Siren Song

his head just a bit. He concluded, “You might want to make a call and change your flight.”

I stifled a smirk, but Alex laughed out loud and Cassandra’s pale face reddened.

There was a knock on the door. The attorney looked up, glanced at his watch, nodded, and wrote a checkmark on the top sheet of his pad. “Yes?” he called out softly.

The door opened and it was my turn to be surprised and a little angry. John Creede walked in the door and started visibly when he saw me.

I didn’t mirror Cassandra’s outburst from my arrival, but I did raise an eyebrow and he could probably feel the anger that made my muscles clench. How dare he play me, pretend to want . . . well, what? Honestly, I couldn’t decide why I was angry, but I was. “There wouldn’t have been much time for lunch, would there?”

“Celia, I—”

Arons interrupted whatever lame apology Creede had been about to offer. “Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Creede. I was unaware of the change in your office administration. Once I was informed you hadn’t received our messages I obtained the number for your cell phone from Mr. Cooper.”

“Well, I didn’t have anything else scheduled, so I was able to come right over.”

John sat down right next to me with barely a glance at Jason and Cassandra; this gesture and his stony facial expression told me that he wanted nothing to do with his former clients. I couldn’t bring myself to look up to see the reaction of the Coopers.

Barney Arons clucked his tongue in disapproval. “The receptionist at your former firm should have advised us you were no longer working with them.” He sighed. “No harm done, I suppose.”

There was another knock on the door, another “Yes?” from Arons.

When the door opened this time, my jaw dropped. A dozen emotions swam through my stomach as my gran stepped in, wearing her best Sunday dress and clutching the little golden purse Vicki had given her one Christmas. Her smile when she saw me lit up the room and she raced over to embrace me in a hug. “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so glad you made it. I’ve missed you.”

I returned the hug with gusto. I’d missed her, too.

Dr. Scott walked through the door at Gran’s heels. He took in the occupants with a glance and then his gaze fell on me. His voice was a threatening rumble. “Celia, I am beyond angry with you. I believe I made it clear that you were not to come to this meeting.” He took a single step toward me and Creede stood in a flash, blocking his path. Power began to bleed off them both, filling the room with enough energy that even the protection spell couldn’t completely dampen it. John held his hands in classic mage mode, hip level, fingers spread and cupped—ready to throw a fireball if needed. The doctor’s brow had furrowed and he’d adjusted his stance so all his weight was on the balls of his feet. I wasn’t sure what the classic position of a psi-warrior was just before battle, but I was pretty sure I was seeing it.

While I didn’t think the doctor would hurt me, I didn’t really like the look in his eye. All the little stresses were piling up on him, straining his composure to the breaking point.

Gran likewise turned, putting herself squarely in front of me. But I don’t need a bodyguard, much less two. I am a bodyguard. I stepped out from around Gran and said, “Guys, let’s all calm down, okay? Doctor, I didn’t trick you. But as long as I was out for the day I decided I should be here. I may be a patient at your facility, but I make my own decisions. You are not my treating doctor and Dr. Hubbard never saw any problem with my attending. Yes, I’m under court order for treatment but—”

All of a sudden, I started to feel shaky and realized breakfast was wearing off quickly. I was staring at the doctor’s neck and the fast-pulsing vein just under the skin. . . . I could feel the drool pooling in my mouth. It wasn’t just the good doctor who needed to calm down. I hissed. Everybody stepped away from me as the world slipped into hyperfocus. My hands rose, glowing green fingers curled into claws. Calf muscles twinged as I sank into a crouch, the better to spring at and land on my prey.

Crap. No, not now! Not with Gran in the room!

A cold wind abruptly blew my hair back, probably slapping it against John’s face. The temperature in the room dropped hard and fast and my breath began to come out as steam. Writing appeared on the frost-covered glass over an ocean scene. Knock it off!

I heard the furnace kick on and warm air began to flow up around my feet and down on the top of my head. The cold had pushed away the hunger and I could think again. Before it could return, I retreated from the situation. I slid my chair away from the table, into the farthest corner of the room, and curled up in the chair, legs against my chest as I struggled to get control of my breathing and my predator’s response. The others sat down as well but scooted just a bit farther from me. Even Gran watched me with a new nervousness that I didn’t like. But she’d only seen the vampire peek out once and never like this, so I could hardly blame her. I could only hope it didn’t affect our relationship.

“Thank you, Vicki.” Arons’s voice was calm but leaked a bit of nervousness that said that this might not have been on the schedule. After taking a deep breath, letting it out slow, and then wiping the fog that had appeared on his glasses, he picked up the phone receiver. “Becky? The confrontation phase is concluded. Please bring in our next guest and the refreshment for Ms. Graves.”

Wow. So Vicki had foreseen even this? Damn, she was good. But who was the next guest? I didn’t even expect half the people already here.

The door at the far end of the room opened and a slightly disheveled brunette woman stepped in the door. I’d seen her around the office before, so I presumed she was Becky. She held open the door and waved someone inside, then brought me a large thermal mug filled with what smelled like French onion soup.

The young man she’d ushered in had skin that was pale, and freckles stood out in sharp relief under a shock of carrot orange hair. Mr. Arons stood and held out his hand across the table. “Mr. Murphy? Barney Arons. We spoke on the phone last month. Thank you for coming. I hope you had a comfortable trip. Is your hotel satisfactory?”

I’d never seen him before in my life and apparently nobody else in the room had, either. Jason and Cassandra were exchanging confused glances, as were Alex and Sybil.

“Yessir. I’ve never flown in a private jet before and Molly and the girls are loving the hotel room. But you really didn’t have to put us up in a suite. A regular room would have been just fine.” He had a light southern drawl but with a sophisticated edge. I couldn’t quite place the location.

“Not at all. Ms. Cooper was very clear in her wishes for your stay here. You were to have the best of everything, with no expenses spared. So, please . . . enjoy it.” He waved toward a seat between Cassandra and Jason. “If you’d have a seat? We’re ready to start.”

Mr. Murphy stopped in his tracks, jaw dropping when he actually got a look at the people he would be sitting next to. I watched him swallow hard and pull himself together enough that he wouldn’t act starstruck and embarrass himself in front of everyone.

Arons had said five new people. So, Creede, Gran, Dr. Scott, and Mr. Murphy. Was Vicki the fifth, or was there someone yet to arrive? I put down my soup to ask, “Didn’t you say five people, Mr. Arons?”

He nodded. “Vicki was the fifth. Oh, that reminds me—” He turned to Mr. Murphy. “Mr. Murphy, do you have any problem with ghosts? Or vampires, mages, or psychics?”

Yeah, that was probably a good thing to find out. We had sort of a weird bunch here today.

“Well . . . I’ve got a cousin who’s a mage and my grandma stayed in the house for a bit after she died, until we found her Will. But I’m not a fan of bats, and psychics sort of creep me out. Why?”

“Ah. I see. Let me make formal introductions, for those who don’t know each other.” Arons took a moment to identify each person gathered at the table and ended with, “Finally, if you’ll direct your attention to the ceiling, you’ll see a sparkling formation.” We all dutifully looked up. The gaseous cloud that was Vicki’s normal state in this realm sparkled in the remaining cool air. “The deceased has elected to attend this reading. I hope that doesn’t bother anyone.”

Mr. Murphy eyed the cloud with an odd look but finally shrugged. “I suppose there’s not much to be done about that, is there? Ghosts do what they will. But if she starts throwin’ stuff, you’ll find me somewhere between here and the hotel. Try to keep up if you want to talk.”

Laughter erupted from nearly everyone. It was just what we needed.

Arons checked his watch again. “Excellent. We’re right on schedule. Let’s begin.” He picked up a remote