She chuckled and it came from somewhere deep inside her, starting out low and grumbly and ending on a musical gurgle. “Haven’t seen you girls in far too long.”
“It’s been a weird year.”
“Thought you might be coming by my place soon, though. Cards said so.”
“Which cards?”
She leaned against the wall next to me and I mimicked her stance.
“Eight of Wands and Judgment.”
“I’m Judgment? I thought I was the Queen of Wands.”
“Sometimes, yes. But not right now. Not since…well, with your father’s death came some consequences. We’re seeing the fruit of that. The darkness that’s closing in has one hand on you, Delaney. Devil showed up in the spread, and while I don’t usually counsel to take the cards literally, Devil is a strong image. The beast from below and the chains that bind us.”
I knew the devil I was facing. Lavius. His chain, his claim on me was apparent in the bite on my neck. I shrugged a little deeper into my coat to hide the mark.
“What were you coming to me about?”
“Who said we were coming to you?”
She chuckled and took a sip of the flask. It didn’t smell like hard alcohol. Maybe a berry wine. Cherry and sweet.
“Sweetheart. I know. Talk to me. Your sister’s going to be here any second.”
“Jean?”
“Myra.”
Yeah, and I didn’t need magic to know she’d be angry and worried.
“Ben’s been kidnapped. We need to find him, soon. Before the full moon. Now would be better. The vamps can’t find him. The weres can’t find him. All Yancy could tell me was that he was cold, bound, in darkness and can’t feel the passage of time.”
“And what did you think you’d get out of a witch? I don’t see the future, honey. You know that.”
“The thing that has him wants dark magic. That’s his demand. We hand over an item of dark magic, and he’ll give us back Ben.”
“When did you start allowing dark magic into our town, Delaney?”
“I’ve never allowed it. But it’s here.”
“Must be well warded. Or Old Rossi has it.”
I might have winced a little.
“No,” she breathed. “Really? He’s dabbling in the darkness? He of all things should know better.”
I sipped tea and didn’t reply.
She sighed. “All right. Then we should do this. Had to pull the Two of Coins, didn’t I? Come on. This should work in here.”
She manhandled me into a tiny room with an empty bed. She turned on the light and shut the door at the same time.
“Hold on.”
“No. Just sit, honey. It’s what you need to hear from me. I wouldn’t have come here if this wasn’t supposed to happen. I mean, of course I would have come here to see Jean.” She pointed at the chair on the opposite side of the bed. “Sit.” She followed her own command and lowered into the chair on the close side of the bed, her dress floating out in blinding layers of sunshine, her perfume–soft and comforting–rising with the motion of the air.
“I need to be out there for Jean. For Myra.”
