Liam got to his feet. “Maroulla’s on her way.”
“That’s Katerina?” Naomi asked.
“Yep.”
“That’s her texting me, too. Okay.” She took a deep breath, and rose to her feet. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter10
Naomi gulpedas the car drew to a stop outside the inn. She found she was twisting her hands together, and forced herself to stop the movement. She couldn’t help clasping them tightly before her, however.
The driver, a young man about her own age, got out and hurried around to the passenger side, opening the door. Naomi felt her jaw drop, and she couldn’t help staring. The woman who emerged from the car was nothing like she had envisioned. She’d thought Maroulla would be — well, she didn’t know, but she hadn’t expected a tiny elderly lady with weathered skin, snapping black eyes behind a pair of large dark-rimmed glasses, and a shock of waving silvery white hair that stood out against her deep olive skin and fierce black eyebrows.
Naomi found her hand taken in a cool clasp, the older lady smiling at her. “You must be Naomi. I’m Maroulla, the Northeastern Warden.”
“Y-yes, I am,” she stammered, trying to pull herself together. “I’m so sorry, I only know a little, just what Liam has told me, of… of Wards, and the Council.”
“Not to worry, I understand.” Maroulla patted her hand. “That’s one of the first things we want to address, but let’s go inside and have a seat, shall we?”
Naomi found herself being inexorably led up the steps and into the inn. She glanced back over her shoulder at Liam, and he just grinned and shrugged. She was on her own.
Maroulla chose a comfortable armchair situated by the front window, separated by a small table with a lamp. She took her seat in one, waving Naomi to the small sofa facing her.
“Now then,” she said once Naomi had settled. “Liam explained to you that we’d like you to stay in the area for now?”
“Yes, and I don’t have a problem with that. To be honest, I chose New York City because it seemed to be far enough away from Florida, not because I had any attachment to living there. It was a little more crowded and noisy than I was comfortable with,” she admitted. “But it was far away from my family. I certainly didn’t know my Aunt Beatrice had made her way up here, she was in Florida when I left. And if I’d known,” she continued, unable to suppress a shudder, “I’d have picked up and fled the city, and gone West or something.”
Maroulla pursed her lips together. “Yes, about that. Ever since Liam told me your situation, it’s occurred to me that perhaps Beatrice came to New York seeking you? Is that something she, or another in your family, would have done?”
“Yes,” Naomi admitted bitterly. “It’s exactly something they’d have done. They hated that Beth and I wouldn’t fall in with their lifestyle of… of…” She threw her hands in the air. “I don’t even know what to call it! Pursuing men with the aim of getting pregnant and then killing them. What theactualfuck?”
Her hands flew to her mouth, and she flinched, looking apologetically at Maroulla. “Sorry. Language.”
“Not to worry. I’d probably curse, too, if I was in your situation.”
“The thing is, they wanted us all to be in on it. They never stopped pushing us… my sister Beth more than me. We both kept our heads down and tried to avoid them, but Beth was more gentle, she hated conflict. She’d just kind of…” Naomi made a sliding motion with her hand to demonstrate, “slip away from any argument or confrontation. We were both scared of our mother and aunt.”
She shivered a little. “Beth and I were always close. We shared a bedroom at home all our lives. It was the two of us against the rest of the family, you know? We used to talk about it, late at night, in whispers.” Sadness descended on her like a cloud. “I still can’t believe that Beth, of all people, would have… have done that. Become Rogue. If I hadn’t been there when she came home, covered in blood, Iwouldn’thave believed it. She was remorseful, and crying, but that’s when I knew I had to get away. That if I stayed, I’d be in danger of being turned tothatas well.”
“I see.”
A silence fell, as Maroulla was apparently deep in thought. After a few minutes, Naomi stirred.
“Can I get you something from the dining room? Coffee, perhaps, or tea?”
“Coffee would be nice, thank you,” Maroulla responded. “Cream and sugar, please.”
Naomi brought cups of coffee for both of them, placing the cups, along with the packets of sugar and creamer and stirrers, on the table between them.
“Thank you, Naomi.”
Maroulla prepared her coffee to her liking, and sipped it carefully.
“Now,” she said brusquely. “I’m assuming that, like all young people, you have a laptop as well?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Puzzled, Naomi wondered where this was going. “But it’s in New York, in my car with all my other things. I’m been planning to go get them as soon as I can.”
Maroulla nodded. “Very well. You’ll need your laptop. I’m arranging for a tutor for you, to teach you those things about shapeshifters, and Others in general, that you should have been taught by your parents. Since we don’t know exactly what it is that you have been taught, it seems best that we start with the basics and build on that.”
