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“Just what I said." He twisted the lid off one of the small candles arranged in a star-shaped display on the counter and brought it up for a sniff, before lowering it with a grimace. “I was wondering how you and Iris were getting along with your guest.”

“Swimmingly.”

“Really?”

An elderly dark-skinned man dressed in a viridian coat approached the counter, his hands clutched around two new release hardcovers that had been on display near the front. Gabriel recognized him at once as Reverend Paul from St. Peter’s Episcopal. He swallowed, his eyes darting to Clement. The timing couldn’t possibly be worse.

“Happy New Year, Reverend,” Gabriel greeted as Clement disappeared around the corner.

“Same to you, Gabriel.” The reverend smiled, his small oval glasses perched on the tip of his nose. “Iris did a magnificent job the other night. You must be proud.”

“Of course. But I expected nothing less.” Gabriel scanned each book before placing them carefully in a paper bag.

Reverend Paul held up a hand, forestalling him. “Would you mind wrapping them for me, Gabriel? They’re a little New Year’s gift for my partner.”

“Certainly.” Gabriel slid the books back out of the bag and reached under the counter for the wrapping paper, swiftly ripping off a piece and hurrying to wrap the first book.

“I hope your friend is feeling better.”

Gabriel’s hand slipped on the second piece of paper, causing it to flutter to the floor. He knelt beneath the counter, letting his practiced expression falter for the split second it took to grasp the sheet. “Yes,” he said, pasting on a smile as he began to wrap the second book. The rectangle of wrapping paper was a little too small, but he couldn’t bear to waste time cutting off another piece, so he tried to hide the bare spot with a ribbon. “Much better, thank you.”

“That stomach flu is something else.”

Gabriel grunted in agreement and handed over the shopping bag. “Here you are. Thank you for stopping by.”

The moment Reverend Paul disappeared through the tinkling door, Clement’s footsteps rounded the corner. He leaned his elbows back on the counter. “Swimmingly, did you say?”

Gabriel let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand down his face. He itched to confront Clement, to demand to know why he had kept Blair’s true nature from him. He wanted to believe that it was his friend’s smug expression that stopped him from asking, but in truth, he was afraid to hear Clement confirm that Blair was indeed one of the weapons kept in the witch’s captivity. In any case, it seemed more than likely. How many creatures like Blair could there be in the world, never mind in the northeast? Yet Gabriel cleaved to the possibility that his suspicion might be incorrect like a man clinging to the slimy, loosening stones at the edge of a cliff.

“How inept do you think I am at my job, Gabriel?” Clement asked at last, still toying with the candles on the counter. “You think I haven’t noticed how poorly you’ve been handling the situation?”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “What are you referring to?”

“The disturbance at the Christmas Eve service, the confrontation with the drug-addled man…”

“Who?”

“Gabriel.” Clement shot him an injurious grin. “I appreciate charity as much as the next man. But if you’re going to take in a stray, the least you could do is ensure it doesn’t attack the neighbors.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, but I thought you knew?”

“Clement—”

“There’s only so long I’ll be able to cover up for you.”

The customers had thinned out, but there were still far too many ears in the shop for Gabriel’s liking. He lowered his voice. “Explain what you’re talking about, so help me God⁠—”

Clement leaned in, his words a sharp hiss in Gabriel’s ear. “While you’ve been in here cozied up with a cup of tea and engaging in pleasant idle conversations with your patrons, your human friend has been dealing with the mess you refuse to clean up.”

The blood drained from Gabriel’s face and Clement’s once cocky expression was traded in for one of genuine apprehension.

“I’ll handle it,” said Gabriel.

“I believed that once.” Clement gave him a pointed look. “I warned you that you couldn’t ignore this forever. How long are you going to wait?”

Gabriel ran another anxious hand down his face, a wave of hopelessness crashing over him. He instinctively reached for the coat slung over the back of his chair. He had to get to Iris, make sure she was safe. But he couldn’t just leave, not unless he closed down the store, and on such a busy night, his boss Wendy would have his neck…