Chapter Fifty-One
Allie
“Are you ready for tonight’s council meeting?” Mel asked as she finished off the last of the ice cream.
We’d pretty much been eating all day because of my nerves. Not only was I stressed about the test, but Delilah had sent me a quick text earlier to let me know she was no longer in any hurry to return from the demon realm. Apparently, the demon her mom had fixed her up with was enough to keep Delilah there. That meant I would also need to find a new roommate.
“Not even close,” I almost groaned. “When I got an email saying the meeting on Sunday had been canceled, I was beyond relieved.” If I were being honest, I had also been oddly disappointed. “The COWs must love torturing people, because the email rescheduling it for today came hours later. I really don’t want to go.” I pouted childishly.
“I don’t blame you,” Mel said. “I always hate it when the council makes me do something in front of everyone, like I’m on display. They are way too into these stupid rituals. Why can’t you have an affinity test without a huge audience?”
“The last meeting was awful, and I’m sure the affinity test will be even worse. I’m just lucky I don’t have to attend regular meetings.”
“I don’t attend many, and I’m thankful for that,” Mel agreed. “Unfortunately, I still get talked into it when my mom is busy. Why she can’t send one of my sisters, I have no idea.”
“Have you witnessed an affinity test before?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’ve seen a few,” Mel said. “It’s different for each pair, so it’s hard to say what they’ll have you do. Honestly, it’s over before you know it. The part that should worry you is what happens after the test.”
“Why?” I asked. “We’ll fail the test, and then we can leave, right?”
Mel shrugged. “That’s what happens if you fail. A lot of people pass parts of it, and then they have to listen to suggestions to make things work. Sometimes, they pass part of it, but they’re still told they aren’t a good match. Those ones usually end up looking like something out of a daytime talk show, complete with yelling and the occasional chair flying across the room. So, you could get stuck there listening to a boring explanation of your results. If you pass, then you have to deal with Isadora Hunt and her quest to find a witch for her son. I hate to say it, Allie, but something tells me Isadora is going to get her wish.”
As if summoned by our conversation, the doorbell rang, and when I looked through the peephole, I found Isadora Hunt standing on the front porch.
“She’s here,” I hissed to Mel over my shoulder. “Dylan’s mom is outside.”
“Then you’d better let her in,” Mel said. “That woman is a force to be reckoned with, and even I try to stay on her good side.”
I opened the door and gave Dylan’s mother a shaky smile. “Hi, Mrs. Hunt. Dylan is at work right now.”
She smiled and continued to make her way into the house. “Yes, I saw him there about three hours ago. Actually, I came by to see you. Please, call me Isadora.”
All I could manage was a nod. Why would Dylan’s mom want to see me? Maybe she’d finally figured out I wasn’t good enough for her son.
“Melina,” Isadora said by way of greeting to Mel. “How is your mother?”
“Same as always,” Mel replied. “She’s happy and busy.”
“And your sisters?” Isadora asked.
“Pretty and perfect,” Mel said less cheerfully. “Amelia is having another baby.”
“Your mother must be thrilled,” Isadora gushed before her eyes drifted to my belly. “I can’t wait to have grandchildren of my own.”
“Hopefully, Dylan will find the right witch soon,” I said, feeling oddly jealous just thinking of Dylan getting another woman pregnant.
Isadora laughed. “Oh, my! You certainly are going to make this difficult for my boy. Naturally, as his mother, I should be upset that you’re being disagreeable and making him work so hard to get what he wants.”
“Doesn’t seem to bother you much,” Mel remarked.
“That boy needs a witch who can keep him on his toes,” Isadora said.
“I’m more succubus than witch,” I reminded her.
She shrugged off my statement. “I came by to talk to you about the affinity test.”
“What about it?” I asked.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I insisted on it,” she said. “It seemed like we should talk about this before tonight. Unless I’m mistaken, this is causing you more stress than it is my son, but I think he’s resigned himself to the inevitable.”
“Doesn’t that just make things sound nice,” I muttered.
Isadora chuckled. “Stop being so gloomy, dear. This is all going to work out, but I want to make sure you understand why I’m forcing this issue.”
“I already know why you’re pushing for the affinity test. Everyone knows you’ve been hoping to find a witch for Dylan. Even though I’m not an ideal choice, I put myself in a position where you could demand an affinity test.”
“You did make it easier for me, but I wouldn’t have pushed the issue if Dylan had refused,” Isadora explained as she made her way toward Dylan’s kitchen. “I’m going to make some tea.”
Since this was her son’s house, I figured she had every right to use his kitchen. Still, I stood there watching her for a moment, wondering where this visit was headed.
“This is really bizarre,” Mel said quietly as we watched Isadora disappear around the corner toward the kitchen.
“I know,” I agreed, glad I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. “Should I follow her into the kitchen?”
“Duh,” was all Mel said.
“Writing scripts for teens is really impacting your conversation skills,” I told her.
“I definitely need a vacation,” she said. “Preferably somewhere with hot guys to wait on me hand and foot. It’s been way too long since I’ve had a man. Seriously, I haven’t had sex since I was audited.”
“You had sex with an IRS demon?” The few I’d met seemed boring beyond belief, so I was having trouble picturing one in bed.
“Those guys are total freaks. Maybe I should try getting audited again,” she said thoughtfully.
“Why not call Trevor?” I asked, bumping against her playfully. “He’s usually the perfect doting boyfriend for the first week.” It actually sounded like a good solution all around. Mel could get her need to be pampered out of her system, and Trevor could get his obsession with Mel out of his system.
Mel’s scowl told me she didn’t like the idea at all.
“Not gonna happen,” she said as we entered the kitchen.
Isadora had a teapot I hadn’t realized Dylan owned on the stovetop already. When we walked in, she smiled. “Shall I tell you my reasons for pushing you to take such a big step, Alana?”
“I’m dying to know,” Mel piped in.
“We’ve already established you want your son to find a witch and settle down,” I said.
“I want my son to find the right witch for him to settle down with,” Isadora corrected me. “I think you would be a good match.”
“I’ve heard all about how this test is supposed to tell me if we’re compatible, but I don’t buy it,” I argued.
Isadora gave me a sympathetic look. “I can see why your family history and personal experience with warlocks would make you feel that way. I’ve been with Dylan’s father for nearly a century. We have three wonderful children, including my baby, Dylan. That makes it a little easier for me to believe in happily ever after.”
“There are just as many, if not more, stories of witch couples who aren’t happy and end up being unfaithful,” I argued.
No matter what anyone said, trusting some stupid witch test made about as much sense as letting a quiz in Cosmo decide if Dylan was the man for me. For the record, the Cosmo quiz said he was, but the Glamour quiz said he had put me in the friend zone.
“Dylan’s not the type of man who would che
at,” Isadora insisted.
“He’s not a man looking for marriage, either,” I pointed out. “If he were, he wouldn’t have been trying so hard to avoid dating witches. Had Dylan realized I was a witch in good standing that first night, he would have avoided me like the plague. The only reason he’s with me now is because he believed I was a succubus—someone completely unsuitable for a long-term relationship.”
“I doubt he would have been able to stay away from you,” Isadora said with a laugh.
“I’m with Isadora on this one,” Mel added as she dug in the back of the freezer, probably looking for some hidden ice cream. Hopefully, she’d find some because I really needed my good friends Ben and Jerry right about now.
“Dylan clearly has feelings for you,” Isadora said. “Why else do you think he made a big show of letting the entire council know you were with him?”
“With the robe situation, he didn’t have much choice,” I argued before relenting. “Fine, Trevor would have agreed to say I was with him. He actually offered, but Dylan wouldn’t let him.”
“Because he wanted everyone to know you were with him,” Isadora repeated. “That’s never happened with Dylan. He also could have argued against taking the affinity test. Dylan has never been one to just bow down to council authority.”
I wanted to insist that Dylan had only agreed to the test because he was being contrary, but I wasn’t sure that was true. Everything with Dylan was confusing.
Isadora finished making tea in silence before pouring a cup for me and patting my arm. “I need to go, but I thought this would help you relax. It’s my own special blend,” she explained. “I’ll let myself out, dears.”
With that, she swept out of the kitchen, leaving me staring at my tea.
“Wow!” Mel said, breaking the silence.
I had nothing to add to that. As Mel had already said, Isadora Hunt was truly a force to be reckoned with.
“How’s the tea?” Mel asked after I’d taken a couple of sips.
“Relaxing,” I admitted. “She was definitely right. About the tea,” I quickly added. There was no way I was admitting she might be right about Dylan and me.