Chapter 6

After a quick shower and a visit to my store size closet at Danika's house, I was tucked in at the back seat of Ace's SUV with my eyes closed listening to him and Sissily bicker about some band. I've been tense and on the edge for so long, it was taking a huge toll on me. Emotionally more than any other way. Every night I literally passed out the second my head would hit the pillow but I woke up every morning more exhausted than when I went to bed.

My head rolled to the side and I lifted my arm to look at my skin. The sigils that were covering every inch of it and conveniently turned me into a glowstick were nowhere in sight. Whatever juju Danika did to make them invisible to anyone else didn't work on me so I knew they were gone for real. At least for the time being.

Not like I was complaining, or anything.

But, I did kinda got used to them.

"I could kill for a Danish." Sissily twisted in the passenger seat to wiggle her eyebrows at me. The more adversity we faced, the more she came out of her shell. She was no longer constantly serious or stoic.

"I just need coffee." Eyes slightly opened so I could see her through my lashes I pressed a hand over my belly. "Anything more than that might cause more trouble than it's worth it."

"Maybe you'll learn one of these days to stay away from drinking early in the morning."

"Can you imagine Danika's face when she walked into that chamber?" Ace just shook his head at our snickering like two-year old's before I was finished talking. "Just by her tone I pictured it scrunched up like she sucked on a rotten lemon."

"She'll make us pay for it." Sissily threw at Ace as a justification for our immaturity. "This one," her thumb pointed at me over her shoulder. "sprinkled her shoes around the ritual room like breadcrumbs. A blind person could see them."

"Yeah, she knew it was us." I agreed unperturbed.

The city was passing by as I stared limply through the window as office buildings and stores blurred into a never-ending line of splattered water colors on the canvas of life. My butt slid across the leather seat when Ace took a sharp turn on East street as he tried to beat the red light.

"If you want I can drive." Sissily sassed him, insulting his driving skills in a nice way.

"I'm good, thanks." Was Ace's drawled reply and I just rolled my eyes.

"I still want to know why Alex Velcro-ed you to my ass, Ace." Twisting my leg to the side I leaned in slightly so I could admire the Michael Cores flats I had on. They were among the cheapest shoes I own and I figured if we get attacked -which in my life was a ninety percent possibility- and they get ruined I'll be able to replace them easily.

"Me too." He growled low in his throat and when I looked up I found him looking at me through the rearview mirror.

"I mean we can ask…"

"No." Ace cut me off sharply and I glared at him.

"Don't you dare bark commands at me shifter, I'm not pack so I don't have to deal with your attitude. I'll stick an umbrella in your mouth and I'll open it."

"She learned that one from me." Sissily announced proudly preening on the passenger seat like a peacock.

Ace glanced at me then at Sissily, as much as he could while maneuvering the cumbersome SUV to enter a paid parking garage, with such a serious face it rendered me mute because it was very uncharacteristic of him.

"The two of you are the strangest females I have met in my life." He decided to tell us when he parked, as he jumped out so he could open the doors for us. "Don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to think that witches have some screws loose up here." His thick finger tapped on the side of his temple.

"You think it's maybe all that magic we channel?" Sissily looked so earnest when she spoke I almost believed that she was asking a genuine question.

Ace gave her a cursory up and down then shook his head." Nah, I think it's just the two of you that are weirdos, you were dropped on your heads when you were born."

Seeing the coffee shop across the street as we exited the parking garage had me salivating. My stomach was eating itself already since it was empty for hours at that point. Leaving Sissily and Ace to snark at each other I quickened my step ready to jaywalk across so I could get to it faster. I also needed one of those hugs I knew was waiting for me the moment Amber saw me. I'd never admit it to anyone but every time that female wrapped her arms around me I wanted to cry.

There was no deception, no manipulation, scorn or expectation in her action. It was just that. A simple hug to show that you matter to her. And it made me crack like an eggshell and bleed inside for all those times I've needed it but was denied by Danika because showing emotion was weakness. I was also worried about River, as well. It's been more than a week but he is not awake yet.

I was hoping Amber had some news about that, too.

A blaring of a horn had me jumping back and barely avoiding being mowed down in the middle of the street by a crappy KIA with a sticker at the back saying "I'm a baby, and I'm aboard." Heart galloping wildly in my ribcage I clutched my chest with one hand and after confirming no one was staring at me, sent a string of magic to the left back tire. It was satisfactory when it popped and the person driving jerked the wheel to the side effectively nailing themselves at a parked vehicle.

"I bet baby is aboard and crying right now." Shooting daggers at the brunette that came out flailing her arms I breathed deeply and continued toward the beckoning glass door of the café.

"What are you doing?" Sissily materialized next to me and hissed the question while grabbing me under the arm and manhandling me across the street.

"I was walking." Wiggling to try and escape her grip while trying to look normal and not like a toddler throwing a tantrum was difficult. A guy was looking at us strangely from two shops down, so I gave up my struggle with my best friend and cocked an eyebrow at his judgmental stare. "Can I help you?"

"It's your fault that lady almost hurt herself." The dude had audacity to holler at me, as he pointed at the KIA that nearly ran me over.

One glance in that direction made me do a double take because dozens of people had gathered around it and everyone was arguing with everyone, while the baby aboard was clutching her head pretending like she was about to faint although no one was paying her attention.

I frowned.

"Seriously Hazel you need to cut that shit out. You can't treat people like trash." Sissily snapped and grabbing my upper arm shoved me toward the café.

Stunned I stumbled to the sidewalk confused to no end. What in the worlds was happening? And where the hell did Ace go? Craning my neck, I looked around for the shifter while keeping an eye on my best friend in case she decides to get physical again. Something was not right I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Sissily, where is Ace?" I took a few steps away so I could keep the distance between us when she joined me on the sidewalk.

"Cleaning up your mess. It's all any of us do anymore." She told me so harshly I literally stumbled back as if she landed a physical blow. "What? You don't like hearing the truth Miss Perfect?"

"She is responsible for everything." The guy that gave me a piece of his mind a minute ago shouted above the rest so he could be heard. "She couldn't use the crosswalk. The poor lady almost killed herself to avoid her."

While focused on my best friend I had not realized that a group started forming around us, all of them with scrunched up faces and pointed fingers. Unease spread through me, and the moment I spotted Ace next to the brunette arguing with random humans, it redoubled. Rubbernecking up and down the street confirmed my suspicions that all the yelling and shouting was not natural. Seeing Sissily staring pointedly at my hand made me look down too so I could find myself scratching at the pentagram marking so hard I made my finger bleed.

Something was causing all of this. They used the situation of the vehicle nearly hitting me and used it to fuel an angry mob, including my best friend in it, crying for blood.

My blood.

"Sissily, listen to me." It was not easy to get her attention but she finally locked gazes with me after I repeated myself three times. "This is not you. Something is going on and I need your help to fix it."

"Aren't you the strongest witch there is?" she sneered and although I knew this was not her it still stung like a bitch. "Fix it yourself."

Her eyes latched onto my bleeding finger again. And she licked her lips.

My heart skipped a beat.

"I'm trying." Hoping to keep her focused on talking to me, my gaze darted around watching the angry humans close up around us. "That's why I need you to pinch yourself. A spell or someone is making you feel that anger. You need to snap out of it because I need your help."

"What?" looking at me like I've grown a second head she took a step closer. "For once take responsibility when you fuck up, Hazel. You can't always blame it on others."

Hearing that made me see red. Sissily out of all people should know me better than that. Spell or not I really wanted to slap her and as she took another step closer while focused solely on my bleeding hand I slid the rest of the distance between us and pulling my hand back I slapped her as hard as I could.

Her head was flung to the side making her ponytail fly in an arch and end up on the side of her face instead of the beck of her skull. With a gasp she cupped the stinging cheek that had red fingers imprinted on it and leaned forward using me to keep herself from falling. Taking hold of her shoulders I helped her regain her balance and I showed her behind me so that she is between me and the coffee shop. The humans were too close and looked ready to attack.

"Bitch. Grab her. It's her fault. She did it on purpose. I saw her, she tried to kill the poor lady." Angry voices attempted to out-shout each other, the twisted faces of humans full of rage were blurring in front of me.

Angry.

They were all so angry.

And that's when it dawned on me.

"Anger demon." I called out over my shoulder praying to Hecate that me slapping Sissily did the trick to wake her from the effect. "Did you hear me?"

"The dead at the cemetery outside of Cleveland heard you, too. Not just me." she deadpanned sounding unimpressed.

Doing a quick turn, I shoved my bleeding finger in her face and made her recoil away from me. "Oh, good. It actually worked."

"You mean to tell me you slapped me like I owed you something and you had no idea that it will work?"

"You owe me plenty of things and I haven't slapped you before." I pointed out. "We have a bigger problem however. They are about ready to pounce and I have no clue where the Anger demon is."

"If you look I'll hold them back." Having my best friend back was a relief like nothing else. Plus, her teeth were clenched and she was shaking her arms in preparation. Sissily was pissed so I felt slightly sad for the humans.

"Be nice, Sissily. It's not their fault." Using a low wall built to protect the floor to ceiling window of the café I stood on my tiptoes so I could better see where the demon was hiding. This particular demon's power only worked if they had a visual of their victims at all times. So, he or she had to be near. I just had to find them. Instead of the culprit of all my trouble at the moment my eyes locked on Ace and my heart punched at the roof of my mouth. My mouth opened so I could warn Sissily but nothing came out apart from a pathetic squeak.

My bestie was busy, too, pulling her arms back and throwing them forward with a forceful wind that was knocking humans on their asses. On the bright side she was not harming them, so I held onto that silver lining. Swallowing thickly, I tried warning her again.

"Ace is furious and he's about to shift in broad daylight." The words came out rushed and shaky. My tone was all wabbly because my heart was beating in my throat.

"He wouldn't." Sissily pushed through clenched feet and shoved the group of humans back a few steps.

"Actually, I think he totally would." As Ace started transforming I watched mesmerized and horrified at the same time. "And, he's doing it. Super weird."

"Oh, shit." She saw him and her eyes widened. "You know what? Screw the demon. When I tell you, grab Ace and we are out of here."

She didn't give me time to agree or disagree. Lifting her right arm up in the air she spread her fingers and lightning streaked across the sky that were turning from bright blue to dark gray in seconds. Th moment the second lightning touched the tips of her fingers she threw her other hand in front of her and the lightning passed through her only to imbed itself in the middle of the angry mob. Good ting the demon could only make them angry not stupid. All of them dispersed running in all directions.

"Now" Sissily screamed and I dashed to Ace, wrapping both arms around him. With everything in me I sort of tackled him toward the door of the café which only worked since he was too busy trying to shift instead of shaking me off like a flea. Sissily joined me and all three of us tumbled inside Amber's cafe with the marry jingling of the bell above the door.