My brother, Xavier, had left Annie to me before he died. She was the only one of his possessions that had survived to be bequeathed. Xavier had put a lot of time and effort into restoring her, and I was the first one he'd shown when he was done. When he revealed to me that he had painted the car bright red, with an orange convertible top and a white racing stripe down the left side, I promptly told him it looked like Little Orphan Annie, and thus she was christened. She had been my faithful steed for almost a decade now, and I kept her looking spick and span the whole time, partly because of the defensive wards I had placed on her.

They were a combination of multiple colors of the Rainbow of Chaos, woven together to achieve a more complex effect than would be possible using only one. I used yellow to protect the vehicle from damage and alert me if anything big was nearby, red to attack anybody or anything who tries to forcibly get in, and a teeny tiny splash of green to apply a little force to engage the car's normal locks. The wards wouldn’t activate if a thief was able to just open the door and get in the car.

I ran my finger across one of the nine sigils that almost imperceptibly broke up the pinstriping and felt the wards deactivate. I got in and started the car. All eight cylinders came to life with an almost leonine growl. I got the beast into gear and swung around the building.

As I rounded the corner to get back to the front of the building I saw a big black Cadillac sedan of around the same vintage as my car that sat running in front of the bar. Jenny Reagan stood on the steps just barely under the awning, shielding her eyes from the bright headlights. Between her and the car was a tall figure dressed in a long black coat, despite the heat, holding a large umbrella. As I got closer I could clearly see the profile of the other person, and my stomach dropped into my freaking floorboards.

I recognised her.

Angelica Bancroft was tall, lean, and held herself like a professional fencer. Her inky black hair was styled in a boyish pixie cut that drew the eye to her face, which was just as fair and gorgeous as it had ever been. I felt my heart start racing as I stared at her and I nearly ran into a truck that was backing into a parking spot.

After avoiding the low-speed collision, I found a space about fifty feet past the Caddy and killed the engine. I hadn’t seen Angelica in years, but it felt like a lifetime. We had been close once, before I was banished from the Coven. I allowed my heart to hurt for a moment before I willed myself to calm down. I blew out a breath and started using my head. Angelica was an adjudicator, and she lived halfway across the country. If she was talking to Jenny, it was on business. It was pretty easy to put the pieces together after that.

I steeled myself and got out of the car. I walked as quietly as I could to where they were talking, the rain helping to cover my approach. Angelica was standing directly in the beam of her headlights, which would obscure her features somewhat from Jenny's sight. I walked around the Caddy and listened to what they were saying.

“I'm afraid I must insist, Miss Reagan.” Angelica’s voice was low and husky, with a thoughtful, languid quality that had always reminded me of Lauren Bacall.

“I can't just divulge my clients’ information to a stranger.” Jenny retorted. She was holding her ground but the light quaver in her voice told me she was nervous.

“Miss Reagan,” Angelica said, “this is a very serious matter. Lives could be at stake.”

I took that as my cue. “Lives at stake? Care to elaborate, Miss Bancroft?” I drew out a pen and a small leather-bound notepad from my back pocket. Angelica's head whipped around and her eyes widened as she saw me. As her body followed, a glimmer of light drew my attention to the left lapel of her coat. Pinned there was a cameo brooch, depicting an onyx wolf on an ivory field, baring fangs of polished silver. I suddenly felt nauseous out of nowhere and tried not to let it show. That cameo meant that Angelica was now one of the Canis Umbrorum, otherwise known as a Black Dog, one of the most prestigious ranks among the Grand Coven's adjudicators.

I gave her my best reporter face, clicked my pen, and opened my pad, doing my best to protect the paper from the rain, waiting to write down whatever drivel she came up with to dodge my question.

To my surprise, her eyes shifted to my head and she said, in an oddly forlorn tone, “You cut your hair.”

Okay, I wasn't expecting that one, but I kept it cool. “You got some new jewelry.” I retorted.

“Yes,” she said, looking down at the brooch, “they recommended me for the program shortly after our last mission together.”

I felt my left eye twitch. “After you were nearly executed and barely got away with banishment.” was what she meant to say. I fought down the white-hot anger that suddenly blazed in the pit of my belly.

“Is that so?” I asked, not hiding the passive-aggressiveness in my tone. “Good for you.”

“Thanks. What are you doing here, Zelda?” Angelica’s free hand opened and closed a few times before she shoved it into her coat pocket, a nervous gesture that I’d seen many times over the years.

“I’m with the Heartland Grimoire.” I said. Not giving her a chance to reply, I continued, “A better question is: What are you doing here, Angelica? You’re a long way from home. The Coven doesn’t send away Black Dogs without a very good reason.”

“Who says I’m on business for the Coven?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Oh don’t give me that, Angelica.” I spat, putting as much vinegar in my voice as I could. “You’re cloak-and-cameo right now. You know as well as I do what that means.”

“It’s none of your business.” she said.

My jaw clenched and I said, “Like hell it is. If something’s happening in this town, especially if the Coven is involved, I'm damn well gonna know about it.”

“I’m not going to repeat myself. Stay out of this, Zee.” I was surprised at how angry it made me that she’d called me by a familiar nickname, as if we were still friends.

“Don’t think you can walk all over me like you do everyone else.” I growled. My hand tensed and I felt the cheap plastic of my pen’s casing crack under my grip.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Angelica looked like I had just slugged her. “Excuse me?” She bared her teeth in a way that mimicked her brooch a little too well. Was it just my imagination or were her teeth sharper?

“I’ve seen how the Coven treats people out here in the real world.” I said. “You all go around scaring people into following your rules and accepting protection from the shadowy group of wizards in the background. You’re like the freaking wizard mafia. That's not gonna work on me.”

Angelica’s porcelain face went cold. “The laws are there to protect people. The treaties are there to protect people. You know that. On top of that, you seem to have forgotten that you were a member of the family just the same as me,” she hesitated for the smallest moment, “before you got yourself kicked out.”

I didn’t expect it to hurt so bad. My banishment was old news to me, but that was the first time anyone had mentioned it out loud. My stomach flip-flopped a few times and I lost my momentum, my eyes going blurry, my teeth grinding in rage. It was that kind of rage you feel when you get laid off from a decent job of no fault of your own, or get broken up with via a text message. In the grand scheme of things it's not that important, but it's right there. It's right in the front of your mind, and it just hurts.

We were silent for a heartbeat, where I saw regret immediately flood Angelica’s face. “Shit.” She said, holding up a hand in an apologetic gesture. “Zelda, I didn’t-”

“Shut. up.” I growled, sharply clipping each word.

Jenny took that moment to chime in “Um, ladies?” We both looked over at her. “What in the world is going on?” She asked. She walked down the stairs to stand beside me in the rain. “Zelda, who is this woman?”

I looked towards Angelica. “Did you not even tell her who you were before throwing your weight around?” I didn’t wait for an answer, just turned back to Jenny. “This is Angelica Bancroft. She’s a Black Dog. One of the Grand Coven’s heavy hitters. Think of them like a one-man magical SWAT team.” I omitted the part where they had the ability to transform into a wolf taller than a pickup truck. Disclosing that kind of info could have probably gotten me arrested.

Angelica's eyes flashed. She definitely hadn't liked me revealing what information that I had. I felt a smug, petty satisfaction at that look.

“She was asking about Vanessa.” Jenny so helpfully informed me.

My reporter mode re-engaged. “Really? Does the Coven suspect that black magic is involved in this tragic event.”

Angelica looked about as mentally drained as I felt. “No comment.” she said. Which meant “Absolutely.”

“Does the Coven suspect Miss Reagan of any involvement in the case?”

“No, Zelda. She's the closest mortician to the deceased's home. I only want to ask a few questions.”

“And you feel like the best way to do that is by coming up to her like a Bond villain?”

“I asked around. This was the most likely place she would be at this time of night.”

“My point still stands. You come down and corner her, shine your bright-ass headlights in her face, and start grilling her? Do you understand how stupid that sounds?” My voice was raising, but I didn’t give a shit. I didn’t care who heard me. “Jenny has a business, with hours of operation. It would be much easier, and much less stalker-y to have just knocked on the fucking door tomorrow morning!”

“Zelda!” Angelica barked, and I mean she actually barked my name. The word rumbled in the air and her head jolted up just like a dog's, making me involuntarily take a step back and throw out my arm to shield Jenny. The zombie jumped behind me and gripped my flannel tightly. I could hear her breaths shuddering out as she seemed to bury her head in my back.

“There,” I said, “you have sufficiently scared an innocent zombie.”

Angelica’s jaw clenched and she let out a slow breath through her nose. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, Miss Reagan, but Miss Valentine was being, if you'll pardon my French, a total bitch.”

“Real mature.” I chided with a dignified eye-roll.

“Be quiet,” Angelica said sharply, “I am not the immature one here. You're butting into matters of which you have no idea. This is very time sensitive, as I’m sure you are aware, since you seem to already have some knowledge of this.” She cocked a hip to one side and brought her hand up to her face in exasperation. “Look, Zelda, I’m sorry about what happened to you, I’m sorry you’re angry at me for whatever reason, and I’m sorry that we had to meet like this after so long, but this is my job. This is a Coven matter and it will be handled by Coven personnel, which you aren't anymore. Again, I’m sorry, but I will not let you interfere with my duties as an adjudicator. So drop it. Please.”

I walked over to her. Jenny let go of my shirt, almost reluctantly. In the wind and rain Angelica's perfume glowed across my senses, sending forth a cavalcade of feelings and memories, both good and bad. She hadn't changed it after all this time. I tried not to let it rattle me. When we were only inches apart I met her eyes. She was almost six feet tall without her expensive heels, so I had to look up. Those eyes sent a shiver down my spine and I couldn't quite tell why, but I calmly spoke, low enough that only she could hear.

“Something killed a fifteen year old girl in this town and I will find it. I may not get to wear the cameo anymore, but that doesn't mean I can sit idly by and let something like this slide.”

A smile touched her lips. “I admire that about you. Really, I do, but it's better if you just leave this to me.”

“No.” I said flatly.

“I had a feeling you would say that.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Please just don’t go looking for trouble here. Okay? Can I please just talk to your friend now?”

“That’s her choice, not mine.” I stood aside.

Angelica stepped forward. “Miss Reagan, I'm sorry about all this, but I assure you that this is very important. I want to find who or what did this and put a stop to it. Please, only ten minutes of your time. That's all I ask.”

Jenny looked at me. Her eyes were bloodshot. Had she been crying? I'd never seen Jenny so upset before. “Do you trust her?” She asked, her voice still quavering.

I took a moment to seriously think about my answer. I could tell her no. I could make it harder for Angelica to get what she needed and that would satisfy my own petty desires. It would also potentially get more fifteen year old girls killed. Despite my feelings toward her, Angelica had always been great at what she did, and she could have only gotten better in the intervening years.

“You can trust her.” I said finally. The barest hint of a smile touched the corners of Angelica's lips as I said that.

Jenny nodded and looked at Angelica. “Come by the funeral home tomorrow morning. I'll be there at seven.”

“Thank you.” Angelica said. She didn’t look happy about it, but she didn’t press further.

Jenny grabbed my arm and I suddenly had an idea of what big bad Gary had felt as she dragged me in the direction of my car. I had to power walk to avoid getting my arm pulled out of the socket. Once we got to Annie she released me and went to the passenger side door. I barely had enough time to disarm the wards around the vehicle before Jenny yanked open the door and got in.

I got in the driver's side and looked over at her. “You okay?” I asked. “I've never seen you that scared before.”

“I wasn't scared.” she said after a cleansing breath. “It was how she said your name. That…” she seemed to struggle to find the right word.

“Bark?” I supplied.

“Sure,” she agreed, “that bark. There was something about it. It just…flipped a switch. All I could think about was charging her.” Her voice grew throaty and hot, almost lustful. “I wanted to take her skull, break it open on the bumper, drink her life, taste her memories, devour her thoughts.” She shuddered, but then she seemed to come back to herself. “Sorry.” she said, shame contorting her pretty face, like she had just drank a shot of lemon juice.

I tried not to look as freaked out as I really was. “Okay. Zombie things. Got it.” I dropped the subject and started the car. I felt like she wouldn’t want me to dig any deeper, so I didn’t.

As we left I caught a glimpse of Angelica in my headlights. I was instantly drawn back to her eyes. They were a particular shade of blue-gray. The same color as the sky peeking through the clouds right after a thunderstorm. They were almost completely solid, with only a very slight starburst of dark grey around the pupil. I shivered as I realized why they unsettled me so much.

They were the same color as mine.