Dinorah gleamed in my hand, leaving me more confused than ever about Ankou and his motivations.
All I could figure was Ithas hadn’t told Ankou point-blank to never give me Dinorah. Ankou had proven time and time again he could wiggle around orders, just not defy them. This skirted a dangerous line, though. One there would be no coming back from now that he had crossed it.
“You hold Dinorah?”Anunit was once again relegated to speaking in my head.“How is this possible?”
“Ankou.”I heard the profound shock in my voice.“I don’t know what he’s playing at, but he told me I owed him. I can’t imagine that will amount to anything good, but we’ll figure it out.”
Using those seconds of blinding brightness, he snitched the sword and handed it off to me. As payment. For the favor he was asking. I had been sitting across from Ithas when the portal opened, so I had no doubt Ankou would blame it on me. Which meant IthasandDis Pater would be gunning for me.
But they pretty much already were, so…
“According to Vionette Fontenot, who I only met an hour ago, I’m your mother.” The woman hardened her jaw. “The fact that vaporous sleazeball had you in his clutches tends to make me think she’s right.”
Mother.
Mother?
No, no, no.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I mumbled, lips gone numb. “I’m all parented out for today.”
For all that she looked like a normal person leaving for a week of camping, with her blondish hair twisted into tidy French braids and her probing eyes in a remarkable shade of blue, I couldn’t dump more on top of everything else already stuffing my head. Not until I cleared out space for new revelations.
“We need to get…you inside…the wards.” Kierce trembled under me. “Safe.”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” I unlatched my legs and stood on my own two feet. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
The sword drew his eye immediately, but he didn’t comment, and his silence made me think he wanted the woman to believe it was nothing special. That suited me just fine. I would have a hard enough time explaining its importance to the others without revealing its value in front of a stranger.
“Another time…I wouldn’t mind.” A fine mist sheened his forehead. “But…the bone...”
“I would ask how you’re feeling, but that would be stupid under the circumstances.” I cradled his face in my palms. “God, I missed you.” I rolled onto my tiptoes and smashed my lips into his. “Sorry again.” The amused light gleaming silver in his eyes made the embarrassment worth it. “I’ll keep my hands to myself until you are yourself again.”
“I don’t mind your hands.” His words came easier without his burden. “Whether I’m myself or not.”
Forcing my libido to cool, I shut my eyes and counted back from five before opening them again with the mental clarity I had lost as soon as I touched him. “Josie?” I peered down the street. “Carter? Harrow?”
“They’re already here,” the woman—I couldn’t think of her asMother—growled, losing her patience.
“We must get Dinorah behind the wards.”
“Yes. Of course. Everything else can wait.”
“Come on, lover boy.” The woman snapped her fingers at her side. “You got your girl. Let’s move.”
Arm sliding through his, I guided Kierce toward the street-level entrance to the Chartres townhouse. The magic slid over me as I helped him past the wards, but I hesitated when the woman reached out to me.
I convinced myself the pause was because I ought to check with Vi to verify whether she had permission to enter but worried the truth was I didn’t want to touch her.
To cover the awkwardness, I welcomed Anunit in first.
A chime rang out, and the elevator doors rolled open to reveal Vi, sparing me from my indecisiveness.
Bustling past me, she hauled the woman in and shut the door before gripping my shoulder and spinning me around to face her. She dragged me into her arms, smelling of spice and earth, and I breathed her in. New Orleans would always be my second home, and these hugs were the reason.
“Damn fool girl.” Her voice hitched. “You should have come home with Papa Legba.”
“I wanted to,” I blubbered into her shoulder, “but I couldn’t come back without Kierce.”
