Page 29 of Black Willow Witch
Ripper looked at Emberlyn. ‘Will you?’
‘What?’ she asked, her gaze on the witch striding down the path.
‘Change your mind.’
‘No,’ she replied, those striking pale-hazel orbs meeting his. ‘Will you?’
‘No.’
‘Hey, voodoo dolls, cool,’ said Kerr, looking inside the bag on the table. ‘These were Millicent’s?’
Emberlyn’s lips kicked up a little bit as she stood upright. ‘Yup. She made them.’
‘Why would she leave you these in her will?’ asked Kerr.
‘I played with them when I was little.’
‘Youplayedwith voodoo dolls?’
‘She never told me they weren’t normal dolls. I didn’t know any better. Didn’t even realize she was teaching me how to make and use such dolls until I was older.’
Kerr’s brow pinched. ‘There’s, uh, one of you.’ He held up a doll that – going by the hair, eye color and classy outfit – was quite obviously meant to be Emberlyn. ‘And its shoulder doesn’t look good.’
Emberlyn grimaced. ‘Every time I got a stabbing pain in my shoulder, I knew it was her. She’d do it when she wanted to talk to me about something. Most people just pick up the phone, but . . . Anyway, where’d you put the curse jar? I’ll dispose of it safely before I leave for work.’
‘I got it,’ Kerr told her, plucking it out of his pocket.
She took it, tucked it under her arm, grabbed her teacup and then nabbed the bag of dolls. ‘Later, neighbors. Remember to warn the rest of your clan about the plants in the Poison Patch.’ She went back into the manor, and the door swung shut behind her.
Kerr looked at him. ‘Well, she going to make the elixir for you?’
Nodding, Ripper turned to the stairs. ‘She’s only going to charge the same fee she charges for those of normal strength. I had thought she’d charge more – I’m not exactly in a position to refuse.’
‘Was this before or after she agreed to an alliance?’
‘Before,’ replied Ripper as they jogged down the steps.
‘Did you have push her to agree to allying herself with our clan?’
‘No, she saw the sense in it.’
‘Not surprised. Really, she’s no more a fan of the coven than you are. They wronged us by not properly holding Rosemary accountable for what she did, but that won’t hold a candle to what they seem to have put Emberlyn through.’
Ripper grunted his agreement at the latter.
‘It’s good that you two are singing from the same hymn sheet.’ Kerr lightly bumped his shoulder into Ripper’s. ‘Especially since you wanna hit that.’
Ripper frowned. ‘The fuck?’
‘You gonna tell me I’m wrong?’
He could. It’d be a damn lie, though. ‘I need to head to the brewery. Get some wolves down here to fix the landscape.’
‘And if they ask if she’s off-limits, I can say no?’
Ripper found himself stopping dead near the end of the path. He ground his teeth, not liking the smirk Kerr wore. ‘Cut the shit. I don’t have time for it.’
‘I’m just asking,’ Kerr defended, all innocence. ‘She’s Crew’s type. He’ll want to know if he has the go-ahead to make a play.’
