Hex and the Single Witch (7 page)

“Asshole,” she said, without any real conviction.

“Witch.”

She laughed and was silent for a moment. “So, do you think Brody stayed to play with Lila?”

“I’m sure he did. Does that bother you?”

Caraway watched the curl cling to her finger as she thought about the question. “Not so much because it’s him. Does it bother you?”

“What? That Lila is fucking him? No. We don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“I can’t imagine you’d want that kind of relationship, would you?”

“Are you asking?” he said, the teasing tone back in his voice.

“No, I’m not stupid. I was thinking out loud is all.”

“What if I did, Caraway?”

She slapped him lightly on the back of his head. “Don’t start lying to me now. I know your daddy is the Father of Lies and all, but let’s just keep this honest.”

“I’m not my father.” All flirtation was gone from his voice.

“No, but you’re part of him. Just as I’m part of my parents, my coven.”

“I was serious when I said I liked you.”

“I was serious when I said you were being mean.”

“Still don’t like me, then?” he teased. “You like my cock. Just wait until I show you what I can do with this tongue.”

Goddess, but he was mercurial. Talking about his father left him cold, almost as if she’d hurt him, and now he was back to talking about fucking and it was all teasing and fun.

“I guess I like you,” she capitulated. “See, I’m absolutely no challenge at all. I’m surprised you’re not bored yet.”

“Me, too.”

She raised her hand to slap the back of his head again and he grabbed her wrist and pushed her back down onto the clover. “Playing with fire, little witch.”

His cock was hard again and her slit clenched in response.

“Oh yeah? Well, light me up, Morningstar. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

[Back to Table of Contents]

* * * *

“Merlin’s jock strap, Caraway! You look like you just escaped a goblin prison camp,” Coriander exclaimed loudly when Cara stumbled into their dorm room and collapsed on her bed.

She opened one eye and gave her cousin a half-grin. “Not for
good
behaviour, but very, very bad.”

“Captain Cock?” Coriander tittered.

“But not his crew of knoblings.” Cara giggled and sat up.

Coriander pounced on the bed, the old mattress practically launching Caraway into the air. “Tell!”

Caraway scooted around, as if settling in for a long telling.

“Okay, where should I start? The part where I made out with Lila or...?” She trailed off for effect.

“You. Did. Not.” Cori’s mouth fell open.

“I did. Alexander was shagging her right there in the Hexacology classroom on one of the lab tables and—”

“Oy, hold on.
Alexander
? Not ‘Morningstar’, not ‘Captain Cock’, but Ale-sodding-xander?”

“Well, I know what his ‘O’ face looks like, so I think it’s appropriate.” Caraway snickered.

“You know what Bendopolous’ ‘O’ face looks like, too, but I don’t hear you calling him Brody.”

“Because it’s an ugly name. I don’t like it. Brody.” She wrinkled her nose. “When I was little and going to the mortal school back home, I had a boy in my class who called his waste ‘Toady’. So, Brody, Toady...” She shuddered.

Coriander cackled, a true wicked witch sound. “Oh, that’s too much. Have you told him that?”

“No, but I think I should.”

“Definitely.” She cackled some more. “Plus, Alexander is the name of a king and conqueror. More noble than dropping the kids in the pond or, as other parties like to say, planting stink pickles.”

Caraway joined in with a cackle of her own. She struggled for breath and her eyes teared up and she continued to laugh.

“Hey, knock it right off now. I want to hear what else happened. How did you go from watching Morningstar shaggin’ and baggin’ to taking part? Please tell me it wasn’t like a bad porno where he’s all...”

“No, no.” Caraway shook her head. “I didn’t see you yesterday, did I? Fuck it all. No, this was last night. Lila actually invited me to join them and it was totally bad porno dialogue, but it was hot, too.”

“So Alexander looks as good without his clothes as with?”

“Better. I’m getting there.” She waved her hands at her cousin to be patient. “Anyway, he gave me another demerit so I’d have to go back tonight. Wait, no, sorry. See, you interrupted me, now I forgot where I was.”

“Addled your brain, did he?” Coriander sighed.

“Definitely that, yes.” Cara nodded. “Remember what you said about Brody being into blokes? Yeah. Spot on. He came to the Hexacology room and propositioned Morningstar. Of course, my fat mouth ran away with me and in a fit of something—who knows what the fuck that was—I told her she might as well come along and we’d make it a foursome.”

Coriander squealed and clamped a hand over her mouth, then whispered, “You’re going to be a legend.”

“I don’t want to be a legend. And I chickened out on that part.”

“But I thought—”

“Yeah, it was all well and good until Brody showed up. Lila was...it was fun,” Caraway admitted. “Then Brody showed up and ruined it.”

“You don’t still have feelings for Brody, do you?”

“No. I haven’t for a long time. I’m still pissed at him and I feel stupid.”

“You don’t need to feel stupid. He’s the one with issues, not you. Sure—pardon the phrasing—playing Devil’s Advocate”—they both giggled—”I can see where he’d be afraid to come clean, but there’s more to it than that. There was the way he treated you at the Samhain mixer, the stunt on the quad, and then to expect just because you’d fucked him before that it’s some kind of free pass? Especially after the way he treated you? No, you have every right to be angry at him and he needs to be punished. Don’t you worry about that though, Cara, my pet.” Coriander nodded and her eyes darkened.

“Do you have a plan?”

“I do.” Coriander nodded more emphatically.

“Consisting of?” Coriander could be just a shade shy of evil when she wanted to be.

“Not ready to tell you yet. But you’ll see. Now, back to you and Morningstar. You’re not getting out of spilling your guts.”

She took a breath. “But, you know, I find it telling you’re more willing to talk about making out with Lila Darkend than you are about Morningstar. Don’t tell me you’re having feelings?”

“Of course not! Why would I go and cock up my life by doing something as stupid as to have
feelings
for the heir of all evil?” Caraway wrinkled her nose. “He’s just a lay. Albeit a very good lay, but nonetheless it’s only physical.”

“Some witches can’t tell the difference between love and sex. It’s okay if you’re one of them. He might actually make you happy.” Coriander narrowed her eyes. “He’d make me happy, too.”

“How’s that?” Caraway was almost afraid of the answer.

“How do you think?” She winked. “No, but seriously, have you considered the implications for Hexes & Haunts if one of the proprietors had a direct line to all of Morningstar’s power?”

“He’s engaged to Lila. So I’m sure if we did have anything, it would be on the down-low.”

“Why? She doesn’t care.”

“You know things aren’t done that way. As forward thinking and permissive as magical folk can be, there are some traditions you just don’t shit on.”

“Or
Brody
on,” Coriander deadpanned.

“You’re so wicked,” Caraway managed through another fit of giggles.

“That’s why you’re going to tell me more about Morningstar.”

“Fine. Merlin! Shut your gob so I can get there, ‘kay?”

Coriander fidgeted for a moment before widening her eyes and giving Cara a pointed look that indicated she should get to it.

“Okay, so anyway. After Brody showed up, I left. Alexander actually came after me and demanded I finish what I started.” She bit her lip, remembering every detail. Caraway sighed, unsure of what else to share. It seemed wrong to tell her everything. This belonged only to her and Alexander right now—if she told Coriander, it was like giving a piece of it away.

But that kind of thinking...it led to other thoughts.

Thoughts of how long it would last. And those things shouldn’t matter to her. Not if she was only in it for the physical—and, no mistake, that’s all she wanted. Wasn’t it?

“Oh Hell, Cous. You look like a moon-eyed calf on dragon’s blood ale. You’re stupid for him!”

“Shut the fuck up, I am not.” Caraway was heartily offended. She studied her cousin intently, debating what to say next, when she saw it. A bit of pink glitter on the corner of her mouth. She pursed her lips and realised Coriander smelt like cherries. “Why do you smell like cherries?”

Coriander blushed. “Uh.”

“Uh? Uh, what? What did
you
do?”

“It’s part of my revenge plot,” she replied primly.

“It’s pink, Coriander.
Pink
.”

“Fine. Clarabelle the Valentine fairy does not, in fact, shoot glitter from her quim when she has it off.” Coriander blushed.

“I decided to steal her from Brody the Toady and see how he liked it.”

“But, he’s more into men than women. So, he’s not going to care.”

“Oh yeah, he most definitely will care. Our Clarabelle has a secret.” Coriander’s lips curled up into a smile.

“What, she has a dick?” Caraway rolled her eyes and laughed, but when Coriander didn’t laugh with her, Cara goggled. “Are you serious?”

“It’s the damnedest thing, Cara.” Coriander shook her head in a daze. “I’d heard certain fey races had this ability, but I...”

“But you what?”

“I guess I didn’t believe it. They call it being dual-sexed. She can choose which of her organs are dominant.”

“I think I’m jealous,” Cara said. Cocks were easy, while the clit seemed to be one of the Great Mysteries, much to her dismay.

“Me, too. If I had a cock, I’d put it everywhere. I’d just whip it out and slap people with my great big penis.” They giggled again. “It isn’t like Clarabelle the female just has a cock—she actually became male. I’m so ashamed to say, she was hot as a man.”

“Why are you ashamed? You’re not ashamed to say you fucked her. Him. Whatever.”

“Because I’m supposed to hate her for you. This is supposed to be a case of simple, easy revenge.”

“Doll, I think we both know revenge might sometimes be easy, but it’s rarely simple.”

“So you wouldn’t hate me if I did it again? Because I want to, and not just to stick in Brody the Toady’s craw?” Coriander asked quietly.

“No, not at all. Clarabelle seems dumber than a post, but what happened with Brody the Toady wasn’t her fault.”

“She doesn’t have to be smart to know how to use that cock.”

“And I’m going back for more, too,” Caraway confessed. “I may even hook up with Lila, just because.” And to prove to herself she wasn’t getting in any way attached to Morningstar. “But next time, at least take a shower before you rub Valentine fairy glitter all over my bed.”

“Yeah, well next time you come sneaking in here like a dirty tart, you hit the showers too. You smell like brimstone. Or is it burning leaves?” Coriander shoved her playfully.

“Deal. And, if you bring her back here, don’t do it on my bed. I can’t abide glitter.”

“Where else would we do it? I don’t want it on my bed, either.” Coriander laughed.

“I guess you’ll just have to use the floor.”

“A bit of rough?” Cori raised a brow.

“Is there anything better?”

“No, I don’t think there is. Except for maybe a bottle of Rosa Regale and some Harpy Fudge.”

Caraway gave a conspiratorial grin and snapped her fingers twice. She suddenly had two glasses of Rosa Regale and a giant box of Harpy Fudge. “A toast?”

“To Wormwoods and sexcapades?”

“Most definitely.” They clinked their glasses together.

[Back to Table of Contents]

* * * *

Caraway saw Brody leaning against a column and resolved to go the other way.

“Hey!”

Okay, it could have been directed at anyone. Just don’t
turn around, and keep walking.

Her feelings were still too convoluted to talk to him—really talk to him without the sniping and the snapping. And she wasn’t up to putting on a happy face. Furthermore, fuck him.

Why should she?

“Caraway.”

Hell.

“You avoid me like the plague and now you’re stuck to my ass like a rash. What?”

Brody looked as if she’d physically cut him.

Good.

He deserved it.

“Well? I don’t have all day—I do have class. Unlike some trolls who get passed because of how well they can kick a ball.”

“I thought we could talk about what happened.”

“Brody, I don’t want to do this here, now. Maybe not ever. It’s over between us. What else is there?” Caraway turned sharply. “Oh, your conscience. Hmm. Now that’s your bitch. Not mine.”

Brody reached out to grab her.

She looked at him as if he was dragon shit. “Don’t ever touch me. You no longer have that privilege.”

“What if I want it back?”

Really? Had he dared to say that to her? “You don’t know what you want.” He opened his mouth to interrupt her, but she held up her hand. “But I do. Know what I want. It’s not you.” She motioned to the space between them. “And it’s not this.”

“Then what do you have to lose by talking to me?”

“Nothing. But I have nothing to gain, either—therefore it’s a waste of my time.”

“You sound like a dark-sider.” An accusation.

“Is that supposed to mean something stellar? Am I supposed to cry now?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Please, Caraway.”

“Will you sod off, then? Leave me alone?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get this over with.” She started walking.

Brody followed after her in silence and, while a lack of shit issuing forth from his suckhole was theoretically a good thing, Caraway was ready for this to be over. The sooner he said what he needed to say, the sooner he could leave her alone.

She needed to graduate, to open up Hexes & Haunts with Coriander and go about the business of living her life.