AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Margaret moved to her side, resting a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “What is it?”
“We do solemnly declare that the Seattle Witches’ Council does exist and is made up of the undersigned. The president of said Council, Oliver Stevenson, instructs you to attend our meeting on Wednesday, Oct 26th. A boat will arrive to transport you, and if you choose not to comply, there will be consequences.”
Her stilted delivery made a mockery of the letter’s solemn tone.
“Can they do that?” I asked.
Della shrugged, her shoulders slumping. “Whether or not they can, they have. They must have guessed that Martin is gone.”
Her dejection tugged at my heart. “They can’t have been anointed by the Congress.” The Congress had authority over all Witches’ Councils, and like every form of authority, they worked slowly. “Are you going to go?”
She roused herself with a shake. “I should probably talk to Rafe first.”
I agreed with her, but my mind was already jumping ahead. Della probably shouldn’t go alone, and it would be a sincere surprise if Rafe didn’t insist on accompanying her. That left me and Margaret running the light, which could work to our advantage.
If they were both gone, we’d have more time to search for the Ferox Cor. And finding the Cor would allow us to leave this barren place. We’d only been here two days, but already I missed the energy of the city. The place was too danged quiet.
On the other hand, when I tried to imagine Rafe’s response to a roomful of witches claiming they had jurisdiction over him, it almost made me laugh.
No, Rafe couldn’t go on this little jaunt.
If Margaret and I went, we could speak as representatives of the San Francisco Council, which would buy Rafe and his mother some time before they had to admit Martin was dead. But then we wouldn’t be able to search for the Cor, which was our main task. Although…perhaps without Rafe and Della present, Oliver Stephenson might give up a clue.
I had no idea which would be the best avenue, a situation I still hadn’t resolved by the time Della called us all to meet with her in the front room. She and Margaret again took the chairs, I sat on the bench, and Rafe lurked in the doorway, as silent and disheveled as ever.
Though my heart beat just a little faster whenever he turned my way. If it seemed he turned my way with increasing frequency, I chalked it up to the tense situation rather than any interest on his part.
Because surely he wasn’t interested in me, except as an irritant.
“And what do you think those consequences could possibly be, Mother?” Rafe’s tone gave away how little he thought of those who had summoned them.
“Don’t, Rafe.” Della sat with her arms crossed, as if she knew there’d be a fight no matter what she said. “They’ve summoned me, so I shall go.”
“Weshall go.”
I glanced from Rafe to his mother. “I mean no disrespect to either of you, but as a representative of the San Francisco Witches’ Council, I could both speak for you and for the Congress.”
“And how will that help?” Rafe sneered.
Why did he have to be so attractive and so unpleasant at the same time?“For one thing, I can tell them they’re full of beans, unless they have an order from the Congress.”
“If Vincent and I went,” Margaret said, “we could assess their authority and get word to Madam Munro in San Francisco.”
Rafe’s glower deepened while he and his mother had a wordless conversation.
“We can’t all go,” Della murmured.
“Then you stay here, and I will represent us,” Rafe said.
“Not alone.” Della both conceded the point and gave the words a finality that didn’t brook argument.“If I stay behind,perhaps you should stay as well, Margaret. A storm could blow in…”
“I’d be happy to.”
I had to stifle a smile because Margaret’s tight lips and the crease between her brows made a lie of her words. “So Rafe and I will go,” I said, “and Della and Margaret will hold the fort.”
“I don’t need help.” Rafe tapped his cane on the floor as if he could shake free an argument. The way he fidgeted, though, made me wonder if he believed his own lie.
Since my winning smile would be wasted on him, I settled for a shrug. “Before coming here, I worked in the liaison office, keeping the peace between the city’s mundane government and the Council. You may not need my help, but I’m here and I believe my skills might come in useful. Might as well put me to work.”
