Trina had a little monitor, like a glucose monitor. She stepped up next to June and showed her the screen. It said 108. She handed June the chart.

  “These are paranormal hormone levels,” Trina said. “A non-paranormal person is zero. One to sixty denotes weak or practically useless powers. But”—she tapped the chart—“sixty-one to one-ten are normal levels. You’re on the high side, but you’re in normal range.”

  June smiled.

  “Of course, I don’t know what your level was before. Since you wouldn’t let me do any tests on you.”

  “One eighty-six,” June said. “They tested me at the Institute.”

  One-eleven to one-sixty were considered “high.” Anything above that was “abnormally high to rare.”

  “I guess that explains things,” June said. “Why my eyes seem duller. I don’t use my powers much so I haven’t noticed a change in that. Why do I still have necromancy, though?”

  “If you gain a power, you’re not going to lose it.” Trina set the chart and monitor aside on a table. “You’ll have it forever. Even if your power weakens. It’ll just be weaker.”

  “Great, so I get to see ghosts forever.” She heaved a sigh. “That’s probably why I haven’t seen them much lately. I only saw Rose once, at the Institute. And Muse three times…four, if you count both times at the Institute. She had trouble manifesting to me, and it’s probably because of my powers weakening, not because of anything on her part.”

  Trina folded her arms, her gaze sharp through her glasses. “Why are your powers weakening?”

  June shifted her arm and winced. She rolled her head, trying to work the soreness out of her neck. “I need you to do another test. If you can do that here. I’ll pee in a cup for you.”

  Trina had the means. Peeing in a cup with only one good arm, while every inch of her body hurt, was a feat to rival anything else she’d pulled off tonight. She returned to the table to wait, lying down and staring at the ceiling.

  About five minutes later, Trina showed her a stick with two blue lines.

  June took it with a sigh. “Goddamn it. What was I expecting, though? I was stupid so many times.”

  “The baby changed your chemistry.” Trina sounded awed. “It’s been known to happen, women completely losing their powers, or having them reduced when they get pregnant. A fetus alters your DNA in certain ways. This baby is saving your life.”

  June turned the stick over in her fingers. “Will I resume dying when it’s born?”

  “In the cases I’ve read about, the mother remains altered even after the birth. You can’t exactly put your DNA back the way it was.” She scrunched up her nose. “Congratulations?”

  June set the stick aside and drummed her fingers on her chest. “I have a little problem….”

  “I’m sure this wasn’t planned, but what a blessing in disguise. There’s always abortion or adoption, if you and Sam aren’t ready.”

  June rubbed her face. “That’s the problem. I don’t know if it’s Sam’s.”

  Trina didn’t seem shocked or offended. She simply nodded. “Oh.”

  June flopped her arm at her side. “It’s too close to say. I know. I’m dumb. We should have been using protection, given our situation. Sam and I were, but not at first. And Micha and I kinda screwed up one night. Here, actually. The night Occam brought us here so you could test him.”

  Trina shook her head. “Romance.”

  “I know, right?” June sagged. “Unless I’m only a few weeks along, there’s no way to say for certain it’s Sam’s. My periods have always been erratic because of my weight issues, so they’re not a good indicator. Hell, I’m not even sure how I managed to ovulate. And Occam’s vampire pregnancy test didn’t tell me anything except I am.”

  “Occam knew you were pregnant?” Trina grimaced.

  “He was going to turn me. But when he tasted my blood, he knew I was pregnant. That’s why he was going to kill me, and I had to kill him first.” She looked down at her sling. “He only wanted me if I was powerful.”

  “I didn’t know vampires could taste pregnancy hormones. Of course, vampires don’t like being studied.”

  “If you can find his charred corpse, you can study him.” She paused. “Is it kind of weird I’m gonna miss him a little? He pulled my ass—all our asses—out of the fire multiple times. For his own selfish reasons, but still.”

  Trina patted her shoulder. “That’s the Stockholm Syndrome talking, honey.”

  June shook her head. “God. I’m the most pragmatic person on earth. I don’t deal in irresponsibility. How the hell do I have baby daddy drama? How the hell do I even have a baby?”

  “I’d say it’s a good thing you do.”

  “If I’d known, maybe all this could have been avoided.” She touched her stomach.

  “You have a lot to think about. Go to the hospital, get your wrist fixed. Get an appointment set up for prenatal care, or alternately, an abortion. But don’t make any decisions right now. You’ve been through a lot. You need to decompress before you can even begin to think straight.”

  “You said a mouthful.”

  While Trina shut down her lab, June went out to the waiting room.

  They had the TV on, and of course, the coverage was all about the Institute. On the screen was footage of the flaming wreckage with firefighters in the foreground. At the bottom of the screen it said, “Massive Explosion at the Institute For Supernatural Research: Thirteen Confirmed Dead.”

  Jason and Diego sat on a couch together, Sam on the arm of it. Sam watched her as she walked into the room, his eyes questioning.

  Micha sat in a chair adjacent to the couch. He was hunched over, his head in his hands. Rose’s notebook lay open across his knees.

  June went to him and touched his shoulder. He was trembling. He lifted his head and tears streaked down his face.

  “I’m glad I could get that to you.” She stroked his hair, mostly dark now, the blond faded. “It was what she wanted.”

  Micha shook his head. He dropped it back in his hands, choking out a sob. “How could I be so stupid? How could I think she would do that to me?”

  “Because you were a victim, and it’s hard to think straight when you’re being victimized, trust me.” She bent over and slid her good arm around him, resting her chin on the back of his head. She focused on Sam. “It’s all right,” she said softly. “Now you can go through the process of mourning her.”

  Maybe her words weren’t a consolation, but it was the first step to moving on—if he was around long enough to move on.

  Sam stood up. “Can I talk to you for a moment, June?”

  She let go of Micha.

  They walked to a hallway off the waiting room. Sam stood across from her, hands on his hips.

  “Is it true?” he asked.

  “Yes. I just had Trina do a test. It’s saving my life. Changing my DNA and reducing my powers. I’d be jumping up and down right now if I had the energy.” She took a breath. “The Institute is gone. Robbie is gone. Occam’s gone. We’re safe, for the first time ever, and yet… I just want to sleep.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  They were silent. Soft sounds drifted from the waiting room—the TV, Micha’s sniffling.

  “Is it mine?” Sam asked.

  She pressed her arm to her stomach and winced.

  “I don’t know. If it is, what do you think about it?”

  His posture was stiff. She couldn’t deal with the deluge of drastic changes in their lives right now. This wasn’t the time.

  “What do you think about it?” he asked.

  “I think I can’t make any choices right now. I think it’s a blessing of sorts, if it’s going to keep me from dying. Beyond that—I don’t want to think about it right now.”

  “Micha is dying too. He can’t be saved the same way, obviously.”

  “I guess the result of his situation remains to be seen. I didn’t think there was any hope for me, either. We tend to get lucky.”

  He walked over to her and touched her cheek.

  “I do love you, June.”

  She gazed up at him. “I know. And I love you, too, whatever happens.”

  “Are you going to tell Micha?”

  She shook her head. “Not right now. I’m not telling anyone but you and Trina.”

  He nodded.

  “I need to go to the hospital.” She lifted her arm. “And make up a story about how this happened, not to mention my other bumps and bruises.”

  “Yes, we don’t want to place ourselves anywhere near the Institute tonight.”

  “I hope no one tracked Aaron’s helicopter.”

  “Speaking of which.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I have a check to write….”

  She’d send him a thank you card too.

  Epilogue

  The burly bald guy lay face down on the table. He had tattoos down both arms, around his neck, across his back. June gripped the tattoo gun in her left hand, filling in the design on his meaty side, right below his ribs.

  Diego walked into the room. “Anything yet?” He grabbed a chair and rolled it over next to hers.

  June turned the gun off and looked up at the TV on the wall. Snow fluttered in the darkness outside the windows.

  “No.” She resumed filling in the design. “Shouldn’t be long, though.”

  The bells jingled over the door in the outer room.

  Diego sprang to his feet. “Food!” He streaked out.

  The man on the table grunted. “He’ll get it. Everybody loves him.”

  June stopped again and lowered the gun, watching the TV. The scene was live from Jackson Park. Sam had chosen to have his watch party near the Jackson Park Massacre memorial. People in the crowd shouted and waved and held up supportive signs.

  “It’s a close race.” June swiveled around to her inks on the table next to her. “You think Chicago is ready for their first paranormal mayor?”

  “Lots of changes in this city. I think we’re ready for a lot of things. They’re even talking about building that supernatural institute back up again. You see that?”

  “I read about it.” June turned back to him.

  Jason’s voice drifted from the outer room. A moment later, he and Diego walked in. Diego carried a plastic bag full of food containers.

  Jason wore a wooly winter coat, snow in his hair. He shook it out. “Hard at work, I see. You know, you own the place. You’re allowed to go home when you want.”

  “Yeah.” She resumed working. “My boss is a bitch, though.”

  Diego sat down next to her and started rooting through the bag. “You’re a life saver, Jason. How’d your audition go?”

  “Awesome.” Jason twirled his knit hat on his finger. “I know it’s just a bit part, but I’d love to get it. I was thinking about theater too. There’s a huge theater scene in Chicago.”

  June snorted. “You can’t sing.”

  “Not all theater is singing.” He looked at the TV. “Cindy thinks I would do great in theater.”

  June rolled her eyes and sat back. “Cindy would tell you anything to blow your head up.”

  “Thanks for your support, Sis. When are the results in?”

  “Soon.” June looked at the boxes Diego was sorting through. “Did you bring me manicotti? I love manicotti.”

  Since she now had no restrictions on her diet, she’d spent the past eight months exploring food. She didn’t like pastries and junk food, much to her disappointment. Everyone else in the world seemed to be having so much fun eating that stuff. She did enjoy carbs, though, and she’d done what Jason and Diego deemed “gross experimenting,” mixing all kinds of foods together to see how they tasted.

  Diego handed her a box. “Here you go.”

  “You mind if we take a break?” she asked the guy on the table. “We got about another hour of work here.”

  He lifted his head. “Nah, I could use a breather, anyway.”

  “Grab him a beer, Diego.” She sat back in her chair.

  Diego got up and walked to the mini fridge in the corner of the room. June focused on the TV and plopped the box on her protruding belly—nature’s table.

  She was slender, so she’d started showing early, but now, with just a month to go, she was massive. She had her own gravity well at this point.

  It was a girl. She was going to name her Antigone, much to everyone’s bafflement. She liked it. Greek drama and all that. At least Jason thought it was cool.

  Diego handed their guest a beer, the man now sitting up, and they all watched TV.

  “Are you going to the party?” Jason asked her. “I know you were invited.”

  Win or lose, Sam would have an after party.

  “I don’t have anything to wear. I can’t fit in normal human clothes.”

  Jason sighed. “You can’t miss it, especially if he wins. He wants you there.”

  Diego side-eyed her. “It’s a plus one. Party like that, they’ll have an open bar.”

  June stuffed a forkful of food in her mouth.

  The man on the table looked at her. “You’re invited?” He gestured at the TV with his bottle.

  Most people didn’t remember who she was, and that was okay. The Paranormal Alliance members who frequented her shop did, at least. She was grateful for their business, despite her celebrity status among them.

  She finished chewing and swallowed. “Yeah. Us types, we gotta stick together, you know.”

  Jason hung out for a while, which meant Cindy was working tonight. They’d moved in together a few months ago, a cute little place near Wicker Park, and Cindy had taken up bartending in that area. Kevin, of all people, pulled a few strings for her. Jason didn’t seem to know what to do with himself when she wasn’t around. They were cute—also, kind of gross.

  By the time she finished the man’s tattoo, the results were in. Celebration erupted on the screen and in the shop.

  “We have a new mayor!” Jason shook his fists. He’d quickly adopted Chicago as his city. “This is awesome!”

  Diego hugged June. “Chicago has its first paranormal mayor. I’m so happy for you guys.” He kissed her temple. “You have to go to the party.”

  Sam stood on a stage, surrounded by people patting his shoulders, shaking his hands, hugging him. He was practically glowing, full of his own power. His presence reminded her of the day she’d met him on Navy Pier.

  “That’s awesome,” the dude on the table said. He was sitting up, checking out his side in the mirror.

  She wasn’t sure if he was referring to Sam or the tattoo.

  “Come on.” Diego gripped her shoulder. “We’ll squeeze you in a dress. It’ll be a good time. You’ve been working too much lately.”

  Jason’s phone rang. He answered. “Cindy! Yeah, I saw!”

  June hauled herself to her feet. “I need to go somewhere first. Go home and take a shower and change. Biggest party in town, right? Can’t miss it.”

  Diego shrieked like a little girl. He hurried out. June started cleaning up.

  She turned down the TV when Sam stepped up to give his victory speech. She’d heard his speeches, even helped write a few. He appeared proud, intense, the man she’d come to know and love all those long months in seclusion.

  Her client left. Diego left. Jason was the last to go, giving her a kiss on top the head first.

  “Mom is flying in this weekend,” he reminded her. “I keep telling her she should just move here.”

  June stood behind the counter, flipping through her appointment book. “Maybe we can convince her to spend the summer here and spoil her grandchild. She was so happy during the holidays, getting to see me eat Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Jason rubbed her back. “Today is an awesome day. I knew he could do it, and he deserves it. He’s what Chicago needs.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “This is all going to work out, the baby thing, you know? You’ve got me and Mom and Diego. And Sam. You have Sam, June. I know things have been strained, and he’s been really busy, but you’ll work this out.”

  She smiled tightly. “I’ll see even less of him now.”

  He kissed the top of her head again. “I’m gonna go to Cindy’s bar and celebrate. Have fun at the party. If Diego gets too sloppy, call me.”

  “Oh, I think he’d love to have you come collect his sloppy drunk ass.” She pinched his side. “Be careful in Wicker Park. You know they still discriminate there. The normals are going to be particularly riled up tonight.”

  “The city is ours.”

  He left the shop. She stood in the silence, staring at her appointment book. She had a full day tomorrow, and the next day, and for weeks. Sam wasn’t the only one keeping busy.

  The day he brought her to the shop and told her it was hers, she’d thought he was kidding at first. Her wrist was still in a cast, and she couldn’t even think about tattooing yet, but they had to get the place up and running, anyway. June wasn’t even sure she wanted to stay in Chicago.

  Yet here she was, eight months later. The shop had been officially open for six. She’d already made Sam’s purchase money back, thanks to the Paranormal Alliance. Diego had relocated to Chicago. He said he couldn’t be without his partner in crime, and he liked Chicago, anyway.

  She didn’t hate the city as much as she used to. Yet part of her still felt like she was being kept here against her will.

  She closed down the shop, bundled up, and stepped out into the snowy night. Down the street, voices and celebration issued from one of the bars. She hurried to her car at the curb and got in.

  She drove through the slushy nighttime streets and out into the sprawling empty darkness of the industrial areas beyond the boundaries of the city. She drove until she reached the storehouse.

  As she parked next to the building, the door opened, spilling yellow light into the night. She got out of the car and waved. Anthony stood in the doorway.

  She crunched through the snow toward him. “Hey. We have a new mayor.”

  He stepped back to let her inside. “Yeah, I saw on the Internet.” His eyes flashed. “I never thought I’d see the day.”