“Yeah. It’s kinda creepy in here and I like it.”
I laugh. “That’s good. Are a lot of people in right now?”
“We got a little rush right as the downpour started and they hung out in here waiting for the rain to slow. Now they’re waiting to figure out how to pay.”
“If anyone is paying with cash, go ahead and write it down. But if they need to pay with a card, tell them we’ll give them a ten percent discount for their wait.” I gather up my stuff and hurry inside, tripping over the blanket in my haste. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Callie.”
I pull the blanket through the door and peek into the office. Lucas is on the phone, speaking in a foreign language. He sounds annoyed with whoever he’s talking to, yet when he looks up and meets my gaze, he smiles.
“Power is out at the store,” I whisper. “Gotta go.”
He nods and I run up the stairs, magically braiding my hair in two French braids on the way. I throw on the same clothes I wore last night since they were left on the floor in my room, but go with my tried-and-true combat boots instead of heels.
There’s a note taped to the backdoor. Take Binx, is written in Lucas’s freakishly neat handwriting. I suppose over a thousand years of penmanship proves practice really does make perfect. I pull the note off the door so he knows I saw it, and call for Binx. He shadows ahead, waiting for me next to my Jeep.
The rain picks up as soon as we pull out of the driveway, slowing me down. I still make it to the store pretty fast, and get a parking spot close to the storefront.
“Dammit,” I say when I realize my umbrella isn’t in here. It’s pouring now, and I don’t want to get soaked. I look at Binx. “No one will notice, will they? And if they do?” I shrug. “It’s not like they’re going to accuse me of using a shield of telekinetic energy as a makeshift umbrella.”
I hook my purse over my shoulder and open my door, holding up my left hand. Rain patters down on my invisible umbrella. Binx jumps into my lap and we get out, staying perfectly dry. I drop my hand, dispersing the energy as soon as I’m under Novel Ground’s awning.
The store is still dark when I come in, and the seating areas are all filled. People are talking and reading, using the flashlights on their phones for light. Both Betty and Danielle are behind the counter.
“Hey, guys.” I set Binx on the counter and he immediately starts purring, knowing Betty is going to gush all over him.
She does.
“Hello, handsome,” she coos and runs her hand over his back. He plops down, rolling over so she can scratch under his chin.
“Hi,” Danielle says. “You’re lucky you stayed dry.” She motions to her shirt. “I went to my car to get my phone to use as a calculator and got soaked!” She did. Her hair and shirt are pretty damn wet from the rain.
“I had an umbrella,” I say, and Danielle’s eyes go to my hands. I’m not holding it, and I wouldn’t have had a chance to set it down anywhere. “I left it right outside the door. I didn’t want to bring it in and get the carpet wet.”
“Good idea. So, um, Betty said we can run the system on an iPad?”
“Yes. I have one in the office, but I don’t know if it’s charged. I’ll go grab it.” I say hello to a few customers on my way. The iPad is in a cabinet above the desk. It’s one that’s kept locked, and I don’t have the key, which isn’t an issue for me. Using magic, I open it and pull out the iPad. The last time this was used would have been when we did inventory. I turn it on, surprised to see that the battery has some charge left. Setting it on the desk, I reach back into the dark cabinet, feeling around for the power cord.
“Betty said to give you—oh.” I turn, seeing Danielle standing in the office doorway holding a set of keys. “You already unlocked the cabinet.”
“Yeah. I have my own set of keys,” I say, which is a lie. I actually lost my keys to the cabinets in the office years ago and have been using magic to lock and unlock everything ever since.
“I figured so.”
“Ah, here it is.” I close my fingers around the power cord and close the cabinet door. “I’ll show you how to use this.” I tap my finger on the iPad screen and usher her out, closing the office door behind me before she has a chance to ask why I didn’t lock the cabinet back up. Because I’m using magic, that’s why.
“It’s a very simple program, thankfully,” I tell her, and plug the iPad in at the counter up front. “Shoot. I left the credit card scanner in the office. I’ll be right back.” I hurry back into the office, closing the door behind me, and conjure a string of magic to see into the cabinet. I find the little attachment, close the cabinet, and lock it using magic. I’m back at the counter before anyone notices.
I open the program and give Betty and Danielle a crash course. We get everyone rung up, and a few customers brave the rain and leave. A handful stay in, taking advantage of the new comfy chairs Kristy and I debated splurging on last winter.
“If the power isn't back on in like an hour, I think we should just close. Who’s coming in later?”
“Kristy and Vanessa,” Danielle tells me.
“Okay,” I say, nodding as I think. “I’ll text them now to let them know. But if the whole downtown block is out, it might be a while before anything is up and running.” I get my phone from my purse and lean against the counter. I quickly text Kristy and Vanessa, letting them know what’s going on. Kristy lives downtown. If the power is out at the store, it’s probably out at her house too.
Vanessa replies right away, but Kristy doesn’t. I’m going to go ahead and assume she’s at the Covenstead, hopefully with Evander.
“I had a bit of last-minute change of plans,” I tell Betty after another customer checks out. “And I’ll be here for Thorne Hill’s Halloween festival, so I can pass out candy with you guys.”
“Really? Yay! But does that mean you’re not going on vacation anymore?”
“Oh, we are. Trust me when I say I need to get out of town for a little bit. Our reservations aren’t until later, so we have time to hang out here. My sister is coming with her daughter.”
“Penny, right?”
“Yeah.”
“She is so cute!”
“Right?” I smile. “Of course I’d think so, but that kid could be a baby model. Though I’m not entirely sure how I feel about subjecting babies to that sort of thing.”
Betty laughs. “Have you ever seen that Toddlers and Tiaras show?”
“Yes! It’s crazy. Well, those moms are crazy.”
“So crazy. It’s what we’re really watching. You’re wearing a costume, right?”
“Of course. I just ordered costumes today and paid up the ass for shipping, but I need them ASAP.”
“What are you going as? A witch?” Betty laughs.
“Hah. I should. And have Binx with me the whole time.” I look at him, eating up the attention from the few customers in the store. “I really don’t know how more people haven’t suspected anything.”
“Eh…they have.” Her eyes go to Danielle. Fuck. I almost forgot that I owe her a very overdue sit-down explanation of everything. “But I’m sure they feel how I did. Like I’m crazy for even considering it.”
“Yeah, and it’s easier to write something off than try to open your mind to something totally new. And I’m dressing up as Wonder Woman. I ordered a Superman costume for Lucas, but I can’t be totally sure he’s actually going to wear it. Though thinking of him in spandex…” I fan my face with my hand and Betty giggles.
“He would look good in that, and I don’t think he needs the fake muscles those costumes come stuffed with.”
“No, he definitely doesn’t.”
Betty laughs again, face flushing. She’s opened up a lot in the last few months, and now that she’s in on Kristy's and my secret, she has to feel a lot closer to us. She’s a stereotypical bookworm, which is why Kristy and I liked her so much from the start.
She’s shy, often gets lost in a fant
asy world, and has a hard time dating because real life men just don’t compare to book boyfriends. But, being an avid reader and a huge fantasy fan made her more open to the idea of other supernatural creatures.
And really…once vampires came out, half the world had to know others existed too.
“Is there any coffee?” I ask, yawning. Why am I so tired? I slept decently last night and took a nap.
“Yeah. Late night?”
“Most nights are.”
“I didn’t wake you up when I called, did I?” Betty asks, looking worried.
“No, and even if you did, don’t feel bad. I know I’m not in here much anymore, but I’m still co-owner and need to do co-owner shit.”
“Well, when you put it that way…” she laughs.
“Exactly. So don’t feel bad.” I push off the counter and go to the back of the store. Pale golden light from the backup lights cast an eerie glow on the rows of books. If the sun came out from behind clouds, it wouldn’t be so dark in here. It’s almost too dark to see, and maybe I should cut the time down to half an hour and send everyone home sooner if the power doesn’t come back on.
I didn’t drink all my coffee with breakfast this morning, so a small cup should be okay. Still, I hesitate before taking a sip, not wanting to do anything to harm this baby. I’m feeling more and more of a connection to it every day, as well as a terrible sense of responsibility. This is the only chance Lucas will ever have to father a child this way. I don’t want to screw it up.
I smell the coffee, and even though I’m not nauseous anymore, it doesn’t smell good. It’s so fucking weird. Not wanting to waste it—and not wanting to fall asleep and crash on the way home—I take a small sip.
The break room door opens, and Danielle stops short in the doorway. She’s pulled her wet hair into a side braid, and she stands there, staring at me with wide eyes.
“Hey,” I say and take another small sip of coffee. I used to love black coffee, and now I’m choking it down.
“Can we talk?” she asks, voice a little shaky. She’s a rather outspoken person, and she’s rattled right now. Binx comes in, trotting right past her, and rubs against my legs.
“Sure.” I take another drink, knowing what she wants to talk about, and I don’t blame her. I dropped a bomb on her, telling her that witches and demons are real without much explanation. I didn’t have time for a sit-down chat then, but I do now. “About what?”
Danielle opens her mouth only to snap it shut. She swallows hard, looks at Binx, and then back at me. Pinching her eyebrows together, she sets her jaw and takes a breath. “I did some research, and I…I…I don’t think you’re just a witch.”
Chapter 11
“What do you think I am?” I ask slowly. There’s no way she could jump to the conclusion that one of my parents was an angel. No. Freaking. Way.
“I don’t know.” She clasps her hands on her elbows. “But my cousin had a roommate last year who was a witch. I never took her seriously until…until… well, you know.”
“Until you got kidnapped by demons and rescued by me and my cat-army?”
“Yeah. It sounds so weird when you say it like that.”
I nod. “Which is why I say it like that.”
“Well, I asked my cousin to put me in touch with her roommate, and we’ve been talking.”
Great, here we go. I keep my face neutral but internally I’m rolling my eyes Eliza-style. “And?”
“She said witches are peaceful. They don’t fight demons. But you do, and you kicked its ass. That thing…that thing overpowered every single person in that basement, and there were some pretty big guys down there.”
“If I had a dollar for every pretty big guy I saved, I’d have spent them all on several bottles of wine which I can’t even fucking drink right now,” I grumble.
“You can’t drink wine?”
Shit. “I’m on a diet,” I spit, and Danielle’s eyes go to my stomach, which is exposed in this purple crop top. I’ve always been naturally athletic with a fast metabolism, which I know now is from being half angel. But I also dedicated myself to working out. Cardio is important when you’re running towards—and sometimes away from—demons.
“Oh.” Her hands go to her own stomach, and I immediately feel terrible for making anyone feel bad about themselves.
“Okay, not really. I drink too much,” I blurt because, yes, I’d rather Danielle think I have a drinking problem than contribute to the insane amount of pressure the whole fucking world puts on women to look a certain way. “I’m trying to cut back for my mental health.” I tap my forehead and then motion to the table. “You look a little pale. Sit down and I’ll get you something to drink.”
Danielle doesn’t move, and the look in her eyes is one that strikes a chord inside me right away. She’s scared of me. I blink and see the momentary fear in William Martin’s eyes. I don’t quite remember when my powers first started showing, but I remember the first time the man I thought was my father looked at me with fear in his eyes.
It was followed by him slapping me across the face. We were sitting in the dining room, and Scott was throwing some sort of fit over not getting his way and was pushing Abby’s buttons on purpose. Misery loves company, and if Scott was unhappy, he wanted everyone to sulk in unhappiness just like him.
Scott slowly inching closer and closer to Abby, encroaching on her personal space and elbowing her each time he lifted his fork up to take a bite. Abby finally had enough and shoved his plate back into his spot, which resulted in knocking over his glass of water. It spilled in his lap and all over his Gameboy. Scott got mad and jumped up, holding his dripping wet Gameboy in his hands.
The look in his eyes still haunts me to this day. He was so mad at Abby. His little sister. She was only nine at the time. He thought his stupid video game was broken, and he raised it in the air, ready to hit Abby with it. He wanted to make her hurt.
Everything happened in slow motion. His face wrinkled with hate. His hand moved back, knuckles whitening from gripping the device so hard. And then he swung, set on hitting Abby right in the face.
All I did was stop him.
He swung his hand down, and I grabbed telekinetically, stopping him from hitting Abby at the last second. He stood there, frozen and unable to move his arm. And then sudden I was the bad guy. Scott’s screams still echo in my head. I didn’t hurt him, though I should have. I should have swung his hand the other way and had him hit himself in the face with that fucking Gameboy.
I held him there, anger surging inside of me. The lights flickered above us, and the next thing I know, William Martin was standing above me, demanding I let his son go. And then he slapped me across the face.
I fell back out of my chair and hit the floor. Abby screamed, and Nancy ran over, scooping me up. I was still her daughter then, even though she was ashamed of me. She still cared then, and to this day, I don’t understand how she so easily threw me away.
“I’m…I’m fine,” she says.
“You look a little upset,” I say gently. “Which is understandable. Please sit?” I motion to the chair, and she nods. I can’t deny how cliché I look right now. Danielle almost misses her chair since she won’t take her eyes off me, but she sits down.
“So, your cousin’s roommate told you witches are peaceful and we don’t fight demons, right?”
“Right.”
“Why do you trust her over me? Did she save your life?” That might be a low blow, but fuck, I’m taking it.
“No, of course not. She wouldn’t tell me much, but she said witches don’t seek out demons. She said you’re warned to stay away from that sort of stuff.”
“We are. Demons are dangerous to witches and nonmagical people alike. They don’t see a witch as anything different than the way they’d see you. We’re all human, after all.” But I’m actually not.
“They why do you do it?” Her brows pinch together and she’s looking at me like she wants to turn and run out the door.
“Because I can.” I pull out a chair and sit across from Danielle. “Not all witches have the same powers, just like not all humans are good at math.” I shake my head at my poor analogy. “Some witches are really good with potions or reading tarot cards. I’m good at kicking demon ass. So I do. It’s not exactly the best way to spend a Friday night—though arguably not the worst, either—but for every life I save…it reminds me. Someone has to do it.”
“I think that make sense. And I’m sorry to sound like I don’t appreciate what you did. You saved me, Callie.” Her eyes fill with tears and—dammit—now I’m getting emotional. “I’m so confused.”
“I don’t blame you.” I reach out and put my hand on hers. “It’s scary, and you went through something really fucking traumatic, demons or no demons. You were kidnapped by someone who wanted to carve out your organs. That’s gonna leave a scar. Have you talked to anyone about it yet?”
She shakes her head. “My best friend keeps telling me to see a therapist, but how can I? They’ll think I’m crazy for saying demons kidnapped me.”
“I don’t know a solution to that,” I start, fully aware how terrible my own coping mechanisms are. “But maybe talk about it figuratively? Yeah, that guy was a real demon. Really, spawn of Hell. I don’t know.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She blinks and tears roll down her face. “I’m scared.”
“I know.” I give her hand a squeeze. “And I’m sorry you are. I’m sorry you had to go through any of this.”
She sniffles and pulls her hand back, wiping away her tears. “How do you do this? How do you fight demons and not have complete mental breakdowns?”
“Wine,” I say, and then we both laugh. “Witches are born with their powers. It’s just who I am.”
“You’re lucky. You have the power to fight back and I don’t.”
I shake my head. “You don’t need magic. We all have the power to fight back. You just have to find it inside you.”
“Is everything good at the store?” Lucas’s hands land on my butt, pushing my hips against his. I just got home and haven’t even had a chance to take my shoes off yet.
Queen of Night Page 10
