Witches eat the same foods humans do.
I’m sure I can select a few options that she’ll like. Then, I’ll keep an eye on the refrigerator and pantry to see which items gomissing. That will tell me what she likes so I can hone in on her preferences.
“That’s okay.” Hazel reaches the top of the landing and steps aside to allow me to go first down the hallway. “I’m a picky eater, and you don’t eat at all. I’m sure the waitress would have hated to see us coming.”
She laughs awkwardly, and my head tilts.
Oh yeah, that topic made her uncomfortable, but that’s okay. I’ll make sure the cabinets are so stuffed with food that she never has to go hungry again.
I’ve been there.
Starving is no fucking fun.
Chapter Six
Hazel
The next few days areweird.Annex and I are on opposite schedules, so just as I’m leaving for work, he makes it home and vice versa. An obscene amount of food appears in the fridge and cabinets, which I only notice as I’m leaving my cursory “dirty” dishes in the sink.
The groceries trickle in a little at a time to the point I start to wonder if maybe we gotanotherroommate, but upon talking to Greer, she assures me Annex is the only other tenant currently living in the house.
Annex must have wanted to be prepared for any guests he might have over. At least so far, I haven’t had to listen to any marathon sex sessions. In fact, I haven’t seen him bring a single guest over. That’s not to say it couldn’t occur while I’m at work, but so far, he’s been a thoughtful roommate.
I’ve spent the last few days trying to determine what I should do. I could cut my losses and leave Black Cove. That would be a terrible overreaction if Zephyr has already moved along to search for a capable witch in another town. I’m probably not lucky enough for that to happen, but it would be the best-case scenario since I’ve already grown fond of living here.
I try not to let it bother me that the angelrepeatedlyreferred to me as acreature. My monster is terrifying, but that was a little extreme.
Then again, I did devour his friend’s soul…
He probably has every right to call me names.
Actually, I don’t give a shit. It hurts my feelings.
Lisette spent the day at Spellbound today, meaning if he had come in, he would have been able to ask for her assistance. Most of my shift passed in a blur as I contemplated whether I should warn her of the possibility he might come back.
The only thing that stopped me was not knowing if she would cover for me or hand me over. She gave me a chance when I was a stranger, but angels are fucking terrifying.
It’s not her job to lie or manipulate to protect me. If I warned her of his presence and what he’s after, that would only put her in the middle of things. Not telling her I’m thecreaturehe seeks will give her distance if the truth ever does come out.
Although if I had chosen to warn her, it might have given her the opportunity to refuse to work with him. We don’t have to serve every customer who comes in with money in hand.
Sighing, I let myself in the back door of the house.
Some days are worse than others, and today is one of the worst. Talking on the phone doesn’t feel the same as seeing them in person, and I really miss my family.
The television plays softly in the background as I flip the page on my book and snuggle deeper under the cable knit blanket Greer’s mate, Seiran, gave me as an apology for throwing a knitting needle at my heart. I caught it with no trouble, but it was a thoughtful peace offering. It’s ridiculously soft and warm.
Black Cove is cooling off quickly for only being October, but that’s because it’s nestled in the mountains.
One of these days, I might watch a tutorial about how to use the fireplace to see if I can get it going. I could probably use my magic to spark the flame, but I think there’s a flue or something that needs to be opened to avoid burning Greer’s house down. That’s a good reason to put some effort into learning how fireplaces work before attempting to use one.
Sighing heavily, I close the book and drop it on my chest. I never cried as a baby or a young child, but my eyes ache like I might burst into tears.
Why did no one warn me how difficult it would be to leave the only home I’ve ever known? I spent a lot of time worrying about whether Annex would be a terrible roommate, but I’ve barely seen him. It would actually be nice if he hung around the house from time to time. At least he doesn’t seem to be afraid of me.
I’ve tried to be friendly to everyone who comes into Spellbound with the hope I might make a friend or two. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as I hoped it would be.
I’m not sure if my monster scares people off, even when they can’t see it, or if I’m just too strange for others to want to be around.
