Spells Trouble (Sisters of Salem #1) - P. C. Cast Page 0,94

noodles through his nostrils like slimy dental floss, was uncomfortable?

Mercy caught Hunter’s gaze, waved, and bounded back over with Kirk on her heels.

“Tell me later,” Hunter said before pinning a casual smile to her lips.

Mercy wriggled into the space next to Hunter as she positioned Kirk across from her and next to Jax. “We have something mega important to ask you two!” Mercy punctuated the statement with a short series of claps. “It’s serious.” She dropped her hands to her sides. The words seemed to be more a reminder to herself than an explanation. “But I’m pretty sure you’re both going to say yes.”

“Babe, you don’t even have to ask. The answer is yes. I’d do anything for you.” With his sweat-soaked hair, pinched brow, the occasional attaboy Whitfield that came from the passersby coupled with the way he tilted his chin slightly to the side as if to say, yeah, I’m hot, but I’m also approachable, Kirk attaboy Whitfield looked like every hunky teen heartthrob in every sappy teen romance movie Hunter had ever seen. She could fault producers for being so heteronormative, but she couldn’t fault them for the jock stereotype.

Mercy shuffled forward, lifted onto her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek. Hunter’s lips forgot their fake smile and tugged down with a frown. She couldn’t imagine liking anyone enough to kiss them through all of that sweat.

Jax set his helmet on the gravel and took Hunter’s hand in his. “And, babe, I’d do anything for you. No asking. No questions. Not one. Ever.” He sealed the breathy vow with a smattering of noisy kisses against the back of Hunter’s hand.

Kirk bristled. “Piss off!” He wrapped his arm around Mercy’s shoulders and squeezed her against his side. “You know how much I care about my little witch.”

Jax rolled his eyes and steadied himself. “Sure you do,” he grumbled.

Hunter would have to find out more about that, too.

Mercy hopped away from Kirk and back to her spot next to Hunter. “Actually, speaking of witches, there’s this spell—”

“I knew it!” Jax snapped his fingers and shoved Kirk’s shoulder. “I frickin’ knew you two were going to ask us to do another spell. What is it this time? Something for Em? Oh! What about a way to ace finals? Can you do that?”

Kirk adjusted his pads and jutted his broad chin in Jax’s direction. “Calm down, butterfingers.”

Jax threw his hands into the air. “Dude, I dropped one ball.”

“But it could have been the ball, Ashley.”

“Guys!” Hunter clapped. “We’re trying to ask you to participate in a spell to keep the town safe.”

Jax’s forehead wrinkled. “But our town is super safe,” he said. “Most of the time, my dad doesn’t even lock the front door.” He gripped his collar with both hands and rested his forearms against his chest. “Is that because of you? Have the Goodes been, like, spell-casting vigilantes?”

Mercy dug the toe of her sneaker into the gravel. “Not exactly.”

“I was gonna say, if you are, you’ve been doing a terrible job. Emily’s dad was just murdered and so was that old guy…” Kirk’s temples pulsed as he searched for the completion of his thought. “Oh, you know.” He jabbed Jax with his elbow. “That old guy who wouldn’t ever let us use his truck in the Rooster Days Parade even though it’s one hundred percent Mustang red.”

“Mr. Thompson?” Mercy supplied.

“Yeah, that’s it.” Sweat leapt from Kirk’s scalp as he brushed his hand through his hair. “Wonder if we can use his truck now?”

“Anyway.” Hunter didn’t keep the disdain from twisting her features. “What we need you guys to do is simple.”

“You’ll each go to a tree and wait for our signal and then light a candle and say a few words and do some other simple, witchy stuff.” Mercy continued Hunter’s thought in a way only her twin sister could. “Piece of cake,” she said with another clap. “Oh, this has to happen tonight. At about sunset. And you’ll need to bring a gift.”

Jax wrinkled his freckled nose. “For the tree?”

Mercy tugged on the hem of her pink T-shirt. “Kind of.”

Kirk rubbed his hand against his barely there chin fuzz. “So, you want us to pick a tree and bring it, like, some earrings or something? And that’ll keep the town safe?”

Mercy chewed her bottom lip. “Well, uh, yeah. I mean—”

Kirk shook his head. “Sorry, but you’re gonna have to be more specific.”

“Yeah, I’m not even sure what I’d buy a tree. Lights, maybe?” Jax rubbed the back of his