I hid on the second floor and opened a bottle of wine, which would be illegal on the first floor since I didn’t have a liquor license.
Aunt Mandy and the twins found me. I blamed Brad and his vampire senses.
“Brad ratted me out?” I asked.
“Can I have some?” Iris asked.
“No, mine.” I sipped from a plastic cup.
“What happened?” Aunt Mandy asked.
I shook my head. “I broke up with Bran. His aunt killed Trela. Brenda and Amelia stole my spells under orders from Bran’s aunt. You’ll never imagine why.”
“Why?” Violet pressed.
“Trela was a gypsy. I mean, it sounds like she did some long cons and got away with it. But a gypsy at the ball? Bran’s aunt was upset a gypsy slipped in under her radar. I can’t be around them. I thought they were just quirky, but I can’t be so close to such a prejudiced family.” I took another swallow of wine.
“What did Bran say? He doesn’t seem like that,” Aunt Mandy said.
“Nothing worth listening to. Before he mentioned that it’d be hard to get a gypsy in the family. When he first said it a while back, I thought it was the attitudes of the older generations.” I refilled the little glass.
“Maybe he did mean that, and his aunt is just awful,” Iris mused.
“She found out the secret, and I think she told him. Neither of them bothered to tell me. I can’t trust him.” I groaned.
I drank the wine like a shot and refilled the glass.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Aunt Mandy took the bottle. “Iris, go get her two large black coffees.”
“Right. Don’t say anything important until I get back,” Iris said.
“Cream and caramel sauce. Iced,” I said.
Esme walked up the stairs.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you stranded,” I said.
She sat on the sofa. “Vern gave me a ride. I can teleport, but it’s too risky with so many humans here.”
“What happened?” Aunt Mandy asked.
Iris came up with both hands full of coffee. I took one. “Thanks.”
I handed the wine cup to Esme, who downed it quickly.
I sipped my coffee as I waited.
Esme took a deep breath. “That evil woman is locked up for the remainder of her life. Powers bound. Guilty of two murders.”
“At least magical justice is true and fast,” Violet said.
“And the thieves?” I asked.
“What powers they had have been removed. Permanently. Brenda is furious,” Esme said.
“They were accessories to murder,” I said.
“No, they didn’t know she was really going to kill anyone. They thought it was a threat. That’s their story, anyway. They warned Bran’s aunt about the gypsies and stole the spells to prove their loyalty. They had no hand in the actual act itself.” Esme had another cup of wine then took the other coffee.
“Vern and you okay?” I asked.
Esme shrugged. “He and I aren’t that serious. He’s a nice companion when I want to go out. I don’t need to settle down or have kids at my age.”
“Since you’ll live nine lives, I suppose a vampire is a good companion. I just couldn’t. I can’t...” I reached for the wine.
“No,” Aunt Mandy said.
“Can’t what?” Esme asked.
“She dumped Bran,” Iris added.
Esme looked at me. “You’re so like your mother.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I stared at the rings on my fingers. “I don’t know what to think of Trela, but she didn’t deserve to be murdered.”
“Of course not. No one deserves that. The police haven’t been back. They must’ve ruled it a suicide,” Esme said.
I nodded. “I’ll ask Derrick. Assuming he’s still dating that hunky detective.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll have a spa day this week. Manis, pedis, and hair.” Viv nodded. “Derrick will cheer you up. It’s about time he had some luck in love.”
“I was so stupid. I don’t fit in with them.” I sipped my coffee.
“Opposites attract. They’re no better than you,” Iris said.
“They think they are,” Aunt Mandy filled in.
I sighed. “It’s done. It’s over. Murder solved, much faster than human courts. At least we know the outcome without waiting for trails.”
“They had to interrogate her pretty good to get her to confess,” Esme shared.
“That makes me feel better.” I smiled. “I think I should get some sleep. Tomorrow, back to normal.”
“Ken asked for a potion. We won’t turn him away,” Aunt Mandy said.
“Ken. He must’ve been a spy to see what we know. He was here for three days and who knows what he overheard. But, yes, give him the potion. He’s still a werewolf. You can feel it,” I said.
“Feel it?” Iris frowned.
“You can’t feel it? That inner wolf in a werewolf?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“You have to be a pretty powerful witch to sense that,” Esme said.
I never thought about it.
“Okay. Enough education and drama. I’m going to bed.” I stood and felt a change in the café.
I walked down and looked around. It was mostly empty. Then, I saw Bran at the door.
“Get out,” I said.
Brad looked shocked behind the counter.
“The Killeans are no longer welcome here. None of them,” I said.
“Claudia, listen to me,” Bran said.
“Nope.” I waved a hand at him.
The door flew open, and he landed out on the street.
I walked out and stood over him. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here.”
“I need to explain,” he said.
“Okay. Did you think this was a joke? That I help people because it amuses me to think of their pain and me riding to the rescue?”
He tried to get up, but I kept the pressure on his chest. “I admired that you cared for people and went out of your way to help them. I was raised to build up the family. To make us stronger so no one could hurt us. No one could drive us out. Did you have a relative burned?” he asked.
“They generally hanged people more than burned them. What does it matter, now?” I asked.
“Money and power are the only things humans respect and fear. Our family never forgot that one of our own was murdered.”
“By a gypsy? Or by the courts here? WASPs were afraid of anyone with powers they didn’t have. Or even the idea that women could be stronger.”
“No, not gypsies. I know you see them as good, but they’re no more innocent than any other group of people,” he said.
“Agreed. Trela probably did steal and con. That doesn’t mean she deserved to be murdered. I’m all for justice being equal and applied to all. The hunters go after vamps or weres that have killed. If they catch another one, they educate them. You know how you influence and keep checks on groups? You interact with them. You believe in them, and the ones who screw up or can’t follow the rules, they’re the exceptions. They get singled out.”
“You’re so selfless.” He shook his head.
“No, I’m not. I know what it’s like to lose my family to a werewolf. I don’t want that to happen to one more person. The gypsies help with that. And some werewolves don’t know what they are until we educate them. My motives aren’t hard to see. Yours, I have no idea other than pure greed.” I took a deep breath.
“Once you have a lot, you’re afraid people will take it from you. Everyone wants to be us,” he said.
“I don’t. I don’t want to turn into evil and hateful people, who think there is any group out there beneath me. I’d rather be powerless than to believe I’m superior. And, since I figured out what you really are, I’ve actually felt more powerful. Maybe you’ve got it backwards.” I folded my arms.
He slowly stood. “You think you’re stronger?”
“I think you should learn how to take a breakup and go home.” With a wave of my hand, I opened the door of his expensive foreign car. That wasn’t much, but when I levitated him, it was easy. I shoved him in the car and slammed the door.
I wiped the memories of any humans that might’ve seen it.
Back in the café, I walked up to Brad. “Let me know if he’s a problem, again.”
“Claudia,” Esme said.
“What?” I asked.
Esme smiled. “You’ve finally embraced your powers. Don’t let them take over.”
I shook my head. “I’m going to bed. Derrick’s tomorrow.”
The twins nodded.
I headed up the stairs.
“Claudia,” Iris called.
“Yeah?” I paused.
“Thanks. I know we’re not really gypsies, but thanks. If you treat people like they don’t matter, they have nothing to lose, and they’ll act out. It’s a vicious cycle,” Iris said.
“Glad college is paying off. No cutting class for manis and pedis, so sort out the schedule and text me. But not before six a.m.” I trudged up the stairs and just wanted to crash.