White Witch, Black Curse

"My amulet lit up," an FIB officer said, his words echoed by another as the man brought out the spell and showed it to everyone. It was black now, but it was gratifying to know for sure that I'd done the spell right. Yet my blood wasn't able to invoke it.

Ivy huffed. "Okay, she was here. But that doesn't mean she started the fire."

Arguments erupted, and Ivy took the opportunity to step out of the circle and come around to where we stood. Nodding to Al, she gave me a distracted smile. "It worked," she said. "Good. I'm glad for you, Rachel. Pierce, welcome to the chaos of Rachel's life. The next few hours ought to be fun."

I shook my head, but before I could explain, Al took her hand and kissed the top of her black glove. "Your welcome means more to me, Ivy Alisha Tamwood, than a thousand souls. Watching Rachel work is a wonder of one catastrophe after another."

That was kind of insulting. "This isn't Pierce," I said softly. "It's Al. Pierce is at the fountain."

Ivy jerked her hand from him. Glenn heard, as did most of the FIB agents, but only Glenn knew what Al was. His instruction cut off in mid-phrase, and I shrugged to tell him that gathering FIB souls wasn't on the demon's agenda today. Edden's expression became questioning. Glenn thought for a moment before remembering what he was saying, then continued, shifting to keep Al in his sights. Al huffed when the cautious man undid the snap to his holster. It didn't go unnoticed by the surrounding FIB officers either. Ivy flicked her attention between the demon and Pierce, now gaping at the fire trucks.

This was so not right, and I glanced around the square not wanting to believe that Mia had been here. That she'd kill a man to feed her daughter, I might understand, but up to now, she'd always been focused on the individual, not the collective. Even if I wanted to believe she was responsible for this, logic said it wasn't her.

Edden broke away from the FIB group as his son's voice took on the sound of instruction. His gaze tight on Al, he approached. "Rachel, I'm sorry," he said as he brought his gaze back to me. "I am going to do what's best for the sake of the child, within the limits of the law, but I'm not putting my neck out for Mia. Not after this."

I was too cold to protest, shivering. Glenn was giving out a final instruction, and the men looked grim. "Look for anyone with a baby, probably a woman, but it could be a man, or a man and a woman together," he was saying. "There shouldn't be too many infants out here."

Ivy had her hip cocked. "Mia did not set the fire," she said bluntly.

"More vampire vibes?" Edden mocked, and Al grinned.

"There is more than one banshee in this city," Ivy continued. "I saw her. Tall, scary woman with long hair. Dressed like she should be surrounded by security. Not Asian. More Mayan than anything else. She'd look Hispanic to most people."

Mayan? I mused, my thoughts immediately going to the top of Carew Tower and the lunch I'd had with Edden yesterday. "That's Ms. Walker," I said, feeling my pulse quicken. "Edden, Mia might have been here, but so was Ms. Walker. Which makes perfect sense! Walker doesn't have her usual haunts, so she's feeding where she can, stirring up trouble to make herself stronger."

Edden's face was thoughtful, but he waved to Glenn to get the men moving. With a chorus of agreement, they dispersed. It suddenly felt a whole lot colder.

"Of course Ms. Walker would be here," Edden said gruffly, but I could hear a note of doubt in it. "She's tracking Mia. I'd be surprised if she wasn't here."

Ivy sighed and shifted her weight, but I was a lot more direct. "Damn it, Edden!" I shouted. "Why are you being so bullheaded about this? Are you so smitten with that woman that you can't look at things logically?"

The few FIB personnel within earshot turned, and Glenn's eyes went wide. I suddenly felt nervous as the stocky man forced his clenched jaw to loosen. "Are you so bleeding-heart stupid that you can't do the same?" he barked back.

I suddenly realized that Al was quietly arranging the snowflakes on his sleeve, turning them into blue butterflies. The doomed insects flew from him only to die a few feet away, their wings fluttering briefly before being covered by snow.

"Mia hurt me, too," I said to Edden, nervous that someone might see Al's show of demon skill. "Whether you like it or not, Holly is going to grow up to be one hell of a predator. You can either make her a friend, or a foe. Think about it."

Edden shook his head, zipping up his coat and walking away. "With friends like her, we don't need foes."

That was one of the lamest things I'd ever heard him say, and I took several mincing steps to keep up with him. "Stop thinking like a human," I said roughly. "It's not a human world anymore. We don't have any proof it was Mia, but you're ready to put her in jail for it. Banshees are territorial, and I think Walker set the stage on fire to get a quick fix and call Mia out."