Nathan’s smile vanished in an instant. “You mean you want proof that I didn’t murder those two mages. I can’t believe this, Zoe. How long have we known each other? Do you really think I could do such a thing?”
“No, I don’t,” I said quickly. “But Dorian doesn’t know you like I do. And the Bone Coven council members don’t either. Not to mention the mages in the Blood Coven. They’re a wild card, and one I’m not sure you want to play. If it were up to me, I’d unlock the chains and take you home. But at the end of the day, I’m not the one in charge. Do you understand?”
Nathan met my gaze, unblinking. It was impossible to know what he was thinking, but I had a hunch. He thought I didn’t trust him. He thought I was turning on him, after all this time. He probably thought I was so sucked into Dorian’s world that I couldn’t see up from down and right from wrong. To him, all vampires were evil incarnate. And I didn’t think I would be able to change his mind.
“You know what? As it turns out, I do have proof.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. “Video evidence of the killer with the body. Want to see it?”
“I was going to tell you about this footage earlier, but then the tavern got shut for a few days. And the full moon happened, as you’ve seen.” He pointed at the surveillance footage on the screen. I hadn’t even known there were cameras in the bar, but apparently, the police had come asking to see video evidence the other day. Nathan had told them we didn’t have any security cameras, but then he’d gotten curious.
And he’d found footage of the night in question.
Pressing my hand to my mouth, I leaned closer to the screen, barely believing my eyes. A hooded figure with a shovel strapped to his waist dragged the blood mage’s body through the back alley. My heart skipped a beat. I knew the strong jaw that peeked out from the hood, the slight curl of wicked lips.
“You recognize the man?” Nathan asked, glancing up at me.
“That’s no man,” I said with a shudder. “His name is Belzus, and he’s fae.”
Chapter 15
We waited until nightfall to confront the fae. Overhead, the waning full moon hung like a glowing ball in a black sky, pinpoints of stars flickering far in the distance. A wintry breeze caressed my skin as we stood outside of the chain-locked cemetery gates, the looming metal shooting jagged spikes into eerie shadows.
“This is where I last saw Belzus,” I said quietly to Laura and Dorian. Nathan had opted to stay at home while the moon’s powers transformed his body from human skin to wolf fur. “He said he was the guardian of the graves. Whatever that means.”
Laura frowned and looked up at the top of the gates, twice the height of Dorian’s massive frame. “How the hell do we get in?”
“Last time, I climbed.”
So climbed we did. First Laura, then me, then Dorian. We pulled ourselves up and over and dropped onto the soft grass that padded the other side. Crickets buzzed all around us even in a clogged city in the middle of the winter. It was like the cemetery was more alive than the streets, tall trees with branches curling webs overhead.
“Maybe he isn’t here anymore,” Laura said as we began to move down the path I’d taken the last time I’d come. “Wasn’t it like a year and a half ago that you took on that case for him?”
“About that, yeah,” I said, remembering the fae who I had met in Descent. He’d asked me to banish a demon from a crypt, a spell that had brought on my shadow mark. And then he’d cast the illusion on my skin, forever hiding what I truly was. “But he acted like he’d been here for a very long time. And that he’d be here for even longer.”
Laura shivered, and I understood the reaction. Belzus had been odd, to say the least. A handsome fae with glistening skin and glowing eyes, he hid his true form from the world. Instead, he decked himself out in a dark and billowing cloak and cast an illusion of an old and withered man, wrinkles stretching out from his dim eyes. Fae were known for their trickery. If they weren’t lying, then they were probably coming up with a way to twist things and make their words mean something else. They might not outright lie, but the truth wouldn’t be what you thought nonetheless.
“How do we find him?” Dorian asked. “Is there some kind of house on these grounds?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, glancing around at the ageing headstones and the large mausoleums lining the edge of the path. “I got the feeling he kind of popped back in and out of here, going into the realm of fae when he wasn’t here guarding the graves.”
“That’s really creepy,” Laura said with a shiver. “What’s he guarding the graves from?”
“Yeah, it’s a lot creepier than you think,” I said. “He said he’s not guarding the graves from anything. He’s guarding the world from the graves.”
Laura’s face blanched, the color of her skin matching the glowing moon overhead. “What? Like zombies? But that can’t be real. He must have been messing with you.”
“There are rumors,” Dorian said as we continued to walk. “Not of zombies but of mages with the power to command the dead. I don’t know how true it is, of course, because it’s the shadow mages who own that kind of power.”
“Shadow mages.” I sighed and closed my eyes, my heart squeezing tight. “Of course it is. Who else?”
“Like I said, I’m not sure how true it is,” Dorian continued. “And the grimoire with that spell may be lost forever, even if it’s true. Some say it’s how the Shadows were able to win the Battle of the Four Magisters back in the 1400s. They rose corpses from the grave and had them fight as part of their army. But no one knows for sure. We didn’t keep good records at that time, and the human history books don’t cover supernatural wars, even ones that humans knew about then. They skipped over all that, like much of their own history.”
“But if the grimoire has been lost and no one is practicing that kind of magic, then why would a fae be guarding this cemetery?” I couldn’t help but ask, though a part of me didn’t want to know the answer to that question. If someone out there knew how to raise an army of the dead, I hoped to hell I wasn’t around to see it.
“I expect this is his permanent station. I doubt he feels there is a particular need for it at this time,” Dorian said with a frown. “But don’t take my word as truth. It wouldn’t be the first time that a fae has tricked me.”
My feet slowed, and I raised my eyebrows. “You? Dorian Kostas, the perfect, all-knowing vampire? Say it isn’t so.”
“Very funny.” Dorian’s lips quirked. “But yes. As much as I abhor to admit it, they’ve even pulled the wool over my eyes at times. Though certainly not much. You deal with them enough, and you can start to understand how they think.”
Even though Dorian sounded confident, unease slithered through my bones. Last time, I’d been here on the bidding of the fae, and I’d always felt there was more going on than met the eye. It seemed inevitable that I would end up back here, and I had to wonder how much of the past events in this cemetery had led to this.
How much of this was on purpose?
Belzus must have known we’d see him on the recording. A fae wouldn’t make a mistake like that. Which meant he would have known we’d end up here, skulking through his cemetery to hunt him down. An uneasy shiver slid down my spine, and I stopped dead in my tracks, swallowing hard as I stared up at the old stone crypt where I’d banished the demon.
This all felt like a trap. One we’d walked straight into.
My voice was a hushed whisper on the wind. “Guys, I’m not sure we should be here.”
Heart hammering hard in my chest, I grabbed my dagger. Power sung in my veins, filling up my soul with a magic I tried so hard to push aside. It was the fear bringing it out of me, whispering in my ear that it was there to help me, no matter what came next.
“Why not?” Laura whispered back, taking my cue to be as silent as we could. “He’s the killer, isn’t he?”
“Because he has most definitely set this up so we would come here,”
Dorian answered for me. “That’s what you’re thinking. Isn’t it, Zoe?”
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “I feel like he’s set us up somehow. I’m not sure I want to know what’s on the other side of that door.”
“Well, if he’s set this up on purpose, then we have to find out. Don’t we?” Laura sucked in a deep breath and took several steps closer to the crypt, a determined set to her shoulders. Because of who the victims were, it seemed as if she’d been taking this case much too personally. She considered herself a blood mage, even if she hadn’t yet joined their coven. They were her people, and they were dying.
“Laura,” I warned, reaching out to stop her. But she’d put her hand against the stone door before I could catch her arm. With a deep breath, she pushed hard, gasping when the door swung open. Dread pooled in my stomach as we stared into the depths of the crypt, and my intuition twitched in the back of my neck. When I’d been here last time, the crypt had been locked. Belzus had the set of keys, and he’d had to let me inside.
But now, it just opened.
“Come on,” she whispered. “Let’s see what’s inside.”
Despite my protestations, the three of us crammed into the stone enclosure. Dorian was so tall that his head brushed against the top of the door when we stepped inside, and he looked large and commanding in such a small space. Everything else was just how I remembered it. A raised coffin sat on a stone pillar in the center of the room, and the walls were etched with deep grooves that were evidence of the many years that had passed.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind us, and the temperature dropped at least twenty degrees. Wind howled around us, the icy air stinging my skin. Dorian grabbed my arm and pushed me behind him as a dark shifting form rose in the air from behind the smooth stone pillar. Heavy wings flapped as the demon roared, sending a new cloud of bitter air swirling around the crypt.
“Stay behind me,” Dorian said in an urgent whisper. “I’ll cast the spell. When I begin to banish him, get Laura out of here.”
“What? Why?” Laura asked, her voice high-pitched and frantic. This was her first encounter with a demon, the first time seeing one up close and personal. Like me, she’d practiced the banishment spell at home, but she’d never had the chance to cast the real thing. And I didn’t think that now was the right time to start. Through our bond, I could feel Dorian’s emotions and get a hint of his thoughts. If this fae was targeting blood mages, we’d just walked one straight into his carefully set trap. The demon might go straight for Laura instead of us, the one among us who didn’t know how to fight back. In which case, we needed to get her the hell out of here now.
When Dorian dropped to his knees, I wrapped my hand around Laura’s arm and tugged her toward the door. But when I pulled on the handle, it wouldn’t give way. Grunting, I strained harder, tears of panic springing into my eyes. The door wouldn’t fucking budge.
“Go. Leave this place!” Dorian’s voice thundered in the small space. Wind whipped around us, the cold burning into my skin. The demon rushed from side to side, growing in speed and size until it engulfed every inch of the crypt
My veins throbbed in my neck. It was happening again. Dorian’s spell didn’t work.
“Dorian, forget that,” I shouted over the roar of the demon. “Help me pull!”
With one last look at the demon, Dorian whirled and joined me at the door. The three of us yanked against the hard stone, our eyes clenched tight as it barely shifted under our combined weight. We pulled again and again, the demon roaring behind us. My arms began to ache with every frantic pull, but finally, the door gave way.
The fae stood outside of the crypt clapping slowly as we tumbled into the cool night air. His lips were twisted into a cruel smile, one that set off a fire of anger in my belly. When the clapping ceased, he pushed a large metal key into the crypt’s lock and twisted it shut, sealing the demon inside.
“Well done,” Belzus said in a singsong voice. “Though it is a shame your banishment rune doesn’t work against this creature.”
“Was this some sort of trap?” I snapped, curling my hands as I strode toward him. The shadow magic swirling through my veins urged me to throw my fists right into his face and beat him to a bloody pulp, but I forced those feelings down. “Some sort of trick to get us killed?”
“On the contrary.” Belzus barely flinched when Dorian threw his bright orange wards around him, trapping him in place. “Am I to understand you’re taking me to the Bone Coven?”
His voice was pleasant and calm, grating on my nerves. Obviously, he’d known this would happen if he showed himself. Otherwise, he would have kept hidden in the shadows. So, what was he playing at? It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be going anywhere once he was locked up behind magical bars.
“You bet your ass,” I said, lifting my chin. “Belzus, whatever your last name is, you’re arrested for the murder of blood mages Sylvia Anderson and Mark Spencer. And for the attempted murder of all of us.”
Belzus merely smiled.
Chapter 16
The Bone Coven headquarters was a lot different than it had been prior to three months ago. Back then, the council members, as well as some Enforcers (not Dorian, unfortunately for him) called a large mansion in Cambridge their home. It had been the building where they lodged, held their meetings, and stored grimoires of all the currently-known bone spells.
Unfortunately, all of that had gone up in flames when the vampires had attacked. No one really knew what had caused the fire, though we all had our suspicions. The vampires themselves, wanting to cause chaos. Or perhaps Vincent, the Lead Enforcer who had been pulling the strings all that time. Perhaps to cover his tracks or perhaps to anger the coven even more.
Regardless of the reason, the building was gone, and now the council members lived on the top floor of a high-rise, clustered together like a family. There were only five of them now, so they each had their own room. It was a hell of a lot different than what they were used to. They’d fallen back on earth to join the rest of us.
The newly-appointed Magister, who had been the previous Summoner, greeted us when the elevator pinged and slid open on the top floor. His eyes lit up when they landed on the fae, eagerness and excitement rippling across his usually stoic features.
“And who do we have here?” he asked, rubbing his hands together.
“I am Belzus, guardian of Forest Hill Cemetery,” the fae answered before Dorian could brief the Magister on what had happened. We’d called ahead to say we were bringing in the blood mage killer, but we hadn’t said more than that. It was kind of difficult to carry on a conversation while holding wards around a fae who was a hell of a lot stronger than he looked.
“Yes, I’ve heard of you,” Magister Salvatore said with a nod. “No need to wear your glamor here.”
The fae smiled, and in an instant, the dirt-caked gravedigger no longer stood sandwiched between me and Dorian. In his place, a youthful man stood tall, thick chest puffed out with a look of pride flickering in his gold-flecked eyes. His cheekbones were high and sculpted into his bronze face, and the tips of his ears were slightly pointed. And his hair. Soft golden locks that looked as smooth as silk. Even though he’d shown me a flicker of himself before, I’d never seen a fae like this up close. And I felt as if I couldn’t speak.
“Much better.” Magister Salvatore gave the fae a quick bow. “Now, I’m sure you understand we need to lock you up. My Enforcers have informed me they have evidence to suggest you were involved in the murder of two blood mages. Until we can confirm or deny these accusations, we need to keep you under observation.”
“What the fuck?” I said with a frown. “We have video footage that shows him dragging the body through the alley. He had a demon waiting for us in the cemetery. If that’s not evidence enough, then I don’t know what is.”
“Zoe,” Dorian said with a sharp look. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Don’t ask why the Magister is treating this fae like he’s some kind of roya
lty?” I curled my hands into fists. “We just risked our lives trying to bring him in.”
But Dorian only sighed and clenched his jaw. It was against protocol to show anything but the utmost respect and total deference to the sitting Magister, but I’d never been particularly good at that side of the whole Enforcer thing. Not back when the previous Magister had been in charge and certainly not now. Things had improved—slightly—when the council changed hands, but there was still so much they didn’t bother to do right.
And I didn’t know how to change that other than speaking my mind any time I could.
The Magister held up a hand and smiled. “It’s fine, Dorian. It wouldn’t be a visit from Zoe Bennett if there wasn’t some input from her, as harshly as she might like to put it. As for your questions, I’ll answer those as soon as we’ve shown the prisoner to his quarters. We have a nice warded room on the floor below reserved for prisoners like him.”
After we showed the Magister the video footage, he paced across the floor, running his hand along his jaw. He was silent for a few moments, just staring at the blank screen, as if it held more answers than the actual tape did. A moment later, he sighed and perched on the edge of the chair, looking pretty unconvinced.
“Despite his youthful appearance, Belzus is an old fae. He’s been guarding that cemetery for longer than this coven has been headquartered in Boston. In not a single one of those years has he ever shown violence.” The Magister shook his head and frowned. “I’m finding it difficult to wrap my head around what you’ve shown me.”
“He’s dragging the body in that video. There’s blood all over him.” I knew I was pointing out the obvious, but it had to be said. I didn’t care how long he’d been stalking around a graveyard, that didn’t change what the evidence showed.
“Yes, I did see that, Zoe. I’m not arguing what’s on the screen.”
Witch's Storm (The Bone Coven Chronicles Book 2) Page 11
