Hail to the Queen (Witch For Hire 2)

“I will.”

We disappear in a swirl of darkness, sending the holy men into a fresh round of praying. It’s the last thing I hear before I’m returned to the center of my circle alone.

“What happened?” Mémé asks.

“She did what she said she would. Has the council been sufficiently pleased by my performance?” I stare at Zephirin, daring him to say otherwise.

“You have gone above and beyond, exceeding our expectations, Lou,” Vale says softly.

“Then let it be known, I will no longer suffer snide marks, or questioning my every move. Without the Cortez Court, we may not have found the answers we needed in time to thwart disaster. Like it or not, our people are aligned for the foreseeable future. I don’t believe it has to be a bad thing. I know we’re all exhausted, so I propose we go home, get some sleep, and call a proper meeting in two days’ time with all of our people. I want them to feel safe, and see that we worked as a united front. We may have vanquished the genie, but we’ve all noticed the balance isn’t what it should be. This is the second major occurrence of darkness. Once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern.”

I take the murmured noises as agreeance, and we break the circles. It’s all I can do to stay upright as I walk toward the court. Cristobal places a hand on the small of my back and they press in closer to me, lending me their approval and affection. With the threat gone, I’m forced to examine my actions and admit I’m no longer the woman I was before I recognized the bond. It’s changing me. For better or for worse.

***

“Are we going to talk about it?”

I set down the contemporary romance I’ve been trying to lose myself in for the past hour and frown. “What are you talking about, Sach?”

Leaning against the wall, she takes a sip of her beer. “The reason you’ve been over the house for the past week.”

“Well, I do own it. Am I annoying you?” I shift on the cushion. Maybe she’s gotten used to me not being around, and I’m cramping her style.

“Stop it. You know I love spending time with you. You tend to mix the days here and at the mansion up though.” She plops onto the couch beside me. “Is Cristobal out of town?”

“No,” I say glumly. One of the things I love most about Sacha is her bluntness. She won’t let you run away from yourself.

Her brow furrows. “Okay. So what gives?”

I pick up the cat pillow and place it in my lap, toying with the tag. “Do you think I’ve changed since I got back?” I whisper.

“Yes.”

My heart sinks, and my shoulders slump.

“Wait. Is that a bad thing?” she asks.

“Maybe.” I shrug.

She grunts. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re really worried about so we can have a real conversation?”

I cringe at the C would. Conversation always means tough love with her. “When we were interrogating Wallace and Ernest, I didn’t recognize myself any longer.”

“I wondered if you’d ever bring that up,” she says softly.

“You noticed it, too?” I study the smiling cat’s face, afraid to look up. If I saw dissapointment or fear in her eyes, it’d kill me right now.

“None of us are perfect, Lou. We all get caught up in the heat of the moment from time to time. You’re under a lot of pressure right now, and that case was tough. Literally, the fate of the universe was on the line. Why can’t you cut yourself some slack?” She nudged me with her elbow.

I sigh and explore the ceiling. “It was more than losing myself at the moment, Sach. I liked it. I felt superior and completely removed from humanity. I saw them as creatures, not people. It was like I was …”

“A vampire?”

“Yes.” I exhale. My secret is out.

“In a way you are, though, aren’t you?”

“What?” I look at her.