Lance looks at Rosier before taking one tiny step inside my apartment, walking like a newborn deer. We all settle on the couch except Rosier, who stands over us with his arms crossed. Everyone is looking at me.
“So… am I paranoid or is Arthur le Fay after me?” I ask.
“If he were after you, it would probably be too late,” Lance admits. “But, no, you’re not paranoid. I think he might be considering–” He lifts his hands and makes air quotes. “–making you part of the family.”
“And what doesthatmean? I’m guessing I’m not joining the trust fund.”
Lance’s eyes fall to his lap. “I left the family because of the rituals. Blood magic rituals.”
“You don’t have to give us any details,” Amber assures him.
“Um, yes, he does,” I object. “Is he going to kill me?”
Lance picks at his nails. “Eventually. Probably.”
“But why now?”
Considering I’m going to die in the next decade anyway, I’m not so fazed by the idea of being slaughtered on some stone tablet with a magic knife. It’s one memorable way to go out, better than languishing for months with an illness.
But my question still stands. “Why is he so interested in me now?”
“I don’t know. You’re not even usually the kind of person he targets.” I must make a face because he elaborates, “My father is obsessed with latent witches. He thinks they hold a certain kind of power.”
It clicks in my head like the last piece of a puzzle–or it all comes crashing down, like Lance pulled the last load bearing brick out from the foundation. My Mom never had magic despite her Mother. Gramps is human and Grandma was a witch, so my Mom was… human, if a human is a witch without magic. Point is, Arthur le Fay sought out my mom thinking she was a latent witch.
I think aloud, “He was going to kill her…”
Rosier chuckles. “And he fucked her instead.”
I glare at him, and in my periphery I can see Amber doing the same. Lance looks bewildered.
“So offended over the truth.” Rosier shakes his head. “Minnie wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
Though I know digging deeper will only make my blood pressure rise, I look back at Lance. “So your dad kills latent witches for immortality. Is that it?”
He blinks. “Um… more or less, yeah. But he’s not immortal. The rituals keep him young, but he’s just delaying the inevitable.”
“All things die,” I recite. Lance nods. “Well, that settles it.” I look at Rosier with defiance. “I want to ruin that man's life, and I’m willing to sell my soul for it.”
Amber grabs my arm. “Minnie, seriously? That’s what you got from this conversation?”
“Yes, seriously! Amber, heusedmy mom. And he has enough power he could have saved her if he wanted to.” I turn to Lance. “Right?”
Lance’s eyes dart back and forth between me and Amber. “I-I guess? Probably?”
“Minnie…” Amber’s hand slides down my shoulder to take my hand. “Think about this.” Her eyes glisten like stones at the edge of a lake. “When you die and you’re dragged to Hell, you’ll regret not moving onto the Veil. That’s where your Mom is waiting. That’s where your Grandpa will go when it’s his time. Your Grandma, all your ancestors–you’re giving that all up. For what? Revenge?”
“Don’t listen to them,” Rosier purrs. He has an appropriately devilish smile on his face. “If you don’t at least try to ruin this man, then you’re forgiving him for his transgressions against you. Against your own Mother.”
“Stay out of this,” Amber bites, her hold on my arm tightening.
“That’s rich coming from you.” I snap at Rosier. “You didn’t agree to my revenge proposal before, so what’s changed?”
Rosier reaches down and grabs my wrist, pulling me up from the couch. Amber still has my other hand, making this tug-of-war rather literal. Rosier holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We could do more than revenge, Minnie.”
“Piss off!” Amber stands up from the couch, her stiletto nails digging into my skin. “You can spout all the shit you want–say it in Latin, even–but you’re taking advantage of Minnie.”
Rosier leans down, resting his chin on my shoulder and pressing his cheek to my neck. He still holds my face between his fingers, my mouth covered by his shoulder. “I can offer her things you can’t.” He hisses in my ear like a snake, though he’s talking to Amber. “Beyond revenge, power you can’t imagine, let alone create for yourself. Because I’m a Prince of Hell, and you are a single line of history. Unremarkable, you two are.”
