“We’ll be at the Hotel Northampton overnight,” Beryl said matter-of-factly, “and maybe for the next few days, as well. Rémy’s given us until Sunday night and we’re going to need every minute between now and then.”
“Then I shall return, hopefully with news and reinforcements.” Alabastair waved and let himself out.
5
Once Alabastair left, my sisters and I had a short back-and-forth about whether to head to the hotel or stay in our parents’ apartment and continue to look for clues to our mother’s professional life.
The lure of the hotel, coupled with exhaustion and the need to be coddled, won. Lucky for us, there was a suite available. Kostya took the room with the single bed and hugged each of us before closing his door. In our larger room, Alderose claimed the double bed closest to the hall door. Beryl and I agreed to share the bed near the windows rather than draw straws for the couch. Too agitated to close my eyes, I went to the heavily draped window and lost myself in the sheets of rain. Pedestrians battled against the wind-driven gusts, while headlights from the few cars cut long, blue-white beams across the stormy cityscape.
Beryl clicked off the table lamp and circled the end of the bed to stand next to me. “It’s beautiful out there,” she whispered. “I forgot how much I love a good storm.”
“Especially when we have a warm and dry place to stay,” I said, agreeing with her. Thunder and lightning were a rare occurrence over my new home on the west coast.
“What’s your spidey-sense telling you, Clemmie?” My sister slipped an arm around my waist and tugged me closer.
“That there was a whole lot more to our mother than any of us ever knew.” I freed my arm and wrapped it around Beryl’s shoulders. “I thought I was done grieving. Everything I saw—and that we’ve learned today—is making the loss feel so fresh. And it hurts.” Muscles in my upper chest constricted as if in agreement.
“I hear you. I’m angry too. With Mom, with Dad, and it makes me wonder how much Tía Mari and Uncle Malvyn knew.”
“About Mom’s death?” I asked.
“About Mom’s life and about her livelihood.”
“We should have the answer to that question when Tía gets here tomorrow. If we start digging around in Mom’s business—beyond completing Rémy’s contract—it could put us all in danger.”
“If we don’t start digging, those other clients might come after us too. We need to be proactive—to find them first,” Beryl countered. “Besides, think of the hopeful souls out there who’ll never find their true love without our help.” My sister snuggled closer. I pressed my nose to her head and inhaled the scent of her hair. She’d changed shampoos. This one smelled more sophisticated than the peach-scented brand she used for years.
“You know that if we really agree to stay involved beyond completing Rémy’s contract, this means there’s no going back,” I said. “There’s no more spending most of our time with humans, pretending we aren’t what we are. There’s no more muting our magic.” I darted a glance behind me. Alderose had her back to us and a pillow over her head. I lowered my voice to a whisper. “All three of us have to agree, and we have to do it together or this won’t work.”
“You two going to fill me in?” Alderose asked, her voice muffled by the bedding.
Beryl and I separated and grinned at each other. “Before we talk to Rosey, what’s going on with you and Demon Boy?”
My sister picked at my sweater and pressed her pointer finger between two ribs until I flinched. “He loves all of us, you know.”
“I do know that. I love him too. But if we’re going to work with him, one of us has to call first dibs,” I said, “and that means you and I have to choose, because I think Rosey’s got her hands full.”
When Beryl asked for bedding rights if Kostya wanted them, I didn’t hesitate. I nodded and gave her another hug. Kostya was a catch as far as lovers went, but I knew in my bones he wasn’t my beloved. Plus, he and Beryl had more history together.
My current quest, to harness and work with the powers that filled and frightened me, was all-consuming, leaving no room for thoughts of sexual dalliances. Well, thinking about sex would be okay. Dalliances would be okay too. But a commitment?
I had my dog. I was absolutely committed to her. I wanted to bring her on this trip, but she needed heavy sedation for portal travel and I needed heavy sedation at the thought of loading her into the cargo hold of an airplane.
Beryl kissed my cheek and let me go with a soft, “Thanks, Sissy. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Alderose groaned and flung off her covers. “What has you two acting sappy tonight, beyond the obvious? And c’mere, I’m cold. I need some sister snuggles.”
Beryl and I obliged. Once we’d maneuvered all three of our bodies onto a mattress made for two, we tucked the blankets under our chins and got to the heart of the issue facing us.
“Mom had secrets,” Alderose said. “And those secrets might have gotten her
