Mathilda, SuperWitch (Mathilda's Book of Shadows #1)(74)

Bombs… were… exploding.

Aidan was the first to speak.

“Josie will one day be Prime Minister. She’ll introduce radical and extremely controversial reforms that will shake up industries, economies, entire nations. These reforms will be social, educational and environmental. These reforms will make the rich less rich and will, most frightening to some, work.”

Whoa.

Hold on.

Our Josie?

Angry at trash collectors one day and Robin Hood in Parliament the next?

Aidan went on, “Other countries will adopt these reforms, more people will work, more people will go to school, they’ll have more, starve less and be healthy. The earth will begin to heal itself. Josephine McShane is going to change the world.”

Whoa, part deux.

“Fuckin’ A Bubba,” I muttered.

Sorry, but that was all I could think to say.

“Indeed.” Aidan smiled at me. “She’ll also be the first leader to recognize the magical and supernatural world in any official public capacity. She’ll guide the two worlds into living together in peace.”

“Go, Josie, go Josie,” I cheered, my donut was looking good again so I took a big bite.

Please note: this was not a custard donut. This donut was stuffed with crème patisserie. This donut was divine. There were probably entire populations on earth that would worship this donut. I knew this for a fact because I was considering being the founding member of the cult.

“That will be after the war, of course,” Ash interjected breaking my donut reverie.

I choked on cream and dough.

“Uh, wha’?” I said with my mouth full.

Silence again before Aidan broke it.

“The thing is,” Aidan explained, “we’re headed to war. Man and witch, mostly, but the sides are blurred.”

Man oh man. I swallowed passed the lump in my throat.

Then I asked, “Why are we here, in London? It has to be safer at home.”

“You’re safe with me,” Ash said. “And I’d been called to London. So you had to come to London.”

“I would have been safe at The Gables.”

Ash just looked at me.

“There are protection spells… an entire coven with loads of magic,” I reminded him.

“I made a vow to keep you alive and I’m going to do that the way I think it should be done. So you’re to stay with me.”

He said it like that was it.

No discussion.

I had no choice in the matter.

I opened my mouth to say something but Aidan interjected.

“The Directors and Elders wanted to see both Wilding and I, we had to come to London. Things have changed, Matty.”

I stopped glaring at Ash and glanced at Aidan. “What things?”

“The Directors and Elders have made an alliance. Controversial but suffice it to say that, right now, the alliance is to be represented through Wilding and myself. We’re working together now.”

Holy f**king shit.

No way.

I did not think this meant good things for me.

“Working together on what?” I asked.

“On you,” Ash answered.

Ack!

Ackity ack ack.

Holy Three-Way, Batman!

“Just a second here… what does that mean ‘on me’?”

Ash again answered, “Protecting you, guarding you, helping you… whatever it takes to keep you safe and let you do your work.”

I looked at one and then the other.

The world was already changing and I was in the eye of the storm.

“Uh, this is kind of big news isn’t it? Isn’t the Institute Switzerland?” I said to Aidan.

“What?” Aidan asked.

“As in neutral, non-committal, all that?”

“Not anymore, Mathilda,” Ash answered.

“I can’t believe –” I started.

“Enough talk, eat. We’ve got work to do.” Of course, that was Ash.

“What work?”

“Eat, we’ll fill you in while we work.” Ash, being bossy, again.

“Aidan?” I asked.

I’m not beneath playing one against the other, especially when I’m being bossed around.

“Just finish your breakfast, Matty. We’ve got a busy day,” Aidan sighed.

Fucking men.

* * * * *

In the taxi to wherever-we-were-going, my mobile rang.

It was Josie.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Kind of,” she replied.

“Was anyone hurt?”

“No, thank God,” she answered and went on, “The police are here to talk to you.”

Wonderful.

“Well, I’m in London,” I told her.

“I know that, they know that, they don’t like that. When will you be home?”

“Just a sec.” I looked at Aidan. “When will I be home?”

“Soon,” he said.

That helps.

“Soon,” I said to Josie.

“I don’t think ‘soon’ is the answer they’re looking for but leave it to me.”

She disconnected and I flipped the phone shut.

I wasn’t going to save the world.