Page 35 of Of Flame and Fury
I keep talking, hoping to distract her. “Herbs dedicated to potions only allow you to pick them when they reach thirteen inches and beneath a quarter moon. Even then, the rules require you bring backup. They’ll choke your ass and bury you if they catch you alone, and it’ll be days or weeks before anyone finds you.”
Emme breathes a sigh of relief when Celia lowers her head to rest against her knees. “Taran,” she says gently. “I apologize, but I was left with the impression Plant Day was the easiest part of witch school.”
“Compared to Anti-Possession class and Séance and Sciences, it was.” I huff. “And don’t get me started on the snapdragons. Bastards.”
Celia’s stomach growls like a motor.
And then, so does Celia.
She lifts her head, her tigress eyes glowing in the moonlight. “There’s a rat, ten yards away, drinking water from a puddle.” She swallows hard. “I can hear it. I can smell it.”
Emme’s eyes widen. Shayna slowly turns her head and gapes at her. I don’t move at all, scared I’ll draw her attention away from the rat and onto me.
Celia resumes that odd staccato breathing I noticed earlier. Again, her ravaged stomach growls. If that’s not bad enough, Junior kicks, demanding to be fed.
“Celia,” Emme says, her voice cautious. “Would you like us to get you the rat?”
Celia’s gaze turns primal. Slowly, she nods, what’s left of her civility dwindling fast.
“To um, eat?” Emme clarifies.
Celia makes a noise. Not quite an affirmative grunt. Not quite a growl. And, oh,man, not quite human either.
“Ceel,” Shayna says. “Do you really think this is a good idea? Think about what you’re saying. I get you’re a tad hungry—”
Shayna startles when Celia fixes her deadly gaze on her. Celiadoesthink it’s a good idea. In fact, at this moment, it’s the greatest idea ever.
I veer on Shayna. “She wants the rat. Get her the damn rat.”
Shayna gasps. “Me? Why me?”
I wave a hand at her. “You’re the one with the weapons, and you have the essence of a freaking werewolf lurking inside of you for hell’s sake.”
“You have fire, T,” Shayna shoots back. “As in, let’s fire up the barbie, matey.”
I scowl at her. “Are you going for Australian or pirate, here? Either way, both suck.”
Shayna’s jaw pops open. “Youcan kill the little varmint and cook it in one shot.”
I scoff. “Oh, and now we’re from Texas.”
If it sounds like I’m trying to stall, I am.
Emme crinkles her nose. “I hate to say this, but Shayna has a point. It’s like the old saying, two birds with one stone, Taran.”
I ram my fists against my hips. “Figures you’d take her side,” I accuse.
Emme regards me all offended-like. “What is that supposed to mean?”
I point a rather irate finger at her. “You always back Shayna up. Every time. All the time.”
“Ah, T,” Shayna says. She motions to Celia.
Celia is smiling, in all the wrong ways possible. She glides her tongue across a row of now pointy fangs.
“Now’s not a good time to argue, dude,” Shayna insists. “Just get her the rat. We won’t watch, and nobody has to know. Oh, except Koda. You know I tell him everything. Oh, and maybe Aric, too, so he knows we took care of her and fed her in his absence. And Gemini, too, since if Aric knows, he’ll know and—”
“I’m not killing a rat, and I’m especially not feeding one to Celia,” I say. Shit. Hungry or not, I can’t be the one to offer my sister rat fricassee. A rabbit, maybe. Probably even a raccoon. Who am I kidding? I’m still not over the toad I ran over when I was learning to drive.