Little Red (Twisted Dark, #4)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Roads to Take

I was pissed. There wasn’t any other way to describe the hard twisting in my stomach and the heated tingling in my veins. I knew Lyxton was hard headed and could seem like an idiot but actively poisoning himself? I couldn’t believe he was that stupid. I clenched my hands into fists and ground my teeth together. He needed to get out of my life or that stupid potion would kill him. Woalf’s extract was a virulent poison, even in the small amounts in the potion. I knew what he was using it for, I wasn’t fucking stupid.

I stalked up the porch stairs to Tia’s front door. I didn’t knock and shoved my way inside. I didn’t want to bring my overtly hostile energy into her house but I couldn’t calm myself down. “Tia.” It came out clipped and I tried harder to shove the anger further down in my stomach but I couldn’t contain the burn in my veins that felt like it was eating away at me from the inside out. I was fucking stupid. I knew I should have kicked him out sooner but I had gotten attached and now he was poisoning himself to stay.

I rubbed at my face hard. That was all I needed, a guilty conscious about it. It had been his choice but I knew some of the blame lay with me. I should have actually meant it when I told him to get out all those other times. I should have done more to kick his ass to the curb. But no, I had to act like a bitch in heat and now he had downed an unknown amount of fucking woalf’s extract.

“Sorry, Lilli.” Tia’s voice was soft and I lowered my hand to look at her. She was pulling a cloak tight around her neck as she came down the stairs, looking all together far more nervous than normal. However I understood it, she was leaving her house and that just wasn’t something she did without nerves. “I had to get something.” She looked at me and I shook my head.

“It’s alright, Tia.” I heaved out a sigh. “Just some trouble with the bar. I’m not mad at you.” I wasn’t. I doubted I ever could be. She was my twin and I loved her more than anything. “You said Lacey wanted to see us?” I asked it as evenly as I could and she nodded, her pale hand tightening on her cloak and for a few moments I was a little worried she was choking herself.

“Yah. Mama let me know and told me to portal call you.” She nibbled on her lower lip slightly, looking uncomfortable with the mention of the magick and I pressed my lips together. “You and mama are on the outs, aren’t you?” She looked at me and I crossed my arms over my chest.

“She pulled some really heinous shit and it nearly got me and Violet and and her babies killed. So yah, I’m not impressed with her at the moment.” I really wasn’t. The sting and agitation had faded over the weeks but that didn’t mean I wasn’t still upset about it.

Tia brushed some of her copper curls behind her ear. “How is Violet?” I wasn’t surprised she was asking. I was actually keeping in contact with our cousin. Well Violet was phoning me every few days to talk about just things. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it but I allowed it all the same.

“She's fine. Babies are good too.” Growing big. They had been so tiny when they had been born that seeing them fat and growing bigger was good. A fat baby was a healthy baby in my opinion.

Tia nodded, “Aunt Hestia really loves her. I think she has practically moved in with them at this point.” A fleeting smile crossed her face as she said it. “It’s good for her, she deserves that after Mary.” Her voice lowered and I nodded at the reminder. I still wanted to track the former witch down and beat her ass for handing a baby to Irma. That was some sick and twisted shit.

“I couldn’t have said it better. We should go though. Can’t keep the Queen of the Covens waiting.” I gestured to my twin and she nodded before pulling a portal orb from her cloak pocket. I looked at it and raised my eyebrow and her pale face pinched slightly even though she tried to smile as she handed it to me rather hastily.