Page 2 of Up in Smoke

The witch began her next working, which would make the closed clasp impervious to harm and ensure only I could open it.

“Prick your finger with this and put a drop of your blood on the clasp,” she instructed, holding out a crystal needle.

I obeyed, lightly touching a single drop of blood to the platinum clasp.

She muttered a few words, and the entire necklace glowed with a pale light. The stones in the fox design continued to shimmer as though some fire burned within them.

“There. It is finished. Removing the collar is simple enough when you are done with your business. Miss Moretti can use any clear or cloudy quartz in the East and touch it to the clasp. She will say the appropriate words, and it will open.”

I almost snorted at the witch’s deft dodging of the truth. What I said to free him didn’t matter. Intent mattered, and the collar only cared about the type of stone and who held it. I could tell him he needed to get naked, and as long as I wanted him out of the collar, it would open.

I kept a close eye on the witch, rubbing my pricked finger against my thumb while I waited to make certain she wouldn’t do something to Sandro.

If she did, I would be ready to stop her. Maybe she was a witch, possibly a storm witch on top of whatever other powers she controlled, but if she tested me, one of us wouldn’t be walking away. As I had a city to save, the person escaping the confrontation alive would be me.

Storm witches worried sane people in the East, but I wasn’t one of those people.

I didn’t care storm witches could turn the weather against their enemies—or suffocate those who annoyed them. While she could use her talisman magic to change metals to have a lighter weight, I could poison every drop of her blood before she could suck the air out of my lungs.

She minded her own business, backed away from Sandro, and bowed to Stephani Moretti. “It is done, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Alisia. Your work, as always, is impressive.”

The witch smiled. “You’ve picked a fine vixen for your house. She is already protective.”

I scowled.

“Moody, too,” she added with a grin.

“She’s been many winters without a proper partner, and foxes adore children. I’m sure she’ll settle down by spring next year or so,” Sandro’s mother replied with a smirk implying she was well aware of my general state of mind. “How does it feel, Sandro?”

“I’m going to end up forgetting I’m wearing this thing,” he admitted, doing his best to stare down at the gem fox. “It’ll work. Are you going to bother telling me what kind of gemstones these are yet?”

“Diamond, of course. What else for my son? Good orange and red diamonds are such a pain in the ass to get, although the brown ones weren’t nearly as bad, especially in the small sizes needed for that design. At least the clear stones didn’t break my bank account. You are never allowed to throw that out, mark my words, boy. That’s a family heirloom now.”

I bet. “Do not breathe a word of how much that cost. At a minimum, I might pass out.”

While the infection, stress, and being overwhelmed had taken the blame for the incident, not long after the Moretti family had purchased me, I’d done just that. Unfortunately, I’d done it while going up the steps of their Long Island residence. Fortunately, Sandro had been behind me and had kept me from bashing my head open.

I’d stayed down and out long enough for the family doctors to converge and discover I needed to be eating at least twice what I was.

Foxes needed a lot of calories, and I hadn’t even shapeshifted since I’d been purchased.

“It cost less than you think. I had held a huge favor over a friend for years. My friend owns and operates a chain of jewelry stores. He designed the piece and acquired the stones. I no longer have that huge favor, but my son has a beautiful necklace that allows him to enter New Orleans. Everyone is happy. Most importantly, Marco is very happy with me for not spending a fortune, and I plan to add a little one to the chaos should nature continue to cooperate with me.”

Sandro raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The sons you already have are bad enough for your blood pressure, Mom.”

“I’m really hoping for a daughter this time.”

“You’re going to end up with another son,” Sandro warned his mother. “But I’ll make you happy with me and suggest to Dad that one last terror demon running around the Moretti household might be a good idea.”

“I will repay you for that once you’re back from New Orleans,” his mother promised.

“Speaking of which, we have a flight to catch,” Sandro said, holding out his arm to me. “Do you want us to take the car and you hitch a ride home with Alisia, Mom?”

My fox urged me to accept his invitation, which I did.

Sandro’s mother shook her head. “I’ll drive you. Marco’s already at the airport. He met up with a pilot friend who won’t be flying again for a few days and needed a lift. They’re waiting for me. We’ll stick around until you’re after security, not that it’ll take long for you to make it through. It’s quiet at the airport today. Fridays are usually busy, but it’s after the morning rush but before the evening chaos because of the long hauls to Europe.”