He managed to squirm free, and stood facing me. I kept the blade even and pointed at him.

He didn’t flinch. I gave him points for that. “She wants to leave you. Respect that or prove her right.”

“I need that child.”

Need.

He had no power, no magic, but… that didn’t mean he didn’t want it. “For what?”

“It’s none of your business!”

“If you knew who I was you’d know it was.” A bit of a bluff. I had no clue whether it was my business or not. Maybe he needed the kid to take over the family business.

“Why do you care?”

“Because I’m crazy.” I grinned at him. “Crazy enough to kill you right here if I don’t like the answers I get.”

“Then…” He had his hand in his pocket. Maybe he was dialing 911.

More likely he was calling whichever witch had told him where to find us. I didn’t make any move to stop him.

“…we’re at an impasse. You can’t follow them.”

“You don’t know that.” It happened to be true unless backup showed up, and I was a long way from my backup. But I could bluff him.

“I don’t see a vehicle.”

“Do you believe in magic, Carlton?” I asked him.

“Of course I do. Don’t you get it?”

“You want the kid to be trained and in your power.” He didn’t have any talent, but…

“Everyone else in my family has it. Don’t you understand?”

Honestly, I didn’t. “You want to be a witch. Failing that, having one you can control is almost good enough.”

“No. I plan on taking her power.”

He wouldn’t have said that if he didn’t think that he had backup. And the next thing I knew there was a spell trying to wrap around me.

“Nice try.” I actually slashed it with the sword, cutting through the magical energies. Huh. I didn’t know it could do that.

“What the hell are you?”

“A goddess,” I told him, with a smile. “Have your friend come out of hiding. Or…”

Or I really would kill him. Maybe I would anyway.

Maybe he knew that, from the look in his eyes.