13

Faye's vampy red and black ensemble was drawing men in like flies. As fast as she handed them off to Karin and her two minions, another bunch buzzed around her like hornets. Melissa stopped by with coffee and gossip about some big standoff at the abandoned house, which was cut short when Adam and Cassie showed up.

They were standing awfully close, and Faye was sure Diana would have a fit if she could see them. She said she was moving on, but Faye knew talk was cheap. "So how can I help you today? Sex magic, or maybe a love potion?" Faye said with a suggestive wink in Adam's direction.

He rolled his eyes. "Cassie needs to chat with Karin."

Karin's line wasn't getting any shorter. "Sorry, she's booked solid."

"I'm sure she can make an exception." Faye could feel Cassie magically pushing her agenda, and she pushed back with all her might.

"Sorry. Being a Balcoin doesn't get you a free pass," Faye said, her words hissing out like grey smoke.

Cassie's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't need one with family."

Faye wasn't expecting the dark magic gauntlet to be tossed down so casually. "Don't care. Go bother someone else."

And with that, she turned her back on her nemesis and resumed her suggestive catch phrases, drawing in the sheep and their deep pockets with an ever widening grin.

Karin knew Cassie was outside, desperate for more news about the Balcoin clan and this reversal spell that only Rob had the chops to carry off.

When it was time for lunch, she was waylaid by Adam at the hotdog stand. "Hey," he said quietly. "We need to talk."

She bit into her corn dog. "Not here."

"Then where?"

"The Boathouse. Tonight around 9." Karin was meeting Ethan for dinner, and she had no problem if Adam joined them.

Adam raised his brows slightly. "You're meeting my Dad?"

The boy's intuition was impressive, though Karin figured it had more to do with his innate magical talent. "Yes, is that a problem?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Your intentions."

Karin chuckled. "I like your Dad...a lot."

Adam looked skeptical. "I've heard that in the past, just before someone burned him."

"I know it's been difficult for him, but I assure you, my intentions are purely salacious."

He was taken aback, clearly not expecting her frank response. "OK, then. 9 it is. Will Rob be there?"

"Nope. He's gone off to exorcise demons."

Adam nodded like he totally got it. "Hope he's back soon."

She picked up on his worry for Cassie's grandmother. "He will be. We'll discuss the details tonight."

Adam nodded over his shoulder at Cassie, who was chatting up Melissa and her cousin. "Cassie should be there too."

"Of course. See you then." And with that dismissal, Karin worked her way back to her tent, hoping to press Faye into actual service.

Faye was thrilled when Karin made room for her in the tent, which helped draw down the crowds. Most of the men who sat down wanted her body, and they were so transparent they'd give Casper a run for his money. She gladly took their money and told them what they wanted to hear, that their ships would come in any day now. And that hot babe in English class totally wanted them. They were so pathetic that she soon grew bored, wishing Cassie would come back so she could throw her mojo around.

She eyed her cell phone and was happy to see it was almost quitting time. Karin said she could keep all her tips, and there was quite a pile of money in her cashbox. "Are we done here?" she said with a yawn.

"Sure, you can take off," Minion #1 said. "Unless you want your fortune read."

That caught her up short. "Yeah? Let's do it." Karin was off depositing their funds in the bank, and nobody was lined up.

"By the way, my name is Rissa, not Minion." The redhead smirked as Faye took a seat at her table.

"Umm, sorry about that," Faye said with a grin.

Rissa took out a pad. "Besides your unquenchable thirst for power, what else do you want to know?"

This girl was for real, and her matter of fact way of cutting to the chase perfectly suited Faye. "You know what I am, right?"

It was a given, but she had to be sure. "Of course. Just as I know about Karin's family connection to Cassie Blake."

Faye knew they were distantly related, but this sounded like something more. "What are you talking about?"

Rissa eyed her in disbelief. "Like you didn't know they were cousins."

Cousins. What the fuck was this?

"Oh, that. Yeah, we all know about that." Faye pretended like it was cool, but inside she was seething.

"Sure you did. So ask me about the lake house."

Faye's boot stopped in mid-tap. "What about it?"

Rissa wasn't laughing now. "Henry died there."

"Big deal. It was all over the news."

"Was it? " Rissa started humming as she sketched. Faye watched her deft hand as two faces formed on the pad. When she held it up, Faye almost fell out of her chair. It was a perfectly rendered sketch of her mother and Charles Meade. "They left out the part about murder. And these two are responsible."

Faye was beside herself, and all she could say was, "It can't be."

With that, Rissa ripped off the sheet and handed it to Faye. "If you say so."