CHAPTER TWELVE
The Vampire and I stared at each other for a long moment. Me with a surprised frown and her with a knowing smile.
“How long have you been here?” I finally asked, reaching for my cola.
“Since last night,” Nadia said, helping herself to one of my fries.
The cola paused on route to my mouth. “Dare I ask where you were that whole time?”
“Hanging by my toes like a bat from the rafters in your attic,” she said blandly.
I couldn’t help my snort of laughter that followed. “Yeah okay. I walked right into that.”
“Actually, I did spend a fair bit of time crouching in the branches of your neighbor’s trees today watching over you as you worked in the yard.” She pointed over to Kathleen’s yard and her huge Florida maple.
“Please be careful,” I said. “My neighbor is a retired police officer. He is habitually armed.”
Nadia smiled. “It’s very kind that you are worried for my safety, Magistra. But a bullet wouldn’t kill me.”
“Am I to assume that you’re going to be with me all the time? Even at the bookstore?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. I will be discreet.”
“What will I tell my employees, and my friends Kate and Circe?” I wondered out loud.
Nadia nodded. “I find the simple truth often works best.”
“Then I suppose I’ll tell them that you are our new store security.” I blew out a long breath. “Damn it.”
“If it helps, think of me as an insurance policy for your friends and employees. I won’t allow anything to happen to you—or to them.”
Her voice was quiet and sincere. If the Olarescus had sent her to me, then there was likely a good reason for it. And if it kept the ones I loved safe, then all the better.
“Thank you, Nadia,” I said.
She nodded. “You are welcome, Magistra.”
“We can go inside if you need to,” I said. “Because if you’re going to be here at the house, you might at least be comfortable.” Deliberately I glanced out over into the sunny yard. “Will the direct sunlight cause you any problems?”
“I’m only sixty years old,” Nadia explained. “Sunlight is mildly uncomfortable for me. The long sleeves and sunglasses help.”
“Okay,” I said. Then I scowled as she helped herself to the last of my fries.
“Problem?” she asked.
“Um, well yeah, you just snitched the last of my fries.”
“I only ate three.”
I laughed. “I need a bath. I’m sweaty.”
“Yes, you are,” Nadia agreed.
I stood and gathered the remnants of my lunch. “You’re more than welcome to come inside and sit in the living room if you want.”
“Lovely.” Nadia smiled. “Wait here for a moment please.” Then she moved so quickly that she basically disappeared. A few seconds later she was back, standing at my door and holding it open for me. “All clear, Magistra,” she announced.
“Thank you, Nadia,” I said as I walked inside. “And please, call me Lorna.”
“Very well, Lorna.” Nadia inclined her head and shut and then locked the door behind us both. With that, my new bodyguard sauntered into my living room, sat on the couch, and made herself comfortable.
***
I returned to New Moon Books the next day and Nadia came along, staying discreetly in the background. Kathleen accepted the explanation of security, but Kate, Circe, and Dex, however, took one look at Nadia and immediately knew what her Supe status was.
Hooray for friends that are Witches and post-cog psychics.
While Kathleen was busy booting up the computer’s point of sales program for the day and well out of earshot, Circe eyeballed the Vampire. Nadia sat in a reading chair across the sales floor and was currently flipping through a glossy coffee-table style book on gardening.
“Well, there’s something you don’t see everyday,” Circe whispered. “A Vampire reading a book about cottage garden flowers.”
“Circe!” Kate elbowed her cousin firmly in the side. “Don’t be rude.”
“I’m not.” Circe elbowed Kate right back. “It’s sort of cool. I mean, I can count the number of times on one hand I’ve seen a Vampire or even a Lycan in any of our shops since we opened a couple of years ago.”
“Is her presence related to your position as Magistra?” Kate asked me, wisely keeping her voice down.
“Yes, it is,” I said.
Circe exchanged looks with her cousin before returning her focus to me. “And this new development—the security—is a result of your recent trip out of town?”
“Correct.”
Dex gave me a long steady look. “And I get the feeling that we would all be better off—safer—by not asking about or knowing any of the finer details.”
I nodded in agreement. “Exactly.”
Dex ran a supportive hand down my arm. “I trust that you’ll tell us all more, if and when it is safe to do so.”
“Thank you, Dex,” I said.
Kate tucked her hands into the pockets of her dress. “So, it’s probably a good idea to work more protection magick and strengthen the wards around all three of our shops?”
“I’d recommend red verbena, rowan leaves and St. John’s wort for any herbal spells,” I said, keeping direct eye contact with Kate as I spoke.
“Shit.” Circe hissed the word under her breath. “And add in iron while we are at it?”
I nodded. “Y’all can never be too careful.”
Kate and Circe exchanged looks. Then Kate gave me a nod. “I’m going to get to work on that, right now. I’ll also make sachets for each of us to keep on our person, including Taylor, Toni and Kathleen.”
“I’ll come and give you a hand,” Circe said, following her cousin.
I watched as my retail neighbors went back to Kate’s shop. “That conversation went better than I expected,” I whispered to Dex.
“Lorna,” Dex began, “you know that we’ve all got your back.”
“Yes, I do,” I murmured, glancing at the clock on the wall and then spoke in a regular volume. “We open in ten minutes.”
“Then let’s get to work,” he said, loud enough for Kathleen to hear. “It’s the release day for that popular romance author.”
“Right,” I said, remembering. “The spicy one that Kathleen recommended.”
“I’m going to go bring the release day poster up and put it on the door!” She smiled and then hustled to the back room to retrieve it.
“We’ve also got a big list of holds for the title in the back room,” Dex said. “I’ll go and bring them to the front desk. I would imagine the customers will all be in before noon to get them.”
“We’ll be busy then,” I said. “Good.”
True to her word Nadia was very discreet.
For the most part the customers paid her little to no attention.
I hoped that wasn’t due to any enthrallment from the Vampire.
Kathleen was curious about her but was her usual friendly self.
The next time Kathleen came over to visit at home, she asked if Nadia was going to join us on the porch for our weekly wine and snacks.
To my surprise Nadia did join us, and Kathleen brought a stack of paranormal romances from her leopard print book bag and passed them along to the Vampire to read.
“Why thank you, Kathleen.” Nadia seemed to be touched at the gesture.
A week had passed and I had still not seen Charles. He had texted me a few days after we returned from the hollow, to check in and assure me that he had indeed destroyed the grimoire, but other than that, there’d been no other communication.
I imagined he was busy with his own life, his daughter, and with his real estate business, as well as running the lodge.
It’s not like I expected him to rush over and see me.
Yet in a way, I suppose that I had. At least I’d hoped he would.
The truth was we’d been pushed together over the stolen grimoire in a sort of wartime intimacy.
Only a fool would think there would be more… or anything meaningful afterward.
As much as I hated to admit it, I was afraid I was very much that fool.
I had thought there was a bit of a connection there. Or that we’d been building toward one.
But when two weeks passed, I started to feel more than a little miffed by the radio silence. I damn near asked Nadia if she’d heard from Charles, but I managed to restrain myself. It certainly appeared that he and I were back to where we started.
He was uptown in a world of penthouses, sky rises and expensive homes, and of course the formality of his lodge of ceremonialists. While I lived on the south side in an old neighborhood, and was the head Witch of my community, running and owning my independent book shop in Five Points South.
The truth was we were worlds apart, and despite working together for the good of both our communities and the Supernatural community at large, there was no real reason to see each other any longer.
***
I was busy refilling the central display table, restocking the newest releases and best sellers.
We’d had a nice flow of traffic that day and I was wearing the same skater dress I had worn when I met with the Olarescus—sans the sweater.
The black patterned dress was unabashedly witchy, plus it was cool and comfortable.
To cheer myself, I’d worked my hair into a half updo and done my makeup in dark smoky shades.
I’d deliberately chosen my witchy outfit and hairstyle in an effort to feel empowered and to stop moping over Charles.
The door to the shop opened with a tinkle of bells and I glanced over to greet whoever had entered.
A gorgeous family strolled in together. The male was tall, blonde and poetically handsome and the female stunning, with long copper hair that swung down the back of a deep blue summer dress.
Their son was held by his father—a blonde boy, laughing and full of mischief.
“Lorna!” Ruby Prentiss-Dragos rushed to me and gave me a hug in greeting. From over her shoulder, I smiled at Damien and Ruby released me in time for Xander to throw himself into my arms.
“Hi, Lorna!” Xander wrapped his arms tightly around my neck.
“What are you three doing here?” I asked, grinning at the trio.
Ruby raised her eyebrows. “Would you believe we were in the neighborhood?”
I hitched Xander up on my hip. “Welcome to Birmingham. This is a wonderful surprise!”