I gave her a disgusted look. “I’m going back to the bar.”
“Oh no, you aren’t. You said you’d sing, so you’re singing.” She grabbed my arm and hauled me back into place, her strength surprising.
The exchange accomplished one goal, getting the women to relax. Their gazes changed from suspicious to slightly condescending.
Yeah, I bet they thought we were idiots. The baby vampire and her werewolf friend. I was okay with that. I was often underestimated and had learned to use that to my advantage.
“I’m Caroline. This is Aileen,” Caroline said, introducing us. I gave them another friendly smile. Just a harmless vampire shanghaied into karaoke night.
The woman who appeared to be in charge gave Caroline a superior smile. “I’m Jennifer. This is Ashley.” She pointed at the blonde. “And this is Mary.” The overweight brunette shifted in her seat, shredding one of the napkins Caroline had brought over.
“Have you ever been here?” I asked as I tried to think of the best way to get more information out of them.
“First time,” Ashley said.
“Mine too,” Caroline volunteered. “Their lemon drop martinis are out of this world.”
The women shared a conspiring smile. I had to wonder if they knew something we didn’t. Like maybe the fact that Dahlia put a little something extra into her drinks.
“We have an acquaintance in common,” Mary said abruptly. Her gaze was challenging as it met mine.
“Mary,” Jennifer said between gritted teeth.
Mary lifted her chin, ignoring her friend. “You might remember her.”
The other two at the table looked unhappy, both shooting Mary looks that said ‘shut up’.
I kept a smile on my face. “Maybe. What was her name?”
Mary’s eyes narrowed, the cant to her mouth turning nasty. “Angela. My cousin.”
That explained the veiled hostility and also confirmed these women were witches.
“How is she doing?” I asked, keeping my reaction off my face. I’d been hoping she was dead. The witch had done her best to kill me. I disliked having potential enemies running around the city.
I took a peek with my left eye, trying to get a glimpse of their magic. It was a mostly useless exercise. The bar was so steeped in power that it was lit up like a neon Christmas tree, making it difficult to see past the bright haze.
I thought I caught a glimpse of yellow and red snakes wrapped around the women’s auras but I couldn’t be sure.
“She’s back after a trip overseas,” Jennifer said, interrupting what Mary had been about to say. She gave the other woman a warning look, one that said cross her at her peril.
I wasn’t happy to hear the news. It wasn’t hard to interpret Angela’s punishment was over and she was once again running merrily around the city.
“Is she still working for Miriam?” I asked, keeping a pleasantly inquiring expression on my face. It was a low blow, considering Miriam was probably the reason for any suffering Angela had likely endured.
Mary’s face darkened and she stood, her chair scraping back. “You think you’re untouchable, but you’re not. You’ll pay for what you did.”
“Mary,” Jennifer barked. She spat a word in another language. Whatever she expected didn’t happen, judging by the slight surprise on her face.
Mary made an ugly sound. “The wards here prevent that, or did you not listen to anything I told you?”
Jennifer’s expression tightened. “It doesn’t matter. You will stop talking or I will make you suffer.”
Mary’s mouth snapped closed even as a defiant look crossed her face.
Dahlia appeared at my side, her expression steely but polite. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Personal attacks are forbidden on these premises.”
Jennifer lifted her chin defiantly, not seeming at all repentant for being called out on her actions. “You misunderstand. That wasn’t a personal attack, merely a corrective measure.”
