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“Is Mother Nature pissed off or what?” Renee asks, joining us

“Every witch in town is asking that question right now I need to shower and prepare for the ed”

“Here,” Marcellus declares smoothly

“That’s an option I don’t get to h”

“You have it here, or we can accompany,” Marcellus demands

“Why?”

“Cristobal is away on business, that ht to,” Marcellus replies

“What he’s saying is we’re responsible for your well-being, and we take that very seriously,” Larkin recants

“No This is witch business”

“And yet, you’re not less ours to protect,” Marcellus counters

“I can’t appear to be afraid of et to intrude on tradition or do anything to hurt my leadership It’s a matter of respect This isn’t a vampire attack It’s a break down in the balance of nature”

“And if you go off and find yourself harmed, who do you think will suffer?” Percival asks

“Danger co We all know it’s a part of the job description We knew dual roles would be tricky to navigate Let’s learn how to handle it together” I stand round and stare each of them down “If I am to be the lady of this court, that means you obey me, not the other way around We are bound I promise to call for you if I ever have a need You can even stay nearby, but you can’t be a visible presence Separation is crucial When I act as the Esçhete matriarch, its hands off unless indicated otherwise There are too many witches who continue to distrust vae that we have to take baby steps Foisting you into their fold at a vulnerable moment like this will only lead to resentment”

The look at each other I’ve won I relax “I’ll offer up the , but I won’t push” Kneeling, I pick up the telephone I dropped off the floor “I’ll let you know before I leave”

Marcellus scowls “Stubborn witch”