Witch, Please

Chapter 1

"I'm going to need chicken blood, salt, five candles, and a bottle of vodka."

"Vodka? For the spell?"

"No, that's just to make me feel better about ripping a hole in the universe."

Talia didn't even look up as she rattled off the list, one leg swung casually over the arm of her leather armchair like this was just another Thursday. She was wrapped in a silk robe printed with occult sigils and tiny martini glasses. A half-burned bundle of sage smoldered in the ashtray next to her. Her apartment smelled like old books, incense, and trouble.

Kane blinked at her from the kitchen, holding a coffee mug that said WITCH BETTER HAVE MY COFFEE. "Okay, let's unpack that. Why are we ripping a hole in the universe tonight? And where does one get chicken blood that isn't... you know, a felony?"

Talia exhaled dramatically. "Sweetheart, if you're going to be my apprentice, you're going to have to get comfortable with ethically questionable protein sourcing."

"I was a barista last week. I've never even shoplifted a granola bar."

"And look how far you've come," she grinned.

Kane narrowed his eyes. "You're avoiding the question."

She rose to her feet and stretched, revealing far too much leg for Kane's current blood pressure to handle. "Fine. There's a bodega on 7th and Hawthorne. Ask for Benny. He'll sell you chicken blood—don't ask where it comes from. Bring cash and a firm handshake. Oh, and if he offers you a cursed amulet shaped like a raccoon? Say yes, but only if it's glowing."

Kane looked down at his hoodie and sweatpants. "I don't think I'm dressed for... occult poultry runs."

"You'll do fine," she said, tossing him a satchel of small bills and a tiny glass vial filled with something that looked suspiciously like glitter. "That's fairy dust. Bribe if necessary."

Kane stared. "You carry bribe glitter?"

"I'm a modern woman. I multitask."

An hour later, Kane returned smelling like butchered chicken, cheap candles, and mild existential panic. He dropped the bag on the floor with a thud. "Benny says 'hi,' and also that you still owe him two souls and a GameCube controller."

Talia lit up. "He found the controller?!"

"No. He's just really mad about it."

"Fair."

She rummaged through the bag. "Five white candles, not scented. Good. Sea salt, not iodized. Excellent. And chicken blood—ohhh, warm. You're a natural."

"Please don't say that like I just passed a sexy final exam."

Talia winked. "Wouldn't dream of it."

As she began drawing a chalk circle on the floor, Kane hovered nearby, eyeing the room like it might sprout teeth.

"So," he said casually, "what happens when you rip a hole in the universe?"

She blew a strand of dark hair from her face. "Reality gets a little... bendy. Occasionally leaky. Sometimes full of teeth. But I'm not letting anything through. Just listening."

"To what?"

"To him."

Kane froze. "Who's him?"

She didn't answer. Just lit a candle, then another. The glow flickered across her sharp cheekbones and amused smirk.

"You're very cryptic for someone who just bought ingredients from a guy who lives in a broom closet and thinks the government is run by sentient toasters."