Page 87 of Malice

We all laugh and continue talking and gossiping as Delphi and I eat. Mabel has us record selling TikTok trends and by the time Delphi leaves, I feel so much better. I’ve heard that having female friends is really important.

I’ve never experienced the benefits of it until now.

Xavier texts me as I’m winding down to go to bed around three AM, telling me that he has one more meeting with some of his human business partners and he’ll be home in a few hours. Assuming he means some of the gang members we’ve been having issues with, I tell him okay and that I love him, and then go into the kitchen to finish the rest of the chips and salsa.

The booming music coming from Zeke’s car fills the garage.

“Guys are home,” I say to myself. “I really do need a cat. At least I’d be talking to something.”

“Wren! Look,” Antonio says when he stumbles into the kitchen. pointing to a smudge of red on his collar. “It’s blood.”

I narrow my eyes, taking in his bloodshot pupils. Then I look at Devon—who was supposed to be responsible for him. Both he and Zeke both avoid my gaze, and Devon runs a hand over the back of his head.

“He may have… slightly accidentally done a little bit of Molly,” Devon admits. “Or mushrooms. Or both.”

I stare at him. Then at Zeke. Slowly, I shake my head.

“I love you, sis,” Antonio says, pulling me into a hug and patting my back. “It’s really cool that you have magic. I wish I had magic.” He holds his hands up in front of his face, moving his fingers slowly like he’s trying to see something that isn’t there. “I mean… maybe I do have magic.”

I cross my arms over my chest and look at Zeke. “Can you hold him spellbound and put him to bed or something?”

“Holding someone spellbound when they’re in an altered state isn’t as easy as it sounds,” Zeke explains. “He could spiral into a bad trip.”

“Fine,” I say. “Catch him.”

I step forward, pressing my hand to Antonio’s forehead, and gently cast him into sleep. Letting out a sigh, I put the chips and salsa away and go upstairs, trying to stay awake until Xavier gets home. I don’t, and I end up falling asleep, not waking until eleven AM the next morning.

I really do need to get on some sort of sleep schedule. After I get up and shower, I stop by Antonio’s room. I’ve been hungover before, but I have no idea what it feels like to come down from ecstasy or shrooms. Do you feel hungover, too? Was he drunk in addition to being high? I want to give him shit for it, but I don’t.

He died. Like literally was dead and came back. Add in everything we found out about Vivian and Marco…I understand why he needed an escape.

Going downstairs, I find Xavier in the office. He shows me the Instagram page Victoria has been working on and I’m impressed. It looks real, and the next phase in our plan is for me to like a few things Mabel posts from this account. It should organically lead people to it, letting the public feel like they figured something out.

As much as I don’t like Victoria, I have to admit she’s good at her job.

Feeling unnerved, I go outside to try and connect with nature or something. I end up staring into the koi pond for a while and then startle when my phone buzzes.

Delphi: Are you free to grab dinner? I was supposed to have a date with Andrew tonight but asked him if we could move it up an hour so I could go check on a sick patient at the hospital and he just canceled altogether. One of the girls he started following just posted a “get ready for a date with me” reel and I know he’s taking her instead.

Me: I’m a much better date anyway. What time?

Delphi: Like now lol

Me: Sounds good. Want to go downtown? I need to go to the Crystal Key after.

Delphi: THANK YOU and of course.

I go back inside and find Xavier still in his office. “Delphi got kinda stood up by her date so I’m going to go out with her instead. Plus, I need to restock my spell supplies,” I tell Xavier. “I want to be prepared for anything and everything.”

His jaw tenses, not liking the idea of me going out during the day without him. “Would you like Hector to drive you?”

“Nah, it’s okay. I feel bad making him just wait around.”

“That’s quite literally his job.”

“Okay, fine.”

Xavier nods and kisses me goodbye. I’m wearing my usual workout clothes, with my hair in a high ponytail because it’s hot and humid as fuck out today. I have Hector drop me off in front of the new age store, where I wait for Delphi to meet me. We walk across the street and down two blocks, finding a place to eat without a long wait.