In Moonlight - Ch 24 - Paths Forward

"What did you mean 'Bess's testimony'?!" Bess Stirling said hotly. 

Sitting in the back room of the Caboose, the entrepreneur looked panicked. Mariah was pretty sure Bess had told her story - laying out the plan of a shadowy, alien-backed tech company to buy up land around the Moonwood by any means necessary, ultimately including the murder of Shannon Charm and the impending attack on Moonwood Mill - as honestly as the shady developer was able to. She obviously wasn't expecting the response she'd gotten.

"Mandy... it's Mandy, right?" Bess gestured at Miranda. Mariah blinked, realizing the entrepreneur didn't know their real identities. "You said testimony?" Bess continued. "Like, in court? I never said anything about testifying!"

"Where did you think this was going, Bess?" Knox said, stunned. "Did you think you were just going to tell us and... what? Everything would magically be OK?"

"I mean, I told you what Grey and Hand are planning," Bess said earnestly. "You can warn Rory and the Volkovs and everyone. They can... I don't know... be safe... get out or... or something. No one has to die!"

"Because everyone in Moonwood Mill is going to tuck tail and run when they hear about this, right? Then you can have the land and finish your deal. Your conscience is clean and you still come out on top. Was that the plan?" Demarco scoffed.

"Yes!" Bess cried, her eyes wide.

"What about Shannon?" Knox growled.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry about Shannon. I really am, but I can't fix that," Bess insisted.

"Yes, you can," Miranda said with her implacable calm. "You can testify. You can hold the people who did it responsible and see justice done."

"But I'm responsible!" Bess shouted. Her eyes went wide, horrified, as she heard her own words. Mariah wondered if Bess had ever admitted that to herself before this moment. 

"I'm... I'm responsible," Bess repeated in a whisper. "It's my fault. It's my fault Shannon died."

"Yes," Etta said, her voice soft but unyielding. "It is your fault. You did something horrible and people got hurt. Shannon died. You can't change that... but you can decide what you're going to do now, who you're going to be now. You can stand up with us and try to do some good, or you can go back to Hand and Grey and be a murderer among murderers."

"That's if they don't just kill you," Mariah pointed out with sarcastic humor. "Because they don't really need you anymore, and once they find out that you us warned about Moonwood Mill..."

"There is that to consider too," Etta agreed.

-------------------------

"So, we've got mountains of evidence and a witness now," Jenny smiled, obviously trying to be encouraging. "That's good, right."

"It's good," Genie nodded, not really feeling it.

"I mean, now we can prove to Baron Charm that it really wasn't the Dark Court who killed Shannon.  So, he won't do all the bad stuff Miranda was talking about... breaking the Witches' Council and making the secret war worse and everything," Jenny pointed out.

"Yeah, I don't know how I feel about telling the angry wizard who already hates my family that my mother ordered his daughter's death," Genie sighed.

"Oh, that's a point," Jenny said gently. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, I guess I can take everything we have, plus what I can get out of this Bess Stirling person, write a hell of an expose, and send it to my editor," Genie said. "He'd run with it, because of the Baron Charm connection. He's a public figure, after all. I'd just have to cut out, or gloss over, my mom's involvement... again. Of course, I'll have to cut all the parts about witches, vampires, werewolves and aliens."

"That doesn't really leave much, does it," Jenny mused.

"Murder, coverups and corruption. I can probably spin Grey as the last major crime boss in the Republic. It's a story, but is it a top story? I don't know," Genie sighed. "I just don't know if it will be enough. Does it really get justice for Shannon? Maybe if I can dig deeper into the money trail, find out about these investors... Brighter Future and Gateway... we can work to dismantle the whole conspiracy, without bringing out all the other stuff. The thing is, that will take time and, with what Bess apparently said about them planning to attack Moonwood Mill, it doesn't sound like we have time. God, we need to stop them."

"What about Candi?" Jenny asked.

"Stephens probably still keeps some in the kitchen," Genie said, distracted.

"No, Agent Candi," Jenny chuckled. "Candice Barnett. You know, the spy who gave us the police files and pushed us to investigate deeper to begin with. Maybe she can help with the whole stopping them part."

"Do you know how to get ahold of her?" Genie asked.

"Yeah, that's a point," Jenny said, looking at her phone. "I didn't exactly get her contact info when we... oh, hey, would you look at that. It's here in my contacts. Candi, with a little heart on the 'i' even. I don't remember putting that in there..."

"She probably hacked your phone or something," Genie muttered. "Do you think we should..."

Jenny had already dialed. 

"Candi, sweetie! How are you?" Jenny said, her voice bright and bubbly and just touching on bimbo. "Yeah. Hey, like, you remember that role we talked about at the park the other day? Yeah, I totally talked to those guys about it. It's just... wow... I mean, you were so right. It is like totally me! I know, right? But Candi... wait for it... I think they've got a part for you too! Yes! We have got to talk about it! Can you do lunch? You're going to be in Windenburg? Sweetie, it's kismet. There's this cute little coffee shop... You know it? Awesome. I will totally see you there. Oh, Candi, one thing... how do you feel about aliens?"

"I fear you," Genie said, stunned.

-------------------------

"Ok, I get that Bess has to hide. Believe me, I get it," Mariah said. "But why does she have to stay in our house?"

After having what had turned into a couple of lengthy conversations with Genie and Jenny, they had all returned to the little house Mariah and Miranda rented under the names Mary and Mandy Cavaliere. The house that had hidden them for months, giving Mariah a taste of a quiet, almost normal, life.

"Because Grey still doesn't know we're here," Miranda pointed out. "If he did, his goons would have kicked in our door and tried to kill us already."

"What about..." Mariah started.

"She can't stay with Knox," Miranda pointed out, "and do we really want to get Missy and Clay more involved in this than they already are? Besides, it's probably only for a day or two. Once Genie and Jenny talk to their Agency contact, we'll know better what the plan is."

"Fine," Mariah groaned.

"Oh my God, was someone watching KPop Demon Hunters?" Bess chuckled from the couch, turning on the TV.

"Yes, I was!" Mariah wheeled at her. She'd liked her quiet, almost normal, life, damn it!

"Don't kill the witness," Miranda said softly.

"I'll have you know it's a fantastic movie with amazing songs. It's won multiple awards," Mariah continued hotly. She was hideously embarrassed that she loved that movie, that she cried at the end every damn time, but she wasn't going to let some crooked land developer dis it!

"OK, sorry," Bess blinked, shocked. "Do you mind if I watch the Financial channel?"

"I'm going out to the garden. Don't kill the witness," Miranda repeated.

"I'll come with you," Mariah sighed.

-------------------------

They had some time before lunch. Time enough to grab a shower and a change of clothes. 

Standing in the steamy bathroom, Genie looked at the scar on her arm. The bullet wound, only recently healed, ached. The ache reached right down into her soul. 

She remembered the dark, grimy street. She remembered Uncle Max, standing under the flickering streetlight, pulling the gun from under his jacket in one smooth, almost graceful motion. She remembered the gun, the cold dark metal of it and the gaping cavernous barrel... Heat and light and sound and pain. Such sudden, shocking pain.

Is there just something evil about my whole family?

Is there something evil about me?

"Hey, are you OK," Jenny asked gently.

"No," Genie sobbed. "No, I'm not. Jenny, I... I need answers. Not just for me. I need to be able to explain all of this to Kassidy. She needs to know why... why her own mother ordered the death of her friend. We both need to know why."

"We'll find you your answers," Jenny said seriously. "We'll talk to Candice and hand things off to her for a little while. Then we can take a little time and find your answers."

"How?" Genie moaned. "Gwen said I should talk to my uncle, but even if I wanted to talk to Uncle Max... and I don't... I don't know how to find him!"

"I was thinking about that," Jenny said. "See, the stuff Gwen says never makes any sense until it makes sense. She said you needed to understand your mom's relationship with Genevieve. We thought she meant you, but now I think she meant your grandmother. So, when she said you need to talk to your uncle..."

"I have two uncles," Genie gasped.

-------------------------

"Miranda," Etta said, then hesitated. "I... I need to talk to you about something."

Miranda looked up from her plants to see Etta and Demarco coming through the garden gate. They'd been circling the house while Bess got settled in. Checking the perimeter, Demarco had called it in a way that reminded her of Mariah. 

"About damn time," Demarco snarled, wheeling on her heels and marching back out the gate. "I'm... going to patrol the neighborhood. Tell her what you have tell her," the werewolf called over her shoulder.

"Lux, wait, I..." Etta cast panicked looks between Miranda and her departing partner. "I... I'll be right back," she said to Miranda before chasing after Demarco.

"What was that about?" Miranda asked, perplexed.

"Demarco's jealous," Mariah said. 

"Jealous? Jealous about what?" Miranda blinked.

"Madonna. You know, for a wise and powerful strega, you can be really dense sometimes," Mariah chuckled.

"Sorry about that," Etta said as she returned. "It's just... Demarco. She...."

Etta hesitated, looking around. She was obviously surprised to see that Mariah had gone back inside, leaving her alone with Miranda. Not as surprised as Miranda had been. Her wife had made it perfectly clear she still wasn't comfortable with Etta, but she'd left them alone to talk. Miranda wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Mariah thinks she's jealous," she said with forced lightness.

"She... she might be a little jealous," Etta admitted. "Not that... I mean... oh, Outer Dark."

"I forgive you," Miranda said, deciding to just skip all the dancing around and get straight into the important stuff.

"I mean, I really need to... wait, what?" Etta stammered, flustered.

"Claudette. Etta. I forgive you," Miranda said firmly. 

"I betrayed you." Etta said. "I used magic to... oh hell, I basically raped you. I..."

"Ok, let me stop you right there," Miranda said, with a deep breath. "Yes, you dosed me with a potion that increased my attraction toward you and lowered my inhibitions. Yes, there are serious consent issues there... but trust me, that part wasn't traumatic. Traumatic was the whole knocking me out, kidnapping me, and dosing me so I couldn't use my powers while your father schemed to have me killed by vampires."

"OK, yes, I have a lot of feel guilty about," Etta sighed, somewhat missing the point, Miranda felt. "Believe me, I remember it all."

"Well, why don't you remember that you also rescued me?" Miranda asked, unrelenting. "In the end, you were the one who got me, and Jenny, out. You helped us escape. You stood up to your father. You actually dueled him, which was amazing."

"I lost," Etta pointed out. "If Gwen and Cassie hadn't show up..."

"It doesn't matter," Miranda insisted. "You tried... and when it was over you didn't run or try to excuse what you did. You stood before the Council and submitted to their justice. You gave up your magic and went into exile. I don't know that I could have done that."

"You would never have to," Etta whispered.

"And since then, you've been working with the werewolves, protecting people and doing good... all without your powers," Miranda continued. "You said to Bess she had a choice, about who she was going to be. I know what choice you made... and I know that you're still beating yourself up for what you did. So, I'm telling you - I forgive you. Let it go."

"I... you... oh gods," Etta felt tears on her face. 

Before Miranda knew what she was doing, Etta had thrown her arms around her. With a sigh, she pulled the other woman close, holding her gently, soothingly.

"I forgive you," Miranda repeated. "Just to be clear though, I'm not going to sleep with you again."

"Ok, that's... that's ok," Etta smiled.

"Or shower with you," Miranda added as the hug ended. She still wasn't sure how much of what had happened between them years ago had been Claudette's potions and how much had been a couple of randy teens discovering each other, consequences be damned.

"Well, it saves water," Etta said with a little grin.

"I don't think it did," Miranda said. She really shouldn't be thinking about these things. "As I remember, we were in that shower for a really long time."

"Well, we did a lot of... cleaning," Etta said.

"Which we're never doing again," Miranda said with a nervous glance back at the house. 

"Right," Etta smiled. "I know that. I just... Anyway! There was actually something else I needed to talk to you about... about your wand."

"We are definitely not doing that again!" Miranda said, blushing hotly. That had definitely been the potion! Hadn't it?

"'This one time, at band camp...'" Etta quoted. At least she looked just as embarrassed at the memory as Miranda felt.

"If you repeat that to anyone, I will turn you into a frog and you can hop back to Moonwood Mill," Miranda said stiffly.

Hiatus

So, here's the thing... 

In Moonlight is the most technically and narratively complex story I've attempted to date. Writing the recent chapters has been like creating multiple pictures, cutting them into pieces, and reassembling them as a single image. Getting the screenshots I want is harder than that.

On good days, I love this story so much it hurts. On bad days, it just hurts. 

As I get closer to the conclusion - and we're actually rushing toward that now - it's getting even harder. Between my health issues and the complexity of the story, I've gone from having as many as six chapters already written and writing one or two new ones in a week, to now having one chapter pre-written and writing one chapter in about two weeks.

Long story short (too late), I need to catch my breath. I feel this is, narratively, a good place to pause. 

So, I will be taking a break of indeterminant length so I can work on the conclusion of In Moonlight. I need to give myself a little grace and make sure I'm having fun rather than stressing about getting a chapter done for the coming week. We all know that the story will be better for it.

Have no fear, I will finish this story and there will be more to come. 

~Leo

In Moonlight - Ch 23 - Questions and Answers

"This always looks easier on TV," Genie grumbled.

Her mother's computer still stubbornly refused to unlock. She knew she had to take her time, think though every attempt. Too many failed passwords would lock the system entirely, and probably alert her mother. How many attempts was too many, she wondered. How long could she sit here, trying to puzzle out the right password, before her mother came home? How long until Stephens came upstairs and discovered them in here?

"On TV there's a script and we only have about forty minutes to resolve everything," Jenny pointed out. "You really don't know who this lady is? Because your mom sure has a lot of paintings of her in here..."

"Jenny, I need to think," Genie said, only half listening. "Mom's pretty savvy, but it's like Mariah said... most people reuse passwords. Mom always uses the same sequence of numbers for her PIN. It's not that simple... but I'm sure those numbers figure into it somehow. Maybe I'm just not remembering them right..."

"You'll figure it out," Jenny said brightly.

"I have to," Genie said. "We need to know what she knows..."

---------------------

 "I didn't know," Bess groaned. "Knox, I swear to you, I didn't know they were going to kill anyone."

Mariah shook her head quietly. She hadn't been sure that inviting Knox to this meeting with Bess was a good idea, but Miranda had pointed out that he deserved to be there. He, more than any of them, deserved answers. 

Etta and Demarco were already there, sitting in the same back room as before. The bartender, evidently an old friend of Demarco's, had agreed to rope it off for them. It wasn't like the Caboose had a huge brunch crowd anyway.

"What the hell did you think was going to happen when you brought in gangsters to strongarm people?" Knox demanded.

"OK, first, I didn't bring them in," Bess insisted. "It was Mr. Hand who brought in Mr. Grey and Grey brought in Cletus. I just thought... I thought they'd intimidate people. OK, I admit that. It occurred to me that maybe, maybe, they'd rough someone up a little... but I never thought they'd kill anyone."

"Take a seat, Bess," Demarco said firmly. "Knox, you too. Come sit down and we'll hear her out."

"Is she alone?" Etta asked, looking at Mariah.

"You guys don't think..." Bess said as she took the open chair. "I'm not trying to trick you, or trap you guys. I just..."

"One of Cletus's guys was tailing her," Mariah cut her off. "The guy who was with him the other day when they jumped Clay and Knox."

"What?!" Bess gave a startled gasp.

"Don't worry, I hexed him," Miranda said with a little smile. "He won't remember anything. I mean, he won't remember following Bess here or seeing any of us. He'll remember his name and stuff like that... eventually."

Smirking at Bess's confused look, Mariah said, "You're a little scary sometimes." 

---------------------

"Genie, what do you know about your grandmother?" Jenny asked.

She'd been wandering around the office, looking at various things, while Genie struggled to think of what her mom's password might be. Out of the corner of her eye, Genie noticed that she kept pausing to look at the paintings hung on the walls.

"Jenny, what are you talking about?" Genie groaned. "Really, I need to..."

"Humor me, OK," Jenny insisted. "What do you know about your grandmother?"

"Not a lot. Mom never talks about her," Genie said, distracted. 

"Well, this is a picture of that lady, Genevieve Henriette Von Windenburg, with Baron Henry and that cute Lord Karl," Jenny said. "Baron Henry is your great-grandfather, right? And Lord Karl was your great-uncle? So, Henry's daughter would be your grandmother... Genevieve Henriette Von Windenburg."

Slowly, Genie lifted her eyes from the screen and looked around the room again. 

"My mom never talks about her," Genie repeated. "She never even says her name. There are no pictures of her anywhere."

"Except in here," Jenny said meaningfully. "Her picture is on every wall big enough to hold it. What if, when Gwen said you needed to understand your mom's relationship with Genevieve, she didn't mean you? She meant your grandmother. Your mom's mom.""

"Jenny, what were those dates you said before?" Genie breathed.

"January 14, 1960 and October 31, 1998," Jenny said.

"Mom's PIN number is 103198," Genie said, turning back to the computer. Fingers shaking slightly, she typed in GENEVIEVE103198. 

Without fanfare, the computer unlocked. 

---------------------

"What is Crossing, Bess?" Miranda asked in a soft voice. "We know it's a land development deal... a planned community around some kind of research center, but what is it really? Who is behind it and why is it so important to them?"

"I... I guess I'm not sure," Bess said. "I thought it was about money."

"It's always about money with you," Knox grumbled.

"Tell us what you know," Miranda pressed, gentle, kind and as irresistible as gravity. 

Mariah knew her wife well enough to hear the magic whispering behind that voice. Bess Stirling never stood a chance.

"Crossing was supposed to be a huge opportunity. It was going to revitalize the mountain communities," Bess began. 

"Drop the sales pitch," Knox scoffed. "You were buying up protected land, forcing people to sell property that had been in their families for generations. You killed Shannon. Why? Who's behind it?"

"I was approached by a representative of the Von Windenburg Bank," Bess said. "He arranged a meeting between me and one of the bank's directors, Luna Elderberry. She had a group of investors, backing a tech company that wanted to build a research and development center, with support facilities, on the mountain. They wanted to work with us, with Evergreen Development, because we were in the area and had local connections. It... it seemed like a great deal."

"But there were problems," Miranda said.

"The tech company, Gateway Technologies, insisted the facility be at a certain location that was on protected land," Bess said. "I tried to suggest another location, but the guy in charge was adamant... and Mrs. Elderberry said it wouldn't be a problem. Her husband is Representative Rohan Elderberry. He was able to... ummm... help us around some of the regulatory and legislative hurdles."

"Who is this guy in charge? Mr. Hand?" Mariah asked.

"No, Mr. Hand is... he represents the investors," Bess said. "It's a private investment group called Brighter Future. I don't know who's in charge there. I only ever dealt with Mrs. Elderberry and Mr. Hand. Then there's Gateway Technologies. The brains over there is a scientist called Dr. Key."

Mariah shared a quick look with Miranda as Bess confirmed their worst fear. The svartalf scientist behind Section 6 was also behind Crossing.

"Anyway, after Mr. Elderberry started taking care of regulatory stuff, things got... easier... for a while," Bess said. "Then we ran into the problem of people not being willing to sell the land we needed. So, Mr. Hand brought in Mr. Grey and Cletus and..."

"What about Shannon?" Knox asked.

---------------------

"I never would have thought I'd be happy about my mom's obsessive organizing," Genie added a few minutes later. "Here's a folder labeled Crossing. We've got spreadsheets, project plans, documents, emails. There are even recordings of video calls."

"Jackpot," Jenny grinned.

"Wait, here's a call labeled Speak for the Trees. That's the environmental group Knox and Shannon worked with," Genie said. "Let's see what we have here..."

"We're here to discuss the matter of the Speak for the Trees protests," Mr. Hand said coldly. "We had dismissed them as a minor nuisance. However, our associate in Evergreen Harbor is now suggesting that they are drawing attention to the Project which could endanger success."

"We have conducted a psycho-statistical analysis of the situation based on this additional data," another hairless man, this one in a white turtleneck, said. "The outcomes support this conclusion. We are currently projecting scenarios for the dissolution of the Speak of the Trees organization."

"Even if you could do that, which I doubt, that would take time we don’t have," Luna Elderberry said calmly.

"The timelines proposed by Researcher Book’s recent projections support that assertion," Mr. Hand agreed. "Our associate offers the alternative suggestion of focusing our efforts on individuals. In this case, the leaders of this specific protest initiative - Knox Greenburg and Shannon Charm."

"We have generated profiles of both individuals using all available data," the man in the turtleneck, who Genie guessed to be Researcher Book, said. "Knox Greenburg is a well-known environmental activist and social agitator in Evergreen Harbor. Shannon Charm has only recently become involved with the Speak for the Trees organization but has risen to a trusted position. She is also the genetic progeny of Baron Darrel Charm, a member of Upper House. More significantly, according to Agency files, she is a Delta-level Psychokinetic Active."

"I’m well acquainted with the Charm family," Luna snarled.

"We should direct one of our agents to sanction Knox Greenburg," Mr. Hand said, suggesting murder in a tone usually used to suggest ordering more office supplies. "Acting against Shannon Charm risks attracting the attention we seek to avoid."

"I disagree," Luna said hotly. "Knox Greenburg is one of countless minor agitators. He’d be replaced quickly. Shannon Charm is the real danger. As a witch… an Active… she might recognize the significance of Crossing and, through her family connections, she could easily bring it to the attention of both the government and the Council.

"On the other hand, I know Darrel Charm," she continued. "The death of his daughter would enrage him, and he’s already predisposed to direct that rage against the Dark Court. With one move, we remove the real threat from Speak for the Trees and increase tensions between the Court and the Council, further distracting them from our plans."

"Sanctioning a Delta-level Active is not an easy task," Mr. Hand said.

"You have people trained to do just that," Luna replied. "What about your little pet Mallory? She did an excellent job with those activists out West a few months ago."

"Agent Mallory Errant does have the necessary training," Mr. Hand said. "However, I have concerns about your analysis. You have a history of animosity with the Charm family. Perhaps your emotions are clouding your judgement."

"Mr. Hand, for someone who disdains assimilation into our culture, you have a number of distinctly masculine biases," Luna sneered. "My emotions regarding the Charms do not cloud my judgement. They reinforce my resolve and my commitment to our shared goals."

A brief silence settled over the call. Finally, the man who had been sitting silently in the shadows the whole time spoke. 

"I accept your recommendations," the shadow man said. "Mr. Hand, you will assign Mallory Errant to sanction Shannon Charm."

"Jenny, my mom murdered Shannon Charm," Genie said softly, a sob escaping her. 

"Well... umm... I think this Mallory person did that actual, you know, murder part," Jenny offered.

"My mom murdered Shannon Charm, Jenny," Genie said firmly. "Why!? Why is she doing this?"

"I... I don't know," Jenny said softly.

"She murdered Shannon," Genie said, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or deny what she had heard. "Miranda said someone named Villareal murdered Baron Charm's father. Mr. Hand said my mom has 'a history of animosity' with the Charms. Do you think.... Did she...?"

"I don't know," Jenny said again.

"Can this get any worse?" Genie sighed.

---------------------

"They're going to WHAT?!" Demarco snarled, her voice ragged enough that Mariah thought she might be about to witness her first werewolf transformation.

"Mr. Hand is talking about bringing in people to... to deal with Rory, the Wildfangs and the Volkov and Moonrunner families," Bess stammered. At least, Mariah thought, she had the grace to manage to look ashamed about it, even if she continued to blame other people.

"Like you dealt with Shannon?" Knox grumbled.

"I didn't know," Bess insisted again. "I swear to you... I'm here, telling you about it because... because I can't, I won't be involved with... with," she took a deep breath. "Murder. I won't be responsible for any more murders."

"How long?" Etta asked. "How long until Mr. Hand's people are in place?"

"Two weeks, maybe less," Bess replied. "He's trying to hide what he's doing from... someone. I don't know who."

"OK, an attack on Moonwood Mill is bad," Mariah said. "We can assume Mr. Hand and his svartalf friends know who they're dealing with, but we still have an advantage. We know it's coming now."

"I'm calling Rory," Demarco said firmly. "She and Jake need to be warned. If I can't get through..."

"Then you go back up the mountain and tell them in person," Mariah said. "The dark elf men in black will be in a for a rude shock if they try anything."

"It might not come to that," Miranda said. "With Bess's testimony, we have proof now."

"Wait... testimony!?" Bess squeaked.

"It sounds like Genie will find more, lots and lots more, on her mom's computer," Miranda continued undeterred. "We may be able to put a stop to all of this soon."

---------------------

With a shaky breath, Genie slotted a memory stick into her mom's computer. As the Crossing files slowly copied, she realized that she just couldn't sit still. Rising, she found herself standing in front of one of the portraits of a grandmother she'd never known.

"Gwen said, if I wanted to understand my mom, I needed to understand her relationship with Genevieve," Genie said. "Mom never talks about her mother. There are no pictures of her."

"Except her private office is full of pictures of her," Jenny said.

"She never even says her name," Genie said.

"Except, she says it every time she talks to you," Jenny said. "Because she named you, her eldest daughter, after her... and she only ever calls you by her dead mother's name."

Genie took a deep breath. "OK," she sighed. "Murderous conspiracy and possible alien invasion first, then we figure out my family drama."

 

In Moonlight - Ch 22 - Gathering Clouds

"Damn it," Genie cursed as her lockpicks slipped again.

The night train from Evergreen Harbor had brought them back to Windenburg in the early hours of the morning. Rather than heading directly to the Elderberry estate, Genie had led Jenny to a small coffee shop for a long, quiet breakfast. They'd waited there until Genie was sure her mom and Kassidy would have left for the day.

Now, in the dark hallway of her parents' suite, Genie knelt, testing the lockpicking skills she'd learned from Mariah back in university against the door of her mom's private office. It occurred to Genie that she had never actually been through this door.

"I'm thinking of showing your butler my boobs," Jenny said brightly.

"What?!" Genie gasped as she started again on the lock. "We don't need to distract him, Jenny. He's downstairs polishing things. He'll be at it for hours."

"I wasn't thinking of distracting him," Jenny said. "Just, you know, showing him my boobs. I mean, seriously, you're telling me you never wanted to just grab that man's ass? That is a seriously fabulous ass."

"No. Eww," Genie said. "Also, aren't you dating Orange."

"Well, yeah, but I was thinking about your mom being with your dad, and Gwen, and Cassie..." Jenny mused.

"Jenny, are you trying to break my brain? I mean you're talking about Stephens's ass and my parents' weird sex lives and... hey, I got the lock," Genie blinked.

"Wow, that worked," Jenny laughed. "You were overthinking things, so I distracted you."

"OK, there is so much wrong with that that I have no idea how to respond to it," Genie said, pushing the door open. "Why is everything boobs with you?"

"Boobs are my superpower," Jenny said cheerfully, following her into the office.

"Well, I guess in a bizarre way they got us into the villain's inner sanctum," Genie admitted, looking around.

"Who is she?" Jenny asked, looking at the portrait hanging prominently on the wall in front of them.

"I have no idea," Genie said, barely looking at the painting.

"There's a little plaque here," Jenny said. "Genevieve Henriette Von Windenburg, January 14, 1960 to October 31, 1998. Wow, she was only 38 when she died? That's sad."

"Yeah, I guess. Mariah says that most people reuse passwords," Genie said, turning on her mother’s computer. "So, I just need to figure out what mom’s password is. I can do this.” 

------------------------

"Is everything OK?" Mariah answered her phone, sounding a bit breathless.

"Better than OK, Mary! Everything is wonderful!" Missy said brightly. "The doctors say Clay is going to be just fine. He's up and he knows who he is and who I am and what year it is and who the Chancellor is and he's going to be just fine!"

"That's wonderful," Mariah laughed, only just managing to follow Missy's rapid words. "Give him all our best."

"I will, I will," Missy replied. "They want to keep him here one more night, just for observation... but then he can come home. Oh, Knox says to say hi. He's OK too. They're letting him go home today."

"Great, say hi for us," Mariah said.

"They say hi," Missy said. "Oh, Mary... do you know how to get ahold of Demarco?"

"Yes," Mariah said, suddenly coming cautiously alert. "Why?"

"Well, I tried calling her but it goes straight to voicemail," Missy said.

"I think she's back up on the mountain," Mariah said carefully. "Bad reception up there."

"Oh, yeah, that's what Knox said too," Missy said.

"Well, I'll tell her Clay is OK as soon as I hear from her. I know she'll be happy to hear it," Mariah said. "Was that all you wanted to tell her, Missy?"

"Yeah, that... and also, you know Bess from Clay's work?" Missy said. "She was here yesterday. She's just great. She offered to help out with the hospital... you know, money and bills and stuff. Anyway, she said she wanted to talk to Demarco. She gave me her number and asked me to tell Demarco to call her, to set up a time they could meet. I didn't even know she knew Demarco. It's funny how everyone knows everyone, isn't it?"

"Missy, why don't you give me Bess's number," Mariah said gently but firmly. "I'll pass it along when I see Demarco. Then you can get back to Clay. OK?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Missy said happily. "Thanks Mary."

------------------------

"Are we good?" Etta asked tensely.

Knowing there were so many different questions behind those words, Demarco decided to deal with the most immediate one first. "I think so," she said. "She followed me but..."

"... you lost her?" Etta said, her words hovering between a statement and a question.

"I think so," Demarco repeated. "I'm not entirely certain. She did a good job staying downwind of me. Too good."

"She knows," Etta said. Demarco could see her keen mind working behind those dark eyes, adjusting to this new information.

"I've got the pack keeping a lookout," Beardy Bill put in. "If there's trouble coming, we'll know it."

"This woman and the people she works with are dangerous, Bill," Demarco said. "They know who I am. They might know about you and your pack too."

"You telling me to be careful, girl?" Bill asked with mocking severity.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Demarco grinned. Hell, yes, I'm telling you to be careful you stubborn Old Wolf, she thought privately. 

Bill's answering grin made her wonder again if elder werewolves could read minds.

"We should get in touch with M & M," Etta said, grinning slightly at the nickname she'd picked up for the pair. "We need to let them know what's going on."

"Right." Demarco took a deep breath. 

She realized she hadn't turned her phone back on since last night. She always turned it off when it was a full moon. Running around as a Wolf was a bad time to take calls. Turning it on now, she discovered a startling number of missed calls from Missy. Hoping everything was all right with Clay and Knox, she dialed Mariah's number instead. One crisis at a time, she thought.

"Demarco, parli del Diavolo," Mariah answered. "I was just about to call you."

"Yeah, I think we need to talk," Demarco said. Why did words have to carry so many meanings?

------------------------

"You heard about Clay, right?" Jay, the receptionist at Evergreen Development, asked.

"I did. I spoke with his girlfriend at the hospital last night," Bess Sterling replied, putting everything she had into keeping up her 'strong but approachable boss' look. "Oh, if anyone is thinking about passing the hat around, let them know not to worry about it. The company is going to do everything we can to help them out. What's the point of a discretionary fund if we can't use it to help our people, right?"

"That's real good of you," Jay said. It hurt a little, Bess thought, to see him hiding his obvious surprise at this generosity. "I know some of the guys were talking about making a collection, sending a card and stuff."

"Well, make sure I have a chance to sign that card. Is there anything else I should know?" Bess said.

"Just that Mr. Grey and Mr. Hand are here," Jay said. "They signed in about ten minutes ago, said they were going to use the upstairs conference room."

"Terrific," Bess said, putting on her brightest smile. She hoped like hell that Jay didn't see the screaming terror it was supposed to be hiding. 

Bess crossed the office with a confident stride, nodding greetings to the people in the cubicles. She waved off a couple of attempts to start conversations, politely but firmly. She'd talk to them later. She was busy right now.

At the top of the stairs, she hesitated. Then, quietly, she crept up to one of the partitions that separated the upstairs conference room from the rest of the upper level and listened.

"According to Mallory, Demarco and her partner went up to Moonwood Mill last night and returned this morning," Grey said in his dispassionate voice. "They'll have shared their suspicions with Oaklow and Moonrunner. With your people two weeks out, that could be a problem."

"The timeline could be accelerated if necessary," Mr. Hand replied, cold and calculating. "Doing so risks drawing unwanted attention, and possible opposition, from within the Leadership. However, it could also resolve the situation before such objections could interfere with the project."

"We also need to consider Ms. Sterling," Mr. Grey said. "We may need to deal with her sooner than expected..."

Shit, Bess thought as she tried not to run back down the stairs. 

Shit, shit, shit. There has to be a way out of this. I just have to be smart. There has to be a way. Stepping out the side door, she took a deep breath to settle herself. There was always a way. She just had to be smart, collected, confident.

She literally jumped when her cell started ringing. 

Forcing herself to look and sound calm, she pulled the phone from her pocket and accepted the call.

"Bess Stirling," she said in her very best 'I am confident and in control' voice. "Oh, Lux! Wonderful... Missy gave you my message? Good. Yes, I would like to speak you. In fact, I have an opening in my calendar this morning. Are you available? You are? Excellent. The Caboose? Yes, I'll meet you there in thirty minutes. I guarantee it will be worth your time." 

See, she told herself, there is always a way. She just had to be smart.

In Moonlight - Ch 21 - Worry and Doubt

 "Gwen, do you have a minute?" Genie asked.

Seeing Mr. Grey again had stirred up bad memories. Then, learning about the likely connections between the svartalves and the Axis party, and through them to her parents, Genie found herself forced to confront a question that had been lurking in her mind, ignored, for too long. From things Miranda had said, she'd wondered if Gwen might know the answer. So, when Cassie had declared that she and Gwen needed to go before they were missed, she'd followed Miranda's moms outside. 

"I've never been very good at holding onto time," Gwen replied with a strange smile. "I can't seem to get a grip on it."

Genie blinked, suddenly unsure how to deal with Gwen's nearly legendary strangeness. Forcibly putting it aside, she said, "I wanted to ask you about my mom."

"Of course, dear," Gwen said, sobering.

"You were... friends... at university, right?" Genie asked, suddenly unsure quite how to begin.

"Your mother and I were very close once," Gwen nodded. "We were friends and lovers. We shared... so many things."

Genie took another deep breath. From the way Miranda talked, Gwen would be more than happy to tell her all sorts of things she didn't want to know about her mom's sex life. She absolutely did not want to know what her mom had gotten up to with Gwen, and apparently Cassie and her dad, at university. Realizing that she was distracting herself, Genie forced her mind back into line. 

"Yeah, but you knew her... and you liked her. So, she wasn't... I mean... was she always so..." Genie stammered. "I mean... was she always evil?"

"Oh Genie, no," Gwen said sadly. "No, the Luna I knew was certainly not evil."

"Then what happened?" Genie demanded. "Why is she like this now? She launders money for gangsters. I know she's been meeting with Mr. Hand and I'm sure she's involved in this whole Crossing business... Alien invasions and world domination? She might even be involved in Shannon's murder. Why is she doing this? Then there's my Uncle Max and Grand-père Jacques... and a Villareal killed Baron Charm's father! Gwen, is there just something evil about my whole family?"

Is there something evil about me, she screamed silently.

"Oh... oh my dear child, I'm so sorry. No, I don't believe there is something inherently evil about your family," Gwen said, pulling Genie to her. "If you really want to understand why your mother is doing these things, you need to understand her relationship with Genevieve."

"It's Genie," Genie corrected her reflexively, "and my mom and I don't have a relationship."

"I know your name, dear," Gwen said gently. "You should talk to your uncle. He can explain better than I ever could."

"You know, I always thought Miranda was exaggerating when she talked about how cryptic Gwen was," Jenny said, coming up behind Genie as they watched Gwen and Cassie walk away. 

"If anything, I think she was understating things," Genie grumbled quietly. "If I want to understand my mom, I need to understand our relationship? Our relationship is her ignoring me, belittling me, drowning me in unreasonable expectations and calling me Genevieve all the damn time! What's to understand?"

"I guess you should ask your uncle," Jenny offered.

"Uncle Max shot me," Genie snarled. "He pulled out a gun and literally shot me. The next time I see him, the only thing I'm planning to say to him is 'enjoy prison.' Ugh. Miranda's right. Gwen's nuts." 

"... and she just disappeared," Jenny said. "Like... poof... they completely disappeared into thin air. I will never get used to that."

"OK, is that more weird or less weird than the time I watched Miranda fly away on a broom?" Genie mused. "Like an actual broom. Flying."

Jenny seemed to think about it for a moment. "I'm not really sure," she said at last.

"Well, I can't fly or... you know... poof. So, you up for another train trip tonight?" Genie said, squaring her shoulders. "If we hurry, we should be able to catch the last run back to Windenburg."

"Ugh, another night sleeping on the train?" Jenny groaned. "Sure, why not. We should really see about getting those rail passes though."

---------------------

"I'm worried about Genie," Mariah said.

Miranda was washing the breakfast dishes. The rented house seemed quiet with just the two of them. That was odd, Mariah thought. She'd gotten used to the house being a safe, quiet place for Mary and Mandy. Now that they were Mariah and Miranda again, it seemed more right for it to be full of friends. It was even more surprising for her to realize she was counting a snarky werewolf and a certain emotionally problematic ex-witch among her friends.

"Hmmm," Miranda prompted.

Focus on one problem at a time, Mariah chided herself.

"This business with her mother... her whole family really, but I think it's mostly her mother," Mariah said. 

"Luna always seemed... distant... to me," Miranda replied thoughtfully. "A bit snobby and superficial, but distant under that. Still, even knowing what we know now, I have a hard time believing how deeply she's involved with the crime families and everything else. I can only imagine what Genie must be feeling."

"I have a pretty good idea," Mariah sighed. "She keeps looking at me like I'm some kind of role model."

"Listen to me," Miranda said gently. "Leaving aside her obvious crush on you, Genie respects you and you've been through something like this. No, you didn't handle it well, but you've learned from those mistakes. You can help her. We both can. We'll be there when she needs us."

"Not if we have to go back in hiding from the Altos or the Dark Court or the svartalves or whoever else is after us," Mariah groaned.

"We'll be there when our friends need us," Miranda said, a sudden flare of Power crackling in the air around her like chained lightning.

There were many times, Mariah thought, when she forgot that her wife was a powerful strega. There were other times when it couldn't be ignored. 

"You know, you can be a little intense sometimes," she said, forcing herself to smile.

And just like that, the great witch was Miranda, the woman Mariah loved again, grinning sheepishly.

------------------------

"Would you just tell her already," Demarco said hotly.

Usually, after the catharsis of running as a Wolf under the full moon, Demarco felt calmer. She wasn't feeling calmer. The jealous tension that had been building in her since she'd found herself actually face to face with the Great and Glorious Miranda Goth was reaching a breaking point. The rational Woman in her realized that she'd been hiding that jealousy by snarling at Miranda's wife, Mariah. Now, it seemed, the Wolf in her had grown to like Mariah too much to snarl at her.

"What am I supposed to tell her, Lux?" Etta replied, her own temper flaring. "You're the expert on my feelings. What do you want me to say?"

"You know what? You're right. I have no idea what you feel," Demarco groaned. Not about Miranda, she thought, and certainly not about me.

"Lux," Etta groaned, obviously struggling to reclaim her calm.

"But I do know a couple of things," Demarco said over her, determined to approach this as rationally, if not calmly, as possible. "I know that you divide your life into before and after you met Miranda. I know you still hold back in every... friendship... you have because you feel that you betrayed her."

"I did betray her," Etta insisted.

"I also know that you turned your back on everything you were raised to believe, and you did it for her," Demarco continued, inwardly pleased that she didn't hear the snarl of her Wolf in her voice. 

"Raised by an evil warlock," Etta pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," Demarco insisted, wishing Etta would just listen to reason. "Right or wrong, it was what you knew. You gave up everything that you had defined your life by... for her. You know what that all sounds like to me? Love! Just admit it. You love Miranda Goth."

"What about..." Etta started softly.

"Us?" Demarco asked bitterly. The tension in her threatened to snap. It was good, the reasonable part of her thought, that they were having this conversation now, after the full moon. She needed to have this conversation as a Woman. "What about us? What are we? We used to be 'just friends' because you said you weren't ready to offer more than that. I was OK with that. Then, we both nearly got killed by some big hairy monster..."

"Troll," Etta sighed. "It was a troll."

"... and we kissed. We made love... and then... what?" Demarco continued. "We've never defined what we have. You've never been willing to. So, what are we, Etta? Friends with benefits? Fuckbuddies? Lovers? You keep saying that witches aren't monogamous."

"But werewolves are," Etta pointed out.

"What? The whole Wolves mate for life thing? We both know that's bullshit," Demarco snapped, tasting the lie on her lips. True, she'd known one who definitely wasn't a one-woman-werewolf, but Kiril was also a treacherous, scheming scumbag. Every other mated Wolf she knew was fiercely monogamous. "Just... just tell her what you feel."

Tell me what you feel, the Woman in her screamed silently.

"Lux, I... I..." Etta took a deep breath. "I think we're being followed."

"What?" Demarco blinked. Startled, she tasted the air but found nothing. Irritated, she was about to turn and call Etta out when the wind shifted and she caught a familiar, threatening scent. Damn it, she cursed herself. She'd been so distracted, thinking with her Woman's mind, that her Wolf’s instincts had been blinded to the danger. "The woman in black."

"How do you want to play it?" Etta asked calmly. Whatever emotional turmoil she felt, she'd set aside to deal with the threat. Demarco always envied that about her.

"Split," Demarco said, her voice thickening as the Wolf rose within her. "You go straight, I'll break right. We'll see which one of us she follows."

"It's too open. Too many people around," Etta said. "We should try to shake her."

"So, if she follows you, shake her. I'll do the same. We meet at Beardy Bill's," Demarco said. "It's remote enough, if we can't shake her off, we can confront her there. You know we're not done with this conversation, right?"

"I know," Etta smiled. "We'll finish it. I promise."