Miriam sighed. “There is always more, but I don’t know what that is any more than you do.”
Spence wasn’t buying it. For the record, neither was I. “That name, what does it mean?”
Miriam bent down to help me with the laces.
“Who is Lilith?” Spence asked, growing more agitated.
Still no response.
“I’m curious as to the answer to that one myself,” I said as she shoved the boot onto my foot with way more force than necessary. “Is she another Seer or a Thaumaturgic?”
“Thaumaturgics aren’t real,” Spence said condescendingly.
I glared up at him. “Glad you think so. I’d hate to see your reaction to finding out I was convicted of being one if you were a believer.”
He threw a hand over his eyes, using the one hand to massage both temples. “God, this keeps getting better and better.”
“Really, Spence, your theatrics aren’t entertaining anyone. Get a grip.” Miriam twisted my laces together so tightly I feared I would end up losing a foot from lack of blood flow. “Get up and walk around a bit. Make sure your toes have some wiggle room and the width doesn’t pinch or slide.”
This time there wasn’t even the thought of not doing as she asked. Her tone and face were still completely schooled, but she was one second away from snapping. I didn’t fear her physically, but Miriam was a tough lady, one whose path I didn’t want to be in when she went on a rampage. I had a feeling anyone equipped to keep a young and angry Liam Cole in line could handle me with little thought or effort.
“Like Thaumaturgics, Lilith is just a myth and legend,” she said as I walked up and down the aisles trying to decide if the boots were supposed to be this uncomfortable. “We can’t know what Sarvarna was thinking by calling you that. Maybe she really believes you are her reincarnation, or maybe it’s another one of her ploys.”
I wiggled my toes. “Am I supposed to be able to feel the stitching?”
“No, try these,” Spence said, grabbing a box from the middle of the stack without making the whole thing topple.
“So this mythological Lilith, who is she?” I asked as I sat down and began wrestling my way out of the boots.
“According to legend, she’s the first Seer.”
“You mean the chick who fell in love with a wolf?” It was the Shifter and Seer origin story Talley told me. “She has a name?” I tried to remember more details from my best friend’s disturbing supernatural bedtime story. “Wait. Does your version say what this Lilith person looked like?”
It was Spence who answered as he helped me into the second pair of boots, which were slightly less hideous than the previous pair. “She was the moon incarnate.”
“So, all monochromatic and silvery?”
“I think the word my mother used was ‘luminescent’.”
“This doesn’t make sense. Sarvarna definitely thought of Lilith as a bad guy. If she was the first Seer, shouldn’t she and the Alpha Female be BFFs?”
Spence snorted. “Sarvarna? BFFs with a more powerful Seer? What kind of fairy land are you living in?”
“There is another version of the story,” Miriam said. “In it, Lilith was a manipulative demon, so evil all the color had leeched from her. Of course, that is just a warped version of the true legend used to frighten children.”
Of course it was. Although, now I could kind of see where Sarvarna was coming from. A female with pale skin, silvery hair, and icy blue eyes? Not a ton of us running around out there. And if she actually believed that version…
On second thought, I didn’t really see where she was coming from at all.
While I was dismissing all theories which turned me into a demon, Miriam came over, hunkered down in front of me, and fixed her eyes on mine. I thought she meant to grab my attention before saying something profound, but she just kept staring deep into my eyes.
“Ummm…” I couldn’t think of anything to say other than, “Get out of my face.”
“It’s not working,” she finally said with a sigh as she stood back up. “You’re going to have to try.”
I expected outrage or dramatics, but Spence simply said, “No.”
“I’m not strong enough. Hank is my mate and I can’t connect with him if he gets more than a quarter mile away during the full moon.”
“I won’t.” His voice was calm and quiet. “I don’t even know if I can.”
Miriam placed her hand over his. “Of course you can. Just let it go.” He shook his head in silent refusal, but at the same time turned his hand over and laced his fingers with hers. Then he closed his eyes and did as she asked. I knew because I felt it. His power rushed over me like flood waters breaking through the dam. When he opened his eyes, they were locked onto mine.
“Can you hear me?” The voice in my head was identical to his speaking voice, which probably said something profound about what kind of person Spence is, but I don’t really know what that something is.
“No.” I didn’t want to be able to hear him. I wasn’t buying into this reincarnated first Seer crap, especially since I don’t See anything, nor did I want to.
The corner of Spence’s mouth tilted up. “Are you saying you want me to pretend that I can’t hear you? That you’re not what Miriam suspects?”
“I’m not.”
“You could change the world.”
“I could get a bunch of people killed because they believe a lie.”
Spence nodded ever so slightly. “Sorry,” he said aloud to Miriam. “Nothing.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then what was that nod about?”
Damn, she was sharp.
“I was simply acknowledging that I was right.” He pointed at me and then mimicked walking around with his fingers. “I can’t do it. After more than fifteen years of repressing it, I don’t know how to See anymore.”
“Malarky. You can’t lose your ability to See any more than that girl can stop the Change under the full moon.”
I saw jock straps and cups at the end of the aisle and quickly turned back around. “Actually, Liam thinks I should be able to start and stop the Change at will. He’s really sold on the whole idea despite the fact I can’t even get my body to even consider the possibility.”