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“You’re sure,” he said, not as a question but as a mocking echo of her words.
Swallowing her pride and the prick of his scorn, she said, “Please. If you could just—”
“Let’s have some real talk, darling,” Deimos cut her off, his voice turning hard. “For months now, your people have snubbed Arawn’s offer of allegiance. They still regard him as an enemy, and even faced with the abject failure of their old traditions, they refuse to make necessary changes. Even now, when they’re in the middle of a losing battle, they reject the simple solution. Or how many of your venerable witches would pledge their allegiance to Arawn right now if you asked them?”
Hazel remained silent, the truth sitting like a lead weight in her gut.
“That’s what I thought,” Deimos said, his voice rough silk over a blade. “So you bring no pledge of allegiance, no official invitation to act on witch territory, no prospect of the witches bowing to Arawn’s authority in the future, and you expect me to send Arawn’s people to fight and bleed for your cause? With nothing offered in return? Do you even hear yourself?”
Hazel bit her tongue hard. “There are humans dying out there!”
“Humans die every day. They’re a fragile breed. Besides, protecting the population within witch territory is witch business. And we’ve just covered our official stance on that matter. I don’t like repeating myself.”
“Deimos, please—”
“Arawn doesn’t run a charity, sweetheart.” His voice sent chills down her spine. “He didn’t get to where he is now by swooping in as the knight in shining armor to save damsels in distress without a price attached. He spent centuries building his network and his reputation, and you want him to jeopardize all of that to jump to the aid of those who’d gleefully destroy him if they could. Do you realize what kind of message it would send if he saved the lot of you and got nothing in return? Do you even know how many eyes are watching his every move at any given second, looking for a weakness to take him down? There are other players on the field, and they don’t interpret altruism as a virtue.”
Hazel rubbed a hand over her face, exhaling heavily. “And if I asked you to send reinforcements to help me, since I’m one of Arawn’s people?”
“Ah, but you don’t really want to play that card, my dear.” Something echoed in his voice, something behind the civilized polish that spoke of terrors deep and dark. “Because then I’d have to command you, in my capacity as Arawn’s proxy, to leave embattled enemy territory immediately and retreat to the safety of your lord’s lands. And in case you forgot, our lady’s sister Merle is the only one exempt from having to obey a direct order from Arawn or his second-in-command.”
Her stomach made a dive for the ground. In all these months since she’d pledged allegiance to him, Arawn had never exercised the control he nominally held over Hazel, leaving her free to do as she wished as much as Merle. This was the first time the threat of it was on the table, and Deimos had masterfully played it.
At her silence, Deimos said in a voice that held an audible smile, “Glad to see you’re smart enough not to go there. Now, to wrap this up, I will not send help unless you can make an offer that will be worth Arawn’s time and resources. You may call me again when your Elders are ready to pledge their allegiance to the Demon Lord.”
Her frayed patience snapped. “If you don’t come help us, there may not be any Elders left after tonight!”
“That is a you problem,” he purred and hung up.
Breath heavy and fast, she stared at the phone, then slammed it back on its station. “Son of a bitch!”
Rose flinched next to her, and Hazel grimaced. She’d forgotten she was still there.
“I’m sorry.” She turned to her daughter, her heart a stone weight in her chest, anxiety coursing through her veins. “There’s a lot of trouble out there tonight. You heard some of it, right? I just tried to get Arawn’s second-in-command to send help, but he won’t.” She rubbed her face with one hand. “I need to go out there.”
Even if her presence wouldn’t change the outcome. Her magic might still work, but it would be a drop in the ocean, not enough to turn the tide.
Rose stepped forward. “I can fight.”
Hazel sent her a sharp look. “No!” At Rose’s wince, she gentled her voice and said, “No, honey. Please don’t.” She grasped both of Rose’s hands in hers. “I know you want to help, and your magic is strong, but you’re not fully trained yet.”
Rose’s features hardened.
“I will not keep you here,” Hazel rushed on. “I’ll never lock you in, but I am begging you, as your mother who loves you, to please stay home. It’s bad out there. You don’t have the experience, and I won’t be able to shield you and fight at the same time. Please. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t. Please stay here so I can come home to you.”
She squeezed Rose’s hands, holding her gaze. “Please. Promise me you’ll stay.”
After a moment, Rose nodded, her face softening. “You will come back, yes?”
Hazel exhaled with relief. “That is the plan.”
Giving Rose a quick hug, she went to pick up the phone again to call Merle, when something clicked into place in her mind.
At this point, we’d need something like a ward around the city to get rid of all of them. Patricia’s words echoed in her head, and a sinking feeling spread in her gut.
Her hand on the receiver, she froze, her thoughts too fast, tumbling over one another.
“By the gods,” she whispered, and then she ran.
