Page 40 of Witch Unexpected
“And?” Halle pressed. “Care to share?”
Anna’s smile was wry. “If the seal fails, there is only one thing to do. Fight.”
Chapter Ten
The mansion was a monolith of corridors and rooms, and I was too tired to make a thorough observation as Anna led me through stone arches decorated with etchings of serpents and up steps, past pretty moldings of crossed sconces and strange ornate wheels.
Silence reigned like a thick fog, and not a single soul crossed my path.
It was late, yes, but this was a coven. A huge coven. Surely there should be someone about? “Where is everyone else?”
“The other witches are either on patrol or asleep. We have a strict system in place, and it works to keep us safe.”
“Wait, patrol?”
She glanced over a shoulder with an arched brow. “Oh yes, Cora. We aren’t like the other covens, having tea parties and throwing balls while the Magiguard do the legwork. We work to protect our interests.”
“Your interests?”
“Humans.”
“Ah yes, the producers of miasma.”
She looked impressed. “You’ve done your research.”
Meh. More like listened to Elijah’s history lesson. “Yep. So, what is it you patrol for? The varga?”
“No. The varga can render our magic mute. The packs deal with them. We have other responsibilities.”
A breeze tickled the back of my neck, my skin prickled, and a woman dressed in a maid’s uniform, complete with a white cap and apron, shot through a door and came to a halt before Anna. Her bottom half wavered the way specters did when agitated.
“Oh, Mistress Anna,” she said. “It’s not going well. Not well at all.”
Anna came to a halt with a sigh. “You explained the situation?”
“Oh yes, but they’re stubborn buggers. They won’t shift. They say it’s their home.” She looked sympathetic.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, they’re ghosts. They can haunt any part of the damn mansion.”
A frown crossed the maid’s brow, but she covered it with a polite smile. “Yes, Mistress.”
“You explained that the new anchor needs the wing?”
“They refuse to give it to her.”
Anna pinched the bridge of her nose.
“What’s going on?” I looked from the spectral maid to Anna, then back again.
“The residents of the east wing won’t vacate it,” the maid said. “They’ve been there for a…a long time.”
Anna sighed. “We need to house you in the east wing. We’re short on space.”
Was she serious? “This place is huge. How many witches do you have living here?”
“Too many,” Anna said. “And not all are living.” She pursed her lips.
Oh… “They haven’t…moved on…”
