Magic In My Soul

by Kellie Sheridan

  “This is the part you need to understand. The war only lasted a day. We tracked and killed five of their kind in one night. By the next, the Mistress asked to speak with me. The entire pack offered to back me up, but I knew if things went badly, having us all in one place would only end in bloodshed.

  “She was impressed by the coordinated attack on her people. Genuinely. As a result, she was interested in forging a new alliance with Ireland’s wolves. With me. I wanted no part of it. How could I? I’d have liked nothing more than to rip apart every one of her people. Not just the vampires, but those that fed and worshipped them. Maybe we could have won, but it would have cost us lives as well. Lives that were far more previous. She asked what it would take…”

  He trailed off, just long enough to entice me into speaking up. “What did you ask for?”

  “The lives of every vampire who was responsible for killing one of our people, our families.”

  “And she gave them to you?” I presumed since as far as I knew, the vampires and wolves were getting along as well as could be expected.

  “Happily. She named names and had her people bring them to me. She enjoyed watching me rip the head from each of their bodies.”

  I grimaced, the image burned into my mind, along with an uncomfortable satisfaction at the justice that was served. The woman I was about to speak with had more money, power, and influence than I would ever have. She’d had centuries to amass that much and more. And she’d had no problem starting a war or ending it on a whim, sacrificing her own people to meet her own goals... or to satisfy her own entertainment; I wasn’t sure which.

  “Since then, have you dealt with the Mistress much?”

  “As little as possible.”

  Fair enough.

  “Opa!” A cheer of joy interrupted everything else, sending Ethan and I spinning back to the here and now. Simon’s arms were raised over his head in triumph while Katie grinned at him from across the table.

  “I take it we have a winner?” Ethan asked, standing up from his chair.

  “I’ve been defeated.” Katie hung her head in mock shame.

  To my surprise, Ethan let out a hoot of delight before clamping a hand onto one of Simon’s shoulders. “Well done!” Simon flinched away from the touch, and Ethan shifted away from him immediately before continuing. “She’s crafty, this one. I swear, I only manage to defeat her every five games or so now. She’s always coming up with new tactics I could never have imagined.” Pride beamed through in every word.

  “I’m sure she got that from you,” I said, walking over to join them.

  Katie looked over to me. “Did you guys want in on the next round?”

  Simon’s face showed only a moment of hesitation before nodding, resigned. “Not to worry. I’ve got the hang of this now, I can beat three of you as easily as one.” His dark brows lowered slightly as he set about resetting up the board.

  A glance at my phone over an hour later reminded me that I hadn't come here just for a visit though I wished I had. It was time to go.

  Ethan caught my eye as I tucked my phone back in my pocket. I wasn't sure what he read on my face, but I could almost feel something pass between us. "Last round," he announced to the group. He looked over at his daughter. "We both know it's well past your bedtime, and I think these two need to get to their meeting."

  Simon let out a quick huff of air from across the table, looking about as thrilled as I felt. I offered him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. If I could convince him that all of this would all turn out okay, then I could start believing it for myself.

  Really, I should have been the one to make that first leap of faith into some level of confidence. Simon had had far more terrible experience with vampires than I had. If he was willing to walk into the lion's den, then so was I.

  Getting things tidied up again and saying goodnight to Katie flew by in what felt like seconds. I didn't want to go. Hell, I still had no idea what I could say or do to get my point across.

  Simon excused himself for a final bathroom break, leaving me and Ethan lingering together in the front hallway.

  "And you're totally sure you don't want me to come with you as backup? Or I could send one of my guys. I have at least a half dozen who could be here within ten minutes."

  I wanted to agree to his offer, to take all the help I could get. Instead, I shook my head no. "You know the deal. I only get to bring one person with me. And Simon's the one whose life is at the heart of all of this. He has every right to be there. And besides, he's the one who can get me out of there at the first sign of trouble."

  Ethan reached over, returning the hand squeeze I'd offered him earlier. "Fair. I just hate the idea of anyone being near those… Keep your eyes open, keep Simon at your back, you'll be fine."

  I squeezed back, not wanting to let go. I had a long way to go both toward helping Simon and his family, and toward getting back whatever grudging acceptance I needed from the vampires in order to carve a place for our faction in this country. The first step was doing all of this without an alpha werewolf at my side.

  "Is there anything else you need?" Ethan asked, taking a step toward me.

  A half-dozen ideas shot through my mind. An alternate route to the Greek vampires. Weapons. Holy water. None of those things would help, though, not really. I was never going to be powerful enough to take on any seethe by relying on battle techniques and wooden stakes.

  I started to shake my head when Ethan’s question echoed in my head once more. In that moment, what did I need?

  I needed something to ground me. For there to be a light at the end of the tunnel. For something to go well. And to get any of that, I needed to take a chance.

  Adrenaline surged through me as my mouth opened. I needed something good to come from tonight, whatever else happened. "Give me something to look forward to once this is all said and done? I'd love to spend some time together when the stakes aren't so high. Dinner maybe? Or even another board game night with Katie." Ack! There it was; it wasn't graceful, but I'd done it.

  Trying to look relaxed, like what he said next wouldn't matter, felt far harder than battling an entire coven of witches. Until the smallest of smiles quirked at the corner of Ethan's lips. Then standing there with Ethan felt like the easiest thing in the world. I smiled back.

  "Dinner would be… yes. I'd like that. Just you and me, perhaps."

  I heard the door down the hall close, signaling that Simon was on his way back.

  I saw my free hand reaching out toward his face before I really realized what I was trying to do. That wasn't why I was there, and still… I let the tips of my fingers brush the stubble of his jaw before pulling back both of my hands. There was business to attend to.

  "Dinner," I said with a tone of finality. "But not yet."

  Simon returned only a moment later, and I took a step backward. Resting my hand on the doorknob, I looked back at Ethan one last time. "See you soon." I was still watching him as I pulled the front door open, not letting myself step through it until I saw him nod in agreement.

  Soon. Whatever that meant.

  For now, I had other matters to attend to.

  The Mistress of Dublin was waiting for me.

  Chapter 10

  Simon could have taken us right to the Mistress’s doorstep. I preferred to take the long way, or at least part of it. From Ethan’s doorstep, Simon brought us to the other end of town, leaving us with a few blocks to walk on our own, making the final leg of the journey at a more manageable pace.

  Despite being the most popular city in the country, I had never spent much time in Dublin. The fae lived more in the north and south, but my adopted country was one full of magick, and while it was easy enough to avoid the various faction members in a place as small as Galway, my one and only trip to Dublin had made it clear just how many different magickal beings called the capital city home.

  Even as Simon and I walked the final block to the location we’d been given, my own gift allowed me
to notice each of the three vampires that were casually strolling through the streets, probably acting as extra security. A red mist, invisible to everyone else, floated around each of them, unsurprisingly the color of blood.

  I could see them; I knew why they were there. And I couldn’t trust what they might do.

  They weren’t the first supernatural beings I’d spotted either. Dublin was a city alive with magick, both greater and lesser. On our brief walk, I’d spotted at least two witches, one woman with a faint glow of green fae magick, and someone else on the other side of the river, too far away to really see but who had a hazy silver magick floating around them. The lesser magicks were harder to interpret than those belonging to the factions, but it was nice to see at least one other person in the city beside me and Simon whose abilities were somewhat unconventional—if any magick could be considered all that conventional.

  I wished they could have seen who I was as easily as I could spot them.

  "I think this is it," I said, forcing myself to focus back in on the situation. We arrived in a neighborhood that was fairly close to the city center, but still somewhat tucked out of the way. A perfect spot for vampires to stay close to the tourist population while still staying far enough away from the hustle and bustle to avoid attracting any unwanted attention or drunken idiots who would bring chaos just for the sake of it.

  The house that sat at the address would easily be considered huge for residents here in the city. It stood three stories high, with the red brick exterior and black shuttered windows. It didn't look particularly imposing, just another house on a very nice street. Pretty, even, in an old-fashioned way. But it felt wrong. How many people had died in this place? How many killers lived within its walls?

  That particular night, I didn't need to know. What I did need was a strategy that would get me and Simon not only out of this meeting alive and unscathed, but out of the tenuous position we were in. I very much doubted Dublin's Mistress had any real ability to demand the return of Simon's family, but if I could get her around to my side, she would probably have more luck than I would. Not exactly hard to do, seeing as I had zero sway with the international vampire committee.

  "Melanie Sinclair." A sing-songy male voice called out. It didn't take long to find his owner. Colin stood just in front of the house we were approaching, leaning against a low stone wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he wore a studied, too-neutral expression on his face. Beside him stood another man, older, with East Asian features and a playful air about him. The second man clapped his hands in delight at our approach.

  I ignored him and focused on the person I recognized.

  I wanted to ask him how things were looking inside, what the vibe of the room was, or if his boss seemed primed to negotiate, but I already knew that I wouldn’t be able to trust a single word out of his mouth. I'd known right from the beginning that he'd been sent to Galway to keep an eye on me and our faction, to see what we did and how our plans might intersect with those of Dublin's vampires. Still, I’d let myself consider the possibility of him becoming at least something of a colleague, a human ally in the world I was only beginning to understand.

  Then, the moment something had gone even a bit wrong—though, granted, things had gone wrong almost immediately—he’d proven where his allegiance would remain. He’d run home to Mommy to tattle on the new girl.

  I was still working on not feeling bitter about it.

  Nodding to Colin as soon as we were within speaking distance, I skipped the pleasantries. "They're waiting for us?" I asked.

  "They are. And you're right on time. Who's your friend? I know I saw you last night, but I don't think we were ever introduced."

  I assumed Colin didn't really care who Simon was as much as what he could do. And while I was sure his mistress would be able to work out who it was I’d brought with me, I wasn't inclined to fill Colin in on the details.

  "This is Simon," I said, repeating what was probably the exact same introduction I’d given the two of them the night before.

  Colin shrugged. "Hello, Simon. Welcome."

  "Let's get this over with, shall we?" I said, my words coming out clipped. But even with all the attitude I managed to muster, I couldn't bring myself to lead the way into the vampire den. I had very little idea of what to expect, so I was happy to let Colin be the one to go in first, just in case a nest of bats was about to fly through the window, or blood would be dripping from the doorknob. Both options were probably ridiculous, but hey, just in case.

  The vampire took up the tail of our group, still giggling softly.

  While the outside of the mistress' home had been unassuming, inside was far more in line with what I had been expecting. Each piece of furniture looked antique and expensive, with dark wood and red upholstery. At least the lighting wasn't also stereotypically dim. Against the darkness of the night sky outside, stepping into the foyer was almost inviting. Almost.

  While Colin was still human, or mostly so, with only the faintest hint of vampire magick surrounding him, the man waiting for us inside was entirely undead. With dark skin and brown eyes that seemed untouched by age, he stood at just over six feet tall with a lean elegance to his frame that matched the perfectly tailored suit that he wore.

  "Melanie Sinclair," the man said, locking his eyes on mine. I was getting the impression that my name was one being spoken within these walls far too often lately. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. You don't know how long we have been waiting for this day. My name is Eduardo St. James, first consort to the Mistress of Dublin."

  Well, that was more information than I needed.

  "I have spent many years studying prophecy in all its forms, and the one that predicted you're coming has long been a favorite of mine, even after it looked as though our kind had destroyed a wonderful opportunity before we'd even had a chance to see what might come of it."

  I felt like I was supposed to say thank you or something, even though I wasn't certain that what he just told me was any real kind of compliment. I managed to keep my mouth shut, but when he extended a hand, I couldn't help but take it.

  I'd been expecting a handshake, but instead Eduardo shifted my palm so that it was facing downward and raise my hand to his lips for a tender kiss. It was probably my imagination, but I thought I felt the gentlest scraping of teeth against my skin.

  I pulled my hand away, and it looked unharmed, but still I was growing more unnerved by the minute.

  When I didn't speak, Eduardo turned to Simon. "And you must be the teleporter. That is quite the exceptional talent you have." I knew that that much at least should have sounded like a compliment, but there was an edge to Eduardo's voice that didn't quite match up. An unsteady gaze swept over Simon’s body.

  Simon nodded in response, but didn't speak, leaving me to fill the silence. "Thank you for having us." I felt like I was back in middle school, trying to make polite conversation with my friend's parents but ultimately sounding like an unsophisticated moron in the process.

  "It is not me you should be thanking, though I am quite thrilled by your presence," Eduardo responded as his continual smile shifted to a frown. “My Mistress was less pleased when you stepped in to protect the human woman, and this one." Eduardo didn't bother looking at Simon, but we both knew who he was talking about. He was acting as though the man standing nearby was little more than dirt on his boot, and he was losing points with me by the second, despite his friendly greeting. "Still it was a very welcome surprise to learn that we had the child of the prophecy living here on our little island, and it is a great honor to have you here in our home. I very much hope that you and the mistress can come to some kind of agreement that will allow us to become friends in the future."

  Friends. It seemed like a stretch, but it would be rude to disagree. I managed a nod and something of a grunt before schooling my expression into something I hoped looked respectable.

  "Now, if you would both be so kind—"

  The sound of fr
antic giggling, coming from deep inside the house, cut off Eduardo’s sentence. Gooseflesh raised on my arms in an instant, and my body threatened to be overcome by a sudden need to back away, preferably all the way out of the house.

  The lights flickered overhead, and even though there was nobody else nearby, the faintest squeaks of creaking wood came from the next room.

  Then, as quickly as the disturbance had started, the space went back to normal. No strange sounds or feelings, but I couldn't quite shake the urge to get the hell out.

  "Does anyone want to fill me in on what exactly that was?" I looked to Simon first, trusting him more than Eduardo. I hoped he’d tell me it was all part of interacting with vampires. Simon blinked, but didn't answer me, instead only shrugging in a gesture that ended up looking more like a shudder.

  "Don't mind Eloise," Eduardo interjected. "She is such a fan of company."

  Well, goody for her, I thought. "Glad to be of service," I said instead, reminding myself that I needed to be showing strength instead of fear, now more than ever.

  Eduardo had said himself, I was a child of prophecy. I was also a newly minted faction leader. Despite what these people wanted me to think, I had some power here. And as much as I hated to think about it, I even had my own connection to the vampires. They weren't as foreign to me as they felt.

  The prophecy Eduardo spoke of, the one that had fueled my mother's ambition when she had been a teenager, predicted the birth of a child who would possess variations of all each faction’s magick, instead of possessing only one like everyone else in the known supernatural world. Early on in my life, a strange linked consciousness with my dead mother’s memories had revealed that I No one had ever explained to me how the supernatural world worked, or where I fit into things, but I knew enough to keep myself hidden. After all, the last of my mother’s memories had shown the death of her entire family when a civil war broke out in America as a result of each faction’s desire to control a child they couldn’t even find.