Chapter Eighteen

It was weird going back to the sorority house.

In truth, it hadn't even been a week since Michael had fucked her life up. Okay, so her life had kind of been fucked up since before she was born. Maybe just a long line of FUBAR'ed stuff had happened since Amenadiel blessed her grandma. However, it had been accelerating like a freight train ever since Esmée's underlings had gotten their fangs in her. Michael landing her on probation-at best-with Omega Chi was just par for the course.

Still, it was with a heavy heart that she opened the door to her former home and walked inside. The dining hall wasn't busy considering that there was a meeting in less than an hour at the house, but she was glad about that. Since it was Friday, maybe everyone was out and about and just anywhere else. Lettie wasn't down yet, so Trixie took a moment to catch her breath as she settled into a table near the back of the dining hall. She hoped that at least since no one else would be looking for her, that just maybe she'd blend into the background.

Trixie wasn't thinking that clearly from zero sleep and all her stress with the twins, and who would have thought that both the Devil and the Sword of God would agree on one thing-exactly how she should live her life. Guh. As if either knew her very well. Okay, so Luci totally did, but he was just being so overbearing. Trixie never should have given him her word because he'd expect her to keep it. And she'd be honor bound to do so. However, he'd asked and it was clearly the one thing he truly desired.

Okay, so if he got sicker, she'd go off and get a minivan, some kids, and a picket fence or whatever it was normal people did. She wasn't completely sure what that was since she'd been training with blades with a demon since she was eight.

Yeah, right.

All her damn promise really meant was that now she had to use her apparent visions to circumvent the future, then, so that her vow wouldn't matter anymore.

Trixie was deep in her thoughts and about to slip out her phone to text Lettie to remind her they had dinner plans when someone coughed behind her. She stilled and looked over her shoulder and could not suppress a groan when she found Mackenzie, one of Veronica Chang's besties, lurking.

"Can I help you?"

The other girl rolled her eyes and adjusted her Prada bag over her shoulder. Yeah, that Trixie could (now) recognize. From her best friend and basically sister, Maze, she knew how to slice an Achilles tendon in record time. From her well step-devil, she knew last season's designer stuff when she saw it. Because of course Lucifer could still tell that at fifty feet and would sometimes joke about it with her when they went down to Tenebrae's bar for happy hour. Because, yes, the Devil was part fearsome beast, part damned archangel, but also just really catty. And people watching with him got interesting. And a bit mean.

Okay, a lot mean.

Mackenzie shrugged. "You're not supposed to be here. The meeting's not for an hour, and you don't live here anymore."

Trixie swallowed but sat up straighter. "Yeah, true, but I'm Lettie's guest and I have to be at the meeting. I mean, my design for the float this year remains under consideration, and I'm still a member."

"Not if you get expelled from the chapter…I mean, I heard the rumor they might even have a representative from Nationals here too."

Trixie blinked, taken off guard. Neither Annie nor Lettie had mentioned that. Then again, maybe Mrs. Murchison, that old bitch, had gone behind Annie's back and arranged for such a thing.

"What?"

Mackenzie perked up instantly. "Oh, you didn't know? That's why I heard Mrs. Murchison had it moved up. The National rep-Virginia Chang-she couldn't make it on Saturday since she had other things on her plate."

"Wait? Are you kidding me? Veronica's sister is running this kangaroo court?"

"Well, Murchison and Virginia, yeah. I mean Annie doesn't know. This was something the house mother and Nationals clearly felt strongly about. And, you know, Annie's your gran big so…conflict of interest."

"What?"

"Yeah, your whole 'family' doesn't know. They'd have been biased. So, Rhonda too is in the dark. But I mean, if you're all that innocent, Espinoza, then it shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," Trixie bit back. Well, technically things were looking up with Ted and maybe someday… But Michael? Never. "There's an explanation for what happened."

"All ears."

"That's for the meeting," she floundered.

Mackenzie chuckled. "It's fine, Espinoza. I mean, you're toast, totally, but I have to admit you really surprised me. You even surprised Veronica. We thought you were a nun. You never seemed to give that much of a shit at mixers…I didn't know you had a sugar daddy."

Trixie groaned and set her head in her hands. "Trust me, that's not what it is. Michael is a friend of mine, kind of. I mean, his twin brother is an old family friend, and I hang out at Tenebrae because, uh, Luke owns it and like free drinks? It's not more than that. I mean, it's just not at all…I'd never."

Mackenzie laughed again. "Riiight, so that's why he's shirtless in the communal bathroom at four a.m. Look, I'm serious, that's pretty cool. Didn't think you had it in you, but like I have eyeballs and I was there. I mean, what else could it be, Espinoza?"

Well, you see, the archangel who literally fabricated all the matter in the universe is actually a complete moron so he doesn't get you can't just apparate into a sorority house any time you want. Plus, he had vampire ear on his shirt, so it really was best not to have viscera out and…

God, ergh, no one would ever believe that.

"It's not that. Family friend. It's just…he snuck up on me."

"On the third floor and with no key card, unless you snuck him one. Then, even more badass than I thought you were."

"It isn't your business."

Mackenzie shrugged. "Well, I can't bring my boo into the house so kind of unfair."

"He's not-"

"Hey, Mack, you're done here," Lettie interrupted, from behind them both. Trixie relaxed as she watched her Big stare down the annoying thorn in her side. "Did I stutter? We'll see you at the meeting, till then, leave Trix alone."

Mackenzie glared back at her. "I was just giving you mad props. I mean, he was really hot and-"

Lettie shook her head as she pulled out her chair with a shriek. "Go now."

"Fine, whatever, dead girl walking," Mackenzie snapped, trotting away and to the front of the dining hall.

Trixie offered her Big a grateful smile. "Thanks, I feel better. She was being so annoying. Also, did you hear how this is a whole freaking set up? Veronica Chang's older sister is gonna be the Naitonal's rep, and I'm so dead."

Lettie's eyes widened, and she cursed under her breath. "Damn, I didn't know. You have to believe me that neither Annie nor I did."

Trixie nodded. "Oh, yeah, apparently our whole fam wasn't told. Fair trial my ass."

Lettie sighed. "Look, you have all the stress, and you haven't slept at all. Annie and I aren't gonna let them kick you out, promise. I'll grab a couple slices of pizza and we can catch up before, you know-"

Trixie arched an eyebrow at her. "My impending trial of doom?"

"Maybe, just chill and trust me and Annie to have it."

She waited as Lettie went off to get their food, her mind spinning. It should seem a way smaller worry to have to deal with Mrs. Murchison and the Changs' overall fuckery when she had heaven, Hell, and everything in between on her shoulders. Still, the idea that fucking Veronica was gunning for her so hard pissed her off. Trixie didn't even want to be social chair any longer. But she did want to stay with her sisters and, okay, maybe Luci had a point and doing something just human was important too.

Also Veronica really was a bitch. She shouldn't get to win!s

So her thoughts kept circling each other when Lettie set the pizza and a generous slice of chocolate cake (and some things never changed) in front of her.

"If you just want to focus on the whole tribunal thing, we don't have to…you don't have to explain about whatever the heck is going on with you and Tenebrae."

She shrugged and bit into her pizza with gusto. Trixie had finally made some progress on her paper research and was feeling awake now with the adrenaline from her confrontation with Mackenzie, so hunger was the next thing to deal with. She had half the slice scarfed down before she finally figured out what to say.

"I need to feel like you have my back."

"I do," Lettie replied with no hesitation at all.

Trixie sighed. "But you think I'm crazy for hanging out with the Devil, right?"

Lettie poked at her food but didn't actually dig in. "I want to understand it. I can't help but think that this is dangerous as Hell for you, Trix."

"It's a really long story."

"We've got forty-five minutes."

She nodded. "It's super weird. I just…the real problem in all of this that I'm not normal."

Lettie frowned. "You seem pretty regular to me."

"Okay, so basically back in L.A. like ten years ago when my parents met Lucifer…well, okay, he was pretty normal for him and ended up being my mom's consultant on cases. The LAPD got stuff out of it cause, be real, with some of his powers, Lucifer was able to get confessions."

"The cops knew?"

"No, and that's kind of the problem and he was…different in L.A.," she said. "Honestly, he wasn't like he is now at Tenebrae at all. Now though, everything's a mess."

"I don't think I'm following you at all, Little."

Trixie sighed. "Michael and Lucifer are supposed to be identical. And in L.A., Lucifer mostly just could be humanish. My parents didn't know. No one did. I mean he said it all the time, Maze too, but they just seemed like crazy method actors. I mean, it's L.A."

Lettie nodded. "Okay, that part actually makes sense. If I were the literal Devil, somewhere like Hollywood makes sense. He couldn't have even been the weirdest guy there."

"Not really."

Her Big continued, "but I'm guessing if he's not just doing the Devil look for the tourist crowd at night, things got worse?"

"Yeah, and complicated. I…stuff we started figuring out when I wandered on accident into Tenebrae with Cheryl and realized they'd moved here too…we started learning things about my mom and me. It's pretty nuts but we're miracles, and I mean literally. God wanted to create a fun leash system for Lucifer and started making miracles. Mom's one cause without God literally having the First Born angel ever bless my grandma she wouldn't exist at all. Then me. I guess I kind of came along. I mean, I started hanging with Lucifer again at Tenebrae cause he and Maze were like family back in L.A., and I missed them a lot. But, yeah, a lot is going on with me and both of them are good-all the Lilim are fine, actually-and they protect me."

Lettie blinked at her and didn't speak for a while. Technically, Trixie hoped that her Big didn't press more on her assessment of the Lilim. Maze, Taka, and Ez she trusted implicitly. However, the other guy Lilim and she weren't close, but they were loyal to Lucifer, so they weren't gonna hurt anyone but leeches.

Fine by Trixie.

"I said too much, huh? See, it's all messed up," Trixie replied.

"No, but I'm trying to digest a lot. So, you're a literal miracle?"

"Yup."

Lettie considered that. "And your mom is too?"

"Uh-huh. I mean, I get the LAPD got solving crimes and getting cases cleared for putting up with Lucifer's bullshit. At his best moments, he's kind of a hot mess. I mean, wasn't exactly a rule follower."

"Imagine that with the Devil."

"Yeah, well, I think what Lucifer got out of everything was he fell hard for my mom. He didn't know what she was or that miracles were even a thing for a while after he first met her. But I think Luci started as her consultant because he was crushing hard and fast."

Lettie's expression darkened. "And with you?"

Trixie half choked on her soda. "Um, no. Not at all. Dude, I've known him since I was seven. Nope. I mean, with me Lucifer is like having a very annoying, very overly invested step-dad or, I dunno, kind of like a mother hen type?"

"The Devil mother hens?"

"Oh, a lot, and he has so many opinions on make-up advice and my wardrobe choices. Makes me study all the time. So yeah, it's not like my dad cause that's not a thing. I dunno…kind of like a mix between a really trendy uncle and possibly Batman? Um, no pun intended, but I guess in New Orleans, he definitely sees me as a ward."

Lettie nodded. "So, Satan and his demons are just your friends and aren't trying to hurt you or secretly take you to Hell?"

Trixie sighs. "Would it be weird if I said 'I wish?'"

Lettie stopped even pretending to eat then. "You'd like to go to Hell? See, I knew that the whole Tenebrae and Devil stuff…it's no good."

Trixie tried not to take that personally. To be fair, despite her middle name, no one ever really accused Trixie of thinking things through or making any prudent choices, like ever. Still, it was hard to explain. Even her two best friends thought she was nuts for wishing she were Lilim or, if not that, at least got a choice on where she'd go after she shuffled off that mortal coil.

"It's not an option anyway. Maze doesn't have a soul and Lucifer is gonna run Hell from now until the end of time, so there's something kind of shitty in knowing that my afterlife won't involve them ever. I mean, miracle is apparently also an automatic pass to heaven, do not pass go and do not collect two hundred dollars."

Lettie exhaled and at least took a small sip of her Sprite. "Good then."

"Everyone says that."

"Yeah, imagine me not wanting to see you damned for all eternity. I'm such a bad big sis."

Trixie shrugged. "I mean, if it makes you feel any better, even Lucifer thinks that I'm crazy for wishing for more options, but, yeah, miracles can't go anywhere else, so Lucifer isn't…he doesn't take souls anyway. Never did, and it isn't his call. The whole deal with the Devil thing is true but just for I.O.U.'s. Lucifer has zero interest in actual souls. Like at all."

Lettie considered that and drummed her fingers against the dinner table. "Okay, so I think I'm getting it, mostly. The Devil-"

"Lucifer really."

"So, Lucifer is an old family friend from back in L.A., and he was always kind of drawn to your family even before he realized it because both you and your mom are miracles."

Trixie shrugged. "Yup, that's about the main gist. And I'm not going to actual Hell ever and Lucifer is literally the last person anywhere who'd want me to. Trust me; there have been arguments."

Her Big scowled at her but didn't comment on that part. Instead, she moved back to the miracle thing. "Alright, so what does being a miracle even mean for you and, also, how did literally St. Michael at four a.m. get involved with any of this? Shouldn't he hate Lucifer?"

"Well, they have a truce to keep me safe for the rest of my life so maybe later they'll go back to being mad at each other?" Trixie said.

She hoped, honestly, that Azrael and Michael could be friends with Lucifer someday, that even if she were stuck in the Silver City eventually, that Michael and Lucifer would work alongside each other. It wasn't possible, considering that Michael would always be loyal to God and God seemed to exist to make her best friend miserable.

But Trixie wanted to hope for better.

"I'm serious. I don't know how the most famous archangel got wrapped up in this," Lettie insisted.

Trixie shrugged and dug into her cake. If she was going to a tribunal, she was going sugared up. "Miracles come with abilities usually. Mom didn't grow into hers because when she would have developed it, my grandpa was murdered on the job and her whole life kind of fell apart for a long time. There's kind of a window between eighteen and thirty-three. Either you develop powers or you don't. I just finally figured out what mine is today, but Michael was the angel who helped bless most of the miracles so he's been trying to help us all figure it out too. He just…uh, isn't on Earth much and doesn't understand you can't just show up randomly."

"Like at 4 a.m. in the bathroom?"

"Angels are idiots a lot of the time. I mean, they don't apparently hang out with people enough to get how rules work or maybe just don't care."

Lettie considered all of that carefully. "Okay, just so I know whatever you do before we get to the meeting, I'm gonna forge ahead on that miracleness."

"Thanks."

"But first, just so I'm clear: the demons you hang out with are safe, the Dev…Lucifer is just like your annoying uncle who wants the best for you-"

"Basically, but if you told him that to his face, he'd get all offended and then ramble about how he hasn't been tamed and everything else. He is very proud of his reputation, even if he's not that evil and so fussy and I said mother hen, right?"

Lettie laughed at that. "You did a few times."

"Yeah, so that sums most of it up. The club's not evil, and I'm not damned, and Luci's actually this weird mix of immature, action movie-obsessed idiot and fussy uncle type. It is what it is, you know?"

"I'm taking your word for it, since I haven't really met Lucifer yet, just seen him and it's…a lot."

"Yeah, I know, and I know now cause his dad is messing with him big time and punishing him extra hard since L.A., well, I know he doesn't look like it. Still, he's kind of a goofball and he can't really be left alone. I just…if anything, Maze and I trade off babysitting. So my life? So not full of illicit devil trysts. Or like goat sacrificing rituals damning me to Hell either, nope."

"And Michael?"

"He's annoying and overbearing and an idiot and he definitely is all on Team God and everything else. But for now, he's trying to help me and Luci, so that's all there is."

Lettie frowned at that. "So, he doesn't go around slaying vampires?"

"Nah, Maze and Lucifer were cleaning out a nest and the dumbass blundered into it. But I mean, if it makes you feel better, I have pretty much all the most important people in heaven or Hell looking out for me, and I'm not damned at all."

"And here we are."

Trixie picked at her cake restlessly, her appetite dwindling. "Yeah, so you tell me about Sight and your family, and I'll fill in anything else you need to know about my miracleness."

Lettie took another sip of her drink and sighed. "My family's been in New Orleans for a while, a couple hundred years. I mean, you know how this town is a whole soup. One of my great great grandmothers was apparently a seer, low level really, from Spain. Came over here cause port city and it's been in my family ever since. I mean, I can't play the lottery with it, you know?"

"Lame." She frowned, thinking of her nightmare this morning. "So how do…how does it work for you?"

"Tarot cards help me focus if I'm trying to really see something."

Trixie laughed and sat up straighter in her chair. "Ha! Told him!"

"Who?"

"Luci said that Tarot was b.s., and I was like that can't be."

Lettie shrugged. "Honestly, a lot of the fortune readers in the city aren't the real deal. I could have used a crystal ball or tea leaves or even animal blood to focus. My grandma does tea leaves and my momma works with wishbones. It's just whatever works as a way to get you the right head space. I mean, not sure how I feel about saying this out loud, but the Devil's not wrong. Like 90% of Tarot readers aren't real. I just happen to be one of the few who actually can in the Quarter."

"Cool. But can't win the lottery, huh?"

"Sight doesn't work for self-serving purposes like that," Lettie replied and finished draining her drink. It's kind of a pain in the ass. I can glean some things but not if it involves going to Vegas or something, nope."

"And that's it?" Trixie said, for once glad to be probing about someone else's powers instead of trying to figure out her own.

"I mean that's the way I can get a feel for future events; it's all about interpretation since it's never quite literal." Lettie started collecting up all her food on a tray and then added Trixie's to it as well. "I mean vaguely I can sense things. If there's a glamour or lack thereof, I can tell."

"And that's how you knew Luci was the actual Devil, huh?"

"Yup, and I mean, I bet if I met your demon friends, then even if they're sporting their human looks, I'd still be able to see them as they actually are." Lettie finished sorting out the tray but didn't hop up to put everything away just yet. They had a few minutes left before the gallows anyway. "And, so, if your whole miracle thing comes with a power. What do you do? Ooh, can you turn water into wine because that would rock at mixers."

"I wish," Trixie replied. "I have Sight too. Or, at least, I think I had a dream that was prophetic? It was pretty intense last night, woke me up by five a.m. I just…some big stuff is going on, and I hope what I saw in like ten years isn't true or that if it is, at least I can fix it."

Trixie didn't get to add more before Lettie reached out and grabbed her hand. Like with Constantine a few weeks ago, whatever Lettie was doing wasn't invasive, but it did leave her slightly warmed. It was maybe like a flash of static electricity surging through her.

And then some.

When Lettie was done, she leaned back in her chair and shook her head. "Well, that's new."

"Is it?"

Lettie nodded. "I've met all types of witches and other seers. I mean, okay, the first time I've ever seen anything Infernal, I went from 0 to 60 by spying the Devil bartending."

"It's a thing," Trixie said, rolling her eyes. "I think he mostly just does it when I'm down there to have a pretext to keep an eye on me. Although, he's definitely fond of drinking too."

"Yeah, well I've felt a lot of things before and, you know, I come from a line of seers so I know what Sight feels like, there's a vibe between my family members who have it and also the few other non-familial ones I've met. You don't have it."

Trixie blinked. That made zero sense because she'd had the worst fucking nightmare of her life, and it had to mean something. She didn't want it to, but cuddling under the nest of blankets and the 1000th mind-numbing Bones marathon had felt so real.

Enough to keep her up for the next few months endlessly, she was sure.

"No, that has to be it. You have no idea how bad my dream was. It was real."

Lettie quirked her head at Trixie and studied her with unerring scrutiny. "Maybe it felt that way, but, Trixie, I don't think you know what you do. Oh, there's definitely something there. I can feel you have power there and it's pretty untapped or, at least, I don't think you've ever used it on purpose before."

"But it's Sight because I saw Lucifer and my dream was messed up and I have had like zero sleep, and it all fits with what happened when he and Michael sparred and-"

"Wait, what? Back up. I'm a decent Catholic…kind of. I mean, I know enough to get that the last time Satan and St. Michael had a go…"

"Well, the actual last time, Lucifer threw Mike into his Steinway and ruined it cause drama. But yeah, the time before that, totally all The Fall."

"But then the Devil and the Sword of God had a big old sparring session because?"

Trixie huffed a bit at that. "I did explain right that Michael's an idiot? Maze and Luci have been training me to be better with my blades. I mean, Maze is huge on self-defense. But Michael invited himself and brothers and unresolved issues and a huge fucking mess."

"Oh, so Michael had left over feelings?"

Trixie shook her head. "Nope, other way around, and it's super complicated, but I just…what I saw had to be real. I don't want it to be, but it was too terrifying not to be true either."

Lettie stood and glanced at her cell. "We have to get going, but we'll put a pin in this for later. Trix, I'm not just saying this to make you feel better about your dream, but I know what a seer feels like, and you're not one. I mean…it's different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'd have to say something with Conjure. I just…what you can do isn't psychic. I can tell."

Trixie let out a breath she'd apparently been holding all day. What she'd seen wasn't true…but Lucifer was still struggling badly, and what he'd done to Michael had scared all of them. When something made Maze upset, then it was truly bad. But maybe he wasn't going to…

Maybe I'm not hurting him after all.

She inhaled deeply and let her shoulders ease down. "Yeah, well, I'll figure it out I hope soon enough. I'm sick of not knowing." Trix followed her big to the trashcans and sighed again. "Of course, now it puts me back at square one with what I do."

Or mostly cause Constantine said Will and even Lettie felt that Conjuring was there. Well, it would be nice if it would go ahead and show the fuck up already. She needed something to bring to the table since she'd only be so good with a blade and wouldn't be able to get surprise on a vamp like she had with Esmée regularly.

Seriously, just hurry up already superpowers.

Lettie finished putting their tray on the conveyor belt for the staff and gestured with a nod toward the grand stairwell up to the meeting room level. "You ready to deal with the Wicked Witch of the West and apparently her bonus sister?"

Trixie groaned as she laced her arm through Lettie's bent elbow. "No, but since we have about five minutes left as we get up there, maybe we can brainstorm a good excuse for me. Uh, what do you say to explain away an archangel covered in vampire blood to regular people?"

"You'd do better if you just claimed the emergency exit door is busted, and he was trying to pull a prank. Unless you want me to show that shirt and bonus ear as Exhibit A, Little."

Trixie groaned one more time and tried to ignore how a few steps behind her Veronica Chang was already staring daggers at her.

Great this was going to be such a fucking trainwreck. Then again, at least her life would continue to stay on brand.

Trixie felt like she was a dead girl walking as she entered the meeting room. It was funny how a place with mostly over-stuffed sofas and a discount podium where, being real, she usually dozed off in the middle of the re-reading of the minutes was now causing her to have one Hell of a racing heart. Then again, she was the sister of the hour, whether she wanted to be or not, and everyone was staring at her.

Like it wasn't that bad.

So, she had one idiot (very, very big idiot), half-dressed angel drop in on her. Really, if you thought hard enough about it, it was more the vampires' remains fault more than anything else. After all, if there hadn't been an ear on him, Michael wouldn't have been that dumb to just take his shirt off. Although, there would probably have been campus police and then some involved if everyone had caught her with a guy who, again being real, had quite literally come from a slaughter and had the pieces clearly dripping from him.

This sucked.

But explaining vampire viscera away would have been even worse and more impossible.

Not that she had a cover story for this except just maybe trying to pretend her key card had gotten yanked without her realizing it. Which wasn't a great answer, but it was still better than vampires, heaven, Hell, and everything in between.

Trixie wrapped her arm tighter around Lettie's elbow and let her Big settle her in the front row of collected folding chairs. At least they weren't making her take the stand. It was a small blessing, but it was at least something better than being up in front of everyone and having to face them. It was going to be hard enough looking at the board and whatever Virginia Chang from nationals was going to grill her on. Having over fifty other sisters stare her in the face as she defended herself…so much worse.

Once she was seated, Trixie tried to force a brave face as Annie took her seat with the board at the President's slot. A few rows down, Annie's Little and their other "family member," Rhonda, took her place as the Vice President of Service Projects. It was good to have two of the board be on her side because Bigs and Littles stuck together. Then again, for something like this, a full expulsion was up to a vote of the entire sorority, so she needed to hope about 28 girls were feeling generous. She had three at least but, you know, 25 was a lot more to ask for.

Taking a deep breath and trying to pretend she didn't feel like her world was ending, Trixie pulled out her backpack and rifled through one of her portfolios there. She could have sworn she had both her black covered and her favorite red one there, but she'd had a confusing week so maybe she had her red one back at Luci's. Possibly one was still left in Ohio, and she'd forgotten to move it from Michael's place to New Orleans.

It was all a lot when you were in the middle of a diaspora.

But even if she was about to be kicked out (seriously, Universe, don't let her be 86'ed), Trixie had worked hard on the plans for the sorority's float for Mardi Gras. It deserved to be under consideration beside freaking Veronica's and a junior, Callie's, whom Trixie didn't know terribly well since she was an art history major and they just didn't overlap with classes.

Sighing, Trixie pulled out her design and stood up. She scurried to Annie's slot and handed off her drawing to the president. "Hey, I figured since we're voting on these first, it would be smart to hand in my finished design."

Annie smiled, but even Trixie could tell how shallow the gesture was. Her eyes didn't light up like usual, and it had to be a bad sign that her Gran Big was this stressed out. Trixie wondered if Annie had just found out about the Nationals rep too. What a fun bombshell that was.

Annie tried to keep her cheery nature up as she replied. "Great, just…the order got flipped, and I'm sorry. Virginia Chang insisted, and she has some like alumni donor thing for the law school she just has to get to. I…we have to do the tribunal stuff first. I know that sucks but…"

Trixie nodded, trying to stay calm. "Oh, that's fine. I mean, even if I'm gone, you can still use the design, right? I spent a week working on that look and I think…it would be cool, so if it gets voted on legitimately as the one, you'd still use it, right?"

A few seats down, Rhonda nodded. "Yeah, we can do that much. You're not getting kicked out, and you're a way better artist than Veronica anyway. I mean, I haven't seen Callie's yet, but we're not gonna toss you or your stuff to the curb, Trix."

She sighed. "Hope not." Trixie passed the sketch to Annie. "Good to go?"

The president shook her head. "Sign it. I mean I know your design, but if you win, you want your name on it so that you get credit, you know? It's all best for the record. I mean Veronica and Callie signed theirs. All official."

"Well, if it's my last act as an Omega Chi, I might as well get my John Hancock on it," Trixie replied, signing the back of her plans so that if it was shown to the full sorority as was for voting, then her reputation wouldn't sink its chances either.

After that, she sat down, and waited for the meeting to start. Her head ached already and, honestly, Trixie felt a little dizzy, but it had to be the ridiculous amount of stress she was under. She leaned a little on Lettie and felt her heart go from racing to trying to escape her sternum when Mrs. Murchison came to the podium along with who had to be Virginia Chang. The representative from Nationals looked just like Veronica but, somehow, was even prettier. Bonus, ugh. The designer duds she had on made it clear that whatever law Virginia was into that it was paying her the big bucks too.

"Well," Murchison started, glaring hard at Trixie. It made her stomach do flip-flops, and it probably said a lot about how shitty Murchison was that the Lilim didn't do that to Trixie but somehow the house mom did. "you all know that this meeting has a different order than usual. We have to talk about a vote for possible expulsion for Beatrice Espinoza." And a smile that was pretty much like the Grinch getting a terrible, awful idea spread out over Murchison's face. "I'll let the Nationals rep for the Southeast, Ms. Virginia Chang, take everything away."

Mrs. Murchison sat down at a spare chair pulled up to the board's table, and it sucked but Trixie took a small amount of comfort at the practical laser beams that were shooting from Rhonda's eyes at the house mom.

See, again three people totally on her side, like close to thirty to go…

Virginia didn't even look toward where her sister sat in the front row as she took the podium. Because of course Veronica had a front row seat about five to the right from Trixie.

The rep pushed a long strand of dark hair behind her shoulder and started. "Look, we have a few set rules for the safety of all the sisters from house to house and the no men after hours as well as none in the bathrooms are pretty big ones. We don't want anything impure going on."

Trixie sank lower in her chair. It was just so not that, even though the uncomfortable, stray giggles from the back of the room told her some sisters thought that it was.

Lettie snorted and leaned over to whisper to her. "So, you know, since they're trying to prevent any Omega Chi bundles of joy, we all have to pretend it's still 1965, great."

Trixie laughed just a bit, but none of this was doing anything for her stress or her dizziness which were really picking up, as if she'd just gotten off about five carnival rides in a row. "Yeah, purity around here. Forget about it."

Virginia continued. "So, Beatrice-"

"It's 'Trixie,' she offered, not sure if arguing was going to help her or not. Probably not. "You can just call me 'Trixie.'"

"Yes, well," Virginia continued. "I guess since we all know why we're here…" More giggles erupted, and now it was pretty much most of the sorority laughing. So much for sisterhood. "do you have an explanation for what happened?"

Trixie stood up and kept her focus squarely on Virginia. She wouldn't make it if she even glanced back to all the eyes leveled at her. "Look, Michael, um, he means well. He's just kind of, uh, special. But the point is he got in on his own. I think he must have yanked my key card without letting me know. He surprised me, and I was trying to shove him back out the door when I tripped, and it was a big mess. I know he shouldn't have just popped in." Literally and dumbass wings. "But that was the only time he's ever done that, and I didn't pre-plan it. I mean, how dumb do people think I am?"

Annie stilled at the board table and, okay, maybe that came off as more combative than Trixie first thought.

Veronica snorted from somewhere in the front row. "Right because that's totally how it looked."

Trixie couldn't resist. She twisted her neck to glare back at Veronica. "You and Mackenzie rushed in after I'd tripped and while he was helping me up. You barely saw more than Mrs. Murchison or anyone else."

Veronica smirked back at her. "Looked cozy to me."

Trixie gawked at her. "It wasn't and-"

Virginia banged a gavel-couldn't be a good sign, could it-on the podium. "Ms. Espinoza and Ms. Chang, we have procedure for this. I was asking Trixie if she had an explanation. It's still quite the infraction to lose a key card or have a boyfriend-"

"Really, really not," Trixie huffed.

"Or a friend steal it and get access. It's a safety concern."

"I know, and I swear it won't happen again. I really, really promise," Trixie added.

It was then that Murchison took back to the mic, and Trixie realized how screwed she was. The old house mom studied her before continuing. "You have a lot of those guests from the bar visiting."

"Maze came over one time to help me grab some stuff from my room. Michael was an idiot once…well, he's dumb most of the time, but this was the one that basically involved B&E, and Luci…Luke doesn't leave Tenebrae."

That was mostly true. And she'd learned lying from the best. Lucifer didn't really leave the club if he could help it. Of course, she'd invited him over a few Fridays and once during a much-needed vampire rescuing.

"We don't have rules against which questionable bar owners you can hang around with, Miss Espinoza, but I know that I've heard that bar owner's voice more than once from your room."

"And speaker phone-" she insisted.

Murchison glared at her. "Just admit you've been having both men come and visit you at all hours."

This elicited catcalls from a few sisters, and yeah, kangaroo court. Trixie had called it.

Annie interrupted. "That's not the most polite way to phrase that, Mrs. Murchison."

The house mom calmed just a little. "Fine, but you have had a lot of afterhours visitors because I don't care what you say about speaker phone for your cell. I know."

Murchison wasn't wrong, but if she'd really seen and noticed the Devil skulking around the sorority house (and thanks for the incantation Rae Rae), then Murchison wouldn't exactly be talking coherently any longer.

Trixie sighed. "What happened last Saturday night wasn't planned, I didn't know it was going to happen, and I was trying to fix it when everyone busted in on me. I've never been trouble before-"

"All those gifts clogging up the living room this January," Murchison countered.

"That's not against rules," Annie pointed out. "And the flowers made a great impromptu philanthropy donation from us to the Tulane Children's Hospital this year."

Virginia took the outbreak of murmuring across the room to switch places with Murchison. It was a little gratifying that Virginia's expression was pinched, and she seemed as impatient with the house mom as Trixie was. Also, since half the girls assembled were nodding at the mention of the flower donation (because, of course, the Devil was also an idiot and felt an entire florist's worth of flowers was the only way to say, "I'm sorry." It was not). Could the uptick of interest in the flower donation be a good sign?

Could anything?

Virginia took control of the proceedings again. "Yes, okay, so there's no proof that you've ever had anyone in your room after hours except the one pop in from Michael."

"Yes, and I didn't ask, and I was trying to get him back out. I'm sorry he really ambushed me, I am," Trixie continued. "But I love it here, and I don't want to be expelled."

Annie nodded and stood up in her chair. "Trix is a good sister. She's always around on Fridays and Saturdays as a sober sister. She's friendly to everyone, helped with that inadvertent philanthropy project, and then spearheaded our Make-a-Wish bowling fundraiser last semester. She's good people. I mean, maybe a censure?"

Murchison's face grew sour, as if she'd sucked hard on about nine lemons at once.

Ooh, so counterpoint Annie.

"And I honestly would tend to agree. This isn't a repeated problem, despite Mrs. Murchison's colorful reports. However, this isn't the only fraction of Trixie's we received at Nationals," Virginia added.

Trixie sat back down, the dizziness and her creeping exhaustion too much for her. After she'd half-slid, half-fallen back into her chair, Lettie wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Ugh, peachy," Trixie said. Then, she managed to croak out to Virginia Chang. "I don't understand. I haven't done anything else."

Virginia hazarded a quick glance to her sister, and even more than when Mackenzie had squealed about the secret Nationals rep, Trixie knew she was screwed. When the rep turned back to her, well, even she couldn't keep the sugary smile off her face. "The bigger complaint is that you're scaring the other girls."

Trixie's mouth hung open. That was such bullshit. If she'd wanted to, she'd had a few chances to super scare all of them by just not invisible-ing the Devil on his way out. But she didn't so what the fuck?

Then, her stomach sank when Virginia bent down and picked up something that had been secreted under the board's table-her red cover-bound portfolio.

"Honestly, we've had complaints that you're a Satanist and your drawings are disturbing your sisters."

"It's not true!" Trixie objected, bolting up again. Because of course she wasn't. If anything, she was kind of leaning toward not worshipping anything, and of all the beings out there, one of the last she'd become an acolyte for was Luci. Like she loved him, but between his terrible handling of his love life, his general immaturity, and painful lack of taste in movies…yeah, worst not-even-a-deity ever. "I'm not."

Virginia held up the portfolio and flipped from page to page, and Trixie had to admit that it looked really bad. Most of those drawings included her drafts for Maze the Vampire Slayer manga but also her reflections of hanging out at Tenebrae were there too. Her others tended to be the still lifes, general doodles, and the Beelzebub sugar glider extravaganzas.

"Under all your chairs are some photocopies of the worst sketches," Virginia explained.

Trixie was shaking with rage at all of this, at not only how blindsided she was but at the fact that they'd stolen her drawings. Those were personal and very much hers from her room. Her last week had been an epic clusterfuck, so she hadn't even realized the portfolio was missing.

That they'd taken it from her.

Obviously her nemesis Veronica, who was grinning like the damn Cheshire Cat even as she picked up her own packet, had masterminded all of this.

It burned.

Lettie pulled the packet out from under her chair and frowned at her. "We don't have to thumb through this."

"It's pointless not to," she answered. "I mean, Virginia is showing them upfront too."

And so her Big put the compilation on her lap, and Trixie didn't really need to review them up close. She could tell perfectly well which was which as Virginia held up her exhibit-the originals that were by right Trixie's. They started out mundane enough because, honestly, life at Tenebrae was. Mostly. One of Lucifer having a drink near his bar upstairs, another of him that was almost a figure study of his wings spread wide and the focus mostly given to the shading and subtle tracing of the veins of his wings, and then a couple of him at the piano.

Super typical stuff.

Then, okay, it started to look worse because she might have…drawn some that were based on the show at the club on Saturdays. He and Maze were the two who always "fought" each other, but in her drawings, she had different, what-if takes on everything, fights that had never actually happened with Luci and Ez and Taka…Welkior even and his rows and rows of teeth.

But probably the most distressing ones were a series of three or four of what she imagined the raid on Esmée's nest was going to be like when Maze and Lucifer finally tracked it down. The images were a few weeks earlier than when they'd actually found all the vamps, but the images remained brutal and ferocious. More than one beheading in them.

And the final one was her memory of her friend rescuing her from the crypt a month or more ago, roaring at Esmée and, more accurately, what was left of her shredded face. There weren't just whispers behind her but a lot of chatter, and at least a couple of her sisters stood up and left the room but only after they'd balled up their Xeroxes and tossed them in the trash.

Trixie stood up finally, too frustrated by everything that had happened, too violated by how Veronica had stolen from her to stay calm, and stalked to Virginia. She ripped the portfolio easily from the other girl, who hadn't been expecting her to grab for it at all.

"Those were mine."

Veronica, who'd orchestrated all of this, stood up and rolled her eyes. "You only had to ask, Espinoza. Don't be so melodramatic."

Trixie turned to her and wanted to scream. "I'm being melodramatic? That's rich. You didn't even ask when you all took this from me. They're mine, and they were locked up in my own room. I was gone like twelve hours before I came back to get my stuff, and you stole hours of work from me. What the fuck?"

"Language!" Mrs. Murchison snapped.

"Fuck your language. Jodaté for good measure," Trixie shouted, and Mrs. Murchison could figure that second part out for herself. "If this is what you wanted, great. You wanted to shove me out because of a stupid board slot I was willing to totally share, great. And I mean, seriously, screw sisterhood if any of you went along with the theft and then are gossiping about me now and my work. This was private and mine and it wasn't hurting anyone."

Veronica couldn't stop pressing her advantage. "So, you're not going to deny you're some weird Devil-freak."

Trixie's fingers itched for even her switchblade in the moment. It was a terrible idea to piss off someone who'd was Maze's protégé as far as edge weapons went. As it was, Veronica was fucking lucky that Trixie didn't have any active miracle abilities (now or possibly ever). Still, she regarded the other girl with as much fortitude and, okay, buckets of hatred as she had in her.

It all bit her hard, reminded her of moving to Austin and talking too much about demons before she just learned to shut the fuck up.

Crazy Trixie Espinoza all over again, except she wasn't even nuts. Her life really was that bizarre.

"I'm not, but the club's my home, and I can draw what I want. If you don't like it, don't go sniffing it out. I have a single room and the way I decorate it is my business. I've never put up anything in the commons that wasn't like chibi anime doodles or sugar glider drawings, and everyone knows it. But I'm done. You want to witch hunt? I'm over it. I'm taking my drawings and I'm going home." She looked at Rhonda and to Lettie and sighed. "You don't all suck, but you know what? The rest of you can go to Hell."

She turned and shuffled to Annie's seat at the table. "I…can I have my drawing back? I'm withdrawing my sketch. If everyone's so up Veronica's ass, then you can use her plans instead."

Annie's eyes were growing watery. "Trix, I didn't know, and we can try and appeal to someone higher up in Nationals. The Changs clearly-"

She reached across the table and hugged her Gran Big tightly and then took her float design back from the stack. "Nah, the fact it got this far…a lot of people don't want me here." She glanced over her shoulder and offered Lettie a sad half-smile. "And I know those who do are awesome, but it's not enough. I have so much going on right now, and I don't need this."

She turned back from the table and regarded the sorority as a whole. Most were still pouring over her work and some were pointing and laughing madly at it, at least two of them spinning their fingers by the side of their temples. And Trixie had seen that shorthand gesture a lot her first year in Austin too.

"Yeah, I stand by that. Veronica? The whole social chair shit is all yours. Good luck." She hugged the plan and her recovered portfolio in a death grip against her chest. "The rest of you? Fuck off."

With that, she hurried out of the meeting hall and down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her.

Trixie paused at the main door out to the quad. Her head was spinning so badly now that she felt like she might pass out. The only time she'd felt as bad or disoriented was when she'd first moved to Austin and had her hay fever allergies go crazy that spring. She felt that crappy. She was doubled over against the door and taking in great gulps of air to try and get equilibrium when a soft hand was on her shoulder.

Trixie looked back and couldn't stop herself from tearing up at Lettie. "You should get back up there. You don't want to walk out with me. They'll probably put you on probation for it somehow."

"Nah, I'll be fine, and honestly I'm rethinking being her next year if it's just the Veronica Chang show. Glad I decided to wait to renew my dues till after this shit happened."

"You wouldn't!"

Lettie shrugged. "I just might," she offered, holding out her arms so that Trixie could pass her portfolio and backpack to her. "You look really pale. Are you okay?"

"Not really, I think the stress got to me cause I'm like this close to hurling and so dizzy. I just…ugh, I don't even have the energy to wait for a ride share. Can you give me a lift to Tenebrae?"

"I'd love to. Maybe I should get to know Lucifer a little better. Put my mind at that extra level of ease."

Despite how crappy she felt, Trixie laughed. "Trust me, we're supposed to do a movie night that I owe him. It's my choice this time but if you don't have a huge Kimo Van Zant obsession or love shitty 90s action movies, you're gonna be disappointed with the Devil's taste in like a lot."

"My brothers watch that crap. It's the worst."

Trixie brightened. "I know right? I get it both ways. Dad is so into them, and I'm here and Luci's even more into them. It's like a trap."

She felt lighter as they made the way through the front door. Like okay so things at Tenebrae were a mess, but at least they were a team as far as keeping Lucifer safe was concerned. But at least here, Trixie knew when to get the Hell out of Dodge and keep moving. Things might even be looking up without Mrs. Murchison and fucking Veronica in her life.

And then she stilled at the sight of the massive parade float just sitting on blocks on their front lawn. It was festooned in huge sprays of red and gold carnations around its base, had a mast head shaped like an owl, though one in fantastically bright greens and royal purples, and toward the back was a huge Mardi Gras half-face mask in yellow and green harlequin style. The lettering on the side read "Tulane – Omega Chi Chapter, 2028."

It was a banner painted in Trixie's hand.

One that she'd never made.

Lettie noticed that detail too and looked between the massive float and her. "Trix? When did you get that made?"

She shook her head and held up the design she'd just finished in the wee hours of her insomnia and shoved over to Annie less than an hour ago. "I didn't."

Lettie frowned but took the sketch and ping-ponged between it and the float before them. "I don't understand."

Trixie groaned, and if anything, her headache was only growing worse and more piercing. "I drew that, and it's here now."

"See," Lettie said, her voice still shaking a little. "Told you that you weren't Sighted."

"Uh, clearly, Big, but I don't get it."

"Um, I think it's obvious. You drew it, and it came true."

Trixie shook her head and the whiplash it gave her so wasn't worth it. Then, she gestured to the portfolio still clutched in Lettie's hands. "Sure, great, but I draw like all the time. Why do I have a giant float here…" Or, now that she thought about it, that cat in Jackson Square or Lucifer and his weird sleeping cap rant which now actually made more sense. "But not this whole portfolio live and in living color?"

"No clue, but maybe your devil can help you figure it out."