Hail to the Queen (Witch For Hire 2)

“We need new blood. Evil is ageless and rampant.”

“Witch for Hire is here to help, Father. If we can ever return the favor, please let us know,” I say.

“I’ll take you up on that, young lady.”

Chapter Eleven

“Wha?” I push the long bangs away from my face and stab at the brew button on the Keurig. I’ve yet to receive my morning jolt of caffeine, and conversation is out of the question. Luz apparently has yet to get that memo.

“You need to come outside and see this.” The machine rumbles to life, pulling water from the reserves and firing up the heating mechanism.

“Huh?” I grunt, unable to give her more as I watch the brown liquid fill my Queen Bee mug with the golden handle. I scratch the swath of skin bared between my tank top and black, white, and pink sleeping shorts.

“Right now,” she speaks slowly. “There’s a solar eclipse occurring.”

I frown. “Um, no there’s not.” As a witch, I make it my business to know major celestial events.

“What you mean is there shouldn’t be. Yet, if you step outside,” she points toward the foyer, “you’ll see I’m right.”

I rub my puffy eyes and zombie walk in the general direction of the front door. Fumbling with the lock, I step outside and squint up at the pink, purple, and orange sky. The sun is being swallowed little by little. I’m going to need a bigger cup of coffee.

“This is bad, right?” Luz asks from beside me.

I nod my head, unable to make my vocal cords work. My mouth is bone dry. The power necessary to pull this off is unfathomable. It requires altering the balance of nature. “Bad is a major understatement.”

“Do you think it was done intentionally? I mean, how is that even possible? Is it probable?”

“Playing with the laws of nature are bound to have disastrous repercussions. It’s likely whoever caused this did anticipate this side effect. If it was done deliberately …” I rub the back of my neck and trail off as my brain boots up. “Doing this so publicly proves they’re no friend to any of us. Humans will notice and investigate a spontaneous eclipse.”

My mind returns to Sebile and her worry about breaches. The Unseelie queen’s suspicions weren’t unfounded or false. The situation is dire when I’m wishing the Fae were actually playing tricks on me. I grimace thinking of the fall out about to happen. The sun has barely coasted into the horizon, and I’m looking at a crisis situation. We’ll have to reschedule all our appointments. Every witch in driving distance is going to gather today.

“What are you going to do?”

“Finish my coffee. Brew more and start returning the calls I know will be coming in.” I’m going to subscribe to the airplane safety method of reasoning. In case of a loss of cabin pressure, you have to put your own mask on before assisting others. You can’t help anyone else if you’re not okay. I retrace my steps inside the house and grab my mug of warm coffee. I lean against the kitchen counter and let the jolt of caffeine hit my system. The heated drink goes a long way toward kick-starting my brain and chasing away the chill that settled into my gut.

Luz hovers close, a dutiful daughter as she observes me silently. I can sense the unasked questions hovering on the tip of her tongue. I love her for the way she holds back her natural habit of plowing forward full speed. I prep a fresh cup of coffee with cream and sugar. I’m ready to talk.

“I know you have a lot of questions, but at the moment, I can’t really answer them. There are too many variable factors. We’ll all gather and try to narrow those down, so we can form a plan and move forward. The next few hours are going to be incredibly stressful while we try to mobilize, and not kill each other. It’s a lot of egos in a small place under stress.” I rub the bridge of my nose. “It’s a recipe for disaster and a headache.” My phone vibrates on the counter, and I grunt. It hasn’t stopped buzzing. Mémé, Sacha, Fel, and Mom’s numbers have flashed across my screen numerous times.

“Are you going to answer them?”

“After this cup, yeah. I’m going to need all the patience boosters I can handle. How did you know the eclipse wasn’t supposed to happen?”

“I pay attention to things, too. Our senses are strong. There was a faux quality. It smells, looks, and on a visceral level feels wrong. We’re not as connected to nature, but we have our own brand of magic. A sense that aligns us with things on this planet. There’s a reason we’ve always been connected with the evening hours. The connection is tied to endings. We exist after we should the same way the moon ends the day.”

I can understand the bond. Vampires are beings of darkness. They have to feed on life to remain alive. It makes sense.

“Is this similar to the way witches tap into nature?”

“Exactly so.”

I store the fact away for later. My phone buzzes again. Fel. I answer.

“Have you looked outside?” she asks.

“Morning to you, too, sunshine. I have. We should clear the schedule for the week at W.F.H.”

“I thought the same thing. Charlotte, your favorite client, is going to be pissed.”