I ignored the speculation in his voice. “It’s a job.”
Murder was the nuclear option, one I hoped not to have to employ, but if this was just the beginning of Ian’s terror on the city—on the shifters—he’d have to be stopped.
“A human could do it,” I said.
“If a human could get close enough . . . but I assume they would lose something as well.” The darkening of Mephisto’s eyes exhibited what: their life.
Dammit. “But you all killed the Immortalis. They’re from the Veil.”
“Created by Malific. The same rules don’t apply, and they can only be killed one way—with an Obitus blade.”
I had a hard time believing that beheading a person wasn’t the end. Vampires were nearly impossible to kill, but behead one and they’re dead. True death unless you’re foolish enough not to separate the head from their body. If you don’t and they manage to feed, then you have an almost truly dead vampire with a vendetta that you won’t survive. Rule number one with killing a vampire: Sever the head and take it down the road. But I guess that wasn’t true with gods and the Immortalis.
Rubbing my temple, I attempted to ease the encroaching tension headache. This was a mess. Top priority: Ian. Stop him and worry about the Immortalis and Malific later.
Just as I was about to start questioning Mephisto about ways to stop Ian, the vibration from an incoming call caused my phone to rattle on the table. Asher’s name came up. I quickly answered it and headed outside to give us some privacy.
“What do you know of Dante’s Forest?” Asher asked.
“I’ve heard nothing good about it. It’s easy to get in but not as easy to get out. But if you need strong magical objects, not widely available ingredients, or answers, it’s the one place you might find them.” I hadn’t had a job where I’d needed to go to the Forest, but after learning of its existence, I found out as much as I could about it. My curiosity regarding rumors that surrounded it remained. I don’t make it a practice to go places rumored to be unsafe just to satisfy my curiosity. I was an adrenaline junky—it helped with the magic cravings—but I didn’t possess a death wish, despite what some may believe.
“Exactly. It’s also where I heard we can find a Conparco Shield. Elizabeth believes that it, along with desisto root, will prevent Ian forcing us to change.”
It was apparent that once you’d made a deal with Elizabeth, you earned the right to call her by her real name. But Woman in Black was more apropos and hinted at her dark disposition, her mercurial ways, and her reputation for dubious dealings. It also hinted at the inconspicuousness of her existence. I wasn’t sure what type of supernatural she was. But her magical prowess exceeded anything I’d seen.
I could hear noise in the background and wondered if he was preparing to leave at that moment.
With Elizabeth’s reputation being what it was, did Asher really trust everything that came out of her mouth? He could determine lies, but what about the brand of deception for which she was known? She’d perform your requested spell and you’d be left with whatever trick she’d affixed to it.
“Do you trust her?”
“No. Well, up to a point. Limited at best. I’ve dealt with her enough that she’s not able to get anything over on me. I’m very precise with my requests. Also with payments and the penalties if anything happens outside the agreement. Elizabeth challenges my negotiation skills at every turn.”
“What are you paying her?”
Asher hesitated. “Nothing she can ask for will be too much to pay to ensure that Ian doesn’t have control over me and my pack the way he does now.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
The noise in the background was probably him packing.
“Would you like an assist?”
He could pull people from his pack, probably even ask Sherrie to go, and I’d want a person who could shift to a lion with preternatural speed and heightened senses, but with Ian on the loose and causing mayhem, it was probably best if one of them stayed in the city, along with the strongest in his pack.
There was a long pregnant silence. The commotion in the background stopped and I could picture Asher’s contemplative face. “Erin,” he said, his voice deep and grave, “you getting the Mystic Souls and the release of Ian was just a coincidence, right?”
He was miles away; he couldn’t hear any physiological signs or see my face.
“Uh-huh.”
Another long pause. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at seven, at your place. I’ll have a plane ready. Having a witch with us will probably be advantageous. Can Cory come?”
“Yes, he should be able to.”
“Tomorrow then.”
Nothing in his voice betrayed whether I had successfully lied to a shifter, but my gut was telling me I hadn’t.
Mephisto was stretched out in a chair, his jacket laid across the back of it. With one hand clasped behind his head, his shirt molded to his body, showing off his defined physique usually hidden under his tailored suits.
“Asher calls and you leave. The war really is over.” His expression was guarded as his midnight eyes tracked my every movement as I gathered my things. Magic snaked around me. How the hell did he do that?
“Stop it. Unless you plan on sharing, stop.”
“Of course I plan on sharing. My conditions still stand.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder. “That’s not entirely true now, is it? You’ve suspended it.” First, he wanted to find out the location of this infamous box before sending me in to retrieve it, instead of me just Veil-hopping to look for it. Now that he suspected Malific was my mother, he was reluctant for me to go into the Veil at all. My introduction to the Veil had been uneventful, even pleasurable, and I was more than willing to go again.
“I’d prefer to minimize the danger I put you in, so I’m being cautious. Are you faulting me for that?”
Agitation and frustration had me running my fingers through my hair and pulling it out of the bun. Mephisto stood and quickly moved toward me, taking my hands in his to stop my fidgeting. “I’m careful with your life, make sure that Asher is as well.”
The muted energy of his magic was a subtle reminder of a weakness I couldn’t fight. My teeth bit down hard on my lips, keeping the words of power in. I backed up several feet, slipping my hands from his.
“I’ll be careful.”
I powerwalked out of Simeon’s home. Some might even describe it as a jog. My resolve wouldn’t even allow me to slow down to give Simeon and Kai anything more than a quick wave. Once in my car, I opened all the windows and sat in the driveway soaking in the rich smell of pine, the robust scent of the surrounding earth, and the hints of floral. It took a few minutes but eventually Mephisto or his magic wasn’t consuming my every thought. I started the car, and by the time I was at Cory’s I was focused on the most pressing issue: stopping Ian.
The Conparco Shield and desisto root would only be a partial fix, just preventing him controlling the shifters, but it would significantly weaken his strategy.
“Someone better be chasing you,” Cory grumbled from the other side of the door in response to me battering it. “What?” he demanded, opening it just a crack and keeping his body as a barrier.
“I tried to call but you didn’t answer your phone or your texts.”
“You have my attention, now what do you need?” he said, obviously eager for me to go away.
My eyes narrowed and I came to the tips of my toes trying to see over him. When that failed, I looked through the little gap and saw a figure behind him.
“You have a visitor?” I leaned into him. “Alex?”
His voice mirrored mine. “Yes, Alex, the shifter with the exceptional hearing so you can probably just keep your voice normal.”
So I did. “Hi, Alex.”
“Erin.”
Cory stepped aside and I entered to find Alex at the kitchen table with a plate of pasta in front of him. Alex was pasta w
orthy, and I was a little jealous. I occasionally got in on one of Cory’s cheat days, which consisted of a slice or two of pizza, leaving me to polish off the remainder and feel greedy.
“Chicken parmesan, that’s my favorite.”
Cory grabbed my shirt and kept me from advancing toward the table to make the heroic sacrifice of saving him from carb overload.
“Excuse me for a second, I have to retrain Jane the cavewoman here. No. Jane. No. You have to wait until you’re invited. Nod your head if you understand.”
I glared at him. “Me hungry. Me see food. Me eat food.” I jabbed Cory in the chest. His teeth sank into his lips in his effort to not laugh.
I winked. “I was making the carb sacrifice for you and this is the thanks I get.”
“There’s plenty. I’m fine with her joining us,” Alex offered, extending his hand to one of the vacant chairs. Alex’s charismatic smile was inviting, and his keen hazel eyes weren’t cold or unwelcoming, but there was no sincerity in his invite. If that wasn’t enough, I could feel Cory’s death glare boring into the side of my face.
“Thank you, but I can’t stay.” I jerked my head toward the door and Cory followed me until we were well away from Alex’s hearing distance. Even then, I still pulled him farther out until we were a good fifteen feet from the building. When a person can detect minor changes in heart rate, breathing, or intonation, you could never be too cautious.
“We have a trip planned tomorrow.” My voice was brighter than it should have been, considering we were going to a forest into which some had ventured and never returned.
Cory knew me too well. His gaze narrowed. “Where?”
“Dante’s Forest.”
“No, we don’t,” he countered.
“We have to. Elizabeth believes she can nullify Ian’s ability to control the shifters with a Conparco Shield and desisto root. She has the root, and we have to find the shield.”
If this could be fixed, Cory would do it out of principle. The guilt tugged at me constantly; for him, it had to be an unbearable burden. I put a great deal of effort into the reassuring smile I gave him.
“I should have listened to you,” he admitted.
“The past can’t be changed. We can only do what we can to make it right. We’re going with Asher. His ego won’t let us do anything but get out of there unscathed.”
Places that were great sources of rare objects, ingredients, and remedies were entrenched by warnings of great danger and foreboding tales. The warnings and tales were usually perpetuated by those who braved such places. They kept people from visiting and depleting the rare resources. I always remained skeptical of each story.
Cory was easing back to his apartment. I gave him the pick-up time and that Asher had already made the travel arrangements and then I started backing toward my car.
“When should I expect my nice dinner? You never make meals like that for me anymore.”
“I don’t take you to dangerous forests, so I think we’re even.”
“I bet it’s not going to be nearly as dangerous as it sounds. A walk in the park. Easy peasy. We’ll be in and out in minutes.”
“Absolutely. Named after the nine circles of hell, it can’t be anything but a cakewalk,” Cory said, flashing me a grin.
CHAPTER 9
“We’re not flying commercial, I suspect,” Cory said as he watched me recheck what I was taking with me. I’d never get through TSA if we were.
“No, it’s a short trip to South Dakota.”
“Oh, just a short trip to South Dakota. Let’s just hop on my plane and go. How do I become an Alpha?” Amusement curled Cory’s lips into a roguish grin.
“It’s not his plane, it’s the Northwest Wolf Pack’s plane. He only has access to it.”
“Well, if he only has access to it, that’s not impressive at all. What is he, a pauper, with his meager access to a company plane? We deserve better. There have to be people in higher places that we can rub elbows with.”
“You know the STF and Mephisto have access to a plane?”
“Stop saying that like it’s a thing!” he said. “We all have access to a plane, but very few people can just call one up and have it ready to go in a matter of hours. If you think that’s normal, what is your life like?”
“It’s not my life. I’m just pointing out that this is not as swanky a situation as you’re making it out to be. We need to get to South Dakota. He has a plane. For the record, you can get a commercial plane with twenty-four-hour notice, too.”
Eyes narrowed, Cory gave me a “really” look. I shrugged, but before I could respond I received a text from Asher notifying us he was downstairs.
Seeing me struggle with my bag, Asher started to get out of the car.
“I have it.” I said.
“No, I have it. Last thing I need is for you to injure yourself on the way there.”
He gave an exaggerated grunt while lifting the bag and putting it in the trunk. “Are you sure you need an entire trunkful of weapons?”
“It’s better to have them and not need them,” I offered, doing a fourth and final check of the bag’s contents.
As Asher made his way back to the car, the studying gaze that he kept on Cory didn’t go unnoticed by either one of us.
Cory looked at my bag. “I think I agree with Asher, you don’t need a trunkful of weapons.”
“I hope I don’t need anything other than an amiable personality and a smile,” I said with a beam.
“Please stop relying on that as a weapon in your quiver,” he teased. “You’re putting a lot of weight on its effectiveness. I fear that eventually you will find yourself disappointed.”
“Hey!” I pushed him against the car and twisted his arm behind his back in a light hold he could easily break if he wanted. “I’m charming, fella.”
He scoffed. “This is exactly as I imagined it would be. I’m butter in your hand. Enchanted, really. How could I not be?”
Laughing, I released his arm and flashed him a smile. “See, I’m delightful.”
“So. Very. Delightful. I don’t know how people stand it.”
Cory relaxed back in the soft leather of the plane seat that Asher had suggested, sipping on the drink the flight attendant brought him. Asher’s attention on Cory hadn’t wavered. It wasn’t hostile, but it did possess hints of ominous interest.
“Was it a spell in English or Latin that released Ian?” Asher finally asked Cory.
“What are you talking about?” Cory kept his face and voice neutral. He might not have answered the question, but he still gave Asher the information he needed. Asher knew that Cory did the spell.
Asher’s eyes hardened. Cory sat taller, his hands moving in front of him, fingers spreading, his initial positioning before he performed defensive magic. Asher noticed the change and shifted forward in his chair.
“Come with me,” I commanded Asher, unbuckling my seatbelt and standing to place myself between them. Shifter. Or Alpha. I wasn’t sure which one made Asher an obstinate ass, but he didn’t move. “Please,” I pushed out through gritted teeth. Slowly he stood and followed me to the bedroom.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I blurted as soon as he’d closed the door behind us.
Asher dropped into the chair near the door and blew out an exasperated breath. “I just wanted answers.”
“Why? What does it change? Fine, you know Cory did the spell. So? He’s here, on a very dangerous job. If that’s not a demonstration of remorse and his desire to make this right, then what is?”
“It shouldn’t have been done in the first place. Cory doesn’t belong in the Veil and if he had adhered to the rules, Ian wouldn’t be here.” The pot/kettle platitude definitely was relevant here, but I refrained from pointing it out.
Kneeling to meet his eyes, I said, “You’re right. Curiosity got the better of him, but just as you would do anything to protect your pack, I’m the same way with Cory. So, where does that leave us?” My voice was a whisper. “I
’m trying to undo it.”
“I hold you blameless.”
“You shouldn’t. Assign the blame to me. If I hadn’t wanted the book, Cory wouldn’t have been able to use it.”
There was an attempt at a smile that didn’t quite manifest. It was tight and missing his usual arrogance.
“What does it change, whether I’m upset with him or you?”
“True. But I don’t care if you glare at me from across the plane. I’d just give it right back to you. And do some creative things with my hands to let you know exactly how I feel about it. I’m not above smacking the big bad wolf on the snout if he needs it.”
That earned me a laugh, a deep sonorous rumble that filled the space. He leaned toward me, amusement etched on his face. “You say that because you’ve never felt the full intensity of it. It’s quite cowering.”
“I’ll make sure to cower thusly,” I quipped back as I met his challenging gaze. “Then I’ll smack you on the nose and give you a ‘bad doggie, bad doggie.’” It was a good threat, but calling some random wolf-shifter a dog would earn me more than a grin. I’d see teeth, but it would be him baring them right before he took my hand off.
A dry chuckle had Asher coming to his feet. He turned a little, shifting his gaze from me to the muted-colored walls. “I hate this,” he admitted softly. The arrogance and overconfidence had fallen away. It was the most vulnerable I’d ever seen him and he quickly pulled himself taller, seemingly embarrassed that he allowed me to see that glimpse of it. I saw him as more than Asher the arrogant Alpha.
“I get it. You know what I am, how I get my magic. I’m at the mercy of others loaning me magic, me taking it—which never ends well—or being without. It’s not exactly the same, but I understand what it’s like not to have total control. It’s not a good feeling.”
“Yeah,” he breathed out.
“I need to get back and work on a plan to get into Dante’s.”
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