Green Witch: A Timberhall Trial

Part 8

Jaime waited until night fell. She was shaking at the thought of what she was about to do. She'd avoided confrontation all her life. And when it hadn't been avoidable, she hadn't taken it well.

Still didn't take it well.

She did her best not to think about how she almost vomited in a public parking lot. Would she be fired? The thought would've terrified her before. It didn't seem like the end of the world anymore. Jaimie carefully stepped over the roses that led up the dirt path to Deanna's door. She hesitated before knocking. If her only friend turned her away again how far could she expect to get? Her knock sounded thunderous. She half expected someone to stick their head out the window and yell at her to go to bed. The thought of her bed was more tempting than Jaimie wanted to admit even to herself. If she were sleeping than one of the other chosen could figure this whole thing out and she could go back to her regularly scheduled day. But she had no such luck so she knocked again.

When Deanna finally answered she fixed  Jaimie with a glare that would've sent her running any other day. But this time she stayed where she was though her stomach clenched painfully.

"Dusk has a baby and I really need you to be a friend right now."

Jaime could almost see the wheels turning in Deanna's head as her expression changed from closed off to conflicted, before softening to one Jaimie was more familiar with. 

Deanna quickly glanced around before pulling Jaime inside. 

"A baby? Like someone was, " she made a motion over her stomach to mimic pregnancy. "With Dusk's baby?" 

Deanna made a gag me motion and Jaimie could almost smile. But worry quickly dissipated any feelings of levity.

"He's not happy I know." Her shoulders sagged. "Oh god, he's gonna threaten you too."

Deanna waved her hand dismissively. "It's just a baby. Why does it matter who knows...." Her voice trailed off as the same thought occurred to them both.

Blair and Callen knew about this baby. Dusk had been disinherited because of his child. Deanna paled. Jaimie thought she was going to be kicked out. 

"I told you we can't talk about this stuff, Jaimie." Her voice was tiny. More uncertain than Jaimie was used to hearing.

They both stood as still as possible. Not wanting to be the first person to say it out loud.

"I was hoping you'd know who she was. Since you've been here longer."

Deanna shook her head. "I need a drink." 

She locked arms with Jaimie and walked into her kitchen. Deanna poured a whiskey for herself and held up the bottle in a silent question. Jaimie shook her head. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep anything down. Dry heaves were bad enough on their own.

"No one here would've been able to shut up about moving to the top of the ladder. So that leaves one option."

"Which is?" 

"Dusk has been playing house with another family. And that means our...test, is to solve this problem."

"It's a baby! A little girl."

"It— She may not be the target. The "problem" is Dusk's split loyalty and that's what we have to solve to take his place."

Jaimie waited for any sign that Deanna was having any second thoughts but she wore that closed off expression again.

"Why?"

"The families are in a constant fight to keep themselves above water. Move too fast against the wrong house, you end up a part of Bell Point's past. And you don't let your members fraternize with the enemy. "Alliance" or not." 

"Because you don't let your enemies know your weakness."

Deanna held up her cup in a mock toast.