“I don’t believe you for a second.” I stalked off. Who could I totally trust, anymore? My nice little world felt much darker and more complicated than it did just a week ago.
Chapter 20
I felt a bit frumpy. Black sweater dress, purple tights, black boots and a black leather jacket. But it was cold outside. Showing skin wasn’t an option. I wasn’t ready for that anyway. I had a lot to talk to Bran about. But it felt more like a summit meeting about issues than a date. Good thing I hadn’t mentioned it to Esme or my aunt. I met him at an Italian place on the other end of town.
“You look lovely,” he said.
I took the single black calla lily he offered. “Thank you. Esme mentioned she’s tutoring your cousin. I didn’t want any of our family to get too excited or ahead of us. My cousins and yours are young enough to…”
“I understand. Esme never married, did she?” he asked.
“No.” I followed the host who sat us in a private room. Bran took my coat and held my chair. This was a showing off date. Bran was impressing me.
“Champagne?” a waiter offered.
“No, thanks,” I said.
“Burgundy wine?” Bran suggested.
“Just a little,” I agreed.
The waiter handed us menus and poured the wine. “I’ll give you a moment.”
“You really didn’t need to go this fancy, Bran,” I said.
“If I’m going to do something, I do it right.” He sipped his wine.
“Why did you ask about Esme?” I asked.
He lifted a shoulder. “She might be living vicariously through you. She has a long life ahead of her but half of it being feline. I don’t know how she does it.”
“I don’t either. I thought I wanted that when I was young, but I couldn’t shift to feline in time. Now, I’m more relieved I didn’t.” I tried the wine. It was rich and earthy.
“I’m glad you didn’t either. My cousin likes you, by the way. She mentioned talking to you at the café. If she gets under your feet or makes a pest of herself, let me know.” He stared at the menu.
“She wasn’t a pest. She knows the twins from school. She did rush off when she saw Esme, but no one wants to be cornered by a tutor when they’re out with friends or getting coffee. I’m sure she’ll settle in and get comfortable.” I examined my options for dinner.
“I hope you’re not a vegetarian,” he said.
“No, I’m not. My aunt is so I can make a meal out of anything. But the Cajun chicken pasta looks good,” I said.
“Not the prime rib?” he asked.
“I prefer my steak well done. I don’t like to remember anything bled for me to eat. I’m not a vampire.” I smiled.
“So, those rumors are false.”
“You believed them?” I asked.
“No, you’re far too hot-blooded for that. I’m sure they’ll cook whatever you like however you like it.” He set the menu aside. “I hope you don’t believe the rumors about me.”
“I’m not sure what the rumors about you are. Your family is old, wealthy, powerful, and reclusive. Esme says you’re a homebody. I don’t know much else, besides what you told me about your businesses.” I sat back and waited for more.
“I’m actually quite boring. I like succeeding in business. I like when the magical world is calm and things are in order. I traveled over the summers with my parents. They moved to Ireland when my brother finished school. Couldn’t pass up an old castle.” He smiled.
I liked his smile. He cared for his family and wasn’t ashamed of it. “Who could turn down a castle?”
“It’d be much easier to manage your hunter friend in a dungeon,” Bran said.
The waiter showed up and took our order. I got the prime rib well done just to see his eyebrow arch.
Once we were alone again, I thought about a dungeon. “Do you really have a dungeon?”
“Want to see it?” he offered.
“I’m not sure. Is it empty?” I asked.
“For now, yes. Is he giving you more trouble?”
I shrugged. “He wants to leave. I want him to go. But there are issues. Finally, the cops are off of my back. We have the autopsy results for Mrs. O’Conner, so it was natural causes. I guess my spell was wrong. But I don’t know if I trust that hunter. His case is hard to get details on. Killing a werewolf who is killing humans is one thing. But I don’t think he’s telling me the whole truth.”
“Is he bound to?” Bran asked.
“No, but if he did something really wrong, I don’t want him out there as a danger to others. He landed in my basement, and I feel responsible. Why doesn’t the paranormal world handle this? Why don’t we have wizards or witches who hunt down vamps and weres who kill humans? We could handle it better,” I said.
Bran nodded. “Gypsy hunters are a tradition of the human world. They protect humans from the paranormal. We could handle the bad ones if we chose to. But I’m not sure we want to make enemies of the gypsies. There are strong witches among their numbers. They always want to be apart from other humans and from us. It’s complicated.”
“Why don’t vampires self-police or werewolves? Like humans?” I asked.
“Some say, because they were human once, they still think of themselves as human with a little more power. Some never asked for that to happen to them. Then again, the more powerful vampires and weres believe they have a right to live how they want to live. That their nature makes them hunters and killers. Those large groups go where the carnage is so they won’t be noticed.”
“Like war zones?” I asked.
He smiled. “War zones. Places with rampant illness. Gypsies live in a lot of places around the world, but they move on when things get too dangerous. They’ll be out of that area before you hear the word refugees. They see three steps ahead. So, then, the vampires and weres are free to feed. To feast. My brother is fascinated by it. You’d love talking to him.”
“I don’t want details about the carnage. I employ a lot of vampires who don’t want to hurt people. They have two options. Blood bank expired or butcher blood. They attack a human, and I’ll stake them myself.” I shook my head.
“And werewolves? Do you help them, too?” he asked.
“Sure. If they need a potion to keep them from changing, we provide it free. If they refuse the potion or it doesn’t work on them, we lock them up for the nights of the full moon. That’s why I have the cells in my basement. Occasionally, we catch a newbie who doesn’t know they’re a were. Once they do, they can make a plan and get the potion. It works on most of them. But now, I feel like we need to police the hunters who like their job too much. Go too far,” I said.
Bran nodded. “I agree. I looked into your uncle and his family. Vin was well known, and people trusted him. He’s mostly retired, now, and he deserves that. The gypsies do police themselves more or less. Your friend in the basement is not a gypsy.”
“No. I wonder how some of them get into it. Like my dad,” I said.
“Your dad was a hunter?” he asked.
I nodded. “But not a gypsy. I’ve asked a few times, but my aunt just falls apart. Losing her sister nearly killed her. But I don’t feel like I know much about him.”
“You were very young. I was, too. I don’t know anything about your father, but I’m sure we could research it. If it will make you feel better. Sometimes digging in the past only causes pain,” he said.
I nodded. “It would upset my aunt. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll feed that hunter a truth potion and see what he really did. I won’t set a dangerous man loose on the world.”
“Smart. If you need help, I’m around.”
“Thanks. And if you need any help with Serena, I’m here. The twins are about the same age, and I’m used to it. I guess I should’ve asked if you have any sisters. I’ve only heard about the one brother,” I said.
“Just the brother. So, girls are a bit different. Serena was spoiled. She’s like Scarlet O’Hara. She’ll get her way or make it her way
. Her parents indulged her. She has a couple younger sisters who went with their parents. Serena wanted freedom and thought college would be it. Dorms and parties. Then, they stuck her in my custody. She needs direction and discipline.”
“Wow. That’s a handful. You’ll put her in her place,” I said.
He sipped his wine. “She’s good deep down. She has the right intentions. But she doesn’t always think things through. The consequences are what she needs to think about. Especially since she has magical powers. Her younger sisters aren’t as gifted. Serena has powers and wasn’t fully educated in how to handle them. I might need your help, as well as Esme’s.”
“You’ve got my help, but I’m not much of a teacher. Serena might have more powers than I do.” I shrugged.
He stared at the wine bottle until it hovered over the table. He moved it over my glass and tipped it to refill my wine. I mentally grabbed the bottle and put it right side up and pushed back. I filled his glass then levitated the cork and plugged the wine bottle.
“Showoff,” he said.
The door opened, and I hastily put the wine where it belonged as the waiter brought in our food.
Chapter 21
I’d gone on some dates in my day, but none of them ended in brewing a potion. But the vampires had texted me that Ryan was trying to escape, again.
“It needs to be strong and last. He’ll fight it,” I said.
Bran tossed in another handful of herbs, and the mix smoked.
I stirred it and poured it into a large glass jar.
“Got it.” I mixed in some iced tea. It was triple the potion I’d given to Esme. This time, I felt no guilt.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded. “You carry this. I’ll have my phone recording.”
Bran led the way, and I followed.
“Let me go. It’s over. I heard them talking,” Ryan said.
He paced the cell like a caged wolf.
“One thing first. Drink this,” I said.
“What are you doing? I don’t need a drink. I need to leave.” Ryan pointed at the stairs.
“Who were you trying to call from my bedroom?” I asked.
“Mind your own business,” he shot back.
“That’s enough.” Bran waved his hand and Ryan was pressed back against the wall of the cell. His mouth was awkwardly open.
Bran levitated the jar of tea potion into the cell and poured some down Ryan’s throat.
Ryan coughed and gagged.
“Drink it or we’ll feed you more,” I said.
He garbled a question as more tea was poured. Bran wasn’t choking or waterboarding him. Ryan had chances to breathe.
When half was in, I touched Bran’s shoulder. He pulled the jar back and waited.
“Ryan, how many people did you kill chasing that werewolf into the mall?” I asked.
Ryan shook his head. “Things happen.”
“How many humans were killed? You killed the werewolf, fine. How many humans were dead when it was done?” I asked.
“Four. They got in the way. You can’t leave witnesses. You don’t understand.” Ryan shook.
“You killed four people?” I said.
“No, four people were dead, in addition to the werewolf. I killed two. She killed two. They got in the way.” Ryan glared at me.
“Who is she? Your sister?” I asked.
He shook his head. “She was special. I have to know she’s okay. I can’t find her. I can’t get her on the phone. Her parents probably took her away. They never approved of me.”
“This is new. You had a girlfriend? Was she arrested?” I asked.
He laughed. “No, I’m sure she’s not arrested. She said to come here. Meet her here. But she hasn’t come for me.”
Bran and I exchanged a confused look. “Does she know to get in touch with my uncle?”
“No, she said she could get in, and we’d be gone. She had money saved up. We’d be long gone and far away. But it’s been too long. She’s forgotten about me or her family caught her. Let me out, so I can find her.” He kicked at the air.
“We could hand you over to the police, right now, so you better cooperate,” Bran said.
“Oh, please do. Without her, my life means nothing.” Ryan swatted at the jar.
“Who is this woman? What’s her name?” I demanded.
He pursed his lips and shook his head.
“Tell me her name, and maybe I can help you. Maybe you’ll both go to jail,” I suggested.
“A jail couldn’t hold her. She’d just leave. She’d be here taking me away if she really loved me.” He gritted his teeth together.
“I want a name or you’re not going anywhere,” I said.
“Serena. Serena Murray.” He fell to his knees, his shoulders slumped.
“What?” Bran snapped.
“He came up from the Carolinas,” I said.
“She set this all up.” Bran’s fists clenched.
“Calm down.” I grabbed Bran’s shoulder. “I had no idea.”
“No wonder she was asking about this place. The coven,” he seethed.
“She killed two people. I think that’s a bigger problem.” I stopped recording.
“You know her? Bring her to me, please!” Ryan, now free from Bran’s control, shook the door of the cell.
“Bring her to you? Do you know who he is? She’s his cousin. You’re lucky he hasn’t killed you, yet,” I said to Ryan.
“She loves me. I love her,” Ryan sighed.
“She’s a witch. You’re a human.” Bran shook his head.
“We have to do something. They killed people. Innocent humans,” I said.
Bran ran his hands through is hair. “She’d just escape a human jail with magic. She’ll have to be handled by the witch’s council. But him?”
“We can send him to jail. But if she loves him, she’ll take him out. She was eyeing the door today. With me and Esme here, she’s not the strongest witch. She couldn’t take him from us. But a human jail—she could spring him,” I said.
Bran looked at me intensely. “You didn’t know?”
“Know? No! I had no idea he was connected to her. My uncle brought me a hunter who needed to hide out. It’s happened more than once. They were never dating a witch. Or running from murdering innocent humans. He never said anything except about a sister. I don’t know how to punish a witch or him for this.” I wanted to call Esme.
“You were calling her? Trying to lure her here?” Bran asked Ryan.
Ryan nodded. “I had her cell number. A couple of them. I left her messages, but she never called me back. They wouldn’t give me a phone. Esme took my burner phone.” Ryan shot me an evil look.
“Because she’s smart. If she’d trusted her instincts, she would’ve turned you over to the police, but we’ll handle this better than humans. You might not think so, but we will make sure you don’t hurt anyone, again.” Bran waved at the cell.
Ryan’s mouth moved, but we heard nothing.
“Nice soundproofing. What do we do with him?” I asked.
“Her first. We need to come up with a plan that’s fair. Punishment. There is a system for this, but her parents would be furious if we turned her over to the witch’s council. We handle it. She’s under twenty-one, so she’s not fully powered or considered an adult by the council. Murder.”
I knew there was a council, but I had no idea their procedure for handing out justice.
“Come on; we need to go get her, now,” Bran said.
“Wait. Just wait.” I took his hand and led him back to the second floor. “She was asking about Mrs. O’Conner. Why would she threaten us? Were there any other threats against witches?” I said.
“She’s protective. She’s studying women’s studies, and the witch trials are a big part of her focus,” he said.
“Right. That might all be true, even though she moved here for him. She pulled all this out of nowhere when her parents were going to be gone…then she could chase down
her boyfriend and run wild with him.” I couldn’t believe how clueless some men could be. “Serena seems sweet and clueless, but she might have set up all of this.”
“Her magic needs work,” he said.
“Maybe, but her scheming is top notch. Maybe she wants more advanced lessons?” I asked.
“You think she made the threats against Mrs. O’Conner?” he asked.
“Esme was tutoring Serena. No doubt they got to talking about the incident at the shop. Maybe Serena wanted to impress Esme? Like she was standing up for witches everywhere? A few threats are nothing I’d put past a teen to do as a prank. We need to find out what she actually did. We need to find out any other crimes, to be sure. We might need more truth potion.” I filled up the cauldron.
He nodded. “You’re right. Serena would want to impress you and Esme. The two most powerful witches here are under attack. She’d love to be the one who rescued you. I never thought. She’s too young for that sort of a Bonnie and Clyde romance, as well.”
“Well, we’ll get the truth out of her, and we can sit down with Esme and decide what to do about all of it,” I said.
“No, not tonight. Invite her to a coven meeting tomorrow. Make it look normal. See if someone there threatened the old woman. See if anyone is helping the guy in the basement. Then, I can search her rooms and call her parents. See if they knew about him. See if she confesses to you and Esme.” He shook his head.
“She doesn’t know us that well.” I shrugged.
“Serena has a romantic streak—she might try to play on your emotions. I just want the whole story before we try to settle on a punishment. See if she really loves that hunter jerk.”
“What do we do with him? I’ll give him to the cops, but if she lets him out…” I flopped on a sofa.
“That’s why I don’t want to rush. We need to get all the information.” He sat next to me.
“Do we need to get her parents back here?” I asked.
He shook his head. “She’s an adult as far as the human world is concerned.”
“But we can punish her without her parents’ permission? Or the council's?” I asked.
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