Page 89 of A Shade Too Far
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Any hopethat Tatiana’s fight with Laurent hadn’t been about her discovery of her nephew’s Banim Shovavim magic and the existence of the Kefitzat Haderech was dashed by the cobra smile Tatiana gave me as I poured coffee into a large mug.
She motioned at the croissants, still warm from the oven, that were set out on a platter, along with butter and jam. “Eat, bubeleh.” Her false smile added to the sting in her tone. “Such a busy woman like yourself needs to keep her strength up.”
I slid a pastry onto a plate and sat across from her. “Laurent’s secret wasn’t mine to share.”
Tatiana blinked then frowned. “He told you before all this happened?”
I crammed a massive piece of croissant in my mouth and mumbled something unintelligible and noncommittal. I’d always joked that give Sadie silence and she’d crack and start talking in no time at all. Apparently that gene came from me because I lasted all of five seconds under Tatiana’s weighted stare before I caved and told her everything, starting with my own discovery of the Kefitzat Haderech, Laurent’s magic reveal when we’d arrested the corrupt Lonestar, and right through to giving him the vial and my fear that demons would turn my place into an evil frat house.
The cat was out of the bag and there was no point in holding back now.
Tatiana’s croissant shredded itself into smaller and smaller pieces, until it was nothing more than a desiccated heap. There was no sign that she used magic, but unless the pastry had suddenly gotten suicidal and self-destructed, my boss was super pissed.
I pushed my plate away, the food sticking in my throat like lumps of cardboard. “How did he sound?”
Regarding me a moment longer with narrow eyes, she grabbed another croissant, ignoring the wreckage on her plate to slather it with butter. “Like he’s ready to gnaw off his own paw. If he could.”
I winced. “His Ohrist magic will come back.” My voice didn’t attain quite the hopeful note I’d intended.
Tatiana didn’t follow up with a platitude. “What are you going to do now?”
“Talk to a demon for ways to neutralize this Banim Shovavim. After that?” I twisted my napkin into a pretzel. “Depends on whether I’m fired or not.”
She daintily took a bite, wiping a blob of butter off her lip with a manicured finger. “You’re not getting off that easily, Miriam. Not when I can once more expand my business dealings out of my home base, thanks to your traveling abilities.”
I dropped the napkin onto my plate. “What?”
“What if a demon does give you a solution?” Tatiana added jam to her croissant, uninterested in my input on her business plan. “You’d strip another woman, another Banim Shovavim, of her powers?”
“It beats the alternative where Laurent kills her.” Although it didn’t negate the possibility of a new wave of hunters destroying all Banim Shovavim, including me.
“Then go. And find somewhere else to stay tonight. I don’t want to deal with you before the meeting.”
I turned stricken eyes to her, but she dismissed me with a wave of her hand.
Emmett met me in the hallway, accompanying me upstairs. “You really screwed the pooch, huh?”
I was ready to lash out with some sarcastic retort, but he looked worried. “Yeah. I did.”
The golem patted me awkwardly on the shoulder. “I’ve got things here,” he said, leaving me at the bedroom doorway.
It was nice having one person involved in this mess on my side.
I shoved the few things I’d unpacked back into the suitcase, lugged it out to my car, and drove over to Naveen and Daya’s place. My family could suck it up and see me.
Daya answered the door with a big grin. “I’m keeping your daughter.”
I shrugged. “Fair enough.”
“Can you stay for coffee?”
“Not really, but thanks.”
Everyone was cozily ensconced in kitchen, signs of one of Eli’s giant pancake cook-ups evident in the smear of batter on the apron he wore over his dress shirt, the lone pancake on a platter on the table, and Evani’s blueberry-stained face.
The toddler followed Sadie around, carefully holding a Play-Doh penguin that was a signature Sades creation, while my daughter made lunch for work. Evani grabbed a juice box from a low pantry shelf and gave it to Sadie, who rewarded her with a fond pat on the head.
