I set the box down on the small room table and hefted out the computer to show Arc. “I don’t want to go. I lucked into getting her computer. It was at her office. My time will be better spent here with it.”
That derailed him for a minute, at least. "That's Sonya's? And they just gave it to you?"
"Yeah, well, he may have mistakenly believed I was working for the law. And no, I said absolutely nothing to give that impression. He simply jumped to that conclusion because I was asking about Sonya. But here's the best part: the police have been questioning him about her murder. It sounds like they aren't convinced you're the killer. That's great, right?"
He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and his shoulders dropped. Yeah, I'd be saying a thankful prayer to the God and the Goddess too.
"Better than great, actually," he said quietly. Then his eyes flashed to mine. "Now get ready to go. My dad needs to know this."
I just stared at him. "Didn't you hear me? I don't want to go." I hefted the computer and pointed to it.
“Too bad. We’re going. You promised to help me, remember? Keeping me cut off from being able to talk with my family isn’t helping. I need them.” He paused. “They’re good, you know. I think they can help us. And the information on that computer has waited this long. It can wait a few more hours.”
I wasn’t so sure. The whole idea of going to this mini family reunion just seemed like walking into a trap set by the council. Not that his family would be involved in the trap. No, they’d be innocent victims too. In fact, that might be Bluespring’s whole reason for not picking us up when she had the chance. Maybe she wanted to wait until she could bring down the whole family on conspirator charges.
That just seemed like something a council member would do. Especially one with a grudge.
Arc didn’t think that was the case. “Look, they know by now where we are, and there is absolutely no way they are getting into Lily’s house. My family will have taken precautions. We’ll be safe there.”
I shook my head at him. I really didn't think he was seeing the big picture here. “Was there any way someone could lay a dead body right next to you in your own bed in your own warded apartment without you knowing it?”
He looked hurt. “That was a low blow. I’m still trying to work out how that happened. You’re just going to have to trust me that Lily is . . . different. She doesn’t take chances. She wouldn’t have invited us over if she couldn’t handle the possible repercussions.”
As much as I hated to even think about it, he wasn’t giving me a choice.
We were going.
I still thought that was a very bad idea.
IT WAS CLOSE, BUT WE were at Lily’s door at six o’clock and fifty-nine minutes. A full minute to spare.
Well, I was there. And my little cat too.
She opened the door with a flourish and gathered me into a fierce hug. If anyone was watching, they’d think we were old friends. It was kind of an awkward moment, because as full as my hands were, there was no way I could hug her back. Arc was in one hand in his carrier, and Sonya’s computer bag was in the other. I hadn’t been willing to leave it behind. It wasn’t getting out of my sight until I’d pried all of its secrets out of it.
“Come in, come in. Most everyone is here already.” Her voice lowered. “And Merlin can’t wait to meet you, dear. He’s been waiting such a long time.”
Huh? Her words weren’t making much sense. After all, they’d only known about me for a few hours. That didn’t sound like such a long time to me.
Besides, what had happened to her obvious horror at the idea of Arc and I dating? Things weren’t adding up.
The first thing I noticed, other than the two men in the front room, was the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Memories of my grandmother’s house and her full country-cooked meals came flooding back, filling me with a false sense of security. I had to keep reminding myself that I didn’t know these people.
Not even Arc, really, even if he was my familiar. It wouldn’t do to let my guard down.
“I do hope you like pot roast, dear. Now, everyone go in and get a seat at the table.” One of the men followed her command. Arc’s dad didn’t. He headed straight for the cat carrier.
Bending down, he looked in at Arc. I couldn’t see Arc’s expression from my height, but I could imagine he wasn’t too happy about the situation. Too bad. He was the one who had wanted to come, and this had been the only safe way to do it.
Finally, Senior looked up at me. “I am hoping you remembered to bring clothes for him?”
I nodded and then pulled out the shorts and T-shirt I’d stuffed into the side of the computer bag. Senior took them, opened the carrier, and led Arc to the bathroom. A few minutes later, they both emerged.
Arc looked younger somehow. Then I felt guilty. Of course the man had missed his family. He’d had to do without any of them. At least when my mom went traveling, I still had Opal and Ruby. It must have been terrible being all alone.
Lily shooed me into the kitchen and showed me where to sit. Once everyone was in their places, she introduced me. There was only one person there that I didn’t already know. I was guessing that was the uncle, Merlin. I was right.
His smile was warm and welcoming, and I felt my guard slipping just that tiniest of bits. I knew I should be uptight and worried, but this felt . . . odd. How could I feel so at home with these people when I hadn’t even known most of them for a full day yet?
After Lily loaded the table down with the food and Merlin said grace, Lily started things off. “First off, there will be absolutely no talk of the awful circumstances Arc has found himself in while we eat. Is that understood?” Her eyes went around the table, waiting until she got a nod from every one of us. “Good. It wouldn’t be right to ruin the meal with that kind of talk, and it wouldn’t be very nice to get started without our final guest, either.”
I glanced around. Who were we missing? Senior wasn’t wearing a wedding band, so I’d assumed him to be single, and Merlin’s gal was Lily. Was there a cousin or sibling yet to arrive?
It felt too rude of me to ask. Luckily Arc didn’t have that problem.
“Who else is coming?” he asked. “The whole family is here already. Is it someone we’re sure we can trust?”
“Don’t you worry yourself about that, dear,” Lily said. “The final guest is your dad’s plus one, and absolutely above reproach.” Her eyes flashed over to me and then down.
A shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t like the fact that they were keeping the identity of the guest a secret. Maybe I’d been lured into a bad situation. What if these people weren’t what they seemed?
What if the one yet to come was a council member?
Part of me wanted nothing more than to run. The other, hungrier part of me—the one that had barely had anything to eat all day—wanted pot roast with all the fixings.
Guess which part won?
In the end, I took my cue from Arc. He didn’t seem too concerned about it, so I decided I wouldn’t be either. Of the two of us, he had more to be worried about, all things considered.
The roast was positively splendid, as were the potatoes and carrots. Absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I noticed Arc going back for seconds and then thirds. At least I stopped with seconds. It was hard, though.
The talk between the family drifted over me as I ate. They talked about the law firm, cases they were currently working on, basically anything and everything except the one thing everyone most wanted to discuss.
Who the hell had killed Sonya, and why had they decided to try to pin the crime on Arc?
The undercurrent was there, even if we weren’t allowed to talk about it. The situation wasn’t going to go away or be ignored for long.
When my train of thought finally ran out and I became aware of the conversation again, Arc was asking about a friend of his.
“Has anyone heard from Ryan lately? This must be hitting him hard, losing Sonya and then me disappeari
ng like that.”
Merlin shook his head. “Not a peep. Surprising, actually. It seems like everyone else has called. Just not him.”
“I really don’t see what you all find so likable about that boy,” Lily said with a shiver. “The time I met him, he just didn’t seem quite right.”
Arc nodded. “Yeah, but that was right after he lost his brother. They’d been adopted out to different families, and he’d only found him a couple of weeks before he was killed. Something like that can really mess with your head.”
She shook her head. “Maybe.” Then she looked up at him with a shrewd look in her eyes. “Didn’t he stay with you for a while?”
Arc might not have known what she was saying, but I did. My ears perked up. If he’d stayed with Arc, then he had to have been given a way through the wards.
“Yes. And in case you’re wondering, he lost the key to my place the second day.”
Merlin almost choked on a bite of roast. “Your warded key?”
Okay, now Arc was fully on board. “Crap. The killer must have found that key.”
Perhaps. But how would they have known what it was or who it belonged to? Looked like I would be paying a visit to this Ryan guy. The sooner the better too.
Lily gave Arc a sharp look. “No killer talk at the table, remember?”
I closed my mouth on the words I’d been about to say and ducked my head. When the conversation started up again, it was on a much lighter topic.
We were almost finished when the doorbell rang.
Lily stood and walked out to answer it. I followed. My curiosity was far too great to stay seated. Besides, I wanted to be on my feet in case I’d judged them all wrong and needed to make a break for the back door.
When the door opened and I saw who was standing there, I almost did just that.
Chapter 6
THE WOMAN STANDING on the other side of the threshold was tall, thin, and had a face that I’d seen nearly every day of my life. Aunt Opal. I had no idea how she’d found me, but she had.
Her eyes bypassed Lily and flew straight to me. As I said, the thought of running was a prevalent one. Maybe even the smartest thought I’d had all day. But I didn’t run. If she’d found me here, she’d find me wherever I was to run to, too. She had her ways.
“Amethyst Willamina Ravenswind, what in the Goddess’s name have you gotten yourself into this time?”
She went to step over the threshold and grunted. Only then did her eyes go to Lily. “That’s a powerful ward you have there, ma’am. But I’d appreciate it if you would lift it and allow me to collect my niece. If not, believe me when I say I have other options you might not be so fond of.”
Lily stood her ground. If Opal had stopped herself before adding that threat at the end, she might have had better luck. Watching the two of them face off, I had to wonder if just maybe Opal had finally met her match. Funny that it should be in the form of a hedge witch.
“The ward well knows who to let in and who to keep out. If it’s keeping you out, then it has a reason. I’ll not question that or override it.”
Opal’s face flushed, and her lips formed a grim smile. “So Archimedes Mineheart Jr. is in this house, then.” She didn’t make it a question. “You do realize that by harboring a witch wanted by the council, you are in essence breaking the witches’ creed.”
“I’d like to hear just how my protecting an innocent man from being persecuted by the council is harming anyone, Opal Ravenswind.” Her eyes darkened. “If anyone is breaking the creed, it’s you and the bloody council on this one.”
Opal’s eyes reluctantly left those of the woman in front of her. She wasn’t one to break eye contact in a battle lightly. When they focused back on me, I had to swallow. Opal had another priority that night higher than the one of bringing in Arc. She wasn’t there for him. She was there for me.
I stepped forward, but not enough for her to reach me without crossing the threshold. I’m not that stupid.
“I’m afraid Lily is right, Opal. I know you are honor bound to do the council’s bidding, but they’re wrong on this one. Arc didn’t kill Sonya. Just ask Ruby.”
Her eyes flashed. “You’ve brought my daughter into this mess?”
Another swallow. “In my defense, I didn’t know what the mess was at the time. By the time we knew, then yes, she was in on the secret.”
“How?”
“I needed her to do a truth spell on Arc . . . Archimedes, that is. She did, and he still said he didn’t do it. He’s innocent, Opal. The council has its sights on the wrong man.”
Opal grimaced and shook her head. “You ignorant little witch. Earth witches don’t think much of us Air witches. Most likely he has some sort of personal ward to keep our magic from affecting him.”
“Well, if that was the case, then how the bloody heck did I manage to do the binding spell to make him my familiar?”
“What?” It wasn’t just one voice that spoke that word, but three. Lily, Senior, and Merlin. I glanced at them and lifted a shoulder.
I would have to deal with them later. Or even better, Arc could do it. That situation was every bit as much his fault as mine.
The biggest threat to my personal wellbeing was standing on the other side of that well-guarded threshold. That was what I needed to defuse first.
When I glanced back at my aunt, it surprised me to find her with a smug smile on her face. “Seems I’m not the last one to know everything after all.”
Then she turned to Lily. “I apologize for my earlier aggression. Might I enter under a witch's truce?”
Lily glanced back at me. Like I was brave enough to say no. I was living in the woman’s house. I couldn’t avoid her forever.
Finally, she nodded, chanted a short incantation, and stepped back. Opal was in.
“Seeing as how we are all now honor bound to the terms of a witch’s truce,” Lily started, “if you’re hungry, there is still some pot roast left. That is, if Arc hasn’t already devoured the last of it.”
To my surprise, Opal nodded. “That sounds lovely. And perhaps while I eat, I might have a word alone with my niece?”
Ah, there it was. The hidden sting I’d been worried about. The last thing I wanted was to be alone with Opal right now. I needed witnesses, dang it. But Lily had already agreed.
“I’ll get you a plate, and the two of you can eat out on the back deck. Plenty of privacy there. I guarantee it.”
Opal gave her a half smile. “I don’t doubt your abilities one little bit, Ms. . . . I’m sorry. I seem to have forgotten the introduction part. Obviously you know who I am, but I’m afraid I don’t have the same convenience.”
“I’m Lily Hilton.” She nodded over at the men in attendance. “The ones standing together are the two Archimedes, Senior and Junior. The one on the left is Merlin, Senior’s brother.”
“I wish I could say it was a pleasure, but under the circumstances, I just can't bring myself to tell that big of a whopper.”
Lily laughed. “I appreciate the honesty. I think this evening will be a good one for that.”
After the plate was filled and Opal and I had stepped out onto the back patio, the real fun began. It surprised me when my aunt took a bite before beginning the interrogation. Hopefully, the delicious food would be a factor in my favor. If anything could mellow my aunt, it was good food. Too bad I didn’t have any raspberry donuts handy.
After she had carefully chewed and swallowed, her eyes locked onto me. “Start from the beginning and leave nothing out.”
“Before I do, Opal, I have to know one thing. How did you find me? Or was it Arc you found?”
She grunted. “I got a phone call from Patricia Bluespring. After a few minutes on the phone with her, I started seeing things I’d missed before.” Her eyes literally sparked at me. “You had that man upstairs the whole time, didn’t you?”
“Well, in the beginning, I didn’t exactly know he was a man . . .” There really wasn’t any reason left to hide anything
. The truth was, if she hadn’t been dealing with her own crisis, she’d have found me out far sooner.
But then again, if it hadn’t been for her being the lead suspect in a murder investigation when the rest of my family were away, I wouldn’t have been looking for a familiar in the first place. In a way, this was on her. Not that I could ever tell her that.
“Does she know?”
Opal barked out a laugh. “Patricia? Goddess, no. Who in their right mind would think one witch would have the audacity to make another, even more powerful witch her familiar? She doesn’t have a clue.”
“And you came to me first.” I had to swallow hard. “Thank you.”
Her hand reached over and grabbed mine. “It’s true I’m honor bound to the council, and that’s something I don’t take lightly. Like it or not, what we do is important in keeping things safe for all of us. We don’t want the witch hunts to start again, and you get rogue witches using magic for evil purposes, and it’s only a matter of time.” Then her hand squeezed mine. “But family comes first, child. Always has, always will.”
In the next five minutes, I told her everything. Right from the beginning. Her eyes widened when I told her about growing a mature oak tree in a matter of seconds, but she didn’t say a word. Not even after I’d finished.
Taking the last bite, she chewed thoughtfully. I was trying really hard to follow Ruby’s advice and not be the first one to speak, but I was up against a master of the art. Ruby’s Obi-Wan.
“I’ve really screwed up, haven’t I?”
Opal took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, you have. But for what it is worth, your intentions were good, child. And, as much as I hate to admit it, bringing Ruby in for that truth spell was a stroke of pure genius. Not sure I’d have thought of that, being in your shoes.”
A compliment from Opal?
“Of course, you know what they say about good intentions. They pave the road to hell with ’em. That could likely be the case here.” She paused, pursing her lips and gazing up into the night sky. No full moon tonight. “Don’t suppose you’d listen to reason and come home with me? Let the Earth witches figure out their own mess?”
Relatively Familiar (Accidental Familiar Book 2) Page 4
