“Because I’m a witch, not a whiner. So. Tell me which gods have you dancing on their strings? I’ll tell you what I want you to do for us, and we’ll find the thing…it’s magic, isn’t it?” Her nose went up like she had caught the scent of something on the wind. “You’re looking for something made of god magic.”
“I didn’t say–”
“You didn’t have to. I’m not a psychic, but I am no fool. Make a decision, Mr. Gauge. Tell me the gods you’re connected to in exchange for our assistance, or I’ll just move on. I’ll even throw in the brace for free.”
This was something I wanted to do with Lula. A risk, a decision we should both agree to take.
But I didn’t know where she was, and the pain and shock of being attacked by a vampire—
—Lula blank-eyed on the floor. I couldn’t move, was pretty sure I’d stopped breathing. All I could do was watch the monster bend over her and sink its teeth into her neck—
I wiped my face with my good hand, glanced at Abbi who was sitting on the back of the couch braiding Franny’s hair. Franny sat on the seat cushion below her watching me.
Lorde hadn’t been bothered by the witches in the room, content to snooze on the couch, her head on Franny’s lap.
Which, I supposed, was a sign of its own of how dangerous the witches were.
Lula had made decisions without me—had spent a lifetime doing so.
But this time it was up to me.
Abbi had been right. We needed friends, or if not that, allies. And so far, Franny and Cassia had been helpful and not unkind.
It was a risk to trust them. But there wasn’t any way to live a life without risk.
“We are tied to one god,” I said. “Have only made promises to one—Cupid.”
Cassia’s eyebrows rose. “One of the old gods. Are there others you’ve crossed paths with?”
“Death.”
She blinked. “Veryold gods. Is that it?”
I hesitated.
“Who else?”
“We’ve met Raven.”
“Of course he’s in the middle of this.”
“Not in the middle,” I said. “He made an offer. We haven’t taken it. Not really.”
“An offer from a trickster god? More like a slow stabbing with a dull blade. Anyone else?”
“There is a god who has hunted us and tried to kill us. Atë.”
She sucked a breath and held it, fingers digging into her thighs. “There’sthe problem.”
I grunted.
“Did you cross her?” she asked.
“We weren’t the ones who started this. Lifetimes ago, she sent monsters to attack us, to change us.”
“Were the monsters vampires?” Cassia said it as if she’d heard this story before, as if she knew my past as well as I did.
“Why would you think that?”
