“Could you please drop it, already? You’ve made your opinion known, as have I. Can’t we please move on? Why do you insist on trying to direct my life?”
“You don’t take your magical talent seriously enough.”
“That’s not true. I mean... that might have been true when I first arrived. But things are different now.”
“You’ve gained power, to be sure. And that’s no small thing. But you’re still not ready. Take this shoe box, for instance. Why haven’t you opened it?”
I had no answer to that.
“Because you’re protecting yourself—that’s why,” Aidan continued. “You haven’t wanted to deal with your past, Lily, and it’s coming back to bite you, the way unsettled pasts tend to do. And now, instead of focusing on developing and controlling your powers, you’re rushing into marriage with a man you barely know.”
“That’s not true! Ihavebeen working on my powers, and I know Sailor very well.”
“Is that right? You asked me my middle name when you arrived tonight. Do you knowSailor’smiddle name?”
“I’ll get it off the marriage license. Anyway, I know him in the ways that count.”
“You don’t know him at all,” Aidan said, an uncharacteristic note of anger in his voice. “Let me ask you this: What about children?”
“What about them?”
“Do you want them? Does he? The only thing that will bring a powerful witch down faster than falling in love is becoming a mother. Children will make you vulnerable, Lily, dangerously so. It’s one thing to go upagainst demonic forces when your own life is at risk. Imagine risking the life of your child.”
“I don’t think—”
I cut myself off when Noctemus leapt down from her perch on the bookshelf, meowing loudly and heading for the door. A moment later there was a soft rapping. Aidan went to answer the door, opening it just a crack. I heard him talking softly to Clarinda.
“Call Maya,” Aidan said, closing the door. He took a cell phone from his breast pocket and held it out to me.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Maya left a message that you need to call her. That’s all I know.”
“I didn’t know you have a cell phone,” I commented, taking the phone.
“Everyone has a cell phone.”
“Not me.”
He shook his head and gave me a rueful smile.
“And if you have a cell phone, why don’t I have your number?”
“Make the call, Lily.”
My fingers shook slightly as I dialed. If Maya had tracked me down at the wax museum, it must be important.
“Maya? What’s wrong?”
“Lily.I’ve been calling everyone I could think of, trying to find you. Sailor’s been arrested.”
An entire shelf’s worth of books flew across the room and smashed against the opposite wall, falling to the floor with a crash. Across the desk, Aidan’s too-blue eyes held mine.
“MySailor? Arrested for what?”
“Murder.”
Chapter 6
