by L.H. Cosway
“Here, here,” Lucas cheered in mockingly. I silenced him with a sharp look.
Ethan’s eyes were levelled on mine. He grabbed hold of my wrist and swiftly removed my hand from his mouth. “Very well then,” he said, holding onto my wrist a moment longer than necessary, staring at me coldly. When he let go, my hand fell limply to my side.
Unexpectedly, Dru was the one to speak up next. “Who do you think you are to tell everyone how they should behave? You’re nothing but a traitor.”
“Dru,” Ethan warned. “That’s enough.”
Dru shook her head. “Oh, come on, she played you for a fool, and now we’re all paying the price, cast out by our people and having to live on enemy territory. We should be allowed to express our anger at that.”
“Um, can I remind everyone that I was saving a little girl’s life? I hardly betrayed Ethan for selfish reasons.”
“Yeah, you’re a modern-day Mother Theresa,” Lucas deadpanned before looking around the room. “Can someone remind me who thought it would be a good idea for everyone to be in one room together like this?”
“Look,” Finn cut in. “I’m probably the least happy person about this alliance we’ve built, but there’s no use fighting. This is my house, so I’m going to call the shots for now. If the riots in the city today were Theodore’s doing, then we need to find out where he is and put a stop to it. The vampires can search at night and the humans and dhampirs during the day.”
Ethan turned his focus to Finn. “It might surprise you, slayer, but I agree with you. We vampires will begin our searches tonight.” He stepped forward and surprised the hell out of me when he shook Finn’s hand. I’d officially entered the Twilight Zone.
Finn gave a stiff nod while Ethan motioned for Lucas, Dru, and Delilah to follow him out of the house, leaving me a little disappointed that he didn’t look at me before leaving.
Delilah hovered by the door, shooting Gabriel an apologetic glance, perhaps for how Ethan spoke to him. Those two had grown substantially closer over the last few weeks, and I wondered what Ethan made of their budding friendship. Gabriel silently nodded to her, and she left the room.
Once all the vampires were gone, I sat down beside Rita, taking a moment to study her. She still seemed jittery after what happened, and she tensed up as I stared at her.
“What?” she asked. “Why are you gawking at me?”
“What aren’t you telling us, Rita?”
“Nothing,” she replied, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as though to rid herself of a chill.
“Tegan’s right. You’re hiding something. Out with it,” Alvie encouraged.
Rita remained silent but looked to each person in the room in turn. First me, then Finn, Gabriel, Alvie, and finally, her mother.
“I don’t mind working with the vampires, but you all have to promise to keep your mouths shut about who my dad is. If it got out, they’d probably end up trying to use me to blackmail Theodore in some way.”
“Of course,” I reassured her. “We won’t tell a soul.”
“You know we’d never reveal your secret,” Gabriel added while everyone else nodded in agreement.
“I’m just scared,” Rita said in a small voice. “Theodore went out of his way to visit my mind. His message was clear; he wants me to join him. He might not think much of me in terms of paternal love, but he certainly knows I inherited some of his power, and he wants me close by. If the vamps did try to use me as leverage to get to him, it could very well work. Only I’m not sure they’d ever let him have me in the long run. They’d probably just trick him in some way and do away with me. Nobody wants a sorcerer’s daughter running free to cause mayhem in the future. So, as far as the vamps are concerned, I’m just an average, everyday witch, do you all hear me? Nothing to write home about.”
“I certainly have no intention of telling anyone who your dad is, Rita,” Finn said. “But the vampires aren’t going to think you’re an average witch after seeing you work powerful magic twice now. Plus, if you hadn’t noticed, Cristescu has set his sights on you. He’s not being extra nice to you because he’s a friendly sort of bloke.”
Rita snorted. “I’m well aware that the blond Adonis wants to use me. The thing is, sometimes when it seems like one person is being used by another, it’s actually the other way around. I’ll let him think he’s winning me over because it could be useful to have an old vamp like him on my side.”
“Good strategy,” Finn said approvingly.
I held my tongue, a little frustrated. I didn’t want anyone using anyone else. Even though the vampires weren’t my biggest fans, a part of me yearned for our tentative alliance to turn into a real friendship over time. I wasn’t sure that was ever going to happen though.
I got up and went into the kitchen to make myself some tea. Ira was still seated and staring out the window. Perhaps he had the right idea. A solitary life had its advantages. Getting involved with other people just left you broken and bruised.
At least in my experience it did.
Ira glanced at me serenely and turned his attention back to Finn’s overgrown garden. A moment later, Rita came into the room, folding her arms as she stood by the door.
“What’s your problem, Tegan? I can tell you’re annoyed about something.”
I let out a sigh. “It’s nothing to do with you.” Not entirely, anyway. “I’m just tired of how all of the vampires still hate me. It’s exhausting to deal with.”
Rita came to sit by me, but as she did, Ira emitted a low growl. “Calm down, doggie. I’m not going to put any spells on you,” she said, hands raised.
I glanced at her questioningly.
Rita blew out a breath. “He seems to have a problem with witches, probably because of the witch who put the curse on him. He’s not so bad with Alvie or Gabriel because they’re men, but with me and Mum he just growls and won’t let us get too close.”
“That’s odd. He doesn’t get defensive with me at all,” I said.
“Well, you aren’t exactly a traditional kind of witch, at least not yet. Plus, I think he’s used to you since you’ve been living here for a while.”
I took a sip of warm tea. “Yeah, probably.” I studied Ira a moment before reaching across the table and placing my hand on his bare arm. “Rita’s not going to harm you. She’s a good witch.”
Rita chuckled. “Well, that’s debatable.”
Ira stared directly into my eyes, grunted, then pulled his arm away. Rita, being the provocative madam that she was, dragged her chair along the floor and pushed it right up next to Ira’s. His growling started again, louder this time. She put her arm around his very broad shoulders and placed a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Get used to me, pooch, because I’m not going anywhere.” She squeezed his shoulders before swiftly leaving the room to return to her RV for the night.
“Goodnight, Tegan,” she called.
“‘Night, Rita,” I called back, just before she slammed the front door behind her.
I picked up my tea and stood from the table, placing my hand gently on Ira’s shoulder. “Don’t mind Rita. She likes to provoke people, but she’s harmless underneath it all.” He closed his eyes a moment, and I thought he appreciated my reassurance. Then he gave a low grunt of acceptance. I gave his shoulder one last pat before heading upstairs to my room.
***
I woke early the next morning. Not because I planned on it, but because Finn pounded on the door at seven-thirty, informing me we were going sorcerer hunting.
I hadn’t done laundry all week, and all of my comfy jeans were dirty, so I had to resort to wearing a knee-length blue dress under my coat with thick black tights for warmth.
Rita, Alvie, Gabriel, Ira, Delilah, Finn, and I gathered in the front garden while Finn divided us up into three teams. Rita and Delilah were going to take a boat out to Ridley Island to have a look around and see if they could find any clues as to Theodore’s whereabouts. Gabriel and Alvie would perform some reconnaissance at Mich
ael Ridley’s estate, the home of a warlock who was currently in league with Theodore. That left Finn, Ira, and me to pay a visit to my old place of work, Indigo, which was owned by Marcel Girard, who was also in league with Theodore and who, as it turned out, was his great-grandson. Or great-great-great grandson, depending on how old Theodore actually was. No one knew for sure.
I climbed into the passenger seat of Finn’s car. He wasn’t using the DOH van today, since there were only three of us. Ira sat quietly in the back seat.
“I thought I’d bring him along to give us a bit more of a menacing air,” Finn said as he started up the engine. “Marcel’s not exactly the bravest sort, so he shouldn’t try anything too threatening with Ira standing beside us.”
I glanced at Ira in the overhead mirror. Finn must have taken him shopping for some clothes recently because he now wore garments that actually fit him. Ira’s frame was larger than the average man’s. He was even an inch or two taller than Ethan. I suspected Finn had to take him to one of those specialist Big and Tall stores.
Suddenly, Ira met my eyes through the mirror. There was so much wisdom in his gaze that I had to wonder if he really couldn’t talk or if he was simply pretending to be mute so that people would underestimate him. It was a good strategy, I supposed, but I’d be upset if it were true. He had nothing to fear from Finn or me. I wanted him to be comfortable enough to be his true self with us.
“So, what do you think our visit to Indigo is going to achieve?” I asked, returning my attention to Finn. “Marcel is hardly going to spit out Theodore’s location and master plan just because we come marching into his shop with a six-foot-something shapeshifter at our side.”
Finn shook his head. “We’re not going to let on that we’re after Theodore. Jesus Christ, who’s actually idiotic enough to let their enemies know they’re gunning for them in advance? You, Missy, are going to demand that Marcel tell you how to get your dad back from the hell dimension, while I scope the place out for clues about the big bad sorcerer.”
“Well, that could be useful, actually. I’ve been reading all of Gabriel’s magic books, but I still haven’t managed to discover a way of retrieving Dad, not without sending someone there to replace him. The only person I could ever do that to is Theodore himself, and obviously we have to find him first.”
Finn reached out a moment and patted my hand. I was struck by the warmth of his skin and how nice the contact felt. My head went to a strange place as I wondered what it would be like to be with Finn. He was so warm and friendly, so teasing. So human. I shook myself out of the fantasy, because starting anything romantic with Finn wasn’t a wise idea. I still had too many unresolved feelings for Ethan.
Finn shot me a curious look. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just worried about dad,” I answered.
“We’ll get him back. I promise.”
I blew out a breath. “Rita said time works differently in other dimensions. She said that even though, to us, Dad’s been gone for three weeks, it could only be a few minutes for him, which is what I’m hoping. But then, it could also be years, which I can’t even allow myself to contemplate.”
“Then don’t. We’ll get him back. Whatever comes after that we’ll deal with when the time comes.”
I was touched by his determination to help me. Finn had become almost like family to me these last few weeks, not afraid to dole out tough love when needed but also prepared to give reassurance, too.
“Thanks,” I whispered. This time I was the one to squeeze his hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I know. I’m pretty special,” he said with a wink as he parked his car around the corner from Indigo.
When we neared the entrance to the shop, I immediately noticed the steady flow of customers going in and out. I hadn’t worked at the place for very long, but during that time, there had never been such a large number of patrons. Finn placed his hand on my lower back, ushering me inside. I might have spent more time wondering about the affectionate gesture if I wasn’t so stunned to see how much Indigo had changed since I’d last been there.
The interior had undergone a major renovation. There were now several brand-new cash register stations instead of the old rickety one from before. It also looked like they’d knocked down one of the back walls to make the space larger. The shelves were new, too, displaying a whole range of stock the shop never used to carry, such as herbal cosmetics and hair dyes.
Two guys and one girl manned the cash registers, and something hummed inside of me. My magic informed me that these were members of the magical families. That had been happening more and more lately. I could recognise a supernatural being simply from the way my magic reacted to them. It was similar to how I’d felt a hum in my chest when I first got to know Rita, or how I was drawn to Florence back when we were still neighbours.
“Is your boss around?” Finn asked one of the guy workers.
Before he could answer, a voice said, “Well, well, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
Marcel stepped out of a doorway at the back of the shop, a smile on his face and a calculating gleam in his eyes.
“I think you’re finding this about as pleasurable as an injection up the posterior,” Finn said humorously. “I love what you’ve done with the place, by the way. It’s like McDonald’s for hippies.”
Marcel gave him a broad smile. “I’ve decided to try my hand at capitalism. And on the contrary, having old friends such as yourselves grace my door is quite the gift.” His eyes slowly drifted to me, and in their seemingly harmless depths, I saw my dad falling into a black, bottomless hole.
Immediately, anger roiled within me. How could he just stand there like he hadn’t thrown an innocent man into hell?
“Hello, Tegan,” Marcel greeted me, a hint of cruelty apparent in his smile. I enjoyed watching that smile swiftly dissolve when his eyes landed on Ira, who was standing directly behind me.
“Ah,” Marcel cleared his throat. “I see you’ve brought another friend.”
I felt Ira’s protectiveness like a heat at my back. His presence put me much more at ease than I would’ve been facing Marcel alone.
“This isn’t a social visit,” I said. “I want you to tell me how I can bring my dad back from where you sent him.”
Marcel gave me a fake sympathetic look. He reached out as if to comfort me, but rapidly withdrew his hand when Ira gave a low, rumbling growl.
“Easy,” Marcel said, backing away as he met Ira’s gaze. “I mean her no harm.”
Ira’s growling ceased once Marcel had distanced himself far enough. The warlock blinked, seeming a little shaken by the obvious threat in Ira’s growl. He also looked a little fascinated, clearly wondering exactly what kind of supernatural being my new bodyguard was. Marcel brought his attention back to me.
“I’m sorry, Tegan, but your father is irretrievable. I suggest you grieve and move on.”
His heartless statement cut me to the quick. I narrowed my gaze at him, a feeling of hopelessness setting in. Was Dad really irretrievable? No, Marcel was lying. He had to be.
“If he’s been sent to the same place Theodore was sent, then surely he can be retrieved,” I argued.
“Your father is human. Theodore is not,” Marcel answered. “If you try and pull a human out of a hell dimension they will always come back changed. There are no fifty-fifty chances with this. He would be corrupted, poisoned, certainly not the father you once knew.”
His words deflated me because they made far too much sense, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept it. “You’re lying,” I whispered.
“I wish I were. Any attempts you make to bring your father back will not end well.”
How could he stand there and talk to me so casually when he was the one who pushed my dad into that hole? I wanted to hurt him, but I knew it wouldn’t do me any favours. Besides, if it turned out that I really couldn’t get Dad back, then I was going to focus all my energy on destroying Marcel and ev
ery other person who was in that cave on New Year’s Eve.
Marcel turned his attention to Finn. “Mr Roe, I hear you’ve been making friends with a couple of exiled vampires.”
What? How could Marcel know about the alliance we’d made with Ethan?
“Whoever told you that was talking bullshit,” Finn lied. “I don’t associate with vamps, exiled or not.”
He had an excellent poker face, I’d give him that. I felt like saying something to further deny Marcel’s allegation, but I clamped my mouth shut. Too much protest would only make us look guilty. Still, it couldn’t be good news that Marcel knew about our ragtag crew. The only way he could know was if someone was spying on us. I thought of how Theodore had infiltrated Rita’s mind yesterday. Was the sorcerer somehow keeping tabs on us through his daughter? The thought made me shiver.
Marcel tutted at us. “You can make friends with as many vampires as you wish. They’ll not be a match for Theodore.”
Finn didn’t bother arguing with him. If Marcel knew about our alliance, then he knew. There were no clever comebacks that would change that.
“So,” Marcel went on, “how are you and Ethan Cristescu getting along? I seem to remember you two having quite the bone to pick with one another. Not to mention you both have a soft spot for this one.” His gaze flicked momentarily to me.
Finn’s jaw visibly tightened. I was surprised he allowed his temper to get the better of him when he bit back, “Fuck off, Marcel.”
The warlock laughed. “Oh my. Hit a sore point, have I?”
Finn shook his head and looked away. I studied him for a moment, confused as to why he was so pissed off. Sure, he didn’t like Ethan, but this seemed like more than that.
I was distracted from my thoughts when I felt a strange tickle in my throat. At first, it was only a mild irritation, but it soon transformed into a full-on coughing fit. I doubled over, and Finn rushed to my side.
“Are you okay, Tegan?” he asked in concern.
