Conjure Web Read online

  “It must be so cool to be able to change shape,” I said. “You have two completely different worlds you live in.”

  “Hey, I was just thinking it must be really fun to be able to work with magic. I admit, it scares me, and I shy away from it,” Tally said. “But I still think it’s cool. I guess the grass always does seem greener.”

  She paused as Killian excused himself to go to the restroom. While he was gone, she said, “You do realize that he’s nuts over you? I like you, January. I like you a lot. I came prepared to pick you over and find any problems I could because you’re witchblood and not Pack. But…I like you. However, I want you to know, my big brother is one of the dearest people in my life. Don’t toy with his heart. Don’t hurt him. He’s far more sensitive than you might think.”

  I had expected the “Don’t hurt my brother” speech to be trotted out, because that would be exactly something I would do, so I wasn’t offended.

  “I won’t. I care about your brother…” I paused, blushing. It was getting harder and harder not to use the “L” word.

  But Tally caught it. She broke out in a wide smile. “You love him, don’t you?”

  I started to shake my head, but then stopped. “I haven’t said anything yet. Please don’t tell him. I need to do so in my own way, when I’m sure of his feelings.”

  She paused, then glanced toward the restrooms. “One thing you should know about Pack. Once we’ve chosen a mate, we’re done. We date, we go out, but there’s a point where we know. And my brother… He’s chosen a mate. I can tell. So don’t feel you have to wait too long.”

  At that moment, Killian appeared from the men’s room door, and Tally changed the subject. I sat there, listening to her talk, thinking about what she said. Was she right? Did Killian love me? Had he decided I was his mate? And was I even ready for that? With all those questions rumbling around in my brain, I turned the subject toward dessert, and tried to focus on the evening at hand.

  That night, I called Ari to fill her in on what was going on, but that conversation was cut short when she burst into tears upon hearing my voice.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  “Meagan’s mother came to see me today. She told me to break the engagement or she’ll ruin my business.” Ari was sobbing like I’d never heard her cry.

  “What the hell? What kind of asshole is she?”

  “She’s… You know how Meagan told you her family acted when she came out?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  Meagan’s mother had been furious, insisting that Meagan return to her husband because he “was a good catch” and she was “shaming the family.” While most bear shifter clans tended to be matriarchal, they didn’t all approve of same-sex marriages. Family lineage was important, and having blood-children was extremely important in their society.

  “Well, her mother blames me for Meagan ‘turning gay’ and she threatened to ruin my business if I don’t break off the engagement. I knew they were pissed at her, but I can’t believe they would do this. Her mother is pretty high up in social circles. She could spread the word and I’d lose half my customers.”

  “What did Meagan say?”

  Ari sniffled. “I haven’t told her yet. I was just going to call you—Mrs. Lopez just left a few minutes ago.” Meagan had gone back to her maiden name when she left her ex.

  “You need to tell her. Meagan has to talk to her mother.” I felt helpless. I wanted to run over to the Lopez house and beat some sense into the woman, but running afoul of a bear shifter wasn’t exactly the best tactic to take.

  “How can I? Meagan’s just been getting back on an even keel with her parents. This is going to either break us up, or sever her ties with them. There’s no way Mrs. Lopez will come around.”

  I sighed. Everybody seemed to be having family troubles. “Listen, you talk to Meagan or I will. She needs to know what her mother is up to. You’re her fiancée. She’s the love of your life. Don’t let this happen without a fight. And if old lady Lopez tries to ruin your business, we’ll just make sure people know why. I’ve got a big mouth when I choose to use it.”

  Ari laughed at that. “So, how did the big dinner go?”

  “Actually, better than I thought. Tally’s nice. I found out more about Killian’s family.” I paused, then added, “Tally told me that Killian’s in love with me. She gave me the speech. You know the one.”

  “ ‘Don’t hurt my brother’?”

  “Essentially. But I like her. I was afraid, at first, because I had such a bad run-in with Ellison’s parents.”

  But at least they didn’t threaten to ruin you if you married him, a little voice whispered, and I had to admit, that was true. Granted, they treated me like I was pond scum, but they didn’t threaten my livelihood.

  “So, what’s Killian’s sister like?”

  I told Ari about her. “The accident messed her up pretty good, and I feel bad for her. She looks like she was athletic, but now she’s having trouble walking without a cane. I hope she sues the hell out of that driver. He was speeding—there was no doubt about that, given the skid marks he left when he tried to swerve. Cops pegged him as going at least sixty-five miles an hour on a forty-mph stretch of road.”

  “She was in her alt-shape, wasn’t she?”

  “Yeah, and when the car hit her, it threw her thirty feet to the side. If she was human, she would have died.” I paused, then added, “Talk to Meagan.”

  Ari let out another sigh. “She worked late tonight. She should be getting home any second. I’ll tell her when she gets here, I promise.” She hesitated, then said, “You don’t think she’ll leave me, do you?”

  “I don’t think so. If she ditched her ex because she knew she was gay, and came out to her parents knowing the way they’d react, she’s not going to throw you over because of her mother. It seems to me that Meagan has already made her choice, and you’re it.”

  I hung up, hoping to hell I was right. If I wasn’t, there would be a lot of pieces to pick up.

  The next morning, Xi woke me up early. She batted my face until I opened my eyes and stared at the little fluff ball.

  “What? What do you want?” I muttered, patting her head.

  She mewed and patted at my nose again. Then she mewed a second time and bounced off the bed, racing over to the window. Groggy, I shoved my way out from beneath the covers and followed her.

  There, in the backyard, something was glittering on the lawn. It was small, I couldn’t make out what it was from the second floor, but I definitely saw it. There was something else that caught my eye—the bushes near the tree line were rustling.

  Frowning, I leaned down and scooped up Xi, holding her up to stare in her eyes. “What did you see out there? What is it, baby?”

  She let out a mew and connected with me, and I caught a sudden glimpse of a strange creature, looking very much like a Woodling, prowling in my backyard.

  “Was there a Woodling out there?” I asked.

  Xi mewed again. I kissed her nose, then set her on the writing desk beneath the window so she could stare outside. As I quickly dressed, sliding on jeans and a sweater, then quickly jamming socks on my feet and sliding on my ankle boots, Xi continued to make little chattering sounds as she stared out the window. I knew that cats did that when they saw birds, but this was different. She was talking about something out there, I just couldn’t catch the drift of her conversation. Familiars weren’t talkative like you saw on TV, but they could—and did—communicate. But Xi was very young and it would take her time to reach that stage. For now, it was vague impressions and images.

  I pulled my hair back in a quick ponytail and headed downstairs. It was six a.m., so I had some time before work. I stepped onto the back porch, making sure the door wasn’t locked before I closed it behind me. As I clattered down the steps, the entire yard felt lit up with energy. Sure enough, something had been out there.

  I followed the path through the center of the grass until I came to t
he object I had seen from my window. I picked it up, carefully examining it. The contraption was made of a gold-tone metal, and it reminded me of a carousel, only with crystal unicorns instead of horses on it. As I held it up, I saw a knob beneath the thing, along with four furrows into the metal. I wound the knob like you wind a watch, and the unicorns began to rotate. The sight was mesmerizing as rainbows filtered through the crystal unicorns, reflecting out to sparkle in the early morning gloom.

  I caught my breath, entranced. Then, suddenly wary, I gazed at the tree line and the path leading into the wood. A Woodling had brought this to me, and there had to be some reason. Then a thought hit me. What if the mother of the Woodling child had brought this to me to give to her baby?

  Frowning, I reached out to see if Esmara was nearby. Is this enchanted? Is it cursed, hexed, or bewitched?

  No, Esmara said. It’s not cursed. But neither is it made by human hands. It’s very old. I know what you’re thinking, and you may be right—but I cannot tell. But it’s safe to have in your house.

  Thank you. I was wondering whether to take it inside. I glanced back at the woodland. The Mystic Wood surrounded the town on three sides. It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch for the Woodling mother to have found me.

  I carried it inside, wishing I could call my grandmother. Rowan Firesong would be a huge help at this point, but she was off on a road trip and she hadn’t told me where she was going. I could text her, but she had been explicit about not bothering her unless it was life or death, and I didn’t think she’d consider this situation fitting into that category.

  I examined the carousel closely. There were no batteries from what I could see, which meant it operated from the winding key. It was beautifully made, all crystal and gold, and shimmering. As I sat down at the kitchen table, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it.

  Xi shook me out of my fascination, leaping on the table and mewing for breakfast. Klaus joined her. Startled, I pushed the carousel back to where the cats couldn’t knock it off, and proceeded to feed them.

  “Well, little buggers, looks like the Woodlings are reaching out on their own,” I told them as they ate. “At least, I think it’s them—the mother, at least. I’ll take this to work with me.” As soon as they were chowing down on their food, I ran upstairs and tidied up, put on my makeup, then brushed my hair back into a tidier ponytail and draped a scarf around my neck that matched the sweater.

  It was time for work, and I was ready to go. Gathering up the carousel, I headed for the door, stopping only to text Ari to ask how her talk with Meagan went. By the time I started my car, she hadn’t answered, so I figured she was busy with an appointment.

  Chapter Ten

  Ari still hadn’t answered by the time I got to work. I parked my car in front of the office, picked up the carousel, and headed inside. I waved to Wren, who was on the phone, and slipped behind the desk to the door leading to the inner office.

  Caitlin was settling in at her desk, Hank was already glued to the bank of monitors, and Tad was sitting on the edge of his desk, frowning over what looked like a letter—as in an actual letter, not an email.

  “Well, look what someone left me this morning,” I said, setting the carousel down on the table that we gathered around for meetings. “My gut tells me the Woodling mother left this in my backyard for me to give to her baby. It’s magical, but not cursed—Esmara confirmed that. I’m now thinking that the mother Woodling didn’t want to give up her baby. I wonder if she had a choice. What do we know about their society?”

  “Not much,” Tad said, setting the letter down and walking over to look at the carousel. “That’s beautiful.” He picked it up and examined it. Hank and Caitlin joined us. “What makes you think it’s from a Woodling?”

  “Xi shot me an image of it.”

  Tad jerked his head up. “Xi, as in Xi your kitten?”

  “Yes, that Xi. She’s growing into a familiar, so we have a bond. Familiars, regardless of their form, aren’t just regular animals. They’re guides—similar to spirit guides, only in animal form. They have an expanded capacity for reason and the ability to communicate with the witch they’re bonded to.”

  “All right, so she saw a Woodling in your yard, then?”

  “Right, and she woke me up to tell me about it. I looked out the window and saw something glittering in the middle of the yard. I went outside to see what it was, and Esmara told me that it wasn’t made by human hands.” I glanced over at the console at the coffeepot and saw that it was empty. “No java juice?” I frowned. “I need caffeine to function, guys, you know that.”

  “You almost always bring your own. Hank finished the last of it, he should be the one to make a new pot,” Caitlin said, pointing her finger at him and grinning.

  “Tattletale,” Hank muttered. “Tell you what, I know you’re hardcore and prefer espresso. I’ll run over to the coffee shop, since I want a mocha. Even the three cups that I drank wasn’t enough to get me moving today. I had a long night.”

  “What happened?” Tad asked, his eyes narrowing. “You all right?”

  “I’m fine, but my mother isn’t,” Hank replied. “I got a call from my father last night. Mom broke her leg. They were hiking up in the Cascades and a rock under her foot slipped. She tried to catch herself but ended up sliding down the rockface. She reached out with her feet to slow the fall—she was fastened to a belay rope, but Dad wasn’t fast enough. One of her feet got caught in a crack and it twisted her as she continued to fall. Dad managed to brace her, but by then her leg was torqued in a 90-degree angle. She has three breaks in the leg. She’s not going climbing anytime soon.”

  “Your parents are rock climbers?” I asked. It was hard to imagine. Hank wasn’t as young as he looked—he was also witchblood and he had lived for quite a while.

  “Yeah, they enjoy it. They’ve climbed all the big peaks, except for Everest. They want to try for the summit but I keep talking them out of it. They’re in that stage of life where their sense of adventure outweighs their physical abilities and their common sense. It’s almost harder to slow down when you’ve always been super athletic.” He shrugged. “Anyway, she’s stuck in the hospital for a week before they move her to a rehab center to help her with her knee. Dad called at one a.m. That’s when the search and rescue team found them.”

  “You definitely need the caffeine,” I said. “You want me to go?”

  He yawned, shaking his head. “The cool air will wake me up. Orders all around?”

  I asked for a triple-shot caramel latte and Caitlin wanted a chai tea. Tad asked for an extra-large coffee with four sugars in it, handing Hank the company credit card as he did so.

  “It’s hard to imagine him having parents, let alone parents who are out climbing mountains,” I said. “I don’t know much about his background.”

  “His family has some pretty potent witchblood in it, but Hank’s family was never around much when he was growing up, from what I understand. He was brought up by a nanny, who was all business. Not abusive, mind you, but she wasn’t the type to coddle her charges.” Caitlin glanced at the carousel. “What are you going to do with that?”

  “I thought I might take it over to Tabitha’s later on. Meanwhile, what are we going to do about the Woodlings? And what was Dr. Fairsight hiding last night?”

  My phone jangled and I glanced at the text. It was from Ari.

  meagan wants to postpone the wedding. we had a huge fight and she stormed out. january, what am i going to do?

  “Oh crap,” I muttered. I glanced over at Tad, wondering if I could talk my way out for the day. But he was once again looking at the letter he had been holding, and by the expression on his face, he wasn’t overjoyed at the news.

  “January, I have a job for you,” he said, just as I was about to ask for the rest of the day off. “I was wondering if you’d take care of this for me?” He handed me the letter.

  I glanced at the page. It was a letter asking for a speaker to give a lecture at the l
ocal school about cryptozoology in early April. “I’m not qualified to do this,” I said. “I may be Otherkin—but I’m not an expert by any means. And I’ve only been working here since December. What about giving this to Hank or Caitlin?”

  Tad frowned. “I tried. Neither of them wanted to do it.”

  “Well, I’m not going to do a very good job, and I guarantee you those kids are going to ask far more questions than I’m able to answer.”

  Tad let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. I’ll do it.” He grabbed the letter back out and tossed it on his desk. “Where the hell is Hank? We need to get started on the morning meeting.”

  I knew that we had nothing pressing, so his irritation had to be coming from somewhere else. I glanced over at Caitlin, who was studiously staring at the wall. The tension in the room was thick, and it dawned on me that there was an undertone between the pair of them that was subtle but thick. Either Tad had said something to Caitlin or vice versa and whatever the subject was, it hadn’t gone over well. Now was not the time to ask for the day off.

  I decided to try to break the tension. “I met Killian’s sister last night.”

  Caitlin immediately latched onto my words. “That’s right, you did. How did it go? What’s she like?”

  Tad did the same. “Do you get along with her? She was in an accident recently, wasn’t she?”

  I brought out every detail I could remember of the dinner, trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as I could over the evening. While it had gone well, it hadn’t been quite as bright and sparkly as I made it out to be. But the ploy worked, and by the time Hank returned with our coffee, Caitlin and Tad were both smiling again.

  “All right, let’s start this meeting,” Tad said. “I’ll get my files.”

  I settled in at the round table and took the opportunity to text Ari. i wish i could get free and come over but i don’t think that’s going to be possible for at least the morning. are you okay? is there anything i can do?