couldn’t imagine what life was like for a queen.
"Busy." Allie tugged down on the fabric of her navy blue dress. "But I like it that way."
"You have a job?" Taylor’s eyes widened. “As in a real job?”
"Why do you sound so surprised?" Allie put a hand to her chest.
"Because you’re a supernatural queen. Isn't your job to smile and look pretty?" Taylor crossed her arms.
Allie took in a sharp breath. "Yeah. I'm not that kind of queen."
Taylor nodded. "Ok. Maybe The Society has changed."
"You're older than you look?” Allie asked.
"Yes, but nothing crazy. I’m not a hundred or anything. And I didn't ever really know The Society. I mean my mom is friends with your grandmother-in-law.”
"Your mother is friends with Georgina?" Allie crossed her legs and leaned forward.
"Yes." Taylor smiled. “Old friends. Her name is Mayanne, but I can’t imagine you’ve heard of her.”
“Mayanne?” I froze. Was she serious? "The witch who’s a healer?”
“That’s one way to describe her sort of magic.” Taylor grinned. “You have heard of her?”
"Yes. She’s helped me." More than once. She’d saved me. She was also the first person to suggest I had an actual chance with Owen. She’d seen something the first time she met us—even if I was close to death.
"She's helped me too." Allie rested her hands in her lap. "I owe her my life."
"Same here." I would never be able to repay the debt I owed her.
"Wow.” Taylor rolled her shoulders back. “My mom has been busy."
"Haven't you missed her?” Allie leaned back. It was a subject change, but one that made sense.
"Recently yes, but I haven't had the nerve to face her. I felt nothing when I was an Allure." She looked at me as she said the last part.
"The nerve?" Allie asked for clarification.
“I left with the man my mother had a crush on.”
"Wow. This story gets more and more interesting." Allie leaned forward.
“Had a crush on?” That wasn’t a saying I associated with adults.
"Yes, a crush.” Taylor shook out her long brown hair. “She didn't love him."
“How can you be sure of that?” I was being unnecessarily nosy and borderline rude, but I didn’t care. The numbness was spreading. I was sure of it.
"If it had been love he would have chosen her. He didn’t.”
"Who's the he?" Allie asked.
My stomach turned as I realized exactly who it was. Could a mother and daughter have really fought over Louie?
My distaste must have shown on my face.
Taylor turned to me. "You don't find Louie attractive?"
"I haven’t seen him in a while, and I hope to avoid him for the foreseeable future."
"Not a fan of my creator or the one I created.” Taylor stood up. “It's odd."
"Should she be?" Allie asked. “A fan of them?”
"She has my essence, so yes." Taylor began pacing the room.
"Louie, no. Just no. He creeped me out. No offense. And Roland had a calming effect on me until he started coming on to me. Then not so much."
Allie’s eyes widened. "Your life has been crazy, Daisy."
"I've heard your life was nuts for a while too." And I had a feeling the stories I’d heard were only the tip of the iceberg.
"Oh yes." She looked off into the distance as if remembering something. "I’ve had my share of crazy experiences, but that’s not worth going into right now."
"No. Not when we have things to deal with currently." Taylor had stopped pacing and stood there watching. “Important things to deal with.”
"Don’t even try to convince me to die so you can be an Allure again." I decided to cut right to the chase before she could go down that line of talk again. I didn't want to subject Allie to listening to what my response would be this time. It wouldn’t be pretty. I wasn’t that numb.
"Yeah, Daisy isn't dying." Allie scooted to the edge of the couch. "And you had better not want her to, or you are going to have me to deal with."
Taylor held her hands up in front of her. "I don't want her to die. That’s not what I meant, but Daisy