Twenty-Four

Arlo and Belinda’s locking lips replayed in Iris’s head. She could almost feel their warm, panting breath. Hear the smacking of their lips and see, in oh so painfully perfect detail, their bodies writhing on top of each other. It was like being trapped in her own personal hell.

He had to be spelled, she thought. Right?

She clamped her eyes shut and forced her mind into another direction.

What would it be like if it was me kissing Arlo?

She imagined his lips, soft and supple, while brushing over hers. He was constantly putting on Chapstick scented like peppermint and pine needles. Iris liked the scent, and as she drew in a deep breath, she could swear she could smell it.

She pictured his hands caressing her face. Soft hands, not rough and cracked like her own. More than anything, she imagined his touch would be sweet and gentle, and that it would mean something to him. Arlo wasn’t a jerk that just did things to girls for the fun of it and then discarded them right afterward like they were nothing. No, he was a nice guy. Iris was certain of that much.

“Look, Iris, I’m not trying to be a bitch,” Levana said, snapping Iris out of her reverie. “But you’ve been silent for like ten minutes, and I actually have somewhere I need to be. So if you could just tell me if we have a deal or not, that would be great.”

She shot Levana an icy glare. “It’s never gonna happen, so you might as well get the hell out of here.”

Levana shrugged her shoulders and creased her lips. “Fine. I’ll be sure to tell your brother ‘hi’ when I see him at the Marmont,’’ The witch lightly bobbed her head from side to side in the most sassy way possible. “Is it my imagination, or aren’t you supposed to be there right now?”

Blood surged to Iris’s face. “How did you know that?” she shouted.

“It’s not rocket science,” Levana said with a long sigh. “You guys always keep watch at all these events.”

Iris glanced down at her watch and silently swore a series of unprintable curses when she realized she was already more than two hours late. Sure, Knox said she didn’t have to go, but she didn’t want to give the Hunters another reason to doubt her.

Iris reached in her pocket but her phone was gone, lost somewhere in Griffith Park. There was no way she could contact Knox. She was totally and completely screwed.

After catching Arlo and Belinda at Griffith Park, the charity event was the last thing on her mind. Iris wasn’t in the mood to protect mankind. She gnawed on her lip and stared blankly into the distance, her body gripped by a mixture of rage and discouragement.

“Iris,” Levana said, putting her hand on her shoulder.

Iris raised her knife again, setting her sights on the witch’s neck.

“Just listen,” Levana said soothingly, her hands darting up in a gesture of surrender. “How about I take you to the Marmont,” she offered. “You’re obviously upset, and without a car …” She trailed off. “I’m actually not really sure how you got here in the first place.”

“None of your business,” Iris shot back, her weapon still at the ready. She didn’t feel the need to share with the witch how she got here. The details were not important.

“Fair enough,” Levana said. “Let me take you to the Marmont. It’s really not a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal?” Iris said loudly. “So I’m just supposed to jump in a car with you?” Her eyes widened in frustration.

Levana fluttered her eyelashes. “Arlo sure doesn’t mind having a witch in his car.”

Ouch.

“Why are you offering to take me anyway?” Iris squinted her eyes.

Levana inched closer, her perfect pouty lips still turned up in a smile. “How about if I agree to take you to the Chateau Marmont, then you’ll agree to think about working with me.”

“I’d rather walk.” And with that, Iris tucked her weapon in the back of her pants and stormed away. She was done chatting and needed a new plan, one that didn’t involve a magical being who could summon vipers.

“Iris!” Levana called out after her. “You’re running out of options!”

Iris froze dead in her tracks. People were dying. Belinda’s powers were changing. And apparently Arlo liked a witch now. All this, mixed with her dad being on some secret mission in Wales that no one knew anything about. Everything was messed up.

“I’m not asking you to work with me, I’m just asking you to think about it,” Levana continued. “I mean, Arlo and Belinda are sucking face right now, and who knows what they’ll be doing tomorrow!”

Her chest tightened. It was the sobering realization she needed. She couldn’t stay here all night and watch Arlo and Belinda “go at it,” and she didn’t have any other viable way to get to the Marmont. Plus, there wasn’t any harm in simply considering Levana’s offer.

Sold—to the conniving little witch in the corner.

Iris spun around to face Levana. “Fine, I’ll let you take me,” she huffed, raking her hands through her hair. “But if I’m going to be around you, you have to promise not to summon your freaking snakes in my presence.”

“I never pegged you for a girl who was terrified, but that’s fine by me,” Levana cooed, raising her brow and smiling.

Iris gave her a hard-nosed look.

“Okay, fine. No snakes!” Levana agreed. “Well, now we need to do something about how you look.”

“Excuse me?”

“You have blood and dirt all over you … you’re a total mess.”

Iris looked down at her clothes that she hadn’t bothered to change since the hospital. “So?”

“So … if your brother happens to see you like this, he’ll know something’s wrong. If I were you, I wouldn’t tell him any of this unless you want Knox to get pissed and kill Arlo for betraying you guys.”

“Good point.” Iris was surprised by how perceptive Levana was.

“Now, take off your glasses and pull back your hair so I can get to work cleaning you up,” Levana ordered.

“How are you gonna do that exactly?”

“Iris, I’m a Matas who can summon snakes at any time, which means I also can use their venom. Believe it or not, certain venoms can come in handy for healing and beauty properties. But do you really want to sit here and keep asking me questions? You want Arlo and Belinda to make out forever?”

“No …”

“Now, come on.” Still fuming at Arlo, and worn down by Levana, Iris sighed a heavy sigh, slipped her glasses into her pocket, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She tried to relax.

Levana’s eyes twinkled as she raised her hand and danced it in a zigzag in front of Iris’s face, finishing with a flourish. A pale-blue glow hovered around Iris’s entire body and she could feel the magic beginning to take effect. Suddenly, she felt as if she had been plunged into an icy river. She shivered. But as quickly as it had started, it was over. The blue energy faded away and Iris noticed the bloodstains had disappeared. The last of her fresh scars were gone, and her skin felt refreshed and radiated.

“How … how did you do that?” Iris stammered, still admiring her now perfect skin.

“Magic. Hel-lo,” Levana said as if it should have been obvious. “Let me tell you, venom is freaking awesome. Certain ones can make people super sick. Comes in handy for sacrifices.” Levana giggled. “Sometimes I just get so bored with having my snakes squeeze people to death. It’s nice to have the variety with the venom. It helps me stay in touch with my creative side.”

Iris squinted her eyes. “Wait, a few weeks ago Knox and I came across a girl on the Walk of Fame who apparently choked on her own vomit from some horrible poison or something. Was that you?”

Levana grinned. “Maybe.” She raised her brow. “Come on, let’s get out of this park. Being around all these trees is making me feel gross. I hate nature.”

Iris and Levana sat in uncomfortable silence as they drove toward the Chateau Marmont. Iris stared out the window, still in disbelief that she had voluntarily climbed into a car with a witch. She blinked hard. How did I get here?

She suddenly felt a crushing wave of panic and considered making a run for it, or more accurately, a jump for it. She could easily survive leaping out of a speeding car. Nothing a little recovery shot couldn’t fix.

“So, is your brother seeing anyone?” This was Levana’s idea of how to break the silence. And it did break the silence, and Iris’s chance of splitting.

“Don’t even think about it,” Iris growled. “My brother’s not as stupid as Arlo. He’d never go for a witch.”

“Oh let me tell ya, honey, men will go for anyone they can screw,” she huffed. “You just have to persuade them the right way.” Levana sat up tall in the driver’s seat and puffed out her chest. Iris couldn’t deny the witch was beautiful and she knew deep down that Knox would probably hook up with Levana under different circumstances. She was totally his type.

“Just stay away from my brother, all right?” Iris hissed, looking the other direction.

“Whatever.”

Levana honked the horn as a sea of photographers suddenly rushed across the street and dashed up the steps of the Chateau Marmont, paying no attention to the oncoming traffic.

“Idiots,” Levana said with a scowl as she pulled up to the hotel. “Oh, and before you go … here.” Levana rummaged around her pocket and pulled out a phone. “I found it at the park near a tree. I think it’s yours.”

Iris stared suspiciously at Levana before swiping the phone out of her hands. She wanted to say “thank you,” but she couldn’t seem to find the words. Iris’s face turned solemn and she started blankly at nothing.

“Iris, do you even want to be here?” Levana pried in a soft tone.

“You mean, like alive, or here with a witch like you?”

Levana chuckled. “I mean, at the Marmont?”

She looked around at the beautiful women at the Marmont. All super skinny and stuffed with silicone. She was about to ensure their safety and protect their lives, and none of them gave her a second look.

Maybe it was the Arlo drama, or maybe she was just tired, but either way one thing was certain: Iris didn’t want to spend the rest of her evening hunting witches at the Marmont. She just wanted to go home.

“You know what,” Iris said, her eyes glued to the ground. “I don’t want to be here. Would you mind taking me to the Fortress, please?”

Levana released her signature devious grin. “I’ve got a better idea.”