I pondered what else could help us and realized another matter still had to be dealt with. “Do you know if this rebellion has used cats to gain further power?”
He shook his head. “No.”
I sighed, irked that the seduction of Edwin had been a total waste of time, except the new trouble it brought. “Back to square one, but now things have gotten a whole helluva lot worse.”
Kale’s features tightened with a glint of…anger, maybe. “Indeed.”
“Do you think this threat to the Alchemy is real?” I asked in hopes he’d say no, though right now I had a hard time believing it possible. No one could honestly be stupid enough to take on the Alchemy, or maybe they could and were on a suicide mission. Going up against the strongest warlocks in the world—the ones who rose to that power because they were near unstoppable and protected to extremes—was insanity, at best.
Kale drew in a long breath and then blew it out on a slow exhale. “Right now there’s no reason to doubt what he’s told us, but without hard proof we can’t make assumptions.”
Made sense—at this point the new information was hearsay. I’d rather keep it that way, because if this turned out to be true, the person of interest right now had once been the love of my life. I had gotten over Bryon, forgotten about the pain, and I had no intention of hunting him down.
“All right.” I looked back at Edwin, who was still staring out into space. “Get out of my SUV.”
As Edwin scooted across the backseat, I exited the SUV and Kale followed. Once again at my hatchback, I removed the bracelet and placed it back in the bowl. I grabbed my lighter out of the compartment and lit the bracelet on fire. My nose scrunched as the scent of burned hair wafted through my nostrils, but I was distracted by Edwin’s gasp.
He blinked, a few times over, and after a long pause said, “What the fuck was that for?” He scowled at Kale, clearly brought back into the moment after the punch as he rubbed at his crooked nose.
“Libby is not going anywhere with you,” Kale stated, his voice low and threatening. “It’s best you go.”
Edwin hesitated, giving me a once-over, and then scoffed. “You’re not worth the trouble.” He turned and strode off toward the side of the building before he disappeared into the shadows.
“Not worth the trouble?” I folded my arms, glaring at the spot where he had vanished. “Now that was just mean.”
“The sun will rise soon,” Kale interjected into my hissy fit. “I think it’s wise if we go home, rest up, and start again tomorrow night. Are you agreeable?”
I was tired, but I was still pissed by Edwin’s words. I wasn’t worth the trouble? But Kale had it right—I needed to let this new information process. Maybe believing that it was true was a good place to start. I considered calling the coven to discuss the matter, but immediately refused the idea for more reasons than one. If I were being tested, I needed to prove I could handle the matter, not run to them for help. Also, I really did hate to approach the coven until I solved a case, because they tended to get into my business when I didn’t want them to. Only confirming another reason why they might be testing me to give me the boot. I had been told, excessively often, I needed to check in regularly.
However, right now I wasn’t in the right mindset to talk to the witches who might have set me up to destroy my current life. “Yes, I’m agreeable. Do you want a ride home?”
“I’ll walk,” he replied in a flat voice.
Why had I expected different? Moreover, why did I care? “How will I contact you?”
He considered me for one of those long moments he seemed to be an expert at, knowing exactly how to make a witch pay attention only to him. “I’ll find you.”
When he took the final step to reach me, my head angled back, and he leaned in very close to me. I inhaled his rich earthy scent of sandalwood mixed with masculinity and bit back a groan. The closeness of him, the heat of his body near mine, made me react in a fiery way that discouraged me, as if once again his presence was more welcome than it ought to be.
His eyes roamed my face with that sexy gradual glance he owned, and then he met my eyes and arched an eyebrow. “For the record, Edwin is wrong. Not even trouble would stand in my way.” He didn’t wait for my response—he spun on his heels and headed out of the parking lot to leave me to simmer in the wicked burn of desire.
What in the hell was that? Had he outright declared his intention to go after me and stated nothing would stop him, or did he pity me and want to push up my confidence after Edwin’s blow?
The worst part was that I liked knowing he acknowledged me and that he thought I was worth fighting for. The air escaped between my lips in a loud huff that I hadn’t known I’d held as I placed my hand on the hatchback to support my teetering weight.
When had I craved a warlock’s affection? Not in a very long time!
I fought to remember why I stayed clear away from warlocks, and Kale was a prime example—elusive. At this point, I didn’t know anything about him. He might’ve come here to rip my world apart. Too bad my body seemed more than ready to forget all the negatives entirely.
Where was my “get a grip on naughty thoughts” spell when I needed one?
Chapter Four
The next night, a phone call from the coven awakened me, and a quick, hot shower got my butt in gear. Within minutes I dressed in jeans, leather corset, and knee-high black boots. My hair still lay damp from the shower, dangling against my lower back as I strode from my bedroom into the kitchen, and the clock on the stove glowed nine o’clock. My simple kitchen of all the necessities, with an aged wooden table by the bay window and hutch against the far wall, made me smile as I grabbed my cell phone off my granite countertop.
The baked apple scones from the bakery I picked up two nights ago still created a delicious sweet aroma in the space, so I took one out of the box before I strode through my cozy living room. I passed by the chocolate-brown couch resting against the back wall, glancing over the antiques decorating every square inch of my house.
I sighed, wanting to grab the woolly afghan off the back of the couch and snuggle up with a good book. Perhaps a new gushy romance novel that swept me away instead of the dangerous assignment ahead. Since that wouldn’t happen, I headed straight for the front door. When the coven called, I went, no questions asked.
I locked the front door behind me, then hurried toward my SUV in the driveway. Just as I reached for the driver’s side door handle, my cell phone rang. “Yes, Peyton?”
She laughed. “How’d you know it’d be me?”
I pressed the phone between my ear and shoulder, got into my SUV, and eyed my house. Ivy stretched up the side of the rust brick wartime bungalow I renovated a year back.
“Who else would call me the second the sun went down?”
“Your best friend, of course,” she replied. “How’d it go with Kale?”
I shut the door, then gripped the phone in my hand and took a bite of the scone. The sugary taste of the apples could have made me happy if not for the direction the conversation was heading. “It went.”
She paused and after a moment, she finally asked, “Did you get any answers for what’s going on with the cats?”
“Negative.” Sure, I withheld the whole truth, but Peyton didn’t need to be involved in what I heard of the Alchemy. Some things, dangerous things, remained private. I might have suffered some guilt for suppressing information from her if I wasn’t more concerned about her mental state. Peyton worried, and danger, even my suspicions of the coven, would make her stressed, so if my silence kept her sane, then so be it.
“That’s too bad,” she muttered and paused again. “Maybe it’s nothing serious.” Her hesitation confirmed that she didn’t believe that, and neither did I. “Tell me more about this Kale?”
I snorted a laugh. “Once again, I don’t have much to tell you. The warlock has such tight lips I’m surprised he can breathe. All I’ve got from him is, he lives down south, he’s a Ward, and he c
an draw runes and receives his magic through the sabbat, which is kind of neat, I guess.”
“Not only cute, but talented.” Peyton giggled, warming me as it always did. Another long silence filled the phone line before Peyton’s voice lifted with mischievous intent. “Anything brewing between you?”
I leaned my head against the seat, glancing up at the black roof of my SUV. “If I was smart I would say no, but I’ve never been an academic.”
She laughed again. “Enjoy yourself, Lib. You deserve to have some fun, you know.”
Yeah, I did, and I hadn’t done it enough. I took another bite of the scone and chewed as the truth stared me dead in the face. “I’ve got the deaths of cats on my shoulders, so fun will have to wait.” Which wouldn’t happen with Kale; don’t get involved with warlocks, wasn’t that my rule? Hadn’t I learned that lesson from Bryon? In the end, they’d screw you all the way to Alchemy.
And if I hadn’t dated a warlock since Bryon, I hadn’t garnered friendship either—their attitudes were all the same, and I wouldn’t place myself in the path of danger again. The only reason Jace wasn’t included on that list was because of his relationship with Peyton.
While Kale showed some signs of being different from most warlocks I’d met, there were still some similarities—his elusive way being one major one, and that reason alone meant I needed to keep my distance.
“Responsibility first.” Peyton snickered. “Sexual fantasies later.”
I snorted. “How depressing is that. Remind me why I decided to go into this line of work?”
“Because you didn’t have a choice,” she replied without pause.
“Oh, right. That’s why.” I glanced at the clock. A half hour had passed since the coven had summoned me. “Listen, the coven contacted me and I’ve got to go see what they want.”
“More trouble?”
I placed the scone down on the seat, my appetite gone, and rubbed my tired eyes. “I hope not.” Right now I had enough on my to-do list, but the coven didn’t call for social visits. If they needed to talk, trouble stirred.
The phone line blanked out, indicating another call, and Peyton’s shuffle confirmed that she looked at her phone. A second passed before she said, “That’s the coven there. We’ll chat later. Be safe, okay?”
“Always.” I hung up the phone, threw it on the passenger side seat, and sent the gas pedal to the floor. The streets of Charleston whipped by as a clear dark night surrounded me.
Only a few houses down on a historic street, the large mansion appeared. Red brick on the exterior, black accents, white pillars out in front with two-level balconies, and a wide porch made it an impressive sight.
After I pulled over and approached the house, I wasn’t at all surprised that the door opened before I hit the front steps.
“The Priestesses expected you sooner, Libby,” Emely said with her usual all-too-business expression and curt voice.
“Nice to see you again, Emely.” I smirked, trotting up the steps. “How’s life?”
The old woman’s features tightened and her nearly black eyes slanted, and she studied me with a wrinkled nose. “I am well. Come. They are waiting.”
I restrained my chuckle and followed her into the house. Emely, an old-school witch, never appreciated my attitude and lack of, as she called it, ability to listen. I irritated her. She amused me. As far as I was concerned the relationship was perfect. Though right now, I wondered if that trait she hated in me was one of the reasons the coven wanted me out.
Following her through the wide hallway, I glanced up at the fourteen-foot ceiling. Everything and anything in this house was original, including the historic furniture resting like sculptures in the space. I might have been envious of this house. That was, if I didn’t have a piece of heaven all to myself far away from the coven and their rules.
At the music room, Emely gestured me in with a flick of her hand, which I grinned at, making her scowl. I entered the room and glimpsed the large glass skylight above. The stars twinkled in the dark sky before clouds swept across them.
All four of the Priestesses sat and sipped at their tea in what could be assumed was a lovely get-together. I knew better. The meeting had nothing to do with evening tea. Before I had a chance to finish my approach through the large room, one of the Priestesses slammed her tea down on the table and stood, irate.
Aria was a witch of beauty with her long, beautiful auburn hair, blue eyes an artist couldn’t match, and a smile making her radiate with a warm kindness. Too bad no hint of tenderness showed now. “Libby, what have you done?”
“Hello to you too, Mother.” I stopped in front of the table, folded my arms, and stared her down. Why did my flesh and blood have to be one of the most powerful witches in Charleston? Not that we didn’t get along. She was as a mother should be—supportive, involved in everything, and proud. Now that I was a grown woman my mother could be a tad overbearing, and besides, her question made no sense. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t you ‘Mother’ me!” Mom gave me a firm don’t-lie-to-your-mother look. “You need to tell me—us—why you’ve been involved with this warlock, Kale?”
By all appearances, she had no idea who Kale was. Icy fingertips crawled up my skin. Where had Kale come from? Was he the one who killed the cats and I had been with him totally defenseless? But if that was true, why hadn’t he killed me when he had the chance?
I skimmed over the other Priestesses who all smiled at me, their knowing looks indicating they knew well enough what I was involved in and even more, the identity of Kale. Odd, to say the least. All the secrets up until this very moment made me doubt my own coven and the High Priestesses I’d always trusted. “If I had any idea of what you’re talking about then I could tell you.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard you’re spending time with a warlock. What have you gotten yourself involved in?”
My mother and I had a similar dislike toward warlocks. Mine were for different reasons. Hers developed from the warlock who impregnated her, and then walked out on her after she told him she was pregnant with me. Well, maybe my hatred had stemmed from my father, though I’d never admit that aloud. Besides, I’d been around enough warlocks—Bryon included—to form my own not-so-great opinions.
”Err…he’s part of our coven.” I gave her a look. “Have you not met him?”
She shook her head. “No, I have not.” Her glare went to the other Priestesses. “How did I not hear of this new Ward?”
What in the Goddess? They made a decision this big without informing my mother? Whatever Mom had found out about me—discovered through her spy tactics—she hadn’t shared with the other Priestesses because they would’ve informed her who Kale was. If they wanted me out of the coven and were searching for a way to do it, they’d never tell my mother.
Glenda sipped her tea; she was the calm one of the bunch who seemed like your best friend, but only by appearance. We never agreed on much, which also could have been another reason they wanted to see me gone. “You weren’t around when the decision was made to bring him into the coven. As you remember, you were out of town visiting the Greenville coven.”
Mom parted her lips before she shut them again and sat back down. “Tell me why he’s helping Libby.”
Glenda gave a mirthless smile, and her bluish-gray eyes settled on me as her long salt-and-pepper hair swept over her shoulder. “Is Kale being helpful?”
I shrugged. “Somewhat.”
Mom cleared her throat, and then she spoke in a controlled voice. “My Libby doesn’t need help.” Her eyebrows drew together and she stared daggers at Glenda. “She can use him after, as we usually do. This isn’t necessary.”
Mabel, in her sixties, was prim and proper with her pressed clothes and brown hair tied up in a tight bun. She had a knowing look, and it became apparent this was the exact reason the decision had been made without my mother. “Cats have been murdered in our town and we have no answers as to why. It’s ne
cessary to solve this before the matter worsens. Besides, he’s new to the coven, so we wanted to place him with someone who could show him the area and also to see what he can do.”
While her explanation seemed plausible, I didn’t believe her. I’d never watched over a new Ward before, and to me, it seemed more personal. Kale’s presence didn’t feel as if he were being tested, but that I was. While she implied that all of this had been pointed outward, it sure appeared directly aimed at me.
Hot wrath burned in the depths of Mom’s eyes. “Have you discovered anything so far about the cats?”
“Nope,” I replied. “Though, I should tell you that something came up last night. Not sure if it’s true, which is why I didn’t call you about it, but it might be.” I hadn’t planned to tell the coven what I learned of the Alchemy until I knew it was accurate, and that made me cringe as I realized I’d given them another reason to remove me from the coven. In a matter of minutes, I had already proved three times why I deserved the boot. First, my attitude, then my relationship with Glenda, and now that I hadn’t informed them earlier of the situation. Since I’d worked for them for years, my offenses had to be in the thousands, but why were they taking action now?
At my mother’s nod to continue, I drew in a deep breath and said on my exhale, “There are problems within the Alchemy.” I waited for the appropriate response of shock to flutter along my mother’s features. Instead, I received a blank stare, telling me one thing. “You know about this?”
Hettie inclined her head. She was the youngest Priestess, but powerful in her own right. Her crystal-green eyes stood out against her jet-black hair. “We heard from the Alchemy there’s trouble brewing in their ranks.”
“Do they know what kind of trouble?” I urged.
“They’re looking into it,” Mom said. “But so far are coming up with nothing on who’s behind it. They only know that a rebellion is forming.”
“Why is Charleston involved?”
“That’s a very good question, Libby.” Pride lighted Mom’s features. “At this time we have no more answers than you do.”
The Cat's Meow Page 5
