“Wait.” I held up my hand. “How is that possible?”

“A Were who can use magic,” April said. “When you opened your third Eye, I knew.”

I sat down, hard. “Well, I’m not going to open anything up.”

“You’re already entangled, boy.” Elder Langmore said. “The quicker you can copulate with this trollop, the quicker the entanglement can be extracted!”

“Don’t be crass, Ernie,” Desdemonia said. “It’s unbecoming.”

“You didn’t think I was so unbecoming when I was copulating with you back in the day, Missy.”

“So droll,” Desdemonia said.

Again, I felt a need to sneeze. I pinched my nose again, and held it back. Damn allergies.

Yeah, they’re doing a number on me too.

You love it and you know it.

I rolled my eyes. “So is someone going to explain to me how I’m the Key to whatever? All I want to do is—“

The bell rang. Coach Marcus said: “I think we should all take a step back and regroup. A lot has been revealed here, and the children need to finish their lessons.”

“All I have is Spanish,” I said. “I can skip it.”

“I have study hall,” April said. She fidgeted, her hand behind her back and pulling at the laces of her corset.

“Very well, then,” Desdemonia said. She waved an elegant hand and an ornate golden lawn chair appeared with accompanying umbrella and small table. “Anyone for a Mint Julep?”

She sat down in the chair. April took one of the copper cups with a sprig of mint leaves. She waved one in my direction, but I shook my head. We were in baseball season, and I definitely didn’t want alcohol muddying up my brain.

“The Who is incredibly powerful, incredibly dangerous, and from all accounts will try to breach the Gate in about two weeks.” Desdemonia took a long sip on her straw and smiled.

“Ten days,” Miss Minnick said. “And the infernals are gathering forces.

“As are the Weres,” Pete Vargas said. When had he arrived?

“In order for the Who to get through, the gate needs to be opened. In order for the gate to be opened, it needs a Key.”

“Right,” I said. “I got that much. My question is how am I the Key?”

She pointed a chubby finger at me. She had extended nails like April. She wasn’t a bad-looking woman, all things considered.

“The Key is someone of multiple factions, not necessarily you but someone like you who can wield magic and has an Alpha level Were constitution.”

Pete Vargas snorted. “He’s not—“

“Let’s not mince words, Peter,” Desdemonia said. “I said Alpha level not that he was the Alpha of your pack. And you must admit, young Seth meets those qualifications, I must say.”

She gave me a lascivious grin, and licked her lips.

“Please, Mother.” April nudged her. “Behave.”

“But then why the tether, or whatever, that is pulling my masculinity away?”

“Abrogation.” Miss Minnick said.

Desdemonia nodded, and made a scoring motion with her index finger in Miss Minnick’s direction.

“I don’t get it,” I said.

“Someone is trying to nullify you,” April said.

“That accounts for the tether between you two,” Desdemonia sipped again on her mint julep, and created another. “The tentacle is a different entanglement.”

“I thought you said that came from your power?” I looked at April. “That’s why you needed to release—“

She nodded.

“My daughter…” Desdemonia said, looking up at April with affection. “Is being groomed to take my place.”

“Bestial practice!” Brother Langmore spat. “If your daughter only knew!”

Desdemonia smiled beatifically. “Oh, my dear, Ernest. She does know. And has agreed anyway.”

“What are we talking about?” I said.

Pete Vargas snarled. “The Bitch is grooming the offspring to become the container for her soul. When the offspring is ready, the Bitch will move into it, and the offspring will be in the cast-off body. It’s disgusting.”

I looked at April. Is that true?

Yes…

You mean, your MOTHER will be in your body and you will—

She nodded, silently, and a tear slipped down her face.

Why would you do that?

Mother is eons old. Just like Brother Langmore. This is what they do.

“You steal bodies?” I said, sitting down next to April. She took my hand, and I squeezed it. We both writhed uncomfortably beside each other.

Desdemonia gave a soft smile. “Is it theft if the body is freely given?”

“What if she says no?” I said.

Desdemonia waved her hand. “Pfft, it’s already in process. I should posses her corpus delicti any time now.”

“Which is why,” Miss Minnick said. “I entangled the two of you.”

Desdemonia leaped out of her chair, her eyes fading to inky pools. “You did what?!?”

Minnick transformed. Gone was the pleasant teacher I knew so well. In a few moments, a true infernal towered in front of us, with red skin, pelted goat legs, barbed tail, and immense leathery wings. Minnick opened her mouth, and fangs extended from the top and bottom. “Do you dare confront me, Wytch?”

A glowing orb of cold silver materialized in Desdemonia’s hand.

Another orb, this one apparently made of molten metal and lava, began to rotate in Minnick’s palm.

“Hold up,” Pete Vargas said, and I noticed he had shifted a bit. He held up hands that had extended claws. “This is not a battlefield, there are children present!”

“If it means, anything,” Minnick said. “The entanglement was for Seth to lend strength to April to extend her transition past the Night of the Soul. That is all.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t know the Atkins boy was powered?” Desdemonia said.

“Absolutely not. Nor did I know a third entity was involved. For this I apologize.”

Desdemonia took a few breaths, and her eyes returned to normal. Minnick also relaxed downward into her teacher form.

“When did the boy become powered then?” Desdemonia asked. “It’s caused quite a problem in my transition.”

“I think I can speak to that,” a familiar voice said. I winced. I knew it would only be a matter of time before—

“Hello everyone,” my father said.

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