LITMIR.BIZ

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      His expression masked, Dev clasped his hands behind his back, his deep-charcoal suit obviously tailored, as it accommodated his movements with perfect ease. “I’m the Covent assayer. I assume they told you I was coming.”

      Ione tried to make sense of the words. She’d thought for sure he was the new interim high priest. But maybe he was just some kind of number-cruncher or efficiency expert. Maybe the world wasn’t ending.

      “No, I’m afraid they didn’t, Mr. Gideon. Assayer...what is that, exactly?”

      Dev cleared his throat and drew himself up tall as he straightened his raw silk tie in dark teal, his face expressing disapproval—and a touch of what looked suspiciously like disgust. “The Covent seeks to determine what role you may have played in the infiltration of the necromancer Carter Hamilton. I’m here to evaluate your failure of leadership, Miss Carlisle, and to decide on an appropriate punishment.” His cheeks seemed to color, but only for an instant. “Penalty.”

      The furious heat in Ione’s cheeks was undoubtedly far more obvious. The Covent leaders apparently intended to treat her like a naughty child. The sense of resignation and grief at what she’d believed she was about to lose was quickly giving way to umbrage.

      “I see.” Ione put her hands in the pockets of her coat to keep the angry tremble from showing. “I take it my account of the events is in question. I suppose that’s not entirely a surprise, given that none of the Council members was here to witness what happened. But the police accepted my account, Mr. Gideon. And Mr. Hamilton himself confessed that he alone was responsible for his actions. I’m sure any of the members of my coven can tell you what an act he put on, how he fooled us all.”

      She glanced at her fellow coven members to be sure they were still on her side. A few looked embarrassed but no one was avoiding her gaze.

      “I’m not proud of being fooled, and I’ll accept whatever censure the Covent deems fit to mete out for that failing, but I can assure you, Mr. Gideon, that I did nothing unethical.”

      Dev gave her a condescending smile. “I will, of course, be interviewing every member of the coven at length. But by your own account, your actions were anything but ethical. You used unauthorized magical influence on a Covent member—”

      “A Covent member who happened to be a necromancer, Mr. Gideon. Who was in the act of attempting to murder my sister and another member of my coven.”

      “Unauthorized influence.” The gemstone eyes seemed to crackle with intensity. “There are no exceptions to this rule. Rafael Diamante subdued him with the very necromancy of which you’ve accused Hamilton, and it appears from your account that you helped Diamante do it.”

      Ione’s mouth dropped open and she had to work to get her jaw to function normally. And to respond without screaming. “You’re not actually suggesting Carter Hamilton is innocent?”

      “I’m not suggesting anything, Miss Carlisle. I’m merely explaining to you, since you seem to be having difficulty with the concept, that you took actions that are greatly frowned upon by the Covent. And a full investigation is more than warranted to determine exactly what happened here and who is culpable.” Whatever trick of the light had made him seem so damnably attractive a moment before, his smug condescension had managed to shake Ione loose of it. Now he just looked like a pompous jerk.

      He glanced around at the others as if just remembering their presence and let out a sigh. “I trust that you’ll all cooperate fully with my investigation. I’d like to begin with brief, preliminary interviews with each of you, no more than ten or fifteen minutes, before Miss Carlisle and I sit down to discuss her account at length.” Dev turned back to Ione. “I hadn’t expected you to attend this preliminary session.” His frown expressed disapproval of whoever had leaked the news. “Since I may be a few hours, it might be best if you leave and return later.” He took out his phone, poised to make an entry. “If you’d give me your mobile number, I’ll call you when the interviews are completed.”

      “I don’t have a ‘mobile’ number.” She couldn’t help echoing his British pronunciation. Ione fixed her gaze on him as he looked up, daring him to mock her for being a Luddite. She actually did have a cell phone—for emergencies—but she was rather proud of the fact that she hadn’t succumbed to the pressure to carry the phone about with her. “I don’t need to reach anyone that urgently and anyone who needs me knows to reach me at my home number.”

      She took a book from her bag and turned to take a seat beneath one of the stained-glass windows. “I’ll just sit and read while I wait.” The glass depicted the tongue-thrusting goddess Kali. Ione hadn’t chosen it on accident.

      “Miss Carlisle.” Dev hadn’t moved, his brows drawn together in consternation when she glanced up from her bench. “I’d prefer not to have any...undue influence on the accounts of the others.”

      Ione glared daggers of ice at him. “I beg your pardon?”

      Dev seemed to blanch as if only now aware of his choice of words. “I mean, it would be better if none of the coven members were to discuss their versions of the events with you prior to our interviews.”

      She let out an astonished and offended laugh. “You think I’m going to coach them, Mr. Gideon? You don’t know a thing about me or my coven if you imagine for one moment that I’d tell anyone here to lie for me—or that any of them would.”

      Chatoyant eyes glittered dangerously in the candlelight. “Well, that’s just it, isn’t it? I don’t know anything about you or your coven. That’s what I’m here to assess. There’s a process and protocol that must be followed.”

      Ione shrugged and opened her book. “Then follow it. I pledge a solemn oath before Kali beside me, Mr. Gideon, that I will sit here quietly and read and not ‘influence’ anyone in any way.”

      He was still staring at her. She could feel the indignation radiating from him in waves as she continued to ignore him until he finally sighed his disapproval and gestured to one of the coven members to accompany him to the vestry behind the altar.

      Self-satisfied prick didn’t know whom he was dealing with. She’d sit here all day if she felt like it—even if he didn’t deign to talk to her at all.

      A beam of sunlight through the window dappled the pages of her book with vivid reds and golds. Not the best reading light, but she was reading the same four or five words over and over again anyway, unable to make English out of them, her heart still pounding with anger—and more than a little anxiety.

      “Is this seat taken?”

      Ione glanced up to find the newest member of the coven smiling at her. Fresh and eager, Margot had apprenticed to an elderly member who’d decided to retire a few months ago. Ione hadn’t gotten to know her yet. Not that Ione ever really got to know anyone. Once she’d been anointed as high priestess, it seemed wiser to keep her personal and coven lives separate. As the disaster of dating Carter had proved.

      Ione smiled back, grateful for the overture. “It isn’t, but aren’t you afraid I’ll accidentally influence you?”

      Margot sat beside her, crossing her ankles beneath a pair of multicolored paisley leggings peeking through a sheer black skirt. Her relaxed, fun sense of personal style was the polar opposite of Ione’s carefully conservative attire. Besides the responsibility of representing the coven as its high priestess, Ione had always feared being judged as perpetuating some kind of metaphysical trend. Sedona had a reputation for being a little out there, and, while many of the merchants were perfectly genuine, some of the more touristy businesses exploited that reputation for maximum effect.

      Margot crossed her arms over her ample bosom. “Don’t worry about Chauncey in there. Maybe he just can’t let go of that stick up his butt because it’s so damn tight.” She grinned as Ione nearly strangled on the startled burst of laughter she was trying to suppress. “Man, you didn’t see that thing walking away, did you?” Margot fanned herself. “Kinda makes you wish we could bring back the Great Rite.”

      Now

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