Chapter 16 Standoff
SIXTEEN
Standoff
He let the door close on a nod. “She wants to talk to you, but your wards seem to be keeping her out. I don’t think you should. If you insist on being stubborn, though, I’ll go with you.”
I was about to tell him to stay here and watch my family, but he was right. He was my security, and I’d promised Declan I’d be safer. “Okay. Hang back, though.”
Carter squinted at me. “You agreed to that faster than I thought you would. I had a whole argument ready.”
I patted his arm. “Save it for next time. I promised Declan I’d be more careful, and I’m trying.” I leaned in and whispered, “Pregnant.”
Brow furrowed, he sniffed and shook his head. “I should have caught that.” Glaring at my hair, he added, “It’s all the stuff you put in there. It covers your scent.”
“Okay, but look at it.” My hair was a mélange of colors in long curls to my waist. “Totally worth it, right?”
He shook his head but gave me a quick smile before putting on his snarly expression. “Let’s go, but don’t get too close to her. She smells weird.”
“That weird smell is black magic.”
He put his arm out, blocking me from the door. “Why the hell are you going out there then?”
“Her grandson is the one who poisoned the food here. Her granddaughter tried to curse me last night.”
His expression turned furious.
I patted his arm again. “They think I’m half human and a magical dud. She’s expecting to ensnare me. If nothing else, this should be entertaining.”
Shaking his head, he opened the door for me. “I want to go on record as hating this idea, especially if your Alpha boyfriend has a problem with it.”
“I don’t get why everyone is afraid of him. He’s a sweetheart.”
“You’ve clearly never seen him tear a body apart,” he grumbled.
I had, actually, as much as he would have wished I hadn’t. I also knew they had it coming. Clearly, I was the one they should all be afraid of.
Catherine Swan waited near the bottom of the steps to the porch that ran in front of the gallery. I went to the top of the stairs, with Carter hanging back near the door.
“Hello. I was told you wanted to speak with me. I’m afraid I’m not giving any interviews today.” I gave her my fakest, most condescending smile and watched her turn red. Carter huffed a quiet laugh behind me.
Standing straight, her shoulders back, she forced a chuckle. “No, no. I’m not a reporter. I’m Catherine Swan.” She emphasized her last name, her gaze darting to Carter.
I had no idea if she’d picked up on him being a shifter or if she only knew he wasn’t a wicche.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” I was doing nothing to help move this conversation along.
Frustration flitted across her features before she smiled again. “I was a good friend of your grandmother’s.”
I laughed at that. “Um, no.”
“Yes,” she said, ignoring my tone. “Mary and I were old friends. We worked together quite a lot over the years.”
“Oh, honey.” I looked up and down the road. “Is there someone here with you? I don’t think you should be out on your own.” I glanced over my shoulder at Carter. “Maybe we should call her people to come get her. I think she wandered away.”
If looks could kill, I’d be dead on the spot. Her right hand fisted at her side.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” I whispered, staring straight into her eyes.
Blinking, she recovered her facade of superiority, trying desperately to look down on me while I stood a few feet above her.
She waved me forward, her hand sporting an ugly, antique ring.
I went down two steps, still within my wards. “Yes?”
She gestured me forward again, her annoyance coming through. “I need to discuss my grandson with you.”
I stayed where I was. “The grandson who tried to poison my customers? That one? Not the granddaughter who tried—and failed—to unwind my wards or to curse my home last night? Not that one?”
Her face turned to stone as her right hand with the ring began to move. “You will call the police and tell them that you were mistaken and you’re dropping all charges,” she hissed.
I felt the spell try to bore through my ward, but it was like trying to knock down a six-inch thick steel door with a fist.
“That was cute.” I smirked. “A Swan thinking she can curse a Corey.”
“Catherine?” Bracken shuffled around the corner of the building. He was outside the ward, which made me a little nervous. “My goodness, it has been a long time, hasn’t it. Look at us with our gray hair.”
She gave me an evil grin before holding out her hand and clasping his. “You need to help me convince this girl to have my grandson released. He never poisoned anyone or anything. Do you understand me?” she sneered, both of her hands wrapped around his.
He smiled genially. “You said that quite clearly, so I do indeed understand. It’s an interesting thought. I’m the one who found the poison, though, so it would be odd for me to deny its existence.”
Her eyes went wide as she tried and failed to pull away from him.
“More interesting to me, though, is how you stole our family grimoire when we were children. How did you do that?”
Her face went rigid. “I. Did. Nothing.” Her face smoothed, the fight dead in her. “I went over to your house after school, pretended to go to the bathroom while you found us snacks, then slipped it into my backpack. I said I had a stomachache and left with it.”
“Ah.” He patted her hands and let go. “Of course.”
She stepped back, her gaze flicking between Bracken and me. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
I sat on the top step and patted the spot next to me for Bracken. “We do, though.”
Bracken sat beside me and nodded. “You’re a nasty piece of work with limited magic, even when you try to use relics like that ring on your finger.
” His voice exuded concern. “It saddens me that you’ve taught your children and grandchildren to envy and hate as you do.
And for what? You could have left us alone and your grandson would still be safe and sound at home.
Your jealousy has poisoned your family, as your grandson poisoned our food. ”
He sighed. “I wish, rather than believe, that you’ll leave here, mend your ways, and take care of your own. That really is the best course of action for you.” He patted my knee. “You don’t want to mess with this one.”
I gave her a serial killer smile, all teeth and dead eyes. “You really don’t.” I shooed her away. “Move along now. You’re loitering.” I brought up a wind that nearly knocked her down.
With a final glare, she hurried back to her car, a car that looked suspiciously like the one that had picked up her granddaughter last night.
She raced into traffic, nearly causing an accident.
Bracken stood, giving me his hand. “She’s not done.”
“No way,” Carter said. “That old bitch won’t be happy until you’re both dead.”
Bracken nodded sadly. “Pity she’ll have a lifetime of frustration ahead of her.”
A few people, one of whom was holding a gallery shopping bag, came out the front door. We smiled and nodded as they passed.
“Thank you for helping,” I murmured to Bracken, knowing he’d hear me.
“Anytime, my dear. You know that.”
“And thank you for relieving Hester’s fears,” I added. I patted Carter’s back in thanks as we left him at his post near the door.
“It’s understandable,” he said. “She has very little innate magic but more heart than most wicches. I can think of quite a few wicches who’d be much better off if they had a little less power and a little more compassion.”
“Like us?” I asked.
He shook his head. “We need our magic to keep all the rest in line.”
I laughed. “Oh, good. Hester kept your tea and muffin ready for you.”
He nodded. “Kind woman.”
The day had been busy without being crazy. We were starting our closing procedures when my mom walked in. Declan was already here, keeping me company.
“There you are, darling,” she said, making a beeline for me. “Faith, dear?” She waved her over to us.
When Faith stepped up, Declan handed her one of the cookies he’d picked up from my studio. She grinned, biting into it.
“I heard from Malcolm Howe. He’s on the Panel of Five,” Mom whispered. “We’ve been invited to the upcoming Wicches’ Council meeting. It’s in San Francisco next week.”
“Great,” I said. “Good job, Mom.”
“It won’t only be us, though.” She glanced around the gallery that was emptying of customers as Carter walked around, letting people know we were closing. “They’ve summoned Bracken. It seems Catherine Swan has accused him of black magic.”
“You have got to be shitting me,” I said.
“Language, darling, and no.”
Faith looked like she was going to laugh out loud but caught herself. Yes. Even at twenty-eight, I was being reprimanded for swearing.
“And,” Mom continued, “she’s named you as a witness.” She looked ready to spit fire.
I leaned on Declan. “She came here intending to put me in her thrall and get me to recant, so her homicidal grandson can get out of jail.”
Carter closed the door after the last customer and then he, Frank, and Hester joined our group.
“She tried to—” Mom looked like she was going to explode.
“Wait until she tells you about last night,” Declan said.
I went over everything last night and earlier today for all assembled.
“She used black magic on you and Bracken and when it didn’t work, she accused him,” Mom said. She was past seething and was now calculating. “She has no idea who she’s dealing with, does she?”
I shook my head. “I told you, Mom. Too many people—some who should absolutely know better—think Gran had all the power and you were her assistant. The Swans think I was hidden because I’m a powerless embarrassment.
” I shrugged. “I saw it in her eyes. She was positive she was going to enthrall me. There was even some pity there that we were going to be so easy to manipulate. She can come for me all day, but I don’t want her focused on Bracken. ”
“Nonsense,” he said as he walked in the back door of the gallery.
“Though I appreciate your concern.” He glanced at our group.
“As you probably already know, I received a call from the Wicches’ Council to inform me that Catherine Swan has filed formal charges against me for using black magic on her. ”
Mom nodded. “I was just telling Arwyn and Faith. Next week in San Francisco.”
“So I hear.” Bracken patted his pockets. “This is certainly one way to get back into the Wicches’ Council. Not the way I would have chosen.”
“We’ll come up with a strategy,” Mom said. “We’ll all think about how best to approach this. Can we all meet again to discuss?”
Declan nodded. “Monday. Come to our home. We’ll host.”
I looked up at him. “We don’t have a dining table yet.”
“That gives me a day and a half.” He winked. “No problem.”
There was a knock on the front door.
Frank went to answer it. “That’s probably our mom.”
“Wait,” Bracken called, catching up with him at the door. “I’m sure you’re right, son, but we have black wicches about.” He opened the door and smiled. “Elizabeth, so lovely to see you again.”
“Hey, Mom,” Frank said.
Elizabeth took in the tense atmosphere and asked, “What happened?”
Faith went to her and gave her a hug. “We’ll explain in the car. Is it okay if we go to Arwyn and Declan’s new place Monday for dinner?”
“You and Robert are, of course, invited,” Mom added. “It will be a strategy session.”
Elizabeth looked between her two children and their very serious expressions, saying, “Of course we’ll be there.”
I was struck with a strange foreboding that had me clutching the pearl around my neck.
“Aunt Elizabeth?” I moved away from Declan.
I needed this message to be clear. Closing my eyes, I let out a long breath.
“This isn’t a vision,” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s a feeling, a premonition, maybe.” I opened my eyes, studying both Frank and Faith.
As I moved closer, I saw fear jump into Elizabeth’s eyes.
“What is it?” she begged. “What do you see?”
I stood in front of Faith and waited. Nothing. I moved to her brother and pain flared in the side of my head.
He caught my wince. “It’s me, huh?” he whispered.
I nodded.