Page 19 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part One

“And it’s a case you simplycan’tturn down.”

“Can’t?I thought I could turn downanycase.”

“Well. Technically. You’re right. Let me rephrase. The world needs you to adjudicate this issue.”

I was on the verge of exasperation. “Lochlan. You know I hate feeling manipulated. Just spit it out.”

“Oh, very well. It’s Medusa. She’s gone on a rampage.”

I blinked. Twice.

“You mean the Greek, um…”

“Yes. That one.”

“Not sure where to start.”

“Anywhere.”

“Let me think! First, I thought she’d been killed.”

Keir shook his head. “No.”

I was shaking my head, too. In disbelief. “Second, the whole Greek gods thing is real? Not stories.”

Keir turned to give me a penetrating look. “Going with your numbering system. First, you’re married to a winged lion.” My head jerked toward Lochlan when he chuckled. I, in turn, gave him a look of reprimand. Nobody likes feeling stupid. “Second,” Keir went on, “after a year on the bench, you’re questioning that human reality is the real illusion?”

My shoulders sagged. I suppose it’s appropriate tofeelstupid when youarestupid.

“Of course, we wouldn’t be able to proceed without cooperation from the Greek contingent,” Lochlan said, “but in truth, they’d be happy to have any help extended. She’s always been a problem.” He paused. “At least since her unfortunate transformation.”

After staring at Lochlan for a little longer than what would be judged acceptable by polite society, I said, “So you’re telling me that Ihaveto accept this case?”

The solicitor looked slightly flustered when the question was posed out loud. “Well, no. No. Of course not.”

“Alright then.”

“It’s just that…”

“Just that what?”

“We wouldn’t want it said of you that you refused a case because of, um…”

“Fear.” My spouse could match my abrupt speech on occasion.

I looked between Keir and Lochlan. “This is starting to sound more like a dare than a logical decision.”

“Rita,” Lochlan began, “I simply want to impress upon you the gravity this situation poses. She is terrorizing humans.”

“It seems to me she’s already been judged a risk to stability and sentenced to exile. What might I do to top that?” Lochlan looked askance.

Then it hit me. “Ohhhhhhh. The Greeks are hoping BOBO will take her off their hands.” My gaze jerked to Lochlan. “And you’re complicit!”

My solicitor’s color immediately bloomed to a bright sunset red. I’d never seen him blush before. I won’t lie. It was a fascinating sight, the scarlet offset by pale blue eyes.

“Complicit is a strong word,” he said meekly. “I think cooperative is better.”

He dragged in a deep breath and sat back. “I suppose this is one of those scenarios where truth is the best policy.” I waited. At this point, Keir would normally retire to his den, but instead he sat down and waited with me. At length he began to speak, “I’m probably older than you think.” He paused. “Much older. And, though it may be hard to imagine, I wasn’t always as, ah, civilized as the kindly old neighbor now in your acquaintance.” Keir and I looked at each other, both wondering where in the world this was going. “I was involved in an ongoing spat with an Irish demigod. By ongoing, I mean it had lasted several hundred years. I was tired of it and ready to, as you would say now, move on. So, I ran across a son of Eros at a bacchanal, got drunk, and told him the whole story. He offered to solve my problem.”

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