Where A Witch Goeth

Chapter Twenty-Five: Closet Confessions

I was slowly adapting to the vampire life. I slept until late afternoon—far too late to attempt any serious hunt for Morgan. When I woke, Tavish was already up, and he insisted on walking me back to the resort. I accepted graciously since I didn't know where the hell on the mountainside I was. It turned out it was a short, perilous descent to one of the resort's underground tunnels, and he left at that entrance with left, right, right, left instructions to find my way back to the main building.

I came out near the lobby and attempted to maneuver the long way around to backstairs that would take me to my room, but I ran across Minnie. She looked me up and down.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked bluntly, her eyebrows raised at my rumpled clothes and frizzy hair.

"You didn't hear? Tavish and I went boom," I said sarcastically.

"What?" she cried, pulling me into a service closet filled with linens and shutting the door firmly behind her. After giving the large closet/small room an inspection to make sure no maids were tippling on a break, she hissed,  "What do you mean, you and Tavish went boom?"

"Turns out, we're magically reactive, somehow. Fae-kissed son of a vampire plus witch equals...boom! Who knew? Van's forbidden us to touch," I shrugged.

"Of course," she huffed. "But what do you think it means?"

I sighed between the stacks of fluffy white towels. "I honestly don't know. But..." I eyed her suspiciously. She looked bit rumpled herself...everywhere except her skin, which was glowing. "How did you not hear? It was a big deal...Van woke up from his torpor, he tried to walk into the sunlight, all the vampires had to hold him back, and Tracker and Trotter saved the day by dragging Tavish and I back from near death at the mini-fall..."

"Oh, golly!" her eyes went round and her hand flew to her mouth. "I...I...dammit, I'm so glad you're the first person I met!"

"Oh, goddess!" I hissed, clapping my hand to her upper arms. "You stayed overnight in Asheville with Henry, didn't you!?!?!"

She flapped a hand at me, dismissing my statement as she looked me up and down. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" I asked with more than a little heavy insinuation.

She blushed. Very prettily. Then she fluffed her brown bob defiantly and met my eyes. "I love him, Celie. I am not ashamed."

My posture collapsed in exasperation and I flapped a hand at her. "Minnie, I think it's wonderful that you and Henry love each other, and equally wonderful and brave, that you have decided to be together."

She froze on the edge of tears. "Really?"

I teared up, too as I embraced her. "Really really."

She pushed me away and thrust her left hand toward me. She was sporting a beautiful engagement ring. It was bolder, modern, and larger than her first, the one I wore on my left hand.

"I told him he spent too much, but he said it was more than a ring, it was a statement of his ability to provide, and he does so well—Van gives the band a percentage of each night's take and they really pack it in..." she babbled.

"It's gorgeous," I breathed, hugging her again, and then I cut to the chase. "You're telling the whole family tomorrow at the brunch, right?"

She nodded, her teeth clenching in anxiety.

"I am with you, one hundred percent. I know Van thinks well of Henry and his family, and I think he will be happy for you, but if he has any...practical, old-fashioned concerns, I will do my best to make him see sense. I swear."