Page 29 of Witches of Dubious Origin
Claire cleared her throat. “I think that is my area of expertise.”
I glanced at her in doubt. “Handled a lot of ancient grimoires and their accompanying dead people, have you?”
I heard Jasper chuckle but didn’t dare turn to look at him. I would not be distracted from my anxiety spinout by a handsome face.
Claire smiled at me. “Amazingly, managing the upper crust of New York is not that different; people are people, dead or otherwise.”
I knew she was trying to make me feel better and I desperately wanted to buy in, but I needed some specifics. “What do you propose to do?”
“First, I will speak with your boss in Wessex,” Claire said. “We will coordinate a work exchange program, sending one of our librarians to fill your position while you work here. This will give you time and access to all our resources while you translate the book.”
I nodded. “That could work.”
“Of course it will,” Claire said. “In the meantime, we will set Eloise up in one of the safe houses and give her a job in the BODO so she’s nearby when you crack the code.”
“You’re very optimistic about that,” I said.
“Confident,” Claire corrected me. “I’m very confident.”
I wished I were.
“Zoe, I know you said you didn’t think a safe house was necessary for you, but I think you should reconsider,” Jasper said. “You don’t know who might be out there searching for the book.”
Tariq nodded. “What he said.”
I turned to Eloise. “You said that my mother murdered my grandmother to get the family grimoire and that someone then murdered my mother for the same reason, but you never said who you thought murdered my mother.”
“Well, that’s because I don’t know who,” Eloise said. “I assumed she was murdered for the grimoire because of its potential power. There are a lot of witches who wouldn’t hesitate to kill for the spells in that book. Of course, they might not have known that they needed a witch from the Donadieu line to be able to open the book and decipher the spells.”
“If that’s true, then it seems to me that whoever murdered my mother also murdered my grandmother,” I said. “Because I know my mother would never ever do such a thing.” This was my case-closed voice. If Eloise wanted my help, I would not tolerate any insinuation that my mother was a murderer and a thief.
Eloise studied me for a beat and then nodded. “As you say.” Message received.
I glanced at the others and spoke with what I hoped sounded like the voice of authority. “We’re making quite an assumption that my grandmother and my mother were murdered.Until I have solid evidence, I’m going to remain in my house. I’ll come here every day, of course, but I’m not giving up my home.”
I must have sounded more badass than I thought, because they all slowly nodded and even though Claire looked worried, she didn’t argue with me.
11
Claire went to her office to arrange the job swap, and I headed to the Books of Dubious Origin department to start my first day. Miles led me through the magicked doors while Jasper escorted Eloise. Tariq and Olive entered on their own.
“If you become a permanent member of our team, I’ll teach you the way of the doors,” Miles said as we entered the special collection.
I dropped his arm and turned to face him. “Is that a bribe?”
“Would it work?”
I smiled. “No.”
“Then it’s just a fact.” His expression was chagrined.
“What if I only have basic abilities?” I asked. “Meaning, what if I’m not necromancer-level powerful?”
Miles shook his head. “Like calls to like, Zoe. The grimoire found you precisely because of your power.”
“Did it?” I frowned “Or was it delivered to me purposefully?”
“It opened for you.” Miles’s tone was decisive, as if that was the end of the discussion for him. It was just as well since, having woken up eight inches from my ceiling, I had no rebuttal.
