Cloaks and Daggers

by Annabel Chase

  “Not to me it isn’t,” Dr. Hall objected. “Unless you’re popping open a vein for this child, then you’re not feeding her in here.”

  I met her stubborn gaze. “Are you kidding? She’s not a vampire baby. She doesn’t drink blood.”

  “No, but she’s some strange demonic hybrid. Maybe blood is what she really wants.” She popped out her fangs and rolled up her sleeve. “Let’s experiment and see.”

  I held the baby firmly. “We’re not testing your blood on my baby. She’s perfectly happy with her mother’s milk.”

  “Try giving her rum with it.”

  “I’m not feeding my baby alcohol!”

  She admonished me with a look. “You should be willing to do whatever it takes as a mother.”

  I snorted. “Now you’re offering me maternal advice?”

  “No, I’m offering you therapy and, as your therapist, I suggest that you be a little more flexible in your approach to feeding your child. You don’t want to raise the girl to be a whiner like her father.”

  I bristled. “Daniel is not a whiner. He’s the most delightful angel you’ll ever meet.”

  “He’s the only angel I’ll ever meet. I’m a vampire, remember? The only direction for me is down.”

  “Can we get back to my father?” I asked. I repositioned the baby so that she would start sucking again. She seemed to fall asleep quickly once she started sucking, but then she would wake up screaming and hungry an hour later. It wasn’t ideal.

  “Fine.” Dr. Hall clasped her hands over her knee. “What’s next on the schedule for you and dear old dad?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “He’s staying in town for the time being. He says he wants to get to know me.”

  “What does that mean? He’s moving to Spellbound?”

  “Nothing that extreme,” I said. “He knows it will take time. That I don’t want to rush into my relationship with him.”

  “The way you did with Daniel.”

  I looked at her askance. “You think I rushed into my relationship with Daniel?”

  She swilled her drink. “Well, you got married and had a baby together pretty quickly.”

  “Maybe by immortal standards,” I said. “But it didn’t seem particularly quick to me.”

  “You both have long lives ahead of you,” she said. “And what about this concoction?” She inclined her head toward the baby.

  “We don’t know much about Diana yet. It’s still early in her development. The healer says that it could take years to know all there is to know about her abilities.”

  “Then you should find a more competent healer,” Dr. Hall said. “That Boyd is a moron anyway.”

  “It isn’t Boyd,” I said. “It’s Grover Wells. The new healer.”

  “If I were you, I would have her tested for all possible genes. Don’t you want to know if she’s going to favor your paternal grandmother?”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Diana’s genetic disposition wasn’t a topic I liked to ponder. “Daniel and I are her parents. Surely our DNA will be more prevalent.”

  Dr. Hall barked a short laugh. “If only that was how it worked. Don’t you know people back in your human world who are carbon copies of a grandparent or an aunt? You don’t necessarily get the qualities of your parents. And with a hybrid like this one, who knows? All bets are off.”

  I stared at Diana’s heart-shaped face and my insides melted. She was the most beautiful baby in the world. It was hard to imagine that she could carry any darkness or destruction within her. “There will be environmental factors to consider as well,” I said. “It isn’t like Daniel and I are going to raise her to be evil.”

  “No, but what if your father sticks around? What if he takes the brat under his wing and shows her the evil ropes and—even worse—she excels?”

  “We don’t know that my father is evil,” I said, starting to feel irritated. “We also don’t know whether he even plans to stick around. I can’t imagine that a demigod will want to hang around Spellbound for very long. It’s hardly a hotbed of activity.”

  The vampire blew out an exaggerated breath. “You always want people and paranormals to be better than they are.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “It’s a recipe for heartache,” she shot back.

  “Daniel and I wouldn’t be married now if it weren’t for my optimism. We wouldn’t have Diana!”

  “Big whoop.”

  I shifted my arm so that the baby didn’t completely cut off my circulation. “As it happens, I think my father is very nice. I haven’t seen any sign of this monster that my mother may or may not have been hiding from.”

  “I doubt she did either until it was too late.”

  I flinched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Dr. Hall sucked down the rest of her drink and set the empty glass back on the coaster. “It means that he managed to fool your mother long enough to get her pregnant.”

  “But he didn’t know about me. He said he wished he’d known about me sooner.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll never know for certain.”

  I didn’t like the idea that my father might have lied to me. Then again, Dr. Hall was right. I didn’t know him and history seemed to portray him in a negative light.

  “Just protect yourself, Emma,” Dr. Hall said, more gently than usual. “I’ve invested far too much time in you to watch you die a horrible death.”

  “Then close your eyes.”

  Her expression softened. “I think that alien you hatched is asleep. You might as well remove the probes and button up.”

  I peered down at my body. “They’re not probes, they’re boobs. They’re not detachable.”

  “I’m not talking about those. I mean the device on the brat that provides the suction.”

  “Those are called lips and we all have them.”

  Dr. Hall slapped her thighs and stood. “Whatever. Just be grateful they’re not fangs.”

  On my walk home from therapy, I was surprised to spot Paige Pettigrew in a small park. The fairy was performing tree pose in mid-air thanks to her wings. When she saw me pushing Diana in the stroller, she fluttered to the floor.

  “Do we need to be quiet?” she whispered.

  “Not right now. Thanks for asking.” The baby could turn on a dime so I glanced into the stroller to make sure my statement was still accurate. Yep. “Is yoga your attempt to relax? It can’t be easy under the circumstances.”

  Paige offered a sympathetic smile. “It can’t be easy with a new baby either. Care to join me? I prefer yoga in a group, but I’m sort of stuck for now.”

  “I don’t know that yoga is for me. I’m not exactly known for my flexibility.”

  “Yoga is far more than stretching your limbs,” Paige said. “It’s stretching the mind as well. You can mentally disappear in the middle of child’s pose and nobody’s the wiser.”

  “I would think you’re usually pretty relaxed, dealing with butterflies all day.”

  “Yes, butterflies,” Paige repeated, in a way that suggested that butterflies were more stressful than they seemed.

  I rolled my shoulders back and forth. Even the sight of someone else doing yoga made me feel stiff. “How are you holding up?”

  Her expression clouded over. “Not great. Andrea was my sister-in-law, you know? Our relationship transcends Home Invaders.” She struck a mountain pose and I wondered whether that was her silent plea for strength.

  “I understand you and Andrea unfollowed each other on social media recently,” I said. “Did you two have a falling out?”

  Paige snorted. “Do you know how many times we’ve unfollowed each other over the years? Last Samhain we unfollowed each other because Andrea accused me of deliberately putting marshmallows in the loaf of sweet potato bread when I know she doesn’t like marshmallows.”

  “And did you?” I asked. “Add the marshmallows?”

  “No, that was Jim,” Paige said with an annoyed shake of he
r head. “You know men. They don’t remember what women like, especially their sisters. Jim likes to experiment with baking and was excited about the twist in the recipe. For my birthday he baked a cake soaked in Goddess Bounty and then lit it on fire instead of lighting candles.”

  “That’s…creative,” I said.

  “It was actually delicious,” Paige said. “That’s why I don’t give him a hard time about experimenting. When he surprises me, it’s worth it.”

  “Unless the surprise includes marshmallows,” I joked.

  Paige’s expression hardened. “That was unfortunate. It took weeks to set it right with Andrea. She can…could be stubborn.”

  “Jim must have been very close to her,” I said. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a twin.” How did you decide which one was the evil one?

  “I think it was easier because of the different genders,” Paige said. “Then again, I have to admit I was initially put off dating Jim.”

  “Because of his closeness to Andrea?”

  “Because she and I were friends first,” Paige said. “That’s how I met Jim.”

  “Did she mind?”

  “At first it was awkward,” Paige admitted. “Eventually it became clear that Jim and I were in love, so she embraced the idea. She was my maid of honor at the wedding.” Paige paused, appearing to fight a swell of emotions. “She even kept the dress. Nobody keeps the dress. They’re hideous.” The fairy moved into a standing forward bend and pressed her forehead to her knees.

  “How did you do that?” I asked, impressed. “I’d love to be able to bend like that.”

  “You’re recovering from pregnancy,” Paige said. “Give yourself time.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I could never bend like that. I think my muscles are missing some length.”

  Paige laughed. “Or they’re just too tense.” She straightened and tried to help me position my body in the same pose. “How does that feel?”

  “Like I’m about to break in half.” My head couldn’t move any closer to my knees. It was like there was an invisible barrier between them. I felt the blood rushing to my head and slowly returned to an upright position.

  “Andrea and I used to do yoga together,” Paige said. “In fact, that’s how we met. There’s a yoga studio called The Mat in our hometown.”

  I thought about what Ashini and Ryan said about Jim and Paige being last minute replacements. “You seem pretty settled there with family. Why would you want to move to a place like Spellbound and start over?”

  Paige licked her lips. “Sometimes it can be hard living so close to family, especially since Mimau died recently. Tensions started running a little high.” She heaved a sigh. “That was the cause of our most recent fight.”

  “You and Andrea fought because their grandmother died?” That sounded like a horrible time to argue.

  “It wasn’t over her death,” Paige said. “It was over a wooden duck.”

  I started to cough. “A wooden duck?”

  “Mimau had promised it to me,” Paige said. “It was very special to her. Jim’s great-grandfather had carved it when he worked in the North Pole.”

  My eyes bugged out. “The North Pole as in…?”

  Paige gave me a dismissive look. “Who else? Anyway, it was a precious family heirloom, so naturally Andrea decided that it should go to her because I’m not a blood relative. She never looked twice at that wooden duck until it was up for grabs.”

  “Is it possible it held sentimental value for her?”

  Paige barked a short laugh. “You didn’t know Andrea. That elf didn’t have a sentimental bone in her body. That’s why she was still single. Some of the crew think she was having an affair with Adam, but I never believed that. Andrea couldn’t stand him.”

  “What makes you so certain?”

  “She complained about him at every opportunity,” Paige said.

  “Sometimes we complain to mask our real feelings,” I pointed out.

  Paige gave an adamant shake of her head. “No way. Besides, if they were involved, Bethany would know.”

  “Why would Bethany know?” I asked. “Is she involved with Adam?”

  “No, but she schedules every aspect of his life down to the color underwear he wears on Thursdays.”

  “That’s pretty specific.”

  “No kidding. Andrea threatened to quit so many times because she was tired of Adam, but Bethany would beg her to stay. Bethany felt like she and Andrea were a united team against Adam’s tyranny.”

  “Did Andrea see it that way?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Paige said. She paused for a beat. “Is it true that Andrea was stabbed?”

  “We don’t have the report yet,” I said, “but stabbing seems likely based on the wounds.”

  Paige shuddered. “I can’t even stick a straw in a juice box.” Her gaze flicked inadvertently to the stroller.

  I remembered her expression when she looked at Diana’s crib. “You’re worried about handling your future kids’ juice boxes?”

  She threw up her hands. “I worry about everything. What if I screw up? What if drop them on their head? What if I mistake bubonic plague for a cold and destroy half the population?” She clutched her chest. “Oh gods. I think I’m having a panic attack.”

  I rubbed her arm. “Take it easy, Paige. Just do another yoga pose and go back to your happy, stretchy place.”

  Paige slotted her fingers over her head and inhaled deeply. “Do you think you made the right choice, having a baby?”

  I smiled at the sleeping baby. “Yes, one hundred percent. Daniel and I feel insanely lucky.”

  Although Paige’s wings fluttered quickly, she remained rooted in place. “Do you think it’s weird that I desperately want one, but I’m also scared to have one?”

  “I think you’d be surprised to discover how normal that is.”

  “Andrea thought I was being selfish,” Paige said. “She claimed I was dragging my feet because I didn’t want to lose my figure and that it was a terrible reason to deprive Jim of being a dad.”

  “That’s a mean thing to say.” The more I learned about Andrea, the less I liked her, not that I believed she deserved to die because of it.

  Paige pressed her lips together. “I know, but she was family. You tolerate more from family than from others, right?”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t tolerate mistreatment from anyone,” I said.

  “I tried not to take it personally,” Paige said. “Andrea ended up falling out with everyone at one point or another. It was to be expected.”

  “Can you think of any reason someone might have wanted to hurt her this week?” I asked. “Did Andrea provoke someone recently?”

  Paige arched backward and formed a bridge. “I can’t cite anything specific. She and Adam were always butting heads, so maybe talk to him.”

  I knew Sheriff Astrid had already spoken to everyone, but it was probably worth another, more casual conversation.

  “Just out of curiosity, who ended up with Mimau’s duck?” I asked.

  Paige twisted into a seated position. “Andrea, of course. Andrea always got her way.”

  I met her petulant gaze. “Not anymore.”

  Chapter Seven

  I shuffled into Brew-Ha-Ha with Diana cradled against me in a sling and a diaper bag over my shoulder. It was mildly intimidating to join a group of women I’d never met, but Lucy had encouraged me to find new mothers to connect with because they’d understand my life right now better than anyone else. It made sense, although it didn’t make the experience any less anxiety-inducing.

  A dwarf in the back of the coffee shop caught my eye and waved. “We’re back here.”

  I nodded in acknowledgment and approached the counter to place my order. Henrik scowled when he saw me.

  “What do you think you’re doing, Emma?”

  I blinked. “Ordering a latte?”

  “Go sit down with the other new moms,” the berserker said. “Someone w
ill bring it to you.”

  “Really?” If I’d known I’d get special treatment once I had a baby, I might have started sooner.

  Henrik jerked his mohawk toward the back of the room. “You can pay from the table. Go relax with the others. You must be tired.”

  Although I felt fully capable of standing, I didn’t want to argue. It was surprisingly sweet of the berserker to be considerate.

  “Thanks. I’d like a Good Vibrations, please.” I couldn’t wait to taste the latte with a drop of positive energy and a drop of perseverance. I needed every drop.

  “Back here, new mom,” someone called.

  I continued to the area where a group of moms were clustered with their infants. I sat in the nearest empty chair next to a troll.

  “Molly can do cartwheels already,” one mom was saying. “Can you believe it?”

  The other mothers stared in disbelief at the sleeping infant.

  “How is that even possible?” the dwarf mom asked. “She looks like she can barely lift her head unaided.”

  “She’s very advanced,” the proud mother said. “Grover Wells says she might want to consider the circus in a few years.”

  “That’s probably more to do with the baby’s beard,” the troll whispered to me. “I’ve never seen so much facial hair on an infant. She’ll be shaving in two more weeks. Mark my words.”

  I resisted the urge to gawk at the hairy, cartwheeling baby. “I’m Emma,” I said. “And this is Diana.” I gazed down at her heart-shaped face and rosebud lips and fell in love with her all over again. How was this bundle of sweetness mine? What did I do in this life to deserve her?

  “I’m Nancy,” the troll said. “And this is my son, Trevor.”

  I smiled at the baby troll. His skin had the same greenish tint as his mother’s. I squinted. “His ears…”

  She cut me off. “I know they’re pointy, thanks. His father’s an elf. I realize we’re an odd couple, but love doesn’t discriminate.”

  “Nor should anyone,” I said. “Diana’s a hybrid too.” I declined to say which kind. I didn’t want to freak out the new group. Besides, the revelation would raise too many questions and right now I wanted to blend in.