Liberty stepped in front of us with Harold. “And I would hate for something unfortunate to happen to you, Robert. I’m quite capable of casting a wasting spell alone, whereas it took several of you to do the same to me.” She looked around. “Where are your cronies?”
“Not here. I work alone now.”
Bixby and Bijou lifted their noses and confirmed it was true.
“Ah. They changed sides,” Liberty said. “They’re Ruthann’s now.”
He stepped toward her. “It’s not like that. Our business interests simply diverged.”
“I see. Well, go home and get your rest, Bob. Put your shady deals on hold till tomorrow.”
“Wait,” I said, although he hadn’t made a move to leave. “Did your diverging interests make you delete Angus MacDuff from the equation? I know about how you traded Blaine in a deal.”
A hint of annoyance passed over his face. “Blaine wanted to marry Cassie. It was Angus who resisted. Said Blaine wasn’t good enough. Powerful enough. I said half a warlock was good enough for a dud like her.”
“So that’s why you killed Angus? Family honor?” I asked. “You got home from Europe in a hurry. The wedding wasn’t enough of a draw.”
“Little girl, you are just as impudent as everyone says. I didn’t kill Angus. Not saying I wouldn’t have enjoyed it, but someone got to him first.”
“You can tell that to the police,” I said.
“I did. Both varieties.” He fluttered his hands. “Free as a bird, as you can see.”
Not for long, I hoped. “Then why are you here?”
“The same reason Liberty is here,” he said. “Although she’s the one who needs backup. Guess the wasting spell left her weak.”
Liberty laughed. “Hardly. And don’t call my niece a little girl. She hasn’t been that for a very long time.”
I stepped out from behind her. “You’re right. I’m old enough to take what you dish out, Mr. Parkin.”
“You are?” Bixby’s voice in my head challenged me. “I hope you have a plan to back that brazen claim. I’m not seeing one.”
The older man stared at me. “If that were true, you probably wouldn’t still be calling me ‘mister.’”
Offering an ingratiating smile, I took a step toward him. “Good point. I prefer negotiation, of course. How about you let everyone else go and I’ll stay?”
“Absolutely not!” Liberty was furious. “I will not leave my family behind with this scoundrel. Think about what he did to me.”
Robert Parkin came toward me, too. “It’s the absolute perfect torture, drawn out over decades. Janelle, you’ll last so much longer.”
Harold growled and I silently warned him to wait. Not yet. Soon.
Anger came off Robert in palpable waves. And something more. Hurt. “It was all your idea to hex Liberty, wasn’t it? And Oscar took the credit.”
After a moment, he nodded. “Oscar, Arnold, Angus and Walter Seagrave went along for the ride, just like always. They’re little more than sheep when it comes down to it. And now traitors.”
“I’d be angry, too. Anyone would. You guys have been friends your whole lives and now, when the prize is in reach… they bail.” When he didn’t answer, I touched his arm. “Robert, can you really do this alone? You didn’t find what you needed in the library.”
He tried to shrug off my hand but I held on, doing my very best to send calm into him. I wasn’t always good at pushing thoughts. Pulling got a lot more practice.
“Whatever you’re trying to do,” he said, “stop it.”
I pleaded with my eyes. “Robert, just think for a moment. It’s too much for one person.”
“You don’t even know what I’m planning.”
“I do, though. We’re here to find the same thing. But I’m doing this for me, not Liberty.” Digging deep, I found defiance and put it on like armor. “I wouldn’t get between this little girl and her goal.”
That was it. The last straw. I felt it snap—felt Robert snap—and he lunged for me. My next touch wasn’t as friendly. The charge of energy I sent into him brought him to his knees. He started chanting bits of curses I’d never heard. Didn’t want to hear. It felt like getting pelted with dung.
Harold swept in on my command and rolled the stunned man away and out of hearing.
Then we did what we came to do.
And when we were done, Ruthann was standing midway between the hidden sentry and the door. The small woman was closely sandwiched by Minerva in front and a clown behind.
The mayor simply nodded and flicked her fingers at us to go. Minerva, however, called out in my head, “Well, done, witch minion. Cora would be proud.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Two hours later, I lay in bed, staring at the lava lamp that usually sent me right off to sleep. I was reasonably sure my mother had charmed it when I was a child to knock me out at bedtime.
“Too much adrenaline,” I muttered to Mr. Bixby. Normally he slept in the chair, but tonight he had deigned to recline beside me. Heat seeking, no doubt.
“Waiting,” he said.
“Waiting for what? We got the job done. I’m exhausted.”
