I drove to the hotel. As tempting as it was to walk there and work off some of my anger that way, they did have a point that it could be dangerous to be out on the street. Even outside of the potential magical hitmen I might encounter, it was nearly midnight. So rather than risk my night getting even worse, I got in my car and drove slowly down the street.

Salem was quiet, but not deserted as I drove through the city streets. A few bars were still open, muffled music suddenly blasting as people opened the doors to smoke a cigarette outside. All the tourist traps were closed though. Black lights illuminated the spell books and crystals in shop windows, sending an eerie glow into the streets as I passed by them. There was a brilliant purple crystal on display in one shop and I shivered as I passed by. I still had magic in my system, didn’t I? Was that how it worked? I felt fine now, physically at least. But was the combination of Joel and Gretel’s powers still lingering in my cells? Tears blurred my vision for a second before I furiously wiped them away.

What were they doing back at the condo right now? Probably talking about how I was such a brat because I couldn’t handle a little bit of magic in my life. When I got back tomorrow, Joel would be gone. He’d have to be, or I’d kill him myself. But Gretel was probably going to have him spend the night there in our house, even after what he’d done.

A group of people staggered out of a bar up ahead, filling the narrow street to where I had to stop the car. I waited as patiently as possible as they all said their goodbyes, hugging each other and calling cheerfully to everyone around them. A streetlight flickered, and a woman pointed casually upward at it, causing it to glow so brightly that the entire road was illuminated. Nausea rose in my throat again and it took everything in me to not honk my horn to make them leave.

Finally, they all left, and I kept going, now desperate for a shower and bed. A few minutes later, I pulled into the Landmark Hotel’s small parking garage. I wasn’t concerned about the payment, I could validate my own ticket later on. All I wanted to do was get a room with a lock and nobody else in it, then sleep for a few hours before my shift began.

I didn’t recognize the man at the front desk, but he said there was a room available on the top floor. I gave him my employee information, tried not to gasp at the price even with my discount, then paid it anyway.

I could see my desk in the darkness of the conference room as I passed by, walking toward the elevators. Tomorrow was going to be a mess, probably one with paranormal origins thanks to Cherise and her denial magic. God, was everyone using magic to mess up my life right now?

I still felt so violated by the fact that Joel had used magic on me. He’d been able to send me to my room like a naughty child and I wasn’t supposed to be concerned about power dynamics? Were they serious? Had he done anything like that when we were together? This was why-

No, I needed to stop this for now. A shower and a good night’s sleep would help me approach what had happened on a more even ground. This was for tomorrow. Today was over.

Despite the fact that the hotel was older than electricity, the showers had great water pressure. When people were paying the amounts we charged during October, they expected certain amenities. So tonight I got to take advantage of that. Even though it was past midnight by the time I stumbled into my room, I stayed in the shower for about forty minutes, letting the hot water pour over me.

I missed home. Even though I’d just left, I missed my bed and my garden. I missed Gretel. And I wished none of this had ever happened.

But it was inevitable, wasn’t it? Unless I was wishing Gretel didn’t have magic. After I got out of the shower, I fell into the soft bed and closed my eyes.

Tomorrow. I’d deal with all of this tomorrow.

***

Despite my bone-deep exhaustion, I didn’t sleep well that night. Thoughts and emotions swirled together in a churning pool of guilt, fear, and anger as I tossed around in the extremely comfortable bed that wasn’t my own. When I finally slept, I dreamed of being trapped, held down against my will by forces beyond my control. I woke up sweating, relieved to be free. Then I looked around, remembered where I was, and the entire situation returned to me. A little later, I’d fall asleep and the whole cycle would start again. Between midnight and my alarm going off at six-thirty, I caught maybe three and a half hours of unsatisfying sleep.

Finally, the alarm went off, and I got up for the day. One small benefit of being here was that my commute would be next to nothing. And I could get the free continental breakfast, not that I didn’t help myself on a regular basis. I took another shower, scrubbing away the previous night as well as I could. Finally, searing hot and scrubbed raw, I got out of the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and went back into the room.

I caught sight of myself in the mirror as I passed it. Water-darkened blonde hair, round face, small shoulders. I looked tired and lost as I paused at my reflection.

God, how had this caught up to me so badly? When Joel and I had been together, we talked about how his magic could improve our lives. Or, more accurately, he talked about it and I listened with a twinge of envy as he wove big tales about what our lives would look like after college. And now it turned out he was right, magic certainly was playing a huge role. Just not the one we’d anticipated.

And now my relationship was on thin ice, Joel had nearly been killed, and a magical -what, crime boss?- was after him for stealing some powerful box. Jesus Christ. And I still had to go to work and pretend to care about this wedding that was also being ruined by magic as it tore the hotel down around itself.

I got dressed, not caring enough to pull down the ironing board and touch up my work clothes. Instead, I buttoned my shirt slowly, focusing all of my attention on the small pearl buttons under my fingers. As I did so, I took deep breaths, centering my mind as much as possible. It was going to be fine, right? All relationships went through rough patches, even the ones without any magic involved. I just needed to breathe and stay calm.

Finally dressed, I got up and slid my pumps onto my feet. Then I gathered up my things where they were scattered over the dresser top. I wasn’t staying another night. Not only was it too much money to be worth it, I had to go home and face what was coming. No matter what it was.

Once everything was packed up, I slung my bag over my shoulders and left the room, letting the door lock behind me. As I walked down the narrow stairs toward the main desk and the continental breakfast, my thoughts still spun in a sickening swirl throughout my brain. What did I want? I spent so much time thinking about what I didn’t want, so what did I actually want right now?

Gretel. I wanted Gretel, with her warm eyes that didn’t miss a thing. I wanted to plan my life with her, just like I had before last night. I wanted to grow old together, me, her, and some friendly old cat that would purr on our laps. I wanted the life I’d thought I had, then thought I’d lost.

Did it matter if she could heal through her touch? I forced myself to think honestly about that as I left the stairwell and started toward the breakfast bar. I was mad she hadn’t told me. Even if I understood her reasons and felt a sense of shame about my role in that decision, I was mad that she’d kept it a secret for so long. But I understood it too. And God knew I hadn’t exactly provided any kind of supportive environment for her to share it, even if it was because of my own pain.

And up until last night, she’d never used her magic. Not even when she was hungover, or I was taken out by norovirus for three days last year. Instead, she’d suffered through it all with me because she knew the alternative wasn’t something I was comfortable with.

I was tempted to text her right now, but this wasn’t something I could do over text, was it? What if we miscommunicated? Or she thought I was ending things? Shit, I had to wait and talk to her face to face? And I couldn’t call out of work to go do it right now, not when I was on the guest roster for last night.

The continental breakfast was sparsely populated. A family with a small girl sat in one corner, eating pancakes as an old man in the other corner sipped his coffee. I got a sesame bagel from the basket and put it in the toaster, watching the TV in the corner play the news as it toasted. Stock market numbers scrolled across the bottom of the screen as I poured coffee, things I didn’t quite understand. It didn’t look great though.

Now that I’d had some sleep, the reality of everything that had happened was hitting in a way it hadn’t last night. The thought of Joel’s close call sent a shiver through me. He was arrogant and clueless, but he didn’t deserve this. He wasn’t a thief for theft’s sake. If what he was saying was true – and despite everything, I had no reason to really doubt it – then he had stolen the box to keep people safe. Even though I was still livid at the memory of him sending me to my room like a child, maybe I should help him get it to safety. At the very least, it would get him and his drama out of my life again.

“Dar, what are you doing here?”

Angie’s voice interrupted my thoughts just as my bagel popped out of the toaster slots. I pulled it out, then began applying the small pad of cream cheese I’d found in the bowl beside it. “Just getting breakfast,” I said.

Angie looked at my wet hair, and clearly more wrinkled than I thought clothes. “Did you stay here last night?” she asked.

I nodded, and her face fell into a sympathetic expression. “I’m fine,” I said, before she could say anything. “Don’t worry about it.”

“When you’re done, you can clock in early if you want,” Angie said. “God knows we’ve got a full day planned. Even without whatever surprises Cherise and her wedding are going to throw at us. But it’s tomorrow, so we can just pray it goes without a hitch, then never think of it again.”

I had nothing else to do before work and not enough time to go home, so I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “That sounds good. I’ll be there soon.”

Angie looked like she was about to say something else, but then stopped. Instead, she just clapped me on the shoulder and walked away, leaving me to fix my coffee and sit down with my meal.

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Continue to Chapter 12