Chapter Eighteen
Ripley gave Zack her most pitiful look. And whined. She saved up her whines to add to the impact when she whipped one out.
"But I don't wanna go to Mia's. "
Living with her for nearly thirty years made him immune to such tactics. Though he had to give her big points for delivery.
"When you were a kid you practically lived at Mia's. "
"Then, now. See the difference? Why can't you go?"
"Because I have a penis. I'll restrain myself and not ask if you see the difference. Be a pal, Rip. "
She spun in a circle, her version of drumming her heels on the floor. "If Nell's going to be hanging out at Mia's tonight, then Mia can keep an eye on her. Jesus, Zack, don't be such a mommy. The asshole in L. A. doesn't even know she's alive yet. "
"If I'm being overprotective we'll just all have to live with it. I don't want her driving to the cliffs alone at night. " The thought of her car flying over cliffs three thousand miles away left a ball of ice in his gut. "Until this thing is resolved, I want to keep an eye on her. "
"So keep your eye on her. You're the ones trying to decide if you're going to be long-suffering, star-crossed lovers, or Ward and June Cleaver. "
He let the insult pass, as it was her way of starting a pissing match so she could storm out and get out of doing what he asked. "I'll never figure how it is I know more about women than you do, when you're of the same species. "
"Watch it, slick. "
He supposed he hadn't let the insult pass after all. "She doesn't need me hovering over her. She doesn't need a man, even such a sterling example of manhood as myself, crowding her. She's got tough decisions to make. I'm trying to keep a little distance, without making an issue of keeping a little distance, until she's made them. "
"Gee, you sure do think a lot. "
The simple fact was, he was putting her in a hell of a pinch. He wanted her to keep an eye on Nell, and Ripley wanted to keep an eye on Zack. She hadn't had an easy moment in the two days since he'd told her Nell's story.
Blood on the moon, she thought. Nell's vision of Zack covered with blood. A sociopathic, potentially homicidal husband, and Ripley's own disturbing dreams. She hated knowing she was dipping into omen territory, but. . . hell, it didn't bode well.
"What are you going to be doing while I'm babysitting the love of your life at Witch Central?"
There was something else he'd learned in nearly thirty years of knowing her. He could always count on Ripley. "Taking both our evening patrols, buying some takeout, and going home to a lonely dinner. "
"If you think that makes me feel sorry for you, think again. I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat. " She walked to the door. "I'll go by Nell's, tell her I want to tag along tonight. I want you to watch your back. "
"Excuse me?"
"I don't want to talk about it. I'm just saying. "
"I'll watch my back. "
"And buy some beer. You drank the last bottle. "
She slammed the door because. . . just because.
***
Mia set out fresh charms. Every day, it seemed, the air got a little heavier. As if something was dragging it down. She glanced outside. It was already dark. There was so much night at the end of October, so many hours until dawn.
There were things it wasn't wise to speak of at night, or even think. Night could be an open window.
She burned incense of sage to counter negativity, fastened on earrings of amethyst to strengthen her intuition. She'd been tempted to slip some rosemary under her pillow, to help chase away her troubled dreams. But she needed to see, needed to look.
She added jasper to the chain around her neck, a strengthener of energy, a reliever of stress.
It was the first time in years she could recall being so constantly hounded by stress.
Tonight wasn't the time for it, she reminded herself. She was going to take Nell to the next step, and such things should be joyful.
She fingered the magic bag in her pocket, filled with crystals and herbs, and, as she'd taught Nell, tied with seven knots. She detested being so edgy, as if waiting and waiting for disaster to strike.
Foolish, really, when she'd been preparing for disaster, and how to divert it, all her life.
She heard the car, saw the streak of lights slash across her front windows. As she walked to the door, she visualized pouring the stress into a small silver box, locking it.
So she appeared to be her usual calm self as she opened the door. Until she saw Ripley.
"Slumming, Deputy?"
"Didn't have anything better to do. " She was surprised to see Mia in a long black dress. Mia rarely wore black. The one thing Ripley had to admit, the woman wasn't often obvious. "Special occasion?"
"As it happens. I don't have any objections to you being here, if Nell wants you. But don't interfere. "
"You don't interest me enough to interfere. "
"Is this argument going to take long?" Nell asked pleasantly. "I was hoping for a glass of wine. "
"I think we're done. Come in, and welcome. We'll take the wine with us. "
"With us? Where are we going?"
"To the circle. You've brought what I told you?"
"Yes. " Nell patted the large leather pouch she wore.
"Good. I'll get what I need, then we'll go. "
Ripley wandered around freely enough while Mia got ready. She had always liked the cliff house. Loved it. The big, crowded rooms, the odd corners, the thick carved doors and glossy floors.
She'd have gotten by happily enough with one room and a cot, but she had to admit Mia's place had style. And class. As far as atmosphere went, you couldn't top it.
Class, style, and atmosphere aside, it was always comfortable. A place where you knew you could sink into a chair and put your feet up.
A place, she recalled, where she had once run as free and as welcome as a pet puppy. It was a hell of a note to realize, all at once, how much she'd missed it. Missed it all.
"You still use the gable room?" Ripley asked casually while Mia selected a red wine from the rack.
When Mia glanced back their eyes met. Shared memories. "Yes. Some of your things are still there," she said as she wrapped three glasses in white linen.
"I don't want them. "
"They're still there, in any case. Since you're here, you can carry this bag. " She gestured, then picked up the second that held the wine and glasses.
She opened the back door, and Isis streaked through. It surprised Nell, as the cat generally couldn't be bothered to join them.
"It's a special night. " Mia threw up the hood of the cloak she swirled over her shoulders. Black again, with a lining of deep wine-red. "She knows it. It's nearly Samhain. Nell needs to practice lighting the balefire. "
Ripley's head snapped up. "Moving a little fast, aren't you?"
Mia merely studied the moon as they walked. It was down to a thumbnail and would soon be full dark. Around that sliver of white she could see a haze blacker, thicker than the sky.
"No. "
Annoyed that Mia had made her uneasy yet again, Ripley shrugged. "Halloween. Lifting the dead. The night boils with evil spirits and only the brave or foolish walk in the dark. "
"Nonsense," Mia said lightly. "And there's no point in taking that route to try to scare Nell. "
"The end of the third and last harvest of the year. " Nell breathed deep of the night. "A time for remembering the dead, for celebrating the eternal cycle. Also the night when the veil between life and death is said to be its thinnest. Hardly a negative time, but one of reaffirmation and fun. And, of course, Mia's birthday. "
"The big three-oh this time, too," said Ripley.