Moonglow: Blood Magic Book 2

by L.H. Cosway

  “What’s the story?”

  “Where are you?”

  “Look right behind you, the black van.”

  I turned and, sure enough, there was a van behind me. I walked toward it, and the door slid open, revealing Finn and Wolf inside.

  “It’s just you out tonight then?” I asked.

  “If you hadn’t noticed, we’ve had an awful lot of casualties lately. Most of our best men have either been killed or seriously injured.”

  “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be resting? Your leg’s still healing.”

  “I’ll be grand. How did your rendezvous with Cristescu go?”

  “Keep an eye on Crimson,” I replied. “Ethan should be leaving any minute now.”

  “You got a lead on Pamphrock’s kid?” Finn questioned.

  “Just follow his car. I suspect that wherever he’s going, it will lead us to Rebecca. I listened in to one of Ethan’s phone conversations. He hadn’t been speaking in English, but I managed to glean enough to know he was referring to a little girl.”

  Finn’s gaze suddenly filled with determination. A minute later Ethan pulled out of the nightclub. We followed a few cars behind him as he drove to one of the more upper-class residential areas of the city, not too far from his own house.

  Finn swore under his breath, glancing out the window at the fancy houses we passed by. Wolf rested his head on my shoulder, and I gave him a rub.

  “Where do you think he’s headed?”

  “I’ll give you three guesses,” Finn said, just as Ethan’s car stopped at a pair of big black gates in front of a huge mansion. He rolled down his window to talk into the speaker, and a minute later the gates slowly opened, closing once Ethan’s car went through.

  “Is this Whitfield’s place?”

  “Do you even have to ask?” Finn shot back. “Rebecca’s probably in there somewhere. Cocky pricks didn’t even bother keeping her somewhere more discreet. The problem is getting to her. Do you think you might be able to work your way into Whitfield’s house?”

  I slumped back in the seat, letting out a heavy sigh. “I kind of fought with Ethan tonight, and I’m really not in the mood to crawl back with my tail between my legs. He knows I don’t like Whitfield, so I have no clue how I might convince him to bring me into his house.”

  Finn’s smile was intolerable. “Trouble in paradise, eh?”

  “Shut up. All I’m saying is, if I turn up asking to visit the governor’s house, Ethan is going to be suspicious.”

  Finn started driving away from the mansion, his face deep in thought. I continued petting Wolf as we headed back over to the north side. Finn’s phone was sitting on the dashboard and it lit up with a call from Gabriel, causing Finn to pull over and pick it up.

  “Gabe, what’s up?”

  I watched as his eyebrows furrowed. There was a whole lot of noise travelling from the other end of the line. I could hear shouting and crashing and strange whooping sounds in the background.

  “Hey, just calm down, alright? I’m on my way. Do you think you can hold them off until I get there? Okay, just try. I won’t be long.”

  Finn hung up, and I looked at him questioningly as he started the engine. “Apparently, the magical families discovered that Rita and Gabriel have been running their secret magic school.”

  “You know about that?”

  “Of course. Gabriel is my friend. Anyway, as retaliation, they’ve set fire to Rita’s house. They’re currently at a stand-off out on the street and need back up.”

  They set fire to her house? That was a bit extreme. I glanced back at Finn. “I’m not sure you, me, and Wolf count as much backup,” I said, unsure about going up against these magical families I’d heard so much about but never actually met in person. Well, aside from Marcel, Gabriel and the few people who were at Rita’s the other day. Fear and anger clutched me at the thought of them setting Rita’s house on fire.

  What right did those families think they had to destroy a person’s home like that? Secret magic school or not.

  “Well, we’re all they’ve got,” Finn said as we approached Rita’s street. I strained my neck, sticking my head out the window to get a better view. All kinds of swirly, hazy splashes of colour twisted through the air, bashing against one another in a beautiful, spectacular struggle.

  “Wow,” I breathed, staring at the magic in awe. “How come the people who live in these houses aren’t freaking out?”

  “Glamour,” Finn replied. “You and I can see the magic because it’s what we expect. Humans who are unaware of the supernatural world don’t even consider it possible, and therefore, with a little glamour a witch or a warlock can make them see only what they expect to see.”

  “Wow,” I said again.

  As we neared, I made out the figures of Rita, Gabriel, Alvie, and Rita’s mother, Noreen, standing in a semi-circle formation in her front garden. Their mouths moved in unison as they chanted some kind of spell. Out of their bodies floated these huge, awe-inspiring swirls of colour.

  Across the street stood another group. I counted nine people in total, and they stood in a similar semi-circle formation. These were members of the elusive magical families I’d heard and read so much about. They weren’t particularly beautiful like the vampires or the dhampirs, but there was a certain draw to them.

  Above the magic, massive clouds of smoke rose from Rita’s house. Flames burst out of one of the upstairs windows. Finn parked a few houses down from Rita’s, and we stepped out of the car, Wolf hot on our heels, his head slightly lowered as if on guard.

  “I thought the vampires were supposed to be the enemies,” I whispered to Finn as we approached Rita and the others.

  “The magical families can be temperamental. Most of the time they’re okay, but every so often they lose the plot. If you ask me, it’s all the inbreeding.”

  I raised an eyebrow at that, glad that my mother had decided to marry my father instead of one of her relatives.

  “Hey, you lot want to try fighting the old-fashioned way?” Finn called over to the collection of warlocks and witches on the opposite side of the street. In response, a tall man with a salt and pepper beard stepped out of the semi-circle and made several strange hand gestures at Finn. A second later, a tidal wave of mist came seeping toward us, knocking both of us off our feet. The magic clung to my skin like the humid air in a sauna, but it drifted away just as quickly.

  “Thought not,” Finn spat. “Taking the coward’s way out it is then.”

  We both got back to our feet, but then I saw the warlock make another hand gesture and a second, more powerful mist headed our way. Wolf’s growl resonated through the street. This wasn’t the same as the last wave, and an odd sensation came over me. Something both familiar and strange rose to the surface as a voice that was mine but not mine whispered in my head, telling me what to do.

  With a steady hand, I shoved Finn out of the way, sweeping my other hand across my body and to the left. It reminded me of the gestures the witches and warlocks made. I had no clue where the gesture came from, but it felt entirely natural. Like a memory buried deep that had suddenly been unlocked.

  The warlock’s mist disintegrated with the sweep of my hand and out of my palm flew hundreds of silvery electrical sparks. They flitted like fairies, flying through the air at the warlock who’d tried to attack me and Finn. His eyes widened in shock before the sparks made contact with his face and singed his skin.

  I watched, stunned.

  Suddenly, I understood what Rita meant when she said I had a ball of magical fire inside of me.

  Everyone was staring at me now, and Rita pumped her fist into the air. “Nice one, Tegan!”

  Finn grabbed my arm and dragged me the rest of the way to Rita’s garden. “You’ll have to teach me that trick some time,” he said in a low voice, eyeing me with interest.

  “You’ll have to wait until I figure out where it came from first.”

  When we joined the others, an older warlock wi
th short grey hair walked into the middle of the road where he stopped and surveyed our motley crew. His eyes landed on me almost immediately. “Who are you, child?”

  “Like she’s gonna answer to you,” Rita snapped.

  Simultaneously, Finn, Gabriel, and Alvie stood in front of me, shielding me from the warlock’s gaze.

  “You have lost your way, young one,” he said, still taking me in, his voice a little hypnotising. “Come back to us.” He opened his arms as if to welcome me. There wasn’t a chance in hell I was going anywhere near him.

  Noreen spoke up. “She does not and never has belonged to you. You have destroyed my home, Michael, is that not enough? Do you wish to see myself and my daughter dead, too?”

  There was a moment of silence, and all I could hear was the crash of wood as something broke inside Rita’s house. It sounded like an entire floor had fallen through. The warlock’s gaze flitted to the house and a cruel smile spread across his thin lips.

  “Take this as a warning, Noreen Doherty. If I ever find you trying to corrupt the children of my family again, I will do a lot worse than burn your house down.” His eyes met mine through a gap in the bodies currently shielding me. “We will meet again, young one,” he said with an intrigued expression.

  At this, he motioned to those behind him. It only took a few moments for them to drift away and out of sight. Noreen slumped to the ground, her posture betraying her exhaustion. Rita hurried over to her mum and pulled her into a tight hug. A window from the top floor smashed outwards and we all narrowly avoided being struck in the face by shards of glass.

  “We have to leave now,” said Gabriel. “It’s not safe.” The sound of a fire engine wailed in the distance. One of the neighbours must have called for it.

  “Come on. I’ve got the van parked just down the street. We can go to my place. You lot can figure out what you’re going to do from there,” Finn offered.

  We all huddled into the van. I sat across from Rita and Noreen as they held onto each other and wept silently. Gabriel examined a small cut on Alvie’s face and tried to dab away the blood with the sleeve of his shirt. There was something about the gesture that struck me as intimate. Gabriel caught me watching them and pulled away. Alvie’s expression was wounded, and I wondered if something was going on between the two of them.

  When we arrived at Finn’s house, everybody sat around the kitchen table while Finn put the kettle on for tea. I excused myself to use the bathroom and found myself staring into the mirror as I washed my hands.

  The magic I used outside Rita’s house both fascinated and terrified me. If I could summon up burning sparks like that without even consciously thinking about it, then what might I be capable of if I really put my mind to it?

  I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, staring into the mirror. Eventually, I snapped out of it, splashed some water over my face, and left the bathroom to find Finn coming up the stairs toward me.

  “You were in there for a while,” he said, eyeing me. “I was just coming to check if you were alright.”

  “I’m fine. I just needed a minute to process what happened tonight. What I did.”

  “Yeah.” Finn rubbed his neck thoughtfully. “About that, is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “Like what? That I might be a witch? My mother was one so it makes sense that I could be, too, even though my dad was a regular human.”

  “Well, what you did back there was impressive. Thanks for, eh, pushing me out of the way of that Michael lad’s magic.”

  “No problem,” I said, a little self-conscious at the way he was looking at me. “So, um, did you guys figure out a plan yet?”

  Finn nodded. “Pissing off the magical families probably wasn’t Gabriel and Rita’s brightest idea. That warlock, Michael Ridley, not only burned down Rita’s house in retaliation, he also put spells on Gabriel and Alvie’s homes. If anybody steps foot inside their apartments their skin starts to melt.”

  I stared at him in shock as he continued, “Disgusting, I know. Gabriel found out the hard way. It’s a good thing dhampirs heal quickly, or he’d be going around with a face like the elephant man for the rest of his days. Anyway, what this basically means is that our friends below don’t have any place to live at the moment, so I told them they could all stay here for a few nights. Is that okay with you?”

  “Of course. It’s your house, Finn. But where are they all going to sleep? There are only three bedrooms.”

  Finn smiled and scratched his elbow. “Rita managed to haggle me into giving her and Noreen the master bedroom. She’s going to perform a healing spell on my leg to help me walk normally again. If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been limping like a motherfucker since I got shot.”

  “That’s great. She can really heal it with magic?”

  “So she says,” Finn shrugged. “Alvie and Gabriel will take the empty room at the end of the hall. That leaves me sleeping in with you for the time being.”

  I gave him a look. “Not happening. Alvie can sleep with me and you can bunk up with Gabriel.”

  Finn chewed his lip. “How do I put this? The boys kind of requested a room together.”

  My eyes widened. I knew something was going on with those two. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “That’s so cute, and surprising. I really thought Gabriel was straight when I first met him.”

  Finn smirked. “Gabriel likes his bread buttered on both sides, if ya get me.”

  “Oh.”

  “It’s only to be expected. He’s pushing a hundred and fifty. If I’d lived that long, I’d probably be looking to shake things up in the bedroom department myself.”

  My eyebrows shot right up. “Gabriel’s one-hundred and fifty?”

  “Dhampirs can live for up to 500 years,” Finn replied.

  “Seriously? I wonder how old Delilah is.”

  “Cristescu’s sister? She’s younger than Gabe, probably only about eighty. Not bad looking for an old broad either.”

  I laughed. “No, not bad at all. Has Gabriel been in touch with Ethan or Delilah since I left?”

  “I don’t think so. After the fight with Theodore, they all went back to ignoring the fact that they’re family, just like before, though I do believe Cristescu made good on his word and gave Gabriel his share of their father’s inheritance.”

  Well, that was certainly admirable. Ethan constantly confused and perplexed me. He could be so noble and kind, but at the same time, he allied himself with a man like Whitfield. Sure, he saved his life and all, but still. I glanced at back Finn.

  “Fine, we can share a room, but keep your hands to yourself.”

  Finn winked. “These paws will be on their best behaviour.”

  I rolled my eyes, and he patted me on the shoulder. “Come on, make yourself useful, and help me set up the rooms for our guests.”

  11.

  Later that night, after everyone had been assigned their respective bedrooms, we all gathered in the living room where Rita was preparing to heal Finn’s leg. Carefully, she unwrapped the bandage to reveal the wound.

  As she and Noreen prepared the herbs and other ingredients, I took a moment to study Rita’s mum. The two of them were the spitting image of each other, except Noreen’s features were slightly more aged and refined. I tried to imagine her and Theodore together, but it just didn’t fit.

  Perhaps I was wrong about him being Rita’s dad.

  I stood close to Rita as she explained what she was doing. “I’m making a magical healing poultice to put on the wound. Once administered, the healing will begin. Finn should be right as rain by morning.”

  “Cool,” I said, watching as she picked up a spoon and began mashing her herbal concoction into a paste. “In here I’ve got echinacea, passionflower, root of ginger, aloe vera, and tea tree oil. As a witch, you need to know the correct properties of the herbs and other ingredients you use in your spells, because if you make a mistake, for instance by trying to use bee pollen in a healing spell wh
en its function is to improve physical endurance, then you’re not going to get the result you were aiming for.”

  “That makes sense,” I said as Noreen smiled. She was clearly proud of what a talented witch Rita had turned out to be.

  Once finished mashing up her ingredients, Rita began spooning the paste onto Finn’s wound. It looked all slimy and gross but smelled rather pleasant.

  Finn sucked in an amazed breath. “The pain is receding already.”

  I stared at the poultice as it began to glitter and shimmer, suspecting that if any normal person made the same concoction it wouldn’t have such miraculous healing qualities. Rita clearly had magic in her, the same way she said I did. Finn’s leg looked like it was covered in fairy dust and it was healing before my very eyes. After a few more moments, the shimmering faded, and the wound was almost completely healed over, leaving only a faded scar.

  “You should go and rest now,” Rita said. “The magic sped up the healing process, but it also expends a lot of your body’s energy. You’ll need lots of sleep to recover.”

  Finn nodded and headed upstairs, a look of awe still on his face.

  I sputtered a laugh. “Now that’s definitely a first. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Finn speechless before.”

  Rita shrugged, like what she just did was nothing special, then turned to her mother. “I want to go back to the house and see what I can salvage. There might be some things the fire didn’t get to.”

  Noreen’s expression turned worried. “I don’t think that would be safe, honey. It’s only been a couple of hours.”

  Rita’s expression hardened unexpectedly as she clipped, “I wasn’t asking for your permission.” At this, she stood and walked out into the hallway.

  “She’s just upset about the house. I better go with her and make sure she’s okay,” Alvie said, hurrying out to Rita.

  Noreen looked to Gabriel pleadingly. “I’ll go, too,” he said, leaving me alone with Rita’s mum.

  “Come on,” Noreen said. “Help me clean all this up, will you, love?”

  I grabbed the bowl and followed her out to the kitchen. Noreen took the bowl and began rinsing it in the sink.