“No. Actually, I want you to stay away from here tonight. You too, Quinn.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because whatever Morgan is planning, she’ll expect us to be here. We need to be unpredictable.”
I agreed, and made plans to meet Quinn at Simon’s laboratory-slash-apartment. It was our safest bet, since Simon hadn’t moved in until well after Morgan was kicked out of Colorado. He’d kept its location from the rest of the witches—he hadn’t wanted them to know he was doing hard-core research for Maven—so Morgan’s spies wouldn’t know where to find it either.
I gave them our ETA, but before I could hang up, Katia abruptly said, “Maven . . . is it true that little Charlie helped a vampire with Lex’s disguise today?”
I shot her a look, but she was pointedly keeping her eyes on the road.
“Yes,” Maven answered.
“And both Lex and the vampire were acting on your orders?”
A pause, then: “Yes. Where are you going with this, Katia?”
“Charlie should be paid a consultant’s fee,” Katia said evenly. “Your current arrangement, to protect Charlie until she is eighteen, does not include her services. And her father now has to pay for the two of them to leave town, even though you are supposed to be protecting them. Charlie deserves compensation.”
I sat there with my mouth open, blinking at her. Maven recovered way before I did. “You know, Katia, you’re right. I should have thought of it myself. Lex, can you get me John’s banking information so I can make a deposit?”
“I—uh—sure. Yes,” I sputtered.
When we hung up a moment later, Katia was looking a bit smug. “I didn’t even think of that,” I admitted.
“That is because of how your mind works,” she replied. “You think in terms of service, sacrifice, the greater good. But in the Old World, nobody does anything for free. Maven knows this.”
“Huh,” was all I could say.
I got the banking information, and Katia and I made a quick stop for food; then we spent the rest of the drive brainstorming about Morgan’s possible backup plans. My aunt had led a strange and difficult life—she’d run away from an abusive foster father as a teen, only to become the property of a truly evil vampire pimp named Oskar. Though Katia wasn’t as powerful as I was in many respects, she had a gift for pressing vampires, and her job had been to keep the prostitutes calm and complacent. That sounds bad, and it was, but Katia had thought—or maybe just hoped—she was helping them get through a horrible situation.
Oskar was dead now, and Katia had to deal with not just what she’d done, but the fact that she had spent twenty years out of time, trapped in one of the seedy, barbaric pockets of the Old World. Over the last year she’d worked hard to get her GED and put together some sort of life, but she had a unique perspective on things. She could think like a criminal because she’d spent so long serving one.
“Perhaps Morgan will try to kill Hazel,” was one of her suggestions. “If she makes it look like a vampire kill, surely the witches will ask her to be in charge.”
I shook my head. “It’s a good thought, but a) I’m not sure even Morgan is ready to kill her own mother, and b) her whole plan so far has been built on the message that Hazel’s been corrupted and is in cahoots with Maven. If the witches believe Maven has completely rejected any peace with them, they really will want to leave for Wyoming, and even if she does have the resources, I think Morgan is too arrogant to actually go through with that. She wants what was promised to her: to be witch leader of Colorado.”
Katia considered this for a moment. “You seem to understand her very well,” she remarked. From someone else, this might have been a dig, but I knew Katia meant it as a simple observation. And, a little bit, as a question to me.
“I understand roots,” I replied. “Morgan was born here, and she grew up thinking she’d spend her whole life here, and that she’d eventually inherit a great deal of power.”
“Like you?” Katia asked. “If you hadn’t joined the army?”
I smiled in the darkness. Katia was always curious about the Luthers. She couldn’t quite understand our family dynamic, because she had no frame of reference. “Not really. My family is all here—the Luther part, I mean—but even if I’d gone to college and come back to Boulder, I wouldn’t have taken over Luther Shoes. My dad never expected either of us to want the family business. Morgan, on the other hand, has been told her whole life that clan leader is her birthright.”
“Then why didn’t she wait to inherit the position?”
“Because of me,” I admitted. I didn’t like to think about it, but Morgan herself had told me that Hazel’s decision to allow a boundary witch in her town had been the catalyst for her would-be revolution. “Morgan is of the all boundary witches need to be destroyed school of thinking.”
“Ah,” was all Katia said. She had encountered this attitude plenty of times.
“Still. If it hadn’t been me, something else would probably have set her off,” I added. “I think Morgan’s marriage was falling apart, and her life hadn’t turned out like she thought, and she just kind of snapped.”
There was another moment of silence in the car while we both thought about that. Finally, I shook my head. “I don’t think we’re going to figure out what she’s planning. I might be able to understand Morgan’s reasoning, but she’s also good at being unpredictable.”
Katia tilted her head for a second, reminding me of Sam. “What?” I asked. “What would you do?”
“I would drive back to Wyoming and kill her,” she said quietly. “I know it isn’t how you do things, but she nearly killed you before, and she would have killed innocents tonight. If she is dead, the problem is solved.”
She had hunched her shoulders a little, worried that I would judge her. But I’d had the same thought myself—though I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go through with killing Morgan in cold blood, if for no other reason than because she was my best friends’ sister.
“At this point, I’m not sure Morgan’s death would be the end of things,” I remarked, in a tone that showed I was unoffended by the suggestion. “She’s gotten the witches and werewolves so riled up that killing her would make her look like a martyr. And it’s not what Lily and Simon would want. Besides,” I added, “Maven would have to send someone to Wyoming to do it, and that would break her rules of engagement.”
Katia turned to give me a faint smile. “Always the soldier.”
We crossed the state line again, lapsing into a comfortable silence. A few minutes later, I felt Katia glance at me, and she said guardedly, “And how is Quinn?”
My aunt had nothing against Quinn personally, but she did have plenty of reason to dislike vampires. I had the distinct impression that she didn’t like that I was dating a vampire—but she still made an effort to be polite. “Oh, you know. The same.”
She choked out a little laugh at that, which made me happy. Then I thought about our argument the night before. “I don’t think he’s telling me everything,” I admitted. I knew Katia probably wasn’t the right person for this conversation, but Lily wasn’t available, and I was worried.
“Things about his history?” Katia asked, in the same careful tone.
“No, more like . . . Maven’s orders to him. I think something is going on with Maven, something kind of big. Quinn says he doesn’t know, but . . .” I shrugged. “Sometimes I get paranoid. He’s sworn troth to her, so if Maven really ordered him not to tell me something, he’d have to listen.”
Katia nodded. “That is a tricky situation,” she ventured. “Probably especially tricky for Quinn. Are you certain that he loves you?”
“Yes,” I answered, surprised by the question.
“Then you know that if he could tell you, he would,” she said simply.
“True.”
She eyed me. “Do you think that can be enough for you?”
“I . . . struggle with it,” I confessed. Katia simply nodded, her eyes
back on the road.
“What about you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light. Katia hadn’t dated anyone in the year I’d known her. “Any prospects in Albuquerque?”
I couldn’t resist a quick sideways glance. My aunt looked surprised. “Me? No. There is . . . there was—someone of interest, but . . . no,” she sputtered.
Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow at her. Katia was squirming in her seat, which was entertaining in itself. “Do not ask me, please,” she said. “I had an interest, but it was . . . unrequited. I believe that’s the word.”
“Okay,” I said, but my thoughts were engaged in this interesting new distraction. Katia had a crush? That was so . . . normal of her.
We spent the rest of the drive talking about Charlie and the rest of my Luther family. Katia adored Charlie, and although she found the Luthers a bit sheltered and naive—even for humans—she had enjoyed hanging out with my cousins in the past, and was interested in updates.
As I talked about the people I loved, I found myself really relaxing for the first time since the werewolves had shown up at my door, and I wondered if Katia was doing it on purpose. I decided not to ask.
Chapter 26
Maven owned an apartment building just off Longbow that featured several basement units, including the one where Simon lived. It had started out as sort of his private research lab, but he’d moved in a couple of years earlier, after breaking up with Tracy. I think it was just easier than going through the hassle of finding a new place.
I didn’t have my keys with me, but I saw Quinn’s sedan in the parking lot and knew he’d beaten us there. He buzzed us through the outer door, and I led Katia into the basement hallway, moving slowly. I didn’t expect trouble, but I still had my revolver, and had given Katia my silver knife, just in case.
I knocked gently on the door and Quinn answered it instantly, a smile on his face. The smile twitched a little when he saw me—he’d forgotten about the disguise. “Hey,” he said, and over my shoulder: “Hello, Katia. Thanks for helping Lex tonight.”
“Of course,” she said brusquely, moving past him into the apartment.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Quinn said as I followed my aunt into the apartment.
“Oh?”
Just then, I heard a crash from the kitchen, and my hand flew to my sidearm. Katia had her knife out just as quickly. “No, it’s just—” Quinn began, but then a familiar figure stepped into the doorway.
“Lily!” I cried.
“I dropped a plate,” my friend explained, looking back and forth between the three of us. I had automatically moved forward to hug her, but Lily took a step backward. “Who is this?” she asked Quinn, seeming bewildered.
He laughed.
“It’s me, dummy,” I said, reaching up and jerking the magnetic nose ring and putty off my face. “I’m in disguise for the witch meeting.”
“Oh, Lex!” Looking sheepish, she darted forward to embrace me. When she stepped back, she reached out to touch the tip of one of my pigtails. I made a face. “That is wild,” she marveled.
“Quinn could have warned you I was dressed like this,” I said, cutting my eyes to him.
“But then Quinn would have missed the stunned look on her face,” Quinn said, grinning.
Lily flung out an arm to smack him, but of course he was too fast for her.
Katia was standing with her hands in her jacket pockets. “Hello, Lily,” she said awkwardly. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Kat! Didn’t mean to be rude, I was just kind of thrown.” Lily went over and hugged her, too, which prompted a look of surprise from Katia. Lily was the only one who got away with calling her Kat. It hadn’t occurred to the rest of us to try.
When Lily pulled back, she touched the braid encircling Katia’s head. “I love your hair. Did you do it yourself? Can you teach me?”
Katia actually blushed, and Quinn and I exchanged an amused look. “Yes, and yes,” she mumbled.
“By the way,” Lily said to me, “Simon is pissed that you haven’t been answering the walkie-talkie.”
I actually smacked my head with the palm of one hand, like in a cartoon. I’d been so focused on the witches taking away Simon’s and Lily’s phones, it hadn’t occurred to me that I’d had a way of communicating with the Pellar farm all along. “I’m an idiot.” If I had taken one minute to think it through at any point in the last few days, it should have been obvious. “I’ll grab it next time I stop at the cabin for sure. I don’t suppose you have yours?”
She shook her head, a little embarrassed. “I left in such a hurry, I forgot too. I don’t even have my phone, since it was confiscated.”
“Yeah, about that . . . how are you here?” I asked, checking my watch. “I’m thrilled to see you, but I thought you were still under house arrest.”
Lily’s happy expression fell. “Come on, let’s sit. I just made tea.” She ushered us into the kitchen, where a steaming cup was waiting at her usual spot at the table. We all sat down. “After you called the farm, Simon and I had a talk with Mom.” A look of worry flashed over her face.
“How is Hazel holding up?” I asked.
“She’s putting on a good show of indignation and strength, but she’s my mother. I can tell this has devastated her.” Lily’s eyes filled with tears, which she swiped at distractedly. “Mom has dealt with a lot of shit, but the double blow of having her loyalty questioned and what Morgan’s done . . .” Lily trailed off, not knowing how to finish that thought.
“I’m sorry, Lil,” I said quietly. I couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling.
She gave me a quick nod and went on. “Anyway, Mom snuck me out. They’ll figure it out in the morning when I don’t show up to the meeting, but that’s part of the plan. Mom thought I should distance myself from the witch congress, as a . . . mmm . . .” She paused to take a sip of tea, thinking over the right word. “Well, a plan B, I guess. She’ll tell everyone that I didn’t feel well, but Si will get a rumor out there that I disagreed with how she’s handling this whole mess.”
“So if Morgan convinces everyone to turn against Hazel, they’ll have another option,” I said.
She gave me a tiny smile that held more sadness than mirth. “I don’t like looking like I’m betraying Mom—she hasn’t done anything wrong—but this at least gives us some room to maneuver.”
Her eyes shone with the tears she was fighting. I reached over and covered her hand with mine for a moment. “It was the right call,” I told her.
“That’s what I said,” Quinn added mildly.
Lily patted my hand absently, then raised her mug to her lips again, both hands clutching it like she needed the warmth.
“What is your mother going to say to the other clans tomorrow?” I asked.
“To stay the course, more or less. She’ll tell them the truth about Morgan and the weekend passes, for one thing, and Maven has agreed to restore their apex magic—if they’ll finish out the three years in peace.”
“Well, that’s something,” I said, my hopes lifting a little for the first time since the witches had found out about the weekend pass. It was smart of Maven to make a concession, but I didn’t know if Hazel would be able to convince the others to go for it, after everything that had happened already. “Did Quinn fill you in on everything else?”
Lily nodded, but her expression was troubled. “Yes.”
Something was bothering her, more than just the general situation. “What?” I asked.
She shook her head a little. “I just . . . I can’t believe my sister paid werewolves to kill witches. I know it’s silly to focus on that one small part, given the enormity of the situation, but . . . still.” Her face darkened. “After Dad, and all this baggage between us and the wolves . . . I just can’t believe she’s so far gone.”
“I’m sorry, Lil,” I said, feeling like a broken record. I meant it, though. Lily and I had talked about Morgan’s actions before. She’d been of the opinion that her siste
r was . . . well, maybe not redeemable, but Lily’d felt some sympathy for the combination of fear and rage that had driven Morgan to do what she did. This was something else. Hiring werewolves—probably even the same wolves who had helped Trask—to bring down the clan was well past a line she had never imagined Morgan would be capable of crossing.
“Anyway.” Lily made a quick swipe under her eyes and looked at me. “There’s something else you need to know. You’re thinking Morgan killed those werewolves?”
“Yes. She must have snuck into the state. Maybe an illusion spell?”
Lily was shaking her head. “That’s the thing, Lex. Morgan literally can’t come into Colorado. Tonight Mom told us that when we all got our apex magic back, she went to the four corners of the state and set up a ward, using her own blood. Morgan cannot break the circle.”
I gaped at her. I knew about protection circles, but only around single buildings. “That’s . . . that’s possible? A ward that big?”
My friend wrinkled her nose. “For me? No. Not yet, anyway,” she said wryly. “But my mom’s on another level. She goes back once a year to renew the wards. Remember her trip in September?”
“You said she was going on vacation.”
“Yeah, because that’s what she told Si and me. Mom didn’t want to tell us it was to keep Morgan away. I think . . .” Lily shrugged. “I think she was just too sad that it’s come to this.”
Quinn and I looked at each other. “Well, we know Morgan had at least three accomplices in Wyoming,” I offered. “Maybe she hired those same werewolves to tamper with the car.”
Quinn shook his head. “It’s possible, but I doubt it. When Maven kicked Trask’s people out of the state, she put the fear of God into them. Taking mercenary work in Wyoming is one thing, but I doubt even Trask’s old pack members would cross Maven just for a payday.”
“What about the Cheyenne pack?” Lily asked. “Could one of them have snuck into the state?”
“It’s possible,” I admitted. “I looked through the information she collected on the pack, but nothing really jumped out at me. That’s why Maven wants us to find Mary and Keith. Hopefully they’ll have a way to get in touch with the rest of the pack, and we can start eliminating suspects.”
Boundary Broken (Boundary Magic Book 4) Page 17
