“You’re just worried she’ll actually listen to me.” Astra’s smile was sly. When Cooper refused to be baited into an argument, though, she sighed. “What do you want? I can’t help you with the nexus. It’s not my business ... and I have no intention of dying.”
“You recognized the nexus for what it was, though,” Hannah pressed. She was so used to Astra’s bad attitude she barely registered it these days. It was a significant development, although it was something to consider later ... when a bunch of furies weren’t barreling down with murder on their minds. “How did you manage that?”
“Just lucky I guess,” Astra drawled, making a big show of staring at her fingernails. “I could use a manicure. Where do you go?” She flicked her eyes to Hannah’s hands and frowned when she saw the ragged and unpolished surfaces. “Um ... never mind.”
“Don’t be a pain,” Cooper chided. He had a short rope where Astra was concerned on a normal day. Given the events of the afternoon, he refused to allow her any leeway for playing games. “We’ve faced off with two of these creatures now. We need to know what you know.”
Astra’s brow furrowed. “You’ve faced off with two creatures?” Even though she wanted to pretend she didn’t care, she’d always been the curious sort. “What kind of creatures are you referring to?”
“They’re furies,” Hannah replied, taking control of the conversation. “They’re not the female furies that just go after men, though. Apparently those chicks are famous because they weren’t quiet about their plans. The furies we’re dealing with are basing their attacks on the seven deadly sins.”
“At least we think they are,” Cooper clarified, shrinking in his seat when Hannah shot him a quelling look. “We’re almost certain that Hannah’s theory is correct. We’ve only faced off with two of them, like I said, though. The first seems like an open-and-shut conclusion. The second, though ... .”
“He was wrath,” Hannah snapped, irritation bubbling up. “How can you not believe me after what happened?”
“Baby, I didn’t say I didn’t believe you.” Cooper was exasperated. “I’m just saying that I’m not sure the second guy is conclusive. You still kicked his ass and were totally amazing. You saved everybody. I would never take that away from you.”
“Whatever.”
Amusement slid across Astra’s face. “Oh, you guys are so cute. Even your fights are saccharine. Who loves who more? It’s a fight to the death.” She shook her head but seemed resigned to being dragged into the conversation. “Tell me what happened.”
Cooper was ultimately the one who told the tale, in halting terms. When he got to the part where he and Tyler attacked one another, his cheeks colored with embarrassment, but he held it together. “So, as you can see, Hannah’s theory seems sound, but we can’t be certain that we’re dealing with sins.”
“I do see that.” Astra bobbed her head, her mind busy. “She’s totally right, though.”
Cooper scowled. “You’re just saying that because you want to irritate me.”
“Honey, I would rather eat broken glass than agree with Hannah on general principle, but she’s totally right. The nexus is made up of seven strands. I’ve heard of the seven deadly sins furies. They started their own hype and actually enjoy it when television shows and movies base plots on them because it keeps them in the forefront of people’s minds.
“Like the movie Se7en? They totally loved it,” she continued. “Supposedly they come around every hundred years to carry out a big production. It appears they’ve picked Casper Creek as their production location this go-around.”
“Except the gluttony guy was one town over,” Hannah pointed out. “He was at the new restaurant on the lake.”
“And he’s not the same guy who opened the restaurant,” Cooper added. “We’ve seen a photo of that guy, although that reminds me, Boone said he was going to check and make sure that guy was still alive. I haven’t heard from him all day.”
“I’m sure the restaurant owner is fine.” Astra offered up a dismissive wave. “The furies only want to kill through their designated roles.”
“The wrath guy went after Hannah with magic,” Cooper argued.
“Yes, but only as a last resort. He clearly wanted you and Tyler to rip each other apart — and I’m sorry I didn’t get to see that fight because I bet you beat the snot out of him and he’s always such a turd to me, but I digress. He only used magic against Hannah because he had no choice.”
“See!” Hannah wasn’t one to throw around “I told you so” on a regular basis, but she couldn’t stop herself now. “That’s exactly what I said.”
“And I’m guessing that the gluttony guy last night assumed you guys would start eating before you noticed what was going on with the other patrons,” Astra added. “Apparently you’re more observant than he gave you credit for.”
“I am,” Hannah agreed, a half-smile playing across her lips.
“Oh, geez.” Cooper made a face and shook his head. “I would really appreciate it if you two wouldn’t bond. That’s going to make things really difficult. Like ... really difficult.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Hannah offered. “I still hate her.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Astra agreed. “Right now, though, there’s a magical disturbance in the area and it could hurt all of us. That includes me, because once those furies figure out exactly how I fit into your little group, they’re going to try to use me against Hannah.” She paused a beat, an evil gleam lighting her eyes. “Although I’m certain you’ve already figured that out.”
Cooper overtly glared at her. “Don’t even think of using this situation to move on Hannah. I’ll make you pay if you try.”
Astra didn’t appear worried. Instead, she snorted. “That’s bold talk for a guy who needed his girlfriend to swoop in and save him two hours ago because he was more interested in beating up on a gay guy who is supposedly his best friend than protecting his girlfriend from a malevolent force.”
Cooper’s cheeks colored with shame. “I—”
“Don’t.” Hannah’s tone was scolding as she rested her hand on Cooper’s and gave his fingers a solid squeeze before pinning Astra with a dark look. “Upsetting him isn’t going to help you right now. Not even a little. Why waste your time?”
“Maybe I enjoy it.”
“You said yourself that you’re going to be drawn into this,” Hannah argued. “You would think you’d want to help, if only for your own emotional well-being, rather than being a snot. Maybe I’m giving you too much credit, though.”
“Oh, that’s not going to work on me.” Astra’s expression twisted into something dark. “Listen, I don’t like you. I’ve never hidden that fact. You stole what should’ve been mine.”
“No, she inherited what was always meant to be hers,” Cooper countered, recovering. “Casper Creek never belonged to you. It’s Hannah’s birthright.”
“That’s an argument for another time,” Astra countered. “I agree that we don’t have a choice but to work together now, though. If these furies get a foothold, they’re going to be hell to deal with.”
“They’re already hell.”
“They can get worse.” Astra allowed her pragmatic side to take over. “There are five of these creatures left. They won’t attack as single entities again. Two of their ranks have been eliminated. That has to be ... sobering ... considering what they are.
“They’re going to look at Hannah as a legitimate threat now,” she continued. “That means they’ll be looking for weapons to use against her. Where do you think the first place they’ll go is?”
Cooper’s mouth went dry. What Astra was saying made a lot of sense. “They’ll go after magically imbued people because they think it will give them a better shot of taking down Hannah.”
“Exactly.” Astra bobbed her head. “That means me. More importantly, it also means Stormy. She would be more than willing to turn on the two of you and let herself be used like a pawn. Y
ou need to be very careful going forward. Like ... very careful.”
“What do we do, though?” Hannah queried. “I mean ... how do we protect ourselves?”
Astra held out her hands and shrugged. “I have no idea. We need to figure it out, though. I guess that means research. I don’t think these furies are going to give you a lot of time to regroup. They’re going to be out for blood.”
That was exactly what Cooper was afraid of.
14
Fourteen
They picked up takeout on their way back to Casper Creek. Hannah was in the mood for Mexican, so that’s what they got, and when they spread out at one of the tables in the saloon, there were tacos as far as the eye could see.
“This was a good idea,” Cooper said, his mouth full of food.
Hannah smiled. He’d slowly started coming around over their time away from town. She knew the altercation with Tyler still bothered him on a basic level, but he was obviously trying to put it behind him.
“I’m full of them,” she teased, grinning as she dipped a chip in salsa. “Can I ask you something?”
He froze, his taco halfway to his mouth. “Is it going to hurt?” he asked finally.
She shrugged, noncommittal. “I don’t know. It’s a serious question. It’s also a fairly invasive question.”
He hesitated and then nodded. “I guess you’ve earned it.”
“Because I was the hero today?”
He found her grin adorable. “Because I want us to be open and honest with each other. I would prefer no secrets, although I know that’s not feasible.”
Her forehead creased. “You don’t think it’s feasible to have a relationship without secrets?”
“No.”
“Oh.” She felt mildly uncomfortable. “I ... happen to believe the opposite.”
He studied her for a moment, confused, and then realization dawned. “I should probably rephrase that,” he countered. “I don’t believe in keeping big secrets. There are little secrets, though, that nobody needs to know.”
She wasn’t always suspicious by nature — her ex-fiancé made her that way — but she couldn’t stop herself from drilling deep now. “I’m going to need a ‘for instance.’”
He smiled, genuinely amused. “For instance, I’m afraid of spiders. Normally I would never volunteer that, but it appears we’re bonding this afternoon, so I’m willing to admit it just this once. Also, when I’m not feeling well, I like old episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard. I cannot explain it. Those are not things I would ever admit to under normal circumstances.”
Hannah felt the fist that had been momentarily gripping her heart relax. “Oh.” Her lips curved. “I get what you’re saying. They’re not really secrets as much as small things that might never come up.”
“Yes.”
She cocked her head, considering. “I guess I’m okay with that. I never really thought about it before but that makes sense. Big secrets, though ... .” She trailed off, momentarily losing interest in her food. “I’m probably never going to be okay with big secrets,” she admitted, her voice small. “After Michael and all the cheating ... .” She felt like a terrible person for bringing it up. She trusted Cooper — probably more than she ever thought possible — but pockets of worry remained.
Rather than be offended, Cooper shrugged. “It’s okay,” he reassured her. “I get where you’re coming from. I have the same issues because of Astra. I mean ... they’re not exactly the same issues, but they’re on par.”
Surprisingly, Hannah found the admission made her feel better. “She betrayed you.”
“She betrayed all of us,” he clarified. “Her betrayal of Abigail was the worst, though. Abigail trusted her and Astra abused that trust.”
Hannah was stirred by his outrage on her grandmother’s behalf. “You love Abigail a lot, don’t you?”
He nodded without hesitation. “I was lost for a bit when I started here. She helped me, basically demanded that I climb out of my shell and start paying attention to others. She was like a mother to me in a weird way. I could tell her anything and she never judged me.”
Even though she knew she should be touched, Hannah frowned. “She was like a mother to you? Does that make you my uncle?”
“Ha, ha.” He flicked her ear, causing her to fake yelp and laugh. “You know what I mean. She stood by me when I was struggling and I’ll forever be thankful for that. She trusted Astra, which in hindsight seems like it should’ve been a terrible idea, but Astra acted differently at first. We all trusted her.”
“And now?” Hannah queried. “Do you trust what Astra told us today?”
“Actually, I do.” He was rueful. “I don’t trust her to stand by us if the going gets tough — she even said she’s likely to lay low rather than help because she doesn’t want to be drawn in — but I believe what she said today. It makes sense when you break it down. The coven would make an enticing target for the furies. They wouldn’t even have to get their hands dirty if they sent Astra after us.”
“And it sounds like Stormy would be a willing participant,” Hannah mused.
“Yeah. We need to figure out a way to neutralize her before she gets too big for her britches,” Cooper agreed.
The saying made Hannah laugh. “My grandfather on my father’s side used to say that.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you saying I talk like an old man?”
“Kind of.”
“Well ... I’m fine with that.” He popped a nacho into his mouth and regarded her. “Is that what you wanted to ask? About Astra, I mean.”
“Actually, no.” Hannah wiped off her hands on a napkin and debated how she wanted to broach the subject. “The thing with Tyler earlier,” she started.
He froze, his shoulders going ramrod straight. “I’m not homophobic,” he gritted out. “I didn’t mean what I said to him. I’m ... ashamed ... those words came out of my mouth.”
“Oh, I know that,” Hannah said hurriedly, her heart giving a little lurch. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Not like that. It was more ... the actual fighting.”
That wasn’t the tack he was expecting. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t want you to get upset,” she offered hurriedly. “I just have a question and it might come into play with the other furies so I’m going to ask, but I really need you not to yell or be hurt.”
“I’m officially intrigued.” He tried to play it off, but he was a nervous wreck. “Lay it on me.”
“Okay.” She sucked in a breath. “You’re trained to be able to disable a man quickly. You told me that yourself. It’s from your time in the military.”
“Yeah.” His face looked as if it was carved out of granite. “If you’re asking if I could’ve killed Tyler, the answer is yes. Why do you think I’m so upset?”
“Slow your roll.” Hannah’s eyes flashed and she momentarily wished she could go back in time and not broach the subject. It was far too late for that now, though. “I’m not trying to upset you. It’s just ... you and Tyler were going at it for a long time. It seems to me you should’ve been able to lay him out in two seconds flat.”
“And?”
“And ... maybe something inside of you recognized that the fight was wrong and you held back to protect him even though you didn’t realize what you were doing.”
“No.” Cooper immediately started shaking his head without giving the suggestion any thought. “I acted like an animal.”
“No, you didn’t.” Hannah reached over and grabbed his hand before he could pull away. “Don’t do this to yourself. I didn’t bring it up to be a jerk. I’m honestly curious in case ... well ... in case these furies tried to force us to somehow hurt each other going forward.”
The look of horror that washed across his face had Hannah wishing she’d kept her big, fat mouth shut. “I didn’t mean ... I ... .”
“No, you’re right.” He squeezed her hand tightly. “Crap. I hadn’t even considered that. What if the lust fu
ry wants us to have sex until we die or something?”
For some reason, the way he phrased the question made Hannah laugh.
“It’s not funny,” he snapped. “I would rather jump off a cliff than hurt you.”
“I know that,” she reassured him, sobering. “Trust me. I definitely know that. It’s the way you said it.”
“It’s still not funny,” he grumbled, turning back to his dinner even though he no longer had an appetite.
“I’m really not trying to ruin our night,” she reassured him. “In fact, we should probably practice being able to fight our attackers in case we are controlled in that manner. You know ... practice a lot.”
He didn’t want to smile and encourage her, but he lost the battle before it truly started. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he muttered.
“I am,” she agreed, delighted that he appeared to be loosening up. “The thing is, I’m being serious. I think there’s a chance something inside of you knew to hold back because you could’ve really hurt Tyler. The odds of him being able to fight you off that long seem ... slim.”
“Tyler is strong,” Cooper countered, feeling the need to take up for his friend. “He’s fit and he works out in the gym.”
“Yes, I’m a veritable god,” Tyler agreed, strolling into the saloon with Jinx at his heels. Despite the bruises on his face, he seemed to be in a relatively good mood. “Hello, loves. Please tell me some of those tacos are for me.”
“Definitely,” Hannah replied, gesturing toward the huge bags of food. “We got enough for the FBI agent should he want some, too, although we’re not purposely inviting him to join us.”
“He’s behind the dry goods store right now,” Tyler offered, gamely grabbing two tacos. “We just saw him. Jinx wanted to rush over and see what he was doing, but I talked him out of it.”
“You talked him out of it, huh?” Hannah was amused, until she saw Cooper trying to slip Jinx a taco.
The Monstrous Seven (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 4) Page 14