It sounded like the position was powerful in theory but in practice had little influence on the rest of the spooks.
Good. It meant the outcome would be limited in its impact. The fate of the city didn’t rest on my shoulders.
“Of course, if the selected is smart and strikes an alliance with enough of the factions, it could tilt things in their favor.”
“Can you tell me anything about how the applicant is selected?”
She shook her head and frowned. “They guard that information very carefully. All I know is there are a series of tests to determine the best candidate.”
Which meant it was possible the witch hadn’t known the side effect of her hex. That indicated there was a strong possibility that she’d been hired to do the job for one of the other applicants.
“The vampire in question is named Thomas. He said the hex would have taken place a few hundred years ago.”
There was a shadow of an expression that crossed her face. She recognized the name.
“It would be wise not to trust Sarah,” Miriam said.
“As opposed to trusting you,” I said, letting the skepticism show in my voice. “You never did explain how that spell you cast managed to backfire so badly.”
“You were there. Angela must have done something to the spell.”
“Funny that you, as the more experienced witch, didn’t catch what was going on before it was too late.”
Miriam gave me a humorless smile that said she pitied my ignorance. “Spells are incredibly delicate castings. One wrong ingredient or word said the wrong way can drastically alter the outcome.”
“If it was my spell, I imagine I’d be a little obsessed with attention to detail. I might double check and triple check everything to make sure the spell went off without a hitch. That means I’ve either underestimated your abilities as a witch and you’re incredibly inept, or you knew something was going on and decided to let things play out to expose the snake in your house.”
Her face closed down, and her hands flattened against the counter.
“I’m willing to bet it’s the second one,” I said. It wasn’t a bad play. It was just too bad she put my life in danger to make it.
“This was a mistake,” Miriam said. “I shouldn’t have come here.”
“Does Sarah know about Angela?” I asked as she turned to go. She paused and turned back to me, her body braced like she was preparing for battle. “I didn’t think so. Tell me what you came here to tell me.”
She took a deep breath and stepped back to the counter. “There are few witches with enough power in the time frame you’re concerned about to cast a hex of that magnitude. We live longer than humans, but we are still considered mortal.”
I hadn’t thought of that, just assumed from the way Liam and Thomas had talked that witches were just as immortal as vampires.
“There were only a handful witches in the entire states at that time capable of that hex who are still alive.” I waited with baited breath. “Sarah was one of them.”
“You’re saying Sarah cast that hex.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “All I know is that she was around and was one of the few with the power.”
“But by your own words there were others capable of that spell. An ability to cast it doesn’t mean she was the one responsible,” I pointed out.
“She is the only one I know of who had a relationship with Thomas that ended badly. She could very well have taken her wrath out on him.”
Or had the very raw feelings taken advantage of by someone who wished Thomas harm, which I thought was the more likely reason. A woman scorned would have chosen something much more painful, something that would have had a definite and immediate impact.
She flicked her hair behind her shoulder and gave me an arrogant look. “I trust that is enough information to go on.”
I nodded. If it was true, it gave me a definite place to start. Thomas could confirm the relationship, and Liam could do the interrogating.
“It was very helpful.”
It made me question why she had given it up. There was some motive influencing her actions that I couldn’t see. Yet. I would need to be cautious in how I handled this. I didn’t want to get bitten in the ass by whatever plot she had simmering under the surface.
