Page 18 of Familiar of the Witch

‘The truth.’ He stepped away from me and the distance between us suddenly felt like a chasm. Secrets again. I hate secrets.

I took a moment to steady myself. We weren’t here for Bastion and me to kiss. We had travelled through time for an important reason and everything else would have to wait. If I wasn’t going to be kissed then I’d better damn well save someone’s life instead.

I started up the stairs to Melva’s office with Bastion hot on my heels. Melva’s assistant Nell glared at me as I walkedin. ‘She can’t just fit you in!’ she started before I could open my mouth.

‘That’s not true, Nell, is it? Melva already told me she has a three o’clock slot free for me. Buzz her. Now.’ I gave her my best death glare.

Nell hesitated; she clearly didn’t want to do what I’d demanded but she knew I was right about the time slot and she didn’t want to disobey Melva’s wishes. ‘She’s had a busy day – she spent all morning consulting for the vampyrs. She’s tired. Keep it short,’ she ordered.

‘Are you her secretary or her nurse?’ I bit back.

‘Her friend – an alien concept to you, I’m sure.’

Ouch, that was a direct hit. But she was wrong; I was, at the ripe age of over forty, finally getting to grips with this friendship thing. I could count the number of friends I had on one hand – though only just: Jinx, Lucy, Bastion, Benji and Kass. That was a huge achievement for me and I wasn’t going to let Nell or anyone else make me feel bad about it.

Nell buzzed Melva. When she got the all clear, she sent us into her boss’s office with a glare.

Melva smiled brightly at us as we walked in. ‘Amber!’ She stood to greet us. ‘Bastion! What a pleasure. Nell seemed to think you’d already made an appointment andI didn’t disabuse her of the notion.’ She gave a little bow and looked at us curiously. ‘How did you know I was free?’

‘You told us,’ I said bluntly, too tired to skirt around the subject. It had been the middle of the night when we’d stepped through the portal. Even though the sun was still shining here, my body wasn’t fooled. It was tired as heck.

‘Did I?’ She raised an eyebrow and nodded, like she’d decided something. ‘My time is nigh, then.’

Her words made my scalp prickle. She knew of her impending death. I shook my head. ‘Not if I can help it,’ I ground out.

‘Ah, Amber.’ She looked at me with real sympathy. ‘You cannot stop fate any more than I can. We are but bystanders in its intricate dance.’

‘I don’t believe that,’ I snarled. ‘All of us have choices. At every fork of the road we can go left or right. A thousand destinies stretch before us. Nothing is immutable. I can still save you.’

At that moment her phone rang. She looked down at it and then at me. ‘It’s you,’ she said. ‘How curious.’ She swiped to answer. ‘Hello, Amber,’ she said, looking directly at me. ‘I’ve been expecting yourcall.’

I couldn’t hear my response but I didn’t need to. I’d told her to knock it off and I winced a little at how rude and brash that seemed now. I’d made a quip about caller ID.

Melva grinned as she replied. ‘That too. You’re coming to see me.’ Her eyes were laughing as she looked at me. ‘Perfect timing, my 2pm appointment has just left. I’ve nothing on until 4pm.’ She was giving me the time slot so I’d know when I needed to appear back in time.

We chatted on about my prophecy. As the phone conversation wound up, her eyes found mine again. ‘You weren’t ready to hear it and it wasn’t ready to be said,’ she said even as she studied me. ‘I am glad that today is the day, though. I’ll see you later – and perhaps earlier than you think. And Amber? I regret nothing.’

She hung up, eyes still locked on mine. She might regret nothing, but I was suddenly full of sorrow. I didn’t want this woman to die. We might not be friends, but we weresomething. Between Bastion and I there was nothing we couldn’t do, and I was determined that Melva would be breathing at the end of the day.

Chapter 16

‘Can you tell me about the prophecy?’ I asked abruptly.

‘You’re not even going to wine me and dine me first?’ Melva tittered. At my flat look, she laughed even more. ‘Sorry, Amber, I don’t mean to tease you but you’re such fun to play with.’

‘Like a kitten with her fur stroked the wrong way, and she’s spitting fury at you but she’s only five pounds wet,’ Bastion murmured, looking at me affectionately.

‘Miaow,’ Melva said, before laughing again.

I put my hands on my hips and glowered at them, but my heart wasn’t in it. I was being teased in a friendly way; this wasn’t the bitchy bullying of my childhood but a gentle prod. They were laughingwithme rather thanatme – well, they would be if I were laughing. ‘If you two clowns are quite done,’ I harrumphed, ‘we have some urgent business and time is rather of the essence.’

Melva sobered. ‘Talking of circuses, you’ll need tell him about yours before long.’ She nodded at Bastion.

Bastion stared at me. ‘You have a circus?’

‘Later,’ I said. ‘Let’s focus on saving Melva for now.’

Melva breathed a soft sigh. ‘Is it so soon? Tonight?’

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