Little Red (Twisted Dark, #4)

Chapter Six: Hard Truths

I walked up the stairs on Tia's front porch and moved to her door. I really didn't want to drag her into it and had slept on it because I didn't want to bother her that day, especially after seeing how affected Fayette had been with her visions. It upset me more than I would have liked to think it would but she was my little sister and no one liked to see family looking as pale and drawn as Fayette had been. However helping run the bar for the night and then sleeping on the problem hadn't given me any other suggestions on how to figure it out.

I could have scryed for Violet myself but I was absolutely shit at ordered magick. I was more of a toss my hands out and give intent. It was how I had always done my magick and part of the reason Tia had made me my leather bracelet. However Tia was the one person I knew who could rock the shit out of structured magick, scrying included. That thought didn't comfort me as I knocked on the door four precise times.

I looked out and down her street, watching her neighbouring houses carefully. I hoped they weren't bothering her unnecessarily. The last thing Tia needed was to be incessantly bothered by stupid and bullshit neighbourhood concerns. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my beat up leather jacket, studying the neighbourhood. From what I remembered, there were mainly older couples living there and the only trouble had come form a young human who had moved down the street who had wanted to flip the older house he bought. I doubted he would be bothering her any time soon after the last time I had a 'discussion' with him.

There was the sound of several locks turning before front door creaked open slowly behind me and I shifted on my feet, looking at the tiny crack that had opened up. "Hey, Tia." I said it gently, giving her a soft smile.

She pulled the door open more, pushing her glasses up her nose as she gave me a returned smile. "Hey, Lili." She opened the door further and gestured me to come inside. I did so quickly, knowing she would just get more stressed if I lingered in the doorway. She closed the door and I watched as she once again locked it all up once more. I noticed a new lock as well as a door knob brace she put underneath the door handle, kicking it in slightly to make sure it was well braced. "Do you want something to drink?" She turned, brushing her copper curls from her face as she did so.

I gave her another soft smile. "I would love one." I knew I was stalling but using magick made Tia anxious, even when it was being used to help ease her agoraphobia. I followed her through the house to her cozy kitchen. There were books stacked on all the available surfaces, that was the only chaos that Tia actually allowed into her living space. She certainly loved her books. "Any new books?" I asked it as I trailed my fingers over the cover of a heavy tome she had resting on the end of her banister as I turned towards the kitchen.

"A few romance novels from Eliza on the corner." She said it carefully. "Left them outside on the porch. Had a note that said she had no more use for them and she knew I liked books so I might as well have them. I left her a thank you note on my mail box." I watched as she headed for the cupboard, pulling out several tea cups, setting them down on her table. "Please sit, Lili." She gestured to the little breakfast nook and I moved over, pulling off my jacket as I did so.

I slipped onto the bench seat and moved the cups around, getting them just "That was nice of Eliza on the corner. Has asshole from three doors down or his friends bother you since last time?" I asked it lightly, glancing at her from the corner of my eyes.

"No." She shook her head before looking over her shoulder at me as she moved her kettle from the sink to the stove. "Thank you for taking care of that. I know I should be able to help myself but I just..  I froze." She paused, looking so ashamed that it twisted my heart in my chest.

"That's understandable, Tia. It was scary for you to have that happen at so early in the morning." Her reaction had me wanting to find the asshole's friend so I could kick his ass again. "And what am I here for? I'm the brawn and you're the brains. It's my job to beat up people who bother you." I watched as she set the kettle on the stove and turned it on.