Free Elemental Flame by Phaedra Weldon

I parked the Jeep in the back and the three of us piled out and jogged to the shop. The only noise between us was the sound of my soaked jeans rubbing together between my thighs.
    A few customers milled around inside. I assumed they were there to get out of the rain. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Dharma with one of the customers. The Cleric was dressed in black with very red lipstick and blue nails. The fact she was a Cleric was the first mark against her, the second was she held my Undine when I was warlocked, but the biggest thing I didn't like about her —she was dating Ivan.
    This isn't a jealousy thing. It's a me not being one hundred percent sure of her loyalties thing.
    I gave Dharma points when I discovered she let my Undine help me where she could against Circe, and she seemed genuinely infatuated with Ivan, to the point of knowing exactly what kind of Witch he was and not reporting it to Parliament. Why was that such a problem? Mostly because I didn't trust this group—not after they chose to warlock me instead of Arden Vervain when the Malleus Maleficarum disappeared. Yeah, I had it, but all the clues pointed to Arden. Arden was a public figure and took the credit for finding the Changeling children, so of course they didn't dare punish her. That would make them look bad in the magical community. So they chose me. The rogue. The one on the outside. The one who hadn't professed loyalty or fealty or whatever it was they wanted to the Witch's Parliament.
    After that, I swore to myself I would never hand over my measure to them. And forget any service. They'd destroyed trust with me.
    So the thought of letting them know that Ivan Westerfield had a yet unknown power within the world that actually worked with the Electronic World that had interfered with our magic since the invention of the light bulb filled me with dread. I'd seen their idea of "justice" and "understanding." I was terrified they'd invite him to participate in some experiments and then I'd never see him again.
    No. I vowed to keep Ivan safe. He was my friend, my employee and my coven member. I would protect him and Kyle with my life.
    Ivan finished checking a customer out and had obviously seen my reaction, since I was still standing in the middle of the store soaking wet, my hair in my face, while Kyle and Grey moved into the break room. Ivan had his hands up and spoke in a low voice. "I needed some help and she was on her way over so we could go to dinner, okay? So don't freak out."
    "Why do you think I'm going to freak out?"
    "'Cause you got that look on your face, or what I can see of it. And I know you Arcane'd out over at Crwys's place."
    "How did you know about that?"
    "'Cause Kyle texted me."
    "Fine," I moved past him, ignoring Dharma, and stomped into the break room. Kyle stood at the kitchen sink filling up the electric kettle. "I'm getting a shower. We need to talk about what happened." I looked at the clock on the microwave. It was just before five. "Close the shop at five-thirty."
    "Sure."
    Grey lounged on the couch in the living room when I plodded up the steps and yanked my boots off. Shivering, I stripped down on the way to the bathroom. I filled the sink with water for my Undine, turned on the shower and stepped in. I left the bathroom door open. I always leave it open now, ever since I was attacked by a crazy Cleric while I showered.
    Fred.
    I hadn't thought about Fred in weeks. He attacked me and I killed him. I just…let the Arcane have its way and made him disappear. Maybe that was what bothered me about so much of this. I was always conscious when I took on its power, but it always felt as if I were just watching and not participating. I didn't actually see what happened to Fred. I didn't actually see what happened to my dad's body, or Pauline's, or the nurse, or even the house. It was all just…gone.
    What did that say about me?
    And what am I supposed to think about what just happened at Crwys's? I'd barely said yes to that