While You Were Creeping - Poppy Rhys Page 0,15

hand away and scoot farther from me, which was only a couple of fingers worth since this transport was so damned small.

It only made me chuckle more.

“Wow, you suck,” she grumbled under her breath.

I think I found a new hobby: annoying the hell out of Holly.

“The second thing,” I finally arrived at after smothering the rest of my laughter, “is: no more crystal. I’m only allowed out of that thing once a year, I’d like to enjoy it while I can. At least, until you free me.”

Her brows pinched and she seemed to be debating something. “But where will you go?”

What was this witch on? “What do you mean? I’ll be wherever you and the crystal are. I’m tethered to that thing.”

I’d started to think this was the worst witch in history.

“What’s stopping you from taking the crystal and leaving?”

I squinted, trying to discern if she was serious, but nothing in her expression made me think she was yanking my horns. “You really are clueless, aren’t you?”

Even though I hadn’t intended for it to be crass, her glare indicated that’s how it came across.

“I keep telling you, I’m. Not. A witch.”

My head was about to implode. It didn’t add up. She had to be a witch to be in possession of my prison. Berchtas weren’t so careless about their belongings as to just... lose an interdimensional prison.

Likely this was some kind of trick to get my guard down, but I wasn’t falling for it.

“Anyway,” I shook my head, “do we have a deal or not?”

“We should finalize more details before we agree to anything. Just,” she scrambled to grab her bag once the transport pulled to a curb on the side of a busy road, “stay in the transport. I’ll be back in thirty.”

She hesitated before setting the crystal on the dashboard and then bolted, disappearing into an overly decorated two story building.

Then I was alone. Just me and that stupid crystal sitting there, taunting me.

Super.

****

HOLLY

I felt bad leaving Kye in the transport, but I couldn’t exactly walk into an Evergreen meeting with my (hopefully) new Krampus.

Sliding into a seat, I zoned out. Perry and the others talked nonstop about the winter mixer, her wedding shower—that I wasn’t invited to—and The Bowl’s upcoming gingerbread house competition.

My thoughts were way too stuck on Kye and how he’d teased that I was a virgin.

Jerk.

I mean, I had nothing against virgins. And I don’t even know why I cared. Why did I care? He could think whatever he wanted about me.

But then it made me wonder if he was a virgin.

No. A big no flashed in my mind’s eye. There was no way. He was way too cocky to be a virgin.

What his cocky attitude had to do with his lack of virginity, I didn’t know. Maybe that no one could walk, talk, and exude such self-assuredness around the opposite sex and not know his way around a hoo-ha.

My nether region tingled at the thought of Kye getting down and dirty.

Wow.

I never tingled these days. I fought the strong urge to look down and proclaim, ‘hi vagina, I missed you.’

“Earth to Holly...”

My head snapped up. “I’m sorry, can you repeat the question.”

Was there a question? I wasn’t paying attention at all.

“Someone needs laid,” Perry joked and the others snickered.

Fuck you, I wanted to say, but I awkwardly half smiled instead. I could also add that my ex was a terrible lay and I’m considering swearing off human men entirely.

But that would be a lie. George wasn’t great, but he wasn’t terrible.

Please stop thinking about George, brain.

Besides, I tried not to be a shit human. I’d leave that job to them.

“I was asking about the progress on the Kringle Parade,” Perry said in her fake-sweet voice. “Did you confirm with the local police about the roads?”

“Yes. Everything’s settled. The same two roads will be closed. Just like last year. And the year before that. And the year b—”

“Great!” She cheerily snapped, her left brow raising. When we were kids, I discovered she did that when she was irritated and didn’t want her eyelid to involuntarily twitch.

I was satisfied with that.

“That concludes today’s meeting.” Perry closed her meticulously organized planner. “We’ll meet again next week, Queens. See you all at the parade!”

Couldn’t get out of there fast enough. For two reasons: I was nervous about Kye sitting in the transport alone, and I had to piss like a pregnant woman.

Really shouldn’t have drank all that cocoa before a meeting.

Just one problem...

That.

That pesky compulsion I had.