by CJ Flynn
No takers.
He delivered our drinks with a surprising swiftness and dropped a bowl of pretzels on the table.
I took a gulp of the scotch, not a drink I normally go for. I knew that Daniel was right, that we had no proof that Imala had anything to do with Ben's disappearance, but I didn't care. I wanted to go after her, and track him down. He'd been missing for ten days.
My brain rolled over that number and something else clicked into place. I'd started calling Ben as soon as I'd arrived in the states. He'd ignored my calls and texts for two full days before disappearing.
I took another gulp of the scotch, draining the glass, and letting the amber liquid burn my mouth and throat. I blew a breath out between my lips. I needed to reign myself in; we would do this by the book. Ben was someone we needed to track down. But maybe he didn't want to be any more than that after all.
Chapter 7
The next morning, I drove to Manhattan, anxious to talk with Sloane Warne again. I'd texted her and she'd sent me a different address than the one I'd met her at a few days prior.
I parked my car in a nearby spot, jammed change into the meter, and headed up to her apartment.
A woman with blonde and purple hair answered the door. She was wearing black leggings and a bright red hoodie. She looked me up and down and tilted her head to the side.
“I expected you to look different,” she said. “Sloane told me about your ability. Pretty cool. Thought you'd be taller, though.”
“Hey—I'm plenty tall.”
“You look like you can probably see over the steering wheel. I'm not sure that's plenty tall,” she said, as she waved me into the apartment and took me over to a sprawling wall of monitors. “My name is Olivia Sutton. I'm Sloane's girlfriend.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to keep my eyes off the monitors. I could see a movie streaming in bottom left, some sort of program with a black background and white text running over two stacked monitors in the middle, and Facebook on the top right. The other monitors contained more scrolling programs.
“This is your drive,” she said, gesturing to the middle monitors. “It's the strongest encryption I've ever seen.”
I watched the blur of text go by, but it was completely meaningless. “Is it going to take a long time to crack it?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on whether I'm as good as I think I am.”
I heard a noise from a room just to the left of Olivia's setup and, after a moment, Sloane opened the door. She smiled at me and stepped out of the bedroom.
“Allie. Hey, glad you could come.”
“Well, I thought it would be good to go over the plan for Savannah.”
Sloane frowned. “I'm not going to Savannah.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got the call from Liam Elridge early this morning. I'm off the case. He wired me my full fee within an hour of hanging up.”
“But you need—”
She held up her hand and shook her head. “I'm out. This is vamp territory, and I don't want any part of it.”
I looked over at the scrolling text again. “The drive—”
“It's a separate case anyway, right? That drive is about your father, not Ben.”
I nodded.
“We'll take care of it. Don't worry.”
I tried to smile, but I felt her departure at my core. I was starting to feel like maybe Sloane would be a good ally. But if she was willing to keep working on my drive, maybe she'd help in other ways. “I can pay you.”
“This one's on me,” Sloan replied, waving me off.
I shook my head. “Not for the drive, then. But for another job.”
I explained about my half-sisters, and about wanting to be able to eventually connect Anita with her daughters. Sloane and Olivia both listened, asking occasional questions, and taking a few notes.
“Will you do it?” I asked. “Will you get me their stories, maybe find out if they'd even be interested in meeting with me?”
Sloane nodded. “We can definitely do that. I'll put the contract together and get it over to you today. Will that work?”
I smiled. “That'll be fine. I leave for Savannah tonight, so I'll get it back to you before I go.”
“Sounds like a plan, then.” She stood up from her own desk and escorted me to the door. “Call me if you need anything, Allie. Really. I may be off the case, but I can still help you.”
“I appreciate that. I do. I'm not sure who to trust yet.”
Sloane gave me a small smile. “It'll probably be a really long time before you figure that out. I have a feeling that this mess goes deeper than we realize. I don't think you'll find what you're looking for in Savannah.”
I frowned. “What makes you say that?”
“I can feel a strange magic afoot. It's not usually the kind of things vamps go for, even the really desperate ones. Watch your back. That's all I'm saying.”
Chapter 8
I was on my fifth flight in six days, and my body ached from so much time spent in airplane seats. Daniel was looking out the window, as per his usual in-flight behavior, and I was focusing on that faded red signature. I needed something more to go on, and I'd hoped we'd find the broadcaster of the signature before it faded completely.
Savannah wasn't as warm as I'd hoped. New York had been frigid, and I'd been hoping for some of the balmy warmth I'd found in Panama City. We deplaned at a small airport that had only a covered walkway into the terminal. There were no stars visible beyond the terminal, only dark clouds and the smell of rain. I shivered a little as the cold air blasted across my face. Daniel walked behind me, not quite touching, but close enough that I knew exactly where he was.
There was a car waiting for us and we were whisked into downtown just as a steady rain began to stream from the sky. The car pulled up in front of a brick townhouse with a curved concrete staircase and wrought-iron railings. I looked up at the tall townhouse, ignoring the rain drenching my face and hair, still amazed at how far the vampire network seemed to extend. I stopped at the foot of the steps, looking at the stretch of live oak branches that hung over the sidewalk. The branches were bare, and I was a little sad to be missing the best part of the city. My travels with Sorrell's organization had taken me far and wide, but I didn't exactly have time to enjoy the scenery.
Daniel opened the door with a key. It may have been a property in Sorrell's great, big network, but it wasn't staffed full time. I searched for lights in the entryway and after I found the switch, the foyer was bathed in a golden light that looked like late-summer afternoon sun. I let my eyes wander over the gleaming, curved wooden banister that ran in a continuous length from the first floor to the third. The walls were painted a warm cream and were bordered by thick white trim that rested on honey and copper floors. The foyer led straight to a kitchen, and was flanked on one side by a long living room separated only by plain, round columns.
I soaked in all the light and warmth that flooded the space. It felt like sunshine, even in the middle of the night.
“What is this place?” I asked, still looking around. Almost every place I'd ever visited belonging to Sorrell had been stark and white.
Daniel slid a dead bolt in place and turned to look around. He shrugged. “We only purchased it about six months ago, actually. A vampire and a witch were living here, and they had a bad fight one night when trying to perform some kind of ritual. He hexed her, and she tore him apart.”
I stared at him for a long moment before looking around. The romance of the place faded considerably.
“Not here, of course. At the cemetery.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I didn't wait for an answer. I dropped my bag at the foot of the stairs and went towards the kitchen in the back. Daniel followed me.
More warm, burnished surface glittered under the golden lights. The cabinets were nearly the same color as the cream walls, but the countertops were copper-colored stone with veins of gold and whit
e. I ran my fingers along the edge of the island and gazed out the windows overlooking the square below. Yellow streetlights glistened through the branches and the rain. I could still feel that fading energy signature of Imala, and I knew time was running out. I closed my eyes, forcing every bit of mental processing I had into that signal.
“The energy is close by.” I struggled with the words, trying to keep my focus and talk at the same time. “It's not moving though.”
“How far?” Daniel asked. His voice came to me in a cloud, and I let the feel of the energy drop away for a moment.
I blinked a few times and turned away from the wall of windows. “Maybe a mile or two.”
“Five hours to sunrise,” Daniel replied, looking up at the oiled bronze clock that hung near the sink.
I winced. I remember a time when I thought a chunk of time like that would have been plenty, but I knew better. We would be walking into the unknown, and Daniel had to be well secured before sunrise.
“We could perform the necessary reconnaissance,” he said. “There will be plenty of time for that, and it will give the local organization time to finish arranging this location. We will need supplies.”
I nodded. “We could walk. Probably faster than getting a car out of the garage.”
Daniel gave me a nod before walking back towards the main entry. He shouldered his black overcoat again, and I belted my jacket and pulled up my hood against the rain still coming down.
We went out into the night, and I led Daniel south towards the weak energy that had faded even more since I'd last checked it.
We passed a couple on the sidewalk, clinging to one another as they bent their heads against the rain. The tall man had his arm wrapped around the waist of his female companion, and their steps matched almost perfectly. I turned my head back to glance at them and my heart constricted.
I shifted my focus to that energy marker again, and realized we were standing in front of the building where it was registering. I stared at an old, single story cottage nestled between two run-down townhomes.
Daniel stepped closer to me, his body between mine and the street. I turned to check around us, as he must have done. He nudged me at the small of my back with his fingertips and I stepped towards the only window at the front of the cottage. I closed my eyes, picturing that energy signature. It was deep within, and when I opened my eyes, I was staring into a dark sitting room.
Daniel gestured towards a walled garden with a wrought-iron gate. I stepped towards it, checked again for any other people, and pushed on it gently. The gate swung inwards and I stepped through it, Daniel close behind.
As soon as I crossed through the gate, I felt the heavy magic in the air. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but I could sense its presence and see the green auras surrounding the building.
Daniel edged up next to me.
“Be careful,” I whispered. “There's a lot of magic here. Some sort of protection.”
He nodded. “I'll go in first. Keep hidden and I'll let you know what I find.”
I stepped to the side, keeping my back to the wall and slinking back into the shadows. Daniel went ahead, his speed taking him around the corner of the house so fast, I didn't even realize he'd gone at first.
He was back again in a moment, his eyes glittering. “You must come in,” he whispered, his voice low as he dipped his head towards me. “The door was open and there's a blonde woman lying in the kitchen. I believe she is our target.”
I moved past him, keeping low and running towards the back door. I had no other details except the relatively certain knowledge that no one else was in the house. I couldn't exactly see humans who lacked an aura-giving ability, but I was learning to sense their presence. It wasn't as quick or as sure as the auras, but it was better than complete surprises.
The blonde woman was the bearer of the energy alright. She was curled in a fetal position a few feet from the refrigerator. Her eyes were open and wild, roving over the entire room. I wondered if she was taking it all in, or if she could see any of it at all. The place looked like an old herbalist's shop. There were bundles of dry herbs hanging from the ceiling, and jars filled with an assortment of things lined the counters. I even saw an actual black cauldron in the corner, turned upside down with a stack of white clothes on top.
I turned back to her, wishing I knew her name. I had no idea what had transpired between her and Ben, but I suspected she was more victim than culprit. I pressed my hand to her neck and received a jolt of energy rippling off her in jagged lines that faded almost as soon as they started.
I cringed, but stopped cold as I felt a new aura enter the garden. Daniel was stationed at the back door, hiding in the shadows. I stood up and gestured towards the front of the house with a signal that hopefully told him someone was coming.
He nodded and pressed himself against the wall. I ducked behind the island, letting my brain switch over to the aura making its way towards the back of the house, and slid my fingers along the narrow knife I kept in a thin pocket on the seam of my jeans.
It was green. Another witch. I had hardly encountered any witches, but now it suddenly felt like they were everywhere.
A short, round woman with a beehive of gray hair and a thick purple cloak, swept through the back door. She let out a piercing scream when Daniel jumped from behind the door, grabbing her wrists in one hand and clocking her over the head with the other.
She crumpled like a tissue to the floor, and he swept her up, depositing her into a chair, and tying her hands with a couple of zip-ties he pulled from his jacket.
I stared at him. “Why did you do that?” I asked.
He shook his head and I noticed for the first time the beads of sweat dotting his brow.
“She's a witch,” he replied.
“I know.”
“She's a witch giving off a powerful cloaking spell.”
I hadn't detected any of the evil energy that seemed to be binding Imala's energy to the blonde woman, emanating from Daniel's prisoner, and the magic everywhere else was so thick I couldn't untangle it.
“I don't think she's related to this,” I replied. I walked over to the small woman and placed my hand across her forehead. She felt cool to the touch, and deeper beneath, I could sense nothing but the warm, strong magic that emanated from all the other witches I'd met. “She's fine. You should probably untie her.”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not. I want to know what she's up to. How is she?” he asked, pointing to the woman still curled up on the floor.
I frowned. “Pretty messed up. Whatever Imala has done to her seems to be wearing off, but her energy is all over the place. I'm not sure what's going to happen to her.”
He stared down at the old woman again, as if he willed her awake. He turned away from her and went to the back door, slamming and locking it.
My shoulders relaxed a little and went back to the blonde woman. She was wearing a pair of gray leggings and a white, hooded sweatshirt. I noticed the bulge of a phone at the edge of her front pocket. I needed to figure out who she was, and what her real involvement with Ben had been.
I slid the phone from her pocket and she didn't react. Her eyes were still criss-crossing the room faster than they could possibly be absorbing anything.
I tapped the screen and a picture lit up of two feet at the edge of a frame with wide sand and crystal blue water. There was a slide to unlock the phone and when I activated it, the screen prompted me to enter a PIN. I stared down at the phone, debating what to do. There were probably only a handful of chances to screw it up and permanently lock the phone. I tucked it into my jacket and looked towards the little witch who was finally coming to in her kitchen chair.
She opened her eyes, still groggy for a moment, before she caught sight of Daniel and her eyes bulged. She started uttering a stream of unintelligible words. He dove at her, clamping his hand over her mouth.
“Enough. Tell us why you're here,” he said, his body hovering over her.
She nodded her head and he lifted his hand away.
“The real question is: who are you?” she asked, nodding at both of us. “Why are you here?”
“I asked first,” Daniel replied, stepping back and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Very well. My name is Golda. I'm an Elder from the Coven of Savannah, and I'm investigating dark magic emanating from this address.”
I stared at her, surprised she'd given us so much information without very little prodding.
“Your turn,” she said. “Both of you.”
