The burn of tears mixed with the fear in my throat.
Damn all evil people.
I lowered the camera, then raised it again. “Show me how the victim was caught.” I exited the bedroom and walked down the hall. Nothing… until I came to the living area. Another man, dressed the same as the first but a little shorter, had a gun pointed at another man—the other victim, I was guessing. The victim I followed was standing facing them. I clicked off a few shots and walked around to face him. His eyes were wide and leeching fear. Click.
In real time, voices came from the hallway. I lowered the camera and shook my head to clear it. I’d been deep in my alternate reality to the point that I’d forgotten I wasn’t alone. If I wasn’t careful, someone would think I was weird, taking photos of nothing in the middle of a clean space. The last thing we needed was for someone to tell me to leave or get suspicious.
Will and the other agent I didn’t know came into the living room. The other agent looked at me, his brow creased. “What are you doing in here, then?”
I cleared my throat, but Will jumped in, saving me the explanation. “I’ve asked her to take photos of everything. You’d be surprised how many things get missed because they’re subtle and unexpected.” He looked at me. “Carry on. And don’t forget the second bedroom at the end of the hall.”
I nodded. “I won’t.”
Will looked at the other guy and gave a perfunctory smile. I wasn’t sure who was senior, but the other guy seemed to be okay with that, and they walked to the front door. I figured I had enough photos out here—two murderers and two victims—that I could return to the bedrooms and take the rest of the photos. By the time I’d finished, I’d uncovered the total horror of torture and bloody murder. I had enough photos to identify both murderers and give me nightmares for the rest of my life.
We couldn’t shut RP down fast enough. If it was the last thing I ever did, it wouldn’t be too high a price to pay. And, as usual, this brought up more questions than it answered. Why torture them? Why kill them in such a bloody way and not even worry about someone calling the police? Was it to send a message to us and the other people we’d saved?
Well, if it was a message they wanted to send, it had come through loud and clear: don’t mess with RP. Except, it was a message we were going to ignore. Whether that was to our detriment or theirs was yet to be determined. Like all things in my life lately, it was going to be a harrowing wait to find out.
Chapter 3
After the horror that was that particular crime scene, I went home and showered. It was as if the bloody tang had seeped into my hair and clothes. I magicked everything clean and infused a jasmine scent into it, which I got from a small bottle of essential oils Angelica had in the laundry cupboard. Once I was done, I grabbed a coffee and joined Will, Imani, and James in the living room. Normal procedure was to meet with Chad at the PIB, but James wanted to do it this way first because we still didn’t trust Chad, and probably never would. There were things to be said privately so we could make our own plans.
I sat on one of the Chesterfields, next to Will, who had Abby curled in his lap. Ted was on the floor opposite us, at James’s feet, enjoying a thorough head scratch. My brother was a total dog person. I loved cats and dogs, all animals, actually. If only I could have a pet squirrel, my life would be just about perfect.
James stopped scratching Ted and leaned back in his chair. He fixed a concerned gaze on me. “Are you okay, Lily? I’ve seen the photos.”
I shrugged, tears deciding now was time to attack. Grr, I hated being unable to hide my emotions. It sucked. People worried about me more than they should. Stuff it. I talked through the crying. “I’m okay. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m dealing. It was horrific, and I’ll have nightmares for a while, but it’s for a good cause. I don’t regret it.” Will took my hand and rubbed his thumb soothingly along mine. I leaned into him, grateful for the comfort.
James’s chest inflated with what I assumed was an aggravated breath. His mouth was a tight line, scoring his angry face. He swore. “Your efforts weren’t in vain. We’ve identified the two murderers. They’re non-witches from France. They’ve both been in and out of jail and are currently supposedly living in northern France. We’re going to have to chase them up ourselves. I have no way of guiding our agents that way with no proof.”
Imani, who was next to James, huffed. “Damned constraints. So, now what? Short of planting evidence, we’re going to have to do our own thing.”
James looked at her. “We can get away with chasing them up, but we can’t do anything to them… unless we’re provoked, but I don’t want anyone getting caught with them because we can’t explain it. We need to find some kind of link outside of the photos and work back from there.”
I wiped my eyes and took a sip of coffee to steady myself. Time for crying was over; it was time to act. “Are you going to get Liv on it?”
“Yes, but from my place where I can block PIB eyes. If we can find out who they’re attached to, we can look them up too. Maybe we can trace it all the way to the top without PIB intervention. Once this all blows up, I don’t care who finds out. We need them done away with.”
My eyes widened. “Not arrested?” My brother was like Angelica—everything by the book.
He tilted his head to one side and wore his bossy-big-brother expression. “You think when we finally confront them to find out about where our parents went that they’re going to tell us everything? Don’t you suppose after everything they’ve done so far that they’re not going to go quietly? Do you think they’ll just hold their arms out and ask us to cuff them?” He shook his head, anger creeping back into his gaze. “This is all or nothing, Lily. This is war. We go in ready to fight.”
I gulped and didn’t comment on what he hadn’t fully articulated: that we were also going there to kill or be killed. Why was I even surprised? Hadn’t it already been that way for ages? Hadn’t I been staying at home where possible, going out only with guards, watching my back for months and months? If I looked at it that way, this was no more frightening… well, not entirely. We were going into their territory and poking the viper’s nest, after all.
James looked at Will, then me. “There’s one more piece of information I think you’ll be interested in. Those guys came from an area within ten miles of Mont Saint-Michel. One of them even did a stint at the hotel Mum and Dad stayed at... when they were still there.” My stomach flipped nervously. “I think it’s time you and Will had that little holiday you’ve been planning.”
Imani regarded Will and me. She turned to James. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Won’t they be expecting us?”
He shook his head. “Not necessarily. No one knows we’ve identified those guys. No one else knows what’s in Mum’s diaries.”
Imani wasn’t giving in easily. “But we uncovered the warehouse. Won’t they assume we might know other things?”
“Maybe. Obviously, they’re going to be on the lookout because of what’s been happening, but they have no idea exactly where we’ll pop up. By the time they realise Lily and Will are there, hopefully they’ll have some information and have returned.”
Ha ha, holiday. “Sounds like the shortest holiday in the history of holidays. What have we got? Two, three hours tops?”
James chuckled. “Something like that. It won’t take you long to grab some photos. Who knows, you mightn’t even have to leave your hotel. I’m going to book you into the one our parents stayed at. I’m not sure when you’ll go, though. I have Liv trying to get you into their room—we need to see exactly what happened there. She’s going to get back to me as soon as she has something locked in.”
“Has forensics turned up anything else from this morning?” Will asked. With no magic signatures to go on, it could almost pass for a non-witch crime. But we knew better.
“No,” James answered. “They have a lot to get through.”
Imani turned to my brother. “Have we beefed up protection
on the other victims?”
“Yes. In light of Lily showing that they came in the windows, even though it was two stories up, we’ll make sure we have someone onsite, both in the hallway and outside. If we weren’t so short-staffed, we would’ve had a guy at their door at least. Maybe it will deter them from trying again.”
“How can it be a safe house if there aren’t guards?” Maybe I was simple, but any old unit or house had locks on the doors. Was that supposed to make it safe?
“Normally we would have the resources to have agents at each property, but we had so many people housed, and they’ve been cutting the budget, that we’re not coping. Also, the locations were supposed to be a secret.”
I had to admit that we’d driven for an hour to get there, and it was in a leafy, quiet area, but still…. How could that be enough? “The PIB definitely dropped the ball on this one.”
“Thanks, Lily.” James scowled at me.
“Not you personally, but Chad… the people who run the place now Angelica is on leave and you’re being dictated to.”
He sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But we can’t do anything about that now. This conversation is getting us nowhere.” He stood. “I’m going to go do some guard duty now, and Imani and Will have work to do. If you feel out of sorts, Lily, feel free to visit Millicent. It’s her day off.”
Wow, if my brother was pulling guard duty, things were dire. How long would the PIB last without an injection of funds? What would it be like with no PIB? A world where witch criminals ran rampant was not the kind of world I wanted to live in. Gah.
Abby stood and moved from Will’s lap to mine. Once she was comfortably sitting, she nudged my hand, looking for a pat. “You’re such a cutie!” I gave her a chin scratch with one hand and head pat with the other. “You cats live the life, don’t you?”
Imani laughed. “You treat those animals better than some people treat their kids.”
Will adopted a mock-offended expression. “They are our kids. What are you talking about?” Imani chuckled, and Will stood. He bent and kissed the top of my head. “Take it easy this afternoon. If you do feel upset, please visit Millicent.”
My heart filled with warmth. “You’re sweet. I will. Don’t worry. Please just be careful out there. I’m not the only one they want now that the PIB are after them.” If felt as if we were in an eighteen-wheeler thundering down the highway, our wheels were falling off one by one, and there was a gigantic tree waiting for us when we totally lost control.
Abby meowed, maybe reminding me she was there. “Listen to Abby. She knows what she’s talking about.” Will smiled.
“What did she say?” I still couldn’t understand animal speak. To be honest, I’d given up.
“She said to pat her, and it will help you relax.” He laughed.
I couldn’t help but laugh too. I looked down at her. “You’re so thoughtful! Cheeky kitty. I’m pretty sure you’re getting some benefit out of this as well.” I stroked from her head to her tail, enjoying the sensation of soft fur against my hand. “It does work, though.”
“Okay, Lily. We’re off.” Imani gave me a wave, made her doorway, and left. James and Will both said goodbye and did the same.
“Right, kiddos, it’s just you and me. Now what?” I hated being at a loose end. If it were safe, I would’ve taken Ted for a walk. I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling. If only…. At least things were moving quickly now—both a good and bad thing. But none of us were going to squander this opportunity. Imagine the joy and freedom of a life without the shadow of the snake organisation hanging over us, ready to strike at any moment. I looked back down at Abby’s fluffy face. “Not long now, Abby, and maybe we can have a normal life.” Okay, so “normal” was a relative term in a witch world, but it was my normal now, and I was happy with that.
Now we just had to make it happen and not lose anyone I loved along the way.
Unfortunately, that was going to be easier said than done.
Damn you to hell, RP. Damn. You. To. Hell.
Chapter 4
Later that night, when I was eating dinner by myself in front of the TV, Will came home. As soon as he came into the TV room, he magicked his jacket away and loosened his tie the old-fashioned non-witch way, then undid his top two buttons. “Why is it so sexy when a man loosens his tie?”
He looked at me, taken aback for a moment—it wasn’t every day I called him sexy, even though he totally was. I was kind of shy when it came to verbalising that stuff. He finally found his cocky grin and sat next to me. “Maybe it’s the guy rather than what he’s doing with his tie.” He waggled his brows.
I laughed. “Nah. It’s totally the tie. You’re not sexy anymore.” I tried my best to stifle my grin, but it was too powerful.
“You always give yourself away, you joker, you.” He was careful not to bump my plate as he gave me a passionate kiss. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. I did some online Pilates and hung out with the fur kids.”
“You didn’t go to Millicent’s.”
“No. She was having lunch with her cousin. I didn’t feel like crashing their party. I don’t really know him well, and I didn’t have it in me to be conversational with small talk.”
He put his arm around me and squeezed. “Fair enough.” He looked at my plate. “What’s for dinner?”
“Chicken parmigiana, salad, and roast potatoes. Stand by.” I’d made enough for both of us and magicked his plate into existence on his lap, then warmed the food with another spell. “Dinner is served.”
“Thank you. This smells delicious.” He took back his arm, picked up the cutlery on his plate, and started eating.
“So, how was your day?”
He gave me a “you don’t want to know” look. “Just the usual.”
“That good, huh?”
“Yes. That good.”
We ate in silence and watched an episode of Escape to the Country. I loved that show, except for the fact that the people never bought any of the houses. Well, one person might have bought a house once, but that was it. Did anyone actually escape to the country, or did they all change their minds? Maybe they should change the title to Trapped in the City.
I ate the last mouthful of dinner and magicked my plate and utensils clean and away. I grinned. Gone were the days where I would’ve had to walk all the way to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. Not that doing that was terrible, but once you’d lived the lazy life, you never wanted to go back. First-world witch problems. I chuckled.
“What ridiculosity are you laughing about now?”
“Just enjoying that my witchiness enables me to avoid annoying chores.”
“Living your best life, hey?”
I grinned. “You know it.”
And just because we were having a relaxing moment, his phone had to go and ring. Stupid technology. “Hello, Agent Blakesley speaking.” After placing his plate on the couch next to him, Will stood. He walked to the window and looked out at the darkness. He listened for a while, which wasn’t a good sign. “Right. What do you want to do?” He ran his free hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. I stared at him, hoping to pick up on whatever the convo was. Unfortunately, my eyes had no listening skills, and I figured magicking his phone onto speaker was too rude, even for me. So I suffered in silence as the people on Escape to the Country thanked the host for his help but didn’t buy anything… yet again. Those house hunters were such teases. When was the host going to lose his mind and tell them to stop wasting his time? The British were way too polite.
“Yep. Okay. Bye.” Will lowered his phone and looked at me. He didn’t smile. “You might want to pack a bag. We’re off to Mont Saint-Michel tomorrow.” I knew we were only going to be there for a few hours, but I assumed taking the bag was so we looked legit.
I grinned because who wouldn’t want to visit that place, but then I remembered I’d be seeing my parents, and sadness expanded in my chest until I couldn’t breathe. “W
hat time do we leave?”
The pain in his eyes told me he was aware of what I was going through. “Not too early. We’ll have an easy morning and travel there at nine thirty. We’re going to a landing spot about a half-hour drive from our final destination.” His expression had morphed to its work setting—as pokerish as they came.
“Okay. Um, that was a long conversation for just that. What aren’t you telling me?” Even though going somewhere my parents had been was complicated and a mixed blessing, it was just a routine investigation. He seemed too quiet and preoccupied.
“One of the other people we rescued has been murdered. This time it was a woman. Not that that’s better or worse. Just thought I’d clarify.”
I shut my eyes for a moment, the bloody scene I’d photographed earlier splattering in vivid colour through my mind. I shuddered and opened my eyes. Will strode over and sat next to me. He wrapped a strong, comforting arm around me and drew me to him. I breathed in his scent and focussed on his warmth. “They’re not going to stop till they kill everyone, are they?”
The silence stretched out.
Ted and Abby wandered in, Ted sitting at my feet and placing a gentle paw on my knee. Abby jumped onto the couch and sat in my lap. I leaned forward and patted Ted, then gave Abby a scratch under the chin. “You guys are gorgeous. Did you know that?” Abby meowed, and Ted gave a quiet bark.
Will laughed. “They said they know.”
I chuckled. “What would we do without you to cheer us up? And you don’t have to answer because I know you’ll just be saying how awesome you are.”
“Meow.”
“Woof.”
Will laughed again. “No translation needed.”
“Ha, I knew it.”
“Come on. Why don’t we have an early night? I know just the way to cheer you up.” He waggled his brows, but then serious Will came to the fore. “There’s nothing we can do for anyone right now, and we have a big day tomorrow. Let’s make the most of the peaceful time we have together.”
Witch War in Westerham Page 2
