Two high-backed chairs like the witness chairs at the Tribunal faced the desk. They had red velvet seat covers with more woodcuts in the back, lion paw armrests and feet. My Undine settled on the top of a chair's back and watched the Clerics, flicking her tail.
The fireplace to the right of the desk stood taller than my head. Antique clocks lined the mantel, each of them set to a different time with nameplates of the countries below them. The hearth was cold and I approached it to look at the remains of what had been a recent fire. Two red velvet sofas faced each other instead of the fire, separated by a low table decorated with a silver tea service. My Gnome settled on the couch and poured herself a cup of tea. Books lined the built-in shelved walls. Just a glance at a title or two told me these weren't books on the classics. Or at least not Cowen classics.
I ran my fingers over a few of them as my Sylph settled on my shoulder.
"Ah, Samantha," the old son of a bitch said as he glided in the room. The Clerics he'd set to escort me, and then watch me, filed out and closed the door behind them. Cromwell removed his outer robe and hung it on a coat tree behind his desk. "Thank you for taking this time to talk with me."
I moved to the desk as my Elementals all turned and took notice of him. Every eye on him. "I feel I didn't have a choice."
"Oh, don't be dramatic." Cromwell pulled his chair out and gestured to the ones across from his desk. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Is this an official meeting?"
"Official…as in how?"
"As in you telling me the official reason I wasn't called to testify?" I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice. But the increase in intensity of the Salamander's orange and red coloring betrayed how I felt.
"Oh that. Please, Samantha. Don't take our omitting your voice as an insult."
"How else should I take it? I was there, Cromwell. I saw what he did to those Boggarts."
"Yes, so was Ben. His testimony held a lot of weight with the Elders."
I made a rude noise and did not take a seat. "Why didn't Blackwood present his evidence? I doubt he'd have threatened me with it before if he didn't have it."
"Oh, he had it. It existed. And it still exists. He just can't access it anymore."
"How did you manage that?"
"Samantha, bickering about how I did what and why this didn't happen is not why I wanted to speak with you."
"It's the only reason I want to speak to you. What the hell, Cromwell? What's going on? I mean, I sort of understand not bringing Crwys into this and not sharing any information about the Arrow of Artemis. I don't understand why you're working with…"
"Arden."
I made another rude noise.
He sat back in his chair. "Arden Vervain is not the troublemaker you believe her to be."
"She helped them kidnap and torture Crwys." I faced him and let all of my emotional baggage seep into my Salamander.
Cromwell noticed the flare the creature sent up and pushed his chair back after making sure there wasn't anything flammable near it. "She was under a Faerie's agreement, Sam. You know this. You were the reason she made the agreement. So when Brendi told her what she wanted, Arden had no choice but to provide the Obsidian Queen with Crwys. Ergo, she wouldn't have been in that situation if she hadn't helped you, Samantha."
"Screw that. She knows what it's like to deal with Faeries. She took that deal on her own. And Blackwood helped her. How did he know about those Arrows? How did a third-rate Ceremonial Magician even suspect or know what Crwys was? He keeps that secret very safe. The only reason someone would look at him twice would be because they were instructed to look for certain things. Certain signs that might give away his true nature." I moved back to the chair where my Undine sat, hoping she could cool down my temper as I rubbed at my chest. The silver rings I wore on my fingers, the ones I'd inherited from my mother, each spelled with a protection, caught on the lace of the dress. "I think Blackwood was working for the Faeries. So I think sending him to the Faeries is a bad idea."
"So do I."
I hadn't expected him to say that. So I arched my brow. "You're not in agreement with Parliament?"
"No. We've discussed this at length; going over all the information Arden could give us. Information you don't have and will not have since you refuse to give us time of service." He held up a finger to stop what would be my next tirade. "We I know who Brendi Ross is—or was—and we're certain she did not understand that Dragons exist. Not with her being a human. So how did she know to tell Blackwood what to look for to find a Dragon? How would she know about the Bow and Arrow? The legend? A legend that is specifically found inside the Grand Grimoire, which we know is being kept a guarded secret?" He gave me a harsh look. He suspected I knew where the Grand Grimoire was, and I wasn't spilling that information to anyone. "The only logical explanation we can come up with is someone else, someone besides Blackwood, is involved. Someone who already knew about the legend. Someone who already knew or could sense what Crwys is. Someone already in the game."
I understood. "Dionysus."
"Precisely. Your plight, and that of Inamorata at the hands of the Leviathan, is not something I've shared with many of the Elders. Only a select few whom I trust. Arden is one of them since she's involved, though unwittingly. Blackwood is just a pawn, Samantha. Willingly or unwillingly, he's not the mastermind behind your lover's ordeal."
Cromwell calling Crwys my lover produced a full on blush. Seriously? Did he have to say that? I glared harder at him. "But he will be punished."
"Oh yes. I'm sure he'll be handed over to Tzariene against my warning so we can keep the peace with Alfheim."
"But you just said—"
"I know what I just said, but the majority will rule. Many of us respect her and admire her. She's been cleaning up the aftermath of the Obsidian Queen's attempt at ruling Alfheim."
"I'm sure she has." I sort of already knew that. Honestly, since I got Crwys back, I had paid little attention to anything else but him. And my shop. "The Parliament believes that attempt—the overtaking of Alfheim—was part of Dionysus's plan? And not something Blackwood wanted?"
Cromwell shrugged. "I wouldn't give Edmund Blackwood that kind of credit, Sam. The man's kept a low profile for decades, working in the background. Then he pops up, is seen with Faeries, nearly kills you and Ivan Westerfield, and destroys most of the Boggart population. Blackwood's a distraction. Something to keep us occupied. The real one behind all of this is Dionysus. We just don't know his end game. We might look in the wrong direction again. There could be someone else in the shadows. We've discussed all of this, Samantha, which brings me to why I wanted to speak with you." He pointed to the chairs again. "Sit."
"But I—"
"I'm not asking."
Sweet Lord and Lady. What the hell was up now? I sat in the chair below my Undine, with my Sylph on my shoulder. Within seconds, my Salamander was on the armrest at my right and the Gnome stood at my left. "I won't like this, will I?"
"No. And I must admit, seeing you sitting there with your Elementals…" he almost smiled. "You almost remind me of your mother."
"Almost?"
"Your mother was a full Elemental, Samantha. She had contact with all five of the Elements. You've exhibited relationships with four. You need the fifth."
I knew he was talking about Spirit. I'd had a relationship with that fifth one. Once. "Don't start with me. Before you warlocked me, I had been building that contact and using it on a limited basis. But after you released it—" I shrugged. "It's weaker now. I can't always access it."
"That's not my failing, Sam. Your inability to mature a relationship with Spirit is part of your missed training."
I blinked. "My what?"
"Your mother didn't train you. Dionysus did, under the guise of your aunt. Your mother's best friend. You excelled in Earth, Air, Fire and Water. I can see them, feel their power, and I can sense their utmost loyalty to you. But Dionysus left out the most important one. Spirit. A
nd he did it on purpose."
Oh crap. "Why…why would he omit that?"
"Because it's a little known fact that a fully awakened Elemental Witch cannot be possessed, Samantha. Think about what happened. Why did Dionysus make a deal with a Faerie to get rid of your mother? Why not just possess her and take her power?"
I blinked.
"Because he couldn't. Your mother was a Tracker. In order to fully use that power, a Witch must be in full contact with Spirit. That's how they track. Everything has Spirit, Sam. You know this. A soul. A higher being. An essence that manifests itself into the base body. Dionysus could not do this to your mother. But he could possess Inamorata." Cromwell leaned forward. "What better way to control and manipulate the growth of another Elemental Witch than to be their mother, or if not their birth mother, someone they trusted like their mother?"
I didn't want to hear this. I put both of my hands to my breast, waiting for the Arcane to flare up with heat. To reveal itself because it always reacted to my emotions.
"That…makes little sense. Why would he even want to do that? Why worry about some Witch's daughter? Why do this?"
"Because what kind of host would a Demon like Dionysus want? One with power, am I right? The most powerful Witches we have are the Elementals. Especially those with Spirit. They can't possess those, but it could be possible to possess the ones whose Spirit isn't developed. Never develops." He pointed at me. "You were at the right age. Easy to manipulate. He needed to get rid of your mother. I don't think he intended to get stuck in Inamorata Devonshire's body, but examining the events that led to her eventual death and you being infected with Arcane—can you see it, Samantha? Everything played out to release Dionysus just in time to claim what he's been wanting."
I swallowed.
"You."
I pressed back against the chair. I didn't want to believe any of this and I clutched at my chest. The sparkling lights didn't show up like I thought they would. There was no red glitter and no telltale smell of Arcane.
Wait… "Can…can Demons manipulate Arcane? Is that why he manipulated me into using Arcane? He wanted me to become infected?"
"Yes, Sam. It's part of their essence. It's what they're made of. Where they came from. Your infection happened on purpose." He pushed his chair back and stood. I watched him come around the desk and sit back on its front, facing me. "Samantha, think about everything that's happened. Why else would a new Faerie queen want to kidnap a full-grown Dragon? Not just any Dragon, but the first? Not to conquer Faerie, but because while he's with you, it's harder for Dionysus to get to you. Get the Dragon out of the way, get those close to you out of the way—"
"Ivan and Dharma?"
He held up his hand. "They're fine and well protected. Kyle knows what I'm telling you because I've instructed his aunt to tell him. The more we know what he's up to, the better armed we are to stop him. But we will not be able to until you manifest and control Spirit."
"But…how? How am I supposed to learn this? If he figures out that's what I'm doing, won't he go ahead and hurt Crwys again just to get to me? Or Kyle or—"
"Samantha," Cromwell put up his hand. "The how is something I will take care of. This is also why I've called you in here." He stood and walked to the wall by the fireplace. I stood and faced him as he pressed a few books and part of the bookshelf moved inward. He disappeared inside.
I put my hands to my cheeks as he stepped back out with box. "Samantha Elizabeth Hawthorne, it is my great honor to bestow upon you, and your duty to accept, the mantle of Cleric, so I can teach you how to manifest Spirit in secret and you can serve out your year of service to the Witch's Parliament."
I stood there with my jaw on the floor as he shoved the box into my hands. When I didn't speak, he did. "Inside you'll find your robe of office, a schedule and a few spells you must learn. You'll also find your badge."
"But…I don't want to—"
"You don't have a choice anymore, Samantha. This isn't just a way for me to secretly teach you Spirit in a way that Dionysus, wherever he's hiding, doesn't suspect, but this is also the price the Parliament requested for making the case of Ina's death go away. You're in their debt now. Time to pay the price." He smiled. "Don't look like that. A year isn't that long."
I took the box and stopped my Salamander from catching the thing on fire. A year wasn't that long…it was just going to be the longest year of my life.
FIVE
CRWYS & SAMANTHA
There were more bodies upstairs.
They weren't left in the middle of a room, but stuffed in closets and under beds. Two were found inside of a king mattress. The killer had cut into the fabric and removed enough of the stuffing to fit the remains of two more children.
By the time they finished looking, the house contained over fifty bodies.
Fifty bodies.
And not one of them looked to be related to the other. They found no IDs, no wallets or purses. Crwys sat on a stool in the kitchen with his phone in his hand. He'd logged into the NOPD database to check on missing persons, adding in the parameters he'd need to search. Relative ages, sex, descriptions, and he came up with thirty-two hits. All people missing within the past month. To cross-reference the database with the bodies he found, he would rely on the coroner's office. He forwarded what he had, along with his notes to Prescott to let her make the call.
He dialed Ivan's number to get him to log in and take a look, search the web for the homeowner and do some quick digging. But when the phone went directly to voicemail, he remembered Ivan wasn't around.
He and Sam had argued about it a little the day before. Sam seemed to think Ivan was MIA voluntarily and not involuntarily. Having just experienced the involuntarily missing, Crwys was a little sensitive to any kind of missing.
Levi came into the kitchen, tucking his phone into his back pocket. "You okay?"
"I'm pissed off."
"About the bodies?"
"About all of this. Christ—" he stopped and motioned for Levi to follow him into the dining room where there weren't any CSI or other officers. Once there, he shut the door to the kitchen and switched to Portuguese, a language he and Levi had learned together during their time in Rio. "You got any idea what this is? What kind of creature sucks the souls of out bodies and doesn't clean up after itself?"
"It's not Demon," Levi answered, his accent much better than Crwys's. "We're committed to two existences outside of our world. Revenant or Leviathan."
"But you don't suck souls and leave."
"No. And I'm not sure what does." Levi scratched his head. "You don't think this is Faerie, do you?"
Faerie? Crwys leaned against the dining room wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "I honestly don't know. That whole realm is full of things I've never seen. I didn't even know that's where the Djinn had settled till last year. I suppose it's possible. Might not be part of the Faerie race."
"Is there someone we can ask? About the different races? Or a book?"
"There is a book we could look at, but I think it's in Savannah. Big compendium of stuff." Crwys pulled at the soft hair of his soul patch, something he'd grown when Sam mentioned she liked them. "Maybe Sam or one of her people would know?"
"I think the Witches might know, but that doesn't mean they'll tell us. There's got to be somebody out there who isn't connected to the Witches. Someone who could give us an honest answer."
"You think Sam wouldn't be honest?"
"I don't think the Witches are honest." Levi looked very serious. His lips were pulled thin and Crwys thought he saw fire in the man's golden eyes. "At least not to Cowens. Especially not to Demons. You might get somewhere with your suave self."
"Naw. I think Sam's got enough on her plate with the Tribunal today." He took his phone back out and looked at the face. No texts. Not even a voice message. "I would assume that is over by now." He looked at the other end of the room at a fireplace. It seemed interesting the dining room had a fireplace. Brick. Old brick. Red an
d burnt orange with dark mortar. He stared at the pattern over the fireplace mantel and thought it was all wrong. The way the bricks were set—it wasn't the same. The light was wrong as well, and he moved toward the fireplace to put his hand on the bricks.
"Crwys?"
The bricks were cold. And the mortar old. Dirty. The mortar from his dream had been new. Still wet from being mixed. And the smells…he hadn't smelled decay in front of the bricks. He'd smelled perfume and sweat.
And blood. The scene of the bricks switched and he thought he saw blood on his shirt. No…it wasn't his shirt. It was somebody else's shirt. He reached out to touch the image of blood and cotton, and his hand touched something else.
Levi had his hand. Levi's hand was cold. But Crwys still saw the blood.
"Hey…bro," Levi said. He snapped his fingers in front of Crwys's face. "Hey, I need you here and now."
Crwys blinked at him. Each time he shut his eyes he saw something else. Brick. Blood. Dark. Blue eyes. Raw flesh. Then the last time he saw Levi's worried face and pulled his hand from Levi's. "I uh…"
"Is this like some kind of Drachen PTSD?"
Crwys shook his head as pain stabbed him between his eyes. He pressed the bottom of his palm against his brow. "Ow."
"What?"
"That's starting to seriously hurt."
"Headache?"
"More like needles being shoved between my eyes, then into them. It's been happening a lot lately, ever since St. Patrick's Day. I woke up that morning all ready to go out with Sam, but with the headache I had," he blinked and looked at Levi with narrowed eyes. "I slept all day."
"You're getting the headache every day?"
"Yeah. I don't know. Maybe it's nothing. But this smell's not helping. I gotta get out of here," Crwys said as he turned away. "I'm gonna head back to Bell, Book and Candle, all right? I'm sure Sam's back by now and if she's not, maybe Kyle can whip up something for my headache. Want me to drop you off at the station?"
"Detectives," came the warning voice before the door opened from the kitchen to the dining room. It was the officer they met upon arrival. "Am I interrupting something?"
Elemental Soul (The Eldritch Files Book 5) Page 3
