Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
“Well,” Mom demanded, cutting a fierce figure as she loomed above Sirena.
The siren, however, was less impressed. “Sit down, Cliona. You’re hovering like a grandmother.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed. “One day, Sirena, pow, right in the vagina.”
Moira let out a loud laugh.
The Siren clicked her tongue. “Might want to try a different area. That thing can take a licking and keep on ticking. Plus, it’s my moneymaker.”
“Ugh, gross.” I held up a hand. “Can we steer the topic of conversations away from vaginas, please?”
“Your mom started it,” Sirena said with a glitter in her eyes.
“I’m stopping it. Why did you text Moira?”
Sirena sipped her booze and sighed. “I know all of you can feel the blight on our land.”
We all nodded.
“Our current Lord is powerless to stop the spell. He has refused all offers of help and rumor has it, he’s sequestered in his Keep bringing in experts of all manner to assist.”
“But none are helping,” Moira assumed.
“Exactly. I don’t know how much any of you know about Sirens, but we have an affinity with water.
With that comes some handy gifts. Sound is vibration.
Sometimes I catch snippets of conversation that happen around water.
I’m limited, distance wise, but if I’m close enough and receptive, I will sometimes pick up things that are meant to be private. ”
Note to self. Do not have any conversations near water if Sirena is in a fifty-mile radius.
No one said a word. Sirena smirked and continued. “You are looking for a female goddess.”
No one was really surprised by that. We already suspected. Mom rolled her eyes. “We know.”
Sirena nodded. “Thought you might. You’re also looking for a female witch.”
Mom and Moira exchanged a look.
“Is that all?” I demanded. I suspected that too. “This wasn’t worth coming all the way to Joy Springs.”
Sirena speared me with those vibrant eyes. Magic glittered in the glowing depths. “That witch is well-known to you.”
Dread pooled in my stomach. I only knew a few witches, one who would never betray me, leaving only—
“Marnie. Perhaps her sister Twyla as well, though she was not mentioned.” Sirena settled back against the chair and watched us.
Mom swore. “The one time I find the best soup in all the realms and now I can’t frequent her shop anymore because she’s a lying bitch!”
Moira closed her eyes and slumped against the wall. “Shit,” she breathed. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Sirena said. “Evie’s stunt in the town square shocked everyone, but those two especially.
They are from the old school of witches, those who remember how dangerous and powerful Chimeras are.
You’d do well to do a thorough check of your belongings when you return home.
If you haven’t already looked through everything, I would search for charms or bags, anything that might not belong.
They were aggrieved when you revealed what you are. ”
Mom was staring hard at the siren, close to mean mugging her. “Why are you being so helpful?”
Sirena smirked. “Ever the suspicious one, Cliona.”
But Mom wasn’t letting her deflect. She crossed her arms and waited.
The siren clicked her tongue. “Fine. Since Evie’s absence, it has become glaringly obvious that our Lord might not be powerful enough to protect us from what is coming.
The shifters are less sensitive to magical disruption, but those of us with fae blood feel the poison seeping through the land.
Most of the magic is centered on Keep property, which is odd, but none of us want to wait around to see if we remain unscathed.
Something is happening, and Caelan is completely unprepared and refuses to accept your help. ”
My eyes narrowed at her knowledge, but Sirena scoffed.
“We talk, Evie. All of us know you tried more than once to help him. We also know he refused every time. When his lack of concern became apparent, our people started to move away. Others are thinking about it. The business owners are the ones who are stuck because we’ve made our lives here.
I’m a little more flexible than the rest, but I like it in Joy Springs.
” Her eyes flickered. “My kind are not always welcome. I’ve never felt less in this place. ”
I digested her words, empathy rolling through me for her, something I thought would never happen. “Where is everyone going?”
She shrugged. “Some have gone back to the fae lands. Others have asked for sanctuary in other Lord’s territories.
I have not decided where to go yet. My hope is to stay here, but Caelan’s rule is on shaky ground.
I need to be in a territory with a strong Lord.
Such is the nature of my kind.” A thin smile before she looked down at her hands.
My eyes met Mom’s with the slightest hint of softening in them toward Sirena.
But the siren wasn’t off the hook and wouldn’t be unless her information proved reliable.
Marnie was the last person I’d suspect of performing magic so anathema to the world.
She and her sister were Hedgewitches, paranormals who worked hand in hand with the earth to nurture all its bounties.
Magic like the one poisoning the grounds seemed out of character for her.
“How good is Marnie with glamours?” Moira asked.
“Decent, but if you catch her inside the restaurant, you’ve got a better chance of escaping her notice. Too many magical signatures in there to filter much out.”
I looked to Mom for confirmation, who nodded. “But is that where she’d cast such a dark spell?” I asked.
Sirena chewed on her bottom lip. “I’d lean yes. She wouldn’t want that sort of darkness seeping into her home.”
“Wouldn’t her customers sense a spell like that?” Moira asked. “Magic seeps into everything and leaves a trace behind. But the magic she’s doing would leave more than a mark. Her more sensitive customers would know.”
“She has a workshop out back,” Sirena said.
Moira and I exchanged a look. A dark chuckle slipped from Mom’s lips.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Moira asked.
“How bad do you want that soup?” I asked Mom.
We grinned at each other.
I sent Rowan a text as Mom adjusted our glamours to include putting us in darker clothing so Moira could slip into the back while we distracted Moira inside. Twyla was the wildcard, but we’d figure out a way to get her out of the back to let Moira snoop around.
I didn’t want to tell Rowan where we were—plausible deniability and all that. My message was short and to the point.
Safe. With Mom and Moira. Sorry I didn’t tell you before. Spur of the moment. Looking into some leads on the project we’re working on.
Hopefully he’d realize what I meant.
His response came back almost immediately. Thanks for letting me know. Hope told me to play it cool and not text you like a nagging wife.
I smiled. Text me anytime you want.
Dangerous words. You’re going to create a monster.
I like monsters.
Moira snorted. “Quit texting your boyfriend and get your shoes on.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said hotly, though my cheeks were burning.
“Yeah, yeah. He’s more.” She rolled her eyes and tossed me one of mom’s illegal cigarettes. “Stow that, so if one of us gets busted, it won’t be a felony.”
I snatched the offending thing from the air and tucked it into my bra. “Mom has no respect for the criminal justice system.”
Mom scoffed. “Mood altering substances have been part of the world since the dawn of time. It’s stupid to prosecute over them. Put the murderers and rapists away. Leave the herb smokers alone.”
“Here, Here,” Sirena said. Her eyes held a curious light. “Do those actually work for people like us?”
Mom grinned. “You get us what we need, siren, and I’ll share our stash. Help us get in and get out without raising the alarm, and we’ll come back here and show you exactly how well they work.”
Sirena stared at Mom for a long moment. “You know what?” she mused. “Why the hell not? It’s been a long time since I’ve engaged in mischief for mischief’s sake.”
Mom and Sirena discussed a plan while Moira and I had another drink.
When they finished, we had a shaky but viable plan.
Moira would do most of the heavy lifting.
She was faster and sneakier and had a resistance to magic stronger than most. Mom, Sirena, and I would serve as the distraction.
Mom and I would go for Marnie, and Sirena would ensure Twyla stayed out of Moira’s hair.
As plans went, this one was not the best, but we had Mom with us. Until I learned how to transport people, she’d get us out in a hurry if we needed to make a quick exit.
I took Moira’s hand. “All we need is evidence to implicate Moira and Twyla. Find it, grab pictures if you need to, then get the hell out of there.”
Moira squeezed my fingers. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m looking for. If she has anything there, I’ll find it.”
“There has to be,” Mom said. “A spell like this has to be renewed. Otherwise, the energy would run out and become stagnant. She has to feed the power on a regular basis.”
Sirena’s attention sharpened. “You think she’s using sacrifices?”
Mom’s expression was somber. “If I had to guess. Something this damaging requires a stronger source of energy than anything herbal can provide.”
My heart sank. “Marnie corrupted herself over her own prejudice. All those years of good work only for it to end like this.”
“Her own fault,” Moira said. “She’s known you for years. If you were evil, she would have known. Her magic is too sensitive not to. The woman helped you multiple times.” Moira shook her head. “I don’t understand her thought process. Does she think you all of a sudden became evil?”
“Little is known about Chimeras,” Sirena said.
“Humans are not the only ones prone to hate things they do not understand. Marnie is old enough to remember when Chimeras last walked the world.” A thin smile.
“As am I. Just like bad people, there are bad Chimeras. Evie has been among us long enough for us to see the difference.”