by Jane Kindred
“This is it,” he said excitedly, while at the same time Ione gasped, “It’s him.”
Chapter 22
Dev straightened and turned, eyes wide. “My God. It’s someone you know?”
“I didn’t know him well. It’s Matthew Palacio. Rafe’s apprentice.” Ione shuddered, unable to look away from the horror in the trunk.
“The young man Carter Hamilton killed.” Dev looked the body over carefully before closing the trunk and coming to wrap her in his arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it would be someone you knew. I just knew there was a corpse down here somewhere. Kur picked up the scent.”
Ione thought back to the night Matthew’s body had been discovered here the first time. Carter had offered to handle it for her—to spare her. Goddammit, she was a fool. One of his friends on the police force, maybe Officer Paul himself, had probably “handled” it.
“But there was an inquest. A burial.” Ione raised her head. “How could he have kept the body? How did no one notice it down here?”
“It’s only recently been unearthed. But it looks as though the body wasn’t embalmed. The dry desert dirt has effectively mummified it.” Dev held her tight as she shivered. “I think Nemesis’s activities were meant to disguise what was really going on here. Hamilton had someone dig up this corpse to give him access to the bones and power over the soul. That’s how he’s been able to practice magic, despite the binding spell the Covent performed on him. Necromancy is particularly potent magic, especially so when the body of one’s victim is kept from its place of rest.”
Ione shuddered. “I hate that you know that.”
“Sorry. It’s not something I have personal experience in, you understand. But I’ve studied unorthodox practices extensively—partly with Simon and partly as a requirement for my current position. The good news is that we’ve got him now. We can report to the Conclave that Hamilton is practicing necromancy again and inciting others to help him with it, including his apprentice. There won’t be any more impediments to the proceedings to expel him.”
Dev loosened his grip around her and let one palm slide down Ione’s arm to take her hand. “Come on. We just need to make a plan to return the body and break Hamilton’s connection before he has a chance to do anything more with it, but we don’t need to stay down here with the poor soul to do it.”
Ione let him lead her up the stairs. “But how do we know returning the body to its grave will accomplish that? He has to have a remnant of it with him in the prison—some artifact of bone. We need to get it from him and burn it in order to release Matthew’s shade. That’s what Rafe did with the others.”
Dev shook his head. “That’s not the method Hamilton is using this time.”
“How do you know?”
“There were no missing appendages.” Dev stepped aside as they reached the top. “From the looks of this corpse, he’s using a method more like voodoo. Sympathetic magic, wherein the corpse’s exhumation—and likely the disrepectful burial itself—is merely a symbolic means of exercising control over the soul. He may have something else, an object of importance to the victim, perhaps a lock of hair, something he’s used to form a kind of poppet to stand in for the corpse. In essence, he’s created a zombie without bothering with reanimation.” Dev shuddered. “For which I think we should both be grateful. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, there’s a concept called a ‘jumbee,’ the spirit of one who’s become an instrument of evil in death because of evil done in life. Hamilton’s intent may have been to make young Matthew into such a being.”
“I can’t imagine what evil Matthew Palacio could have committed.”
“Perhaps that was to be achieved through the ritual burial and the exhumation of the body. Defiling the corpse to defile the soul. Either way, without the body, he has no power.”
Ione glanced back down the stairs. “Maybe that’s why you were attacked. You were getting too close and Carter wanted to stop you finding Matthew’s body. But we still don’t know how he did it. How the person who attacked you was able to bring Kur out.”
Dev paused with his hand on the doorknob. “The hypodermic. Hang on a moment.” He jogged back down the steps and returned after a moment with an empty syringe. “The last thing I recall after being hit with the shovel was this. Whatever was in it, that’s how she did it.” He placed his hand on his shirt over the tattoo. “She injected it directly into the mark.”
“How who did it?” Ione dreaded the answer she knew was coming.
“Margot Kelley.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. I saw her just before my consciousness was subsumed by the demon’s. It should be easy enough to prove. I grabbed her arm while Kur’s fire was burning through me, and it left a burn.”
Ione zipped up her jacket. “All right, then. Get your shoes on. Let’s go.”
“Go?” Dev picked up a shoe and pulled a sock from inside it to tug it on. “Where are we going?”
“To talk to Margot.”
* * *
The address was easily obtained from the computer in the temple office that held the contact list for all the local Covent members. Ione had never used the list for anything personal before, but practicing magic to harm another member of the Covent invalidated Margot’s right to privacy.
The apartment complex in the Village, just two miles south of Ione’s place, was a ten-minute drive away. It was a little early for a visit, but Margot’s grandmother was all smiles to see “friends of Maggie’s” as she opened the door. Margot’s face wasn’t quite so happy when her grandmother led them through the apartment to where she stood looking out at the view from the balcony patio.
“Maggie, company to see you.”
Margot turned and started visibly, blood draining from her face.
Margot’s grandmother didn’t seem to notice. “You kids want some iced tea?”
Ione started to decline, but Dev had better manners. “We’d love some. Thank you, Mrs. Kelley.”
Margot put her back to the rail, arms outstretched and clutching it behind her, her eyes fearfully on Dev. The burn on her left upper arm peeked out from under her sleeve. “I-Ione. What are you doing here? What’s wrong?”
“What do you think is wrong?” Ione curled her fingers around the edge of her helmet to keep her temper in check. “Would you like to explain what you did to Dev last night?”
“I... I didn’t...” Margot stopped and her face crumpled. “He said we were helping Rafe.”
“Helping Rafe?” Ione was taken aback. “Who said? Carter?”
“Carter?” Margot blanched. “God, no. What would I be doing talking to that sicko?”
Ione folded her arms, the helmet tucked at her side. “That was going to be my next question.”
“I swear to you, Ione. I have nothing to do with Carter Hamilton. I’ve never even spoken with him, even before he was—before we knew what he was doing.”
“But you’re helping Nemesis.”
Margot looked genuinely confused. “Nemesis? The person that left that dead cat in front of the temple? I’m not. I swear. You have to believe me.”
“You keep swearing,” Dev put in. His voice made her jump visibly. “But you haven’t explained whose orders you were acting under when you assaulted me last night.”
Tears sprang to Margot’s brown eyes. “It wasn’t anybody’s orders. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But he said you were possessed by a demon and I had to protect the high priestess. And you were.” Margot managed to draw herself up despite her obvious fear. “You are. You’re some kind of...thing. You may have Ione fooled, but I know what I saw. I didn’t imagine it.”
Ione put a hand on Margot’s forearm and Margot flinched. “You didn’t imagine it. You’re right.” From the expression on her face, it was clear that Margot hadn’t expected Ione to agree. “Dev�
��Mr. Gideon—is magically bound to a demon. But he won’t harm me. And it wasn’t his doing.”
“You know?” Margot looked aghast. “You’re okay with this?”
“There’s a lot more to it than you understand but, yes, I am okay with it.” Ione glanced over at Dev with a smile she couldn’t help. “I’m working with him to keep it under control. And he was. Until you shot him up with whatever was in that syringe.”
Before Margot could respond, her grandmother returned with a tray of iced tea and a plate of tea cakes and set them on the patio table.
“Thanks, Grams.” Margot’s smile seemed close to natural as she took a glass.
“You just holler if you need anything else.” Grandma Kelley seemed to have finally sensed that something was off, but when Margot said nothing else, she went back inside, throwing a glance between Dev and Ione as if to gauge whether they were a threat to her granddaughter.
Margot gulped down half a glass of tea without looking Ione or Dev in the eye.
Ione took a sip of her own. “Margot, whoever you’ve gotten mixed up with, they’re not being straight with you. Carter Hamilton is practicing necromancy from prison, and he has people on the outside helping him, like this Nemesis. And, frankly, if I hadn’t already figured out who she was—at this point, I’d be certain it was you. Now tell me who put you up to this.”
Margot set down her glass, her expression grim. “I’ve been studying spirit communication. I know it’s not exactly sanctioned by the Covent, but a lot of us were on Rafe’s side when he defied them over the crossing doctrine.” She glanced nervously at Dev, obviously still uncertain about him, before looking back at Ione. “I suppose you’ll have to report me to the Council. But I haven’t performed any rituals we haven’t done in Circle.”
Ione didn’t comment on reporting her. “And whom did you contact?”
“Rafe’s apprentice, Matthew Palacio.”
Ione let her breath out in a sigh. Whatever else Margot had done, she’d hoped Margot wouldn’t be implicated in the grave robbery.
“It’s more like he contacted me, though.” Margot took a cookie, nibbling on it absently. “I was actually trying to reach my mom. I just wanted to talk to her, you know? To be honest, I’m not even sure she’s passed. She left me with Grams when I was little and we never heard from her again, so we’ve just assumed. But when I did the conjuring spell, Matthew seemed to be hovering in the shadows. It’s hard to explain. I didn’t see him. But I could sense him.” Margot swallowed. “I didn’t have any direct communication with him at first, just the sense that he was there. But then I found myself in the parking lot at the temple after talking to Mr. Gideon—writing on his car with my nail polish. Words I wasn’t even aware I’d thought.”
Dev spoke softly. “‘The impure shall be cast out, and all those who consort with the impure.’”
Margot nodded, her eyes red from unshed tears. “I saw myself doing it. I was aware. But...it wasn’t really me. That was when Matthew sort of spoke to me in my head and I realized his shade had stepped into me. He said Rafe had sent him to find someone like me who was a...” She paused, trying to find the right word.
“Evocator,” Ione supplied.
“Yeah, that was it. An evocator. Like your sister Phoebe, huh? I never even knew—”
“Margot.” Ione held her gaze as the younger woman seemed to realize she was rambling. “Why wouldn’t Rafe have sent him through Phoebe? Or just communicated directly with you himself?”
“I...” Margot looked defeated. “I guess I was so excited to find out I could do it that I didn’t even think about it. Matthew told me Mr. Gideon—” Margot swallowed and looked at Dev. “He told me you were being controlled by an evil spirit and they needed my help to expose you. He told me how to do the spell to bring out the spirit and where to find the special ingredient.”
“Special ingredient?” Ione shot a quick glance at Dev. “What was the special ingredient?”
Margot looked nervous again. “Blood. I would never do blood magic. I know how dangerous it is—the slippery slope and all. But he said the blood was the only thing that would reveal the demon and that it was Phoebe’s. That she’d let Rafe draw the blood to help protect you. They knew you wouldn’t like it if you knew what they were doing so they left it for me at the temple. I picked up the vial of blood and cast the spell and made the serum per his instructions. Then I waited for Matthew to guide me. Last night he came to me and said it was time, that I had to get to the temple basement and that when...Dev...came downstairs, Matthew would make sure he was dazed so I could inject him with the serum. And that he’d know the spot when he saw Dev.”
“The pentagram sigil.” Dev put his hand to his solar plexus. “It’s how I keep the demon from escaping.”
Ione sighed and sat at the table. “And you let him out, Margot.”
“I’m sorry.” Margot’s tears were finally falling. “I thought I was helping you, Ione. I shot the demon with a tranquilizer gun, but it wouldn’t go down. It was supposed to be knocked out when you came and found it in the basement. Matthew said you’d kill it, and Dev wouldn’t be a danger to you anymore.” She wiped her eyes, looking at Dev. “I didn’t think it would kill you, just the demon. You have to believe me. I thought I was helping Ione and that it was for your own good.”
Ione took a sip of tea and cleared her throat. “And whose good was digging up Matthew’s corpse supposed to be for?”
Margot turned her head slowly. “Digging up...? What? What are you talking about?”
“You weren’t involved in the exhumation of Matthew Palacio’s remains?” Dev was as formal as ever. Ione supposed it probably helped in a situation like this.
Margot gaped at him. “His remains? His body? Somebody dug up his body? From the grave?”
Ione couldn’t help but feel relieved at Margot’s apparently genuine surprise. “We found it locked in a trunk in the basement. The same trunk he was originally found in, I imagine.” It had been gone since the crime scene had been cleaned up. Ione had just assumed the police had thrown it out. Who would want to use a trunk a dead body had been found in? But someone had obviously been keeping it for Carter, planning his comeback.
“I don’t know anything about that, I promise you. God, how awful.” Margot paused. “Do you think that’s why Matthew came to me? He’d been disturbed?”
“I think,” said Dev firmly, “that Carter Hamilton has been controlling Matthew’s shade through the possession of his mortal remains in order to manipulate you into helping him get rid of me.”
Margot went pale. “I’ve been—I’ve been helping Carter? But why does he want to get rid of you if it isn’t about the demon?”
“To get back at me,” said Ione.
“But how would...?” Margot glanced at Dev, the color returning to her cheeks as she studied his expression. “Oh.” She gave Ione a slightly chagrined smile. “Well, then I guess...you did see that walking away.”
Dev looked confused. “See what walking away?”
Ione tried to hide her smile. “Private joke.” She glanced at Margot. “And you bet I did.” She thanked Margot and rose to leave before Dev could dwell on it long enough to make the connection. “We’re going to try to make sure that he can’t, but please give one of us a call if Matthew tries to contact you again.”
They had their confirmation. Carter was controlling Matthew’s shade. Now they just needed to lay Matthew’s body to rest to release his shade from Carter’s clutches.
Back at the temple, they brought the trunk upstairs to take it out to Dev’s car.
Ione sank onto one of the benches after they’d set it down before the altar, already emotionally exhausted. “What about the Conclave? Don’t we need to show them evidence of Carter’s necromancy? How are we going to hold him accountable without the body as proof?”
“You don’t say.”
“Hopefully, if we take care of this ourselves first, our testimony will suffice, particularly when Margot adds hers.” He shrugged, his smile crooked. “And as they say, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission. But in the event that they choose to disregard our testimonies, we will still have stripped Carter Hamilton of his ill-gotten power if we do this right.”
Ione sighed. “I just want this to be over. I want him to be over. God help me, but sometimes I wish I could just kill him. Drive his body to some dark hole in the ground and be done with him.”
“We’ll do the next best thing,” Dev promised. “We’ll castrate him. Figuratively speaking.”
With plenty of time to kill before dusk, they grabbed lunch at a brewery in the Tlaquepaque tourist trap. While Ione munched on her veggie pizza, the television over the bar caught her attention. Whatever game had been on had been interrupted by a special news bulletin. She couldn’t hear the audio over the noise in the restaurant, but the words on the screen under the Breaking News banner were crystal clear: Underage Sex Scandal Rocks Sedona Police Department. Images of Officer Paul and his buddy appeared in the corners of the screen, identifying them as alleged ringleaders.
Dev had followed her gaze and he gave a low whistle. “Holy shit. You got them.” He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “I was actually hoping to take care of that for you last night with a little help from Kur before Margot derailed my plans.” His smile was dark. “But your way is probably better.”
* * *
They drove Matthew’s body to the cemetery outside the nearby town of Cottonwood after dark. Ione had attended his funeral, and she recognized the plot by the tall cottonwood tree that stretched two wide branches over it like the arms of a guardian. It had given her comfort to think Matthew had one. And yet Carter had managed to use him all over again.
