Dangerous Diabolical: Book 1 (Iridescent) ✔️

3.2 | Edited

The tree-fae was fishing in her pockets for a cigarette outside of the pebble-dashed walls of Members Only. At the sight of her, I tried not to break into a run with all of my shopping bags. I still looked odd enough to draw attention from passing pedestrians, and the rustling caused her to glance up at the commotion. With a toothy grin, Willow gave me a soft wave as I grew closer.

"Hey girl!" today, she was sporting flawless ends, a purple afro with a soft glittery hue. Once within earshot, she tilted her head curiously, causing the curls to bounce. "You look like you forgot what you did with your lunch." She inhaled a puff of her cigarette, brows raising at the bags. "That better not be a body stuffed in there."

It would be convenient, but there were more important things to discuss. "Have you seen anything odd about?" I demanded, cutting to the chase. She pursed her lips as if considering, cigarette poised for another inhale.

"Erm, nope." Then, changing her mind when she saw the build-up flicked off the residue instead.

When I said nothing else, she paused, her cigarette halfway to her lips. Her eyes flicked to the plastic bags in my hands again. "What happened?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

Glancing to make sure no one was in earshot, I leant in, confiding urgently, "he died."

Her other eyebrow quirked up to create a quizzical look, and then her eyes grew wide as she realised who I was talking about.

"Shit!" She swore, lunging at my bags as the cigarette fell from her fingers, "You killed him?" Her voice was high in surprise and filled with the trill of merriment as she tried to see inside.

I wafted them out of her reach at the last second, "Of course not," I retorted adamantly, scoffing, "This is just steak."

"Here was me thinking you'd brought me something nice." Her lips popped as she pouted in disappointment, eyeing up the half-used roll on the floor as it glowed with lit embers. She hesitated, leaving it sitting on the tarmac for a few seconds longer and, for a moment, it looked like she would pick it up, but then decided better and stomped it out instead.

On the last grind of her foot, Willow glared. "People saw me with him! You know I wouldn't dare attract the attention of the SPCC!"

There was no need to mention that killing him was my aim at the time he'd expired. So, to clarify, I added, "I just watched him whilst he died."

She froze again, taking on that eerie forest stillness as her brain tried to string together what I was saying. When law-breaking wasn't premeditated, she often fixated on minor details. Willow had more to risk than I did when it came to being discovered, considering she wasn't registered.

Her nostrils flared as she breathed through the options. "Where's the body?" She asked, shaking her head, "Please tell me you didn't eat that mess of meat." Her whole body posture shifted, shoulders deflating as she was nothing short of completely flabbergasted.

It didn't seem the time to mention I almost considered it. "Nah, I decided to leave it lying in the street."

She relaxed, resuming her usual slouched pose, fishing her pockets to get another cigarette. "WHAT!" With a sudden jolt, she looked around nervously as if the SPCC was about to appear. "Are you insane? The minute they get your magic signature, they'll be on you like a pack of dogs!" Her hands shook as she tried to take a drag from the unlit cigarette. "Jesus, girl, I can hide you in one of my trees, but feeding you forever is out of the question!"

I felt warmth bloom in my chest. Willow would do that for me?

It was time to protest before it went too far. "Stop panicking! No magic cast, promise." Willow, the friend of little faith. "He had a heart attack. The human was all like..." I clutched my chest and staggered to show her. She grew very still again.