“What I mean is, Mirror is an espionage spell. One meant to last only a few hours, a day on rare occasions. You’ve been like this for some time now, haven’t you?”
Merche nods.
I groan and put some space between us when I realize what’s happening. “You didn’t perform mirror. You couldn’t have.” You were too weak. “They, your so-called leaders, performed it on you.”
Farrah looks down, mumbling as if merely speaking aloud and doing her best to justify her actions. “We had to try other ways. We had to experiment. It was the only way we were ever going to make something of ourselves.”
“That’s not true,” I say. “It’s what your leaders told you to get what they wanted from you. They were terrible, selfish people.”
“They weren’t all bad,” Merche insists, crying faster. “Some were good and wanted better for us. Except the others killed them until they were the only ones left.”
“They?” I ask. “You said only Una was left.”
Merche is crying so hard she can barely speak. “They’re all Una. They combined and became one.”
I’m supposed to face my enemies with a poker face. If they don’t know what I’m thinking, they can’t anticipate my moves. I stay safe. I maintain control.
Maybe, in another few decades or so, I’ll master that ability instead of allowing every emotion I’m feeling to play across my face like a symphony.
Horror, disgust, and fear drain the warmth from my skin. I’m clutching my heart and bouncing back and forth. In my defense, I don’t run around in circles screaming like I very much want to.
“Okay,” I say. “How do I fit in? Why am I here?”
“You don’t want to know,” Merche says over Farrah’s, “We never wanted to hurt you.”
I lose what remains of my patience and freeze in place. “I want to know, and regardless of what you say, you very much hurt me.”
“Una told me to follow you,” Merche says, quickly, her nose twitching. “She found you tonight at the wolf’s house.”
“First date,” I interrupt. I hold up my hand. “Very much not my boyfriend.”
“Oh, we know,” Merche says.
I don’t question how they know, but it still strikes me as strange.
Merche blows out a breath. “Just so you’re aware, Una ripped him to pieces.”
“I know,” I say. “We found the body. But why?”
An odd look overtakes Merche’s vermin appearance. “Una can be very beautiful when she wants to be. She enjoys sex. We all do.” She clears her throat. “Your lover seemed to as well.”
“She lured him to the beach to have sex with him and then kill him?” I ask.
They both nod as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. “It’s how we feed Una and make our money. We bring lovers back here with the promise of sex for a price.”
“Do you keep those promises?” Gerald asks, a little too enthusiastically.
“Yes,” Merche says. She shrugs. “It’s the only way we’re allowed to get close to anyone and the only way Una receives satisfaction and nourishment.”
“And men willingly come here?” I ask. “With you?” I grimace. “Um. Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
“Yes, you did,” Gerald says.
Yes, I did.
Merche smiles sadly. “We know what we look like, and we know what we’ve become. The men came with us before the results of Mirror fully kicked in,” she replies. “Now that we look the way we look, there’s no men and no more money.”
“And no food,” Farrah adds. “We haven’t eaten real food in a long time. Except maybe worms and scraps. They aren’t as bad as you might think.”
“Mm,” I say. “Una eats her lovers?” Again, more nods. “Is she a praying mantis of sorts?”
“Oh,” Farrah says. “That is one of the Mirror creatures she initially used.” She pokes Merche. “That explains a lot.”
It occurs to me then why these witches never developed their skills. Both are very naive and don’t strike me as overtly intelligent.
“Tell me more about Ted and Una,” I say.
“Who?” Farrah asks.
“Emme’s boyfriend,” Gerald offers.
“The wolf I went out with tonight,” I clarify.
“Oh, him,” Farrah says. She kneels at the edge of the pool and dunks her head into the water. Bubbles form along the surface. After several long and disturbing seconds, she lifts her head and splashes more water along her scales.
“Better?” Merche asks.
“Ya,” Farrah says. She rises slowly. “In another few days, I don’t think I’ll be able to leave the water.”
“Can we get back to Ted?” I interrupt.
Farrah glances at me, her body appearing more apologetic than her fish face. “Una didn’t want anyone around who might protect you. She wants you dead. Needs you dead, actually.”
It’s only because she says, “need,” that I start to understand. “Because of my power and who I know.”
“Yes,” Merche says. “If you’re not around and Una manages to hurt your pregnant sister, you won’t be able to save her. The Mate and her baby will die, and the dark ones will finally respect Una.”
Chapter Twelve
Emme
It takes a while for me to move. Rage has a funny way of keeping me in place. How dare she? How dare they?
“They won’t go after Celia.”
“She’s well protected by the wolf and his pack,” Farrah agrees. “But Una has a plan—”
“You don’t understand,” I snap. “She won’t go after Celia because I won’t allow it.” I permit my protective streak to come forward and vanquish that guilt that frequently haunts me, the one attached to blood and death. “My sister and her baby are going to live. No matter what I have to do, they will share a lifetime together. Every mother and child deserve as much.”
Merche shakes her head. “You don’t understand Una. She’s strong, vicious, as if all the wrongness from our strongest brethren collected into one being.”
“I don’t care. Whatever Una is, she won’t be enough,” I tell them. “I’ll kill her before she can think of attacking Celia.”
Neither appear to believe my words or think I have it in me. That’s their
