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  “Hello, Rylie.” Suspicion dripped from her words.

  “What’s up, Mom?” I asked as I grabbed my car keys. I was ready to head out to the witch’s house.

  “What are you doing? You sound suspicious,” she said.

  “I’m just hanging out. I’m not doing anything suspicious. You’re too paranoid,” I said. “Listen, I have to go. I’ll call you soon, okay?”

  I clicked off the phone before she could ask more questions. I knew that would really make her suspicious, but I had to go.

  Just as I walked from my bedroom to the front door, Jennifer popped out from her bedroom. She eyed me up and down. “Hey, where you going?”

  I wasn’t telling her about my travel plans either. She would want to come along, which was great, and I loved the moral support, but I didn’t want to endanger her life anymore. I was going to do this on my own. I had to come up with where I was going and why she wouldn’t want to tag along. Though I worried about leaving her here alone. What if the witch returned?

  “I have to meet a client. I’ll be back soon.” I forced a smile.

  My jeans and t-shirt looked too casual for a business meeting. I should have come up with something better.

  She eyed me suspiciously. “Well, be careful, that witch might be out there.”

  “I’m absolutely going to be careful. Lock the door behind me.”

  Before she had time to ask more questions, I hurried out the door. I was just making my way down the steps of the building toward the main door outside when Jack called. What was with everyone? It was like they had some sort of radar on me.

  “Rylie, is everything okay?” Jack asked when I picked up.

  “Of course. Are you all right? I miss you.” My voice wavered. I sounded guilty.

  “I miss you too, sweetheart, and I’ll be back soon. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “Actually, I’m on my way to meet a client.”

  “If you’re sure,” he said.

  “I’ll call you later,” I said.

  The hesitation in Jack’s voice meant he thought I was up to something. What was with everyone? I climbed behind the wheel and headed toward Roger’s house. It was quite a drive without a guarantee that I would get any information. I had to give it a shot. The bag full of goodies was in the seat next to me. I sure hoped he liked them. I was kind of proud of what I’d done, but would he be happy?

  At least the drive was pleasant and I got out of town without any incidents. I’d almost made it through the winding back roads to his house when I felt a presence was watching me. When I glanced in the rearview mirror, the witch was in the backseat. I screamed out and swerved the car. Tires screeched as I slammed on the brakes. Before I hit the ditch, I steered the car back onto the road. When I looked in the backseat again, she wasn’t there.

  That was impossible. I knew I’d seen her. Where could she be? I pulled the car over to the side of the road as soon as I had a chance. I hopped out and looked in the backseat. She wasn’t there. I looked in the trunk and under the car, everywhere, but she wasn’t there. Now I was really beginning to think that I was losing it. How could she play those games with me? I guessed she really was a powerful witch.

  I hopped back in the car and drove the rest of the way to his house. My body shook and anxiety took over. I’d even developed a small eye twitch as I made it the rest of the way. Luckily, I only had a mile left, but I kept glancing in the rearview mirror, sure that I would see her back there again with her wrinkled face, glowing eyes, and cackling smile. I had never been so relieved to pull in Roger’s driveway, even though I knew he would have a gun pointed at me within seconds. It was better than facing that witch.

  I’d made it halfway down the driveway when sure enough, he appeared on the front porch again. He had his gun with him, of course, but this time at least he wasn’t pointing it directly at the car. I pulled up and turned off the ignition.

  I yelled out the window. “I have a gift for you.”

  He motioned with his hand this time instead of with the gun. Another plus for me.

  “Bring it up here and set it down,” he said.

  I felt like I was leaving food for some wild animal who wouldn’t eat it if I was too close. I inched up to the porch, left the bag, and then moved back a few steps with arms held high. He moved the bag with the tip of the gun again to see the contents.

  He looked at me, and said, “All right, you can come inside.”

  I couldn’t help but smile knowing that I had been successful. I’d known this was a good idea from the start. Now if I could just get him to provide the information that I wanted. No tricks this time. No telling me that I needed to bring even more gifts.

  I was nervous going inside with this man, but I did it anyway. We walked into his place and sat at the kitchen table again. Didn’t he have electricity? There was a TV. Apparently he liked the dark. He sorted through the bag and I could tell that he was impressed with my gift this time.

  “Much better than Walmart,” I said with a smile.

  He didn’t smile back. “What do you want to know?”

  “I want to know where to find the witch with the glowing eyes.”

  He pulled the contents out of the bag and placed them on the table. “I have to warn you. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “I realize that there’s a risk in that, but I have to do it.”

  “You don’t have to,” he said.

  “So what? I just let her continue to follow me until she does something wrong? She was in the backseat of my car on the way here.”

  His eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean she was in the backseat. One second she wasn’t and the next when I pulled over she was nowhere to be seen.”

  “She’s playing tricks on you, but I’d rather not have her anywhere near my property. She probably knows that you’re heading here. I’m going be in big trouble.”

  “Well, can’t you put a spell on her?” I asked.

  “I don’t have her powers,” he said.

  “If you just give me the address for the witch I’ll be on my way. It’s the least you can do after I brought you gifts. You have to admit they’re good.”

  “Fine. Here’s the address.” He wrote it down and handed me the paper. “But don’t come back after this.”

  “What do you mean? What if I need more information?”

  That was kind of rude. But he was a guy who chased me out of his driveway with a shotgun, so what had I expected? Tea and cookies?

  “Don’t need more information.” He looked me in the eyes.

  “What about you? Can you come with me?” I asked.

  What was I thinking? Had I just asked him to come with me? I was desperate for anything.

  “I can’t do that. There’s no way,” he said as he stood from the table. “It’s time for you to leave now.”

  I sat there for a moment and then when he glared at me, I knew I had to leave.

  As I reached the door, he said, “Make sure to do a spell.”

  “What kind of spell?” I asked. “I’m not a witch.”

  “Just something for protection. You’re going to need it.”

  Wow, he was really making me nervous.

  “All right, I have a spell book,” I mumbled.

  “That’ll have to do.” He opened the door and ushered me out.

  As spooky and creepy as this guy was, I still felt safer inside his place.

  “What about seeing her in the car? Can she get to me like that?”

  “No, she’s just projecting her image. She’s just trying to scare you with that. You’ll be safe… ish.”

  “Safe-ish?” My voice cracked.

  He shrugged.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Roger was nicer this time, even though I knew he wanted me out of there. The entire way to the car it was as if my head was on a swivel. Would the witch jump out from behind a tree? After checking the car to make sure it was emp
ty, I jumped in the car and backed out of the driveway. Roger stood on the porch watching me. He didn’t have the gun, but he was making sure that I got out of there. He probably expected the witch to pop up at any moment too. The thought made me nervous even though he said it was safe. I was scared thinking about seeing her image back there. The entire way home I was on pins and needles. Luckily she didn’t show up again.

  The drive had only taken a couple of hours since I’d only stayed at his place for a few minutes. I didn’t think anyone would be too suspicious, although as soon as I walked in the door, Jennifer was waiting for me.

  She eyed me suspiciously again. “Who was your meeting with?”

  I pivoted and walked to the door. “Oh, I forgot my purse in the car,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Sure, I could stall answering her questions, but she would just ask again once I returned. I went back down the steps and headed toward the car.

  That was when I saw her. The witch was standing just a short distance away. She was watching me. Our eyes met. She started laughing, just as you’d expect a witch to cackle. She definitely wasn’t a good witch. Without warning she raised her arms and pointed at me. I knew she was getting ready to zap me with a spell. There was nothing I could do to protect myself. The next thing I knew, I hit the ground and everything went black.

  When I finally opened my eyes, Lily was standing over top of me, staring down at my face.

  I screamed out. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m saving your ass. That’s what I’m doing. Here, let me help you out.” She grabbed my hand and I got to my feet, although I was a little wobbly.

  I pushed the hair out of my face. “What happened?”

  “That witch. She just whacked you with a spell. As soon as she saw me she left though. I usually have that effect on people.” Lily studied her red-polished fingernails.

  “I can understand why.”

  Lily glared at me. “I told her to get lost, and she left.”

  I couldn’t believe that Lily had saved me. This was getting crazy.

  Lily draped her arm around me. “Here, I’ll get you back inside.”

  I couldn’t believe she was touching me. She’d usually gag when she’d done it in the past.

  “I swear I have to do all the work,” Lily said as we walked inside the building.

  When I stepped into my apartment, Jennifer was there by the door. “What the hell?”

  Lily waved her hand. “Get out of the way and don’t say a word. I just saved your friend and if you’d been down there you would have been able to do it.”

  “Get your hands off her,” Jennifer said.

  “What was I thinking? You’re too weak to save anyone,” Lily snapped.

  Of course they started arguing. This was no time for arguing.

  I yelled. “Please stop.”

  They stopped bickering and looking at me.

  “What happened?” Jennifer asked.

  “That witch hit me with a spell,” I said.

  Jennifer grabbed my arm and Lily tugged on the other one. They led me over to the sofa. All the while they were still mumbling under their breath.

  “I saved her from the witch,” Lily repeated, proudly puffing out her chest.

  Jennifer turned to me. “Yes, you’ve already announced that, Lily. Now what happened, Rylie?”

  “Like I said, the witch cast a spell on me.” I leaned back on the sofa cushion.

  “So you didn’t see it coming?” Jennifer asked.

  “Oh, I saw it coming. Well, I saw her point at me as if she was waving a magic wand. There was just nothing I could do to stop it.”

  “I have to go now. This is so pathetic,” Lily said, tossing her hair with a flick of her wrist.

  She walked out the door.

  “Oh, she’s so annoying,” Jennifer said.

  “Well, she did save me,” I said.

  Jennifer sat down beside me. “Yeah, what’s that all about?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to owe her a whole bunch of favors for that.”

  Jennifer shivered. “You’re right about that. The thought gives me the creeps.”

  “How do you think I feel? She’ll probably ask me to help shave Phil’s back hair again.”

  Jennifer made a gagging noise. When she recovered she asked, “So what are you up to, Rylie? I know you went somewhere you didn’t want to tell me.”

  I sighed and then said, “Okay, I went to visit that man. The one who likes to point his gun. Anyway, he gave me the address for the glowing-eyed witch. I’m going to pay her a little visit. If I go to her she won’t be prepared.”

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jennifer said.

  “I’ll do a spell first,” I said. “The guy said it wasn’t a good idea to visit her, but if I had to, I should cast a spell.”

  “Then why are you going?”

  “Because I have to.”

  Chapter 13

  How to Date a Witch Rule #13

  Candles are nice too.

  I woke up with a start. The witch with the glowing eyes was standing at the foot of my bed. Her eyes caught my attention first. The neon-green glowing orbs looked like something found in a test tube. They were all I saw in the dark of night. I tried to scream, but no noise actually came from my mouth. She waved her arms through the air and I knew she was casting a spell on me. I felt powerless. Was she going to kill me?

  My body wouldn’t move, not even a finger or a blink. How was I supposed to fight her off when she had this advantage over me? There had to be a way to stop her. I tried to shift, but I couldn’t break free from whatever was holding me down. She cackled and laughed at my struggling. I hoped that the witch hadn’t gone to Jennifer’s bedroom first. I didn’t want her hurt.

  Tightness was around my throat, as if I couldn’t breathe. My energy was drained now and I felt the walls closing in on me. Darkness was taking over my mind. She really did want to kill me, getting rid of me once and for all. I would never know why. I would never get to see Jack, Jennifer, or my parents again. This was it. As I drifted away, the only sound was of her cackling. She had gotten the last laugh.

  How much time passed was unknown, but I started to come around. I moved my arms and legs. I sat up in bed, startled and wondering if it had all been a dream. The witch was nowhere around. It was as if it had never happened, but it had been so real. I knew she had to be somewhere nearby. Maybe she was still in the apartment. I tossed the covers off my legs and jumped out of bed. It had been too real to be a dream.

  I ran out of my room and down the hall headed toward Jennifer’s bedroom. Halfway to the door I froze. A man was in the apartment, the same one who’d followed me. I only saw the back of him, but I knew it was him. He was going toward the front door. I screamed at him, but he didn’t stop. At least he wasn’t running toward me. He opened the door and ran out. I sprinted after him. I would demand an answer to why he was here.

  There was no way it could be a coincidence that I kept seeing him every time I saw the witch. They must be together. I took off out the door, down the hallway, and down the stairs. He was already at the bottom by the main door. I yelled out again. Of course he didn’t stop. He ran out into the night. I was determined to chase after him. When I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I spotted him running to the left.

  He already had a head start on me, so I knew there was only one way I would catch him. I would have to shift into my furry self. I couldn’t worry about who saw me or what happened at this point. Immediately I concentrated on shifting, and soon hair covered my body. There was no way he would get away from me now. I’d chase him down in a heartbeat. I took off in a lope down the sidewalk. My paws pounded along the sidewalk.

  The guy glanced over his shoulder as he raced away. The look on his face when he realized I was stalking him was priceless. Now that I had shifted, my pace was much faster than his. I had almost caught up to him. Now I would show him what I could really do when someone
messed with me.

  I almost had him when he turned and ran into a three-story brick building. I followed and ran up the stairs, but soon realized I couldn’t get the door open. My hand movements were somewhat limited. That was a slight flaw in my plan. A tiny setback in my strategy.

  There were several windows on the building. How would someone react if they saw a werewolf peeking in the building? Something told me they wouldn’t invite me in for a snack. I didn’t plan on being caught though. I stepped over the scrubs and inched up next to the buildings. The shade was up and the light was on in the apartment. Didn’t they know that anyone could see in if they left the light on with the shade up at night? I got lucky this time. The guy was alone in the room. I’d expected to see him with the glowing-eyed witch.

  He had no idea that I was watching him as he went over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. Ha-ha. I’d caused him to drink. As I surveyed the room from the other side of the window, I noticed something hanging on the wall. I’d seen something just like it in the witch shop. Did it have something to do with witchcraft? Maybe I’d go back to the shop and ask the woman about it. She’d probably kick me out for asking too many questions.

  The guy moved over to the sofa and picked up the remote. He flipped on the TV and sat down. He was still clueless that I was watching.

  Didn’t he feel me staring at him? I contemplated tapping on the window and telling him to close the shade. Just then, he took off his shirt. Oh, boy. Ripped abs and muscles. He looked gorgeous. Focus, Rylie.

  There was no sign of the witch. Plus, I was kind of getting the creeps standing outside peeking in like a stalker. It was probably best if I went home. Though I should probably call the police and tell them this guy had been in my apartment. Maybe once and for all I would find out what he wanted.

  Then I realized I couldn’t call. I didn’t have a phone with me. There was nothing I could do but go home. Though I could scare the guy a little bit. He deserved it after breaking into my apartment. What could I do?

  I howled. Right there next to his window. He dropped the beer and jumped up from the sofa. Yes, I’d scared him and that gave me a great deal of satisfaction. The guy raced over to the window. When he peered out, he stumbled back and landed on the floor. I knew he’d seen my eyes staring back at him. That would teach him to break into my place.