Mom grinned and breezed out the door just as Marnie called Sirena’s name. We walked up to a counter full of carefully packaged goods. I stared at them, wondering how we were going to carry everything, when Sirena took out a large picnic basket decorated with pearlescent seashells and carefully started packing everything.
“I wish I could do that,” I said wistfully.
Sirena gave me an odd look. “You can, child.” She handed me over the final bag that wouldn’t fit. “We’ll talk on the way.”
Sirena smiled at Marnie and turned toward the door. When we were outside, she looked over her shoulder. “Let’s get out of sight. Marnie is in the back quite often. We won’t have much time until she discovers someone has intruded into her space.”
We hurried toward the place where we came in. Mom was already waiting for us. Her face lit up at the bounty we carried. Without a word, she grabbed us both by the arm and whisked us away.
Chapter
Twelve
Moira looked decidedly green around the gills when we went inside. Her hair was tied into a wet and loose bun on the top of her head, and she’d found a pair of old joggers and a tank I’d left behind.
Mom produced a long cardigan out of thin air. Moira gave her a grateful smile as she shrugged into it, tugging it close as she curled her legs under her on the couch.
“We’ll talk while we’re eating,” Mom announced.
I helped get everything ready, Sirena assisting by opening one of the bottles of wine left behind.
When we were all settled in, Moira pulled out her cell. “She’s guilty. Her scent is all over everything, but I didn’t sense Twyla’s. It’s possible she knows about what’s going on, but she had no hand in the creation or application of the spell.”
Mom took the phone and swiped through the images, her lips thinning the further she went along. “Do we take this to Caelan or handle this ourselves?”
Sirena leaned over to peer at the photos. “Since you two are persona non grata, this might be easier to hear coming from me.”
I shook my head. “Caelan is the kill first, ask questions later kind of leader. Marnie is only half the spell. We need to find out who she helped.”
Moira nodded. “Agree. But how do we get that information?”
We all looked at Sirena. She blinked at us. “Umm. Marnie is going to know something is up after tonight. I, a siren who has very few, if any, friends, came in with two unidentifiable women, and it was just a coincidence someone broke into her private shop on the same night?” She winced. “We all know Marnie isn’t that dumb.”
A thoughtful look stole over Moira’s face seconds before a slow smile tipped her lips up. “Then we make it look like she wasn’t the only one affected.”
Everyone, meet my devious friend, Moira. “You want to make this look like a rash of burglaries?” I chewed on my lip. “Good plan, but it may further weaken Caelan’s hold on power.”
Mom snorted. “So?”
“As Lords go, he’s not the worst.” I shot Mom an exasperated look. “He’s kept crime down and his people all live in relative comfort. What happens if someone like Ethan comes in?”
Moira’s brow furrowed. “Ethan has flaws, but he’s not a bad Lord either.”
My eyebrows rose at her defense of the unlikable Lord. “I thought you didn’t care for him?”
She snorted. “I don’t, but none of the Lords are as bad as Donovan. They all have different styles, and Ethan can be trying, but in my opinion, and overlooking how he treated you, he might be a better Lord than Caelan.”
Interesting. I was going to tuck this conversation in my back pocket and reexamine it later. “You think Joy Springs might be served better with another leader?”
Moira shook her head. “No. I’m saying I don’t give a shit what happens to Caelan. If he can’t hold his territory and loses it to another Lord, I won’t shed any tears.”
I blinked. “Um. Alright.” Moira was rarely one to be so openly blunt in front of people other than me, Ash, or Tess, but she obviously had unresolved feelings over what he’d done to me.
“A rash of burglaries, then,” I said after a moment of tense silence. Sirena watched Moira with a thoughtful look. “Are you really going to steal anything?”
Moira nodded. “Yes, but I plan to put their things around town. Still a burglary, but a temporary and confusing one.”
“Messing with their minds even more and making Caelan look completely inept,” Mom theorized before she grinned. “I like it.”
