He held out a hand to me. “Thanks.”

He didn’t let go, holding my fingers tight. “We okay?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

Without warning, Yvette let out a roar and launched into the air. Her wings flattened us. The whoosh of air from the downdraft sent all three of us tumbling through the air.

Frank ended up on top of me, protecting me with his body. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him against me. Afraid I would somehow lose him too. Peta clung to my jeans, her claw tips brushing against my skin as she yowled into the wind.

Yvette let out a rather nasty laugh, and I stared up at her belly, wishing I could blast her. Frank shifted his weight bringing his face in line with mine. Close enough to kiss. I blushed and pushed him off. We didn’t say anything, just stood for the second time, and looked around.

From the back of the house strode a figure I knew well. Her long brown hair was twisted into a careful chignon, a few tendrils escaping. As so often was the case, she wore a green dress that accented her bust and tiny waist, the color highlighting her emerald eyes.

“Milly!” I waved to her. It took everything I had not to run to her. I wanted to give something of a dignified approach, to look like the mature witch I wanted her to believe I was.

She drew close and smiled. “Hello, Pamela. Frank. And who is this?” She bent to get a good look at Peta.

The cat let out a hiss and bolted across the lawn. “Peta!” I called after her and took two steps.

Frank put a hand on my arm. “She’ll come back.”

The gray and white cat disappeared into a clump of bushes with bright pink flowers. It shouldn’t have hurt so much to see Peta gone, but the truth was she had wormed her way into my arms and heart quicker than I would have thought.

“Ah, we can find you another cat, Pamela. A familiar is a good thing to have, they can do so much for you.” Milly slid her arm over my shoulder and drew me against her side.

I nodded. “She was just a cat. Nothing special.” Why did I say that? Why had I just lied to Milly?

Frank let go of my hand as Milly steered me toward the big house. I cleared my throat as quietly as I could. “Milly, I have a question.”

“Of course. I’m going to teach you everything I know, so questions are to be expected.” She didn’t look at me, just stared straight ahead. We were on the back patio of the huge house, the paving stones carefully designed under our feet to look like moons and stars.

I cleared my throat a second time, nerves nipping at me. “Can you tell me again how Rylee betrayed you? I’d like to hear it again.”

Frank made a strangled sound behind us; I ignored him. I needed to be reminded why this was better for me. Because the minute my feet hit the ground, I was having second thoughts.

No, that wasn’t true. The moment Yvette had attacked my friends, I’d wondered if I made the right decision.

“Well”—Milly opened the double glass doors that led into the house—“it started when she said she was my friend, years ago. She said she would always stand by me, that I would always be like a sister to her. Then she started to drift away, going for days and weeks at a time without speaking to me. Only to call me when she needed help.” She waved a hand at a table set with food and drinks. I sat, Frank beside me.

Milly gave us a smile. “Rylee was always good at telling people what they wanted to hear. She can read them very well and sees into their hearts, she knows their deepest desires. That is the truth of a Tracker. She can sense emotions and feelings, you know.”

I nodded, reached out and took a scone. Breaking off a piece, I shoved it into my mouth, suddenly ravenous.

Milly leaned back in her chair and laced her hand under her chin. “She told me she would watch over my son until I could come for him. But when I reached out to her, she wouldn’t give him to me. Now she’s hidden him away and all I want is to see him, hold him again.”

Frank let out a soft snort. “What about the fact that Orion is your master? That doesn’t come into play at all?”

She lifted a hand and I tensed, thinking she was going to blast him. “Ah, young necromancer. Orion is trapped on the other side of the veil, is he not? That was what happened when the Wolf let his blood be spilled with the copper knife.”

The scone in my mouth seemed to turn to ash and I struggled to swallow. I didn’t realize Milly had known about the knife.

“I know how the veil works, Milly,” Frank said and I stared at him, seeing the man he would be. Strong, confident. Handsome. “Orion’s physical body is trapped, that’s true. But he could still be working through you. Depending on how deeply his ties to you go.”

Milly’s eyes flashed. I had to do something. Fast, if I wanted Frank to give Milly the time to prove she was a good person. “Do you have a spelling room?” I spit out the words along with a fair bit of scone.

“Yes, come.” She stood and swept from the room. I hurried after her, Frank didn’t follow. I looked over my shoulder and he shook his head. Nothing to be done for him. He would learn to trust Milly. All he needed was time.

I rushed down the hallway, the rich, woven carpet muffling my footsteps. I turned a corner to see a glimpse of her skirt as she turned another corner. Breaking into a run, I bolted after her.

Around the corner I went, and ran smack into a small figure holding a rag. I went flying and he let out a yelp as we hit the carpet together.

“At least it bees very padded,” he muttered, dusting himself off as he stood.