by Alicia Rades
“Who were those guys with him?” Fiona asked.
Genevieve’s lips pursed tightly. “His first followers, I suppose. My guess is they’re all witches he gathered before he ever used the Artifact.”
“Did you recognize any of them?” Sondra asked.
The magical community wasn’t very large, and Genevieve had all kinds of connections.
“Just one,” she said. “The man directly behind him on his right, the one who was playing with the cards. His name is Tobias Ellwood. We’ve crossed paths a few times, but I refused to work with him.”
Ellwood… Where had I heard that name before? I repeated the name several times in my mind, flipping through my memory for where I could’ve possibly heard of him. Maybe it was just one of those names…
Suddenly, it struck. Maliya had mentioned him to Cowen when I’d been locked up in her dungeon, right before she’d tried to carve me up like a Thanksgiving turkey. “This shouldn’t take long, Cowen. You’ll have plenty of time to make your flight to Seattle. You can tell Ellwood all about the raven bitch once you get there.”
“I heard Maliya talk about a guy named Ellwood when I was in her mansion,” I blurted. “Cowen was planning to meet up with him in Seattle for something. Do you think it’s the same guy?”
Genevieve thought about it for a moment. “Very possible. Ellwood is a witch who’s heavily invested in the blood slave trade. His work specifically specializes in shifter slaves. Cowen was probably headed to do some consulting with him. I suppose that business is no longer viable. If I know anything about the man, he ran straight to Matias’s side the second he mentioned magic. He’s only a mid-witch, and he probably thought Matias could give him more power.”
“But he can’t give him more power,” Teagan said. “Only as much power as he had before.”
Genevieve nodded.
“What are Matias’s chances of rounding up enough high witches to go through with his plan?” Ryland asked.
Genevieve shook her head. “I don’t know. High witches are rare, but there are enough of us that he could very well build an army, even if only a fraction join.”
Ronark frowned. “He makes his cause sound noble, too, so I bet a handful of them will join.”
“And it doesn’t matter how many we get on our side,” Jenna pointed out. “Since we can’t use magic to fight against him.”
“No,” Sondra agreed, “but at least we can try to keep them from his side. If we talk to people, get the word out about what he really wants to do, then maybe we can keep him from getting too strong. He is giving people a choice, after all. We just need to get people to reject his offer.”
“How are we going to do that?” Ryland asked. “Get up on national TV and announce he can’t be trusted?”
“No,” Richard spoke for the first time. “That’s a good way to spark the spread of misinformation. We need to go directly to the community.”
“You need to go to the Department of Magical Regulation,” Venn suggested.
All eyes turned toward him.
“Magic like this, so public… the Department of Magical Regulation is going to be all over it and ready to stop it by any means necessary,” he explained. “But they don’t know what they’re up against. We should tell them what we know, so they can use their resources to stop him before this gets out of hand.”
“It’s already out of hand,” Fiona mumbled. “But I get what you mean.”
“I think Venn makes a good point,” I said. “Like Jenna pointed out, we don’t have the magic to fight him. The DMR at least has resources we don’t. If we tell them about the Artifact, they can target it and stop this.”
“What happens when they get their hands on it, though?” Ryland asked. “What if they start using it?”
Fiona cocked an eyebrow at him. “Really? The DMR hates magic more than any other person or agency alive. You think they’re going to use the Artifact?”
“Yes,” Ryland said. “Because they hate magic. It’s the lesser of two evils for them. Use magic once to stop it forever.”
“And the Department of Magical Regulation is the lesser of two evils for us,” Venn pointed out. “Matias is going to kill people for this. The DMR won’t.”
My mouth felt like sandpaper, even though I’d chugged a liter of water an hour ago. I was so torn. Everyone was making good points here, but I was leaning toward Venn’s side. If we lost magic for good, we might as well go with the option where fewer people died.
Unless… there was a loophole.
“We could offer them a trade,” I said.
Genevieve leaned forward, looking interested.
“We offer to destroy the Owl for them once it’s in their possession,” I proposed.
“So they can throw you in jail?” Jenna argued. “Won’t admitting you’re witches capable of destroying this get you in trouble?”
“You can’t get in trouble for what you are,” I pointed out. “Only for what you do—just as it was with vampires. We negotiate immunity on this act of magic. Once it’s destroyed, our magic will return, and we can show them that magic can be used for good. It could be the first step in making better laws for the magical community by forming an alliance with them.”
My gaze flickered to Sondra, who looked deep in thought. I hoped she would agree with me. Just the prospect of getting the chance at forming an alliance with the DMR made my stomach flutter in excitement. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t thought of it sooner.
“I think it’s worth a shot,” Sondra finally said. “We’re all registered as witches, so it’s not like we’re telling them anything they don’t already know. I think Venn’s right that this is the lesser of two evils.”
Genevieve stood. “I will schedule us a meeting. I want Rae and Venn to accompany me.”
Ryland dropped his shoulders. “I miss out on all the fun?”
Genevieve frowned at him. “Rae was the one who spoke to Matias about his plan, and frankly, I trust Venn and Sondra the most. But Sondra needs to rest.”
“How come you’re in charge?” Ryland complained.
Genevieve crossed her arms. “If you’d like to sleep out on the street tonight, you’re welcome to. Otherwise, you’re just going to have to trust me.”
Ryland sank down into his seat, looking totally defeated. Genevieve breezed out into the hall, and the room broke out into chatter.
I turned to Venn. “What about Tyson?”
“I don’t want to delay going after him—”
“Then don’t,” I said. “Someone else can go to the DMR instead of us.”
Venn’s gaze fell, and he looked deep in thought. “No, we should go. It will take me a few days to track down some people to talk to so I can get a lead on my brother. And I don’t want you going to the Department without me. They’re on high-alert, so we don’t know how they’ll react. This meeting has the potential to be very good for us—or very bad.”
I wrapped Venn in a hug. “I don’t like the sound of that. I really hope it goes well.”
3
The Department of Magical Regulation was like any fancy office building—reception desks, waiting rooms, long hallways with endless doors… except it was insanely busy today. It’d been less than twenty-four hours since Matias made his big announcement, and the department was in a total uproar. Phones were ringing off the hook, and people were running this way and that, trying to deal with all of it. And this was only a branch of the department, a relatively small building that only reached five stories. I hated to see what the headquarters in Washington, D.C. looked like today.
The drive to the Chicago office took forever, and we’d been sitting in the waiting room for three hours past our scheduled appointment. I basically spent the whole time twiddling my thumbs and staring at a large picture hung on the wall that showed the department heads from D.C. I knew the face of Matthew Robertson, the president of the department. He’d been in the news a lot when the department opened a few years ago. But I couldn’t
place the blonde who stood beside him. She was much younger than him, probably in her forties, but there was something about her that tugged at a memory I couldn’t place. Had I seen her on TV before? Or had I met her in a past life?
Finally, a woman in a navy-blue pantsuit stepped through the door. “Genevieve Morgan? Mr. Cavanaugh will see you now.”
Genevieve stood, and Venn and I followed. I smoothed out my black dress and kept close to Venn. Pantsuit Lady opened it and gestured for us to enter. A man of at least fifty sat behind a large mahogany desk opposite the doorway. He was conventionally attractive, with dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a strong jaw, but he didn’t look up from his computer when we walked in the room.
Such a warm, welcome greeting.
His assistant quietly slipped out of the room. The sound of ringing phones and chatter died as the door closed behind her.
Genevieve cleared her throat, and Leon Cavanaugh finally lifted his head. He gave the four of us a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, then gestured to the chairs in front of him. I sat in the middle, and Genevieve and Venn claimed either end.
“Mrs. Morgan,” Cavanaugh said. “My secretary tells me she had quite the interesting phone call with you yesterday and that this meeting couldn’t wait.”
“No, it couldn't,” Genevieve said with a friendly smile, “but that didn’t keep us from sitting in your waiting room for the last three hours.”
Oh, snap! Genevieve was throwing some serious shade. She was so not having it with this guy.
“I apologize,” Cavanaugh said, though it didn’t sound like he meant it. “As you can see, we’re quite busy today. Recent events have given the Department a lot to handle.”
“Yes, and we’re here to help,” Genevieve said.
Cavanaugh straightened in his chair.
Genevieve continued. “We have information about Matias Vayne that could help you stop him.”
Cavanaugh tilted his head to the side, but he didn’t blink an eye. “Stop him?”
I gaped at him. “Aren’t you the least bit concerned? Haven’t you seen the news reports? Don’t you know what he’s up to? He’s in your jurisdiction!”
Cavanaugh shot me a cold smile. “I’m well aware, and I have the best team on the case. But the Vayne case is simple. I’m merely wondering what information you might possibly bring to the table. In the meantime, we have endless unsolved cases that are finally getting some light shed upon them now that magic has been contained.”
Cavanaugh’s meaning was clear. No new information was coming out about these cases. They were simply prosecuting magic users in full force now that they couldn’t defend themselves.
“Contained?” I asked in disbelief. I quickly adjusted my tone and spoke in a more professional manner. “Sir, I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation. Matias Vayne isn’t doing you any favors.”
Cavanaugh shifted in his seat, looking amused. “That may be true, but I also know that in the last two days, we’ve freed twice as many blood slaves as we did in the last quarter.”
“That’s great,” Venn said genuinely, though I could hear the irritation in his tone. “But Matias has nothing to do with the vampires. You can take him out and rescue blood slaves all at the same time.”
Cavanaugh shrugged. “We can’t know that for sure. All we know is that he somehow gained control of magic at the very time vampires returned to human. He could very well be controlling the vampire virus.”
His unspoken words were clear in his tone. And we need it to stay that way.
He did think Matias was doing him a favor! He was so wrong.
“That’s what we’re here to discuss with you,” I said firmly. “Aren't you at least curious what we have to say?”
Cavanaugh suddenly seemed more interested, but he quickly relaxed. “I’ve met with at least a dozen people just today who have offered up their own theories on recent events. What makes your theory more credible than the others?”
I leaned forward and leveled my gaze with his, making sure he knew I wasn’t screwing around. “Because Matias Vayne told me himself.”
Cavanaugh raised his eyebrows, looking impressed. “I’m listening.”
“Matias Vayne is in possession of a magical artifact called The Wise Owl,” Genevieve explained. “It was created centuries ago by a powerful group of witches. They infused magic into it that allowed the owner to block anyone’s connection to Synchrony.”
Cavanaugh narrowed his eyes, like he wasn’t quite following. “Synchrony? Never heard of it.”
“It’s the powerful force most witches believe fuels their magic,” Genevieve said. “With this artifact, Matias can flip the switch on any witch or shifter’s magic so they can no longer access it. That’s why magic has disappeared, and why he’s offering to restore it to anyone who joins him.”
Cavanaugh nodded slowly, like he was absorbing the information. “So, how does that explain the vampires? He just flipped off the switch to their magic, too?”
“No,” Venn said. His gaze flickered over to mine and Genevieve’s. “The vampire curse was broken through other means. It was only after that happened that he was able to use the Artifact. Otherwise, he was unable to use his magic in vampire form.”
Cavanaugh took a deep breath and finally straightened in his chair. “Okay, say this is all true. What exactly is it that you’re proposing?”
Genevieve held her head high. “We’re telling you this information so that you can retrieve the Artifact. Once it’s out of Matias’s hands, we’d like to offer to destroy it for you.”
Cavanaugh nearly choked on his own saliva. “Destroy it how?”
“An object like this can only be destroyed through magic,” Genevieve said. “It’d have to be powerful magic, more powerful than the witches who created it.”
Cavanaugh smirked. “I supposed that means you, Mrs. Morgan? I’m aware you’re registered as a high witch. You haven’t been dabbling in any magic on the side, have you?”
“I would never!” Genevieve lied, rather convincingly. “But this issue is bigger than that. We don’t have the means to retrieve the Artifact, which is why we need your help. But you need a group of witches strong enough to get rid of it, and that’s where we come in. We can gather a team and destroy it, in exchange for full immunity on this magical task, of course.”
I held my breath, waiting for his response.
Cavanaugh nodded. “A reasonable trade, for sure. But if the Department managed to retrieve such an object, why would we want to destroy it? Our procedures require us to catalogue and save all magical objects we come across.”
“Have you ever come across an object powerful enough for a single person to build a magical army?” Genevieve cocked an eyebrow. “The Wise Owl is very dangerous in the wrong hands. It was created for noble purposes, but only to prevent people from Matias Vayne from rising to power. Now that he has it, everyone is at risk. You wouldn’t want to repeat that, would you?”
“No, certainly not,” Cavanaugh said, like the mere suggestion was preposterous. “So, this Wise Owl. What is it, exactly?”
“It’s an ancient owl skull,” I said. “I’ve seen it myself, even felt its magic. I can personally attest to how dangerous it is.”
“Felt its magic?” Cavanaugh sounded intrigued. “How did you come across it?”
I swallowed. Perhaps I’d said too much. “Like I said, Matias showed me. I’m a low witch. I can’t control when I feel magic. I didn’t use it, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“I’m not,” Cavanaugh said. “What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Vayne, Miss…?”
“Collins. Rachel Collins.” I shot Venn a quick glance. It was time to come up with a quick lie. I’d broken at least two dozen magical laws getting into that cave to find the Artifact, then following through with killing Valkas on Gregor Island. Cavanaugh didn’t need to know about any of that. “Matias offered me a spot in his army. I didn’t take it.”
&n
bsp; Cavanaugh looked like he believed me, so I relaxed.
“Thank you very much for this information,” Cavanaugh said as he stood. “I will be sure to pass it on to my team. Unfortunately, I have many more meetings to get to today, so our time is up. We will contact you if there are any developments with retrieving this artifact.”
Cavanaugh rounded his desk and opened the door to escort us out of his office. Or more accurately, force us out.
In that moment, one thing became very clear. Cavanaugh didn’t see Matias Vayne as the threat he was. He was choosing to ignore it to fit how he wanted to see the world, rather than to see it as it was. He would hold off his men as long as he could so that his department kept the upper hand in the other cases they were pursuing. They would only strike at the last minute—and by then, it would be too late.
The three of us exchanged a wary glance, then stood. There was clearly nothing more we could do to convince him.
Cavanaugh reached for Genevieve’s hand as she left the room. She shook his hand firmly, but she wore a scowl on her face. “I fear you’re making a serious mistake, Mr. Cavanaugh.”
He pursed his lips. “As I said, Mrs. Morgan, we’ll contact you if anything comes of this situation.” He was totally skirting around her statement.
Cavanaugh took my hand next, but the handshake was anything but the kind gesture it was meant to be. His hand was cold and uninviting. As he began to let go, I grabbed on tighter and leaned closer.
“You can’t change that this world has magic, Mr. Cavanaugh,” I said. “You can only change what you do about it.”
The blood drained from Cavanaugh’s face. He stared at me with such shock that he didn’t seem to notice Venn shake his hand on his way out the door. Venn placed a gentle, protective hand on my shoulder and guided me down the hall until I could no longer see Cavanaugh’s eyes on mine anymore.
“Just keep walking,” Venn whispered under his breath. “We don’t need to piss off the guy who has full authority to throw all of us in jail.”
“He’s completely ignoring us,” I snarled under my breath. “He knows our story has merit, and he’s choosing not to see it.”
