Night Witch (Book 1) ✔️

27 - A Monster by Any Other Name

They let me leave after that, mumbling about how they didn't think my kid would steal the tapes. I hated the fact that they'd given me special treatment because I was raising a kid, but it seemed like the only way to get them to go along with the plan so I swallowed my anger.

I leave my phone number with Luke and head out to fetch my car. There's a note stuck under the wiper and I snatch it up before setting the tapes on the passenger seat. My temper flares as I read it.

Parking spots reserved for MPD detectives. Please relocate or your car will be moved.

I crumble the paper and toss it on the ground with a snarl. I'd sent a note with my information to the officer who patrolled the lot yesterday so he knew full well that this car was mine. Apparently, because my car was a bit older and a lot more run down than my fellow detectives', it wasn't wanted here. Well, too bad. If anything, this just made me more determined to drive to work everyday and I had way better uses for my money than a new car.

I storm to the other side and get in, slamming my door before pulling away. I resist the urge to flip my pinky finger at the guard I see wandering down the sidewalk as I leave the lot, but only barely.

I make it back to find Kit sprawled on the couch with a book. Correction, with a tome. It's huge and given it's elderly leather binding it's easy enough to recognize.

I drop my bag and assorted tapes onto a chair and collapse on the couch, and since Kit already occupies the couch I end up squishing her feet, which isn't very comfortable for either of us. She finally let's the book fall to her chest to give me a sigh.

"You actually made it home today." Her words are part surprised, part resigned.

I heave my own deep sigh before answering. "Yeah. I think they'll be a bit more accommodating from now on but it's definitely going to be later than the Downwind."

I shake my head, imagining how much worse it would be if I'd taken the job in Central. Even if they let me leave early like tonight I'd still have at least an hours drive to get back.

Kit nods and flops her arms out wide. "Mrs. Verfain says she can have someone pick me up after my tutoring finishes every day. I think that will work well since I haven't gotten the hang of teleportation."

I nod, having asked Mrs. Verfain to get Kit from school after she'd finished her extra lessons. Mrs. Verfain was turning into quite the unexpected resource and while it bothered me that I couldn't do it all I also knew that this was the lesser of two evils.

"Do you enjoy your lessons with Mrs. Verfain? And what about your tutor?" I wrigle and Kit frees her feet so I can sit more comfortably.

"My tutor is great! She graduated from Ravenswood and now she's in law school and wanted some community service. I knew the basics and now she's teaching me about incantations and simple defense. Mrs. Verfain is way harder, though. She wants me to memorize faces and house mottos and crests and who knows what else for all of the Covenate families and more! I promised I'd start learning the bloodlines in the books you brought back." She sent a sour look at the tome on her chest. "This sucks."

"Sorry." I pat her foot in commiseration. I remember hating those lessons but I'd been much younger. By the time I'd reached Kit's age it was so engrained I didn't have to think about it.

An idea sparked and I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows at her. "You said you're working on incantations, right?"

She goes instantly alert. "Yeah."

I ignore her wariness and hop up, pulling off the book and yanking her to her feet. "Well, I'll be gone late and I don't like the idea of you here all alone. So, why don't you perform a summoning? I've got all the ingredients and I was planning on doing it but if you want to give it a try you could."