Hail to the Queen (Witch For Hire 2)

“When you forget I didn’t choose this situation for myself or come into it with all the facts and my eyes open, yes.”

“I expect you to see the big picture.”

“I do. Mine just happens to look otherwise.”

“It’s my job to keep you safe. How can I do that when you fight me constantly?”

“I can take care of myself. We face things together. You linked yourself to a modern woman who rules in her own right. You have to make adjustments for me, too.”

I will not lose myself for anyone. I worked too damn hard to figure myself out.

“We should go back inside. They’ll be waiting.” His voice is soft. He’s dropping it for now. I’m smart enough to know it’s been shelved temporarily. I can’t help but wonder if the price of ruling will be our love.

Chapter Fifteen

The sky let loose with a thunderous boom hours ago, and it hasn’t let up since. Even with the wards, sleep was sparing. It’s the calm before the storm as we scramble to secure everything necessary to send the Djinn back where he came from and learn more about the puzzle box. My dry eyes burn as I pour over the translations Baal Shem has written out. Unable to remove the ancient text from its heavily guarded location beneath a synagogue, we’re left with this and copies. Not that I could read Hebrew.

The picture of the box is breathtaking. The wooden box is a mixture of smooth dark wood, overlayed with gold molded in intricate shapes with distinctive Middle Eastern flare. The pointed domes resemble the ornate buildings of the Taj Mahal. Every wish granted after the initial three wishes cost a bit of the wisher’s soul. The acts required to gain a piece of the box are ghastly.

I scan the cross-referenced events Baal Shem has discovered in the book. The skull of the astronomer, the bones of a righteous woman, and blood-soaked battleground. I can’t imagine what else the text lists. What’s been collected and what hasn’t? What could be worth taking the life of another or bargaining away chips of your soul?

“Well, we know how all the cases are linked.” Sacha runs her hand through her hair. “This is a lot to take in, I get that. It’s important to know what we’re up against. I don’t see how it can help us track the wishers down.”

“I think what the summoning is for. Once they capture the Djinn they can make it talk,” I say. “We’ll have to trust the holy men for that. We’re here to back their plays and learn everything we can.”

“You seem calm about handing over this case. It’s not like you.” Sacha studies me with a curious gaze

“When we were trying to escape those hellhounds, something happened. I cried out to the Archangel Michael, and he answered.”

Sacha furrows her brow. “What are you talking about?”

“I watched a fiery blade cut a path through the fog, and I saw wings. Not feathered, with a filmy shape outlined.”

“You remember you’d just knocked your nogging on the window, right?” Sacha asks skeptically.

“Do I seem like the type to hallucinate about angels?” I glance from Fel to Sacha.

“Given the nature of this case, it wouldn’t be far-fetched.” Fel speaks softly like I’m a wounded animal.

“I know my mind. How else did we escape?” I challenge Sacha.

“We threw some nasty spells at them, Lou,” Sacha says.

“Believe me or not, it made me realize there are other things at work in this case.” I shrug, disappointed in their disbelief.

Gentle rapping comes at the door. It swings open.

Renee’s grave face looks wrong. “You should look at the news.”

I pull out my cell phone, and discover Tropical Odette in a tropical depression three-hundred miles outside of The Gulf of Mexico is forcing heavy rains in Louisiana and experts on high alert. Drenching Central America in a torrential downpour, this deadly storm has claimed fifty lives. Meteorologists are watching this Storm Front closely and issuing alerts. Fear of a repeat of Katrina as the depression appears has been mentioned.

I watch the newscast play on my phone. The name Katrina is not thrown around easily here in Louisiana. This means things have the potential to get bad fast. It’s July … early for hurricane season. My gut tells me this is the Djinn.

“We can’t take another storm like this. We’re still trying to recover from Katrina in so many ways,” Fel says.

“Nothing about this feels natural,” Sacha growls.

“Because it’s not. We need to make sure we force this storm to turn out.” Picking up my phone, I call Mémé. “Mémé, have you seen the weather forecast?”