A/N: Thank you all! I appreciate all the reviews and faves! I hope you enjoy this!
Chapter 7: Chicken and Conversations
It's not hard to follow her home.
John watches as she greets everyone on her way. She stops to talk to the homeless, offering leftovers from her bakery and knows more people by name than he would have guessed. He waits until she's at her door before moving closer. She stops though before she opens it.
"You can come in," she calls out. For a moment, he thinks she's talking to someone else. She waits and when he moves forward, into the light, it takes her a moment before her eyes find him. She smiles when she sees him. "I thought that was you. Come on in."
"That you Toni?"
He turns, hand reaching for his gun. Toni places her hand on his arm, halting the action as she grins at the woman looking out the door next to hers.
"Delores! How are you?"
The older woman peers at John before she turns her attention back to Toni. "Good. Our place is flourishing. Delilah and Isabel asked me to invite you this weekend. We're planning the fundraiser for the home. Will you be there?"
"Of course. I'll bring something to eat."
"Dear, you bring yourself. You spoil us."
"You're taking care of children who need you, Delores. The least I can do is bring some snacks."
Delores waves her hand, seemingly frustrated at losing an argument she knew she wasn't going to win.
"Goodnight, Delores," Toni calls out, teasingly.
"Goodnight Antonia."
Toni ushers John into the house. "That was my neighbour," she tells him. "Delores."
"So I heard," he says.
"She runs a group home for kids. Her daughters, Delilah and Isabel help. They've welcomed children of all ages from all backgrounds. It's wonderful."
"You protect them too?"
"Of course. You hungry? I'll make dinner." She hangs up her stuff, places the basket she's carrying down and heads further in. "Take a look around. You can join me when you're ready."
She leaves him there.
John looks around. It's not a large house, but it feels welcoming. It feels like a home. Pictures line the walls of people he's never seen before. There is an older couple featured in many of them. She shares some of their traits.
The living room he passes is a mass of colour and comfort. John has been many places over the years but few come close to this place. It's not the appearance, it's the one living here.
He goes to find Toni.
"Good, come grab a knife. You can be my sous chef."
He takes off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves before he joins her. She motions for him to pick a knife of his choice out of the block.
"It's just a simple stir fry. I already got the rice cooking, but you can start with the carrots and broccoli. They tend to go in first."
"You often invite guests to cook?"
"Only if I know they'll be helpful," she grins. She moves about the kitchen, pulling out more vegetables from her fridge and a pack of chicken.
John glances at the door, still wary if someone followed him, but the reminder of the man that broke into her shop, and what she did with him, is still fresh as is the news he's heard about who's been in her shop. "Heard you had a visitor."
"The Adjudicator? Yeah, they stopped by."
John stops cutting and turns to her. "What did they say?"
"A warning," she offers. She pauses and looks at him. "I've already declared myself, John. I picked my side, planted my flag, however you want to say it. Don't tell me not to."
"It's not safe."
"I am perfectly safe, as are you. John, you have to decide if you're okay with it. If I'm too much of a freak to be your friend, tell me. If you want me to rescind my protection, you need to let me know, but I hope you don't."
"It's strange," he says after a moment. "But I decided I better stick around."
"Yeah?" she grins at him, hope clear across her face.
"Sure," he nods. "Otherwise I'll never have coffee as good as yours again."
She laughs. "It's always the coffee." She moves back to what she was doing, pulling the chicken out and cutting it on a separate board.
"You have to explain the rules," he tells her. "I'm in enough trouble as it is. Don't want to make more enemies, ones that can make the floor eat me or pull my bones out from across the room."
Toni laughs again. "I can do that," she tells him. "But don't worry. There aren't too many out there that can make the floor eat you."
"And the bones?"
"Well, there are more who can do that. As long as you don't threaten or attack anyone unprovoked you'll be fine. Others like me can sense the Blessings you have."
"How many are there?"
"Others like me? Or blessings?"
"Both."
She takes the carrots he's been cutting and drops them in the pan she has heating. The oil pops but she doesn't flinch. He brings her the broccoli. "Thanks." She drops it in and stirs it before reaching for something else. "Can you cut the peppers?"
He turns away, going back to the cutting board. He shifts slightly so that she's not completely at his back.
"I can't say how many Witches there are. I don't know for certain. Some bloodlines, like those with the same abilities I have, are not at all common. As you have a High Table, we have our Council. They work to protect and educate Witches around the world." She moves and takes the chicken from where she was cutting it. "As for the Blessings, you had one on you when we met. I don't know who did it, it doesn't work like that. It's been too long since it was last placed, but it was done by a Bone-Witch. Likely helped keep you alive all this time. I placed protection on your clothing that you sent out for cleaning. I also placed a Blessing on you the last time we met. Just for you to be safe from harm."
"Why?"
Toni shrugs. "It felt right. I follow my instincts, John. They haven't steered me wrong yet."
They fall into silence. Toni doesn't press for conversation as John thinks.
As they sit at the table, food plated and in front of each of them, John speaks again.
"Of all the…magic users out there, which ones are in the city? What am I most likely to run into here?"
"There are a couple like me but my sister is at school and my mother is not as active anymore. You have a few like my friend Fiona who can control and use the bones of people. If you meet a Bone-Witch, don't lie to them. They know and you will get far more respect saying the truth they do not like instead of a well-meaning lie. Respect goes a long way." She takes a bite before she continues. "It is far more common to meet a hedge witch. They use plants. Nothing as extreme as what I am capable of. They focus on healing."
"Would they…could a hedge witch have healed my wife?"
Toni gives him a small smile. "There are many things we can do but death can only be delayed. At most they could have helped ease her passing. I'm sorry."
He nods but does not press to continue the line of conversation. "Are there any Witches with the High Table?"
Toni gives a small laugh. "No. They would never."
"Ok."
"Makes things easier, doesn't it?" she teases.
"Just a bit."