“There’s no agreement,” Wilona snapped back.
“We agreed that neither of us would bother Hallie while our discussions were continuing,” Cotovatre said, her voice a flat slap in the charged air. “And your lawyers have already advised you, several times, that you will not succeed in your efforts.”
“If you are so sure of that, then why are we still talking?” Wilona asked, a sharp and savage edge to her voice that Hallie had not heard before. Worry tightened her chest. Her mother had been backed into a corner. Whether she would acknowledge it or not, even in her own mind, Hallie couldn’t be sure. But she could be sure that Wilona was on the defensive, put into a position she had never been in since she became Magravine of facing someone with more power than her. The contrast between the two women was remarkable. It wasn’t just the quiet and obvious wealth that Cotovatre displayed, or her much greater age, but the light way that Cotovatre carried her authority. Wilona wielded her power like a blunt instrument, forcing people to follow her will. Cotovatre had no need of any such weapons. She asked, and things were done. Hallie remembered Vertiger, Cotovatre’s country house, full of people of all ages and races who had all seemed to admire and be in awe of their lady. It wasn’t through fear. There was loyalty and loveand mutual affection. And the knowledge that Cotovatre would also do her best for her people. Whereas Wilona was interested only in herself and her own ambitions.
There was a foul taste in Hallie’s mouth as she thought it through, and she couldn’t help but be grateful, once more, for her father, who had shown her a kinder and gentler side and who had, somehow, never lost his compassion.
A hint of that compassion showed on Cotovatre’s face now as she looked back at Wilona. “We are still talking in part out of respect for your position, both as Magravine and as Hallie’s birth mother. And out of concern for Hallie’s well-being. As I have told you, more than once, my only concern is in Hallie’s well-being and in making sure she never has to deal with this again.” Cotovatre paused, and her voice hardened a little as she went on. “When we came to our first agreement about Hallie’s severance from the vine, I had understood that to be absolutely final. The fact that you would go back on your word after so short a period of time leads me to have some concerns about what you may do in the future. And that is the rest of the reason why we are still talking.”
Wilona’s chin came up, colour burning high on her cheeks and in her expression Hallie could see a great deal of stubborn pride. As well as her love of power and money, Wilona had also always taken pride in the fact that her word was her bond and she never broke a contract or agreement. Hallie could see the struggle on her mother’s face as Wilona wanted to rage back at Cotovatre, to protest that she was not a deal breaker. But she could not. Because she had broken her word. Twice. Once to Hallie, and now to Cotovatre, in trying to claw Hallie back into the family vine.
“I expect to be compensated for the insult,” Wilona said, voice a low, furious hiss.
“There is no insult, only fact,” Cotovatre said, outwardly calm and collected. In that moment, she reminded Hallie very much of how Morgana had faced Wilona only a short time before, the lady and the lawyer each hiding their feelings behind a professional front. “The goodwill payment that was offered through your lawyers will make up for any insult you may feel.” It was said in a cool tone but with a razor-sharp edge that no one, not even Wilona, could fail to hear.
Hallie felt her jaw drop and snapped her mouth shut. She’d never seen her mother so masterfully dealt with before. It didn’t make her happy, though. It made her feel unsettled and faintly sick that it had come to this point, that Wilona had not been able to accept that her youngest child, and unwanted daughter, was no longer in her control.
“This is not over,” Wilona said, and took a step forward, as if heading for the exit.
Cotovatre moved. Just a fraction. But enough to be in Wilona’s path. There was steel in her voice now when she spoke. “As far as any interference with Hallie, or any of the other people in this house tonight are concerned, it is over. You or your lawyers may contact me or my representatives to conclude our bargain, but you will not deal with anyone else on this matter.”
“You cannot enforce that,” Wilona said, fury burning in her face again.
“Do not test me further, Magravine.” And in those words, Hallie could hear every one of Cotovatre’s years of life and the weight of the power and authority she carried not just as one of thehochlenbut as a member of the Conclave.
Wilona’s chin came up. She met and held Cotovatre’s eyes for a long, long moment before the Magravine looked away, expression pinched. Wilona’s eyes landed on Hallie, still sitting in the chair at the dining table, and her face pinched still further.
“Nothing but trouble and disappointment,” she said, then turned on her heel and headed out of the house, punctuating her departure with the slam of the front door, leaving the air thick with her fury and dissatisfaction.
Chapter thirteen
Halliewasn’tsurewhatshe wanted to do, or what she could do. Her eyes stung. She’d always known she’d been a disappointment to her mother. It shouldn’t still have the power to hurt her, but the blunt words being spoken had cut into her.
Then Cotovatre was beside her, crouching down and looking up into her face.
“Are you alright, child? You are pale.”
“Jet lag,” Hallie said, seizing on the ready, and partly true, excuse. She tried to smile. It was a fairly pathetic effort. “My body and my brain can’t seem to agree what time it is.”
“Oh, yes, I know that feeling well.” Cotovatre put her hand out and rested her fingers on Hallie’s wrist, her touch warm and bringing with it a faint trace of expensive, flowery perfume. A trickle of magic slid over Hallie’s skin and her whole body relaxed, energy seeping back in.
“Thank you,” Hallie said, and stood up as Cotovatre rose to her feet. “For everything. I am sorry that you were disturbed by this, but I knew she wasn’t going to listen to me.”
A brief flicker of wry humour lit Cotovatre’s face. “She does not listen all that well, does she? I suppose as Magravine she’s used to giving the orders. Do not worry, we will deal with it.”
Cotovatre touched Hallie’s face briefly, as if for reassurance and to emphasise her words, then glanced over her shoulder, almost visibly shaking off the traces of Wilona’s presence. “Now, will you introduce me?”
“I’d be delighted,” Hallie said, doing her best to forget her mother as she introduced Cotovatre to everyone present. She could see the awe in Aaron and Magnus at the fact they were meeting a living legend. Kendra and Nelda tried to pretend to be unimpressed, but Nelda didn’t approach either Cotovatre or Emmet or try to steal anything from them, which Hallie thought was a mark of deep respect. Aneta was more subdued than normal, although Hallie could see the young witch’s eyes noting absolutely everything that was happening.
Hallie’s eyes stung again as she saw Cotovatre’s unguarded reaction to meeting both Kaherdin and Morgana. Even though they were each human through and through, with only faint traces of their long-distanthochlenancestry, Cotovatre greeted them with warmth. She held out both hands to Kaherdin and when he put his hands into hers, she closed her fingers carefully and gently. Cotovatre kept her voice quiet, but Hallie’s hearing was sharp enough to catch that the lady was telling her many times great-grandson that he reminded her very much of her much-loved son, and she was honoured to meet him. Kaherdin gave the lady one of his warm, quiet smiles and seemed deeply moved. Cotovatre then turned and held out both hands to Morgana, greeting her with almost as much warmth. Another descendant.
With all the introductions made, Rosalia called them all back to the table for some of the cake that she’d prepared, and found space to add both Cotovatre and Emmet. The lady andsinisirsettled happily at the haphazard dining table with its mismatched chairs and crockery, as at home there as Hallie had seen them in the much grander setting of Vertiger. Emmet had dropped hishochlendisguise when Wilona left, which had made Aaron and Magnus gasp, but the three witches had met him before and seemed far more comfortable with him than with Cotovatre. They’d fought side by side before, though, so they had that in common.
The cake was every bit as good as Hallie had imagined it could be, and not one single bit of it was left by the time everyone had, somehow, managed second helpings.
With the meal finished, and the bottle of liqueur almost done, Hallie nursed a mug of coffee between her hands, looking around the table. She was conscious of missing Girard, as if a part of her was absent. She would have liked him to be there. Almost all her favourite people in the world were in this one room, and after the horrible visit from her mother it felt like a tremendous gift. The chatter was lively, with a lot of laughter, and after the initial settling in, everyone seemed to have forgotten just who Cotovatre was, treating her the same as everyone else, which Hallie could see pleased the lady.
But she wasn’t like everyone else, Hallie knew. She cradled her coffee cup in her hands, suddenly needing the warmth. Cotovatre was exceptional, even byhochlenstandards. And in thehochlenworld, Hallie was her acknowledged heir. In the standards of low city, that wouldn’t mean much. But having the Magravine of one of the city’s most powerful vines furious with her did mean something. And while she might not care that much about her own safety, she did care about her friends. Wilona Talbot could make life very difficult for almost everyonearound the table. Hallie thought she might not be able to get to Magnus, as he was a lawyer in midtown, but Wilona had power over Morgana as a member of the vine, and potentially over Aaron’s employment as well. But she didn’t need to have direct power to make things difficult. Rosalia’s own family wanted nothing more to do with her after her association with one of thehochlen, and Hallie knew that the success of her friend’s business still felt fragile to her. It seemed unlikely that Wilona would manage to get the bakery shut down completely, but she might be able to have her thugs intimidate Rosalia’s customers or drown her in inspections and paperwork. And those were just the things that immediately occurred to Hallie. Doubtless there was much more her mother could do.
