by Kate McLay
At the moment, it terrified Mina.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Once Darby left, Mina took the opportunity to scan herself for any spells or curses. She found nothing. The chemistry between them, the heat, there was nothing magical about it. It was completely mundane.
Bafflingly mundane.
Darby came back that night and they spoke more of their plan to help Chloe. Darby resolved to get the press passes from her friend and Mina let her mind work out the rest.
Once they started to plan, everything sort of fell into place. The extraction wouldn't be easy. They still didn't even know for certain that Chloe would be at the event. But if she was, and if she was ready to run, they could get her out.
It would be up to her to stay away from Lotharian after that, and in Mina's experience, it was much harder to stay away from a powerful man than to escape one.
When they weren't planning Chloe's rescue, they talked about everything and nothing. Once or twice Mina almost told Darby about their families' plans. Even more surprising, she'd almost told Darby about her childhood. About the tough love that went into becoming a Poole.
But on both counts she stopped herself. On the latter, it was easy to know why. There was no easy way to tell the woman you liked that your dad broke your collarbone when you were eight and wouldn't stop yelling at you until you healed it yourself. She didn't want Darby to see her as a victim.
She had been a victim a long time ago, but she wasn't any longer.
As for the former, Mina didn't have a good reason to keep her mouth shut. Darby deserved to know. Even if they liked each other, that didn't mean they had to bow to their families' wishes. They could just keep whatever this was up until they figured themselves out. No commitments, no pressure, just fun.
Though a part of her thought that some commitment was blossoming between them. What else was it when they shared most of their days and all of their nights, talking and making love until dawn.
The sad truth was. Mina didn't tell Darby because she was scared. What if Darby left? What if she didn't? And the longer she said nothing, the harder it was to break her silence. There was no way to bring it up without awkwardness.
The stubborn girl inside of Mina asked how Darby could get so close without learning her last name. Mina did her best to quiet that voice. It hadn't come up and now she needed to keep it that way until she could figure a way out of this mess.
Which brought her to this stupid lunch with her mother and cousin. She was going to call off the binding and then figure out how to confess it all the Darby. It had only been a few days and the confusion of it all, the whirlwind of their romance, and the intensity of their plans for Chloe could act as buffers.
She hoped.
Mina pulled her motorcycle into the parking lot of the restaurant fifteen minutes late. While she hadn't aimed to be on time, she was not pleased to be quite so tardy. She wished to inconvenience her mother, not receive a lecture.
And clearly her mother was impatient. A few people milled around the door, waiting to be seated. It was fifteen minutes after noon and Patagonia was one of the more popular lunch spots. It sat on the small lake just outside of Lewistown and had patio dining along with a cozy dining room. Music piped out of an old speaker, something generic and inoffensive.
But Mina didn't pay any attention to the people waiting to be seated. Instead, she saw her cousin looking around anxiously, probably waiting for Mina to show up. No doubt Tommy had been subjected to a lecture about Mina's tardiness.
Tommy stepped out of the shadow of the awning and Mina saw the huge bruise marring nearly half of her face. "Hey," said Tommy.
"Hi." Mina didn't ask what was wrong. It would be Tommy's choice to speak.
"Your mom is inside talking to Mrs. Guerin." Her fat lip gave her a little lisp. Mina wondered why she hadn't healed herself.
And then she processed the rest. Mrs. Guerin was inside, possibly with Darby. Shit. Shit shit shit. This was bad. "How long have they been waiting?"
"A few minutes. I told her that I would look out for you."
Darby had to know by now. There was no way they hadn't used her first name. How many other Minas lived in northern Indiana? Mina tried to pull herself together. If Darby knew then there was nothing she could do about it right now. "I guess we should go inside."
Tommy grasped her own elbow with one hand, crossing her arm in front of her. She looked down and spoke quietly. "Um, can we talk?"
Mina shouldn't have been relieved. But she would take any escape that she could. "About what?"
Tommy shook her head, "I don't – that it – maybe we should just go in?"
"If you want to talk, we'll talk. Don't worry about them." She'd been waiting for days for Tommy's call. This was her opportunity to help her.
"I don't want to go back in there."
"Okay," said Mina. "We can talk out here."
"I don't want to go back with them, either." It was almost a whisper. If the music had crackled out of the speakers any louder Mina wouldn't have been able to make out the words. "I didn't think I'd be able to walk today."
That answered the question Mina hadn't asked. Tommy hadn't healed herself because she'd spent all of her power fixing something much worse.
"Then let's go back to my place," Mina offered. "It's safe there, and I’ll make sure that no one in our family hurts you."
Tommy looked up and her blue eyes were glassy with tears. "Really?" The terrified hope in her tone made Mina want to punch someone. Probably her father.
"Really." She lead Tommy to her motorcycle and offered the girl her helmet.
Mina spared a fleeting thought for what Darby would think, but she would deal with that later. She had to help Tommy now.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Darby felt a little like a small child who had been forced to attend church in her nicest dress. At least, she assumed that she felt that way. She'd never been to church. The dress was nice, but something she would never have chosen for herself.
The skirt hit just past her knees and was a mix of pale beige and peachy pink. The top white. She felt like a piece of cotton candy. Darby had no aversion to dresses, but when she wore them, she tended toward sexy. Dark, rich colors, dramatic cuts. Feminine, but dangerous. With her girlish face and long hair, it was an easy way to make her feel like herself rather than a sweet girl.
And yet she let her mother choose her clothes and makeup for this occasion. She'd put her foot down at the thought of styled hair. Instead, she'd settled for a simple ponytail. The Pooles would live.
Though after more than fifteen minutes of waiting, she had to wonder if the other guest of honor would ever arrive. Darby hoped she didn't. Because days and days had gone by, more than a week at this point, and Darby still hadn't confessed that the Poole woman had stood her up. At this point, she didn't know how.
As for what her plan was when this meeting went to hell, well, winging it had a certain appeal. And if things went terribly, she thought that Mina might be up for a long journey. Ecuador had to be nice this time of year.
But for the moment she kept up the small talk with Deborah Poole and her niece, Tommy. No one at the table mentioned the large bruise marring half of Tommy's face. That was not a reassuring look into the life among the Pooles.
"I'm so sorry for my daughter," said Deborah, her voice all sweetness and charm. "She hasn't been in town for a while so she may have forgotten where the restaurant is. Tommy, sweetie, why don't you go see if Mina's outside? Maybe you can wave her down?"
Mina?
How many lesbian witches named Mina could there be in northern Indiana? Especially those who had lived out of town for some time?
Darby tried to clear her thoughts. She'd told Mina about this stupid binding, and Mina would have told her if she was the other woman. Right? It was preposterous to think otherwise. She excused herself and backed up from the table. She pulled her phone from her small purse, scrolling through her contacts until she saw Mina's
name. No last name next to her picture. They'd been sleeping together, had practically moved in together, and Darby didn't know Mina’s last name? How was that possible?
Darby hit the contact info to call her. A simple reassurance would be enough. But inside the restaurant the signal was too weak and the call failed. Undeterred, Darby headed for the front door. She opened the door, but before she stepped out, she saw Mina right next to Tommy. The two stood close, their heads just inches away from one another.
If she hadn't known they were cousins, Darby would have been jealous. It wasn't rational, perhaps. She and Mina had made no promises, but it didn't mean that she didn't want to.
Eventually.
Darby pushed the door open further, but before she could storm over and get some sort of explanation, Mina and Tommy walked away. Mina handed Tommy the helmet to her bike and they drove off without a backward glance.
Darby looked between the restaurant and the retreating bike, anger surging within her. Not only had Mina lied to her, now she was ditching this lunch?
She wanted to storm off and leave her mother alone with Deborah Poole. Unfortunately, they'd driven in her mother's car and it was too far to walk back home. So Darby turned around and ducked into the bathroom to pull herself together.
She pasted a fake smile on her face and walked back to the table. Her mother smiled up at her and Ms. Poole gave a slight nod.
"I'm sorry," said Darby. "But I can't go through with this. The binding is off. I'd like to leave."
"Darby!" her mother hissed, "This is neither the time nor the place."
Ms. Poole looked almost triumphant. Darby didn't care why.
The debate went on for a few more minutes, but Darby had already made up her mind and there was nothing that her mother could do about it. Five minutes later they left and Darby was stuck in her own head, trying to figure out what to do.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
She sulked for a few hours. Of course Darby wouldn't have described it that way, but sitting on her couch, vacillating between tears and rage sounded a bit like sulking. At three p.m. the alarm on her phone went off, reminding Darby that she and Mina needed to leave for the city to retrieve Chloe.
Darby didn't hesitate. She wouldn't let the personal stuff get in the way of helping someone else. Not when they had the whole rescue all planned out.
She changed into more appropriate clothes - one couldn't perform a dangerous rescue in Disney pajamas - and headed out, driving for Mina's place. Unlike most days, Darby drove exactly the speed limit. While her task was important, she was in no rush to see Mina.
Why had she lied?
That thought had been bouncing around Darby's mind since the moment she made it home. Was it because Mina didn't want the binding? Was Darby only meant to be a casual fling?
Darby shoved the thoughts away and gripped the steering wheel tightly. She had to focus now, and twisting herself into mental knots was not going to get that job done.
She found a parking space just across from Mina's place and let herself in. At midday on a Wednesday, the place was eerily quiet. Almost everyone who lived here had to be at work.
Darby climbed the stairs to Mina's apartment and knocked. The sound was weirdly hollow. Darby sent out a flick of magic to probe for a ward. Her own power rebounded back on her, the invisible flick feeling like a slap as it snapped back.
Was Mina trying to keep her out? Or someone else?
Darby knocked again, harder this time.
After about thirty seconds, Mina answered, opening the door just wide enough to poke her head out. "Oh,” she said, “Hi.”
"Hi."
"Now's not exactly a good time." Mina's tone was emotionless, cold and inviting nothing else.
"When did you find out?" It popped out of Darby's mouth without thought. She'd intended to be strictly business. Clearly, her emotions had other ideas.
"I'm serious about the not a good time thing." The slightest hint of frustration crept into Mina’s words. She clearly didn’t want Darby to be there.
"What about Chloe?" If Mina didn't want to talk, fine. But that didn't mean that Darby could just leave.
"Fuck." Mina looked back into the apartment and then back out at Darby. She sighed. "Look, I know you're pissed at me, and you have every right to be, but I need your word that you will not tell anyone about who I've got in my apartment. Okay?"
"I'm not here to narc on you." And who could Mina be hiding that secrecy was necessary? The Pope?
"Please, Darby."
Darby saw desperation, panic in her eyes and her heart melted. "Of course, I'll keep your secrets."
Mina let out a huge breath and stepped back, holding the door open for Darby. Darby passed through Mina's ward and shivered. This time the magic wasn't violent, it was a caress.
Mina shut the door behind Darby. "You can come out now, Tommy."
The bathroom door opened and Tommy stepped out, her face a mask of confusion when she spotted Darby. "What are you doing here?" She was puzzled rather than accusatory.
"Mina and I..." Darby didn't know how to put their relationship into words. "We've been..."
Mina showed mercy and explained, "Darby didn't know who I was. Until today."
"So you're together?" Tommy's finger flicked between the two of them, never pausing long enough to actually point.
"Yes," Darby said at the same moment that Mina said "No."
"No," Darby corrected herself, only to stumble over Mina's "Yes."
"It's complicated," they both said. They shared a look and a small smile. It gave Darby hope despite her anger and confusion.
"But I'm not here to talk about that." She had to keep on track. A young woman's life could depend on it. "If we don't leave now we're going to miss our window in Chicago."
"You're going into the city?" Tommy was panicked. "I can't be alone here. Uncle Richard is going to figure out that I'm with you, or that I was, and he'll..."
Mina cut her off. "My father will not lay a hand on you."
Clearly there was history that Darby was missing. But this Richard sounded like a piece of work, and one Darby didn't want to meet. It also explained why Mina had spoken so little of her family. If Richard had given Tommy that bruise, she shuddered to think what he had done to Mina.
Mina turned to her. "I didn't know if you would still help me after this afternoon."
"Chloe has nothing to do this. But we need to talk after all this is over." Darby had spent the afternoon imagining the conversation. She still had no idea what she wanted to say.
"You're not..." Mina trailed off and shook her head.
"I'm not what?"
"Just going to cut me off?"
Darby's heart ached for the vulnerability she heard in Mina's words. She wanted to gather her close and shelter her. Despite everything, Darby did just that, opening her arms and giving Mina a tight hug. "I like you, Mina," she confessed, and if she was honest with herself, like was far too tame a word for what she felt. "I like you a lot more than anyone else I've liked in a long time." But she couldn't leave it at that and let this pass. "I'm pissed, but I think I'm beginning to understand you a little more. So we're going to talk like adults, and then we'll see where we go from there."
Mina squeezed her tightly before stepping back. "After we save Chloe, we talk."
Tommy cleared her throat awkwardly. Darby felt a blush rising in her cheeks. She'd forgotten that the girl was there.
"You're coming with us," Mina told her. "I've got a friend in Chicago who will let you crash at her place. And then I'll talk to the family.”
Darby hoped Mina was right. But there was an angry knot of tension in her stomach at the thought of things to come. Too much could go wrong for her to believe that everything would be fine. But she only had to make it a few more hours before she could try to breathe easy.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The ride into the city was tense. Darby drove. Mina's bike couldn't accommodate three. But the ride wasn't si
lent. Tommy kept peppering Darby with questions, transparently prying for information about their relationship.
Mina didn't try to stop her from asking.
She was too caught up in her own mind to follow the conversation.
She’d known that everything would be revealed once Tommy let her know that the Guerins were with them. The bottom had fallen out from under her and it had taken far more willpower than she thought necessary to keep herself from calling Darby and trying to explain it all.
Her first priority had been keeping Tommy safe. She couldn't run off to check on her girlfriend the moment things went topsy-turvy. But the sheer amount of relief she felt when Darby showed up on her door was telling.
Mina was in too deep.
She could have used this fuck up to push Darby away, to protect herself, her heart. But she was finding that it was the last thing that she wanted to do. In such a short time Darby had nestled within her, become a part of her life. Mina didn't want to let that go.
So they were going to save Chloe, and then Mina was laying it on the line. She wanted Darby.
For good.
But first, the rescue.
They dropped Tommy off with Sarah, and Mina put up the strongest ward that she could manage. A nuclear bomb could hit the building and Sarah and Tommy would stay safe. More importantly, it would make Tommy utterly undetectable to anyone in their family.
After Tommy was situated, Darby and Mina went into the bedroom to get ready. When Darby handed her a pile of clothes, Mina raised a brow. "I've got something to wear."
"We're not going in as press."
"What?" They'd discussed every aspect of the plan. When had that changed?
"Naomi told me that the press at the event are highly restricted. Wait staff, not so much." Darby pulled off her top, revealing a white bra. She pulled on the white button-down shirt as she explained everything to Mina.