“True that. The summers have been warmer, winters colder, and we have definite rainy seasons during the autumn and spring now.”
I eased through the town, waving at old Mrs. Pennyhessy as we passed her ice cream parlor. She was one of the few avian shifters we had in town. In her younger days, she had flown many a mile in her hawk form. Now, she mostly shifted when she was feeling poorly and stayed in hawk form till the spell passed. She seldom took wing anymore, though. Nobody knew how old she was, but she claimed to be at least three hundred years, which was getting up there for a bird shifter. She did a lot of babysitting for young mothers, thrilling the kids with her stories of the old days.
She waved back, then vanished inside to the soda fountain. I had the sudden craving for an ice cream float, but decided it would have to wait until after the meeting.
“Well, there’s the Town Hall.” I finally found a parking spot—the lot was crowded during the day with all the government workers—and stared at the building. “So you really think I can do this? Because once I walk through those doors and officially announce myself as the new High Priestess of the Moonrise Coven, that’s it. There won’t be any going back, not unless I do something as stupid as Linda did. Or unless Rachel manages to find me and slay me.”
“No going back and don’t worry it. I called Angus and Terrance this morning and they still think you’re the best choice for the job. We’ll need to convene a special meeting as soon as possible to vest you with the circlet and sword, and pick another member for the coven council. I’m leaning toward Tanith, if you want my opinion.”
I nodded. Tanith would be a good choice. She was experienced, level headed, and best of all, she liked me, so I wouldn’t get a lot of static from her.
“We also should add someone to the Inner Court from the Outer, and then open the Outer Court to applications. I am thinking Kyle. He’s grown so much over the past couple of years.”
“Well, we have our game plan. Let’s get you in there and make it official.” Sandy swung out of the car. I followed suit, more slowly.
As we passed one of the city workers who was shoveling snow and sprinkling rock salt over the steps, I realized that nothing would ever be the same. I had moved to Bedlam on a lark. Within two months I not only was deeply immersed in a relationship, but I was now High Priestess of my coven. The responsibilities of both hit home, pointing out to me just how much I had been drifting for years.
Oh, I had been a member of the coven for a long, long time, but even though I was on the Inner Court Council, there hadn’t been many decisions for me to make. And I had played with relationships—all of them failing. The last failed due to his emotional abuse and my lack of will to disentangle myself from it, but none of them had worked out for long. I realized that I didn’t want that to happen with Aegis. As scared as it made me, he meant more to me than any man in a long time. Vampire or not, he had a heart. I didn’t want to hurt him. And I didn’t want to be hurt again.
“What are you thinking about?” Sandy asked as we passed through the doors.
“Life. The Universe.”
“Forty-two?”
I laughed. “Not quite. No, I’m thinking about relationships and Aegis and how I’ve managed to sabotage myself over the years. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“When was the last time you were seriously involved with someone where it worked out?” She consulted her phone. “We’re looking for room 432. Down this hall and to the left, I think.”
We wove through the bustle of clerks hurrying about their work. The smell of business was in the air, a crisp, get-things-done scent that burned into my brain.
“Honestly? Tom. After he was turned I guess I never fully had the heart to make things work. You know I’ve drifted in and out of relationships but none ever stuck. I’m just starting to realize how lonely I’ve been.” I froze, turning to her. “Sandy, I’m falling in love with Aegis and it scares the hell out of me. Not just because he’s a vampire.”
“You’re afraid of being hurt again.”
“Tom—he was a part of my soul. When I lost him, I lost a part of myself. I’m afraid to chance that again, but the more time I spend around Aegis, the more I realize he’s everything I’ve missed. He’s everything Tom was, without that little spark of crazypants that Tom had. And that scares me too. What if it doesn’t work out? What if some wanna-be vampire hunter goes full-Buffy on him and stakes him?”
“What if you get everything you want and live happily ever after?” She put her hand on mine. “Maddy, you deserve so much more than you’ve allowed yourself to have. You deserve love and happiness. I know there’s more there blocking you—I can tell that some part of you is holding yourself back from fully committing. What’s going on?”
I shook my head. I had an idea of what my block was, but truth was, I didn’t know if I was ready to explore those feelings yet. When I ripped the bandage off, it was going to open an old, old wound and the prospect of revisiting that pain was more than I could think about now.
“We’ll talk about it later. I need to focus on the present. We have too much to worry about without me diving into all those old feelings right now.”
“You’re going to have to face whatever it is soon or it will interfere with your relationship with Aegis.” Sandy motioned to the next door to the right. “We’re here. Are you ready?”
I wasn’t ready to face my fears about love, and I wasn’t ready to face my fears about taking on the responsibility of the entire coven. But the fact was, I didn’t have much of a choice. I could either cut and run, which had been my modus operandi for most of my life, or I could finally plant my feet on the ground, dig in, and fight for what was right. And the thought of Essie reaching out her bony, clammy hand to grab the throat of Bedlam and hold it hostage was about as wrong as it could get.
I summoned up my courage and straightened my shoulders. “I’m ready.”
Sandy opened the door, standing back to allow me to enter first. Head held high, I let out a long, slow breath and entered the room. There, the leaders of the city council were waiting. They looked up expectantly. I met Delia’s gaze and realized she was as scared as I was. She was about to step into Linda’s shoes as mayor of the city. I just had to lead the coven. And with that thought, I felt more secure.
Delia motioned for me to sit down. “Maudlin, I’m so glad you could make it. Members of the council, meet the new High Priestess of the Moonrise Coven—Maudlin Gallowglass.”
And with that, I committed myself to Bedlam, to my bed and breakfast, and to growing up after years of running wild through the world. As I took my chair, I felt something shift inside, and realized that I no longer felt afraid. Even though we were facing a threat that I wasn’t sure we could win against, I was feeling relieved. I had made my choice.
Chapter 15
I WAITED FOR Delia to take the lead, but got one hell of a surprise when she turned to me and said, “Linda was mayor of Bedlam for twenty-six years. Because the Moonrise Coven has been around for almost seventy years, your organization has had an active role in shaping the nature of this community as Bedlam has evolved. The question is, are you interested in taking on the role of mayor as well as that of High Priestess? I’m acting in that capacity in the interim, but it isn’t my intention to continue as such.”
I stared at her. “Me? Mayor? Oh, hell no!” Clapping my hand over my mouth, I winced as everybody broke out into laughter. But the laughs were strained and I realized that nobody really knew what was going on yet. “Don’t you think we’d better bring everybody up to speed before we discuss the position of mayor?”