Page 77 of Fallen Court

“They kicked her out of the coven, but they couldn’t make them leave New Orleans. Mom was stubborn. I take after her.” She winked at me. “It’s not as bad as it used to be. I’ve found my own people who accept me. First Parish tolerates my existence, and I ignore theirs. But it’s not just First Parish talking about you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know.”

“So, did I pass your test?” she asked.

For a second, I considered playing dumb, but I thought better of it. “Sure.”

She tapped her chin. “Thought so.” Her gaze flicked across my face, her thick lashes moving like brushstrokes as she studied me. “Okay, got it.” She nodded toward a nearby table. “Please have a seat.”

I chose one close to the door, where I could see the quiet street outside and make a break for it if things got weird. She bypassed the jars and walked to the china, taking her time as she selected a porcelain cup with painted ivy ringing its rim. Returning to the ingredients, she piled a half dozen jars in her arms and carried them to the table. She hummed as she opened each, pinching a bit of this and that, dropping each directly into the teacup. She then placed it in front of me. “Just a moment.”

As soon as she was behind the beaded curtain, I took a suspicious sniff of the loose mixture of curled leaves, citrus peel, and silver-tipped buds as slender as a needle.

“Don’t worry. I try to refrain from poisoning customers,” she called as she returned from the back room, a steaming pot in her hands. “When you kill ’em, they never come back.”

“Just…curious.” I set the teacup back on its matching saucer.

She tutted a bit as she poured the boiling water onto the mixture. “But it’s not curiosity that brought you here, is it?”

I considered for a moment. “Not exactly.” I wouldn’t label it curiosity. Part of me didn’t want to seek answers at all. “It’s more necessity.”

“Necessity?” She nodded rapidly like the music was still playing. “All right. Let’s not waste time, then.” She circled a finger over the cup, and the liquid swirled. Pulling away after a few seconds, she tilted her head. “You can drink now. Don’t worry—it won’t burn you.”

Burning me was the least of my worries, even if she claimed she didn’t poison her patrons. I raised the cup to my lips, sipping a small amount. The tea was slightly sweet with a hint of tartness that settled into a deep, comforting warmth that traveled down my throat and spread through my body.

“Not only Romy sent you.” Not quite a question. She waved her finger for me to continue drinking.

“Yes,” I murmured and took a longer drink.

“One of my other sisters.” Her brows drew together, one of her eyes twitching. “No, more than one of them.”

I drained the cup before answering with a slower, “Yes.”

“Their essence lingers with you.” She delivered this information like juicy gossip.

“Romy sent me to you, but others directed me to seek your coven.”

“And these others weren’t from New Orleans?”

“No,” I admitted. But I didn’t tell her more. Not when I wanted to see how much she could guess.

“Ireland.” Her nose wrinkled. “Smells Irish.”

My eyebrows shot up, waiting for her to stun me again, but she reached for the empty cup instead, studying the dregs left behind. “You’re at a crossroads,” she told me, her eyes widening slightly before she let out a low whistle. “But it’s not a simple choice before you. It’s a matter of life and death. Rough.”

“Yes,” I said, my mouth suddenly dry. “I—”

But Willow held up a finger to pause me. “Magic surrounds you. Light and shadow and…” I hung on her every word until she smiled sadly at me. “You ask questions but fear the answers.”

“Tell me something I don’t fucking know.” My shoulders slumped as I settled into the chair. “But I don’t really have a choice.”

She reached out and patted my hand. “Yeah, that is the shitty thing about life-and-death situations. The truth can be a dangerous thing. But you already know that…” She paused, a question on her face. “Sorry, this is more of a vibes thing. I can’t actually read your mind or anything.”

“Cate.” That was one question I could answer. For now.

“Cate.” She said it like she was turning it over and trying it on for size. “I was wondering when you would show up.”

I sat up straighter, and she smiled.