The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 1 - Zoe, the Witch of Innocence

Chapter 56 A bad joke

Felix

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I didn't know how I got home, I didn't know anything to be honest. My mind was a hurricane of images and words. I saw Zoe smiling and laughing, being nervous and concerned, being scared to death at the risk of me touching her skin.

I was a fool, wasn't I?

A list took form, a list of all the things that should have made me see the truth. Rare skin disease, opinions on witches, dead tree, reaction at the Old State House, the laughter in the library, South Carolina, the way I had fallen for her the moment I had seen her.

She had to have put me under some spell that day. I was the perfect tool to get to my dad. My dad, who currently was away to kill a witch from her coven. My dad, who wanted to kill Zoe...

My mind had yet another explosion, and I almost turned back to run to her, to tell her to hide, to tell her my dad wouldn't rest until he found her and killed her. That he had never failed to kill a witch once he had decided to.

But she wasn't my concern. Whatever I felt for her was nothing but a lie.

My nightmare surfaced in my head. Zoe, with a pile of bloody corpses around her, telling me she had killed them. I should have listened to that dream. How had I been so stupid? The evidence basically screamed at me. My subconscious had known, but I had refused to see.

I found myself in my kitchen, staring at the stove. For a moment, I thought she was there. That she hummed to herself, oblivious to that fact, as she cut up vegetables. But then I realized it was just my memories being extremely vivid.

I turned from it and walked away, but now that she had been in the house, it felt like she followed me through it. Her wonderful smile, her beautiful laugh, her sweet voice.

With the spare key in hand, I stood outside my dad's office without remembering having made a decision to go there. Dad never liked when I was in his office without permission. But surely he would understand? I just had to be somewhere Zoe had not been.

I unlocked the door, entered, and then locked it behind me. Not that I thought a locked door would actually be able to stop a witch. Or...

Zoe had herself asked me to put on one of the amulets the day that colleague of hers had visited.

Before my thought about the amulet had time to finish, another realization came to me. That Scarlet woman had to also be a witch. I had even thought that she'd looked like one, but brushed it off. How foolish did I have to be to stand in the presence of two witches and not realize it?

And the way Zoe had disappeared without a trace that night... That had to have been magic.

She said that she went to find a cure. She wants to get rid of her killing touch. She has protected me from it. So maybe she isn't that bad.

I forced those thoughts away. Surely it had all been lies. A way to make me trust her. And besides, she likely had me under a love spell, so I couldn't trust any of my emotions. All I needed to focus on was protecting myself from her.

The amulets.

It had been a few busy days, so I hadn't gotten around to putting one on since I had promised Zoe I would. Had she told me to wear one because she knew they worked and wanted me protected? Or had she told me because they didn't work, but thought it would make me feel secure and less guarded?

I didn't know what to think. Dad was convinced they worked and that hanging them around the property stopped witches from being able to perform magic inside it. He also said that wearing one would make you immune to witches' magic. If that was true, would putting one on dispel whatever love-spell Zoe had put me under?

I went around Dad's desk and took out a box from one of the drawers. There were a dozen or so amulets there and I hung one around my neck. It didn't make me feel any different. But maybe it needed some time to break the spell?

I sat down on the floor, in one of the corners. It made me feel slightly better, safer, though the corners could not protect me any more than a locked door.

What would Zoe do now that I knew? Would she kill me the next time she saw me? And then definitely kill my dad, since that had to be the reason she was in Hartford. But what would she do if she couldn't get to us? It would be suicide for her to try to attack us at home. Would she try to lure us out? And how would she...

Alex.

My actions were once again faster than my thoughts and I didn't realize I had called her before she answered.

"What's up? Aren't you with Zoe?" Alex said.

"You alright?" I asked straight away, needing to hear that confirmation.

"Yeah, of course. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

I let out a sigh of relief, but quickly hurried on. "Are you at home?"

"No. I'm buying groceries. Tell me what's going on. You're scaring me."

"Go home and stay at home until I tell you otherwise, okay?"

"Are you fine? Is Zoe hurt? Is it... Is it your dad's work?"

"We're... We're fine," I lied and shook my head for myself before resting it towards my hand. "But yeah, dad's work."

"But why would I..."

"Just please listen to me!" I yelled at her.

"Felix. What happened?" Her voice was calm and steady, but unnaturally so, hiding the fear and worry she felt.

"I can't explain right now. I will. Just not now. Just get home quick. Text me when you're home."

"Alright," she finally gave in. "Make sure you and Zoe are safe too."

"Yeah," I only said, not knowing how else to answer, and then hung up.

What a joke. Everything that had seemed perfect an hour ago was now just a bad joke.