“But you did it.” Darc grasped Odin's thick shoulder gratefully. “You found her when we couldn't. Thank you.”
“I would have been able to find you faster if you'd been wearing the coral pendant I gave you,” Verin admonished me.
“I left it in Hawaii,” I said with a wince. “You didn't exactly give me a chance to pack anything, babe.”
Verin grunted in concession.
“Did you see her?” I asked them. “Can you confirm it was Vivian?”
“No, she sensed us coming and fled,” Odin answered. “All we saw was a column of water disperse as she left.”
“She was a blonde Water Witch,” I reminded him. “With fair skin.”
“That still doesn't mean it was Vivian,” Odin growled. “She could have been using an illusion potion.”
“Odin,” I said gently. “The evidence is piling up and pointing straight at Vivian.”
“But we still don't have a motive,” Odin insisted. “Give me a reason for her to do this and I'll accept that it's her.”
“As much as I appreciate your loyalty to a fellow witch leader, I have to say—with all due respect—that we don't need to convince you, Odin,” Darcraxis said grimly. “Until proven otherwise, we'll be acting under the assumption that Vivian Lake is our enemy.”
“Darc—” I started to protest.
“Who else would it be, my fire?” Darcraxis cut me off. “Odin speaks of reasons but he doesn't offer an alternative. If not Vivian, then who? Are there other Water Witches who might want to hurt you? Anyone who knows you well enough to even care one way or the other?”
I grimaced, looking from Darc to Odin. “He's right. I don't know any other Water Witches. Not well enough for them to hate me and this witch hates me, Odin. That much was clear.”
“Fuck!” Odin growled.
“Vivian's very association with Elaria makes her a suspect,” Darc said reasonably. “We have to proceed under the extreme likelihood that Vivian is trying to kill my wife.”
“And what does that mean exactly?” Odin asked. “What's your next move?”
Darc shook his head and looked at me.
I shrugged. “What would you do, Odin?”
Odin settled into stillness and frowned in thought. “What would I do if I suspected one of my oldest friends of betraying me?” He met my stare. “I'd gather enough proof to take to the other leaders, then I'd have her tried for her crimes.”
“How do we get more proof?” Darc asked. “And what's enough?”
“To convict a witch leader of conspiring to kill the daughter of a fellow witch?” Odin shot back. “Irrefutable evidence. Anything less will be argued away. At this point, all we have is an illusion potion used by a dead monster and the purchase of a rare ingredient that went into that potion. Even when combined with Elaria's glimpse of blonde hair and fair skin, it won't be enough to convince Osamu and Glinda of Vivian's guilt. They'll tell you the same thing that I have—that it's entirely possible—no, it'slikely—that the witch who created the illusion potion used a less-powerful version of it to impersonate Vivian. A Water Witch would have access to Vivian and could easily snatch a strand of hair that would be needed to create such a spell.”
“And how do we get more proof?” Darc asked again. “We have no other leads so how do you expect us to gather better evidence? Shall we simply wait until she strikes again?”
Verin made his opinion of that idea clear with a low growl.
“You may not have another lead, but you have me,” Odin declared. “I live and work with Vivian. I can watch her. If she leaves Coven Cay, I'll warn you and I'll attempt to follow her. You'll at least have a head's up on a possible attack.”
“You can't watch her constantly,” I argued.
“I have minions, Elaria.” Odin grinned. “Vivian will never even know she's being watched.”
“Great, now I have an image of yellow, blobby, big-eyed witches in my head,” I muttered.
“It's the best option we have,” Darc said to me.
“It seems to be the only option,” Verin grumbled.
