I didn’t know.
Mallory walked forward and a desk materialized from nowhere. A beautiful blonde woman in a black suit appeared behind the desk, a smile on her face. It looked fake to me, one of those customer service smiles that was supposed to imply they were being helpful and warm and open.
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, bypassing asking us who we were and what we wanted.
Mallory indicated to me to come forward so I did, standing shoulder to shoulder with her even though I wanted nothing more than to position myself behind Mallory. I didn’t know why, but I felt exposed, as though every eye on me knew who I really was without me having to open my mouth and tell them.
Mallory smiled. “This is Ava.” She wrapped her arms around me again. My body tightened up. I didn’t like being this close to her. “Her mother, Genevieve, died recently and she’s looking for a job, and information on her mother’s family.”
The executive assistant tapped away on her silver screen that reminded me of an iPad, then flicked her gaze up at me. “We have an appointment available in... three-week’s time,” she said, her high-pitched voice perky. I was glad she didn’t bat an eyelash at my name and my mother’s name. It must mean no one was familiar with my paternity, which was a good thing.
However, the fact that the appointment was three weeks away was not something I wanted to hear, however.
My breath whistled out between my teeth, my chest tightening painfully. “Oh please, no.” I took a step towards the desk, trying not to be imposing. “I have to get back to the human world and attend to my – “I stopped myself. I was about to say sisters. I was about to reveal who I was. I couldn’t do that. It would put my sisters in a bad place. It would tell Mallory I had sisters, which I wasn’t sure she knew for sure. I cleared my throat. “My pets. A cat. Three of them. I just, they were my mom’s. I inherited them. And without me, they have no one. They’ll be lost without me. Please.”
The tears that sprang to my eyes were real as I struggled to keep my voice at a normal pitch. They wouldn’t make me wait three weeks to see my father, surely?
Then again, they didn’t know he was my father.
The woman sighed, taking in my emotions with narrowed eyes and perked lips. “Who did you say you were again?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Ava,” I said in a rush. “Ava Melfi. My mother was Genevieve Melfi.”
My locket - which had been burning for attention for ten minutes - practically singed. I couldn’t ignore it any longer. Even if it meant revealing what I was doing, I had to hear what she was trying to tell me. Maybe it would be helpful. Maybe I would be able to bypass the three weeks. I grabbed it in my palm and my mother’s voice boomed into my head.
Tell them to contact the High Warlock and tell him who you are. He’ll see you.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t really want to do that. Everyone told me not to reveal myself. My mother told me the same. Why would she change her mind? Why would I tell them anything?
Do it. Say it was a dying wish of mine that you take your rightful place in the realm, and the High Warlock is the only one who can rightly place you.
I swallowed hard. Shit. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, that sounded like it might work. I chewed my bottom lip and let out a breath.
Here goes nothing, I thought to myself.
“My mother’s dying wish was that I speak to the High Warlock and ask him to put me into my rightful place in the realm.” My voice came out shakier than I wanted it to but I pushed forward regardless. “Uh, he knew my mother when they were younger. If you tell him I’m here to speak with him, he’ll see me.”
I hoped that would work. I hoped that was enough to help.
The receptionist looked unimpressed, but nodded once, then disappeared behind the magical wall she created with a snap of her fingers.
“Did your mother really want that?” Mallory asked. She crossed her arms, looking down at me over her nose. I could tell she was curious, but again, she was suspicious and she was getting more and more obvious about it. She wasn’t trying to hide it the way she had been.
I turned and shrugged at her. “Not really,” I admitted. Might as well be honest with her since I was living with her. “But I have to get in there sooner than three weeks.”
“And the cats?” Another arched brow. “As far as I remember, your mother didn’t like cats. Or any animals, for that matter. Why would she start keeping them?”
There was the bigotry. I wasn’t sure if she was lying about my mother’s disdain for animals, but I did know we didn’t keep animals.
“She let me have a couple when I was younger,” I said. I didn’t know her well enough to let her know about my sisters. Since I wasn’t completely comfortable trusting her, I refused to bring them up to her.
“Hmm.” Mallory frowned, but nodded.
The magic wall lifted and the blonde receptionist stared at me with a look that was akin to awe. However, her lips curled into a frown. “The High Warlock said he’d see you now.”
And that obviously wasn’t the usual response. Even Mallory’s mouth dropped open, her eyebrows wrinkling her forehead.
“Well,” she said. It sounded snide, but I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.