Eldora doted on Rai and Ember, which should have made Paige concerned since she didn’t trust Eldora in the slightest, but… she just couldn’t get herself to give a shit. She was exhausted. The only thing she’d managed to get across to Derrick and Eldora was that they were absolutely not going to the Blackman complex.
Derrick pulled up to the Whiskey house and winced. “When are you going to let up on your wards?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re not the enemy here.”
She grunted and made a mental note to think about that later. She made it to the living room and passed out on a chair, Margo apologizing profusely for letting the twins escape.
She woke with a start when the front door slammed. “Paige,” Dexx roared.
She was starting to feel a little better. She pushed the blanket off but didn’t get to her feet. “In here.”
He looked around as he stepped into the room and then went to her in two long strides. “What happened?”
She quickly filled him in.
His hands balled into fists. His mouth opened and closed, then opened again as his eyes closed. Dark emotions rolled off him.
Margo growled low in the other room.
Joe’s bear pelt pushed at his shirt.
Paige didn’t think she’d ever seen him quite this pissed. She put a calming hand on his arm. “Babe.” She didn’t get a response. “Babe.”
He finally opened his eyes, a seething rage turning his green eyes molten.
“We’re safe.”
“This time.”
“You’re not wrong.”
Merry walked in with a steaming cup. “Drink this.”
Who was this woman?
“Everyone’s here,” the ancient witch said. “Might want to get in there.”
“Who showed up?” Paige took a sip of the tea. It was really good and did help. She pushed herself out of the chair and stood.
“When you pushed DoDO out,” Merry said, her tone ringing with respect, “you let us all know that something was wrong. So, we came here to see what had happened. Eldora filled us in.”
“Then what do you need me for?” Paige might be feeling better, but she wasn’t in the mood for a meeting.
Merry raised an eyebrow. “We need to figure out our next actions.” She licked her lips with a catty expression. “I thought you were the one who didn’t wanted to go to war.”
“I don’t.”
“You should have thought of that before you punched first.”
She hadn’t, though. However, everyone? Paige stepped into the dining room and saw the leaders of the paranormal region. “Remind me why I need to be here?”
Merry ground out a long sigh, then grabbed Paige’s arm and pushed her into the living room.
Dexx growled low and moved to stop her.
But Merry flicked her fingers on her way by, a drop of blood oozing from her wrist, and he was unable to move.
“Merry,” Paige warned as she continued to walk backward into and around the furniture.
“He’ll be fine.” Merry stopped when they made it to the large window and then got in Paige’s face. “You’re the most powerful witch in our region.” She clamped her lips tight and tipped her head to the side.
Paige shook her head. “That’s you.”
“It was me but is no longer. As much as it pains me to admit, you’re the one we need on this panel. But because you’re such an idiot, I’m remaining to make sure you don’t screw things up even more than you already have.”
“I don’t understand.” That wasn’t exactly true. Paige understood the need for the panel—council, group, whatever. She was struggling to wrap her head around the fact that she was the most powerful witch in the region. She’d known she was getting powerful—powerful enough for paranormals to be concerned, but they’d been concerned because she was a shifter witch, not just because she was powerful magickally.
If she did anything just a smidge wrong—forgot what she was doing and hit a wolf a little too hard with wind, or misjudged and—
Attacked sanctioned officials, sealing them out of town during a president-backed mission?
It finally hit Paige just how bad she’d made the situation. She’d played right into DoDO’s hands. She’d reacted exactly the way they’d wanted.
And she hadn’t even thought about it.
She walked back to the dining room table, but Merry stopped at Dexx, releasing him from whatever hold she’d had on him.
The last time they’d had a meeting—mere hours ago—the room had been loud enough she’d had to bang a sippy cup on the table to get their attention.
This time, silence surrounded her.
Paige had no idea what she was supposed to say. Yeah, she was getting experienced with these types of situations, but why were the situations she was handling getting bigger? She wished whatever god was writing the script of her life would stop. “I’m sorry,” she said to the quiet room.
Elder Yad raised his bushy white eyebrows, his lips pursed. “Well, it is what it is now and not undeserved.”
The others around the room nodded in various ways. Some nods were open and vigorous. Some hesitant.
But no one was berating her about what she’d done.
Because this was what they’d wanted as well.
A few hours ago, she’d only heard from Yad and Duglas. Faith and Leslie had offered concern but no real direction. Paige needed direction. “Do any of you have…” Paige didn’t even know how to start this conversation or just how big it really was. All of her experience was as a police detective and as a fighter of evil demons who wanted to take over the world or whatever. She was inexperienced for this. “…any idea how in over our heads we are?”
No one answered. The top-most powerful leaders of the regional paranormals didn’t have an answer.
Not out loud, anyway. Their faces did, though.
Chuck, her regional high alpha of the shifters, looked at her, his lips set, a bright light in his blue eyes.
Daenys, the elf queen—yes, a literal elf queen—released a long breath and settled back in her chair, her long white hair pulled over her shoulder.
Brack, the lead dragon in the area, breathed, smoke steaming out of his nose, but his amber eyes leapt with the promise of war.
Duglas clamped his lips shut, as if saying he wasn’t going to do much to help her.
Ryo, the air elemental of the region, just twirled his fingers, creating a small air current.
Merry tapped her chin with her manicured fingers, her dark eyes distant.
Dexx just stared at one person and then the next as if wondering how to extricate himself from the room. Sure, he was upset. Paige knew that. But she also knew he didn’t like being the one in charge. He liked being the one busting heads.
These were the most powerful people of the region.
Paige ran her fingernails over the line of her top lip, resting her elbow on the table and looking into the back yard. The one thing they’d all hoped wouldn’t come to pass was upon them; the fear of the humans was directed at them. History told her what would happen if she did nothing. Hell, it told her what would happen if she fought back.
But “fighting back” wasn’t just about taking out a group of demons. This time, it was going up against a nation she’d sworn since childhood to honor and protect, even if it was under one god she didn’t believe in.
They were delving into crazy territory. This entire thing was insane. Likely just a misunderstanding. Her head told her she could go to whoever was in charge, apologize for overreacting, and try to find a peaceful solution.
But the person in charge was Mario, and he’d been pushing for this ever since Paige had known him. She wasn’t talking about people she didn’t know in Alaska. This time, he’d targeted her kids. In the grocery store. Who’d be next? Where? Would they be attacked in their homes? Be dragged from their beds?
How were they going to win this war? She couldn’t just seek out the biggest demon and kick its
ass. Even if she managed to somehow get to the president, she couldn’t kick her ass. Paige would be arrested and would never see the light of day. But—just for kicks—if she did manage to kick the president’s ass and win and not end up in jail or worse, there’d just be another person to rise up. And then another. Because humans had bigger numbers than demons.
And when the fear started rolling in the ranks of mankind, it infected at an easy rate.
Her anxiety reared its ugly head, making her think dark thoughts. This was an impossible situation. She glared at Merry, who should be leading this discussion.
Oh, right. Yes. A serial-killing witch should definitely be leading this conversation. Damn it! Paige needed to pull her head out of her ass.
Solutions. What were they? “We have to get in front of this,” Paige said into the quiet room. “We have to change the story.” Who was the real enemy? The president? DoDO? Or neighbors, friends, and family?
“How?” Chuck asked, equally quiet.
Maybe this was just a misunderstanding. This nation prided itself on its Christianity and not its freedom of religion. The ultra-right base liked to think of themselves as the purifiers of the nation, the people who kept everyone clean and good.
Being a witch was bad, which was why witches hid themselves from the “good people,” who would burn them or hang them.
Being a different religion was bad. Being a different sexual orientation was bad. People couldn’t even have different colored skin, so why would a person who shifted into a wolf feel safe?
Understanding the power of fear, the paranormal society had hidden themselves, making themselves secret.
That gave the power of the story to the people who wanted to paint them as monsters.
So, if paranormals just “educated” people, got them to see that they had a lot of similarities with everyone…
If Paige could diffuse the bomb of American fear, she might be able to take the power away from the president and DoDO. “Okay. Look.” Paige felt a little bolstered by this plan. “We need to find a way to inspire people to…” She was at a loss for words.
“Rise up?” Faith asked, the scar along her cheek twitching in frustrated anger.
“Be better?” It was too easy to see only two sides of an argument when, in reality, most people fell solidly in the middle. They just wanted life to not suck. “If we can get people to talk about this? To get real information out there? Real day to day stuff?”
“Like they did for Black Lives Matter?” Ryo twirled his fingers as air played around him. “We need a better plan.”
Except… “Racism has been trained in us for generations. We’re in fairytale books.” Not history books. That had to matter, make things easier.
Daenys chuckled and steepled her fingers. “What is your plan? As you are out there spreading ‘tales of normalcy,’ your government will be strangling your towns, your communities. You already have no supplies.” The pale elf pointed a long finger at Paige. “And you are not using Underhill.”
“I already knew that.” The queen did bring up a good point, though. “While you’re worried about Underhill, we’ve got entire villages and towns—maybe even other cities—who might be under the same attack.” Though, they hadn’t really been attacked.
But hadn’t they? She might be struggling to believe this was her reality, but a man had pointed a rifle at her baby.
“And you think we do not?” Daenys said indignantly. “I am a queen, not merely a tribal leader of pack animals.”
Dexx puffed out his cheeks and pulled back, his eyes widening mockingly. “Oh.”
“Dexx,” Paige said low in warning.
He sighed petulantly. “Our cities have alphas. Maybe some bigger groups. That makes them easier to hunt for people like me. They don’t have what we built here.” He held up a finger. “And they don’t have a witch like you.”
What was the best way of handling that? Bringing everyone together? But wouldn’t that just make it easier for DoDO to strike them? The Department of Delicate Operations was like a mix between an army of specialized soldiers and hunters. Maybe her first instincts weren’t the right ones. “Agreed. They’re not being blockaded. They’re being hunted.”
“Or they are living their lives in beautiful quiet,” the earth elemental said, her dark skin gleaming in the soft sunlight streaming through the windows.
Paige couldn’t remember her name. Karen, maybe? Or Carn? It started with a “k” and ended with an “n,” and that about all she could remember. The woman rarely spoke. “DoDO has been studying us for years. They were developing a collar to suppress the shifter animal so it can explode out publicly, and they’re using it. What other things do they have to make this situation worse? How much are you willing to bet that others are safe? That they’re doing better?”
Yad licked his wrinkled lips and looked at her. “Let’s hear your plan.”
She didn’t have one yet, but it didn’t matter. This was how she worked. All of her experience had been like this, where she was handed an impossible situation and told to find a solution. This was her superpower.
And maybe that was the real reason she was on this council.
“We need the media.” If their real threat was normal humans, then that’s where they needed to hit first. Give them information. “We can’t be silenced. This has to get out.”
Brack pulled out his phone, the steam coming out of his nose cooling for a moment. “I can handle this. I own a couple of news stations and know several others who should be willing to air you.”
Paige wasn’t stupid, though. Their real enemy right now was the government. They were the ones attacking the paranormal people. They could get the word out to the world, get them to understand who and what they were, but someone high in the chain of command had issued an order stating it was okay to point a gun at a baby. “I’m going to need to talk to someone high up in government.”
Yad shook his head with a worried expression. “I have a few contacts.”
“The president,” Merry said in challenge. “You need to talk to the president.”
“Of the United States.” There was no way Paige was going to get in to see her. Even with everything going on.
“Yes.” Merry’s tone was dark and laced with don’t-be-an-idiot-ness. If that was a thing. “I can make that happen. But in order to do that, you’re going to need to drop the wards.”
“Absolutely not,” Dexx said, his alpha will surging forward.
Merry lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Then she’s not getting into the White House.”
First off, Paige couldn’t believe she’d actually be going to see the most important person in the country. Secondly, the thought that, in order to do that, she’d have to endanger the lives of the people of her town, her kids, other people’s kids, other people’s people, made her feel a little ill. Thirdly, would going to see the president actually help them?
“How badly do you want this?” Merry asked.
Paige had said she needed to talk to someone high in the chain of command and this certainly was that. She had to try, didn’t she? If she didn’t, their only real choice was to lower the wards and allow everyone there to be registered. It would be peaceful, sure, but they’d be slaves or worse. Or they could go to war. Which would be better? It seemed like a long shot, but it was one she had to take. Right?
And it had to be her because she was the one with the experience in making tough choices and finding good solutions when there were none. That’s where her true powers lay. “When can you get the flight ready?”
Merry just gave her a tight smile and turned to Eldora. “I trust we can get a door to the airport?”
The room exploded in conversation finally, but Paige wasn’t listening. She stared at her sleeping baby girl, nestled in the corner of the green striped couch.
She had to make the world a safe place.
And she would.
6
Paige had to do a few things first, th
ough. Merry was right. She had to give the president a peace-offering before she went there, but she wasn’t going to just open the floodgates to terrorists without setting a few things in motion first.
It was time to see if there was something Merry could add to the wards that she hadn’t yet. Something that would set limitations to what could be done inside the wards.
“Blood magick is powerful,” Merry agreed. “But it is still limited to blood.”
“There has to be a way to make the wards safe to take down.” Paige wasn’t going to entertain the idea of inviting danger to the town she’d fought so hard to protect.
Merry sighed and stared up into the branches of the ward tree in the Whiskey front lawn.
The Alaskan wood witches had taught Paige how to use the power of trees to combine the elements for protection. With Paige’s witch sight, she could see the different colored tendrils of power the people of the town had infused the ward tree with as they rose from the branch tips to meet and create the dome that surrounded the town.
There were three of these ward trees. One at the Whiskey house, one in downtown, and the third stood in front of the entrance to the Vaada Bhoomi, the land of the shifter spirits.
The wards themselves were good and strong, taking a little bit of each person’s soul into the protections.
But Paige had instilled her own magick into them.
What would happen if Merry did as well?
The blood witch glared again but took a small, curved blade from the sheath on her necklace and made a thin slice along the length of her left forearm. “Hands are a terrible place to make incisions,” Merry said, as if instructing youth. She stepped toward the tree as she resheathed her blade and tucked the necklace into her shirt. “Power comes from the hands, which is why everyone wants to go there. But we do not heal as easily as shifters do, and so the cuts can fester.”
Whiskey Storm (Whiskey Witches Midnight Rising Book 1) Page 5
