Whiskey Storm (Whiskey Witches Midnight Rising Book 1)
Page 4
He screwed on a smug smile.
But it was thin. He was tired. He was scared.
He understood what was going on here. She could see it around the edges of his eyes and lips.
“People could see you as the enemy.” This was something she’d been forced to face in Denver once. “You’re the cops, and cops are the bad guys when the government gets involved.”
“Good thing I don’t work for the government.”
That wasn’t quite true. “Remember how we answer to Tuck? The elected sheriff? Well, he works for the government. So, technically, you do too.”
He narrowed his eyes.
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but she didn’t care. Paige really had no idea the level of decisions that would end up in her lap, but she needed her partner to keep the peace for her.
He just wasn’t terribly good at that.
They all piled into the car, with Leslie giving Dexx a hard time about a few things. Which was cute, but Paige wasn’t paying any attention.
She couldn’t get it out of her mind that this was escalating quite quickly. And if she didn’t watch it, things were going to get out of control. Things were already past what she’d ever thought she’d experience in her lifetime.
And it terrified her. Weren’t they over locking people up based on race or differences?
No. Obviously. All she had to do was to look at the reports—as few as there were—about how the illegal aliens were being treated. The government was actively creating their next generation of war criminals.
But how had it become the citizens of the United States being treated like that?
But wasn’t that what black families asked every week? How was this happening in the United States? Or brown families. Or trans families.
This was her now. Being paranormal was the new black.
That stark reality hit her in the gut like someone punching her. How had she been so… ignorant to reality before? Because it wasn’t happening to her? Around her? Was that an excuse?
Dexx stopped at the light, and someone pounded on the window.
Paige startled. She hadn’t even seen the person run up. She didn’t know the woman by name, but she’d made some trouble the last time they’d been on lockdown. Frankly, Paige thought the woman would disappear, go somewhere easier. But she hadn’t. It was her “God-given right” to be there, in her home—which Paige couldn’t disagree with, except maybe the god part—and she was staying—which Paige kinda respected her for. But it would be a lot easier and better for everyone if the woman actually helped instead of just made things worse.
Dexx shook his head. “Babe, ignore her. Let’s go home.”
Leslie squished between them both.
Paige released her grip on the seat belt and reached for the door handle. “If I don’t deal with her now, we’ll have a riot on our hands. You know that. I’ll see you at the house.”
Dexx grunted as she opened the door and got out but then turned toward town instead of home.
Hopefully that meant he was headed toward work. Good.
Paige guided the hefty woman back to the street corner and out of the road. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m Cheryl Doumsbury.” She ran a hand over her short, blonde hair. “You may remember me.”
“You’re hard to forget.”
Cheryl gave a tight smile as if accepting the barb as a compliment. “We’re being blockaded again, aren’t we?”
Paige released a sigh. How had Cheryl even heard about that? Frustration created a tight knot in Paige’s neck as she debated quickly the best way to handle this situation. Talking directly to the town’s negative-gossip—the person who only shared news if it was bad—wasn’t the best way to handle this. She needed to talk to the mayor, who was better at dealing with things like this. “Before I share anything with you, let me figure out the plan. I’ll—” No. “—we’ll have answers as soon as we can.”
Cheryl opened her mouth to spew a few more questions and to probably insult Paige while she was at it.
But Paige shifted into an owl and flew away on silent wings before the woman had the chance.
The mayor’s building was downtown. If it were up to Mayor Suzanne Briggs, her building would be quite grand. She liked everything big and gleaming, something Paige would have been okay without knowing. However, Paige’s new position as paranormal spokesperson meant she got to know the sometimes self-centered woman more than she’d ever hoped.
She shifted into human form at the doors. Suzanne didn’t like it when Paige flew in unexpectedly. So, she showed her respect by walking into the building. Though, sometimes, she did so on four feet instead of two just for spite.
Suzanne met her at the door to her second-floor office. “I can’t do this anymore.”
Paige held her eyeroll to herself, realizing she was in for a fantastic tantrum, but she wasn’t really great at taming those. “You’re being overdramatic.”
“I assure you, I am never overdramatic,” Suzanne said as her thick heels clunked on the tiled floor on the way back to her desk.
Okay. That was probably like telling a woman to calm down. Not a great tactic.
“We’re being blockaded. Again.” Suzanne took her seat in her stylish leather office chair and stabbed Paige with her blue eyes. “We haven’t recovered from the last time.”
They had. They just weren’t back to the old normal. “I know.”
“The innovations you’ve put through so far are…” Suzanne raised her shoulders, then licked her lips, her gaze drifting elsewhere. “Well, they’re rather unique. But just how will unique keep us alive?”
Paige bit down on what she really wanted to say. “You know how to survive this because you’ve done it before. Use the protocols we established the first time. Use the people who stepped up the last time.”
“You need to handle this. This is on you.”
“No. I’ve got to handle other things.”
“Like the war on our town?”
“Like that.” But when it was said so bluntly, it felt more like a slap to the face. Like a wake-up call. “You know what to do. Make it happen, and tell the town that you’re taking care of them as the best mayor they’ve got.”
Suzanne shook her head and lowered it slightly. “How are we going to get our supplies? You said we can’t use the elf girl.”
“No. We can’t.” Paige didn’t want to have that conversation with the mayor again, reminding her that putting children in harm’s way wasn’t the right answer. The woman wasn’t evil. She just had a hard time seeing around her inconvenience. “But, just like last time, I need to know what we need. We’re going to need money because we’re not stealing.”
Suzanne slumped her shoulders with a petulant sigh. “But we simply don’t have the money for supplies. We’re a town, not a kingdom.”
Well, that was something Paige hadn’t thought of. “Okay. So, figure out how you’re going to get that money in. If things need to restructure, then that’s what you need to do. How would a queen do it? Be a queen.” But with less attitude.
The mayor gave her an exasperated expression.
“Look,” Paige said, slashing her hand because she seriously had no idea how to get this woman to do what was needed faster. “I don’t know how long this is going to go on for. They’re demanding we do something that—” Paige couldn’t believe she was actually going to say this out loud. It made it terrifying and that much more real. “We’re on the brink of something terrible.”
“I know what they’re demanding.” Suzanne looked balefully up at Paige. “It won’t go that far. We’re civilized.”
Easy for her to say. Suzanne wasn’t paranormal. “I’m pretty sure that’s what the LGBTQ or the trans or the people of color or the poor or women say. Take your pick. Muslims? Did I mention those?”
Suzanne opened her mouth to say something flippant, but then, something flashed in those brilliantly blue eyes, and her expression sobered.
“Fine.” The mayor released a short breath and sank into her chair. “I’ll let you know when I have something.”
“Ditto.” Paige turned and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Text me,” she said as she walked out the door. “Don’t send your man to pester me this time.”
“You’re no fun!”
Something thudded against the wall beside the door.
Paige glanced down. Suzanne had thrown her shoe.
Paige turned back around with a frown of did-you-just-seriously-do-that?
Suzanne blinked rapidly and smiled angelically as if to say she had no idea what Paige was upset about.
Leaving and glad Suzanne was a poor aim, Paige pulled up a contact she never thought she’d use. Eldora Blackman.
“Hello?” Eldora seemed as confused about the phone call as Paige was.
“Where are you?”
Eldora paused. “At the grocery store.”
“I’ll be right there.” Paige hung up, stashed her phone, and shifted into an owl again.
She preferred walking on four legs. She didn’t have the best balance in the world and flying really futzed with that. It was something with the bird head, the way it worked. Transitioning from “flying” brain to “walking” brain felt like she was stumbling in an earthquake.
But she did it because it was the fastest way to travel and speed was imperative.
Technically, there was more than one grocery store in Troutdale. Paige knew this all too well because of the last time the town had been blockaded and on lockdown. But she also knew that Eldora Blackman only went to the one closest to her family home, even though it didn’t necessarily have the best prices. It did, however, carry her produce, so maybe she got a better discount. Paige just didn’t know.
She flew in, shifting into a sparrow to do her flyover because she’d already discovered that people freaked out seeing an owl or an eagle in the store.
She spotted Eldora by the frozen vegetables and came in for her landing, shifting to a fully clothed human as she stepped out. She appreciated being a witch for the simple fact she didn’t have to worry about showing up naked when she shifted.
Eldora closed the freezer case door, leaving whatever she’d been looking at inside, and frowned at Paige with a look that asked what in the world she was thinking.
Paige held up a hand to wave that line of questions off and took a step back, her head still woozy. Flying—while flying—was great. But this part wasn’t getting any easier. “We have a situation.” A slight pain shot through her left eyeball for a split second, and then the world went still. Finally.
“So I heard.”
Eldora had ears everywhere, something Paige didn’t quite understand. Well, she did, but it was the fact that Eldora lived the life of the Amish—not really. A true Amish person didn’t own a car, but she certainly appreciated living off the grid. The Blackman Compound resembled a small farming community of ultra-strict religious folk.
Which was okay as long as that ultra-strictness didn’t creep into Paige’s front yard, which it sometimes did.
“We’re being cut off again and need supplies.”
Eldora narrowed her dark eyes and folded her arms over her ample chest.
Paige was pretty certain the woman knew where she was going with this. “The elves cut us off from Underhill.”
“I could have told you they would.”
A few startled cries went out at the front of the store, accompanied by a few screeches and a couple of coos.
Paige used her keen hearing to detect what was going on.
Only to hear a tiny roar and a bird-like squawk.
Her twins had arrived. She was going to murder Margo for not keeping a better eye on them.
Paige sent out an alpha-mom flare with her emotions that basically told her twins where she was but didn’t look away from Eldora. “I need to know if we can use door magick to get supplies.”
Derrick came up to his mother, tall, dark, and bearded. He smiled at her. “Hey, sis.”
“Hey.” She hadn’t grown up even knowing about him. He’d known about her, which explained why he was so much easier calling her that. But he didn’t feel like a brother, just a stranger.
A younger woman came and stood next to him, her black eyes studying Paige with interest.
A fledgling bird came crashing out of the air.
Eldora’s eyes widened with alarm.
Paige just held up a hand, her lips clamped shut, and shook her head to tell Eldora the girl was okay.
Rai tumbled to the ground and shifted into a bear cub, rolling as she came to a stop on her butt, blinking eyes that danced with lightning.
Ember tripped on his long tiger tail, taking down a display of ice cream sauces, shifted into a fox to run a few steps, tripped again, and shifted into a wolf pup to make it all the way to his sister.
Paige turned to Eldora with her kids frolicking at her feet, shifting into different animals every time they blinked almost. “Door magick? Supplies? Possible? Yes?”
Eldora studied the twins intently. “Yes.”
“Willing?”
“No.”
Crap. They hadn’t been on the best of terms ever since Eldora had kidnapped Leslie, Leah, and Mandy to get Paige’s attention back in Texas. Paige wasn’t going to say she was the type who held grudges but…
Yeah. She held grudges. For ages.
She couldn’t afford that at the moment, though. “What do I need to do?”
Eldora took in a deep breath and released it.
The young woman stepped up. She wasn’t dressed in normal Blackman female attire with the black dress and the white cap holding back her hair. She dressed like a normal person. Jeans, T-shirt, flip flops. Maybe she was from another area? “I’ll teach Leah.”
Eldora had already tried that approach, trying to get Leah into the Blackman school. The problem with all of that was that the Blackman Coven came off as a cult, and Paige wasn’t into that. “No.”
The young woman tipped her head forward and to the side, looking up at Paige through narrowed eyes. “It’s what she needs.” She snorted. “Frankly, so do you. You come. I’ll teach you too.”
It frankly wasn’t a bad idea. She got her door magick from her father—Eldora’s cheating now-dead husband. She’d never learned how to use it. Well, she kinda had. She sent demons back to Hell using her door magick.
But… the Blackman cult had to be dealt with. Not because cults were bad—because… right. No. Yeah. They were bad. But because things were getting dangerous, and if the town was cut off yet again, they needed everyone on Team Troutdale, not Team Trout-Black… whatever. Okay. That sounded so much better in her head.
She was shutting up her inside voice now. “Your kids join ours in school.”
“With the others?” Eldora asked, but this time, her tone wasn’t derogative.
That was a change. Since the Whiskeys had come into town, Eldora had preached about how her witches would never join the other paranormals in classes. “Yes.” She drew out the word, mostly because she couldn’t quite believe she might get a—
“Okay.”
Someone could have hit her with a stick in that moment. “Great. When do we—”
A loud crash sounded at the front of the store. Men shouted, telling everyone to stay down.
The civilians were quiet. A few shouts, nothing more.
This was the drill the American people had practiced for—and the people of Troutdale most of all.
A threat. A live one.
Paige took a step to shift and see what was going on.
A man in DoDO utility black cleared the aisle with a fully automatic assault rifle sighted on them.
Eldora took a step forward, h
er arms out, shielding Derrick and the other woman.
“Don’t move,” the lead man shouted.
Rai cried out in puppy fear.
The barrel of the rifle dropped to sight on her.
Paige’s power coiled along her hands, and the world went red. In her head, she knew he’d only followed the sound. She had to be careful. She didn’t speak for everyone.
But the mother in her didn’t care. A man with an assault rifle had entered the grocery store and was pointing it at her baby.
She pulled her head back and released a guttural roar.
The man took a step back and sighted his rifle on her.
The magick took over. Paige didn’t have a conscious thought. Rage. Protective… rage.
In her mind, she saw each of the rifles. Over a dozen DoDO men and women had filed into the grocery store, endangering the lives of the people—her people.
Mario stepped into Paige’s view, unruffled. He fixed his shirt sleeve with a smug smile. “We’re here to register you.”
Paige’s world swirled with emotion-charged magick. She barely heard him.
He smiled at her. “Please. Make this difficult.”
Oh. She would.
Not fully knowing what she was doing, she clapped her hands together, and an arc of energy flew outward.
Her magick, inky black hands that manifested her door magick, also clapped. Doors opened behind each DoDO man and woman, and the gale force of her energy pushed each through.
But she wasn’t done.
On Mario’s way out, she collected a hair from him. Several, actually. Then, taking that hair, she pressed it into the magickal ward protecting the town, whispering her intent. No one from DoDO comes or goes.
Her wards sang out a clear bell-tone.
Then her magick released her.
And she fell to the ground, spent.
Eldora sighed and stood next to her, looking down. “And this is why you need to learn how to control your abilities.”
Paige wasn’t going to naysay her.
She was just going to take a nap.
Clean up on aisle fourteen.
5
Paige was actually pretty much out of it for quite a while. She remembered her brother carrying her around like a damn damsel. She wasn’t so out of it that she was knocked out. She could see, speak a few words, but not much more than that. Derrick loaded her into his vehicle, Eldora and the other woman taking the twins, who had decided to remain in one animal form for a bit.