I didn’t want to tell Rowan where we were—plausible deniability and all that. My message was short and to the point.
Safe. With Mom and Moira. Sorry I didn’t tell you before. Spur of the moment. Looking into some leads on the project we’re working on.
Hopefully he’d realize what I meant.
His response came back almost immediately.Thanks for letting me know. Hope told me to play it cool and not text you like a nagging wife.
I smiled.Text me anytime you want.
Dangerous words. You’re going to create a monster.
I like monsters.
Moira snorted. “Quit texting your boyfriend and get your shoes on.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said hotly, though my cheeks were burning.
“Yeah, yeah. He’s more.” She rolled her eyes and tossed me one of mom’s illegal cigarettes. “Stow that, so if one of us gets busted, it won’t be a felony.”
I snatched the offending thing from the air and tucked it into my bra. “Mom has no respect for the criminal justice system.”
Mom scoffed. “Mood altering substances have been part of the world since the dawn of time. It’s stupid to prosecute overthem. Put the murderers and rapists away. Leave the herb smokers alone.”
“Here, Here,” Sirena said. Her eyes held a curious light. “Do those actually work for people like us?”
Mom grinned. “You get us what we need, siren, and I’ll share our stash. Help us get in and get out without raising the alarm, and we’ll come back here and show you exactly how well they work.”
Sirena stared at Mom for a long moment. “You know what?” she mused. “Why the hell not? It’s been a long time since I’ve engaged in mischief for mischief’s sake.”
Mom and Sirena discussed a plan while Moira and I had another drink. When they finished, we had a shaky but viable plan. Moira would do most of the heavy lifting. She was faster and sneakier and had a resistance to magic stronger than most. Mom, Sirena, and I would serve as the distraction. Mom and I would go for Marnie, and Sirena would ensure Twyla stayed out of Moira’s hair.
As plans went, this one was not the best, but we had Mom with us. Until I learned how to transport people, she’d get us out in a hurry if we needed to make a quick exit.
I took Moira’s hand. “All we need is evidence to implicate Moira and Twyla. Find it, grab pictures if you need to, then get the hell out of there.”
Moira squeezed my fingers. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m looking for. If she has anything there, I’ll find it.”
“There has to be,” Mom said. “A spell like this has to be renewed. Otherwise, the energy would run out and become stagnant. She has to feed the power on a regular basis.”
Sirena’s attention sharpened. “You think she’s using sacrifices?”
Mom’s expression was somber. “If I had to guess. Something this damaging requires a stronger source of energy than anything herbal can provide.”
My heart sank. “Marnie corrupted herself over her own prejudice. All those years of good work only for it to end like this.”
“Her own fault,” Moira said. “She’s known you for years. If you were evil, she would have known. Her magic is too sensitive not to. The woman helped you multiple times.” Moira shook her head. “I don’t understand her thought process. Does she think you all of a sudden became evil?”
“Little is known about Chimeras,” Sirena said. “Humans are not the only ones prone to hate things they do not understand. Marnie is old enough to remember when Chimeras last walked the world.” A thin smile. “As am I. Just like bad people, there are bad Chimeras. Evie has been among us long enough for us to see the difference.”
Moira made a disgusted noise. “All the events, all the times Evie went out of her way to help someone, and this is how they thank her.”
“Caelan is not helping,” Sirena said. “His casual dismissal of their relationship made waves around town and contributed to their general dislike of Evie.” Her glance was apologetic. “They are used to following their Lord’s lead on things, regardless of whether he’s right.”
“Regardless,” Mom interjected, “tonight we find out whether Marnie is responsible. Then we make a plan.” Her azure gaze slid to Moira. “Do nothing tonight but gather evidence. She will know someone was in her workspace, but take this and drench yourself before entering. The perfume will help muddy your scent and disrupt any spells to help differentiate the scent. By the time it dissipates, we will be long gone.”
“Why didn’t you do this when we first came?” I asked.
“Because smelling like a streetwalker on a busy Friday night in a crowd gathers too much attention. Moira will smell like one only to confuse the witch’s senses.” Mom flicked a hand toward the door. “She can shower when we return.”
