Part 39 (2/2)
”How much lunch have you had so far?” he asked Megan.
”We've just ordered.”
”Order me some coffee. I'll meet you. What's the name of the place?”
Megan told him. He rang off. He stared at Lucian, wondering how the h.e.l.l he had known what Megan had said to him. Maybe he'd heard her.
”We'll see you tonight, at the hotel,” Lucian told him.
He nodded. ”I had thought you might want to go by Morwenna's shop as well.”
”We'll find it,” Jade said. ”Eddie can point us in the right direction.”
”All right,” Finn said. ”I don't mean to run off, but-”
”You want to be with your wife; we understand,” Lucian said.
Finn turned to Eddie. ”Hey, thanks.”
”I'm having a great time here,” Eddie told him, shaking his head with pleasure and casting a glance toward Lucian, ”The guy reads Old Norse! Thank you for introducing us.”
”My pleasure,” Finn said with a grin. ”All right, then. I'll see you later. Oh, and hey-Eddie's twin brother is a cop.”
”Maybe we can talk to him later, too, ”Jade said.
”He's a good guy. But he doesn't believe in demons, either,” Eddie a.s.sured them.
”Well, thanks again, to all of you,” Finn said, turning to leave.
”Finn.” Lucian called him back.
Finn turned.
”Remember, this is the last day before Halloween.”
”I know.”
”And midnight, All Hallow's Eve,” Jade said.
”Midnight can't mean too much of anything,” Finn told her. ”Megan and I are playing tomorrow night. We don't get off until one.”
”You're definitely scheduled at the place?” Jade said, sounding just a little startled, as if that didn't fit into things.
”Yes, we're definitely scheduled. For the Wiccans around here, it's the time of the high holy day, or whatever. But for the entertainment world, hey, it's the time to be working.”Jade nodded thoughtfully.
”Later,” Finn said, and left them.
For some reason, the troubled look in Jade's eyes seemed to go with him. It had to be good, then, that they were working. As long as they were in a crowded hotel hall, together, in a crowd of a couple of hundred, they had to be safe.
The question was, of course, safe from just what?
Dreams.
No. People. Crazy, sick, people who thought that they could sacrifice others, and bring back demons.
He moved more quickly. The urge to be near Megan, to protect her...
Die for her, if need be!
... was stronger than ever.
Morwenna called Sara to the back of the shop.
”What is it?”
Morwenna hesitated. ”I want you to take over for me tomorrow night.”
”What?”
”There are things that I'm going to have to do... I'm worried. About the way tilings are going. With Megan.”
Sara shook her head strenuously. ”Morwenna! I couldn't... I can't-I'm just not you! You're known, you're respected...
Morwenna, you have to lead tomorrow night, there's information out there, there are people who have come from all over the country! You have to be there.”
”There are other people doing rites that have been publicized tomorrow; the head witch of Salem is doing a morning rite. Yes, people know about our midnight services, but... if I'm not there, it won't be the end of Wiccans in Salem. But Sara, you do have something special. You could fill in for me. You're young, but you speak so well, you've read so much, you know so many of the really beautiful pa.s.sages... you could be me.”
”You are the important person, doing the important service!”
Morwenna shook her head. ”Some things,” she said softly, ”are just more important than others.”
”There's nothing more important than tomorrow night.”
”Yes, there is.”
”Morwenna,” Sara said firmly. ”I can't. I mean it. I can't!”
Morwenna sighed. ”Sara-”
”Morwenna, you've got to find someone else. You have to!”
”Sara-” ”Morwenna, I mean it. Tomorrow night... well, it's a learning experience for me as well. I'm new-I'm young. Too new, and too young. And tomorrow night, as for myself... there are just no guarantees. I'm dead serious, and truly sorry. If you want to fire me, go ahead. But I can't fill in for you tomorrow night.”
”You're a different coven, of course, but you work for me-”
”Morwenna, like I said, you'll have to fire me. I can't, and I mean, I can't.”
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