex.”

“You too?” I ask. “My god, I’ve learned more theories for dick size today than I knew existed!”

She laughs loudly and I hear Zair in the background.

“Oh, am I interrupting you studying?”

“No, Zair took me out to dinner. It was not a fun day.”

“Ya, me either. I’m hiding in my room,” I admit without any embarrassment. Why am I not embarrassed?

“Why? Sounds like there are a dozen girls that would be happy to keep you company tonight? Go have some fun.”

“But everyone thinks we’re dating. I’m not about to cheat on you.” I regret it the moment it leaves my mouth.

“Oh, thank you, but you don’t need to do that. My reputation is already trash.”

My phone beeps and I look at it. Jamin.

“Hey, I gotta go, my dad is calling,” I tell her.

“Okay, see you tomorrow morning.”

I click over.

“Hey Dad.”

“How are you, Grub?”

“Doing good,” I lie.

“That’s good. I’m calling because Samson from the counsel called me and said something involving a witch and goblin favors was happening at your school.”

Man, the goblin grapevine moves fast.

“I didn’t give her one,” I say instinctually.

“Good, you know I’d die before being indebted to a witch,” he says. “The shame those clans must be feeling. Samson said he was thinking of driving up and taking his son home before he gave any away.”

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Because he doesn’t. I can’t give one to Thea, for an entirely different reason. “But the witch, Thea, she’s deserving. She knows goblin culture well.”

“How would you know that?” he snaps and I regret opening my mouth.

“I—I have a class with her.” He makes a sound of disapproval deep in his throat. “She’s the one I asked you about a few weeks ago. The one who had a goblin teacher.”

“That doesn’t make her safe,” he snaps.

“I know.” And I do. All the witches in school were talking about that curse. Apparently none of them had seen a curse that powerful or complicated.

“She’s also the one who helped with Billy Sedgewick.”

“Is that all it takes to earn a bunch of favors. She’s manipulating them.”