5

  Jacob

  “D on’t make that face. They’ll characterize you as brooding .”

  Amanda straightened Jacob’s tie before reaching for her tablet. She turned back around, wearing a confident grin to go along with her charcoal gray dress and sleek, black ponytail. Maybe she ought to go out there instead of him. She knew what to say, how to say it, and she looked damn good

  doing

  it

  .

  Jacob thumbed through some of his notes to distract himself. He learned a long time ago not to get involved with anyone from work. “I thought people liked brooding. It worked for every vampire book or movie.”

  “A room full of reporters is not the same as a gaggle of teenage girls.”

  “Are you sure? They both love gossip.”

  She wagged a finger at him as a warning. “Please tell me you studied those talking points I drew up for you last night.”

  “It’s not my job,

  but

  …

  yes

  .”

  It should’ve been Mayor Robert Farley meeting with Watchers and fielding questions by reporters. But, like most yellow-bellied politicians, Farley feared backlash and low approval ratings. It was easier to respond to recent tensions by sending Jacob, a respected member of the wizarding community, out into the open to champion a truce. And a weak one, at that. It wasn’t that Jacob wanted a war with the Watchers and for the city to drown in upheaval, but he didn’t trust the group, and if it were up to him, they’d be treated like a terrorist organization, not a quasi-political party.

  Amanda tapped at her tablet’s screen and then walked over to open the door on the right. It led to the adjacent newsroom where he could already hear the rumble of voices. She gave him a

  thumbs

  -

  up

  .

  “Don’t forget you have a meeting with the school superintendent today at 3 p.m., and the mayor wants you to stop by his office after lunch. He wants to know how your meeting went last night.”

  His eyebrows shot up, and he was just about to tell her about Harry Storm pulling a gun out on his head of security, as well as how he believed someone was following him last night. Ugh. And there was Bruno Jones, the Watcher. He decided to save that story for another time; the gaggle of reporters waited.

  “Hey, could you do me a favor?” He stepped through the doorway.

  “Sure.”

  “Call Captain Lewis down at the police station and ask him if he’s heard of a detective named Harry Storm. I think he’s from Los Angeles.”

  Amanda nodded and grabbed her black handbag from a nearby armchair. “Will do. Anything else, Mr. Wolfe?”

  “That’s all. I’ll see you in a little while.”

  “

  Good

  luck

  .”

  He turned and stepped into the adjacent room, closing the door behind him. Cameras clicked as photographers began taking snapshots, and the rumbling voices rose in a crescendo. He forced a smile and waved to a few familiar faces as he approached the podium with a plaque bearing the

  city’s

  seal

  .

  When the room quieted down, he delivered the short speech he had memorized after downing a few beers at the bar last night. When he indicated that he would take a few questions, the room exploded with reporters calling

  his

  name

  .

  He scanned the room, passing over a few people he knew would give him a headache, and gestured toward a middle-aged woman in a white pantsuit. “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Wolfe. Helen Marquez from the Miracle Falls Daily. There have been reports that you were in the Ninth Street district meeting with a member of the Watchers. Is that true? Also, if that’s the case, was this in your official capacity as Mayor Farley’s chief of staff?”

  He wasn’t exactly holed up in a secret safe house. He knew it was bound to get out. “Mayor Farley knew I was meeting with a member of the Watchers, but it was not in an official capacity—that’s why it was at a bar, very informal, and we had a couple of beers and talked.”

  “What did you talk about?” Helen jotted down a few lines in her notebook.

  Jacob wanted to punch the mayor in the face for making him do this. “I actually wanted to meet with a representative of the Watchers on my own, to try and understand them. Our country is experiencing so many divisions, whether it’s because of class, race, wizard or non-wizard lineage, and I believe the first step in healing wounds and bringing us together is to sit down and talk—not fight, or spread rumors, or turn to violence.”

  And he really wanted to point out that ninety-nine percent of the time, the violence was perpetrated by a Watcher idiot who got off on harassing a hedge witch or calling in a bomb threat to the Albertus Magnus academy. But if he did that, he’d have to suffer Amanda’s wrath for deviating from her talking points.

  “Mr. Wolfe,” a man in a dark suit adjusted his glasses. “What do you think of the billionaire Cedric Astaroth putting his hat in the ring for Mayor, and is Mayor Farley attempting to show he’s better suited to lead this city by brokering peace between the Watchers and the wizarding population?”

  “I believe Mayor Farley will address some of those issues next week. One more question.”

  A surly looking man with a balding head and beard caught Jacob’s eye. He cleared his throat. “Thank you, Mr. Wolfe. Do you believe that in Miracle Falls, or state-wide here in California, that we ought to consider implementing a Wizard Registry, like the ones used by several other states?”

  Jacob’s stomach tightened and he clenched his jaw. “That is not who we are, and that is not what our country stands for. Those of wizarding lineage are people, like you, and they are citizens, like you. A registry unjustly singles them out and even puts their lives in danger when their personal information falls into the wrong hands.”

  The balding man shrugged. “We have dangerous criminals like sex offenders register. If you own an assault rifle or want to conceal carry a gun, you must register. Having special abilities, especially deadly ones, I think calls for a registry. Even if wizards make up ten percent of our population, some would say a registry is common sense.”

  “Common sense, or persecution? I don’t believe in a registry, but I do believe in all citizens being treated equally.”

  That was it. He needed to end this before the next headline in the news read: Mayor’s Chief of Staff Says No Need For Violent Wizard Registry, Punches Reporter.

  6

  Aria

  Margot was . . . colorful .

  For as long as Aria had known her, Margot could be described as a number of things. Flamboyant. Flaky. Spunky. Downright firecracker. Whatever mood Margot Jones happened to be in, that was her entire character. Aria never knew what to expect each time she’d go visit her friend, and that was half the fun. She always figured it had to be a real pain-in-the-ass life being the daughter of a Watcher.

  Margot’s father, Bruno Jones, would send prickles of ice down Aria’s back. He would always glare, grumble some profanity under his breath, or, when he grew a pair, boldfaced told Aria just how “unnatural” her existence was, forcing her to bite her tongue before mouthing off some smart-ass remark. But with Margot? Being a sin eater never bothered her, which made Aria love her even more. Margot was Aria’s only friend, which could either be a good or bad thing, but at least it made her feel that she didn’t completely give up on people.

  The Falls Tunes and Muse was an old record and coffee shop in the heart of Miracle Falls. Margot practically lived there, and that’s where Aria was meeting her. Besides, the coffee was just the thing she needed to keep her awake for the sin eating ritual for Bartholomew Perkins. There was something that made her uneasy with the appointment. It just wasn’t protocol to accept a job before the client had passed, but Mr. Belagio promised a way to find her mother. She had always wanted to know where she came from, but her Shrivener, Edwin Kovar,

  forbade

  it

  .

  Screw it. I’m going. What’s the worst that could happen?

  The shop sat nestled between some overly priced boutique and a thrift store. The glass was painted in bright colors of dancing notes and various vintage posters from decades ago. Once Aria stepped out of her Beetle, the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans called to her. She gripped her coat, pulling it tighter around her, then tucked a strand of dark hair that had blown into her face behind her ear. She searched the storefront for Margot, finding her dancing behind the coffee shop counter. Her blonde hair bounced with every hop, skip, and shimmy.

  Aria chuckled to herself, gripped the handle of the door, and then stepped inside to the sea of peppermint, coffee, and records. A few patrons graced the first few rows of music at the front of the shop. Both bobbed their heads to the beat of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

  Good

  song

  .

  The tune lured Aria to years long passed when the world was very different. It reminded her of her Shrivener, Edwin Kovar. Did he choose to retire from sin eating and embrace a mortal existence?

  “Boo!” Margot jumped out in front

  of

  her

  .

  Aria staggered then gripped her heart. “You scared the shit out of me, Margot.”

  “So . . . where did

  you

  go

  ?”

  Aria stared blankly at her friend.

  “You went somewhere in that noggin of yours. Where did you go?” Margot’s hazel eyes held on to Aria’s.

  “Oh, uh, nowhere. Are you on lunch?” Aria pulled out her phone to check the time.

  12

  :

  15

  .

  “Not yet, but give me a minute. Where are we eating?”

  Margot turned toward a customer who asked for some help. Once she directed him to the location he sought, Aria said, “We can

  eat

  here

  .”

  “Ew, Aria. Seriously? You want this junk?” Margot smirked then shook her head as she took off her apron and draped it over the counter next to the register.

  “I’m gonna need the caffeine.”

  “Ah, you got plans tonight.” Margo looked over her shoulder and wriggled her eyebrows, her grin stretching

  her

  lips

  .

  Aria giggled. “No. Nothing like that. But I do have a client.”

  “Who is the lucky bastard?” She nodded toward the espresso machine.

  Aria leveled her gaze. “You know I can’t tell

  you

  that

  .”

  Margot rolled her eyes then pretended to do a pout that would give little Ellie a run for her money. “Fine, then. I’m just your bestest friend in the whole wide world.”

  “That doesn’t change the strict confidentiality that I have to abide by,”

  Aria

  said

  .

  “Stupid rules. So, what will it be today? Your poison is my pleasure!”

  “Nice. I want a dirty chai.” Aria clasped her hands.

  “Death in a cup, coming right up!” Margot went to work, pouring, grinding, and pouring again until a steaming cup of chai with a couple shots of espresso sat in front of Aria. “Do you want a sandwich?”

  “Sure. Do you have turkey and Swiss?”

  “Do I look like a delicatessen?” Margot laughed. “I

  brought

  two

  .”

  They took their drinks and sandwiches to the old fountain half a block from the shop. They sat and ate in silence, watching a few passersby take in the view of the fountain. Aria blew into the mouth hole of her cup before sipping her tea. Clove and cinnamon danced on her tongue. She made a loud “mmm” sound then smiled at her friend.

  “So, how’s life been treating you? Still doing the nanny thing?” Margot ripped the crust from the second half of her sandwich and tossed it to the gravel near some small black birds.

  Aria shrugged. “Life is . . . life. I’m still taking care of Ellie and Zarek. Ellie is getting too good at telepathy. She’s going to be a force to reckon with when she’s older.”

  “I’ll say. I wonder if there’s a practical use for that, like getting contracted to spy on people. They’d probably want to put her on that registry they keep talking about on the news.” Margot sipped her drink and watched the birds fight over the lump of crust.

  “I have no idea.” Aria had become fascinated by the fight. She hoped the one with the yellow spot would win. It was the smaller one. The big one just wouldn’t stop making its annoying racket long enough for the smaller one to get a tweet in edgewise.

  “My dad would probably know, since, you know . . .” Margot tossed out a larger piece of crust. It landed closer to the smaller one. Little yellow dot swooped it up and

  flew

  away

  .

  “I hope Ellie’s able to stay away from anyone willing to use her for her abilities. She deserves better.”

  Margot peered at her. “I know, and so

  do

  you

  .”

  “What is that supposed

  to

  mean

  ?”

  “Hello.” She made a sweeping gesture toward the fountain, where a few kids splashed and played. “You deserve happiness. Go date, find a hot guy, have some kids. For crying out loud, I think it’s freakin’ awesome that you save souls, but you want to mope around about the bad shit that happens in the world and pocket your money and be on your way. And I know that’s not the

  real

  you

  .”

  Aria’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t argue against Margot on this. “I think I needed to be reminded of that today. I’m glad you’re my friend.”

  Margot smiled in response. “When do you have to be at

  your

  job

  ?”

  “Which one?” Aria tossed her sandwich wrapping into a

  nearby

  bin

  .

  “Your voodoo night job,” Margot said as she wiggled her fingers in

  the

  air

  .

  A buzz vibrated in her coat pocket. Aria pulled out her phone to a text message: 543412 South Bellvue Boulevard. Code: 1936. 11:00 p.m. sharp.

  A pinched formed in the middle of Aria’s forehead.

  “Aria?” Margot’s voice faltered.

  “Yeah?” She turned her gaze to her friend’s, finding worry. Margot’s mouth curved down at the

  corners

  too

  .

  “Is everything all right?” Margot rested a hand on her shoulder.

  Aria shifted her gaze back to the phone. “Yeah. It’s the client.”

  “Something’s got you worked up over this one?” she asked, removing

  her

  hand

  .

  Aria shook her head. “I’m fine. Just an unusual request, is all. What about you? How have

  you

  been

  ?”

  “Good.” Margot’s smile was back. “Just working here, but I’m thinking of picking up some business classes in the spring.”

  Aria’s worry about the ritual faded for the moment. “Really? That’s cool. You’ve got to tell me what brought

  this

  on

  .”

  Margot pulled her shoulders up tight to her head. “I’m not really sure. I think I would like to open up my own shop someday.”

  Until this dream fades and the next one comes to take its place.

  “What happened to traveling the world like a gypsy?” Aria asked.

  “I gave up on that one for the time being. Well, for another thirty years.” Margot laughed.

  Aria started to open her mouth then snapped it shut as Margot’s attention was pulled to something else. “Oh, great.” Margot sighed.

  Aria followed her gaze. A young man in a green apron rushed toward them waving his hands in the air and beckoning Margot back to the store. Aria raised an eyebrow. Does the dude not have words?

  “I have to go.” Margot stood and brushed away the remaining sandwich crumbs.

  “Yeah, me too. I have to pick up the kids from school.” Aria pulled her friend into a hug before watching her scurry back down toward

  the

  café

  .

  Her phone rang and she pulled it back out. “Hello?”

  “

  Aria

  ,

  it’s

  …”

  “Edwin.” She hadn’t heard his voice or seen his face in years. Decades. “Are you okay? How are you doing?”

  “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

  As her Shrivener, Edwin Kovar was basically her foster father, and he trained her as a sin eater, teaching her to control her powers. She hadn’t seen him since the 1960’s, but sometimes they could go years without contact, or maybe just a letter or call, before meeting up again face-

  to

  -

  face

  .

  “It’s good to hear your voice. Are you in California?”

  “As much as I’d like to catch up with you, I’m actually calling because I’ve been made aware of your attempts to track down your mother. I thought we had

  discussed

  that

  .”

  Her chest tightened. She had talked to a sin eater she grew up with, who now lived in Florida. She had hoped that those who were around her when she was young would be able to help her piece together the puzzle surrounding her mother. However, more than that, something that she wouldn’t even admit to Edwin or Margot, she also needed to find her mother because of a special spell she had discovered, one that could change

  her