I gave her a long look. “What do you think? I’m pretty sure if he did, Essie would find some way to take revenge on him for selling her out. I don’t blame him in the least for wanting to keep his mouth shut.” But even as I said it, I realized I was crossing a line. If Essie was involved in shady dealings, Linda needed to know, and so did Delia.
“You really don’t mean that, do you?” Sandy paused, then, worrying her lip, continued. “I’m going to say something and you aren’t going to like it. You let Craig beat you down and change you. You were with him less than ten years and you ended up knuckling under to a blowhard human. And I do mean blowhard. You just rediscovered your core, Maddy. You can’t let this happen again. Even though Aegis is a vampire and not a human, you have to stick up for yourself and your beliefs this time. Don’t let him push you into anything that isn’t comfortable.”
She was right—I didn’t want to hear it. But she was also right in that I needed to avoid falling into the same trap. I had been at a real low point when I met Craig and he took advantage of me. And I had let it happen.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It really stings to hear you say that. But you’re also right about the fact that I have to watch myself. I will say this, though. Aegis has never asked me to cover up anything. He implied that Essie isn’t quite as aboveboard as she seems but he’s never said anything outright. I’m the one who didn’t pursue it. I guess it’s easier not to know something and therefore not be responsible for that knowledge. I’ll talk to him later tonight. We have to get all this out in the open. But I think I should pay a visit to Essie first. The mirror’s pointing us in that direction and it seldom gives wrong advice.”
Sandy took my hands. “Maddy, you once were the terror of both villages and the vampires that preyed on them. You were a force that nobody wanted to cross. I’m not asking you to become Mad Maudlin again. But you can’t swing to the opposite side of the pendulum. You can’t let yourself avoid conflict because you’re afraid of who you once were. You can be strong, you can rule your life the way you want to without losing control.”
As I gazed into her eyes, I said, “This is why you’re my best friend. You’ve always been there for me, Cassandra. And you were by my side when we went hunting.”
Sandy had been Cassandra during those dark days. She was as wild and rough as I was, and together with Fata Morgana, we hunted down the fiends that were threatening to take over the country, even as we played at crossroads with the witch hunters. We partied harder than all the gods combined. Finally, we decided to come to America. Sandy came west first, and she was the reason I followed. While she settled in Bedlam, I had chosen Seattle.
“Okay. I know you’re right. I’ll let Mad Maudlin off her leash. Just a little bit.” I grinned at her. “Maybe a touch of her craziness is just what the modern world needs. Is just what I need.”
“Good.” Her eyes sparkled. “And don’t worry. If I see you swinging too far, I’ll let you know. Now, let’s get over to Essie’s before Aegis wakes up and tries to argue you out of the idea. I need to stop at the post office first, anyway.”
As I shrugged into my coat, I wondered about the wisdom of approaching Essie before I talked to Aegis, but impatiently brushed it away. Either way, I needed to know what I was up against. And if he was angry at me for checking up on his ex-girlfriend, then he’d better have a good explanation for why she was in town. As we headed out the door, I tossed one of Bubba’s toys into the living room for him.
“Bub, I’m headed out. Keep an eye on the place for me.”
“Mrowf” was all Bubba had to say in return.
Chapter 6
THE POST OFFICE was slammed. By the time we got through the line, Sandy thought of a couple of other errands she needed to run. When we finally pulled into Essie’s driveway, it was already four-thirty. The sun had set and the winter dusk gave the estate a desolate air. It wasn’t the same sense of abandonment that my own home had given off when I first set eyes on it. No, Essie’s house was deliberately set to look foreboding. If I didn’t know that a vampire lived inside, along with her other nest-mates, I would have pegged the place as the haven of an emo-goth family, overdone and melodramatic. But given that the occupants had the bite—literally—to back up the bark, I decided to keep my opinion to myself.
“So, Essie’s lair.” Sandy stared at the house as I cut the motor and leaned back in my seat.
“Yeah. You ever been here?” I felt like a kid in a movie who was about to be dared into throwing stones at the creepy old lady’s house.
“Do you think I’d keep it from you if I had?” She eyed the place, sounding nervous now that we were here. “They say Essie’s freakshow scary.”
“That’s what they used to say about me, doll.” I stared at the house. Making up my mind, I opened my door and stepped out into the drifting snowbanks. Apparently, Essie didn’t believe in shoveling her walkway. Of course, given how many visitors voluntarily showed up here, I doubt if she had to worry about lawsuits.
Sandy reluctantly joined me. The yard was fenced, and a gate opened onto the sidewalk leading up to the house. The whole place had an air of desolation, but I had a suspicion it was contrived and not out of neglect. The trees loomed over the mansion—they needed a good trimming and I suppressed a snort. Essie wouldn’t appreciate the shadows they provided if one of them came down on her roof. By the looks of the branches, none of them had been trimmed in a long time, and it was doubtful she had hired an arborist to check the stability of their roots.
Sandy pushed close to me. “You think she likes being a vampire?”
“I think we can make bank on that.” Skirting the worst of the snow piles on the pathway, we finally reached the porch. The steps were icy and I began to wonder just how much of a test this was. A You really want to visit me? Prove it sort of thing.
When we were finally standing in front of the door of the plantation-style house, I glanced at Sandy. She looked even less thrilled than I was to be here. It wasn’t like Essie could hurt us. She knew that her vampire nest was on watch. But she could make life uncomfortable.
“All right, let’s do this.” I looked for a doorbell, but there was only a gargoyle knocker. Shaking my head—the woman was a walking stereotype—I lifted it and knocked. The concussion echoed from within, a thudding noise that reverberated through the heavy door, making it sound like I was using a battering ram. I waited for a moment, then knocked again.
“Nobody’s home, let’s go,” Sandy said, sounding gleeful.
But at that moment, the great door swung open. A butler, of all people, studied us gravely, then gave a little bow, just enough to show respect. “May I help you?”
“My name is Maudlin Gallowglass and this is Cassandra Clauson. We’re from the Moonrise Coven and we need to speak with Essie.” I decided it was a good time to stand on formality here. Sandy flashed me a quick grin, then cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders.
“Certainly. I’ll tell the mistress you’re here. Please follow me.” He stepped back, ushering us into a gloom-ridden parlor replete with heavy velvet drapes and dark, boxy furniture. I had the feeling I’d stepped back two hundred years in time, given the mood of the room. “Please wait here and do not venture into the rest of the house. We have a few younger members who aren’t fully trained in their manners yet.” And with that dire warning, the butler vanished, shutting the door behind him. I heard the faint click of a lock.
“Think he’s locking us in for our own safety?” I asked.