Page 12 of Bad Witch

“Tempest,” I roared.

I’d been watching the house the whole time, I would have seen her and, at the very least, scented her if she’d come out the back. She was gone, as if she’d vanished into thin air.

Not sure what to do, I yanked out my phone and hit Magnolia’s number.

She answered on the second ring. “What’s up?”

“I need your help. It’s Tempest. She’s vanished.”

“Vanished? What do you mean? From where?”

I snarled. “Some house I followed her to.”

“Text me the address.”

I followed Magnolia as she walked around the house, her mate, Bram, watching.

“You said she just showed up here on her own? You know who this guy is?”

“No. Just that he’s a witch, and I didn’t fucking like the way he looked at her.”

“There’s a strange darkness here,” Bram said and frowned. “But I can’t explain it.”

Mags ran her hand along a wall. “I feel it too. There’s dark magic here, but something else as well. This feels different. I know it, but not because I’ve personally felt it before. I mean, it feels dark as well, but…safe? I know that makes no sense, but that’s how it feels to me.”

I was about to lose my shit. The beast was near bursting free and tearing the house down. “Did he do something to her?”

“I don’t know what happened here, but I’d feel it if something really bad happened to her. I’m sure of it.” Mags strode into the kitchen and rifled through a stack of mail, then paled. She spun and strode down the hall to where I’d told her Tempest’s scent had ended. She brushed her hand over the door, and her head shot up, her eyes slicing to her mate. “We need to leave.”

“What?” I snarled. “What the fuck are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere until I know Tempest is okay.”

Magnolia was already hotfooting back down the hallway. “She’s okay.”

My head jerked back. “How do you know that?”

She turned back to me and bit her lower lip. “I just do. It’s a witch thing.”

“Mags—”

“Trust me on this, Fender. You need to leave this alone.” Her gaze locked with mine. “Leave this house and don’t come back, and when you see Temp again, whatever you do, do not mention any of this to her, understand?”

“No, I fucking do not. Tell me what’s going on here!” I demanded.

Bram straightened. “Brother, you need to back off.”

My hound burst forward, and I knew my eyes were glowing red. “I need to know where Tempest is, and I need to know right the fuck now.”

Mags stepped in between me and Bram. “I couldn’t tell you even if I knew, but what I do know is she’s okay.”

I barely wrestled the beast back. “How can you know that?”

“Like I said, it’s a witch thing.” She started moving again, striding from the house. Taking her blade from her pocket, she sliced her palm and started chanting.

“What’s she doing?” I growled.

“Cleansing the house.” Bram watched her closely. “So there’s nothing here that can lead back to any of us.”

Mags muttered something else, and the door I’d kicked in lifted on its own and flew back into place as if she’d hit rewind.