“Demons don’t actually belong in hell.”
Sam snorted. “You people keep saying things like that, but no one gives a lick of information on demons or angels besides they exist.”
“That’s because they’re private. They’ve been around as long as the rest of us, but like to keep to themselves and their personal war quiet.”
Elijah chuckled when Sam rolled his eyes. The human found amusement in everything. One day, someone would fuck him over, and the humor would drain from his eyes. For his sake, Elijah hoped it wouldn’t happen soon.
“Hey, on a real note, do you know a witch—Lita Perrow?”
Sam nodded. “I live on that side of town. I stop in on her mom’s shop sometimes. Just like checking in on the peace.”
“That’s it?” Elijah arched a brow. A man didn’t check in for no reason.
“Well, her mom helped me with a case right before you joined ranks. Bit of a harpy, but I like to make sure she’s not getting heckled. I didn’t know she was a witch then, but I still checked on the shop ever since that case. Moral obligations. Uptown doesn’t have as many businesses as down this way so now I keep checking to make certain the shop isn’t hassled.”
“It doesn’t have anything at all to do with a certain beautiful blonde daughter?”
“Lita is hot, don’t get me wrong, but out of my league. Women like her don’t date guys like me.”
“Human?”
“Civil servants. She’s cut out for some rich smarmy type. Shame too, the few times we’ve spoken she’s been good company.”
“Yeah, well, I have it on good authority she is interested in you.”
Sam’s eyes widened a touch.
“Calm down, Romeo. I’m telling you so you’ll be careful, not race off to buy flowers and chocolate while I’m in this horrid meeting.”
“First of all, how old do you think I am? Flowers and chocolate?” Sam shook his head grumbling. “Second of all, why do I need to be careful?”
“Witches can be . . . intimidating, to say the least.”
“Meaning you think she might cast a spell to get me to do things.”
“Exactly. They have too much power. Warlocks too. They’re virtually unchecked. Humans are the only reason they stay in line. They’re outnumbered, and it takes them a bit to cast offensive magic so they play along with the rules.”
“I don’t think they’re as bad as all that.”
“Really? You have a lifetime of over six hundred years telling you that?”
“Jesus, you’re that old? I thought only vamps lived forever.”
Elijah scoffed. “Older. Wolves and vamps have similar advantages. Both of us can only be killed by certain objects or acts of violence. My life is mine as long as I don’t run into anything sharp and silver or get my head blown off.”
Why don’t you remember this? Genetics were common knowledge. As a cop, Sam would be fully trained in it. Is someone messing with your head?
“It’s just a lot to remember the nitty-gritty details. I like to keep my focus on the human criminals. I get them. They make sense.”
“Criminals don’t make sense regardless of the species.”
“No, but still, ugh.” Sam tossed his hands up in the air, and a group of six with cameras practically dangling from their necks looked at them. He winced and raised a hand apologetically. “Nothing to see here. No police brutality in the NOPD.”
The group walked on, and Sam hung his head.
“You positive you’re not hanging out with anyone that could mess with your mind?”
“I’m not. Give me some credit.” Sam looked at his watch. “And answers. You have five minutes before you go in.”
Elijah knew when he was backed into a corner. Sure, he could ignore Sam, but they were friends. If not for being Alpha, he would’ve had Sam over for dinner a dozen times by now. Alphas didn’t fraternize.
“Fine. I find a council member more than a bit distracting.”
Sam blinked twice before a smile settled over his lips. “I didn’t know you did feelings.”
“I said attraction.”
“And I heard feelings.” Sam tapped his chin. “Let me see, I’ve seen everyone go in since I have to stand out here and watch. This is easy. Ivy.”
Elijah’s head twitched in shock. “How?”
“Easy. You were super defensive about witches a minute ago, and Ivy is something to look at. She’s in the news thanks to her position and comes across just as smart as she is good to look at.” He shrugged. “Logical guess.”
Elijah mumbled under his breath. “Note to self, Sam has too many good skills.”
Sam chuckled. “Look, not that I don’t respect the issue you guys had with witches in the past, but we’re kind of a new world here. No one is saying marrying her, but if the itch comes, scratch it.”
“You did not just make that reference because I’m a wolf.”
“Nope,” Sam smirked. “I made it because it’s legit. You being a wolf just makes it amusing.”
“One day, someone is going to knock the good personality right out you.”
“As a cop I expect that. For now, I’m going to enjoy my sunny outlook on all things except the criminals we track down, or my life would be a cesspit of despair.”
Elijah mused the sentiment. “That was a shot at me.”
“No, you have a heavy task on your plate. You’re a cop who speaks for every registered shifter in the United States and runs the Crescent City pack. Whatever goes on in your head to keep you grounded and sane is fine by me. You’ve saved my hide at least three times in dangerous cases. I like to think my good-natured outlook and your keen senses are what make us a good team.”
Elijah could have corrected Sam. He’d saved his ass sixteen times in the past five years. “Yeah, well, you’re one of the good ones. Most people would have demanded reassignment when the truth came out three years ago. You stood by my side and took a brunt of the heat and hatred.”
“Shucks, don’t get super emotional on me right before you go spend time with Ivy. Who knows what could happen, you could even ask her out.”
Elijah sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’ll see you in an hour, Sam.” Walking past the gate, Elijah snorted. “Ivy,” her name slipped out when he saw her standing just inside the open door.
“Elijah. Good to see you again.” She nodded curtly but didn’t wait for him to get closer, merely stepped up to the metal detector and walked through.
Right, because a date with a woman like that ever ends well—witch or not.
* * *
“Thank you all for coming. While I know this is a regularly scheduled update meeting, I fear we have serious business to discuss.” Angela’s eyes betrayed her concern despite her voice remaining level. “As a djinn, I find it hard to remain impartial. I wish to seek a different council leader for this meeting once I give the news that was brought to me by one of my own.”
Angela’s dark brown hair seemed to flutter on an invisible breeze.
“I will do it,” Renard rose and walked to the judge’s bench. “Vampires have far greater control over their emotions.”
Ivy snorted. “That is the most outlandish thing you’ve ever said.” She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Vampires have heightened emotions, everyone knows that.”
“Well,” Renard’s fangs peeked out under his upper lip. “I happen to know I have more control than the rest of you.”
Ivy nodded. There was no denying the range of passion in the room. As a djinn, Angela fell prey to the curse that freed them. Djinn cannot hold their tongue—a small price to pay to no longer grant wishes for every prick in the world. Candice refused to ever be impartial, claiming that as a human she had to be passionate and speak loudly for the only species with no special skills to protect themselves. She and Jared seemed to be vocal, both unwilling to give up discretion when it mattered. Then there was Elijah.
Ivy forced off a shiver of pleasure as she turned and found t
he wolf staring at her. Elijah knew when to hold his tongue. He preferred to sit and wait quietly. Except when his temper flared red hot, and he flew into rages. It was not his fault, it was the way of any predatory creature. When he felt threatened, he fought back. When he thought the shifters suffered from unfair treatment he could fly off the handle. No, the sexy as hell wolf could not lead if he had to remain impartial.
“You have a point,” she sat back down, forcing her gaze away from Elijah’s. When he looked at her, all she wanted was his lips on her neck, and his hands curled in her hair. And no matter what you seem to do, nothing quells it. Ivy grumbled the internal thought, displeased the potion she’d drank moments before arriving to remove attraction hadn’t worked.
Some things simply couldn’t be controlled by magic.
“Please forgive me if I am unable to control my disgust,” Angela snapped her fingers, and a puff of yellow smoke rose from them. A moment later, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. “This,” Angela bent over and lifted the paper, “is written testimony from a djinn.” Angela turned it for all to see. “It would appear there is a magic user interested in changing history.”
Ivy swallowed and barely refrained from sliding down in her seat. Changing history was not against the laws—human or supernatural—because no one thought it could be done. However, if it made it to the council, perhaps her reckless attempts were witnessed by a djinn.
Don’t think about it. Don’t breathe differently. You can just explain to them the way you did to the coven.
“Why is that a crime?” Elijah crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles straining as he did. “Impossible, yes, illegal? Not that I’m aware of.”
She let her eyes glance sideways. Elijah remained level-headed, he didn’t see this as a threat.
“It is when the goal is extermination and violence.” Every word dripped with judgment.
Ivy’s head whipped back to the center of the room. Could it be possible that two of us are seeking it out?
Renard stood up from his seat beside her, tugged on his tie, and cleared his throat. “I believe now it would be appropriate for me to take over.” He turned to face her, zero emotion in his dark amber eyes. “Ivy, do you know of witches seeking to do this?”
Lie. The word flashed in Ivy’s mind even though she doubted she could pull it off.
“I seek time travel magic.” She waited for the intake of breath. None came. “I wish to bring my parents back, to teach me spells I did not get to learn before they passed.”
Renard nodded, still without a shred of emotion in his eyes. “We’ve known of that for some time. You reach far and speak to many, this cannot be what the djinn spoke of.” He looked at Angela. “Is it safe to assume the djinn who reported it pointed a finger just at magic casters?”
The djinn nodded, her lips pursed so tightly frown lines blossomed across her forehead.
“I have no doubt you and Jared likely do not know all that occurs under you—just as I do not. However, since I cannot use my gifts on you, I put it to a vote to have you cast truth hexes on one another. The hexes will be infinite, removed only once we have the information we need.”
She had nothing to fear, they were not looking for her. “That is complicated magic, not a hex. I do not believe either myself or Jared can simply cast it this moment. We would need supplies.”
“I can gather them,” Elijah spoke up beside her, his brows knitting together. “Prevent other spells from being cast. If someone seeks to use magic to create mass harm, we need to know and before it happens.”
“Jared?” Renard looked past Elijah to the Warlock Council Elect.
Sweat glistened on his ivory skin. His lips seemed to tremble even as his black eyes darted around the council chamber.
“I do not consent.”
“Lock him up,” Renard hissed, speaking to the guards, two of each race, who flanked the edges of the room.
A jolt shook the room.
“You cannot take me in. I do not consent. The humans need to be put down! They need to learn their place in the pecking order — no more limiting businesses, banishing people from cities, or turning blind eyes to hate attacks. The warlocks called for more. I warned you we would not go quietly if rejected.” He lifted his wand in one hand and athame in another. Blue sparks danced from the tip of the wand as he sliced it in half, sending magic into the room.
All at once, the guards flew backward. Ivy leaped to her feet, dragging her wand from her pocket in the same instant. “Kleidariá!” She shouted, flinging her wand toward Jared.
It was too late, it landed with a sharp snap on the tile floor. Jared was gone.
“We need to find him, now.” Candice shrieked. She had reason to panic even if she should be level-headed to help find a solution.
“This is on me.” The words slipped from her Ivy’s before she knew it. “I dug up time travel magic. I must have given him the idea in my hunt to undo my parent’s death. A witch will go after them.”
“Are you insane? I don’t care how much magic you have in your little finger, you cannot go after a psychopath alone.” Elijah snarled, his wolf obviously lurking as Elijah likely fought not to shift in his anger.
“I assure you, I can take care of myself. I will bring other witches. Those I know I can trust.” She challenged him, stared him right in his beautiful blue eyes and dared him to try to make her into some weak female.
Renard did it for Elijah.
“He’s right. While I admire your candor and bravado, you don’t know what he’s planning. A little muscle will go a long way in case his binds your magic.”
She hissed that time. “He wouldn’t dare.” A hex to bind a witch’s magic could kill the caster and Jared was far too self-serving to risk himself.
“You can’t know that.” Candice’s voice shook though she stood her ground from across the room. “We clearly misjudged and mistrusted Jared. We should be safe, all of us. We know his plan, he might come for us before he sets the ball in motion.”
Ivy shook her head. “If he’s found something in the past month since I’ve given up it won’t be a simple cast. It will require prep work and meditation. He can’t do anything for a few hours because he expected to be here, in this meeting.” Her words came out sounding far calmer than she was. In all her experiences and research, time travel magic only worked with a sacrifice—anything from a small amount of money to a drop of blood. If Jared did learn how to harness that magic, there was no telling what it would take to set it in motion.
“Then we use that to our advantage.” Elijah’s voice was barely more than a growl.
Ivy pushed back the sliver of fear creeping through her. If they could be brave in the face of an adversary tougher than themselves, so could she.
“We keep this quiet. No voting. Not telling the public. This is the best way. He’ll have cloaked himself, so I will not waste my time with a tracker spell. We take to the streets. We ask questions and find him the old way.”
Renard gave her a curt nod. “Pair up. Angela, you’re with me. Ivy, with Elijah. Candice, you get someplace safe. I don’t trust Jared isn’t after you.” Renard’s normally black eyes glowed silver.
“Go to this address,” Ivy ripped her phone from her pocket and texted the number for Genevieve Perrow’s shop. “Tell her I sent you. She’ll protect you.”
“Thank you. I don’t like hiding, but I understand the need.” Candice had been selected for her bravery in ending the assaults on Supernaturals. Ivy could see they’d made the proper choice. Fear gripped Candice quickly, as it had a right too, and now she was all business.
“If we’re going, I’m not doing it alone. There’s no spell to remove his scent. My guys can find him that way.” Elijah snatched up the cushion from the seat Jared sat on as if it had merely been held on with tape.
He continued to stare at her, his eyes seeming to drill into her soul.
“What?”
“I was waiting for you to object.”
>
“I’m not an idiot. You’re right. So call them so we can get started. I prefer to stay in the city, but see if they’ll start in the bayou. I don’t think Jared would dare to cast on shifter land, but I also didn’t think he’d do something like this.”
Elijah continued to stare at her as he took a step closer. “He’ll go after you harder than the rest of us. You know that, right?”
“Because I have played with time travel far more than any other. I know. There’s a small potion I can brew to go back just a few minutes. I have some at my house. I think we should take it with us.”
“Agreed. We’ll start there.”
She opened her mouth to tell him she could go on her own and stopped as his hand took hold of hers. “You’re too important to get yourself killed.”
Ivy pulled back a smidge, trying not to read into the way his statement made her warm and fuzzy.
“You might be the only one with enough knowledge to stop him.”
There it is. Ivy blew out a breath. “Are you certain you want to split up?” Ivy looked toward Angela, Djinn abhorred violence.
“It’s our best bet. Her magic could screw yours up. Brute force with casters. One of each on both teams. We’ll find him.” Elijah answered.
“I agree.” Angela seconded. “I would have preferred to answer for myself, but I know shifters are largely archaic in their behavior.”
Despite the situation, Ivy snickered at the small strike.
“Okay then, cell phones only. No magical communication between us. If someone finds Jared, alert the others before approaching. Tracking in pairs makes sense, but if we really need to go against him and who the fuck knows how many others, our strength in numbers will be needed.” Renard vanished in a puff of smoke after touching Angela and taking him with her.
“You’re up for this?” Elijah raised a brow.
“I’m a witch, not a pacifist. And stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’ll break because I’m only a hundred and thirty pounds. Like I can’t take care of myself.”
“Sweetheart,” he growled, “I’m well aware you can take care of yourself. I’m more concerned you’ll get in my way.” Without another word, Elijah stepped past her and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
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