Not to mention, Preston seemed to have no care in the world. Prancing around in jeans and a Nights Embrace T-shirt. His hair was styled messy. His tattoos were certainly interesting, based off myths surrounding his surname.
Robert offered a smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting. We needed to send word that Tarek Lessair should be detained the moment he’s found. It appears he’s disappeared. His cohorts are both in cells.”
“That’s good to hear. Have they made a confession?”
“Not yet. They will. We wanted to get your official statement, if you would be so kind.”
“Of course.”
“And this afternoon, the justice tribunal would like to interview you about your findings.”
She smiled. “Of course.” Consuela finally had an audience, but she needed to play her cards right to ensure her voice was actually heard. Which meant sticking to the case and proving that mages set up a necromancer within their ranks for their own purposes. “Please, ask your questions.”
* * * *
Preston paced his office. Robert had led Consuela to the hearing chambers. Thank fuck for that. He couldn’t stand her any longer.
Robert entered the room and met his gaze. “What is it?”
“That Consuela chick.” Preston shook his head. “Erik always had a bit of creep factor going on, but Consuela is off the charts. Not to mention she openly fed off blood in the Robear house.”
“Crimson Witch? I thought they were a myth.”
He sighed. “Remember Desire? Few months back. The singer of Red Queen. Apparently she attacked one of the Irish werewolves and her mate killed her.”
“Oh, that’s right. Kevin handled that case.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Elizabeth of Bathory.”
Robert’s brow arched. “The stories don’t tell of her magic. Only that she bathed in blood. Consuela oozes death magic. Not blood.”
Preston shrugged. “Another hybrid? Desire didn’t have death magic. No, hers seemed to be all blood.”
“At least Consuela is eager to help. Even if her presence feels like spiders climbing over my skin.”
“So, you agree, she’s unnerving.”
“Of course. I can’t help wondering what Monique knows of her.”
Preston sighed. “I doubt as much as we do. She was genuinely shocked by Consuela’s antics. I know she has at least one other contact who could have helped, but Nigel Shade has never been a friend of the Silver Council. Not to mention he was with Monique for about six months and didn’t want to let her go when she left.”
“Monique and Nigel?”
Preston chuckled. “Thirty years ago. Ended amicably, though he made it clear he wanted her back.”
“Hmm. After all this time, do you think Monique and Erik can work?”
“You and Liz worked out. Why not them?”
“Took a third party.”
“Funny thing about that, Tremaine was always a part of your relationship. Sure, it started out in a different sense, but he was the missing piece all along.”
“Maybe.”
“Their missing piece was her lack of faith in his choices. Hope it’s not too late to mend what she broke.”
“Hopefully. But he put in for a transfer, Preston. I received the request yesterday morning.”
“Yeah, but Monique asked me just the other day how to get through to Erik. He’d been distancing himself. She’s ready to fight for him.”
“I wish them the best, but that’s not our concern.”
“So what do we do about Consuela?” Preston asked, pulling them back on track.
“Send her back to New Orleans once she’s done with the interview. Maybe allowing her to talk to the elitists will solve the problem of her trying to be accepted by the Council.”
“Doubtful.” Preston rubbed at his temples. “Do Kathryn and Dennis Robear have any connection to the magical community?”
“No. They lead a Bible study group, volunteered regularly at their church and community center. They’re the sort who wouldn’t believe in magic until they were being killed by it.”
Preston snorted. “Right. And why did Consuela have to reanimate their corpses?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad Erik ended it. That was brutal.” Robert smoothed his hands down his lapels. “For now, we’re going to have to make it look like they took an unexpected cruise somewhere. Something. I’m sending a crew to clean the house tonight, under the cover of darkness.”
“Wise. Though, I do hate having to cover up murders like this.”
“Unfortunately, we have to.” Robert stood and walked to the window. “I find it interesting that three failed enforcers are the ones who framed Erik. Someone put them up to it. Did you sense anyone out of the ordinary there?”
“Just the three mages. There were no other signs of magic.”
“Hopefully this is over quickly, and we can send Consuela back to New Orleans.”
“Let’s hope.”
* * * *
Tarek stood outside the home where he orchestrated Erik’s downfall. Only, it didn’t seem Erik Mortale would take the fall.
He hadn’t found Erik at his home. No one in Edenton had told him a damned thing about where they could find him, as if word was already on the street that something was going down.
Neither Donelle, nor Chadwick returned his calls or messages. Everything would have been fine if Robert and Erik hadn’t interfered. They’d been so busy with Other crimes across the nation that they hadn’t spent any time going through the Seattle cases.
Of course, Erik had always been their pet. He should have considered the fact they would step in and take over the case. It was time to disappear until the one who hired him could make a new plan.
Maybe the woman behind the scenes could offer guidance.
She answered on the first ring. “I’m reading the report. You didn’t do your homework. I told you to hire someone with the proper skills to create a ritual. You didn’t even hide your face.”
Tarek sighed. “Yes, well, you also gave me a deadline of today, and I couldn’t find someone willing to help destroy a program they consider to be the best thing to ever happen to the Silver Council.”
“Then you should have been honest and admitted you needed more time. Right now, you’re under investigation. How do you plan to deal with the mess?”
“I can clean it up.”
“Too late for that. Donelle and Chadwick are in custody. Robert and Preston took Erik Mortale and Consuela Bordeaux to the home and recorded the evidence. The justice tribunal already watched the event unfold. Both the DSF and enforcers are searching for you.”
“They brought Erik in when he was the primary suspect?”
“Of course they did. Nothing about the scene looked like a ritual. It’s why they brought Erik and another person who could verify all that was said.”
“Then the building needs to burn.” Tarek hung up, sliding the phone in his pocket as he walked back to the house. He slipped under the eave and hopped the fence to go to the back of the building. Pressing his hands against the wall, he summoned fire that climbed the walls, spreading fast and burning hot enough to level the building to ash, while leaving everything else intact.
Once the fire engulfed the home, he translocated to his car several blocks away.
The woman sighed. “You’ve written your own death sentence. I can’t have anyone learning about the connection between us.” A hand clamped over his shoulder. Fire ignited in his fingers and toes, being sucked through him and out the point where her hand clamped onto his skin. Then there was nothing.
Chapter 21
Monique watched Erik at the dining room table. Whatever he found on his phone held his interest. He was either looking up anything he could find on Consuela, or searching for Tarek’s contacts without directly involving himself.
Half the damned problem with Erik being in the Silver Council w
as his dedication to his job. Though he did the same while he still worked as a cop for Hayden. One of his best qualities was his loyalty.
His dedication was a thousand times better than her fear of the Council. And her fear stemmed from her mother’s haunting. Nigel explained it to her long ago. The demon who clung to her mother had increased her negativity and that bled into her own emotion as long as her mother was around.
She had been reeling from the loss of her mother, learning she’d been influenced by a demon, and leaving Erik when she found him with Gwen. Her imagination ran wild, crushing any hope she could fix them. And she didn’t learn about the council ending the program for a few years because she was too busy attempting to do anything and everything to let him go.
Turning back to the stove, she stirred the stir-fry and prepared their plates. She needed him to listen. Maybe over dinner she could get through to him.
He’d spent most of the day avoiding her, so she busied herself with designs. She had some of her best ideas while letting her creativity flow. Yet, nothing sparked. She needed to prove she meant what she said. And after so many years of pushing him away, she didn’t know how to show how much she wanted to cling to him.
Taking their plates to the table, she stole a peek at his phone. Sure enough, researching Consuela. She couldn’t fight back the pang of jealousy. The worst part, she knew better. He clearly didn’t like the woman. Her methods upset him. But he spent the better part of the afternoon looking up everything he could about another woman.
She couldn’t help wondering if maybe someone with his talents would be better for him. They had similar abilities, they both wanted the Silver Council to accept all casters, and she had never pushed Erik so hard he broke.
Christ, she wanted to stop thinking about her mistakes and just fix them already.
So, she attempted to show support. “Anything interesting in there?”
His expression turned grim. “Not really. Luckily, she’s mostly kept out of the normal humans’ sight. So online isn’t helping. I don’t trust her, Monique. Why her?”
“Because she can do some of the same things you can, and she’d want to help keep you out of trouble. Perhaps I should have done my own research. I could contact Nigel, see if he would come out to help.”
“Would he? He hates the Council more than you do.”
She managed a tight smile. “I don’t know. Last I heard, he proposed to a Silver Council mage.”
Erik snorted. “That was ages ago. And you realize who that was, right?”
She smirked. “Bianca Bitshi.”
“She died about twenty years ago at the hands of a dark mage.”
Monique frowned. “She did?”
He nodded. “Guess she was on an assignment and turned up drained of life.”
“That’s horrible.”
Erik shrugged. It was never any secret that the woman got on his last nerve. Though he knew about Monique and Nigel’s relationship.
He couldn’t help asking. “Hasn’t he been your client all this time?”
She nodded, glancing away. “Sure, he comes in, buys clothes, and leaves. I keep the conversation focused on business because for a long time, he was trying to get me back. He gave up on me when he found Bianca.”
Erik shook his head in amusement. “Anyway, I’m hoping Robert takes Consuela back to New Orleans after the charges are dropped. Then you can stop playing this game.”
“Erik, this isn’t a game. This isn’t pretend.” She took a breath and set a plate in front of him. “I like you here. I wish I had the courage to say all of this before. At least then we wouldn’t have this mess standing in our way.”
“I honestly don’t know that last night would have been soon enough.”
She took his chin, forcing his gaze to hers. “Please, Erik. Don’t give up on me now.”
“Damn it, Monique. It’s been forty-two years. And the last five I groveled, and begged, and tried anything I could think of to fix us, and you pushed me away. You can’t really expect me to believe this shit after everything we’ve been through together.”
“I’m not giving up. I will convince you.” Even if it killed her.
* * * *
After a tense, yet silent dinner, Erik took the dishes to the sink. Monique certainly seemed to have a new outlook. His will was cracking, but he’d been fooled before. Too many times to count where she was concerned.
He needed Robert and Preston to give him the go ahead to go home. Trapped, he had no choice but to face Monique. The last thing he wanted to do, because for the last few years, she’d played his heart like a yoyo.
Erik closed his eyes at the pop behind him. He shut off the water and turned to find both Robert and Preston.
Preston wore a grim smile. “Seems Consuela is very interested in working with you. She’s booked a room at Victoria’s Bed and Breakfast. She’s staying indefinitely.”
“Oh joy.” Erik grabbed a towel to dry his hands. As much as he liked using the dishwasher, he still felt the need to wash them before putting them in. Old habits died hard.
“I should have called Nigel,” Monique muttered as she entered the room.
Robert nodded. “Perhaps. She’s convinced the justice tribunal to hire her for death magic related cases. She’s asked to work specifically with you, Erik.”
“Tell me you didn’t tell them yes.”
Preston shrugged. “Didn’t have much choice. They trust you. Right now, they don’t trust her.”
“Great, so if she gets herself in trouble, she’s going to bring me down with her. Can’t you get her to work with another mage? Instead of a necromancer? That seems like the wise choice.”
“Unfortunately, no one wants to work with her, so if you’re called out to babysit, we come too.”
“At least I won’t be alone with her. The woman makes my skin crawl.”
“In a serious way,” Preston muttered.
Robert shook his head. “There’s more.”
“What’s that?” Monique asked.
“Bad news. Tarek was drained by a dark mage.”
Erik’s eyes slammed shut as he pushed his hands through his hair and faced Robert. “Someone higher in the Council put him up to it. Someone old enough to hide the evidence.” He opened his eyes and met Preston’s stare head-on. “You happen to get a trace?”
Preston shook his head. “No. They’re good. Soaked up every last bit of their own energy as well as Tarek’s before leaving. Oh, and the victims’ home was burned to ash. Had to be Tarek. Nothing else on the block was touched. Hell, not even the grass.”
“What about the other two mages?”
“They’re in custody. Currently catatonic. No one has been in or out of those cells,” Robert explained.
“What the hell happened?” Erik asked.
Preston shrugged a shoulder. “Some spell linking them to Tarek. Shortly before his car and dusty remains were found, they went silent. Appears to be some spell keeping them that way.”
“Can Emily counter it?”
Robert answered, “She’s working on it. Not looking good, though.”
Erik shifted his weight, looking from one to the other. “What does that mean for me? Am I off the hook?”
“You are. Though it may be wise to stay here, where fewer people would look.”
“I could still go to a cabin. I don’t want Monique in danger,” Erik offered.
Her lips trembled and he had to look away. He knew he was being a cold-hearted bastard, partly to save her from the heartache that would follow them.
“I’d suggest you stay here,” Robert answered. “With a dark mage trying to purposefully frame you, your house isn’t safe.”
Preston added. “Monique’s enchantments here make it nearly impossible to track you.”
“You realize the spirits who follow me will warn me before the dark mage gets their hands on me.”
Monique shook her head, r
eal fear in her eyes. “If the mage is as old as you say, would they necessarily know the difference?”
Erik paced away. She had a point.
Preston rubbed the back of his neck. “Stay a few nights at least. Try to keep a low profile if you go out. And if you come up with a lead, or have an idea, let us know so one of us can come with you.”
Monique rubbed one arm. “I can ask around. Some of my best customers are high-ranking Silver Council members. Others keep an eye on them.”
At least they might get somewhere that way. “I’ll go in with Monique. See if I can glean any information, either directly, or through an extra set of eyes.”
Preston snorted. “Don’t tell me you can’t keep yourselves busy.”
Robert sighed. “Ignore him. We’re leaving. Enjoy yourselves.” He grabbed Preston, and they were gone.
“Fuck,” Erik muttered, walking past Monique.
She grabbed his arm and hauled him back, glaring up at him. “Don’t leave this room. We need to talk.”
“Why? It never gets us anywhere.”
“Tell me the tattoo means nothing to you. Nothing at all, and I’ll drop it.”
“You know it does.” More than he dared to admit. Which was why he hadn’t given it a damned thought. “Why not do this sooner, Monique? Why wait until I’m ready to walk?”
“Because I’m finally ready to dive in headfirst and give you all of me. No more holding back, no more fear. Everything, Erik. That’s what you always wanted. All of me. I’m yours. Tell me what I need to do.”
The wall he’d built over the last few months shattered with the weight of her words. “Prove it,” he whispered, praying she spoke the truth.
* * * *
Hope flooded after he’d nearly drowned any chance they had when he tried to leave. Robert and Preston very likely saved any possibility she would fix things with Erik.
“I will,” Monique answered.
She closed the distance and touched his face as she pressed her lips to his. His mouth parted, and her tongue sought his. He groaned, his hands curling around her shoulders as she pressed tight, tilting her head to deepen the kiss.
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