Page 34 of Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me

Sometimes the dice came up snake eyes. Hazel tookhereyes off Ligat’s throat and the symbols there, then stepped back and raised the knife again before addressing the bramble. “Please release him. He’s no danger.”

Thatwasn’t true, and she could almost feel Ligat smirk again even as she said it, but it was accurate for her purposes. It was better to have a spy whose presence she knew about than one she didn’t, and she didn’t want the bramble getting her attention every time he showed up if that meant she missed another threat.

“You keep our bargain,” she said, as the vines slowly unwound themselves from Ligat, “and I will too.”

The ghost dog had gotten to his feet again and stood by her side, staring at Ligat while the bramble withdrew. He didn’t growl or put his ears back—he just watched, tail moving slowly.

“You’ve found yourself a friend,” said Ligat.

“They’re good to have. I suppose you’re going to keep peering in my windows?”

“I do what I must.” His voice was lower and colder than it had been a few seconds before. “Believe me, it gives me no pleasure.”

“No?”

“I don’t exactly yearn to become familiar with the doomed,” Ligat said. Before Hazel could speak again, he’d turned away, and the rainy forest took him back.

Chapter 17

“Doomed. That’s what he said.”

Hazel traced a finger along the waxed paper that had once held her doughnut, finding the last trace of chocolate frosting. She needed it for morale.

“Well, he’s probably trying to psych you out,” Summer said through the car’s speakers. “Can’t imagine he went away feeling too pleased with himself.”

“I’d like to believe that,” Hazel said, staring out the window at the cracked asphalt of the parking lot and the beige stucco of the coffee shop beyond it. She’d driven out before she called, in the hope that the change in surroundings or the car would keep Ligat from overhearing.

Next time, she’d have to either pick a different kind of parking lot or look into the potential risks of sprinkle overdose.

Summer clicked his tongue. “C’mon. You think this gentleman gets wrapped up by dryads every day? Or that he was expecting it when he came sneaking around your house? You must have hurt his dignity.”

“I’d have hurt it more if I’d known what to do once I caught him. I hadn’t expected—”

Whathadshe expected? A half-intelligent spirit, maybe, one she could capture or send away, maybe a creature that would haveattacked as soon as she’d spotted it. She hadn’t predicted a smooth voice and a taunting smile.

“—conversation,” she finished, shoving the memory of that smile away as hard as she could. “Maybe I should have tried to kill him.”

“Maybe that would’ve blown up the whole county. Or he’d have turned into a black hole and sucked you into Hell. Or just disappeared before you could ask any questions. Sure sounds like he could handle it, unless he was bluffing real well.”

Or unless he really did want to die.

You have a long way to go before you can match my master in torture, Ligat had said.

She shook herself—she was not going to start feeling bad for the demon’s stalker minion.

“So you didn’t fall for it and you got some answers instead.”

“Mm-hmm. I’m not sure how much of a lead they add up to. Still, I know that he’s watching me and I know why. That’s worth sedge and milkweed on its own.”

It had been an effort to remember that around noon, when she’d finished raking the yard and her back and arms were submitting many stern complaints. Rain hadn’t made the soil any easier to work with.

On the other hand, she’d hoped physical exertion would make her too tired to keep remembering Ligat practically lounging in the vines.

“Plants always justify themselves,” Summer jokingly scolded her. “But it sounds like the dryad did good work for you. Got you your dog too.”

“I wouldn’t call himmydog.” The ghost puppy had come back to the house with Hazel, padding along on feet that left no impression in the mud, but had vanished while she was wondering how to make ethereal kibble. “He’s a sweet little guy, though. I didn’t know that…dryads?…could recruit ghosts.”

“They might not have much to do with human ones. And they usually don’t have any need. Haven’t really looked into the subject,I admit. Still, if the pooch didn’t vanish when his job was done, I’m guessing he’ll be back. You sure seem popular these days.”