"the consortium is no 'little club,'" peyton said. "and now i have to join, too? mother's going to love that."

"your mother's got more problems than you becoming a member of the consortium," i muttered, but i shook my head when she asked me to repeat what i'd said. "nothing. but we need to fill out those forms. you don't ignore the consortium. tonight, i'd better talk to geoffrey and tell him what's happened. the vampires are going to have to know."

"why would it be so bad to have the magic-born on our side? why don't the vampires want them to know about myst?" peyton asked.

i shrugged. "the consortium is rife with greed and so swamped in politics that it's likely they'd mire down any action in arguments and debates. but they'd also try to squeeze out the vampires' help-the magic-born don't tend to like the vampires as a whole. everything would end embroiled in turmoil and arguments. and though the consortium is big, don't forget, there are one hell of a lot of vamps in the world, and they might take umbrage at being pushed out of what they consider their own private war."

"politics, then."

"politics between two very dangerous forces. i have no idea which side the yummanii would come down on-probably the consortium, but either way, it could get very sticky." i glanced over at leo. "you've been awfully quiet."

"my sister elise belonged. she kept trying to get me to give up my job so i could join the healers' society, which is sanctioned by the consortium. there's not a lot of love lost between them and the vampires. i never even wanted to be a healer."

rhiannon jerked up her head. "what? i thought you loved it."

he shrugged. "i don't mind the healing arts, but it's not what i signed on for. but i've got the talent, so i figured i might as well learn how."

"what do you want to do?" she stared at him, her lip quivering. apparently, the healer side of him had appealed to her.

"you want to know? honestly?" leo looked at her, then at the rest of us. "i wanted to be a cultural anthropologist and study vampires. this way, i get the best of both worlds. i'm working for them-so i get to see their culture in action, and yet i don't have to give up my life to become one of them."

i stared at him for a moment. he wasn't telling the full truth, that much i could tell. he wanted more . . . but just what, i couldn't fathom.

rhiannon blinked. "what? is that why you're a day-runner?"

"hell, yeah. you thought i'd do this just for the hell of it? too dangerous, but i like the ability to study them up close. someday, i hope to write a book about my experiences, though they don't know that." he grinned, then his smile faded again. "but the way things are going, i'm not sure what to expect."

a dark flash ran through rhiannon's eyes. "me either," she said quietly, and i knew she was talking about leo and her relationship with him, as much as she was commenting on the situation at hand.

"peyton and i are going to have to join the consortium. does that mean anybody i choose for the new thirteen moons society-or whatever we end up calling it-will have to belong?"

"yeah, most likely. though i'm not totally sure." rhiannon frowned. "heather belonged. but i think a couple of the members weren't consortium members." she shook her head. "it looks like marta meant for you to revive the society. do you think she planned all this?"

peyton drummed her fingers on the table. "could be. she knew mother would never take over the shop. but . . . anadey had to expect they'd be paying you a visit . . ."

"i'm not so sure about that. i think your mother has focused on other things besides the comings and goings of the consortium." like how to prevent your father from stealing you away from her. which brought us right back to the case at hand: i had to rely on lainule and wrath to rescue grieve now, without telling the others that anadey had damned near killed me.

"so how do we sort this all out?" rhia said.

"first, peyton and i get these forms filled out and sent off. i guess we'd better get serious about our businesses because we're going to be tithing to the consortium. i guess kaylin and i have to get a marriage license somewhere, and i'll bet they're going to check on it to make sure it's real. what the fuck was with the idea of telling them we're married?"

kaylin grinned. "it kept them from asking further questions about me, didn't it?"

again, the feeling i was out of the loop on something flickered through my mind but i knew better than to ask kaylin what he was keeping to himself. he'd flat-out refuse to tell me.

"whatever you say. after we get things in order, i'll sit down and figure out what i want the new society to be like. i'm not calling it what marta did, though-i'm too superstitious to give it the same name. i don't have to add all thirteen members at once, i suppose, so we'll start out with . . ." i glanced at them. as much as i wasn't sure about leo, i couldn't leave him out. it would make for an uncomfortable situation. "i guess with five-the five of us."

"five, for the five points on the pentagram," rhiannon whispered.

"earth, that's leo; fire, you, rhia. water-peyton, you can handle that. air, me. and kaylin, i guess that leaves you for spirit-for the shadows you walk in. we have enough to invoke the elemental watchers. ulean can guard the gates of air. chatter can keep watch overall." i'd never really worked formal magic, but it looked like i was going to learn. and it looked like i was going to learn faster than i'd ever imagined.

"we can do this whatever way you want, cicely." rhia shrugged. "since you're the heart of the group, you call the shots." she sent leo a stern look, and he paled but nodded. "whatever you say goes."

"i still don't know how the hell they'll handle the knowledge that i'm part cambyra fae. i thought only the full-blooded magic-born were allowed memberships." i played with the crust of my bread.

"apparently not. they have to know something about your background. either that or they've changed their rules. one way or another, we'll find out." my cousin gave me a soulful look. "whatever you need, we have your back."

"thanks." but in my heart, i wondered if that was true. were they all loyal, or was anadey working with one of my friends? everybody in this room knew that if she'd managed to neutralize my love for grieve, it would destroy one of us. so her spell would have killed me. if somebody tried to help her . . . they knew they'd be party to murdering me.

and what the hell was i supposed to do about kaylin, now that the consortium thought we were married? we couldn't fake a license. they'd be able to check on that without any problems. we'd have to actually get married, pretend to be husband and wife, long enough to placate them. because if they found out i'd lied about that, they might discover i'd lied about other things. like heather being on sabbatical, and marta being killed by wild dogs.

somehow i didn't think the consortium would forgive lies of omission. with these thoughts in mind, i finished my tea, then went into the parlor to try to focus on work.

chapter 18

peyton and i were silent as we tidied up the parlor and took our places. i was sorting herbs and gemstone chips into little plastic bags to sell, while she was playing mutely with the cards. the silence was awkward, but what was there to say? i had to keep quiet about what had actually happened at anadey's, and i knew she was feeling guilty and angry over the whole incident.

but after a few moments, she broke the ice. "i want to move in, if you'll have me."

i jerked my head up. "what?"

"if you have room, i'd like to move in. i'm not going back to the diner, and i'm not going back to my mother's. the look on her face when i broke into the circle last night was terrifying. i've never seen her look so angry, or so . . . secretive. what the fuck did she do to you?"

i shrugged. "i guess . . . what we talked about."

"she did more than that. this morning, when kaylin asked if you wanted to go dreamwalking to find the antidote, you shrugged him off like he'd asked if you wanted to go stroll through the forest and take myst a basket of muffins."

i sucked in a deep breath. how to handle this? sometimes avoidance was the best route. "we should talk about something we can control, like the consortium and how we're going to go about working with them. i had no clue they oversee magical businesses. it seems odd that they came out here just as we opened our doors, doesn't it?"

"not if they've been trying to get in touch with marta. they're probably running a bit behind, like any bureaucracy. but that aside, how do you feel about joining them?" peyton brushed her hand across the soft cloth of the table. "mother's going to have a fit when i do."

"i'd rather have a few teeth pulled, but i guess there's no help for it. and it's not like we could hide anything-our sign was right out there by the side of the road when she got out of the car." i shook my head. "i've never been good at joining anything or following rules. creating a society like marta did is going to be hell on me."

i preferred to rely on myself. but then again, perhaps we could create a group that was strong against myst and the indigo court. ysandra had given me no clear rules. what if i wanted to include fae, or even vampires in it? she hadn't said that i couldn't. i was about to say as much when someone walked through the door for a reading. as peyton invited the woman to sit down, i turned away, focusing on my work.

i sold five protection charms that afternoon, and peyton had one other customer. she talked to her for a bit, then called me over.

"this is luna. she has a problem that i thought you might hear." peyton introduced the woman, who was probably about thirty-five. she was short and plump, with long dark hair, and her eyes were ringed with silver sparkles. pretty, in a way that appeared soft on the surface, but beneath i sensed a huge reservoir of strength.

"hi." i shook her hand, surprised by the strength of her grip.

"hello." her voice was even and low, sultry almost. she slid back into her chair and as she lowered her head, a sweep of movement caught my eye. i closed my eyes and listened on the slipstream.

she is marked. her energy is marked. keep her here, do not let her go out into the wilds tonight. the hunters are following her-i can hear them on the slipstream. ulean whirled around me, frantic.

i turned back to luna. "what's going on?"

"i feel like i'm being followed. the past day or so, especially during the evenings, i've felt something outside my house. i haven't gone out to check-i'm not stupid-but my cards have warned me that something dangerous is waiting for me. i don't know what to do. i have nowhere to go. i saw your ad in the paper and thought i'd ask if you could investigate. and maybe fashion a protection charm for me. i can make them myself, but my fear is overwhelming my sense of accuracy."

i glanced over at peyton. "they're after her."

"who? who's after me? you know already?" her lip quivered. "i live alone and i'm not sure what to do."

we couldn't take in everyone whom the shadow hunters were after, but damn it, we had a chance to save her life. and for some reason, luna struck me as useful. as someone i might want to know better.

"luna, tell us a bit about yourself. then maybe we can help you better."

she let out a long sigh. "i'm single, i'm a singer-well, part time. i work in a little thrift shop to make ends meet, and i occasionally attend a psychic fair and do readings."

then it hit me; she wasn't magic-born like i'd suspected, but yummanii. and she had some very strong magic of her own. the magic-born didn't bother with psychic fairs, but the yummanii, especially those who had magical abilities . . .

"you're yummanii." i held her gaze.

she nodded. "well, mostly. there is mixed magic in my family. my grandmother married into the magic-born. after that, the abilities of the children and grandchildren grew stronger. i'm the strongest in the family. but it mostly comes out when i sing or play an instrument. my songs . . . i can sometimes make things happen."

a bard. luna was an old-fashioned bard. and that would be very useful to myst. she'd be able to charm in people with a bard-turned-vampire in ways that she couldn't now. influential people, who might listen to luna's songs and fall under her spell. and if luna belonged to myst, then she'd obey without question.

"you can't go home, not alone. at least not for tonight." i bit my lip, trying to think of what to tell the woman.

she will believe the truth. her energy . . . you must not let her fall into myst's hands. ulean was adamant.

are you certain? she's mostly yummanii . . .

the yummanii are no less at risk than the magic-born, especially one with her abilities. she came to you for a reason. don't turn her out or you will be signing her death warrant.

taking a deep breath, i let it out slowly and gave her a slow smile. "have you ever heard of the shadow hunters?"

she slowly shook her head. "no, should i have?"

"that depends . . ." and so we told her about myst, and the vampires.