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He leaned back in his chair. “Technically I could do it, but I’m still tied to Astaroth.”
“So am I.”
“But you’re stronger than me and have to be in it. I bring literally nothing to the table. I barely have magic, and right now, it’s tainted. I already got one person killed trying to fix it. I’m not doing that again.”
“Okay.” A thought crossed my mind and I looked at Shane. “There’s someone else we’re not talking about.”
Shane sat taller in his chair as he looked at me. He knew exactly who I was talking about. “No. We can’t. She’s so broken.”
Maybe she was doing better. “But you know where she is?”
“No.” He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “I was calling her, but she never answered. So, I was giving her some time. I’ve been planning on reaching out to her, but…”
“When was the last time you talked to her?”
“When we were at St. Ailbe’s. Right before we left for New Mexico.”
That was a long time ago. I hadn’t even thought about checking in on her either. Honestly, I didn’t know her well enough. I figured she’d gone to stay with friends or something. But now I was wondering what the hell happened to her.
“I can call her, but—” Shane crossed his arms as he stared me down. Shane was pissed at me for even bringing her up. “We cannot ask her to do this.”
“I’m not a monster. I’m not going to make her do the spell, but she’s a witch and she’s from your coven. So, we won’t have all the issues that we’ve had with all the other covens questioning our motivations.”
“That’s true, but—”
“She’s strong.” Claudia cut in. “Her whole family died, but she’s strong. That’s how she walked away from Luciana when everyone else stayed. She comes from generations of witches on both sides. She might be taking a break from magic, but magic is a part of her. If we can find her, she might agree. If she’s anything like me, she’ll want her powers used for something good, and this is good.”
Mr. Dawson stepped back into the room. “Wait. You’re talking about Beth?” He’d been busy on his phone most of the morning, but put the cell down as he sat at the table again.
I looked around the room. The wolves were starting to catch on, but I didn’t realize we’d never said her name. “Yes. I think Beth is a great option, but apparently Shane disagrees.”
“She’s broken! Leave the girl alone!”
“Who is Beth?” Blaze asked Lucas quietly, as if he didn’t want to interrupt, but I heard him well enough. Answering the question might give Shane a chance to calm the fuck down.
“She was the only other member of la Aquelarre—besides myself, Raphael, and Shane—to live,” Claudia said before I could answer. “Beth was with me and Raphael and Shane in Costa Rica. By making the oath to me, they broke their bond to Luciana just in time… But Beth’s family—her sister who raised her, her brother-in-law, niece and nephew—were all living on the compound. They were murdered along with everyone else.” Claudia’s eyes grew glassy, and Lucas grabbed her hand. “She stayed in Texas when we went to New Mexico. Her grief from losing her family…it was all-consuming. And when we got back, she was gone. I tried scrying for her, but she had her protections up. I assumed she wanted some time alone and would reach out when she was ready.”
I sighed. “So no one knows where she is or what happened to her when we left for Santa Fe.”
“That’s not entirely accurate,” Mr. Dawson said. “I know where she is.”
“You do?” Claudia asked slowly, as if she was misunderstanding something.
“Of course.” He leaned forward, meeting the gaze of the witches. “She wasn’t safe to be left alone, so I got her counseling. Beth lost her whole support system, and it was hard, but she’s a fighter. She’s doing a lot better than she was.”
“Where is she?” Shane’s tone was almost accusatory. But it wasn’t like Mr. Dawson had been hiding her away. At least I didn’t think he would do something like that.
“She spent a couple weeks at a very nice in-patient facility. After that, I asked her what she wanted to do. If she wanted to travel or if there was a friend that she wanted to stay with, but she didn’t have anywhere in mind. She wanted a break, but she needed a friend her age that understood the supernatural world. Beth’s gifts are interesting and a little uncontrolled when she’s upset. So, I set her up with a half-sprite in Austin, which helps her out a bit.”
Claudia laughed. “I’m sure.”
I was missing something, but that wasn’t unusual. I’d look up what a sprite was later.
Mr. Dawson smiled. “I was glad Nell agreed. The sprite’s apartment isn’t great, but I thought that was better than Beth being alone, and I got her enrolled in some classes mid-term. Just basics in case she decides that college is for her.”
“She’s really okay?” Shane said.
Mr. Dawson leaned back in his chair. “When I said that we’d take care of what was left of your coven after we burned down your homes, I wasn’t lying. I’m the Alpha. It’s part of my job. That’s why I’ve called you every week, Shane.”
