I press my hand to my chest and heave a sigh of relief. I have to admit, when I saw Michael, I feared the worst.
My eyes widen. “Miri?” The baby?
“Miri is fine. Everyone is fine.” He glances at me and bestows me with a crooked grin. “Does someone have to be in trouble for me to visit?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I’m trying to remember the last time you came to visit me of your own accord.”
“Point taken. I’ll try to visit more often.”
“Alright…” I glance out the window. “If no one is injured, ill, or dying, where are you taking me?”
“Nowhere in particular. Just somewhere where there aren’t any ears listening in on our conversation,” he says. “So basically, my car.”
“Because you think people are listening to us when we’re in public? At a café, walking down the street, even hanging out on the sofa at home?”
“Basically, yeah.” He nods. “Except Grandma’s. That house is safe, but I don’t feel we need to drive that far when the car will work perfectly fine.”
“Seriously?” My head jerks back. “Are you suggesting my house isn’t safe?”
“Can’t be sure.” His brows pinch. “Miri told me your suspicions about Mom, and if you are correct, then there is a high probability that your place isn’t a safe zone.”
I blink wide, recall all the phone conversations I’ve had in the past few days. If anyone is listening to the chatter at my place, they have received an earful.
Michael directs the car along the riverside, pulling to a stop where there aren’t any buildings on either side of us. Only grass for a full block. “This should fit the bill,” he says.
He cuts the engine and turns to face me. “I’d like to combine my magick with yours to help detangle Mom’s energy.”
“Really?” I jerk forward. Practically jump at him. My insides are bubbling like an effervescent bottle of shaken cold drink. I want to leap into his lap and hug him silly. “That’s amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Unable to contain myself, I finally leap forward and wrap him in my embrace. Squeeze with all my might.
“Alright.” He laughs and pushes me back into my seat. “You’re welcome. She is my mom, too.”
“I know.” I bite my lip and jump in my seat. The ability to sit still has abandoned me. “What about Miri? Is she going to help?”
“You know Miri.” He tosses his head back. “She has sworn off magick.”
“Even for Mom?”
“Even for her,” he says.
I nod, a frown firmly in place across my lips. “Doesn’t matter. With your energy added to that of the coven’s, we are going to be casting some powerful spell work tomorrow.”
“The coven?” Michael’s chin pulls back and face widens, pulling at the skin around his scar.
“Yeah. I have a coven.” I shrug my shoulders and throw out my hands. “I thought you knew that?” I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter. I have one. There are three of us… four.” I correct, remembering to add Luna. “And they have been mentally preparing for the coming casting.
“And you trust them?” he asks.
“With my life,” I blurt.
“Well, then. That’s some serious bonding. Guess I’ll have to trust them, too.” He leans into his elbow, propped against the door handle.
“So, what do we do?” I ask.
“I thought you had this all figured out?” he counters.
“Are you kidding?” My flared hands jump into the air at my side. “For well over a year now, I have been working through the process of elimination. Cast a spell. It doesn’t work. Move on to the next one.”
“Miri led me to believe you had a solid lead on what is wrong with Mom.” He adjusts his weight, shifting back against the door.
“Hopefully, but I can’t know for sure. Not yet anyway. I have no proof.”
“And where should we be looking for this proof?” he asks.
“At my house, I think.” I sigh.
“Alright then.” He turns the key, sparking the engine back to life. “Let’s go find us some proof. Mom’s still at work, right?”
“I think so,” I say and settle into my seat. He turns the car around and heads for the house. Along the way, I tell him all about my supposed food poisoning, Grandma’s nasty healing “pill,” Luna and the bokor.
“That’s some grade A death-bait material, Belle.” He shakes his head. “What is it with the Roussard sisters? You guys go looking for trouble?” I get what he is saying about me, but what trouble has Miri gotten into, besides finding herself in the motherly way? Is he referring to the whole situation with Caleb? I decide he must be. I would know if there was something else… wouldn’t I?
He drives past my house, stops, and parks two houses away. Killing the engine, he shifts toward me. “In case Mom comes home,” he says.
“Right.” I nod slowly. In case Mom comes home, his car won’t be sitting in front of the house, announcing his presence.
We lock the car and slowly walk back to the house. The entirety of the short walk, Michael is on constant guard, watching for anyone suspicious.
“Is this how you live now?” I ask. “Paranoid, always looking over your shoulder?”
“Miri says you think Mom has been brainwashed. Some sort of trigger or something Caleb has her programmed to activate and reactivate often.” Ignoring my question, he dives into the issue we should be focused on. The reason for his visit.
“Yeah, I think so. That’s what was suggested to me by another somewhat familiar with the darker side of magick,” I say, keeping my voice low.
“You spoke to someone vested in dark magick?” Michael stops and stares at me.
“It’s not like that.” My hands flare at my sides.
“Like what?” he counters.
“Like what you’re thinking,” I say.
“And what am I thinking?” he pushes.
I sigh. Attempt to shake off the irritation festering within me. “I spoke to James’s brother, okay? It’s not like I went to some stranger looking for help and answers.”
“And who is
