“How very . . . cloak and dagger.” Jeremy’s resources never ceased to amaze me. Once again, I was reminded how very glad I was to be on his good side.
Suzette barked out a laugh. “Ain’t it, though? That Margo is going to get what’s coming to her—what’s been coming to her for a long time.” The hard gleam in her eyes was more than a little disconcerting.
Not knowing how to respond, I glanced back at Tess and Sam. Sam was looking at Jeremy thoughtfully, probably wondering if she could hire some of his people as freelancers for the firm—or to send up to handle the problem in Michigan.
“I think we should get back to the estate and figure out what our next move is. We’ll have to let the pixies know about the trackers, too, just in case.” I knew we’d have to come back, once we had a set direction to search out on the water, but I felt so far out of my league here, I didn’t know what else to suggest. Time was running out.
Chapter 9
Calling Stella back
Danai and Gloria were waiting for us out front when we got back. Tess had called to update them during our ride home, while Sam let the coven know they could head home, but needed to be ready to move on a moment’s notice and where we would meet. Rand was contemplative the whole ride. Me? I wasn’t sure how to act, now that I could touch him again . . . It felt awkward after two weeks of avoiding him. That we were in the middle of a crisis didn’t help matters at all, either.
Absently, I rubbed my bracelet and wrist. I was only just getting used to my magick and now there was this. I wasn’t even sure what ‘this’ was. Chewing my lip, I decided I need to call my aunt back from the other side and there was no better time than the present, right?
That might not be a bad idea, Roxanne. If you would call her from her bedroom, I would like her to see the kits.
That’s right, the last time I’d called her over, Zara was still pregnant. She would totally want to see them. Plus, she might have some insight on the missing children. Anything would help at this point.
Zara, can you inform the pixies about the trackers or should I send someone to Astra?
I will let her know what’s going on. She’ll consider it rude if I make this a habit, but considering the situation, I believe she’ll realize it’s warranted.
“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, Rox?” Rand murmured as he walked up the stairs beside me. I turned to wave Sam and Tess closer.
“Zara’s letting Astra know about the trackers. And . . . I’m going to call Stella back. Maybe she’ll be able to tell me something about Margo that can help us out.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Tess said. “We get to meet her, right?”
“Oh, um, yeah. Sure.” How could I possibly say no? I would just have to wait to talk to Stella about some of the more sensitive stuff—like my mother. Again. “I’ve got to grab my ring. I’ll meet you guys in Zara’s room.”
“Awesome!” Tess grabbed Sam’s arm and practically dragged her down the hallway after Danai. Gloria gave an excited wiggle and trailed after them.
Rand started to follow me up the stairs, but I put a hand up. His brow furrowed, but he stopped and stood at the bottom of the stairs, crossing his arms as he looked up at me. I started back up the stairs, stopped, took a deep breath, and turned around.
He raised a brow at me, but said nothing.
I motioned toward the hall. “They’re waiting.” He just watched me, his eyes roving over my face, as if trying to read me. “Rand, if you follow me, we’ll lose the whole afternoon and you know it.”
He grinned and leaned on the bannister. “I’d be completely okay with that.”
“Completely, hmm?” Unable to help myself, I started to take a step down, then caught myself. “Stop it.” His grin widened, and I pointed a finger at him. “I mean it. I’m going upstairs—alone—to grab my ring and I’ll meet you . . .” I waved toward the back of the house.
Pushing himself off the bannister, he took a step backwards. “I’ll give you a pass this time.” I watched as he walked away, then hurried up the stairs.
This is quite an audience. Are you sure you want to do this with everyone here?
I’m sorry, Zara. I couldn’t tell them no. Are you okay with it?
I’m fine. She was silent for a moment and I could sense she was proud and excited. As she should be. But I could also tell she was a bit nervous. It’s just odd, seeing a witch I used to be bonded to, while now bonded to another. Last time it didn’t hit home quite so much, but now . . . perhaps an audience is good.
I grabbed the Rose Quartz ring, managed to remember to drop the Citrine ring from Margo’s shop in Elmer’s wooden box, and hurried to join everyone else in Stella’s old bedroom. The room was crowded enough that I almost turned and walked right back out. The only people not present were the Draftmans, who had headed straight for the garage to begin searching all the vehicles when we got home, and Sarah and Michael. Well, hopefully Aunt Stella wouldn’t mind.
Upon closer examination, I had to try not to laugh. Everyone except Rand had a kit cradled in their arms. Tess held two while Zara sat next to Sebastian on the windowsill.
“Want one?” she asked, sounding a little reluctant at the prospect of giving either of them up. I knew she had high hopes of being chosen by one of them when the time came.
Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t want to take a chance on the magick affecting them. Everyone ready for this?”
Zara jumped down and trotted over to my side. Quit stalling, Roxanne.
Okay then. Picturing Aunt Stella in my mind, I called her back, praying she was decent.
She appeared in the corner near the chair and lamp. She didn’t seem surprised as she took in the small crowd of us in her bedroom.
“Well, dear, this is . . . unexpected.” Her brow quirked up as she turned away from them to face me.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Stella, they all wanted to either meet you or see you again. And we need your help.”
“Of course you do, dear,” she laughed and smoothed the smart navy blue pantsuit she wore. “Do you mind if I sit?” She motioned to the chair behind her.
“Oh, please do. Can I get you anything? Tea?”
“No, thank you,” she said as she sat. “But if you don’t mind, let’s get down to business. It’s not that I mind seeing you, but I was getting ready for a council meeting later this afternoon. I’ve been on the roster for this for, well, since I crossed. Their schedule has been backed up more than usual for some reason, according to Gertie. We’ve already been pushed back twice, so I don’t want to be late.”
Before I could respond, her gaze fell on the two kits Tess was holding and her eyes widened. “Oh, Zara,” she said in a hushed voice, her hand going to her throat. “Your babies are beautiful! You must be so very proud.”
Without being asked, Tess stepped forward and gently settled both kittens on Stella’s lap. Zara sprang up to curl around them, purring loudly. Stella picked up the black and white kit, and the two studied each other. Though one set of eyes was young and the other was over two hundred years old, their evaluation of one another was surprisingly similar. Out of the five, this one was the least rambunctious, according to Zara. She rarely cried for attention, complained over being bathed, or became impatient or pushy during nursing. She seemed almost zen, for a kitten. As if to prove this point, the tabby, seeing her sister receiving attention that she wasn’t, mewled and reached out a shaky paw, stretching precariously up toward Stella, before clumsily toppling over. Zara righted her and gave her head a rough lick. Stella laughed delightedly.
“You’ll certainly have your paws full with this lot in another week or two, won’t you?” She gently placed the black and white female back on her lap and stroked the tabby’s head. She looked around the room again, probably noting the other three kits being coddled. “But it seems as though you have plenty of help, old girl.”
Did you just call me ‘old girl?’ Zara huffed in mock indignation. I don’t
age.
“Aunt Stella, let me introduce you to everyone.” Introductions were quickly made. Stella had never met either of my friends or Danai, but she greeted them warmly.
“Danai, it is a pleasure to finally meet you after only speaking to you on the phone for all these years.”
Danai inclined her head. “Thank you. I owe your niece my life, Madame Devraux. She does your bloodline proud.”
Stella beamed, then turned to my friends. “Samantha Stone. I expect you’ve taken over from Mr. Lido by now?”
Clearly startled, Sam looked at me in askance. I shrugged. “Yes, ma’am. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you know?”
“I did a thorough background check on all of my niece’s friends shortly after she arrived. She spoke very highly of the three of you. I had a feeling you would join her sooner rather than later. None of you had any real ties up there, after all. Roxanne and Zara told me how well you worked as a team against the Curtens the last time she called me over.” Her brow wrinkled as she looked around the room again. “Where is your other friend, Roxanne? Anastacia and her daughter? I thought surely they would be here with you, as well.”
“Oh, um, I invited Annie, but she’s having issues with her business back in Michigan and hasn’t been able to come down. Plus, her daughter has disabilities and Annie’s mother helps with her care.”
“Why don’t you just buy her business out? From what I read of her daughter’s medical problems, she would be far better off down here anyway.”
I opened my mouth to answer, then closed it. Was that even an option? If Annie ever found out, she would probably murder us all in our sleep. Or put hot pink hair dye in our shampoo, at the very least. Why on earth had my aunt done all of this research?
Sam answered for me. “Annie is very proud, Madame Devraux. If she suspected any sort of charity, she would be upset. Plus, I don’t know if her mother would move down here or . . . be okay with, er, all of this.” She made a vague gesture around the room.
Tess mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, “That’s an understatement.”
Stella waved Sam’s words away. “Just buy it out through a third party and then resell it. Her mother doesn’t have to move in here; in fact, she would probably appreciate a bit of independence. Set her up with something closer to the city. That way, she can still see her granddaughter whenever she wants, but there’s also some distance. For her own protection, of course.”
I hadn’t been too sure about where my aunt would stand when it came to my friends moving in with me, but I hadn’t been overly worried about it. Still, all of this was unexpected. However, we were getting way off track here and this wasn’t why I had called her back, though it gave me a lot to think about.
“Aunt Stella, I need to know what you can tell us about Margo.”
“Margo?” She looked confused. “What on earth would you need to know about her?”
Now it was my turn to be confused. “She betrayed you. She sent Harris, Lawrence, and Pauline to you on false pretenses. They completely ransacked the house every chance they had, searching for something. When I wiped their memories and sent them away, it was supposed to be permanent. Now Harris is back in town and apparently in league with her somehow, there are water fae children missing, and it seems they were kidnapped. We’re trying to find them.”
She looked down at Zara, conversing with her former familiar silently. When she lifted her gaze back to me, she looked upset.
“I don’t understand. Her magick isn’t even close to the strength it would take to break a memory spell. She’s little more than a lesser witch, at best. Margo has always had her . . . quirks, but she’s never been openly dishonest. She was simply jealous most of the time. She did become quite upset when I had to quit supplying her with jewelry to be sold on consignment, I know, but not to the point of what you are describing. I barely had enough magick at that point to keep up the protection spells and I’d never really needed the money. I supplied her mostly as a favor, to help keep the shop successful. For some reason, many of the witches in the area had stopped buying supplies from her. And the jewelry only held small spells, really. They were more trinkets than anything.”
Sam caught my eye from across the room and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. How could Margo have pulled the wool over my aunt’s eyes so completely?
Zara, would you explain it all to her, please? I think she’ll be more inclined to believe you than she will any of us. I knew Zara had overheard everything the witches had told me back at the law offices, plus she couldn’t lie to her bondmate, though I wasn’t sure if that applied to fromer bondmates, as well. Surely Stella had to have had some inkling of what had been going on right under her nose for so many years.
Without answering, Zara fixed her gaze on Stella. Seconds later, my aunt’s expression darkened with anger and disbelief.
“But how? And why was none of this brought to me before?” Her voice shook with agitation.
That’s what we all wanted to know. “How much interaction did you have with the witches in New Orleans?”
She pursed her lips. “After Margo took over the shop, very little, I suppose.”
Maybe the problem was twofold, then. My aunt’s oblivion and the town witches’ fear and reluctance to go against Margo.
I sighed. “Well, we’ll figure that part out. Nobody seems to know much about Margo’s magick, other than the fact that it’s not very strong. When I saw her earlier today, she was literally dripping with magickal Items. She was covered from head to foot in layers of them, glowing like a firefly. I have no idea what I’m up against. I don’t even know if she’s the one involved with the disappearances, but we don’t have anywhere else to look, so far.”
“There’s still that delivery service, Paragon,” Tess offered.
Stella sat up, her eyes sharpening. “What did you say?”
Tess cleared her throat nervously. “There’s this new delivery service in town that we think might have something to do with the things delivered to the water fae. And, um, here. We’re trying to figure out if any of it was tracked. The kids were taken from just outside the protected zone of the estate.”
“Roxanne, explain.” Stella’s eyes were practically blazing and her tone brooked no argument.
I told her everything, wondering why the name had elicited such a reaction from her.
She was silent, processing everything I shared. She looked over at the small clock on the nightstand, clearly debating on how to respond. “There are many groups that have hunted both our kind and the fae throughout history. Most are human, so I thought they would have surely died out or forgotten us by now.” She shook her head. “Toli told me about one—they called themselves the Paragons. They were part of the reason he sought sanctuary here for a time. They had wiped out most of his clan. Any survivors scattered, thinking they would be safer that way.”
My heart clenched so tight it was hard to breathe. “So, if this is the same group . . . those children are already dead?”
Her lips tightened. “No. He said they rarely killed the children. They took them and experimented on them, trying to find the source of their magick. If they were captured young enough, they could be brainwashed and trained to hunt their own kind.” She smiled, though there was no humor in it. “They weren’t the first to do this, you know. Witch hunters of old would often keep the youngest girls, raising them as their own to harness their powers for their own use. At some point, they realized that like calls to like, and these girls could be used in other ways—as bait for other witches, to locate smaller covens and wipe them out, or to acquire more young ones. Or . . . worse.” She shuddered at some unspoken memory. “Throughout history, the atrocities humankind has been willing to inflict on not only those they consider different, but their own kind, as well, is . . .” her words trailed off. She stroked Zara’s head sadly. “Zara’s people know this.” When her eyes met mine again, they still held that burning anger, but there was a
lso something else. Worry. “Roxanne, you must find those children at all costs. They cannot be left in the hands of a group like that if it has, indeed, resurfaced. You will have to instill greater protections for the entire estate, if there’s any chance it’s been compromised. Jeremy will help you with this, you need only ask him.”
“He’s already involved and has been a big help.” Not for the first time, I wondered exactly what Jeremy’s tie to my aunt was, why he was so loyal to my family. Hesitantly, I pulled my sleeve up. “And there’s this.”
Stella leaned forward to look at the bracelet. “You Made this yourself?” She reached out to touch it, but I pulled my arm back out of her reach before she could make contact.
Blushing, I said, “I’m sorry, I don't know what will happen if you touch it. Rand had a . . . reaction to it.”
“Your Army Ranger ghost?” Her eyes went to the person in question. I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning against one of the dressers, looking completely at ease.
Suppressing a sigh, I nodded. “Yeah, except that he’s not exactly a ghost anymore. Long story.”
She gave me a long look before glancing at the clock again. “Roxanne, I need to get back if I’m not to be late for the meeting. You will call me back very soon and we’ll discuss this more at length.” Her tone brooked no argument and I nodded, not saying anything. She eyed my bracelet before carefully moving Zara to the side and standing, a kit in each hand. Tess hurried forward to take them, crooning as she nestled them in her arms. Zara, still in the chair, cast her eyes toward the ceiling and I could almost see her thoughts. Stella continued, “I will discuss this with your mother, Gertie, and Rosemary.”
At the mention of my mother, I started to tense, then suddenly realized I wasn’t nervous anymore. I understood why she’d done what she’d done. Maybe I would have even done the same thing in her shoes.
Stella seemed to read all of this on my face and smiled. She reached forward to pat my cheek, but thought better of it as she glanced first down at my wrist, then at Rand. Instead, she turned and addressed Zara. “And you thought you had your paws full with me, Zara dear.” She patted my familiar’s head.
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