Witch's Blade

by Jenna Wolfhart

  Our argument was interrupted by the sound of Anastasia’s light laughter. “He’s playing you all like fiddles, the way fae do. If you were paying attention, you’d realize that he wasn’t accusing Zoe of anything. He merely stated that she’s not an innocent, which I think we’re all aware of. This?” She waved her hand around at the stock room and toward the door where the rebels were searching. “The fae wanted all of this to happen, and he wanted Zoe to be here.”

  “But why?” Laura asked, trying her best to mask her smile. There was a glint of admiration in her eye as she stared at Anastasia. The vampire did always seem to be one step ahead of us. All her extra time on earth had given her some added wisdom, and she understood the supernatural world better than all of us combined—except maybe Dorian. Laura had been drawn to her from the start, and all their time together had only heightened the affection between them.

  “That, I don’t know.” Anastasia shrugged and grabbed a bottle of cheap wine from a metal shelf before unscrewing the cap and downing half the liquid. When she pulled the glass away from her face, a light smearing of red liquid covered her mouth like lipstick. “If I were to guess, I’d say he wanted Zoe to come into contact with these idiot rebels. There must be something we can gain from them.”

  “What about the weapon?” Ben asked. “I can follow your reasoning when it comes to Zoe, but he flat-out stated there was a weapon. And that’s not something we can ignore.”

  “Maybe he meant Zoe herself,” Laura said, raising her eyebrows. “Shadow magic has been considered a weapon in the past.”

  “That would explain why no one has found anything yet,” Dorian said with a nod. “They can’t, because the weapon isn’t a thing. It’s a person.”

  “You know, I feel like I should find all this a little bit insulting, but I can see the logic in it.” With a sigh, I slumped against the shelves. “I’m a fucking weapon.”

  “If you’re a weapon, then I’m a weapon.” Anastasia puffed out her chest. “It just means we’re badass.”

  For the first time since I could remember, I turned to smile at Anastasia. Sure, she was a sometimes terrifying and often violent supernatural entity who enjoyed blood more than she enjoyed a good cocktail, but she was quickly becoming one of the only people I trusted in the world. Life sure does take strange turns sometimes.

  But when I shifted toward Laura, I found she didn’t share my lighthearted outlook on the situation. A troubled frown pulled down the corners of her lips, and she twisted a long strand of blonde hair around her finger. “If we were able to figure it out, they might put the puzzle pieces together, too, especially if they keep us prisoners at their base for awhile.”

  Dorian matched Laura’s frown. “You’re right. If they notice anything off about Zoe’s powers, they could come to the conclusion pretty quickly.”

  Laura stood. “We need to make a move now before we arrive at their base.”

  Chapter 5

  “Anything I can get anyone?” I chirped as I swung open the stock room door and strode into the main room like I owned the place. Because, at this point in time, I pretty much did. Ignoring the looks of surprise and alarm, I crunched my way over broken shards and grabbed a shot glass from behind the counter, pouring an expensive whiskey that had survived the onslaught of magic. In one gulp, the soothing liquid was down my throat, and I slammed the glass onto the bar.

  Liquid courage was the best.

  “I definitely recommend this bottle,” I said with a satisfied sigh. “I’ve been saving that one because no one who comes in here wants expensive booze. Hell, no one has ever ordered it. But since I figure this bar is never making it back to Boston, I might as well crack open the good stuff.”

  Ryker narrowed his eyes and stomped toward me. “How the hell did you get out of the stock room?” His eyes scanned my body. “We took away your daggers and your chalk. It’s impossible for you to cast a spell.”

  “Well.” I shrugged as I tipped the liquid into another glass. “I decided I wanted to come out here instead. Lucky for me, I have a few non-magical tricks up my sleeves. Like the ability to pick a lock. You would have known that if you’d done your homework. Want to try the whiskey?”

  With a smile, I slid the shot glass across the bar top. Ryker’s scowl stayed frozen on his face, but his curiosity got the better of him. He snatched the glass and tipped it back into his mouth. When he’d finished drinking, an appreciative smile lifted his features. “You’re right. That’s some pretty nice booze right there.”

  “Ryker!” one of the other rebels yelled, a tall tank of a man with harsh and weathered features. “Honestly, what’s gotten into you today, man? First you fuck up the mission and now you’re drinking with our prisoner.”

  “And what harm is it causing, huh?” Ryker shrugged as he turned toward his fellow rebels. “There’s nothing she can do to stop us. She could try casting a spell, but we’ve got her blade and her chalk.”

  “Well, actually, there is one thing I could do,” I said, tapping my chin. The truth was, I could toss spells left and right if I wanted. While most mages relied on runes and daggers to cast their spells, shadow mages didn’t experience those limitations. A part of me had always wondered why. What made our power so different? What made our magic that much stronger? But I had a feeling the answer to that question wasn’t one I was prepared to hear yet. Whatever it was, it involved darkness.

  Ryker quirked his lips as he poured himself another shot. “If you think you can beat me in a fist fight, then I welcome you to try.”

  “Not that,” I said with a wicked smile as I edged closer and closer to the front door. “Though I’m a hell of a lot stronger than I look. I’ve been training with the best, you know.”

  “Dorian Kostas,” Ryker said with a nod. “He’s good on his feet, I’ll give you that.”

  “So you’ve heard of him,” I said.

  “He’s well-known in the supernatural world,” Ryker said. “And yes, I know he’s been training you and that you have a history of con artist behavior. I’m just telling you now, sweetheart, you don’t stand a chance up against me, especially not with my crew by my side. You may know how to fight, but my strength and power will at least double yours. Not to mention the fact I still have my blade.”

  I shrugged and pasted a mock frown on my lips. “You’re probably right. How horribly disappointing. In that case, I guess I don’t have much to live for since there’s no chance I could ever win. You’ve really left me with no choice. You know what I should do? End it all right now. Open up this door and jump out into the bright lights of your travel magic.”

  Slumping my shoulders, I turned toward the door and rested my fingers on the handle. Ryker let out a cry of alarm and dropped the shot glass on the bar. He was by my side within seconds, and his hand wrapped around my wrist as he yanked me sideways, alarm and fear raging across his face. Several of his crew members followed close behind him, their blades raised toward my chest.

  “Are you crazy?” Ryker asked. “If you jump out, it’ll kill you. Hell, it could end up killing us all.”

  “Luckily, I don’t think it’ll come to that,” I said with a smile as I pounded my fist hard against the wall. Once, twice, and then three times for good measure.

  At my cue, the stock room door burst open. Dorian led the charge with Anastasia and Ben flanking his sides. Laura covered the rear, her eyes darting the room to find the table where they’d stashed our blades. While Dorian focused on the physical attack, she’d grab the weapons and turn this situation around.

  Realization dawned in Ryker’s eyes when he heard the commotion behind him. He gave a slight shake of the head, but instead of growing angry, he merely smiled, a reaction that was pretty much the opposite of what I’d expected. “I should have known. They warned me about you. Said not to take anything you said at face value. Well, good job on your little diversion. Unfortunately for you, it’s not going to work.”

  “Shields!” Ryker called out as he turned
in unison with his rebel crew. Dorian and Anastasia rushed forward, but a blast of pure white surrounded them before they got even halfway across the room. Their bodies slammed into the wall, and they were knocked back as if they’d hit a sideways trampoline.

  In a shimmer of magical energy, the wall stretched around the room in a circular motion, capturing both Laura and Ben as well. The ends of the wall finally met, creating a circular jail cell that flickered with a pure brilliant light. Dorian growled and slammed his fist against the wall, but his hand only bounced back from the impact. They were trapped. And I was stuck out here with some rebels that looked pretty fucking pissed off.

  Ryker twisted to face me once again, his eyebrows raised. “See? We had our runes ready in case one of you attempted to escape. Now, what were you saying about jumping out of the door?”

  All I could do was scowl at the rebel. He’d called my bluff, which meant he’d won this round.

  For now.

  Chapter 6

  “That’s what I thought.” Ryker shot me a gap-toothed smile. This guy was clearly the rebel’s leader, at least of this particular group. He radiated confidence, ease, and determination, his dark eyes reflecting a deep intelligence. “So, here’s what’s going to happen. You and your friends here are going to return to the stock room where you’ll be guarded until we arrive at camp. Another wrong move, and we’ll be forced to knock you out. I hear it isn’t a pleasant sensation.”

  His smugness made my blood boil, but I had no choice but to follow his orders. I shuffled back into the stock room while the rebels took each of my friends out of the shielded wall one-by-one. Once we were all back inside the room, irritated and grumpy, Ryker motioned for his rebel crew to spread throughout the room.

  “While we’re in here, we might as well continue our search. Hand over your bag.” He held out a hand and shot a glance at the messenger bag beside me. I usually kept it in the stock room during my shifts, and it was jam-packed full of Wagner-related Enforcer research, since I’d planned to head straight to Dorian’s apartment after work for some training. The council may have taken me off the case, but I hadn’t stopped searching on my own.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” The last thing I wanted was for Ryker the rebel to get his meaty paws on my research into demons. “No way in hell am I letting you go through my shit.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows in irritation, and then jerked his finger toward the rebel by his side. “Gigi, put your knife to the throat of…” He scanned the group before settling his gaze on Ben. “That one.”

  Gigi swung her long hair over her shoulder. With a no-nonsense nod, she stood behind Ben and placed the cool, steel blade against his neck, right on his Adam’s Apple that bobbed as he swallowed hard. His face went stark pale as he clutched his cargo pants in his fists. Ben, the youngest, frailest, and skinniest council member in the Bone Coven wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing. He tried. He really did. But he was much better behind a desk than being threatened by a blade.

  “Give me the bag, or Gigi here will be forced to make the cut.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I crossed my arms over my chest. “You wouldn’t. Don’t forget, I was watching you out there when you attacked us. I couldn’t help but notice that you took great care not to kill any of those Enforcers, even though they weren’t holding back in the slightest. If you wouldn’t kill any of them or us, even when you were in the middle of a serious fight, then you’re not going to kill Ben over a fucking bag that has nothing of value in it.”

  “Hmm. I chose wrong.” The rebel’s eyes flashed from my heated face to Dorian’s scowl before landing on Anastasia and Laura. “Time for a change of scenery, Gigi. Try the girl here instead. The witch. Not the vampire.”

  My heart jerked in my chest when Gigi slid her knife away from Ben and shifted it toward Laura, sending my calm exterior crashing to the ground. I froze, keeping my eyes focused on the rebel’s face instead of the knife at my best friend’s throat. I couldn’t let him see my panic, my fear, my alarm. If I did, he’d know he won.

  “Well, I can see we have your attention now.” The rebel didn’t smile. Instead, he merely flicked his fingers at the bag. “There’s no reason to make this difficult. None of us want that. Regardless of what you’ve heard about us, we’re not horrible people. If we can avoid casualties, we will. All we wanted was to get those Blood Coven Enforcers out of the bar. There was no reason to kill them. And as far as I can see, there’s no reason to kill you either. So, please don’t give us a reason to. Hand over the bag.”

  All my breath and defiance whooshed from my throat in a violent exhale. Gritting my teeth, I finally glanced at my best friend. The rebel had her knife pressed hard against Laura’s neck, and the skin had begun to turn a terrifying shade of red. I didn’t know if this guy was bluffing or if he’d really go through with murder because of a bag, but I knew I couldn’t gamble Laura’s life like that.

  With a defeated sigh, I threw the bag into his arms. “Fine, asshole. But you’re wasting your time. You aren’t finding your weapon in there.”

  His eyes flashed. “How do you know we’re looking for a weapon?”

  “Maybe I’m psychic,” I said.

  Gigi rolled her eyes and glared at me. “She probably overheard us talking about it before she came charging in for the whiskey earlier.”

  “What’s this?” Ryker asked, pulling a blank sheet of paper from the pile. Glancing over it, he frowned. “Why do you have one of these? And how? You’re not a member of the Sun Coven.”

  “What does that have to do with the Sun Coven? It’s just a blank piece of paper.”

  He let out a chuckle and shook his head. “So, you’ve been walking around with this paper without any idea what it is. Lucky you didn’t use it to make a grocery list.”

  Gigi shifted closer to scan the page. “You can tell it’s from the Sun Coven because it has a small mark in the upper left corner. If you’d never seen it before or if you weren’t looking for it, I can see how you might have missed it.” She pointed a long fingernail at the mark, which was small enough to be a speck of dirt.

  “What’s written on it is undoubtably valuable and potentially important, but I’ll let you keep it. It isn’t what we’re looking for.” Ryker slid the paper back on top of the pile and placed it inside my bag. “Besides, one does not just stumble upon a Blade Book. You’re meant to have this, for whatever reason that might be.”

  “I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand,” I said. “There’s nothing written on that sheet of paper.”

  “Have you really never heard of the Blade Books? Our eyes can’t see the text in this form,” Gigi said. “The only way to read it is to use the light of the Witch’s Blade, which is located in the underground tunnels beneath the Sun Coven’s base. Unfortunately, you won’t be going there for awhile.”

  Ryker tossed my bag into my arms and moved onto Ben’s pockets. Lowering my voice, I turned to Dorian. “Have you ever heard of this before?”

  He nodded. “I’ve never seen one of the Books myself or I would have recognized it when we first started going through Wagner’s collection. Gigi and Ryker are right. Whatever is on there is important, especially if Wagner got ahold if it somehow. We need to know what it says.”

  Chapter 7

  After the rebels had searched every nook and cranny of both our belongings and the stock room, they finally shuffled out to discuss their evil plans while drinking the whiskey I’d so carelessly left behind. One rebel remained with us, and his approach to standing guard consisted of another one of those dumb walls that surrounded the entire perimeter of the room. So, no more sneaking out for us.

  Dorian grabbed my elbow and pulled me to a far corner where we could chat in private—or as private as we could get in the situation. His eyes scanned my face, and my stomach tipped over a dozen times. Some strange thread tugged me closer to him, a feeling that was always there in the back of my mind. I was drawn to him like I’d never been drawn to anyone els
e, as if some sort of magical force existed between us.

  “Are you okay?” he asked in a low voice, glancing over his shoulder at the rebel guard. “I’m so sorry we dragged you into this mess.”

  “Of course I’m okay. I’ve experienced way worse than some gatecrashing rebels at this point.” Tipping back my head, I stared up at him and smiled. “Besides, you didn’t drag me into anything. If I were to point the blame on anyone, it would be Belzus.”

  Dorian scowled. “What do you think he’s playing at anyway?”

  “This is just what he does,” I said with a sigh. “He’s been pulling my puppet strings ever since I met him. There’s obviously some master reason for his actions, but I wish he’d just tell it to me straight instead of trying to manipulate me into certain situations. It’s getting pretty fucking old to be totally honest. He could make the argument that I would have gotten my shadow mark eventually anyway, but this?”

  Dorian rested his hand across my neck, and his thumb stroked my fake bone coven mark. My skin broke into goosebumps, a bright jolt of electricity going through my body. “Yeah, but would you have sought him out in order to get the fake mark? Or would you have made a different decision, one that would have led you elsewhere?”

  “You’re asking if I would have come clean,” I said softly. For a moment, I considered his question. When I’d gotten my shadow mark, I’d been pretty frantic and even Grams had warned me in her own way. At the time, she’d been so sick, and she’d needed me in order to survive. I never would have left her, and I would have done whatever it took to stay in Boston, which is why I went for the illusion in the first place. But maybe if I hadn’t known it was an option, I would have made a different choice. Maybe I would have fled.

  “I don’t know, Dorian,” I whispered, staring up into his dark and stormy eyes. “If Belzus hadn’t told me about the illusion to hide my mark, I don’t know how I could have stayed here.”