I couldn’t match her magical powers, but my powers of annoyance were unparalleled. “I’m not telling you where they are.”
“I could make you.”
Marcus Vorenus hadn’t been able to get through my mental shields. Liv couldn’t. I didn’t care how much power she’d built up. I was born this way. I was born to counter demonic influence, and I would bet a whole lot of her new powers were demonic in nature.
We’d become natural enemies, she and I. It broke my heart, but I could actually feel the demonic power coming off her.
“You could try. Don’t, Liv. I’ve been told it hurts, and I don’t think you’ll handle it well. I would rather talk to you than fight.” I felt her retreat, though she was still there. I was starting to wonder if this magic of hers wasn’t all in my head. I felt safe enough to allow it to continue. I’d sensed the minute she’d tried to access my memory.
“I believe you when you say that. I hope you’ll believe me when I tell you talking is exactly why I’m here.” She looked around. “Not that I know where here is, exactly. Somewhere on the coast. It’s got a swampy vibe.”
I wasn’t going to tell her that either. “So talk, bestie. What’s been going on for the twelve years your master stole from me?”
“I would love to lie and say you weren’t meant to fall into that trap, but it was built for you and Vorenus,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. I had to hope that was a push-up bra or my bestie’d had some serious augmentation. And she liked the leather now. “He had too much influence on the king, and you couldn’t be dealt with. You would never have given my master a fair chance. He knew whose daughter you were. The truth is you were lucky he didn’t kill you outright.”
I kind of wished he’d given it a shot. Then I might not have lost twelve years. I’d managed to kill a duke of Hell and an actual angel from Heaven. I was willing to go mano y mano with Myrddin. But I was playing this cool with my bestie. She was here for a reason, and I didn’t think it was to try to take me out. There was also the question of whether she was actually here or not. I couldn’t smell her. I couldn’t sense her being physically here, so I had to assume this was magic and she was showing off.
And I couldn’t forget what Dean had said when he’d stood in front of Olivia in the Council headquarters.
There’s still a spark of love in your heart, and it has to do with her. And one other. Casey. You still feel for Kelsey and Casey.
At the time I’d held on to it as proof she wasn’t so far gone. This was another. She hadn’t stormed in raining down hell on me. She’d come to talk. I could still feel her in my head. I rather thought that’s where we were right now, in some space where she could talk to me.
I could also shove her out whenever I liked.
“Remind me to thank him.”
She stared at me for a moment and then her lips curled ever so slightly. “You are such a bitch.”
I shrugged. “Four days didn’t change me. Twelve years does seem to have changed you.”
The smile faded and arrogance was back on her face. “For the better.”
I gestured up and down that outfit she was wearing. “Girl, we make fun of people who try to cosplay superheroes. What the hell is this? And please tell me how you are breathing in that corset thing. Your boobs are damn near to your ears. And the heels. How are you going to fight in those? What did I teach you?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Nothing of value. You taught me to hide behind you, to dim my light for you.”
She’d obviously learned to rewrite history. “Yes, I needed to always be the center of attention. That’s me. I had to always be the prettiest girl at the fucking ball. I know what happened in Wyoming hurt, but this isn’t you, Liv. This is Myrddin. You got too close to him. I think he influences the people around him.” I couldn’t come right out and ask her the question I wanted to.
Hey, bestie, did that mean old wizard maybe shove a thrall stone in your old noggin and that’s how you got the goth makeover you never needed?
I had to pretend to not know what a thrall stone was in case we had a shot at fooling Myrddin. We’d taken out the ones he’d placed in the king and Quinn’s heads years and years before. It was how he’d maintained such influence over them both.
The corners of her lips ticked up again, her “I know something you don’t know and now I’m evil” look. “Influence is a good word to use. You should tell Donovan and Quinn that they’re welcome to come to the Coven House. Donovan left his kingdom behind. Myrddin merely had to step in or war could have happened.”
“Yeah, he fell into the trap Myrddin placed, but sure, he abandoned his post.”
One slim shoulder shrugged. “He didn’t have to follow the queen. Like I said—it wasn’t meant for him.”
“Just me and Marcus. I wonder why Myrddin didn’t remove the painting after he had us.” We’d talked about this and decided that after Quinn mistakenly fell in, the wizard had known Donovan wouldn’t let it pass. Quinn’s disappearance had been the one that truly fucked over Myrddin’s plan.
Or hey, maybe it had been the mistake that helped him along since he’d gotten to put the crown on his own head this time around.
“I don’t question the Great One,” Liv said in a big old kiss-ass voice.
“Which is funny because I thought I was the sheep.” She’d obviously forgotten the definition of the word hypocrisy.
She frowned. “I never called you that, Kelsey. I was talking about my fellow witches who do not understand what true power feels like. I honestly didn’t come here to fight with you. I want to try reason before things get nasty. This is Myrddin’s time. The vampires have ruled for too long. The witches own the supernatural world now.”