The president opened her red lips to say something, then clamped them shut and looked down at her desk for a moment. She raised her gaze, and it was like the door had closed. “I had a daughter once.”
Oh, crap. Paige hadn’t even realized that was a mine field. “I lost my daughter once.”
“I heard.” The president rolled her head slightly to the left, stretching a muscle, her expression filled with irritation. “I’m not certain you should have gotten your daughter back.”
Paige swallowed. “Neither was Rachel. Who was also a witch.”
“And who took custody of your daughter because you used your powers for ill intent, if I’m not mistaken.”
That woman wasn’t going to use that one decision to her advantage. “I was young and grieving, and I made a mistake.”
“How many more of you are able to do that? To use grief as an acceptable excuse?”
Paige didn’t know how to respond.
The president went to the phone and put one hand on the receiver. “You are a power I can’t control. I have no idea what you truly want.”
“Then maybe you should ask.”
“I can’t trust you will tell me the truth. You work outside any laws we have in place. If you truly want to be a part of our society, then there need to be laws that govern you and your kind. And that, Ms. Whiskey, is why I allowed you to be here.”
That pissed Paige off, her alpha anger rising.
“If we cannot come to an agreement, then you and your people will be treated like the terrorists I know you are.” She picked up the phone and pressed a button. “We’re done.”
The door Paige had walked through opened, and a security person filled the frame.
The president gave Paige a tight smile. “I look forward to our further conversations.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe that.” Paige didn’t believe the president had any intention of having any further conversations.
Paige followed the security guard to the room her kids were being held in. She gathered them to her and hugged them close for a long moment, sharing in their fear. But she had to shoulder it if they were going to make it through this.
“It’s time these come off,” Paige told security.
“The president has ordered these remain on as long as you’re in the city, ma’am,” one them said.
Paige wanted to lash out, but she remained calm. She shoved her own fear down deep, smiling into Leah’s face. “Let’s get out of here.”
They were shuffled out the door and into another throng of voracious media people. However, now the reporters were interested in their collars.
Paige might have been able to push down her fear, but that only raised her anger. Merry had told her to parade her kids in front of the cameras? Well, this was her opportunity to do so. She stopped, holding Rai close to her.
The reporters didn’t pause. They continued throwing out questions she had to ignore in order to get her statement out there. But what would she say that would get people stirred enough to care?
“I just met with the president.” Paige released her emotions and hoped to the goddess the right words would come out.
The reporters quieted.
“The collars she has forced us to wear mute our abilities… for a time. She’s scared of us. And she’s treating us as though we’re not people. She’s treating us as though we are things. She called us terrorists. So, the only thing I really can say for certain is that we had every reason to hide for centuries. And—” The fear and the anger running rampant inside, Paige pushed for release. “Apparently, we should have just let the demons and angels take your world. We should have remained in hiding and let you burn.”
That was probably not the right thing to say. However, her kids were wearing collars as though they were dogs and the property of the president.
Which… they chose to be canines only about a quarter of the time anyway.
She let the security personnel shuffle her and the kids into the motorcade.
She didn’t get to ride in the front this time. She was forced to ride in the back with the kids.
But there was another woman there this time. She introduced herself as Naomi Wright. She, apparently, was from the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and had been assigned to Paige and her family to ensure that they were properly taken care of while they were in the city.
Paige’s emotions were running too high for her to really hear anything the woman had to say. Her ears buzzed with rage. She felt lucky to have gotten Naomi’s name.
But as her emotions burned hot, her magick danced along her fingertips.
Interesting. So, the collars suppressed Cawli, but not her magick.
That could be something she could use to her advantage.
The motorcade stopped, and they were shuffled from the vehicles and into a rather large townhome.
It was quite spacious and furnished. And the security people helped bring in their bags.
Naomi went to the kitchen and put water in a kettle. “I’ll make us some tea.”
Paige set Rai on the floor next to Ember. They both sat there on the floor, touching their collars and frowning. Shocks of electricity shuffled across the surfaces of their collars but didn’t seem to hurt the kids. They were probably trying to shift, but they couldn’t.
They started to scream their upset.
Paige knelt next to them and reached for her alpha will. It, at least, hadn’t disappeared. She projected onto her children, sending a gentle command. “Stop. Don’t use your abilities. Stay in human form.”
Ember looked up at her, and flames danced in his dark eyes. He was angry. An angry baby boy with a very powerful shifter spirit buried inside of him.
When Rai looked up at her, there was an answering dance of blue lightning in her eyes. She was just as angry.
However, Paige got the affirmation from both of her children that neither of them were going to attempt to shift anymore.
Paige stood and turned to Leah. “Make sure they don’t try anything… baby.”
The girl nodded, fingering her own collar. “I don’t like this, Mom. I want to go home now.”
“I know, Bean.” Paige went to the small kitchen.
Naomi shook her head, staring at the babies. “It’s so hard to believe they’re only a week old. They’re already so big and sitting up?”
Right. Maybe people wouldn’t be falling in love with her cute babies. “We think it’s because they’re shifter witches.”
Naomi made a humming sound.
Leah entered the kitchen, looking small and scared.
Paige wrapped her in her arms and tucked Leah’s head to her chest. “I’m sorry, Lee Bean.”
Leah just shook her head and held onto Paige tightly. “You don’t have to be sorry. She does.” Leah leaned back and looked up at her. “They’re so dumb.”
Paige wished she had the answers. “They’re just people and they’re scared.” She tucked Leah’s head back against her shoulder and looked at Naomi. “And people react like this every time they’re scared. America’s superpower is its ability to react to fear like a bunch of rabid animals.” That was taking things a bit too far.
Except was it? The paranormal communities had lived in secret out of justified fear. So…was it going too far? Really?
Naomi licked her lips and turned away from the counter, three mugs waiting. “My daughter’s about your age.”
Paige knew she needed to stifle her rage. She needed to get to know people, to show she too was a person. So, she swallowed hard and gritted her teeth. “Oh, really?”
Naomi gave Paige a hesitant smile. “Yeah. My son’s three years younger. He’s the quiet one. She’s the handful.”
Paige really didn’t want to have this conversation. She wanted to tell Naomi to pack up her shit, stuff the tea, and to get the hell out of her apartment. However, she needed allies. “Where are they now?”
“With their father.” Naomi grimaced. �
�We divorced and he has them most of the time. His job gives him a bit more free time than mine does.”
What kind of world did they live in when a parent had to allot their kids as “free” time? “When do you have visitation?”
“I’m supposed to have them tonight, but I told Roger he needed to keep the kids.”
Paige frowned. “Why?”
“Because I’m supposed to be here.” Naomi raised her brown eyebrows at her cup. “With you.”
“Keeping a watch on us? Keeping us out of trouble? Or spying on us?”
Naomi sighed as the tea kettle whistled. She turned toward it and poured the boiling water into the three mugs. “I’m here to make sure you feel safe. That you don’t—" She stopped herself and focused on the act of making tea.
Paige knew what she was going to say. “Retaliate?”
Naomi’s lips thinned as she handed Paige a cup. She put her hand on Leah’s shoulder hesitantly, drawing the girl’s attention. “Would you like honey in yours?”
“It depends,” Leah said petulantly. “Is it supposed to mask the flavor of the poison you put in there?”
The look on Naomi’s face was hilarious. She looked at the cup in Paige’s hand and then at the other two. And then she looked back at Leah. “There’s no poison unless there’s something that reacts to your—oh, no. You can’t have choco—can you have things like chocolate?”
Okay. This made Paige feel a little better. They weren’t dogs, but this was a little funny.
Naomi hastily grabbed one of the mugs, put it to her lips, and sipped, jerking a little from the heat. “It’s just chamomile. Only trying to settle your nerves.” Her eyes rounded as she set her cup down. “Unless chamomile is bad for you somehow?”
Paige chuckled and stepped away from Leah. She took a sip of her own water because it hadn’t steeped enough to be tea yet. “See? We’re safe.” She looked over at Naomi. “I doubt she’ll drink tea straight, but honey would probably be good. Also sugar and all the bad things. Maybe Tang. Maybe just throw some Tang in there.”
Naomi stared wide-eyed at Paige, and then the light dawned on her face and a smile slid into place. “Right.” She disappeared as she rummaged in the lower cabinets.
Paige really did need to make a concerted effort into making allies. Naomi sincerely looked like she was just trying to be a halfway decent human being. She couldn’t let that go to waste.
Naomi reappeared with a canister of some sugar-based drink mix and grabbed honey from an overhead cabinet. “I stopped by the store and picked some up when I heard you were bringing your kids.” She turned and glanced at Paige. “That was really a smart move.”
The president had said that as well. That didn’t make Paige feel any better.
Naomi looked at Leah. “This is the honey that Ginny likes. It’s wildflower and it’s local. We went and visited the place where it’s made. It was really neat. Perhaps I could take you there.”
Leah glared. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”
Paige took in a deep breath, working hard to push her anger further down. “Why don’t you invite your kids over for visitation tonight?”
Naomi frowned and then glanced at Leah’s collar before hurriedly turning back to the counter. She stashed the honey and then handed Leah her cup again. “It’s probably not a good idea.”
“Naomi, we have our collars on. We have no powers. We really can’t hurt you.” Which was a lie. Paige could definitely still hurt her. “We brought UNO cards and Munchkin.”
“And Magic the Gathering,” Leah added with a grumble.
Paige widened her eyes in mock horror. “And that.” She had really been hoping not to play that one because she didn’t quite understand it. She had a deck Leah had specifically built for her, but she didn’t play it very well. “Let’s just do game night.”
Naomi pondered it for a moment.
“It’s what all of us terribly scary paranormals do.”
Naomi chuckled and then ducked her head. She glanced up at Leah, still a little uncertain. “Okay. I’ll call Roger.” She swallowed hard and walked away, pulling her phone out.
This particular battle wasn’t going to be won on the field, and Paige doubted it was going to be won like this.
But it had to start somewhere.
Paige was going to win. Nobody put her babies in collars and walked away the victor.
10
All in all, game night went rather well.
Paige relaxed and accidentally had fun.
That led to Naomi and her kids relaxing as they all stuffed themselves on some of the best pizza Paige had ever had.
They traded war stories—literal war stories. Naomi had been stationed in the Middle East when she’d served, and then, when she’d come back to the civilian sector, she’d served on the streets of New York.
Her insights were a chilling reminder that, no matter how much a few people might care, it was still easier to hate and to allow the haters to have the stronger voice. Because there would always be someone else to clean up the mess.
Society didn’t even realize it, but they had societal wives, men and women who cleaned up the mess, who made sure the kids were fed and clothed, and who made sure the system was generally working so that the societal husbands could work without having to worry.
And Paige understood that she was one of those societal husbands, as was Naomi.
In order for their society to grow, they would have to change their views on a lot of things. She wasn’t certain they were ready for that.
The next morning, however, Naomi wasn’t there, and the two guards stationed at their door informed them they should stay inside. They had no need to be out in public. Call it a staycation.
She needed to call Dexx, to apologize to him, to tell him he was right and she was wrong. The twins were getting really upset about having to remain in human form. Human babies were useless for a good year. Well, okay. They could scoot around sometimes sooner, but these two were used to flying—something they shouldn’t have been able to do in the first place because baby birds were born with down and not feathers—and running around on four legs. Also, she and Leah were used to them taking themselves outside to do their business. They hadn’t brought enough diapers.
Her breasts were the only things really happy with the twins being there. That was something few women talked about because, seriously, the milk bags were supposed to be sexy and life was about women being sexy and if some random man were to pass by and see her feeding her kids from Mother Nature’s devices, he might feel overwhelmed by the urge to force her into having consensual sex with him.
They were milk bags. And they hurt. And they were disgusting. And they leaked. And they made a mess.
And she was over this entire feeding babies from her chest thing.
Except for the small moments when it was just her and baby—one at a time. She wasn’t supermom. And those little eyes would stare up at her with this… light. As if the whole world had dialed down to just the two of them.
And, in that moment, everything in the world was right and good and filled with hope.
But she was ready to turn off the milk producing process.
She still hadn’t gotten a call from Dexx. She’d tried Leslie and Michelle. Neither of them answered. So, she left text messages for both of them. She gave Leslie a bunch of emojis. There was a clown and the poop, which never got old, and the angry devil emoji. The last one was the crossbones.
What if they’d been cut off from communicating with the outside world?
Finally, she got a call from Suzanne. “Paige, thank goodness.”
“What’s going on?”
“We need—well, first. How are things?”
Paige needed information. “Have you seen anything on the news?”
“I have. Are you and the kids all right?”
Well, at least there was that. “Yes. We’re fine.”
“When are you coming home?”
It was strange to hear the mayor asking her that. “I don’t know. I need to figure out what I’m doing and what needs to be done.”
“Did you actually talk to the president?”
Paige filled Suzanne in on the conversation.
“I see,” was all Suzanne had to say.
“Yeah. I have no idea what to do.”
Suzanne paused, squeaked, paused again, and then blasted, “Are you asking me for advice?”
Paige had no idea why Suzanne would think that was a dumb idea. She was the freakin’ mayor of Troutdale. Paige was a mother of a small circus and a detective who hadn’t actually worked a case in two years. Three? It’d been a while. No. Two. Bobby wasn’t that big yet.
“Well, um.” Suzanne took in a deep breath and then let it out. “I would get some publicity. This is all about what the people are thinking and what they’re feeling, and that means you have to be seen.”
“But there are guards on my doors.”
“Are you under arrest?”
“No.”
“Then, by rights, you’re free to go. You’re an American citizen. They can make you feel like you’re not allowed to go anywhere, but they really can’t arrest you.”
Which Paige knew. She was in law enforcement, but she was bordering on something new here. The people of the U.S. saw her and her family as terrorists. For saving the world.
But didn’t most terrorists think they were saving the world?
That was a terrifying thought she couldn’t take back.
The difference was she didn’t kill people to save the world.
Suzanne gave her a few more insights on how to get the media to show up where she wanted. How to ask for interviews. What stunts would work better than others.
Whiskey Storm (Whiskey Witches Midnight Rising Book 1) Page 9
