I found her in a coffee shop across the street. “I almost came and rescued you.”

I shook my head. “Not necessary. Witches. Behind the thing with the kids. I think they have a friend who got herself possessed and want me to sit on her while they de-possess her, but I’m…”

“…not in the mood,” she finished. “Well…”

I sighed. “I know their friend wasn’t involved. But I could have killed one of those kids. Easily. So, I’m working on the assumption that they’re careless at best, outright bad at worst.”

“And probably summoning demons.”

I sighed. “Probably. They probably had something to do with Martin.” I didn’t say his true name in public; there was a small, tiny, vanishing risk it might summon him. Or at least get us odd looks.

“Have a hot chocolate.”

I laughed. “Mind reader,” I accused her. She actually had already ordered one for me. Was that part of being in a relationship?

I rather thought it might be. Or maybe we just had similar enough tastes. Either way, hot chocolate was pretty much the most awesome thing she could have done for me right now.

And that helped get me out of arrogant mode. I didn’t want to be in arrogant mode, so I was happy that she was pulling me back to ordinary girl mode.

Well, never that, but sitting here with her, sipping hot chocolate, I could kid myself for a few minutes, or even a few hours. That was, of course, exactly what it was. Kidding myself. But what else could I do?

I couldn’t be like that, even if part of me wanted to be. It would be abandoning her. It would be turning into somebody I wouldn’t even like.

So, instead, I sipped my hot chocolate. “I’ll see…maybe I’ll help them after all, but they do need to know they can’t act like that.”

“Maybe we can get another witch to find out what happened?”

I shook my head. “They talk to each other if they’re allied, but only then. A lot of people, according to Bruce, think that if you share magic you weaken it, so it’s best to keep everything secret.”

A pause, then she rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t agree, right?”

“No, although he does note you need to be careful not to share stuff with people who don’t know what they’re doing yet. They might…well, you know, get themselves possessed.”

I had a feeling, now, that I’d end up dealing with it all. One way or another.