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“Shit,” I gasped, scrambling off Jamie’s lap. I winced as he slipped free of me, but I was too busy pulling on my clothes to really think about it. “Maria, what are you doing here?”
“I…I tried calling you,” she said, her voice wobbling.
“What is it?” I asked, making sure Jamie was fully dressed before I let her in through the porch door. “What’s going on?”
Maria swallowed visibly and leaned on the small bookshelf lining the side of the porch by the door. “It’s Dillon.”
“Was there a walker in the woods?” Jamie asked, straightening his shirt.
“No.” Maria shook her head. “No patrols didn’t report any sightings last night. But Dillon didn’t show for training this morning. Adrian sent me to go find him, and…” she trailed off, looking like she might be sick.
“What happened?” I asked, rubbing my hand gently over her back. “It’s okay.”
“I found him…” she began, closing her eyes. “I found him lying in his living room bleeding from his eyes and nose. God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much blood.”
I looked up at Jamie. “It’s started.”
“We need to find that witch,” he sighed.
“What are you talking about?” Maria frowned looking back and forth between us.
“The monsters in the woods, Dillon bleeding. It’s all part of a spell. There’re apparently some witches out there that want us all dead. Why I don’t know, but they’re certainly determined,” I said.
“Adrian wants to know how to fix it,” she said. “He demanded that I ask you for Annie’s books. To see if she had any idea how to cure him.”
“Right. There has to at least be something to stave it off while we hunt for those witches.” I nodded. “Jamie, grab your laptop. I think we’ve got more research to do.”
“Go, I’ll get somethings together and meet you over in the…” he glanced at Maria. “Does she know about it?”
“She doesn’t, but she will. You two are the only two people I trust right now,” I shrugged.
“I’m confused, what are you talking about?” Maria asked. “What am I missing.”
I shook my head. “Just come with me.”
She nodded and as I passed Jamie, walking back into the house, he grabbed my hand giving it a squeeze. I flashed him a smile and he let go trailing behind us as I led Maria back to the living room and beyond.
Leaving him behind sent a sting through our pack bond, but it wasn’t enough to make me stop. We had other things that needed to be done. I had to help Dillon. He was my friend, my pack.
“Evie, wait,” Maria demanded as I crossed the street, aiming for Annie’s gate. “What are we doing?”
I glanced at her over my shoulder. “We’re going to see if Annie has something that could help Dillon. I told you that.”
“What would Annie have?” she asked.
I just waved for her to follow and let myself into the house. I needed to talk to Gregor about getting keys made. Maria followed close behind, and gasped as I revealed the ladder that led us down into the room beneath the house.
“What the—Annie had a secret room? Sweet little old lady Annie Corwin had a fucking secret room?” She gapped as I began climbing down.
“It’s a lot more than that,” I called out, dropping to the floor below.
I looked up and Maria leaned over the hole. “Is this where you kill me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Jamie asked the same thing. Get down here. I’m gonna need your help to find something for Dillon.”
She exhaled an exaggerated sigh and began climbing down as I walked further into the room, turning on the lights. I paused at the desk, pulling some gloves from an old box tucked on the shelf beneath the surface of the table.
