Witch's Wrath (Blood And Magick #3)(38)

“That’s why I’m here,” I said, “To talk.”

“I understand, but you must understand my position. Remy and I may have had our differences, our disagreements, but there was once a time when I loved that man; I loved him enough to make sacred vows before God and a crowd of gathered humans. I didn’t much care for God, but the people there… well, let’s just say my self-image was very important to me back in the day. Still, though we were usually at odds with each other, it’s a shame he’s gone.”

“It’s not a shame he’s gone; what happened to him was awful, and losing him was a tragedy.”

“Yet some might say he had it coming, that he had done a great many awful things. I know of many of them, but even that couldn’t squash the last ounce of affection I had for that man.”

“Remy had also done many good things.”

“Yes, I understand he was teaching you, and that he had donated his Garden District home to your school of witchcraft.”

I set the glass of wine down. “He had—has—and we’re all thankful for it. Thanks to him, the witches of New Orleans now have a place where they can go to learn about their kind freely.”

“And do they?”

I cocked my head. “What do you mean?”

“Learn, my dear. Do the witches come to learn?”

“Well… the school is new, so, there are only a few of us practicing.”

“And I suppose if this nonsense with the vampires hadn’t opened up like an old wound, there would be many more witches coming to learn in your school.”

“This isn’t just a conflict reopened. Those vampires attacked us when we were at our most vulnerable. Wrong doesn’t even begin to describe what they did to us that night, to our brothers and sisters. I wish you could feel the outrage I feel.”

“I am outraged. Believe me, I am.”

Tamara sipped her wine and allowed herself a second to relax. She swirled the glass in the palm of her hand and examined the liquid as it swayed with the motion. “And yet,” she said, “You would advocate for the vampires. You say they are innocent.”

“Some of them were with us that night,” she said, “They were attacked as much as we were.”

“And why aren’t they fighting their own kind?”

“They… are…”

“Ah, but the conviction in your voice fails you. You don’t know what it is the vampires are doing against their own kind, do you? For all you know, they’re all laughing behind your back as you squirm between both camps, vying for peace between our kinds. A peace that’ll never come.”

She had me. I tried not to make it clear on my face, but she had me. I knew Jean Luc and his family were doing their best to keep the situation under control, but didn’t know the extent of their activities or their plans. I had allowed them to keep the secret of their methods even from me, and trusted they were finding a way out of this mess. But so far, they had turned up nothing I could use—nothing that would help me confront the leader of the vampire pack that was hell-bent on destroying every last one of us.

Tamara walked over to where I was, her face softening. She set her glass down on the table and put her cigarette to rest on the ashtray. “My dear,” she said, “I don’t mean to frighten you. We’re sisters, you and I, bound by magick in a way no one else can ever be. I know we are both doing the best that we can to turn the tide of this war in our favor. You are a powerful witch, determined and brave, but I have something you don’t—something you need.”

“What’s that?”

“Experience, child. I like to think I know a thing or two about people. That’s why I have a proposition for you; a way for us to end this conflict.”

I pretended to have another sip of wine. “I came here to listen,” I said, “So I’ll listen.”

“Good,” Tamara said, walking across the room. “My proposition is this, Madison; if you were to join me, then with my experience and your power, we could end this once and for all.”

“Join you?”

“It’s not as ominous as it sounds,” she said, turning again with a wolfish smile on her face, “But think about it. You and I, together, would be an unstoppable force. We would be able to negotiate whatever truce we want with the vampires. We could drive them out if we wanted to, draw lines in the sand, whatever we want. We could have it all—peace everlasting.”

“Peace everlasting,” I said, more to myself than to her. “And you think we can achieve that only if I join your side?”

Tamara nodded, almost gleefully. “I want the same thing you do, child. I want peace. I want my home back.”

“You would drop your need for vengeance just like that?”

“Well, of course we would teach the vampires a lesson, but—”

“Teach them a lesson?” I asked, inching closer to her, head lowered, eyes narrow. “What kind of lesson?”

Tamara seemed to retreat from me, moving slowly toward the fireplace. “Humility, for one,” she said, “But we would also bring to bear the consequences of their actions.”

“And how would we do that?”

“An eye for an eye, child. They killed Remy, we kill of theirs.”