during the foundations of our relationship, years before everything dissolved and we all went our separate ways.” He sighed, sitting back. “After Pepita left, Sally lost interest and a rift developed between her and Jacinta. It didn’t take long for everyone else to stop turning up to meetings. Before I knew it, there was nothing left. Years later I received a letter inviting me to Rome, where Jacinta corralled as many people as she could so we could continue our quest to rid the world of supernatural garbage.”
“None of this sounds bad—you’re supernatural crime fighters. So why didn’t you tell me the truth?” My biological grandfather was a badass witch hunter with a lot of magic at his disposal. He packed a strong magical punch and was teaching me so much that I was getting magically stronger every single day, so I couldn’t understand why he’d be reluctant to mention any of this.
Whatever nonsense had gone on between Jacinta, my grandmother, and him had nothing to do with me and wouldn’t change my opinion of him or where we stood. Not now that the walls I’d erected to keep him out were long gone. I respected this man, trusted him with my life, and most importantly, had finally come to see him as the grandfather he’d wanted to be since the beginning.
Though now that I knew my mother ended up marrying the grandson of my grandmother’s best friend, I was itching to read Grandma’s journal. This was starting to sound like a bad soap opera.
“You’re right. I should have known you could handle this, but the reason why I didn’t want to get into this is a lot more ominous.”
“Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good.”
“In this line of work, there are bound to be casualties—collateral damage.”
I knew this all too well—Benita, Ebony, innocent spook catchers had all become collateral damage. As hard as it was to admit, my line of work resulted in the same.
“I realize that,” I said.
“I’m handed down assignments all the time. Troy happened to be one of them.”
I remembered something. “That’s right! When you killed Troy Slevani, you mentioned the Alliance had sanctioned you to hunt him down, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “I work for the Alliance—as well as Sally, Lavie, Father Luke and a handful of others.”
“So you go around killing witches and demons that get out of hand?”
“Not exactly…”
“But Lavie does?”
“Well, she’s more like you—freelance—though she certainly takes on any cases that might need our attention.”
“I still don’t get the secrecy and why you’ve avoided my questions.”
Oren squirmed in his seat. I’d never seen him act like this when all I wanted was an honest, direct answer.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Oh Sierra, that curiosity of yours is not always a good thing.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. Though if I hadn’t let it lead me astray I never would’ve agreed to meet you at the cemetery and found that ley line.” If I hadn’t met up with him on that summer evening, I would probably be dead by now.
“Touché.” His frowned deepened. “I shouldn’t be telling you this and it will probably get me thrown out of the Alliance if someone finds out…but Lavie’s bound to tell you if I don’t. She’s already threatened to do it, actually.”
I had to give it to Lavie—she was a true friend. “Okay, so tell me already.”
Oren’s eyes narrowed. “Sierra, I’ve kept this from you for a good reason. There’s enough on your plate to make you paranoid, and I didn’t want to add anymore. I also want you to know I would never— ever —go through with this.”
My heart pounded, because he was starting to scare me.
“The Alliance knows what’s going on with the Obscurus . They are aware they won’t stop until they get their hands on you. Now that we all know they also want Willow, an executive order has been handed down. The Alliance wants to ensure the multiple demonic entity known as Legion
“None of this sounds bad—you’re supernatural crime fighters. So why didn’t you tell me the truth?” My biological grandfather was a badass witch hunter with a lot of magic at his disposal. He packed a strong magical punch and was teaching me so much that I was getting magically stronger every single day, so I couldn’t understand why he’d be reluctant to mention any of this.
Whatever nonsense had gone on between Jacinta, my grandmother, and him had nothing to do with me and wouldn’t change my opinion of him or where we stood. Not now that the walls I’d erected to keep him out were long gone. I respected this man, trusted him with my life, and most importantly, had finally come to see him as the grandfather he’d wanted to be since the beginning.
Though now that I knew my mother ended up marrying the grandson of my grandmother’s best friend, I was itching to read Grandma’s journal. This was starting to sound like a bad soap opera.
“You’re right. I should have known you could handle this, but the reason why I didn’t want to get into this is a lot more ominous.”
“Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good.”
“In this line of work, there are bound to be casualties—collateral damage.”
I knew this all too well—Benita, Ebony, innocent spook catchers had all become collateral damage. As hard as it was to admit, my line of work resulted in the same.
“I realize that,” I said.
“I’m handed down assignments all the time. Troy happened to be one of them.”
I remembered something. “That’s right! When you killed Troy Slevani, you mentioned the Alliance had sanctioned you to hunt him down, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “I work for the Alliance—as well as Sally, Lavie, Father Luke and a handful of others.”
“So you go around killing witches and demons that get out of hand?”
“Not exactly…”
“But Lavie does?”
“Well, she’s more like you—freelance—though she certainly takes on any cases that might need our attention.”
“I still don’t get the secrecy and why you’ve avoided my questions.”
Oren squirmed in his seat. I’d never seen him act like this when all I wanted was an honest, direct answer.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Oh Sierra, that curiosity of yours is not always a good thing.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. Though if I hadn’t let it lead me astray I never would’ve agreed to meet you at the cemetery and found that ley line.” If I hadn’t met up with him on that summer evening, I would probably be dead by now.
“Touché.” His frowned deepened. “I shouldn’t be telling you this and it will probably get me thrown out of the Alliance if someone finds out…but Lavie’s bound to tell you if I don’t. She’s already threatened to do it, actually.”
I had to give it to Lavie—she was a true friend. “Okay, so tell me already.”
Oren’s eyes narrowed. “Sierra, I’ve kept this from you for a good reason. There’s enough on your plate to make you paranoid, and I didn’t want to add anymore. I also want you to know I would never— ever —go through with this.”
My heart pounded, because he was starting to scare me.
“The Alliance knows what’s going on with the Obscurus . They are aware they won’t stop until they get their hands on you. Now that we all know they also want Willow, an executive order has been handed down. The Alliance wants to ensure the multiple demonic entity known as Legion
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