Cursed Moon (Prospero's War) by Jaye Wells

won’t.”
    “Do you think he knows you know he was behind Bane’s plot?” When John and I had taken Bane down for his crimes, the wizard had admitted that the plan to frame John for unleashing the dangerous potion Gray Wolf had been Uncle Abe’s idea. But when the team figured out the plot to frame John, Bane had gone after Danny to try to derail the investigation. John wanted Uncle Abe to pay for trying to frame him, and I wanted him to suffer for instigating the events that led to my brother almost dying.
    I shook my head. “Who knows?” I glanced at him. “You decide what you’re going to do there yet?”
    When John had asked me to keep Abe’s involvement a secret from the BPD and MEA, I’d been so angry with Abe that I agreed. I knew that if anyone could make my uncle suffer, it was John. But in the time since then, I’d also realizedthat I’d made a colossal mistake—and not just because John had proven to be a lying snake himself since we’d made our agreement.
    “Now’s not the right time,” John said. “Abe’s expecting retribution. Suspect that’s why he’s calling. He wants to find out if you know what he did and plan to make him pay.”
    I sighed. “He can keep waiting. Between the Blue Moon bearing down on the city and this new case, I don’t have time to think about Abe.” I handed the bottle to John. He hesitated, then took it without a word. I’m not sure why I decided to share it freely, except it felt nice to have the call off my chest.
    “What case?” he asked, taking a drink.
    “You haven’t heard?” I looked at him with wide eyes. When he shook his head, I made a surprised sound. Surely the great John Volos knew everything that went down in the Cauldron. “Someone knocked over Aphrodite’s temple.”
    John grimaced. “That’s why I haven’t heard. Hermaphrodite and I aren’t exactly friendly.”
    “Ah,” I said, “s/he’s mad at you for turning Abe in to the cops.”
    He smiled behind the mouth of the bottle. “Among other things.”
    The detective in me wanted to press him for more details, but I didn’t want him thinking I was interested in his life.
    He handed over the bottle. I took it and polished off the last mouthful. “Well, I wish I could say this has been fun, but, well—you know.” I pushed my hands against my thighs for leverage and rose to stand over him. Standing made me finally feel the effects of the wine, and I swayed a little. John rose quickly to try to steady me, but I pushed him off. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” I took two steps away from him. “Stay away from Danny or I’ll break your kneecaps.”
    “How about you, Katie?” He crossed his arms and smiled. The way the porch light hit his face, he looked like a devil standing on my back porch. “Do I have to stay away from you, too?”
    The problem is, as devils went, he was one I knew all too intimately. In my life I’d seen that look in his eyes more times than I could count. It was the expression he wore when he’d decided to prove me wrong about something. The only thing John Volos loved more than power or money was being right.
    I took a step forward and poked a finger into the wine stain over his heart. “You come near me and I’ll put a bullet right here.”
    He captured my finger and pulled me in closer. I could smell the wine on his breath when he whispered, “You already did that ten years ago, sweetheart.”

Chapter Nine

    October 19
    Waxing Crescent
    T he next morning Morales and I were driving around looking for Little Man and Mary again. I was nursing a wicked wine hangover, so I wore dark shades and clung to a bucket of coffee like a life raft.
    After the conversation with Volos the night before, the party had wrapped up pretty quickly. Pen had slipped out while I was outside, so I hadn’t had to deal with that awkwardness, but I knew it was only a matter of time before we had a real come-to-Jesus.
    After the party ended, Baba had stuck around to help clean up.