Abby: Yeah, he and Ella are supposed to be there. Are you mad?
I feel bad she’s worried I’m upset with her. I don’t understand how she can look Scott and Asshat Martin in the eye without punching them in the face, but they are her family, and they’ve treated her all right. Still…
Me: Not at all. We’ll be in Chicago right after sunset. You don’t have to be home for me to cast the warding.
Abby: Do you need to get inside? I can leave you a key.
Me: I don’t need a key to get in ;-) But if you have an alarm system, just disarm it for me so I don’t have to deal with humans.
Abby: You can magically unlock doors?!?!
Me: Yes. We learned that spell in our third years. It’s basic magic. I’ll leave the charms on your counter.
Abby doesn’t respond after that, and she’s either weirded out or, more likely, got called into a patient’s room or something and can’t text me back right now. I set my phone down, finish my milk, and watch Binx pounce on Pandora.
I lean against the railing, eyes feeling heavy. The stress of everything must be getting to me, making me want to nap so I don’t have to think about anything for at least half an hour.
Yawning, I get up and go inside, calling my familiars and Scarlet in with me.
“Did you get ahold of your sister?” Lucas asks. His phone is propped up on the window above the kitchen sink so he can follow along with a cooking video as he sautés chicken and vegetables.
“I did. She’s going to the Martins’ for dinner tonight, but I’ll be able to get into her house.” I put my cup in the sink and let my eyes fall shut for a few seconds, feeling almost weak on my feet.
“You’re coming to bed with me after you eat lunch,” Lucas tells me. “I’m going to fuck you, drink from you, and then you are going to take a nap. And I won’t take no for an answer.”
My heart flutters in my chest, and I smile up at Lucas. “Yes, sir.”“What’s the latest drama?” Eliza asks, sitting back on the settee in the living room. She’s wearing a fabulous pink bathrobe, that’s totally the kind a rich lady who didn’t kill her husband would wear in an 80s’ movie. We just arrived at her house in Lincoln Park, and Lucas went to the bar to deal with another issue with a vendor. There’s a large vampire crowd tonight, and since I smell like a walking Happy Meal, we decided it would be better for me to stay here.
“What makes you think there’s drama?” I move to the floor, reaching a hand out for one of the guinea pigs to sniff.
“It’s you.” Eliza looks at me, full lips pulled into a smirk. “There’s always drama.”
“Well, someone sent a hex bag to the bookstore today, and luckily I just happened to be there so I was able to remove the hex when Betty opened the box. And then there was a zombie raccoon in the backroom that might have been placed there to spy on me.”
“The truth is always stranger than fiction.”
I haven’t seen Eliza in person recently, but she’s been brought up to speed on everything else. She and Lucas talk pretty much daily. I know they text back and forth throughout the day and night, and one of them usually calls the other.
“And what about you-know-who?” She leans back, drawing her fangs, and starts taking selfies. Eliza was a gorgeous woman with delicate features that make her look like a fairy princess. She’s just as soft and feminine looking now, though she’s a cold and dangerous vampire.
“I’m at the point in life where you-know-who could be a lot of people.”
“True. There’s always someone trying to kill you.”
“Eh. It comes with the job.” I shrug.
Eliza takes a few more pictures and then sits up. “I’m talking about Lucifer. You took a sleeping potion so you could talk to him.”
“I did,” I say slowly.
“And?” She leans forward. “Have you talked to him since?”
“No, I haven’t.” I pick up a guinea pig, who’s wearing a sparkling purple tutu, and bring it into my lap. “And…and no one but you knows about that.”
Eliza raises one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows. “Just because we have a secret doesn’t mean we’re BFFs or whatever now. I’m not hiding things from my maker.”
“And I don’t want to hide things from my husband,” I promise. “It just never came up, and then too much time passed, and I was a little preoccupied and…and…I know,” I sigh. “I know I shouldn’t go to him for help, but he did help. I was able to save Lucas because of the info he gave me. Doesn’t that count for something?”