Love is an unstoppable force.”
The change had taken Marcus, but Katie couldn’t imagine him, even as little as she knew about him, becoming foolish over a lover. His wolf seemed close to the surface, but he hadn’t hurt her—or done anything else to her—when he could have. His manners were impeccable.
What would it be like to break through that restraint? Katie mentally kicked herself for even wondering.
Dad cleared his throat. “His name’s Luis Del Macario Rodríguez. Formerly New York West coven, or what’s left of it.” Coven membership in some urban areas had been struggling against wolf incursion for years. More wolves in an area meant more witches interacting with wolves and more witches who failed to just say no.
Tonya frowned. “Rodríguez. That’s sounding more familiar, but it’s a common name.” She dove back into her purse and located the chi capsules. “Very handsome man, Mr. Luis Del Macario Rodríguez. Better verify his chi.”
“My, my,” Katie said dryly. “Why would Tonya have met someone from a New York coven ten years ago? We were off the grid.”
Tonya twisted the cap of the amber pill bottle. “A festival? I always wear my best disguises there. Nothing to worry about.” Tonya’s best disguises were impenetrable to…anyone. Some days, Katie wondered if she really was a roly-poly, matronly blond with large breasts and equally large hair.
Dad snorted. “Perhaps you met him when you and your sympathizer buddies were carting some mongrel off to Mexico.”
“Impossible. I haven’t been involved in the freedom program in—”
He cackled. “Now it’s my turn to tell you to stuff it. Told you. I hacked the elder forums…Lady Pimpernel.”
If true, this confirmed what Katie suspected about Tonya’s festival visits. “Are you still involved with your group?”
“ Involved is a strong term.” Tonya tucked the pill bottle in her purse and rolled a capsule between her fingers. “I made a deal with the Evil One that I wouldn’t participate in the freedom program as long as he quit the keeper council.”
“Are you saying Vern hasn’t quit?” Katie asked. “He couldn’t go back with Lars as director.” The person Lars had hated most in the world, next to all wolves and to Katie, who’d been ahead of him in status, had been Vern. During a change of leadership, Vern had been sent in to manage the council by the elders, who’d wanted more control. Vern had lasted ten years before the incident with Katie.
“I’m saying I honor my deals,” Tonya answered evasively.
“Then who’s Lady Pimpernel?” Dad asked. “Sounds like someone with your aptitude for fake faces.”
“As you pointed out, I’m not the only witch blessed in the art of disguise.” Witches, like physicians, often specialized. While Katie’s convex power had written her fate for her, Tonya’s training had taken other paths. Like the true eye…and espionage. Tonya could fool anyone about anything. Her masks had saved their butts on several occasions.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter,” Katie decided. If Tonya had been breaking her deal with Vern, she hadn’t caused Katie any trouble. “All that matters is we poppy Marcus and double up on security. People might come looking for him.”
“If you don’t have the heart to cruelly obliterate him,” Tonya said sweetly, “I could see if he’s on Nathaniel’s refugee list.” The sympathizers tried to monitor transformed wolves who might be in need of their services. The region elders hadn’t spread the existence of the freedom program around any more than they had the keepers. Some witches knew about the sympathizers, but not all.
“No.” To the sympathizers, one former witch’s memories were worth risking everyone’s safety. “It’s not just that he’s cognizant. He knows too much about me and Ba.”
Tonya sighed as she stood back up. “I give up, Katie-kins. Let’s do this. First, though, I’d like you to link into the
The change had taken Marcus, but Katie couldn’t imagine him, even as little as she knew about him, becoming foolish over a lover. His wolf seemed close to the surface, but he hadn’t hurt her—or done anything else to her—when he could have. His manners were impeccable.
What would it be like to break through that restraint? Katie mentally kicked herself for even wondering.
Dad cleared his throat. “His name’s Luis Del Macario Rodríguez. Formerly New York West coven, or what’s left of it.” Coven membership in some urban areas had been struggling against wolf incursion for years. More wolves in an area meant more witches interacting with wolves and more witches who failed to just say no.
Tonya frowned. “Rodríguez. That’s sounding more familiar, but it’s a common name.” She dove back into her purse and located the chi capsules. “Very handsome man, Mr. Luis Del Macario Rodríguez. Better verify his chi.”
“My, my,” Katie said dryly. “Why would Tonya have met someone from a New York coven ten years ago? We were off the grid.”
Tonya twisted the cap of the amber pill bottle. “A festival? I always wear my best disguises there. Nothing to worry about.” Tonya’s best disguises were impenetrable to…anyone. Some days, Katie wondered if she really was a roly-poly, matronly blond with large breasts and equally large hair.
Dad snorted. “Perhaps you met him when you and your sympathizer buddies were carting some mongrel off to Mexico.”
“Impossible. I haven’t been involved in the freedom program in—”
He cackled. “Now it’s my turn to tell you to stuff it. Told you. I hacked the elder forums…Lady Pimpernel.”
If true, this confirmed what Katie suspected about Tonya’s festival visits. “Are you still involved with your group?”
“ Involved is a strong term.” Tonya tucked the pill bottle in her purse and rolled a capsule between her fingers. “I made a deal with the Evil One that I wouldn’t participate in the freedom program as long as he quit the keeper council.”
“Are you saying Vern hasn’t quit?” Katie asked. “He couldn’t go back with Lars as director.” The person Lars had hated most in the world, next to all wolves and to Katie, who’d been ahead of him in status, had been Vern. During a change of leadership, Vern had been sent in to manage the council by the elders, who’d wanted more control. Vern had lasted ten years before the incident with Katie.
“I’m saying I honor my deals,” Tonya answered evasively.
“Then who’s Lady Pimpernel?” Dad asked. “Sounds like someone with your aptitude for fake faces.”
“As you pointed out, I’m not the only witch blessed in the art of disguise.” Witches, like physicians, often specialized. While Katie’s convex power had written her fate for her, Tonya’s training had taken other paths. Like the true eye…and espionage. Tonya could fool anyone about anything. Her masks had saved their butts on several occasions.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter,” Katie decided. If Tonya had been breaking her deal with Vern, she hadn’t caused Katie any trouble. “All that matters is we poppy Marcus and double up on security. People might come looking for him.”
“If you don’t have the heart to cruelly obliterate him,” Tonya said sweetly, “I could see if he’s on Nathaniel’s refugee list.” The sympathizers tried to monitor transformed wolves who might be in need of their services. The region elders hadn’t spread the existence of the freedom program around any more than they had the keepers. Some witches knew about the sympathizers, but not all.
“No.” To the sympathizers, one former witch’s memories were worth risking everyone’s safety. “It’s not just that he’s cognizant. He knows too much about me and Ba.”
Tonya sighed as she stood back up. “I give up, Katie-kins. Let’s do this. First, though, I’d like you to link into the
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