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Nobody barred me from exiting the building, and I hurried down the street with my head down. I tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, considering there was still a deranged vampire somewhere out there thirsting for my blood.
By the time I made it to Ursula’s street, I was half convinced that every stranger who looked my way was Jeremy in disguise. I shifted from foot to foot at Ursula's doorstep, so jittery I couldn't stand still, and blew out a sigh of relief when she finally opened the door.
The witch was not happy to see me, and her lip curled up in a snarl. “What are you doing here? You nearly broke down my door with that knocking.”
“Can I come in?” I pleaded, glancing over my shoulder as another passerby got a little too close for comfort. “There’s kind of a bounty on my head right now so I’m not stoked about being out in the open.”
“Then you shouldn’t have come,” Ursula snapped, and began to close the door.
“Just for a minute!” I wedged my foot in the doorway, wincing when it rammed against my toes. “Please? Just hear what I have to say. And then I promise I’ll leave.”
“I know what you’re going to say,” Ursula hissed, pressing the door tightly against my poor aching foot. “And I don’t want to hear it. I already told you my answer.”
I was about to get to my knees and beg when ameowhad us both looking down. A small, black, furry face peeked out from the doorway, wide eyes examining me with curiosity. Ursula yelped, and tried to close the door, but my foot was still in the way.
The small cat was out of the door and down the street before either of us could blink.
With a cry of dismay Ursula swung the door open, looking past me at the disappearing cat.
“Was that your familiar?” I asked sheepishly.
Ursula gave me a withering glare in response. She shut the door behind her, promptly pushing past me to go looking for her feline companion.
“Wait!” I stumbled off the doorstep, chasing after her. “Let me help you find him!”
“Hername is Brunhilda,” Ursula growled over her shoulder, moving surprisingly fast for someone so small. “And I can find her myself.”
I followed the witch out into the bustling city streets, cars honking when we cut through traffic and pedestrians glancing our way. A lanky exasperated woman and a disgruntled witchy teen with a scowl etched onto her face, both chasing down a sly black cat was probably an interesting sight.
“Ursula, please. We need the witches’ help if we plan to stand a chance against Jeremy,” I pleaded, trying my best to sound patient as I struggled to keep up with the stormy young woman.
Ursula shot me a venomous glare. “The witches want nothing more to do with vampires, and the same goes for me.”
“What do you think is going to happen when we lose to that monster?” We turned down an alleyway and I caught a glimpse of a small black tail disappearing behind a dumpster. “Jeremy will come after the witches next. He’ll come after anyone who has the potential to threaten his rule.”
Ursula scowled, folding her arms across her chest. “Look, I’m just trying to find my cat. Okay? So either help me or get out of my way.”
I fought the urge to retort crudely. It would seem that while I had a knack for handling toddlers, I had far less success with teens. “Fine, fine. We’ll find your cat. But I didn’t come all this way to beg you to join us. I came here to ask if you’d like to meet the twins.”
Ursula looked stunned for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with disdain. “Is that how you plan to get me to fight for you? Manipulating me?”
“No.” I strode past her to bend behind the dumpster bin. “You’re their aunt. And you haven’t seen them since they were newborns.”
Ursula’s story had haunted me since our last visit. I hated Jeremy all the more knowing that he had left this young girl all alone in the world. While I wanted more than anything for her to agree to help us, I also wanted to help.
I had seen past the harsh front that Ursula hid behind and I wanted to offer her a lifeline, in the form of friendship. After all, I understood loneliness well.
I closed my hands around a squirming bundle of fur, pulling Brunhilda out from her hiding place. The cat had found a cozy nook behind the garbage piles and sat nibbling on a piece of stale pizza. Brunhilda was less than pleased at my interruption.
I lifted the wriggling cat in my arms and held her toward Ursula. “You’ve lost your family, I know that. You lost your sister and most of your coven. But the twins are your family too. You have a right to see them if you want to.”
Ursula’s stern expression softened slightly and she took the angry cat in her arms. “I guess it would be nice to see them. From what I remember, they had their mother’s eyes.”
I offered a tired smile, shoving my hands in my pockets. “You can visit whenever you want. I’m sure the twins will be thrilled to see you.”
“They won’t remember me.” The witch snorted, but she reciprocated my smile. “But that sounds nice.”
By the time I slunk back into the office, Hunter and Max had made up. Hunter sported a black eye and Max’s hair was more of a mess than it had been when I left, but the two of them looked pleased as punch, chatting over coffee.
