When we were in the car and on the way, Sandy and I filled Delia in on everything we had learned about Linda and her daughter.
Delia slammed her hand against the wheel, the car lurching on the ice a moment before she regained control. “Sorry. It’s just that Linda’s our mayor and she’s been selling us out to Essie and her court? Whatever else happens, that needs to stop.”
“Oh, we agree. Linda’s our High Priestess, but she’s compromised the coven. At the same time, any mother worth her salt is going to fight to protect her child. But you see how this makes a difference in the case of Rose’s death? If Essie could pin it on Ralph and Rachel, then Rachel would be up for staking, and Ralph, simply collateral damage. His part was to divert our focus to Rachel, away from the little war that she and Essie have going on.”
“So, Ralph takes the fall, and because we assumed Rachel was behind it, we stake her. And Essie stays queen and goes on controlling Linda and filtering her influence into the island.” Delia let out a sound of disgust. “I can’t believe Linda was playing into this.”
“Sadly, word will spread, and the main temple may vote to strip Linda of her powers.”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t want to be her when the Society Magicka catches up with her. Don’t forget, Maddy, the plan was also aimed at taking you out. Linda probably didn’t intend to set you up, but Essie put two and two together when she figured out you were the Mad Maudlin of history. Your skill in hunting both witch finders and vampires makes your presence doubly dangerous.”
Delia shook her head, turning a cautious left onto Blackberry Avenue. The flakes were falling lightly, and the sheen of fresh snow over the ice made the roads slick and dangerous. “I’m just glad all this came to light before Essie got her fangs fully into this island. There’s not much I can do against her, unless she deliberately makes a grab for control, but we stay on alert from now on.”
“There—up ahead, Auntie Tautau’s house.” Sandy pointed at a small cottage to the right, which was partially hidden behind a tangle of vegetation and shrubbery. We eased into the driveway. I didn’t see any cars, but that didn’t mean squat. Not everybody drove.
The lights in the cottage were on. The moment we stepped out of the car, the porch light went on. Obviously, Auntie Tautau knew we were there. As we approached the wraparound porch, the front door opened and a squat, sturdy woman bustled out. She was dressed in a Hawaiian floral muumuu with a very stiff, very wide straw hat that had a bright pink ribbon wrapped around it. Perched on the side, above the bow, was a crow. Auntie Tautau’s gray hair hung down to her waist, pulled back in a thick, expertly plaited braid.
“Come in, come in. I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, opening her front door wide and shooing us all inside off the porch. “It’s a desperately cold night and you’ll be wanting some hot cocoa, I expect. I have shortbread, too. You may cross my threshold too, Aegis, vampire though you may be. You’ll not be able to harm me.”
I blinked at the Irish accent. For some reason, given her dress, I had expected to hear an inflection straight out of the Hawaiian islands. But nope, everything in the house except for Auntie Tautau’s dress said, “Irish.” Including the picture that hung on the hallway wall of a leprechaun dancing beside a rainbow. It was a photograph—not a painting. Leprechauns were rare, but it was possible to hunt one down if you tried. Something told me that Auntie Tautau wouldn’t have any problem scaring one up.
She scooted us into a living room that was jammed with curios, yet felt neat as a pin. “Sit down. I’ll call for the cocoa and you can ask your questions.”
“You knew we were coming?”
“Linda said you would be here. So yes, I anticipated your visit. Now, sit and I’ll strengthen the fire. The chill outside is a nasty one, cuts to the bone. You don’t want to catch your death. Or anybody else’s death, either.” With that curious statement, she waggled her fingers toward the fireplace and the sputtering flames roared to life, the heat emanating off them to fill the room.
“So Linda was here?” I asked, feeling rather sad. I looked around, realizing we had missed her.
“Yes, indeed. She was. She’s gone now, you know. I sent her off to reunite with her daughter. Sad bit of business, that is. But there’s nothing for you to do now. She won’t be back. I vested her and her young one with a safe passage ticket to a private place. But there’s no coming back from the WPP.”
Delia cleared her throat. “You’re part of the WPP?”
Auntie Tautau nodded. “I am indeed.”
“What’s the WPP?” Aegis asked.
“The Witches’ Protection Program,” Sandy said. “We—that is, witches like Auntie Tautau—can make people disappear safely who have a bounty on their head, or who are in trouble like Linda.”
“It’s not invoked very often, because it requires tremendous power and a complete reconstruction of their life web,” Auntie Tautau said. “And there must be extenuating circumstances. The Aunties are very clear about this. None of you know the good Linda has done in her past. She helped thousands of people over the centuries, and has gone uncredited. But the Society Magicka keeps an eye out for those on a slippery slope. Her name was bandied around more than most.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to sort out my feelings. She had compromised the island, but still the Society Magicka had seen fit to overlook that. Yet, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that Linda and her daughter were safely out of the way.
“That leaves the matter of Essie and the island, though. We have a very delicate situation on our hands and somebody better take the reins of power now because if Essie’s going to make a move, you can bet she’ll do so soon. With Linda gone, it’s the ideal time for her and her crew to swoop in.” Sandy turned to Delia. “Can you take over as interim mayor until a new election can be held?” She paled. “I just had a horrible thought. What’s to prevent Essie from running for the position and scaring her way into the vote?”
“Yes, I can, and vampires can’t hold public office. She can’t run for mayor because that would be breaking the rules governing public servants.” Delia chewed on her lip. “I suppose I can call an emergency meeting of the town council for tomorrow morning. We’ll need a representative from Moonrise Coven. Usually, that would be Linda. Who’s second in command in your coven?”
I shook my head. “It will have to be a member of the Inner Court. So Sandy, Terrance, Angus, or me.”
Sandy pulled out her phone. “I’m calling Angus and Terrance right now.”
While she was setting up the conference call, I turned back to Auntie Tautau. “Are you sure Linda and her daughter are safe?”
She smiled softly, pushed a stray wisp of gray hair behind her ear. “Child, they are safer than anybody in this room. Don’t fret. I sent them to a happy space where they can be together. A mother should not be parted from her daughter. Linda will miss her life here for a while, but she’ll blossom into the new one I’ve provided.”
As Auntie Tautau spoke, her voice took on the tone of absolute certainty. My doubt faded and I thought back to Bubba. Somehow, he had helped make this happen, and Auntie Tautau had done the rest.
“So, you confirm Linda’s safely out of Bedlam, with her daughter?” Delia opened her notebook to make a note, then stopped. “Why is my pen not working? It was a few seconds ago.”
“Because anything you write about someone in the WPP won’t translate to the page. We’re that good. And yes, Linda and her daughter are safe. Auntie Sagewind down in Georgia contacted me.”
The room was silent for a moment as we digested the information.