by Sierra Cross
Callie cleared her throat. “Like it or not,” she began, tentatively, “fate has chosen us. And I, for one, believe in my heart that we’ll find a way do it.” She paused, her fervor building. “I feel our power when we are together. We’ve learned so much so fast. We’ve got six days. Think about how much more we’ll know in that time.” The faith in her voice was so solid that when she stood she could have been ten feet tall. “It’s our destiny to destroy this evil.”
“Your strong spirit reminds me of your mother’s, Callie.” Matt jumped to his feet and hugged Callie, who beamed. “We will do this. For all those who’ve fallen. And all those yet to come.”
Goose bumps ran down my arms at the old saying I’d overheard my mother and other coven members say from time to time. I’d never thought about what it meant, but now I felt the heavy truth of those words. Something about Marley telling me I needed to have faith in my magic stuck with me. It would lead me where I was supposed to be. And it led me here. I stood between them, laying one arm around Callie’s shoulder, the other on Matt’s back. “For all those who’ve fallen, and those yet to come.” As the words tumbled from my mouth I felt a layer of the fuzzy veil between me and my magic slough off. But there was a downside. For the first time, I could feel how many layers lay wedged between me and my full magic. Great.
All eyes fell to Liv, who still sat in the overstuffed chair, arms crossed, scowling. “I for one don’t need any of this crap. You all really do have a death wish.”
Said the fearless woman who climbed Mt. Everest? I thought, confused.
I was still pondering my response when Callie put her hand on her hip and said, “Knock that shit off, Liv. I see right through you.”
“Yeah, you’re about to see me walk out the door,” Liv countered, but her devil-may-care tone sounded forced.
“You need the magic more than any of us.”
“Bullshit. I don’t need anyth—”
“You need this coven.” Liv tried to cut Callie off, but our sunny girl just kept on talking, a smile on her lips. “It makes your heart sing. It makes you feel like you belong. And you’re desperately afraid of holding on to anything because you’re afraid it will be ripped away. Well guess what? Every one of us here knows what that fear feels like.” Callie’s voice choked up unexpectedly and I felt tears well up in my own eyes. “But we’re not going anywhere. We’re bound by magic. And that’s the strongest tie there is. We’re your family now. And no matter how scared you are, you are dying to let us in.”
“No I’m not.” Tears were streaming down Liv’s face. The harder she tried to hide them the stronger they flowed. She stood and through hiccoughing sobs said, “Fine. You’re right. I’m scared. Maybe…that means…I do need you guys.”
We all leaned in to hug her in the cheesiest moment in modern history. And I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
Asher broke out of the hug first. “Fascinating evening, much like a Brazilian soap opera. But I must be heading home.” He tossed me a stern look. “Enough playing around, Alix. Time to get to the bottom of what’s going on with your magic. You’ll need to be more than a warm body standing in the circle to destroy the Malum Osmium.” Ouch. Warm body standing in the circle. I was still reeling from my magic teacher’s harsh but true assessment when he stormed out.
Chapter Fourteen
The next evening at 7:00 p.m., my Lyft pulled under the canopy in front of the restaurant and a valet opened the car door. “Welcome to Canlis, Miss.” And I walked into the fanciest restaurant in Seattle, to meet Aunt Jenn and Eric Starr for dinner.
I’d practically had to tie Matt up to get out of the apartment to go to work. His fears were unfounded, though. The day was perfectly normal, save for my barely contained headache and sore muscles. Nothing seemed amiss. No sidelong glance from security, no whispers in the hallways. Eric gave me one of his trademark movie star smiles as I passed him in the hallway.
Aunt Jenn had called at the end of the day saying she was worried about me. That the best way to get beyond this anxiety of mine was to face reality—get to know Eric over dinner tonight and see he was really an amazing boyfriend and a true visionary. I wanted to scream at her, “How can you be so blind?” But I reminded myself that all Wonts were blind, and it wasn’t their fault. Their lack of ability to sense magic kept them in the dark. Frankly, Aunt Jenn’s cluelessness was probably the only thing that was protecting her…for now. But how long until Eric put her in danger for his own demonic ends? I had to look out for my aunt, the way she’d once looked out for me.
After Matt’s lectures about keeping people in the loop, I’d gotten into the habit of texting Matt, Callie, Liv, and even Asher to let them know what I was doing. The biggest obstacle was getting Asher to let me out of tonight’s training session. I half expected Matt to say he forbid me from going out to dinner with a demon. Instead, he texted back to let me know he’d be guarding me from right outside the restaurant the whole time, but he’d stay in stealth mode unless combat became necessary. Knowing he’d be there, invisible but watching, felt so reassuring that I typed back thank you…then made a face and deleted it. Knowing Matt, he’d be nonplussed at me thanking him for performing his guardian duties. It was, after all, his calling. The others wished me good luck, and Asher—being Asher—also recommended that I consider ordering a particular classic cocktail which, he asserted, Canlis made “properly.”
As it happened, Eric and my aunt were already seated and drinking wine when the maître d’ guided me to our table, along the east-facing window wall featuring a view of the Elliott Bay and all the twinkling lights of the city. Though I doubted Eric would try to poison me in front of my aunt, I was still glad when the waiter filled my glass in front of me. A glance around made me feel underdressed and under aged. Though Seattle wasn’t a formal town in general, my business-casual clothing only barely passed muster here. The women around me—all of whom were decades older—wore dinner dresses, including my aunt, who it turned out kept a change of clothes hanging in her office. Even if you factored out the demonic boss across from me, I’d rarely felt more out of place.
As our waiter, a consummate professional, replenished our wine glasses and brought forth course after elegant course, my aunt seemed happy to steer the conversation to safe topics. I could tell she felt like she was forging bonds. But when I looked at Eric, he was as cool and unreadable as ever. Surely he could sense my magic, as I could sense his. Did he know we snuck into the building? If he did, I couldn’t imagine he’d be sipping cabernet and asking me banal questions about my career plans. He had a guarded yet curious look on his face. Like was he wondering who he was dealing with, exactly, in me. Wait, could demons have complex feelings like that? The Nequam I’d encountered seemed simpler; Asher had been exaggerating with his goldfish crack but they did seem to have one-track minds, trained on violence. Clearly there was more to the Caedis, or at least to Eric, or he could never have steered Millennium’s corporate ship to success. Not to mention keep up with a smart, sensitive woman like my aunt. Although perhaps his gorgeousness helped paper over any lapses in the emotions department? Instantly I killed that thought: Eric was a monster. His beautiful body was, basically, someone else’s corpse. If not for the quelling spell on my necklace, I’d be puking up the prawns I’d just eaten.
Yet sitting across from him at dinner had been mostly pleasant. Aunt Jenn lingered over her wine, a beatific smile on her face that let me know she felt like she’d successfully introduced us tonight. Discreetly, the waiter delivered our check and Eric covered it with one of his large tanned hands and dropped his credit card without looking at the amount.
“So.” He turned to hit me with one of his thousand-watt smiles. “You were working late last night.” Statement, not a question.
I nearly spit my wine on the linen table clothes. “How’d you know that?” For the first time this evening I’d wondered how close Matt was.
“Our building is wired so that I know everything.
Everyone going in and out, every door opened. Truly state of the art.”
Aunt Jenn’s face wrinkled with worry. “Alix, you don’t want to be going in and out too late. There’ve been several muggings downtown.” Interesting. Asher had said that the demon infestation had spread beyond the Spelldrift. Were the muggings related? Aunt Jenn’s look was full of motherly concern, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Eric. Because he didn’t seem worried in the least. On the contrary, he was pleased.
“Jenn, she’s showing enthusiasm for her new job.” He smiled at Aunt Jenn, trying to reassure her I guess, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I commend that.” He reached in to his blazer pocket and placed a new Millennium security badge on the table. Not the white plastic like the one I had. This one was clear, with a holographic circle on the front…and my picture staring up at me.
Aunt Jenn’s mouth dropped open. “That’s level ten.” She turned to Eric in confusion. “I don’t understand. You know this is her first job. We agreed to bring her along slowly.”
“We did, but I see something special in your niece.” Eric’s dark eyes bored into me and my heart skipped. What did he see in me? “Your aunt has shared with me your struggles to find your way forward in this world. But from the first moment I met you, I knew you had strong potential. I sensed it.” Dear goodness, was he talking about my magic? He thought it had potential, for him? Whatever he meant by that, it couldn’t be good.
“Eric.” Aunt Jenn was frowning, no longer luxuriating over her wine. She looked disturbed, which I took as the sole promising aspect of this situation. “We discussed the value of earning one’s advancement in life, not having things handed to you. I really think we should talk about this.”
“If Alix feels called to devote herself to her career, then she should be free to do so.” His words sounded reasonable, but as he turned his head slightly to look from Aunt Jenn to me, he stretched his neck, almost like his skin was too tight. The movement reminded me again that he was commandeering a stolen human body, and I felt sick despite the necklace. “I know that you feel the call,” he murmured to me, “don’t you Alix?” My stomach sank to my feet. The tree, he was talking about the evil tree calling just to me. He knew. Knew and approved. “Enjoy your all-access pass. I have a feeling you’ll do great things with it.”
The clear circle burned a hole in my purse on the Lyft ride back to the Spelldrift. All I could think of was that I could go to the tree, right now. Be enveloped in its blissful music. Enraptured…sweetly possessed. It took all my willpower not to redirect the Lyft driver to take me to Millennium Dynamics instead of home. I texted Matt: Meet you outside Sanctum in fifteen. I have something I need to give you for safekeeping.
After I caught him up on the dinner conversation with Eric and how Aunt Jenn had seemed weirded out by his behavior, I explained what the level ten pass meant. He nodded with quiet understanding. Held out his hand. I swallowed hard, reached into my purse, and pressed the pass into his hand, trying not to betray my inner struggle.
His compassionate eyes missed nothing, as usual. “Thank you for letting me in, Alexandra.”
“Whatever. You’re welcome.” I squirmed under the guardian’s knowing gaze. “Just don’t hide this in a frat house for the next ten years, ok?”
“No chance of that,” Matt promised. “If we don’t use it in the next five days, the next ten years won’t matter.” He said it lightly, but the depressing thought made my heart sink and I’m sure it showed on my face. Incredibly, Matt cracked a mischievous grin. “Also, I’m pretty sure my frat legacy privileges got revoked after last time.”
“Can you blame them?” I chuckled at the memory despite myself. “After you harshed their mellow and jeopardized their charter?”
He took a mock bow, not breaking eye contact. “A man can but do his best.”
As I watched him walk away, into Sanctum to get ready for his bouncer shift, I suddenly realized he’d made that joke about the frat to distract me from the challenge that lay ahead of us. I wondered how anyone could stay that unruffled in the face of a looming battle. Was it his training—were all guardians Zen masters—or had Matt’s decade in the Void given him perspective beyond that of a regular mortal? If we survived past next week, maybe I’d ask him. Vow or not, there was no reason Matt and I couldn’t be friends, not when we clicked so well together.
I was finally getting used to having a guardian.
Chapter Fifteen
For the first time, the bookstore’s back door was locked when I tried it. Weird. I peered in the window. Lights on. I guessed I was the first one here. Maybe Asher was still down in the store? I decided this was a good time to practice my solo magic. He’d updated his wards to allow Callie, Liv, and me through at will, why not? I called the energy to my fingertips, trying not to let it bleed all over my hands. A click sounded and the door opened. Woot woot, I silently congratulated myself as I entered the hallway. I heard a rustle and Asher walked out from his lab, hair tousled, tight leather pants zipped but not buttoned. He was shirtless, revealing the well-defined muscles of his long sleek torso. Bold tribal tattoos framed his hard pecs and wrapped around to his back. I suspected that, like his hand tattoos, they channeled powerful magic. He gave me an impish smile.
I was about to tease him—Mr. Punctual—on being tardy when Charice stepped out from behind him, clad only in his shirt.
“Asher, come back and play,” she said insistently. Then, noticing me, “Oh, I didn’t realize we had company.”
In a quiet voice to me he said, “Oh, the people I do for my friends.” He turned to Charice. “Love, we don’t. I do. Didn’t realize it had gotten so late. Time flies and all.”
Her lip dropped to a pout. “Promise to make it up to me.” She stepped forward and kissed him greedily, running her hand up the front of his thigh.
“Undoubtedly.”
Liv and Callie passed Charice on their way in. By the time we were ready for lessons, Asher was back in Bristol fashion. Maybe his eyeliner was smudged a bit more than usual but he was fully clothed, his hair impeccable.
“Why Asher, are you making new friends?” Liv teased.
“Hardly, she’ll be hating me again soon enough.” He adjusted his collar. “But I have what we need. Work first, then I’ll fill you in.”
“Asher, is this really the time and place?” The five of us were sitting at a six top in the center of the Spelldrift’s oldest, cheapest, and best Chinese restaurant. Having put us through our paces, he’d ended lessons a bit early and suggested we could grab a bite while we talked. But I didn’t particularly want the Wonts hearing plans about how we were going to restore my magic.
“Have you learned nothing from me?” Asher passed menus to each of us. “No one overhears a seasoned witch or warlock unless they want you to.”
“I’ve got it,” Liv said as if a light clicked on in her head. Without pausing for approval, she flicked her hand in the air and tiny dots of golden magic danced at the ends of her fingertips. She spoke words in a tongue that was still pretty much foreign to me, but I thought it translated to “Circle of Silence I invoke you now.”
Asher threw his hand in the air and said, “Thank you.” Like it was all his doing.
Callie high-fived Liv. I just sat there thinking that the idea of using a spell didn’t even occur to me. “If witches are only overheard when they want to be,” I said, “why did I overhear such a skilled witch as Marley?”
Asher gives me the stupid look.
“Oh. She wanted me to. But why?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Asher poured us each a cup of jasmine tea. “Well, you are anyhow. There’s good news and bad news. Charice told me what she knows. Marley’s ‘hunkered down’ in Edmonds. Apparently, the old crone has some gifts with prophecy and she’s seen something really bad on the horizon. End-of-the-world-as-we-know-it kind of stuff.”
Callie bit her lip. “That is bad.”
“No, not that. I don’t put
any stock in that hag’s guesses at the future.” Asher waved his hand. “The bad news is that Charice can’t tell us exactly where she is. Marley’s gone a little batty and has invested heavily in wards, concealment charms, and protection spells.”
“Well, how the heck are we supposed to find her?” I asked.
“Not we,” Asher says. “You. This is one pilgrimage where I would be a detractor not an addition. As a matter of fact, stealth might be the better part of valor here. A tide of magical signatures invading her might provoke an unpleasant reaction.”
“She’s not going without me,” Matt said firmly.
“An attack dog won’t be much use against that witch’s magic.”
I jumped in before they could start to volley. “So, what, I just stand around in Edmonds waiting for her to come out of her hidey-hole?”
Matt leaned forward. “If she really did put a spell on you, then the two of you will have a magical connection. You’ll be able to sense her even through her wards.”
“Astute assessment…for a guardian.” Asher looked at Matt quizzically, then shrugged and dipped a second eggroll into sauce. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. You should head out first thing.”
It was after 11:00 p.m. when Callie, Matt, and I left Liv and Asher geeking out over spells. Crossing Broadway against the light in front of the bookstore, the streets were empty. Traffic lights reflected off the wet pavement, changing despite their lack of audience. As we turned onto a side street, Callie grabbed my elbow and shook it. “We’re really doing this. Reviving the coven.”
