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I rang Monty and Ashworth and asked them to come over once the café had closed for the day, but I couldn’t get hold of Aiden. I left a message and then got down to doing all the little things needing to be done before we opened. The day was steady rather than flat-out, which at least gave me time to run upstairs and check Belle was okay. She was only just beginning to stir by the time Monty and Ashworth arrived.
“Hey,” Monty said. “What’s up?”
“We had a visit from our White Lady last night, and Belle finally communicated with her.”
Monty’s expression immediately became concerned. “Is Belle okay? I know strong spirits can seriously drain a talker’s strength.”
I placed a hand on his arm. “She’s fine but she’s sleeping it off.”
His relief was evident. No matter what Belle might think, his flirtation was more than just a game. “Good. But if she needs a revitalization potion—”
Fuck, no, came Belle’s somewhat sleepy comment. He’d probably add some ever-loving herbs to it.
I barely restrained my grin. Even Monty wouldn’t go that far. He wants to woo and win by fair means, not foul. Are you coming down?
That would be another ‘fuck, no.’
This time, the laugh escaped but I managed to cover it with a cough—though Monty’s raised eyebrow suggested I hadn’t done so too well.
“White Lady?
” Ashworth said. “I gather I’m missing some information on this matter.”
“Monty didn’t fill you in?”
Ashworth scowled at him. “No, he did not.”
Monty’s grin was as wide as the Cheshire Cat’s. “Must have forgotten. Sorry.”
“A little more sincerity wouldn’t go astray,” Ashworth growled. “What has the specter got to do with the flesh stripper?”
“Everything. She’s hunting them.” I headed behind the counter to make us all a coffee.
“Them?” Monty said, voice sharp. “There’s more than one?”
“There were three, but thanks to the fact she killed one—”
“The shape shifters are the flesh strippers?” he cut in excitedly. “That’s awesome.”
Ashworth gave him a dark look. “Only the greenest of witches would consider such a fact awesome.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re jaded, old man.”
“This old man will clip you over the ears if you don’t watch your manners.”
Monty’s grin widened. “Even on crutches, I could outrun you.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that.”
“Neither would I.” My voice was dry. I placed their coffees on the table, then sat down and quickly updated them on everything Vita had told us about the Empusae. “We’ve two problems—”
“One, how to find them,” Ashworth cut in.
“And two, how to protect Belle if she does allow this spirit to share her body,” Monty added.
“It’s the second one that worries me the most—do either of you know any spells that can stop a hostile takeover?”
Ashworth frowned. “I know there are a few that can force a spirit out of a body, but I’ve only ever used the usual assortment of charms to prevent the spirit ever getting a hold. They won’t work in a case like this.”
