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"We could come back," the leader said.
"Gosh, could you? That'd be so great. How about next Monday? Say, eight o'clock?"
I grabbed the robes and passed them out, nearly tripping in my haste. Soon the Wiccans were dressed and heading for the side gate.
&nbs
p; "Um, actually, you know, you should go out the back," I said. "Through the woods. It's a great walk. There's lots of, uh ... nature."
The leader nodded and smiled. "Sounds lovely. We'll do that. Oh, wait." She reached into the folds of her robe and passed me a card. "My cell phone number and E-mail address, should you care to contact me before Monday."
"Uh, right. Thanks."
I unlatched the gate leading into the woods and held it as they filed through. As the last one was leaving, a figure brushed past them and caught the gate before it closed. Leah stepped through, twisting to watch the Wiccans go.
"Nice friends," she said. "Witches, I presume?"
"Piss off."
"Oww, getting testy, I see. Rough week?"
"What do you want?"
"I came to"--she snatched a twig from the ground and brandished it--"challenge you to a duel. No, wait. That's not it. I came to talk, though a duel would be kind of fun, don't you think?"
"Get off my property."
"Or you'll--" She glanced over my shoulder and stopped. "Oh, look who's still here. The baby Cortez."
Cortez stepped up beside me. "This is inappropriate, Leah."
She laughed. "Oh, I like that. Inappropriate. Not surprising, rude, foolhardy. No, it's inappropriate. He has such a way with words, don't you think?"
"You understand me perfectly well," Cortez said.
"Yes, I do, but perhaps we should explain, for the benefit of our non-Cabal friend. What Lucas means is that my presence here, unaccompanied by Gabriel Sandford, the sorcerer and, therefore, the project leader, is a direct violation of Cabal rules of engagement." She grinned. "There, I almost sound like him, don't I? Between you and me, Paige, these guys have way too many rules. So, Lucas, does your daddy know you're here?"
"If he doesn't, I'm quite certain he'll learn of it. Though, as you're well aware, that will hardly impact the situation."
Leah turned to me. "In English, that means Daddy Cortez doesn't give a damn ... so long as his darling baby boy doesn't get hurt. If you think I'm nuts, you should meet his family." She twirled a finger beside her head. "Certifiable. This one runs around acting like he's the last of the Knights Templar. And what does Daddy do about it? Brags about him. The kid ruins profitable business ventures, even for his own family, and Daddy couldn't be prouder. Then there's his stepmother ... Can you call someone your stepmother when she was married to your father both before and after you were conceived?" Leah leaned toward me and said in a stage whisper, "Born on the wrong side of the sheets, this one."
"I believe the technical term is bastard," Cortez said. "Now, if you're quite done--"
"What's the bounty up to now, Lucas?"
"I'm asking you to leave."
"Humor me. What is it? One million? Two? I could really use that kind of cash."
"I'm sure you could. Now--"
"Does Paige know about the bounty? I bet she doesn't. I bet you neglected to mention that tidbit, like you probably neglected to mention the reason for it. Here's a tip, Paige. If you ever want to make a fortune, have a talk with Delores Cortez. Or one of Lucas's brothers. They're all willing to pay very well to get rid of him. Can you guess why?"
"Because my father has named me as his heir," Cortez said. "A political ploy, as you well know, Leah, so please stop trying to make trouble. I'm sure Paige could care less about my personal situation."
"You don't think she'd have a problem being indebted to a future Cabal leader?"
"I'm sure she's aware that such a coronation will never take place. Even if my father insists on pursuing his course, I have no interest in the position."
