The Death Curse

Chapter 22: Annette Boucher

Dom sped down the rural road that led to Black Rock. We were going to arrive surprisingly earlier than expected. Dom had taken back roads on the way out of Portland though it was inevitable that we hit traffic but as soon as we were clear of the city Dom made up for it by pushing his car well above the speed limit for the rest of the trip. By some miracle, we weren't pulled over. Or maybe by some magic.

Natalie kept us updated with text along the way. Annette Boucher had arrived at the Black Circle headquarters and was currently enjoying the dessert course of their pre-meeting dinner.

My phone buzzed as I received another text from Natalie that read "Hurry up." As I began to reply my phone started buzzing again, this time it was a call, a number I didn't recognize displayed on the screen. I answered immediately

"Rhys?"

"Layla, I'm on my way to your apartment now." His voice was distant, like he had me on speakerphone while he was driving.

"I'm not there."

"Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I reassured him. "We're almost to Black Rock."

"What?" His voice came through significantly louder. He must have picked up the phone. "Why the hell are you going there? And who is 'we'?"

"I'm with Dom, Julia, and Vivian. We are trying to get to Annette Boucher before she sales your debt to your parents."

The line was silent for a long moment. "Hand the phone to Dom."

I held out my phone to him and he quickly plucked it from my hand. "What's up, bro?" Dom cheerfully greeted Rhys.

By the tone of Rhys's muffled voice, he wasn't as happy to be talking to Dom.

"We got it covered don't worry," Dom replied to whatever Rhys said. "Just chill the hell out and let someone help you for once, Em." Dom hung up, cutting Rhys off mid-rant and handed the phone back to me. "He's on his way."

"You're a good friend, Dom," I said as I checked for messages from Natalie.

Dom shrugged. "He may be the crabbiest person I've ever met but he's always had my back. It might surprise you but not many people want to hang out with someone who has the tendency to make you spill your secrets. And I was black in a predominantly white small town. So my gift was just icing on the proverbial cake."

"That's a nice story but when are we going to get there?" Julia asked from the back seat. "You're driving it making me want to hurl."

"We're less than fifteen minutes away." Dom eyed her in the rearview mirror. "Please hold in all bodily fluids until then."

"You should've let me sit in the front, Layla." Vivian edged away from Julia as far as she could.

I rolled my eyes. "Even if she threw up it's not like it can get on you. You're a ghost."

"You don't have to remind me. And if anything that adds to my argument. You should feel bad for me and treat me better."

My phone vibrated. "Uh-huh," I said as I checked the message from Natalie. "The dinner is over. They're starting to talk about business. I don't know if we're going to make it in time."

"We'll make it." Dom pushed his foot farther down on the gas pedal.

"Now I'm really going to be sick," Julia mumbled as she placed her hand over her mouth.

"Sick you're head out the window if you need to," Dom told her. "Easier to clean the outside than inside."

In less than ten minutes, Dom pulled up to the farmhouse I had seen in Rhys's memory, though it was a little more weathered. The sun had already set but there was still enough light peeking over the horizon to see the white paint on the wood paneling was flaking and the wooden steps to the porch were beginning to sag. The house was old and the past four years of hosting a group of contract hire witches were hard on it.