“Like a bunch of barnyard animals,” Karen intoned.
“Oh, great, they’re joining forces in their bad moods,” Penny murmured.
“Still no sign of the Red Prophet,” Roger told Romulus as he took the few stairs down into the room. Roger sat in the empty chair in the corner, his back to the wall, facing the room.
“She’ll turn up.” Romulus crossed an ankle over his knee and leaned back. “This is her way. Though you might want to have someone do a sweep of the yard. It’s possible she tucked herself into a tight spot and can’t get out.”
“The Red Prophet.” Karen huffed. “Anyone that needs to use a stage name isn’t the real deal.”
“Mother, shh,” Penny hissed. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“Penny Bristol, how can I possibly be embarrassing you?” She turned a little to shoot her glare at Penny head-on. “I am not the one suspected of wandering the yard like a lunatic, calling myself ridiculous names— Oh Lord, what on God’s green earth…”
The Red Prophet stood halfway up the stairs to the second floor. Given Callie and Dizzy’s jumps, they hadn’t known she was in the house.
Her fire-red hair frizzed around her head like some sort of tumbleweed in motion, wilder than if she’d stuck her finger in an electrical socket. She wore a long plaid coat tied at her waist with a dirty rope she’d clearly found on the street at some point. Or a construction yard. A brown suede skirt dusted her shins, and worn black snow boots covered her feet. She held a bright orange clutch that looked empty, and she was staring down at Penny’s mother.
“You…” she said, followed by raising a gnarled finger.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding.” Karen turned in her seat and reached for her tea.
“Red Prophet, meet your nemesis, Karen Bristol,” Reagan said, a grin on her lips as she moved through the tables. She chose an empty seat at Roger’s table rather than one of the two open spots next to Penny. She probably knew Penny was going to yell at her for sneaking away, unprotected.
“Yes, fantastic,” Romulus said. “Let us begin, shall we?”
He uncrossed his leg and leaned forward into the suddenly quiet room. That was, until Karen said, “Isn’t someone going to make the nutter on the stairs sit down?”
“Oh, I don’t think any of us want to try to wrangle someone like that,” Dizzy said with a calming smile. Karen harrumphed.
“I have some new information to share,” Darius said, sitting near the door in the last seat at the table hosting Devon’s pack. Rod, the big kid a little younger than Penny, gave him a confused look. It was clearly a day for strange occurrences.
The room listened as Darius laid out the chat he’d had with Vlad not that long ago, and though he didn’t show it, Penny got the distinct impression he was irritated with Reagan. Maybe that was why she’d taken a seat across the room. Romulus spoke of Charity’s quest changing again. She’d had another vision, apparently, and this time she’d found herself looking at Vlad and Lucifer again.
“I think our next steps are clear,” Romulus said when Darius was finished. “We need to go to the Flush to take care of some business.” It was clear he didn’t want to openly discuss what business. But then, no one liked airing family-related dirty laundry, and the issues he was having with his mother were just that—Penny had been there to witness. “After, we have to present Charity to the elf royalty. The presentation and following meetings will help us figure out how best to proceed. Until then, we have no idea whether the elves will be amenable to us aggressively resuming our roles in the Realm.”
“Shall we consult the oracle?” Darius asked. “I was given to understand that was a chief function of this meetup.”
“Yes, of course.” Romulus smiled pleasantly at the Red Prophet, who had not moved an inch, including her outstretched, pointing finger.
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes,” Karen said under her breath after a glance that way. “I’ll take up my post in the formal dining room. My supplies are already laid out.”
Now the Red Prophet did descend the stairs, much faster than a human could’ve. At the hall landing, she jumped the last couple of steps down into the living room and said, “Hah!”
“It appears she is at her most dramatic this evening,” Romulus intoned. “It can be trying, but this is when she does her best work, I assure you. Granted, I am usually not on hand to actually witness her readings, but…well, hopefully it won’t take too long.”
A grin tickled Emery’s lips.
“What?” Penny whispered.
“I’ll tell you what,” her mom butted in, pushing up from the table. “The last thing he wants to do is be subjected to this…this…nutcase and her crazy antics. Most dramatic,” she grumbled. “Batshit crazy, that’s what he ought to say.”