“Yeah, but you haven’t turned it over to the owner yet. It’s still a part of your investigation.” And that gave us a window of opportunity.
“Exactly. If you fuck it up, then it’s my ass on the line”
“What if you come with us and the Council agrees to pay for any damages? Not that there will be damages.”
Unsure if I had the authority to make such a deal, Masarelli looked to the only Council member in the room for confirmation.
“I can’t speak for the Council, but the coven will cover all expenses and any damages.” Mahalia did her best to reassure the detective, though she didn’t look happy about the arrangement.
“Then it has to happen tonight. We turn the property over the owner in the morning.” Masarelli pulled his phone out of his pocket, ready to make the call if everyone agreed to the terms.
“That’s not enough time. We’re not ready!” Amalie looked around the room for support.
“Well, I hope that you have a spell to make time stand still, because that’s all the lead time that you’re going to get.” Masarelli walked out of the apartment, phone to his ear, when those of us in charge didn’t back Amalie up.
Chapter 20
Everyone was gone, even Aidan, leaving the apartment eerily quiet. He needed to feed before we faced off with the Afrit. I didn’t ask him where or whom he would hunt. I assumed—well, I hoped—he had gone to Agrona’s to feed upon one of the donors that were always hanging around the vampire king and queen. He left his car outside and his keys on the counter for me. I was supposed to meet him at the warehouse in a little over an hour.
Ditched the sweater for a less bulky long-sleeved shirt, I put my shoes on, tied my hair back in a ponytail, and still had forty minutes to kill. Too edgy to sit in my apartment any longer, I grabbed the keys off of the counter and headed out for the warehouse.
Driving Aidan’s car was exactly what I had expected—so many horses with nowhere to run.
I pulled up to the gate, surprised to find it open.
Amalie waved me through and pointed to an empty parking spot to the right of the bay door.
It looked like I wasn’t the only antsy one. Mahalia and Graive were already inside cleansing and preparing the space for their casting.
Masarelli had been assigned the task of containing the area around the warehouse. With the wards in place, it looked like all the rest of the warehouses. No one could see us or our activities, but that didn’t mean someone still couldn’t get hurt if the Afrit got loose so we weren’t taking any chances. Masarelli and a few of his guys took up positions on the corners of the adjacent streets and alleys to keep any Norms from getting too close.
I grabbed the Retaliator off the back seat and followed Amalie inside.
“We’re almost ready,” Mahalia pulled some sort of herb from her pouch, smelling the dried leaves before crushing them in her hand.
“Don’t rush. There was nothing else for me to do but wait, so I figured that I could do that here instead of at my apartment.”
I watched as they finished prepping the space. There were herbs, candles, salt, and a few items I didn’t recognize arranged neatly on the floor. After a few minutes of checking and rechecking, Mahalia seemed satisfied they had all the necessary supplies.
“We can begin as soon as everyone has arrived.” The High Priestess motioned for her coven members to join her.
“We don’t need the vamp. We can start without him.” Oberon took his place beside her
“He has a name, and we are waiting for Aidan.” Narrowing my gaze on him, I wondered what Oberon’s deal was. He got what he wanted- the necro. So why all the resentment toward Aidan?
We didn’t have to wait long, Aidan came in and didn’t so much as look at anyone else. making a beeline in my direction, he wrapped me up in his arms, squeezing me like he hadn’t seen me in years, even though it had only been a couple of hours. He was warm, and I tried not to squirm as I wondered whose blood was coursing through his veins. Was it someone he knew or a complete stranger? Did the victim mean something to him?
If I wanted to date a vampire, then I’d have to figure out a way to deal with it eventually. I forgot all about blood donors when his lips touched my neck. Aidan kissed the spot you check for a pulse. Mine sped up immediately and I felt him smile against my neck.
Oberon cleared his throat.
Aidan tensed at the interruption. Oberon was trying to piss him off, and luckily for the witch, he chose to ignore it. Aidan kissed me again, this time on the lips, before letting me go and acknowledging the others.
With hellos out of the way, there was nothing left to do but kill the Afrit.
Taking my place in the center of the warehouse, Mahalia and Amalie set the circle around me with only a small section remaining open. If the Afrit could sense the circle, then our plan wouldn’t work. With enough room inside for me to fight the Afrit, I pulled the amulet’s chain until it snapped free of my wrist and dropped it on the concrete floor. Dropping into a fighting stance, I waited for the demon to appear.
There wasn’t any great flash of light or plume of smoke to announce its presence. One second I was alone in the circle, and the next I wasn’t. The Afrit let out a terrible roar when Mahalia closed the circle, trapping it inside.
And then it turned its full attention to me.
Something resembling a smile crept across the demon’s face, and I knew it had thought of something we had overlooked.
Expecting it to lunge for me, I braced for impact. I should have seen what was coming, but the energy drain caught me a little off guard. Stumbling, I managed to steady myself with my sword.
Aidan stepped forward, stopping just at the edge of the circle. There was nothing he could do to help. It was just me and the Afrit.
I was an idiot. The only thing missing from this otherwise perfect opportunity was a nice ribbon tied up in a bow. I needed to turn this around and quick. Tucking and rolling in one of those SWAT maneuvers, I swung low with my sword slicing through his Achilles tendon. The Afrit howled in pain and shifted its weight to the other foot. With its concentration broken, my energy slowly came back. Scrambling to my feet, I took up my fighting stance again.
We sidestepped, feeling each other out. He moved right, I moved left. This little dance wouldn’t last long. One of us was going to have to be the aggressor and press forward. I had already decided to play defense, so the Afrit would have to come to me. He moved left, I shuffled to the right.
Tired of waiting for me to make the first move, the Afrit lunged. I thrust the Retaliator forward, stabbing it in the stomach. Its blood coagulated before it hit the floor. The Afrit stumbled back as I pulled the sword free for the killing blow. It had underestimated me, and I intended to use my advantage fully.
Graive and Oberon started the banishing spell. I didn’t have much time to kill its physical form before they finished banishing the spirit.
I drew back, preparing to drive the sword through its heart. Just as I pressed forward, the Afrit rolled its body to the right. The blade sliced through its shoulder, missing its heart.
The Afrit swung.
Raising my left arm to protect my face, I left my side exposed. All of my moves were going according to its plan. The Afrit drove its claws into my side just beneath my rib cage and dug in. It hooked its fingers around my ribs and picked me up. There was a crack in the center of my chest, followed by excruciating pain. I kicked wildly, hoping it had something below the belt for me to connect with. My foot connected, but it didn’t even faze him. Pressing down on the hilt of my sword, I inched the blade closer to its heart. The Afrit slammed me onto the concrete floor as Graive and Oberon neared the end of the spell.
My eyes were watering, and my ears were ringing, but I could still sense the commotion outside the circle. Aidan was shouting something.
What was he saying? Why was he so angry with the coven?
Something had gone wrong. The Afrit and I were still in the circle, both
of us injured. He hadn’t made a move to escape our magical trap, so what had happened?
I couldn’t waste any more time trying to figure it out.
The Afrit was still on top of me with its claws in my chest. It clamped its free hand around my neck and squeezed. I managed a couple of shallow breaths before it could strangle me to death and pulled down on the sword handle again. The blade was within an inch of its heart. Just a little further and it would be dead. The demon forced me back down before I had a chance to close the distance between the blade and its heart.
Shock hit me as soon my vision came back, and the warehouse came into focus. The Afrit just laughed as I struggled, gasping for air with its hand still tight around my neck. I tried to get out from underneath him and scramble backward, but the Afrit grabbed my sword, holding me in place.
“What the fuck is happening?” I barely managed to choke the words out.
“The banishing spell is complete.”
Holy shit! I was banished with it? No one mentioned this was a possibility. I should have listened to Aidan. If Mahalia had even hinted that this could happen I never would have gone through with it.
The Afrit let go of my neck, but made no moves to get off of my chest or take its claws out of my ribs.
“Send me back, you son of a bitch.” I growled, even though I knew it wouldn't.
The Afrit leaned in, its foul breath hot on my face. “It was a banishment, you stupid girl. I can't send you back.”
“Then what good are you?”
The realization that you have been banished with a demon gives you quite an adrenaline rush—enough for me to finally drive the sword down through its heart.
The Afrit collapsed on my chest.
I pushed and rolled, using its weight to flip positions putting me on top. The Afrit didn’t move, but I wasn't taking any chances.
I pulled my sword free from its chest and chopped off its head. Satisfied it was really and truly dead, I gritted my teeth and pulled on its arm, freeing my ribs of its fingers. Even in death the demon wouldn't let go of me. With a deep breath I pulled down on its arm again; not even trying to hold back the scream as I pulled its sharp claws out of my side and broke my ribs in the process. Collapsing on the floor, I did my best not to black out.
I couldn't see any signs of the others or the circle. Even the Afrit's body had disappeared. It looked like I was still in the warehouse, but instead of being surrounded by coven and Council members like I should have been, I was completely alone.
Weeds poked through cracks in the busted concrete floor. The columns crumbled before my eyes. It was in a perpetual state of deterioration.
How was I supposed to get back? Since I wasn't a demon, I couldn't be summoned. I didn’t have a clue as to how to get home.
First things first, I needed to figure out where I was exactly. Standing was much easier than I had expected. Or, maybe I was just getting used to being hurt all the time. Scanning revealed nothing of use or importance.
Taking a few tentative steps, I walked toward the front door. When nothing jumped out at me, I opened it and walked through. My knees damn near gave out on me when I realized I wasn't outside at all, but right back in the warehouse where I had started.
What the hell was going on?
My side still hurt like a son of a bitch, but I knew the ribs were already knitting themselves back together. Keeping pressure on my side, I forced myself to run the entire length of the warehouse.
And came up with nothing.
Ignoring the fear of what I'd find on the other side and pushed the door open. The clang of steel against concrete echoed throughout the empty room as the Retaliator hit the floor.
I was dead.
That little revelation certainly put a damper on my fucking day, but it was the only logical explanation. A person can't be banished. I was dead and trapped in the warehouse where I had died. If I figured out how astral projection worked I was going to haunt the shit out of the.
Picking up my sword, and my resolve, I decided to go back to finding a way out of my purgatory.
I walked every inch of the warehouse at least ten times. There wasn't any way out, not that I could see anyway.
“You're not dead.”
I tightened my grip on my sword and slowly turned around. I stumbled back when I saw who the voice belonged to. “Arawn. What are you doing here?”
“Executioner.” The Lord of the Hunt nodded in greeting.
“Have you come for me? Am I about to be judged? Because if so, I feel like I should explain. I mean there’s mitigating circumstances and.”
Hi laughter interrupted what could have amounted to begging for reprieve.
“In a manner of speaking.”
“That’s a cryptic way of saying yes.”
“You seem so certain. Is there something you would like to confess?” Arawn cocked his head to the side, studying me like you would a puzzle.
“Nothing comes to mind.”
A few things did come to mind, but I wasn’t telling him that.
“It is intriguing that we should meet again in the between. How, may I ask, did you find your way here?”
“It's a long story. I'd much rather talk about how I'm supposed to get home.”
“I think we have the time.”
“I sort of caught a lift with a demon.”
“Interesting. And where is the demon now?”
“I killed it, and then its body disappeared,”
He clasped his hands together in what I can only describe as delight, but stopped short of applauding. “You used the sword?”
“Yes. Why?” I was suddenly nervous about this line of questioning.
“You are a fascinating creature, Maurin. You truly are.” Arawn smiled, his perfectly white teeth gleaming at me.
“Umm, thanks, I guess. Listen, I hate to be rude, but could you just skip to the part where you tell me how to get out of here?”
“You have taken a liking to the Retaliator.”He pointed toward the sword.
“I wouldn’t use those words, no.” Still, my grip tightened on the hilt.
“Oh, I would.” He laughed, noticing I’d become protective of the weapon.
“That's what you find fascinating? My sword? This is crazy. Will you please just tell me how to get home?” Remembering my manners, I threw in the magic word and hoped it would help my case.
“Do you not find it fascinating that you can even wield the sword to begin with? Have you not questioned why you of all people are able to slay demons with the Retaliator?”
Of course I'd thought about it, like only a million times. The only thing I could come up with was my connection with Scota. I told him as much, but he wasn't impressed with my feeble attempt at deductive reasoning.
“Must I spell it out for you?” He sighed when I didn't say anything. “You are my daughter. That's why a goddess was able to latch onto you in the first place. Because of your blood. I knew your face from the first moment that I saw you, but the witch interfered. That is something that I will have to discuss with her when I see her next.”
It was my turn to laugh. What else could I do when faced with a crazy god? I had wished for different parents all the time when I was a kid, but this was ridiculous. I may have been clueless about a lot of things, but I at least knew who my parents were.
“Your mother hid you from me in the one place that she knew I wouldn't think to look—with a mortal family.” Arawn stepped closer.
“As much as that would explain the problems I had with my family growing up, it's impossible. I am only twenty-five. I'd be like…I can't even do the math. Old, I'd be frigging ancient.”
“You of all people should know that anything is possible by now. She hid you the same way you came here with the demon and the same way I will take you back.”
“Are you sure that I'm not dead or in a coma or something?” That was easier to believe than the crazy he was talking.
“Okay, so let's say that I'm comp
letely delusional, and I actually believe this. My real mother did what—swapped me out with a mortal baby?”
“You’re not a changeling, Maurin. Your mother, like me and you, was able to move through realities. Despite only being a Druid Priestess, once I showed her how, she became quite adept. She even used her magic to conjure time manipulation in the different realities.” He waved his hand around, leaving small ripples in its wake
“That is something I was never able to do. When our reality began to deteriorate, she succumbed to her fears that you would not survive. I tried to convince her that we could keep you safe, but she could see my strength leaving as the mortals changed faiths.” Arawn’s shoulders slumped on a heavy sigh. “So she took you away and used the last of her magic to bring you to Salem. And now, fate has finally brought us together again.” His voice was full of emotion.
I didn't know what to say. He was convincing, but there was just no way. Was there? He moved to close the distance between us, but I backed away.
“Only my child could execute Morrigan and her sisters. Only my child could follow a demon and slay it in the between. You hunt the wicked, as do I. Even in your pathetic mortal existence, you used your gifts to seek out and convict the guilty”.
“Calling my existence pathetic isn’t really helping your case. My mother and father were the most normal of the Norms. They didn't understand me, and I sure as hell didn't understand them. I took off the first chance I got but I know who my family is. I'm not your daughter.”
“I realize that this must be hard for you to hear—that your life has been a lie—but I assure you that I speak the truth. You remember only what your mother wanted you to. A family that didn’t exist, a tragedy that never happened. She replaced your memories of us with ones from a mortal life.” He looked like he wanted to close the small distance between us and embrace me, but then thought better of it.
“Well, she could have picked some happier memories because the ones that I have suck.” This was insane. I knew who I was, and it sure as hell wasn't his daughter, but I needed to get back, and Arawn was the only way that was going to happen. I was going to have to play along if I wanted to get home. “So, um, Dad, you said something about showing me how to get back?”
Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Romance Anthology Page 171
