Rita snorts. “Of course I know that. I’m well aware that the blond Adonis wants to use me. The thing is, sometimes when it seems like one person is being used by another, it’s in fact the opposite way around. I’ll let him think he’s winning me over, because it could be useful to have an o
ld vamp like him on my side.”
“Good strategy,” says Finn with praise.
I hold my tongue in frustration. When we decided to “make friends” with the vampires I never would have guessed so many subtle mind games would be played. I get up and go into the kitchen to make myself some tea. Once I’ve poured a cup I go and sit down at the table, where Ira is still seated and staring out the window into the dark garden. He definitely has the right idea; the solitary life has its advantages. Getting involved with people just leaves you broken and bruised. At least in my experience it does.
Ira glances at me serenely and then turns his attention back to Finn’s overgrown garden. A moment later Rita comes into the room and stands by the door.
“What’s your problem, Tegan? I can tell you’re annoyed about something,” she says, her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’m just tired,” I reply, “and I’m also sick of Ethan’s games and how all of the vampires hate me now. It’s not like I did something intentionally evil.”
Rita comes to sit by me, but as she does Ira suddenly turns around and begins growling low in his throat. “Calm down doggie. I’m not going to put any spells on you,” she says.
I glance at her questioningly.
She sighs. “He seems to have a problem with witches, probably because of the witch who put the curse on him. He’s not so bad with Alvie or Gabriel because they’re men, but with me and Mum he just growls and won’t let us get too close.”
“That’s odd. He doesn’t get defensive with me at all,” I tell her.
“Well, you aren’t exactly a traditional kind of witch, at least not yet. Plus, I think he’s used to you since you’ve been living here for a while.”
I take a sip of warm tea. “Yeah probably.” Then I do something unexpected. I reach across the table and place my hand on Ira’s bare arm. “Rita’s not going to harm you. She’s a good witch.”
Rita laughs. “Well, that’s debatable.”
Ira stares directly into my eyes, grunts, and then pulls his arm away. Rita, being the provocative mare that she is, drags her chair along the floor and pushes it right up next to Ira. His growling starts again, even louder this time. She puts her arm around his very broad shoulders and places a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Get used to me pooch, because I’m not going anywhere,” she tells him in a vaguely seductive voice. She squeezes his shoulders and then swiftly leaves the room to return to her trailer for the night.
“Goodnight, Tegan,” she calls, just before slamming shut the front door.
“‘Night, Rita,” I reply, picking up my tea and making my way to my room, leaving Ira to resume his solitary contemplations.
I wake up early the next morning. Not because I had planned on it, but because Finn begins pounding on the door at seven-thirty telling me to get up because we’re going sorcerer hunting today. In the bathroom I finger my short messy hair, noticing that it’s grown out a little bit. I haven’t been keeping up with my haircuts since coming back to Tribane. All the drama tends to take precedence. I clip it up haphazardly before brushing my teeth and washing my face.
I haven’t done my laundry yet this week and all of my comfy jeans are dirty, so I have to resort to wearing a knee length blue dress under my coat, with thick black tights underneath for warmth.
The seven of us stand out in Finn’s front garden in the cold, dull light of the morning. Finn has divided us up into three teams. Rita and Delilah are going to take a boat out to Ridley Island to have a look around and see if they can find any clues as to Theodore’s whereabouts, since it’s the location he once called home and he seems to be kind of attached to it. Gabriel and Alvie will suss out the estate that belongs to Michael Ridley, a warlock who is currently in league with Theodore. And that leaves me, Finn and Ira to pay a visit to my old place of work, Indigo, the shop that belongs to Marcel (also in league with Theodore and in fact his great, great, great etc grandson).
I get into the passenger seat of Finn’s car. He’s not using the DOH van today, since there’s only the three of us. Ira sits quietly in the back seat.
“I thought I’d bring him along to give us a bit more of a menacing air,” says Finn as he starts up the engine. “Marcel’s not exactly the bravest sort, so he shouldn’t try anything too threatening with Ira standing beside us.”
I glance at Ira in the overhead mirror. Finn must have taken him shopping for some clothes recently, because he’s now wearing garments that actually fit. Ira’s frame is larger than any man’s I’ve ever met before, even Ethan’s. I momentarily wonder why Finn is going out of his way to take care of the shapeshifter. Perhaps it’s out of respect for his old DOH superior, Noel, as Ira had been his friend back in the day. Or maybe it’s simply because of the advantage of having such a big, burly man at his beck and call.
Suddenly, Ira meets my eyes through the mirror, and there is so much wisdom in his gaze that I have to wonder if he really can’t talk or if he’s simply pretending to be mute so that people will underestimate him. It’s a good strategy, I suppose, having people think you’re not a threat when really you’re expertly planning their demise in your head. I quickly look away and focus my attention back on Finn.
“So what do you think our visit to Indigo is actually going to achieve? Marcel’s a stubborn old git, if I remember correctly. He’s hardly going to spit out Theodore’s location and master plan just because we come marching into his shop with a six foot-something shapeshifter at our side.”
Finn shakes his head. “That’s not exactly the goal. We’re not going to let on that we’re after Theodore. Jesus Christ, who is actually idiotic enough to let their enemies know they’re gunning for them in advance? You, little Miss, are going to demand that Marcel tells you a way of getting your dad back from the hell dimension. All the while I’ll scope the place out for clues as to what might be going on with the big bad sorcerer.”
“Oh, right.” I blush slightly, feeling stupid.
Finn laughs gently and smiles his charming smile. He reaches out and allows his fingers to glide across my cheek. “I like it when you blush. It makes you seem all innocent.”
I go even more red in the face when he moves his hand and trails a finger down the outside of my thigh, before giving my knee a squeeze. Even through the thick tights his touch sets off my nerve endings. He doesn’t move his hand from my knee as he continues driving. The strange thing is, neither do I.
I’m stuck in a moment of wondering what it would be like to be with Finn. He’s so warm and friendly, so teasing. So human. I shake myself out of these thoughts and look back at him, to find he’s now glancing at me with one eyebrow cocked.