Moira didn’t budge.
“I found my familiar,” Claire offered with a hopeful smile. She needed to get inside, needed to tell all her sisters what she’d learned.
“I already saw that, and he’s already inside. So try again.”
Claire shifted her stance, growing impatient. “Fine. I spied on the Horsemen.”
Moira widened her eyes. “You what? What did they say? Where were they?”
Finally. “I’m not going to tell you anything until you let me in.”
Her sister narrowed her gaze, and Claire knew she’d won. “Okay, but don’t think this gets you off the hook. You’re on my shit list until notified otherwise.”
Claire gave her a brief hug before passing her and entering the house. “Where are Tierra and Aerin? We all need to have a sit-down and discuss a few things. Those guys sure aren’t wasting any time plotting against us, and we need to have some countermeasures in place.”
“Yes, we do,” Moira said as she shut the door behind them and followed Claire upstairs.
Claire smiled, remembering how alone she used to feel before she’d met her sisters. Now, she couldn’t picture life without them.
Chapter Six
Dru eyed each of his brother Horsemen as they sat in the dim backroom of Sirens Pub, all of them sharing the same concerned look. Lucy had taken her leave several moments before, but her threats remained along with her heady perfume. “Just because she’s gone doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. You all know as well as I do she’ll stick around and eventually figure things out.”
“We need to take action.” Nick loosened his tie and opened the first button on his gray silk shirt. “Enough of this bullshit arguing over whose witch will die. Here’s the deal, and you’re all going to sign off on it. The first witch any of us comes in contact with forfeits her life.”
“Except—”
“No.” Nick slammed his fist on the wooden table, cutting off Bane’s reply. “There will be no exceptions. You heard Lucy. We end this now. We have one commitment to fulfill, one reason to justify our existence. That fifth seal cannot be opened.”
Dru and Bane shared a look, a silent reaffirmation that, if possible, neither of them would kill Claire or Tierra.
“Don’t fuck with me,” Nick said, catching the interaction. “We must all agree on this. You know the consequences of our failure.”
“This is what we were born to do, gentlemen,” Julian added. “A blood oath cannot be ignored.”
Dru clenched his jaw, fighting to impart what he knew he must, knowing what his utterance would do to his reputation. “I am unable to kill Claire.”
“You’re a pussy, Drustan Geddes,” Nick countered, disgust registering in his gaze. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Fuck you.” Dru stood, his heart thundering louder than the sound of his chair banging against the wall behind him. “It’s not that I am unwilling. You and I have stood back-to-back through many battles. You know me.” He placed a fisted hand over his heart. “The witch left a piece of her Fire burning inside me. I feel it still, and it has rendered me useless when I come up against her.”
Julian snorted. “I have no such failures and will have no problem giving her or any of the others the kiss of death if need be.”
Bane coughed.
“Oh, Jesus.” Nick turned his repulsed gaze to Death. “You, too?”
The Taker of Souls raked a hand through his hair. “Tierra carries my seed.”
A hint of derision lit Julian’s pale eyes. “‘Tis fortunate Lucy took her leave several minutes ago. Fortunate still, that two of us have not been rendered impotent.”
Dru couldn’t take another hit on his manhood. “Fuck you, Roarke. You’d better hope it’s not your witch who crosses my path first because I’ll have no problem slicing her scrawny Fifth Avenue neck.”
Julian arched a brow but didn’t respond.
“Enough.” Nick spoke loud enough to draw the attention back to him. “One of the four has to die. The sooner, the better. I want concrete plans in place before sundown.”
Bane tossed back his shot of tequila and stood. “I don’t need plans. I need action. I’m going to find me a witch right now, and put an end to this once and for all. Then you can all get…off…my…ass.” He strode from the room, the outline of wings showing through his white t-shirt.
Dru slumped back into his chair, wrapping a fist around a blessed shot of Johnny Walker Red. May the Gods help their damned souls. Either way, he feared an eternity of hell awaited them.
****
“I don’t feel right leaving you alone in the house,” Claire said as Tierra shooed her, Aerin and Moira toward the front door.
“I’ll be fine,” Tierra said. “We have this place locked down tighter than Knox. If not, you know as well as I do the Horsemen would have attacked again. Things have been quiet, and Goddess knows someone needs to attend to the teashop. Sunny has been a sweetheart taking care of things, but I can tell from her voice she needs time off.”
“Tierra’s right,” Aerin said as she donned a full-length overcoat to shield her linen suit from the softly falling rain that had seeped from the skies during the past few days. “No one will protect our investments like we will. Stop being so frightened of everything. We’re never going to win this fucking war otherwise. I have our website ready to launch. I know we need to do inventory, plus check our financials, which were shit before I came along. It’s a wonder you made any money, Tierra.”
Tierra frowned. “Everything in life isn’t about money, Aerin. Sometimes it’s about helping people.”
“Nothin’ wrong with helpin’ people,” Moira chimed in.
Aerin snorted. “Don’t fool yourselves. At the end of the day, it’s always about the money.” She threw open the door and stepped outside without looking back.
Claire shrugged and smiled. “What can I say? At least one of us has good business sense.”
Tierra shook her head but returned Claire’s gesture. “I suppose. Either way, I do love her.”
“We all do.” Moira gave Tierra a quick hug. “You be sure to call us if’n anything strange or crazy starts happenin’. Don’t question, just call, okay?”
“I’ll be fine. It’s you three that could be in danger.” Tierra gave them both a small gauzy fabric pouch filled with herbs. “Angelica. For protection. Take one for Aerin, too. Hide it in her fancy handbag if she won’t take it, okay?”
Claire accepted her sister’s gifts with gratitude. Despite their differences, she could never deny the compelling, endearing bond between them.
A few moments and less than a mile later, Aerin parked Tierra’s Prius in the alley near their teashop. They lived close enough to walk to the shop, but they were less of a target if they drove.
First on their agenda would be to ward their business against threats as well. It would be more difficult to protect, considering they had to allow the public to enter, but Moira had come up with something that would diminish any negative attacks, much like pouring water on fighting cats.
“Make sure y’all stay close,” Moira said as they exited the vehicle. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed none or not, but even if we ain’t doing spells together, my powers seem stronger when y’all are nearby.”
“I’ve sensed that, too.” Claire had taken a great amount of reassurance in that fact.
“Agreed.” Aerin linked arms with her sisters, and the three of them hurried around the corner and down the sidewalk toward their shop. The smart and savvy sister might not like to admit weakness, but she wasn’t a fool, either. Claire respected her for that.
Claire eyed a scraggly man seated on the damp cement sidewalk, his back against the red brick of one of the downtown shops. His hair grew in a lanky, unkempt mess, complemented by stained jeans and a thin, once-white sweatshirt. He held a cardboard sign in his hands, but didn’t look up as they approached.
“Since when has Port Townsend had panhandlers on the streets?” S
he hadn’t lived in the quaint seaport village for long, but this was a new experience for her.
Aerin shrugged. “There’s hunger everywhere, Claire. This is nothing new.”
“I’ll be a dog’s conkers. His sign says Hungry, Hungry Hobos,” Moira whispered with a snicker.
Aerin snorted and rolled her eyes. “He deserves a Jackson for being so creative.” She slipped her wallet from her bag and stopped in front of him. Before she could retrieve a twenty-dollar bill, the beggar reached out and wrapped dirty fingers around Aerin’s ankle.
“Give me your soul.” Icy blue eyes glanced over the three of them, sending a fright through Claire. Familiar, yet alien.
“Let go before I crush your balls.” Aerin kicked, dislodging her foot. “How dare you?” Fear echoed through her words.
The man cackled a laugh and then fell into a coughing fit as he bent over.
Claire grasped her sister’s arm in a protective gesture, prepared to slip her favorite dagger from the hidden spot near her waist and defend them if necessary. “Let’s go,” she whispered. “We’re not safe out here.”
Aerin gave a quick nod, and the three nearly ran to their shop.
“What the fuck was that?” Aerin asked as calming scents of lavender greeted them. Her pupils were enlarged, and a slight blush colored her cheeks. Claire knew she didn’t frighten easily, so their encounter must have really ruffled her.
“Hell if I know,” Claire replied, waiting for her heart rate to return to normal. “Just a crazy guy, I guess. Probably didn’t realize the effect of his words and actions.”
“No.” Moira shook her head, narrowing her aquamarine gaze. “Growin’ up down in the bayou, I’ve seen crazy, and he wasn’t it. Possessed. That’s what he was.”
“Possessed?” Claire shivered at the idea. She would have argued that possession wasn’t real, but most didn’t believe in witches, either.
Moira nodded. “By an evil spirit or some such thing. We’re lucky he didn’t get Aerin.”
Aerin stared at Moira for a long moment, and then she blinked. “I need a smoke.”
“Better take it upstairs, out on the balcony,” said their friendly hired help as she navigated through the armchairs and café tables, her once-pink dreads now a shade of plum.
“Sunny,” Claire said with a smile. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you all, too.” She toyed with the piercing on her lower lip as she gave them all a quick perusal.
“Where’s T? It’s not like her to stay away for so long.”
“Tierra’s…incapacitated,” Claire offered.
“Incapacitated?” Sunny lifted a well-drawn brow.
“She’s caught a disease, and it’s likely there’s no cure,” Aerin said with sarcasm.
Deep concern darkened Sunny’s features. “Is she going to die?”
Claire snorted and shook her head. Leave it to Aerin to describe pregnancy in that manner. “No, she’s not going to die. She just needs some extra rest, and she’ll be fine. Why don’t you give her a call, and she’ll reassure you.”
“Don’t you worry none. She’ll be just fine.” Moira added. “Better yet, you sit yourself down, and let me bring you a cup of tea. Tierra’s been teaching me all kinds of brews, and we’re officially giving you a paid day off.”
“Really?” Sunny glanced between them, her lips twisting into a smile that reduced the stress in her features. “That would be like…amazing.”
“You’ve been working hard.” Aerin made a shooing gesture. “Go relax your shit. We’ll handle everything from here. I’ll start with inventory.”
Aerin headed toward the backroom as Moira made her way to the counter. Claire remained behind. “I’m curious, Sunny. Have we had any issues with panhandlers or hobos here at the shop?”
Sunny’s usually bright expression fell, leaving behind signs of worry and stress. “I would say no because that’s not really a problem here in Port Townsend. But…”
“What is it?” Claire could sense her hesitation.
“People are hurting, Claire. I’ve noticed. Others have, too. More sick people. Others losing jobs. Things like that. And this morning, we did have an old man come in here.”
“Dirty white sweatshirt?”
Sunny nodded.
“What did he want? Did you give him anything?”
“Maybe just to get warm? He looked around for a bit, but when I approached to ask if I could assist him, he left.” She shifted her stance. “Crazy, weird eyes, though. Gave me the chills.”
Claire nodded, similar unsettled feelings churning inside. “Thanks. Hopefully he found what he needed somewhere else. And thanks, too, for handling everything here. One of the smartest things Tierra did was to hire you.”
“Uh…thanks.” Sunny glanced away as though Claire’s compliment embarrassed her. “I’m going to go help Moira before she wrecks everything.”
Claire moved to the front door and glanced outside, looking for the signs of misfortune Sunny had mentioned. The Mexican restaurant that had been opened when she’d first arrived in Port Townsend had closed, along with a shop that carried knickknacks and souvenirs. And of course the shops Nicholas Kingswood had run out of business.
Thank God Aerin and her attorneys had tied up that acquisition.
Other than those few things and an overhanging cloud of impending doom, things didn’t seem that far out of the ordinary.
With a sigh, she turned and walked toward the storage room.
Inside, shelves of neatly stacked teas occupied one wall. Pots and jars of herbs and other potion ingredients lined another. Aerin had an electronic tablet already in hand, counting and entering supply information.
“Tierra really knows her stuff,” Claire said, looking around.
“She knows the production part, and I know marketing. We’re going to make a killing with this endeavor.” Aerin flicked a quick glance in her direction. “We’ve already seen an uptake in general potions and brews for things like boils and depression. I’m sure as conditions continue to worsen, demand will skyrocket.”
“So we’re capitalizing on the impending Apocalypse that apparently we’ve created? Doesn’t seem right.” She unzipped her leather jacket and tossed it on a workbench.
“We did not create this. What we’re doing will help those affected by this travesty. Make sure you keep the blame and the support in proper perspective.” Aerin turned from the stock in front of her and gave Claire a warm smile.
“You’re right. None of us asked for this, and the best thing we can do is try to help those in need. I’m at your service. What do you need me to do?”
Aerin paused. “Who I really need is Sunny. She’s going to be able to make much more sense of some of this than I can. Would you mind enlisting her help?”
“No problem. I’ll be right back.” With a heavy heart, Claire reentered the shop, glancing across the quaint setting in search of purple dreadlocks and bright eyes. When she couldn’t find her, she made her way to the counter where Moira studied a canister with a frown.
“Sunny says I screwed up the brew.” Moira set down the container and picked up another. “I swore Tierra said rose petals.”
“Did Sunny leave?” If she had a day off, she certainly wouldn’t stick around.
“In the office,” Moira said absentmindedly.
Claire circumvented the counter and opened the door that led to the small room behind it.
Sunny jerked her gaze upward with a startled glance, freezing mid-motion. Claire halted at the look of horror on Sunny’s face. An opened banker’s bag rested on the desk, and Sunny had her fingers tucked into her bra, the edges of several bills still poking out.
“What are you doing?” Claire asked, though the scene in front of her was clear.
Chapter Seven
Claire stared at Sunny’s heartbroken expression, wishing she hadn’t walked in on their reliable, hired help pilfering the teashop’s earnings.
“It’s�
��I…” Sunny dissolved into wretched puddle on the leather office chair, setting the stolen money on the desk before dropping her head into her hands. “I’m so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have taken it. But things have been really tough, and…and I’ve kept a running tally.”
She slid open a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper with several amounts written on it. “Tierra hasn’t been around, so I couldn’t ask her, but I fully intend to talk to her and discuss repaying her.” She dropped her head into her hands. “I’m the worst person ever. You all believed in me. Goddess, Tierra trusted me, gave me a job when no one else would, and look how I’ve repaid her.”
She peeked at Claire, black kohl liner smudged beneath her eyes, misery swimming in her watery gaze. “I’ll get my stuff and go. Can I ask that you let me leave before you tell everyone what I’ve done? I don’t think I can stand to see the heartbreak on Aerin’s or Moira’s faces. And I still promise to repay every cent.”
“Not so fast.” Claire held up a hand and walked closer to the other side of the desk, effectively trapping Sunny in place. “You can’t pull something like that and just walk away.”
Sunny cowered, fear replacing self-loathing. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“What?” She frowned at her. “Seriously?”
She lifted a slender shoulder covered with intricate vine tattoos and let it drop. “Sorry. You are pretty bad ass.”
Claire laughed, despite the unfortunate circumstances. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.” If only Dru was more afraid of her. She moved closer to the younger girl. “Before you run out of here with your tail between your legs, afraid I’m going to kick your ass, I’d like an explanation. I realize we haven’t known each other long, but Tierra’s ability to nail a person’s character is uncanny. If she likes and trusts you, then I do, too. There had to be a reason for what you’ve done. I’ll hear it now.”
Sunny wiped forefingers beneath her eyes, drawing black streaks across her face. “My family.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “It’s like I said earlier. Bad shit’s been happening. To more and more people every day. My dad lost his job at the paper mill. He’s looking, but with so many others out of work, it’s hard for him to find anything. My little brother requires expensive medication. Me and my mom are still working, but sometimes there’s not enough money left at the end of our bills to buy food. I promise I didn’t take much. Just twenty. If I’m careful, that can get us through a couple of days until my mom gets paid.”
Which Witch is Wicked? (The Witches of Port Townsend Book 2) Page 4
