Cursed Moon (Prospero's War) (30 page)

November 4

Waning Gibbous

F
or some reason I expected the basement to look different. I’d been going to Arcane Anonymous meetings there for a decade, but in the nine weeks since my last visit I’d changed so much I guess I just assumed everything else had too.

But the air still smelled like old linoleum and stale coffee. The blue plastic chairs still sat in the same irregular circle. The windows set high in the walls were still barred shut. And at the front of the room, Jesus still wore his crown of thorns and watched us from his cross.

I was late on purpose, arriving at the tail end of the meeting. Rufus was already well into his closing statements. As I walked in, heads turned, whispers were shared, and eyes took in my bandages and bruises and downcast eyes.

“Well, well, well,” Rufus said in an amused tone. “The prodigal daughter returns.”

I glanced up and was surprised to see him smiling. “Hey, everyone.” I waved my left hand. The bandage made it look like a white flag.

My gaze slipped toward the woman huddled on the far side of the circle. I hadn’t seen Pen in a couple of weeks. Not since that night she’d used the pain potion and we’d had that wicked fight. I knew from Baba that she was back at work, but beyond that my best friend had become a stranger.

High off my reconciliation with Danny, I’d tried calling her every day since I got out of the hospital. After having four voice mails ignored, I’d decided the best way to end the ice age was to go to her. And I knew that Pen would never miss an AA meeting, especially after she’d had a recent relapse.

“I know it’s out of order, but can I talk for a minute?” I knew if I sat down and waited for the talking period, I’d lose my nerve.

Rufus crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. “You come here to preach or confess, sister?” His comment told me he’d been talking to Pen.

I swallowed hard. “Confess,” I whispered.

He nodded. “Proceed.”

I sucked in a deep breath and released it before speaking. “I haven’t been to group in a couple months. I told you the reason was because I was too busy, but I was lying.” I licked my lips. “I’ve been lying about a lot of things lately.”

Pen’s gaze jerked up.

“When Danny was in his coma, I willfully used magic and then covered it up. I lied to my family, my co-workers, and my friends.” The backs of my eyes started stinging, but I was
beyond fighting it. If there was one lesson I’d learned from Dionysus, it was that sometimes surrender is good for the soul. “I lied to all of you, and I’m sorry.”

The room remained silent. I crossed my arms and continued. “I never should have accepted the anniversary amulet. I don’t really have an excuse for taking it except I was ashamed.” I cleared my throat. “I’d return it tonight, but it’s at the bottom of Lake Erie at the moment.”

Rufus’s expression gave as much away as a sphinx. “Kate—”

“That all you got to confess?” Pen’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

I turned to look at her. Her expression was diamond-hard. My stomach dropped. “I also used protective amulets in the line of duty, got hexed by a sex magic potion—against my will, but still—and used dirty magic to summon a monster.” I took a step toward her. “But you know what? I’d do it all again.”

Pen crossed her arms and stayed silent.

“I know you don’t like hearing this,” I said to Pen. “But I also need you to understand that being a cop helps me keep my demons at bay. If using magic can make me more successful as a cop, then all the better. I’m sick and tired of feeling afraid and ashamed of being an Adept.” I blew out a shaky breath on the tail of that admission. “So, while I’m sorry for lying to you, I cannot and will not regret using magic to save lives.”

I still wasn’t quite sure how to balance all that with the demands of the job, especially since every case I’d had on the task force thus far had almost gotten me killed. But I also knew I wasn’t willing to walk away from the work. I just had to figure out how to have both the job and the people I loved in my life.

“You know I don’t go in much for religion,” Jacob said in a soft tone that contrasted with his imposing appearance. He raised a tattooed arm to point at Jesus on his cross. “But when
I was in prison, all I had was a Bible to keep me company.” He served five years in Crowley for stalking a woman after he’d taken a dirty love potion. “But there’s some good stuff in there. Like in John, when J. C. says, ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone’?” He shook his head. “That’s some deep shit, man.”

“What’s your point?” Pen snapped.

I frowned at her uncharacteristic outburst. That’s when I realized Pen hadn’t admitted her own sins to the group. They loomed like shadows in her eyes.

“Point is,” Jacob said, “way I see it we’re all sinners here. We’ve all lied and cheated and stole and worse. But we keep coming back here every week.”

Rufus leaned forward. “Why do you think that is, Jacob?”

The large man shrugged. “Because every day is a new chance at redemption.”

Those words washed over me like a balm. Back when I was seventeen, I’d started over. Got myself on a new road. It’s just, I’d taken a detour for a little while. Allowed myself to be lured into believing magic was to blame for my problems when it was my poor choices that caused the pain in my life. Choices like trusting John Volos and giving Uncle Abe power over my self-worth. Choices like lying to the people I loved. Like lying to myself.

But this main road—the one I’d set out on ten years earlier—was populated by a lot of other imperfect-but-trying souls. Like Rufus and Jacob, Baba and Morales—and Pen.

“I’m so sorry, Pen. I was so wrapped up in fighting my demons, I couldn’t help you with yours.”

“God, stop it,” she snapped. “Just stop.” She heaved in a breath, as if preparing to yell, but when she let it out her shoulders lowered. “Like you’re some martyr. Jesus, Katie, you know damned well you did all that lying to protect your job on the task force.”

I lifted my hands in a gesture of surrender. “You’re right. I have compromised myself for this job.”

Her expression bordered on smug, but I wasn’t done.

“However, I’ve also done a lot of good.” I took a breath. “I’ve learned that there’s a positive side to magic that I never got to see before. One where I can use the skills I was born with to make a difference in this world.”

Pen’s mouth fell open. “That’s some weak-ass bargaining, Kate.”

“Is it?” I glanced at Rufus, whose expression gave away nothing. “I’m not so sure. Seems like I’d be more of a coward to run away from a major part of who I am.”

She blinked. “That’s… actually pretty insightful.”

I frowned at her. “Really?”

She nodded. “If you want to be on the task force, I can’t stop you. But you’ve seemed so conflicted about what you were doing, and I couldn’t stand watching you self-destruct.”

I raised an ironic brow. “Ditto, sister.”

Her face paled. Without another word, she reached up and removed her own anniversary necklace. She turned to face the group with her chin trembling. “I have a confession, too.”

She glanced at me. I bit my lip and nodded. She heaved in a shaky breath. “I used magic, too.” She paused, as if gathering her courage. “It was the pain after the accident. I—It was too hard. So I stole an old woman’s pain potion and started using again.”

No gasps echoed through the group. No one called her out. I crossed my arms to keep from going to her protectively. She had to do this herself.

“It was just that one time, but I guess that doesn’t really matter. I threw away years of sobriety for an easy way out of my pain.” She walked to Rufus on wooden legs. She held out the necklace, which he took reverently and without comment.

She turned back to the group. “My name is Penelope Griffin and I’m a potion addict.”

“Hi, Pen,” the group answered as one.

Unable to hold myself back anymore, I went to my best friend. We collapsed into each other and held on for dear life. On some level, I knew that, unlike the
Cuyahoga
at the bottom of Lake Erie, our friendship was strong enough to weather a storm. But I also knew in my gut that this wouldn’t be the last time magic came between us.

Rufus came forward and pulled Pen away. “Every day is a chance for salvation,” he said, repeating Jacob’s words. He slipped a small yellow disc into her palm. I recognized it instantly as the token AA gave newly sober members. In essence, it was a signal that Pen was starting over with a clean slate.

He turned to me next. I raised my chin and looked him in the eye. “You realize of course this means you can’t attend AA anymore, right?”

My heart dropped lower in my chest. I hadn’t thought about that part. “If that’s how it has to be, then I’ll respect it.”

“I wish it were otherwise, but I think it’s for the best all things considered. But I do want to give you this.” He reached in his pocket and removed a small yellow disc. He walked to me and handed me the same token he’d given Pen. About the size of a quarter, the yellow plastic had words written on it in black:
ONE DAY AT A TIME.

I swallowed the emotion that reared up in my throat like a certain lake monster. “Thank you.”

“All right, all right,” Rufus said in a gruff tone. He sniffed a little, but if I’d called him on it he’d say he was allergic to touchy-feely crap. “It’s time to get this meeting wrapped up. Round up for the recovery pledge. Pen? Why don’t you lead us?”

My best friend grabbed ahold of my hand. “Magic is a tool,” she began. “If I am unable to use it responsibly, I will not use magic at all.” She squeezed my palm meaningfully. “I am responsible for my own actions, and I pledge to act with compassion for myself and others, always.”

Half an hour later I emerged from the basement with Pen. We’d decided to go grab a drink at a nearby pub to catch up. So much had happened since our fight, and she had a lot of questions about what exactly went down with Dionysus.

The night was chilly, and I pulled my jacket tighter. The sky was clear, which offered a stunning view of the three-quarter moon.

Beside me, Pen’s steps faltered. “Kate.”

I pulled my eyes from the moon to see what was up. Her eyes moved toward something down the street, and I followed their movement. A long, black limo idled at the curb. The brake lights added a sinister glow to the plumes of smoke billowing from the tailpipe. The license plate read
SHEMALE
.

“Shit,” I breathed. “Wait here.”

Pen grabbed my jacket sleeve. “Wait—”

I shook my head to let her know she didn’t need to worry. “It’s okay. Just need to finish a little business. Then we’ll go grab our drink.”

She didn’t look convinced by my reassurances, but nodded. “Be careful.”

I walked toward the back of the car slowly. My piece was at my side, under my jacket, but it was too soon to tell if I needed it.

A low whirring sound reached my ears. I paused, but quickly realized the noise had just been the window rolling down in
the back of the car. A masculine hand emerged and flicked through the air to summon me.

Placing one arm on the roof and keeping the other at my side for easy reach of my gun, I bent so my head was level with the open window.

The hermaphrodite’s male visage was in shadow, except for a slice of light across the unsmiling mouth. “Katherine.” The voice was deep. Looked like Aphrodite had decided this solemn occasion called for a little testosterone.

“When did they spring you?”

“Yesterday.” His eye cut toward me. “In no small part thanks to your assistance.”

I shrugged. “The evidence spoke for itself.”

“That’s the curious part.” A single brow rose. “Considering my treacherous priestess’s involvement, it would not have been difficult for you to manipulate the evidence to implicate me as an accomplice.”

I frowned at him. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

He smiled, turning toward me fully. Now I could see the smoky eye and subdued nude lip on the female half of the Hierophant’s face. Having both sides visible gave me the uncomfortable sensation of being regarded by two separate people. Almost like conjoined twins, only more attractive than the other set of twins I knew.