Stakes & Stilettos - Michelle Rowen [81]
“What do you mean there’s still time?” Thierry said. “Of course there’s time.”
I shook my head. “Stacy said that if the curse wasn’t removed within three days from when she did it in the first place, it was sticking. Forever. But, it’s morning now. We’ve got the better part of two days to take care of this, so I just need to think. I need to think about what to do next, especially since I can’t go outside. It’s not a cloudy day out there by any chance, is it? Of course it isn’t. It’s probably the brightest day of the year, with my luck.”
George and Thierry exchanged a glance.
“I wish that you had told me about this timeline last night,” Thierry said quietly.
“Why?” I looked at the clock above the bar. “It’s 7:00 a.m. We’ve got all day to figure out where that skank is hiding out.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sarah, but it isn’t morning. You slept through the night and also through the daylight hours. Nightwalkers,” he said carefully, “often sleep through the day. They… thrive in darkness.”
I swallowed hard. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.” His expression tightened. “But there is still time.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I didn’t want to disturb you. I didn’t realize that time was an issue.”
I felt as if I was in shock. The heart that let out one beat every other minute was also a bit distracting, to say the least. Like the gong that signified that my life was currently taking a long walk off a short pier into an ocean of crap.
I sniffed and ran my hand under my nose. “I think I’m actually room temperature right now.” I blinked a couple of times and looked at Thierry. “You really still think everything’s going to be all right?”
He nodded. “I have no doubt that it will be.”
“You haven’t figured out where Stacy lives yet, have you?”
“No. My sources have met with brick walls wherever they try. I believe she must be using some of her magic to help conceal her location. She obviously prefers to have the power solely in her hands.”
“Did she call?” I asked hopefully.
“Not yet.”
I began pacing to the bar and then back again. “She’s a murderer, you know. She told me. She didn’t kill the people herself. But the curses she put on people have led to their deaths. I think that’s what she wants to do with me.” I let out a shuddery breath. Weird that I still needed to breathe with a heart that didn’t beat. Didn’t all of that work together? I got a C in biology but some things are quite obviously not natural.
“I won’t let that happen,” Thierry said, and there was a strange fierce tone to his words. He exhaled deeply. “I do have a suggestion.”
“What?”
“Your friend, the other witch from the reunion. We must call her and have her come here. Perhaps she can help us find Stacy. And when we find her, we will visit her personally.”
Of course! I nodded quickly, ran to grab my purse, which currently had taken up residence behind the bar, and happily found the contact info Claire had given me. Without saying anything else I went to the phone and pecked in the numbers.
Claire answered on the sixth ring. My heart beat once in happiness.
I quickly explained the situation and gave her directions to Haven.
“Of course I’ll come, Sarah,” Claire said. “How exciting! I’ll do a location spell. We’ll find her. I’ll be there in about two hours, okay?”
While I didn’t agree with her assessment of the situation as “exciting,” I did appreciate her willingness to come to assist with my problem.
I hung up the phone feeling nine parts hopeless and one part hopeful, but that one part was beginning to gain strength again, all things considered. Hope was a surprisingly durable emotion.
George approached me and patted me on the back. “I read your horoscope today. You do know that Scorpios are prone to lead exciting lives with loads of drama, right? Obviously everything is very normal. I believe your Mercury is also in retrograde. Or something like that. Not so sure what that means.”
I sighed. “My Mercury has been in retrograde for so long I think it’s still wearing bell bottoms.”
He held out his arms. “Somebody