As night crept upon us, a decision seemed to have been made. I had left Thomas in the trunk of my Cadillac justin case.
After Marie prepared a pasta broccoli dish for everyone, that surprisingly tasted nothing like broccoli, and shy Jesse had declared that she wished to paint us something for our mantel, the Witches pressed upon one another as they huddled around the wrought iron table in the conservatory.
The candle's flame flickered, but not an ounce of wax dribbled down its body. After witnessing their spell the night before, Ravi and Stepen were left with no doubt about Corinne's ability. I had simply been astounded by the shift in air with all of them working on a spell together. And then, of course, the goddess arrived, and it was unnerving to witness her in a setting where I wasn't fucking Corinne into oblivion.
I hung back in the doorway and watched them prepare, the luminescent moon shining in, lighting the conservatory up far better than the dim sconce did.
With both hands clasped together, Maxine held a frog. Her gaze mirrored the skepticism that I felt.
"Yeah, I don't think the gods of old are going to be content with a dead frog in lieu of Lauren."
"Why not?" Brenna snapped, huffing in her annoyance. "A death owed is a death delivered. And if all souls are equal, who's to say that this frog isn’t equally as worthy as Lauren."
"That's a stretch, and you know it." With her French cadence, Marie managed to disagree with Brenna gracefully.
"You had one night to get this candle to burn down before your Three Nights in Hell spell runs out. Do you really want to waste that chance on a frog?" Maxine raised the green amphibian in the air, allowing everyone to get a better look.
"I think he's cute." Jesse offered.
"The frog?" Brenna asked incredulously.
It was difficult to not smile around these girls, they were a sitcom all on their own.
"Yeah," Jesse shrugged. "I once watched an ASMR video with singing frogs and each frog had their own bowtie."
"Jesse, honey, I'm not sure giving him a bowtie is the best course of action." Zoey's kindness was a tangible thing.
"Don't shame someone else's kinks." Maxine shrugged. "If she likes bowtied frogs, then let her like bowtied frogs." Maxine's attempt at diplomacy was almost enduring.
"Enough." Marie's delicate hand slammed against the table, calling attention towards herself. "We need to do the spell so there's still time for this candle to burn down."
In all the chatter, my little Vedman sat silent.
"Are we using the frog?" Maxine's voice was one of boredom, and I had come to learn that that was as much a shield as every other little thing that made up Maxine.
"I don't think the frog will work." Corinne's whispered confession was filled with pain and confusion, and I vowed that once her spell was complete, I would drag her back to my room and remind her of all the reasons that she and I were doing okay.
I left the Witches to their discussion as I retrieved Thomas silently from the car. And even once I returned with him, the Witches did not hear me. Once more too engrossed in their own debate, the tension rose once more.
Listening to them was exhausting.
I refused to allow this shit show to continue because at this rate, Corinne would never complete the spell.
Thomas Payne's body flopped as I dumped him into one of the wrought iron chairs unceremoniously. He glared at me, but I didn't give fuck.
The entire body of Witches turned towards me. And I knew how it looked - knew what bringing Thomas Payne before them confirmed, but at this moment I couldn't think about them - could only think about her.
I crouched before her, her eyes wild with panic, and I spoke in soft soothing tones.
"He is a criminal that is responsible for stealing a string of children near the Bayou."
Her throat bobbed as she listened to the words I spoke. I didn't have to look up to know that I had the Witches' attention as well.
"His death is deserved, and if it is not done by your hand, then it will be done by mine."
"You want me to kill him?" Corinne's voice wobbled as she voiced what she needed confirmed.
"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do." I was so close to her that the breath from my lips ruffled the fine hairs on her hair.