With a mild huff, he turned and bounced over to the bed, stretching out. I blew him a kiss and shut the door behind me. After I turned on the water, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail so it wouldn’t get wet.
Staring at myself in the mirror, I ran my hand over my stomach. My abs weren’t flat and toned. My hips and tummy had a layer of extra padding on them, and my breasts made it hard for me to see my feet, but I loved my body. It had stood the test of time for me, and I remembered the centuries when lean bodies usually meant poverty. Extra padding meant a person had enough food to avoid starving. Witches weren’t as affected by the economy as humans—we had other ways of finding food—but I’d known too many people who died from starvation. I never complained about a bit of extra weight.
The water was warm and steamy and I stepped beneath it, keeping my hair from getting wet. As I lathered up, the spicy scent of foaming winterberry soap clouding my senses, I visualized the stress of the day washing away, spiraling down the drain. The fragrance of pomegranate and cinnamon, of clove and cranberry enveloped me in a pleasant haze and I finally began to relax for the first time since waking up. I lingered under the water for a while, not wanting to step out of the spray, but finally I was about as clean as I was going to get. Any longer and I’d start to prune up. Reluctantly, I turned off the taps and emerged from the shower. I wrapped the towel around me and opened the door to my bedroom, grimacing as the chill hit me.
“Good evening.” Aegis was waiting on the bed next to Bubba.
I slipped into my robe as he crossed the room to kiss me hello. “Hello, love.”
“Who’s in the shower down the hall? I decided it would be rude to look, so thought I’d ask first and attack later.”
I stroked his face. “Sandy’s here. She’s taking a shower here so she can just change into her robes before our Esbat meeting tonight. We had a long and rather interesting day.” I padded over to my closet and held up my own Esbat robe. It was a rich, deep purple halter-top gown, ankle length with a plunging neckline that left very little to the imagination, and silver crystals beaded onto the front. The back was low and I ended up wearing a nude strapless bra for support.
As I dressed, Aegis watched, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “What did you do today?”
I adjusted my dress, then fastened a lilac shawl around my shoulders with a crystal brooch. I usually used a silver pin, but I’d save that until we were out of the house so that I wouldn’t accidentally brush against Aegis.
“We went to visit Rose’s parents. Talked to her mother. It was so sad. I promised to help them cast the Finding spell Rose came to me about, to seek out her sister.”
“What if the girl doesn’t want to be found?”
“She’s not the type to run off without telling anybody. She’s in trouble of some sort or another. I have no doubt about that.” I paused, wondering how to approach the next point of conversation, but was saved by Sandy’s entrance. She was wearing one of my maxi-dresses. It was a little short on her, but far too big. Sandy was about a size two compared to my size eight. I handed her a sash and she belted it around her waist. The dress was still too large but at least she wasn’t swimming in it.
“I don’t know if I have anything smaller,” I said, assessing her.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m only going to be changing again for Circle. So don’t sweat it.” She paused, waggling her fingers at Aegis. “What’s shaking, glam boy?”
He snorted. “I’m about as glam as a glamour photo.”
“Dude, you really are. Don’t be self-deprecatory. It doesn’t become you.” She paused. “So, has Maddy told you our thoughts about Rachel yet?”
He frowned, glancing at me. “No. What are those thoughts?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “See? I was about to dive into that conversation, but now it feels even more awkward because…well…never mind.” I climbed on the bed and began to pet Bubba, like I had promised. He preened, tilting his head back so I could scritch the good spots, right behind his ears. Purring, he began to knead the covers.
“Here’s the thing,” I finally said. “Aegis, the sheriff has evidence that Essie may be staging a coup on the island. And Rachel’s vying for the throne. If she manages to dethrone Essie, things could get very ugly.”
He blinked. “What? One thing at a time, please.”
“Essie’s rumored to be attempting to stage a coup. She might be working against our coven, actually. That possibility has come up more than once today.”
As the words soaked in, Aegis’s expression darkened. “This isn’t the news I had hoped to hear. And you say that Rachel might be looking to dethrone Essie?”
“Yes, and she’d be worse than Essie. At least Essie has some inkling of the importance of working with people—humans and Otherkin alike—but we don’t think Rachel has that sense of integrity. Not to mention, it looks like she might be hanging out in the tunnels below Durholm Hall. We went out there but weren’t able to find any tangible proof yet. It’s important the island not be caught off guard if this is really something Essie is planning.”
Looking perplexed, Aegis began to sputter. “But how does Ralph fit into all this? How does—I’m getting confused.”
Sandy cleared her throat. “We think that Ralph is in thrall to Rachel. That she’s using him against Maddy because she’s out for revenge against you, and what better way than destroy the livelihood of her ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend?”
“And if she’s trying to destroy the coven, might as well start with the member she hates the most. Whatever the case, it also occurred to us that you’ve had her in this house before. She’s been here and there’s nothing to keep her out until I revoke the invocation. But once the Bewitching Bedlam opens, it won’t be so easy. If I do a general keep-away spell toward vampires, that will catch you in its net.” I stopped, out of breath.
“Rock and a hard place, dude,” Sandy said. “But we need to know anything we can about Rachel’s weaknesses. Whether you like it or not, we’re going to have to stake her to keep her from coming after Maddy here. It’s a bad situation, no matter which way you turn it.”
Aegis deflated, slowly lowering himself to the bench next to my vanity. “You’re right. This is a nasty mess. You’re absolutely correct in that she’s been in this house and can still get in. I didn’t even think about that until now. I can’t very well revoke my invitation—it won’t work vampire-to-vampire. But you can seal her out until the grand opening. Maddy, do that before you leave tonight. Do that now, in fact.”
He sounded so grave that I headed over to my French doors. The spell would work housewide when cast from any door, and this seemed as good a place as any. I raised my arms to my sides, breathing deeply, then envisioned Rachel in my mind. Creating a barrier against her, I focused on the doors, representing all doors to my home, all entrances—windows, grates, and ducts, including Aegis’s secret door.
“Rachel, I revoke your passage into my home. I revoke your ability to enter through any opening. You are barred from my house, by the power of the gods, by the power of my will, So Mote It Be.” As my will rang out, there was a sudden swish, as if doors slammed shut all around us. Then, silence and a feeling of protection. I opened my eyes. “The spell took.”
“I felt it settle in. Until you open to the public, you’re safe enough in here from her. But remember—her allies can enter. So don’t invite strangers over,” Sandy said.
Aegis dropped to the bed, hanging his head. “I feel so responsible for this. I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no reason to blame yourself. You didn’t know she was going to turn out to be a stalker. But before we have to leave, can you tell us anything that makes her vulnerable?” Sandy motioned to my heavy black cloak in the closet. “You’re going to need that.”
I slid it around my shoulders, fastening the Celtic knotwork pin.