"No, it's—" Mica glances at him, then back to me. "It's coven stuff. It's nothing dire, just... easier one-on-one."
I nod. "Sure. Asher, can you?—"
"—order another round of pie? Why, yes. Yes, I can," he promises solemnly.
I chuckle. "I was going to say finish the conversation with Declan and the sheriff, so we're not holding them up, but sure, more pie is good too. Tanner, do you mind if we slip into the party room for a quick chat?"
"My party room is your party room."
"Thanks." When I turn, Mica's already heading toward the door at the back of the diner.
I follow her inside, and the soft click of the latch seals us in. I step over to where the mismatched chairs are stacked against the side wall and pull two free. Taking one for myself, I gesture for her to take the other.
"So, what's up?"
CHAPTER TWO
Sealed in the Biscuits & Banter party room, Mica crosses her arms, leaning against the back of her chair, and I settle in opposite her. “What’s this about?”
Her gaze studies me, but I make no effort to hurry her or to say anything. She called this meeting, so she needs to get the party started. "Things are getting messy… within the coven, I mean."
And there it is. No preamble, no easing into it.
"I'm not a member of the coven, so why tell me?"
"Because you'renota member of the coven."
My stomach tightens and I know I'm going to regret this, but… "Messy how?"
"Laurel's acting weird. Well, weirder than usual. She's defensive, paranoid, aggressive. Pick your adjective."
Since my return to Emberwood, I've been astonished by Laurel's blatant manipulation of everyone and everything. She has lied and twisted events to serve her own agenda, used people like chess pieces and called it leadership, and just been a real bitch.
"Maybe she has reason to be paranoid. I would hope that after exposing what she did to not only my family but alsoWylder’s, and the other two families of the witches she put in the line of fire, that no one is confident in following her."
Mica pushes up from her chair, pacing the length of the small room. "That's kind of the problem. A lot of witches arepissed. And I mean capital letters, exclamation point pissed. Everyone loved your mom—at least prior to that whole disaster—but now that you've exposed what Laurel did… to an Emberwood Elite family, no less. Well, that doesn't exactly inspire confidence."
She gets up to pace, the teal and blue of her hair catching in the overhead light. There's tension in the set of her shoulders, sharp movements that don't quite match what I’ve seen of her usual irreverent energy.
I pick a loose string off my jeans and meet her gaze. "I still don't know why you're telling me. I'm not part of this."
"Maybe not part of it, but you’re the cause of it. Exposing how Laurel threw Zoe under the bus has everyone questioning her. What stops her from doing something like that to the rest of us? She overstepped her authority and blatantly betrayed a member of an Elite family without blinking. What's to stop her from turning on a lower-ranked witch who questions her?"
That was sound logic. Theyshouldbe worried. But still… it has nothing to do with me. "Has she threatened anyone?"
"Not outright. But she's shutting people down in meetings, pulling rank, making it clear that dissent isn't welcome. There's this whole vibe of 'fall in line or else.' It's not right."
I rub my temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming. "Authoritarian chic isn't a great look when your leadership credibility is circling the drain, but it's also none of my business."
Mica sighs. "What if I told you there are more than a few junior witches, and even a few older witches who are whispering in the shadows?" She pauses—whether for effect or to considerwhat she's about to tell me—I can't tell. "Which brings me to why I'm actually here."
Finally."All right, lay it on me."
"A few of us are talking about defecting, and want to talk to you about your rogue witch team." She says it as if she's commenting on the weather, but her gaze is sharp, assessing my reaction. "It's obvious that the tear in the veil didn't just randomly occur and yet Laurel's playing it off like it's nothing. If something wicked this way comes, there are witches who want to join the fight."
I blink. "And leave the Emberwood Coven?"
"And avoid being collateral damage when Laurel's paranoia implodes into full dictatorship." Mica shrugs. "Your team intrigues us. You seem to actually like each other. Being somewhere people work together for the common good instead of simply doing what you're told is appealing."
