The Witch with No Name

I figured he knew they weren’t dead, but I wasn’t going to tell him. Ivy’s eyes looked haunted as Al tugged the sleeves of his coat, frowning as if missing his usual lace. “Leave it to the elves to muck up a perfectly balanced curse,” he said. “I never liked the cruel savagery of extending some sucker’s life by separating the soul from the consciousness. To make that separation last from this existence to the next was too cruel for a demon, hence storing them in the ever-after, but an elf has no problem with it.” Sneering at Trent over his cup, he took a sip. “Your race is monstrous.”

Trent took a breath to protest, but I waved my hands for attention. “Wait, wait, wait,” I said. “Next existence? You mean like heaven? Reincarnation? Seriously?” I looked over everyone. “You want to share with the class?”

Al sucked on his teeth, the sharp sound like a knife from a sheath. “How the hell should I know what comes next, if anything? I wasn’t the one pioneering the technology. But I do know that if the undead souls have nowhere to shelter until the body truly dies and frees the consciousness, their souls will move on to the next plane, or whatever, without their consciousness. Even Newt doesn’t know what happens after that line is crossed, but until now everyone went with a soul and consciousness together.” He took a sip of coffee. “Cursed or no.”

I sat back, stunned. I had no idea that the demons believed in anything after death, but Al seemed genuinely appalled that Landon would destroy the vampires’ souls.

Lips curling, Al sneered at Trent. “Any wonder we tried to kill you foul things?”

“Hey, that’s enough,” I said as Jenks rose up in agitation. “Trent is on our side.”

The door chimes jingled and Jenks darted to the door as David came in with two women, the first professionally dressed and having a sour expression, the second shorter, dressed in softer, flowing fabric that was no less professional. Both women moved with a grace born of responsibility, and I smiled when I recognized Vivian, the same woman from the witch coven who’d traveled with Trent and me to the witch conference last summer. “Vivian!” I called, and she smiled, touching David’s shoulder as she pointed to us, then to the order window.

“Give me a sec,” she called out. “Vampires can’t make coffee to save their souls.”

Jenks snickered. “Dr. Anders,” he added, and I jerked to a halt halfway to a stand. Crap, the woman was right beside me.

My old ley line instructor pulled her attention from the order line, her narrow face taking in Jenks hovering protectively close. “It’s professor now,” she said to me as she took Trent’s hand as he extended it over the table. “Kalamack,” she said, adding, “I’ll be right back. Rachel, good to see you looking so well.”

Somehow it sounded sarcastic. “I’ll, ah, get you a chair,” I said, shifting to get out from beside her, grabbing one and setting it right next to Al and across from me. Jeez, the woman hadn’t changed at all. Apart from the professor thing. No wonder Trent was so bummed about missing the meeting. This was big stuff and he’d been sidelined.

Heels clacking, Professor Anders got in line behind Vivian. Trent and David were gathering more chairs, and Al slowly stood. “Excuse me,” he said softly, his eyes on Vivian.

“Leave her alone,” I warned him, remembering the demon’s liking for high-magic users. Al tugged his suit straight, smiling wickedly as he came up behind the two women. I took a breath to protest, distracted when David swung a chair around between mine and Al’s and plunked himself down.

“Rachel,” he said, squinting up at me with a decidedly attractive alpha-wolf stubble and confidence. “You’re up early. How you doing?”

I sat back down, enjoying the scent of good earth and spicy pine that came from him. I could see the power of the focus shimmering in the back of his eyes, and I figured he was channeling the demon curse strongly today, seeing that he was acting as a mouthpiece for Weres everywhere. “Better than I thought I might,” I said, glancing out the front window. “Is someone getting you a drink?”

“Vivian.” He twisted awkwardly to retrieve his phone from a back pocket. “I hate meetings,” he said as he set it on the table.

I totally understood, and I resettled myself. “Hey, thanks again for helping get Ivy and Nina out of the square yesterday,” I said, and Jenks snickered.

“How is your jaw?” Ivy asked, pulling my attention from Vivian’s giving Al the brush-off. His jaw? Why? What had happened?

Expression rueful, David felt his jaw, his eyes flicking to Ivy with more than a little respect. “Fine, thanks,” he grumbled, making Trent smile. “Cormel is still trying to figure out how you two escaped.”

Trent leaned forward over the table, eyes dancing. “Her magic carpet, of course.”

“I am not a rug,” Al said, and Trent jumped, unaware that the demon had been right behind him. Scowling, Al sat, pushing his chair so far back that he almost wasn’t at the table.