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Chas closed her eyes and sighed. I got that helping me went against Chastity’s beliefs, but she was doing it anyway.
“A friend needs me. I can't go into Syndicate houses or get in bar fights with the wolves, but I’ll help you find your artifact.” She sniffed the air and glanced toward the pot. “But not for about ten minutes.”
“I’ll grab a shower.”
“Here,” she said. Chastity reached into a cupboard and handed me a red-wrapped bar with a devil as an illustration and the legend, “Banish Evil Bar.” I stared at it.
“What does this do?”
“Just as it says. And gives a protective aura for a short while.”
I scratched my head. I’d seen nothing like it.
“It looks commercially made.”
“Mama recommended it. Now go take care of your business, because roomie, you stink.”
The bath suggestion wasn’t about body odor, not when the soap your roomie gave you specifically banished wickedness. I didn’t appreciate being treated like a dog that ran through the mud, but if it kept Chas happy, I’d do it.
“The bayou can have that effect.”
I headed to the bathroom and stared at my reflection. Nothing external had changed, but Chastity knew I was coming. It was new for my bestie to track me, which must also be due to my newly unlocked abilities.
I showered quickly, not even waiting for the water to get hot, and changed into a pair of terry shorts and a tank top. Pulling half my arcana library down, I search for a tracking spell that will separate the relic from any other magic used to hide it.
The scent of Chas’s concoction wafted through the house, spreading sunshine, light, and whatnot. Smudge sticks, magical evil deodorizer, and a banish evil soap bar? Way to make a gal feel welcome.
A bottle of wine later, I’m smudging the apartment with burning sage as Chastity cleansed and charged her cards. She could get drunk where I could not, but I enjoyed the taste. Always the good helper, I switched to snack duty and opened the next bottle. For us, alcohol and witchcraft mix. I don’t make the rules, but I love them, especially when Chastity has the foresight to pick up a nice Gewurztraminer.
“Bring the snacks. Magical work makes me hungry.” Chas sat at the counter and poured another glass of wine from the fresh bottle. She wiggled her eyebrows. “Keep the witch happy, and she’ll make you happy.”
I set a tray full of sliced and soft cheese, nuts and fresh berries, fig jam, and honey in the center of the counter and grabbed a pack of crackers and crostini from the pantry. “Stuff your face, kid, there’s more in the fridge.”
“When did you go shopping?”
I glance at her, then at the food. “I didn’t. I thought you bought all this.”
She loaded her plate and bit into a strawberry. “There are perks working for Mr. Thorn. His people take care of you.” She dug into the brie. “But is the reward worth the risk of the jobs you’re doing? That’s a right mess you’ve gotten yourself into with the Hand of Belial.”
I sputtered a laugh. “Yeah, it is, but we knew that already. Thorn’s actually been civil about it though.”
Chastity huffed with irritation.
“All right, party time’s over. Let’s get you the location of the artifact and out of this apartment. I don’t want to be up past midnight smudging this place again.”
She shuffled her cards with a dexterity a Vegas croupier would envy. For the briefest moment, I consider telling her about my ‘other’ mark, but considering her freakout at Thorn’s safe house and knowing it won’t help Chas to like Thorn at all, I zip it and get the map out for her tracking spell.
“Where’s the scrying pendant I gave you?” She reached for it as I pulled the clear quartz from my pocket. She held it between her fingers, and I waited quietly.
“Okay,” she says finally, focusing on the spell she cast. “I think this next… artifact… it didn’t sink in the harbor when whatever ship it was on went down.”
I shot Chas a skeptical glance. This observation went way beyond card reading.
“And did you get the name of the ship?” I’m saying this facetiously, but she answered in all seriousness.
“TheEclipse, yes. It was a werewolf-run smuggling boat that—”
“Are you kidding? How do you know that?” How could she have figured all that out from the single tracking spell?
