Although I figured Ethan knew it, when Sebastian said it, you could see the wounds of his words on Ethan. He wouldn’t meet Sebastian’s eyes. “I need Josh back,” he said in a low voice.
Sebastian simply nodded. “I know.”
“He has elven hounds with him,” Ethan informed him. I am pretty sure that wasn’t the actual name, but I guess anything freaky and weird created in this world was the result of the elves’ genetic engineering. Great. They were mad scientists as well—how could this get better? Can they control the weather? Right: dammit, they could. Or at least some of them could.
“Maybe we can track the animals. Their scent should still be in my house. It is quite strong and very distinctive,” I suggested.
“We can, but that will take time; even with our best hunters that could take days. We may not have days. Samuel isn’t known for his patience,” Sebastian said.
“There is no way he’s in town and Marcia isn’t aware of it. She makes it her business to know where he is. Power like that can’t go undetected very long. They can find him,” Winter offered.
“Are you sure she will know? Our surveillance lost his whereabouts three months ago.”
“If anyone will know of his whereabouts, it is her,” Winter asserted.
Sebastian nodded. “I will arrange a meeting.” He excused himself to his office. I didn’t think she would help. Yes, he was a witch, but he was so far removed that they didn’t consider him theirs. They would not put a lot of effort into finding him or protecting him.
Before Sebastian could leave, I said, “When you call her, tell her that if she helps us find Josh, she can have the Aufero.”
He stopped abruptly, regarding me with narrowed eyes. I could only imagine what was going through his head, how many strategies and simulations were done. “Sky, are you sure?”
“Positive, but I want to meet with her too. I have some conditions.”
CHAPTER 15
Trust is a two-way street and it was blocked on both ends. The witches didn’t want to come to the pack’s home and Sebastian was hesitant to meet them at an undisclosed location. But in the end, Sebastian had to put aside his apprehension and an hour later Sebastian, Ethan, Winter and I were in the back of a windowless passenger van. I didn’t have a problem with cages. For years, I willingly allowed myself to be locked in one; but the others were claustrophobic. If the ride were any longer than twenty minutes, the drivers, the same guys that had come with Bernard to the pack’s house, would have had to deal with some very agitated were-animals.
We were led into a garage and followed them down a dark hallway that spilled into the large neutral-colored rooms. We were directed to the left into another dark room. We collectively gasped the moment we crossed the threshold. Foreign magic bound us like a shackle. Runes covered the walls and surrounded the five members of the Creed, who sat at a long banquet table. Marcia sat in the middle, and each of the others’ lips were twisted into identical expressions of scorn. A slight Asian woman with dark eyes nodded in Bernard’s direction. He stepped out, closing the heavy door and locking it behind him. Marcia looked comfortable sitting in the oversized chair, which had carved designs running up the ornate arms. If one doubted for one minute who was the true leader of the witches, one look at her ostentatious chair and there wouldn’t be any doubt.
The gas lamps behind each of them barely illuminated the room and the scent of various metals, henna, and tannin diffused in the air.
“You will not be able to change, we’ve assured that,” she said, as she waved toward the wall. “Perhaps that will ensure our safety and prevent us from being accosted by animals that do not respond to our magic.”
Our minor immunity to her magic while in animal form was really a thorn in her side.
The uncomfortable silence lingered, not quite fifteen seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Limiting my ability to change didn’t bother me, but Ethan and Sebastian had such a symbiotic relationship with their animal half that restricting it in any manner had to be torturous.
She extended her hand. “You promised me the Aufero if I met with you,” she asserted.
With a heavy sigh, Sebastian rolled his eyes in her direction. “No, you said that you wanted the Aufero in exchange for meeting with us. I applaud the confidence you have in your presence; however, I made it clear that it is yours if you help us,” he said. “Are we going to have a discussion, or should we leave?”
She could barely focus on Sebastian. Her yearning eyes kept drifting in my direction, looking at the Aufero. With great effort she was able to peel them from it. Power and the anticipation of it was an addiction that most didn’t want a cure for. Marcia was not exempt from its allure. Even someone as powerful as her, still wanted more.
“What can we do for you?” she asked in a crisp, dismissive tone as she clasped her hands in front of her.
The tension held strong, a barrier constructed by their mutual dislike and distrust. “I need your help,” Sebastian said.
She exhaled an irritated breath. “I figured that much,” she said. “At some point do you plan to offer specifics?”
Sebastian’s lips spread into a full smile, his deep baritone voice as soothing as a waterfall as he spoke. “Samuel is in town,” he said.
Marcia and the rest of the Creed didn’t seem surprised or concerned by the information. “Yes, we are aware of this. I am sure when he has acquired whatever he came to town to retrieve, he will leave as quietly as he arrived,” she said. At this point she had dismissed Ethan and me, not even giving us the courtesy of a flippant glare.
“He has Josh and is threatening to kill him,” he said.
Well, at least it wasn’t just me. Sebastian never disclosed more than needed to be to anyone.
Marcia rested her hand on the table, and her eyes started to droop from boredom. “Well, that hardly seems any concern of ours,” she said.
“He is a witch. It is your concern. Do you not have a duty to protect your own?” he inquired.
“Josh is no more a witch than you all are Homo sapiens. The world sees one face in the daylight, but when the moon is full, Mercury rises, or the world is eclipsed, your true being is exposed. He is not one of us. When I was being brutalized by that,” she dragged her scornful glare in my direction, “where was Josh to muzzle the rabid dog?” Her cruel words danced past her lips as though it were a sonnet she was reciting from memory.
Oh come on. Surely I couldn’t have been the first person to ever try to kill her. Her personality warranted such assaults daily. I tried to shrug off the insult and remained quiet, but the Aufero quickly came to my defense. Perhaps I thought about it too hard, or wished for it too strong, but it used magic that I didn’t know I possessed. Their chairs slid to the side, and the stout, heavy walnut wood table slammed into their stomachs, pinning them against wall. And for several moments they were trapped in that position. Simultaneously, they waved their hands over the table, slicing through the air. Dark, entranced gazes zoned over to me as the table flew in my direction. I barely ducked in time.
Marcia gasped, clinging to the anger that had ignited into something so fierce that it could not be contained. “That is unacceptable,” she hissed at Sebastian. “You come here for favors and you allow one of your were-animals that is able to control magic come here. Now you see what happens when an animal is given gifts that belong to those that have a civil nature,” she spat out angrily. Her cheeks flushed ruby; her hazel eyes darkened with anger.
Oh crap, this was going to go downhill fast. I needed to do some damage control. “I apologize. That was unintentional,” I admitted. “Please do not let my poor manners be a death sentence for Josh. I am sorry,” I said softly. I lowered my head and waited. I hated pandering to the egotistical bitch.
While the others had returned to sitting, Marcia continued to stand, her fingers clenched, cheeks fire-brushed with anger, a glare that pinned me where I stood.
“This meeting is over,” she said as she returne
d to her seat.
“Samuel has the Clostra,” Sebastian rushed out before Bernard could escort us out.
Frozen for just a mere second, Marcia seemed genuinely surprised. The spark of interest quickly wilted to apathy. “That isn’t an issue we care about. According to my knowledge, the spells in that book don’t affect us.”
Ethan spoke up. “That is where you are wrong. We have it on full authority that the book has spells that will strip all that hold magic of it. You do not believe that with the books in his possession that he will fail to seek to control you all as well. You want him dead as much as we do,” he said.
“We will stand against him if needed. His grievance isn’t with us, but the existence of your kind. I assume you have the other two books. Once he has them, I am confident we will not hear from him,” she said, relaxing back into the chair. The idea of Samuel killing off the were-animals seemed to bring her a level of comfort. “So tell me, why should I help you?”
“You want the Aufero,” I interjected. “It’s yours if you help.”
That was what she wanted to hear. I wasn’t sure why she was beating around the bush.
She didn’t answer immediately. And for five minutes, thirty-two seconds, we waited in silence. Sebastian was expressionless, the set of his jaw rigid, gaze empty, his heart at a calm, resting beat.
“It is a difficult decision, but one you need to make quickly,” I said impatiently. We were wasting time. She wanted the Aufero and we wanted Josh.
“Let us discuss this for a moment,” she said.
And I was foolish enough to believe she would do it in front of us, so that we could hear. Instead, they chanted together, a quick wave of their hands, and the world fell silent. Their lips moved, some more fervent than others as the debate continued. What was the problem? Did the idea of getting rid of the were-animals trump even her lust for increased power?
Eventually the silence ended. And she said, “Okay, we will help.”
I needed to get everything I could out of this bargain. “First, you will help us find Josh. As you stated, he isn’t one of you; therefore he can no longer be governed by your laws. You are not allowed to sanction him under any circumstance. He now belongs solely to the pack.”
“No, that is not acceptable,” she responded quickly. “In the event Josh requires discipline, I doubt that the pack will ever do it justly. He is coddled because he is the brother of the Beta and you all need him.”
This one I refused to budge on. “Well, I worry about the fact that you conveniently and often punish those whose powers mirror if not exceed yours. I am not confident that he would not be punished for a minor infraction far too severely.”
“No,” she simply said, her face so stern that I could see the small wrinkles that formed around her lips and eyes.
There wasn’t a doubt that as soon as she could manage it Josh would be on the receiving end of a wrath intended for the pack; if she weakened him, she weakened the pack.
“Fine, all possible sanctions must be agreed upon by you and Sebastian,” I added. Punishments by Sebastian would be handled with leniency, while those from the Creed would be done with the utmost severity.
The moue remained on her lips, the lines around them becoming tiny curves that accentuated her frown. “He and I would never come to an agreement. You are wasting our time with your unreasonable request,” she said sternly, her agitation becoming something that needed to be quelled.
I said, “Then all sanctions will be handled by you, Sebastian, and an agreed-upon third party.” It was a decision that would work in our favor. Josh would never receive any mercy from Marcia, but Sebastian would willingly give it. Sebastian was connected enough that the third party would side towards leniency. I was confident in that. I suddenly saw he was right: the very things I hated about him, I needed. It was what I—no—what we needed to survive.
She nodded slowly in agreement.
“And you have to help us find Samuel and retrieve Josh. If he isn’t retrieved safe and unharmed, then the agreement is void,” I added.
“We can’t guarantee that he is unharmed. That isn’t in our control,” Marcia said.
“He’s been gone for two hours now. The longer he is gone, the greater the chance is that he will be harmed or even killed. If I were you, I would agree, climb down off your high horse and go find Josh to make sure this deal isn’t voided.”
A collective gasp filled the room. The members mumbled in protest, and were silenced just as quickly when Marcia raised her hand. “We will need a minute of discussion,” she said. Once again we were enclosed in silence.
Soon, she said, “Agreed. However, a restriction will be placed on the Aufero. The Aufero is drawn to you, therefore, it will continue to seek your ownership as long as you are near it. You must agree to stay away from it and allow us to place a restraint that will force it to return to us even if it must be over your dead body,” she said firmly.
“Restriction?”
She nodded. “A curse that will not only sever the tie, but if you are ever in possession of it, then it will return to me.”
“But not without killing her first,” Winter added.
She nodded once.
Was this when I should have run from the room screaming? But I didn’t. Instead, I exhaled. “Okay.”
Relaxing back in her chair, her flat eyes settled on Sebastian. “Very well. My final condition—I want Samuel. You are not allowed to kill him; preferably, I would like him unharmed.”
Anger clouded Ethan’s and Sebastian’s eyes. Marcia didn’t care about Samuel’s safety. She had lost Josh in the deal and wanted to make sure they both left this meeting mutually dissatisfied. Placing a curse on me just didn’t seem to be enough. Taking away their ability to seek revenge had left them truly discontent.
The witches walked throughout Josh’s home, looking at the splatters of blood. The knife with Samuel’s blood was still where we had left it. “That’s Samuel’s blood, and that is Josh’s,” Ethan said. He paused before he said his brother's name, nearly forcing the words out. Sebastian’s attention often went back to Ethan, assessing how he was doing. It was better than expected, but not by much.
“I am aware,” Marcia said dismissively.
They ignored the knife and went to the stains left by Samuel. “Although Josh is our priority, if we find Samuel, I am confident Josh will be near.”
Marcia stood over the knife, and pulling out a pouch, she scattered tannin over it. Then another white substance was dropped over the knife. Being able to find the magical source like some supernatural GPS was still amazing no matter how many times I saw it done. She whispered a couple of words, and her fingers waved gracefully over the knife. A golden smoke formed, and a blurry image of a house appeared. She chanted more and the home enlarged. Just as it was visible enough to the see the address and the surrounding area, it vanished.
Cursing, she smiled an odd look of pleasure. Contrary to what most people think, powerful people didn’t like dominating a weaker opponent. There wasn’t any pleasure or value in it. But dominating one whose power paralleled theirs was an adrenaline rush.
She performed the spell again. It fizzled and died without any more information than the first time. “His skills have improved,” she said to the others. The spell was performed again, and they clasped hands. The shimmers of color flared in rolling waves, then gold clouded the air, and as plain as a photograph in HD, the house showed along with the address. Lines along the house displayed side streets leading us to our destination.
We never would have found Samuel in the middle of “nowhere” and “go the hell away” in a million years. Large fields of barren soil, poorly cultivated farmland and pilfered agriculture surrounded the house. The nondescript house blended with the other homes around it. You didn’t have to be magically inclined to feel the power that surrounded it. It strummed against the body, captured the air in a manner that made breathing difficult. How could Marcia not want Samuel? He was
stronger than the five of them combined. The ward he used defeated Marcia’s magic and required the assistance of the others to counter. The knowledge that one person possessed that type of power made me uncomfortable.
Five witches and the twenty were-animals came; half stayed in human form. As we approached the house, a wave of energy hit us hard, sending everyone onto their backs, but when another one started, a large field shielded us. With each force placed on it, it rippled over its surface, and occasionally a huge indent appeared, stretching it to the point it looked like it would tear, but it held. It was good having five witches.
Samuel finally came out of the house. The long coat was gone, but his ominous appearance wasn’t diminished by his new attire: t-shirt, canvas pants, and boots. His chin-length hair was in dire need of shampooing. “Marcia, this isn’t your fight. I urge you to not make it yours,” he said.
“Samuel, release him,” she said.
“Of course, when I have the books, you can have the witch. I can see why you were so distraught over losing him to Sebastian. But you should find comfort that he will never take your position in the Creed, although with more practice he will make your little dog and pony show look like mage magic,” he said.
And I was happier than ever that we had secured his fate. Josh was strong. Marcia would find any excuse to punish him with the Aufero.
The banter was nothing but a distraction. The field shattered, then six hounds pounded towards us. Soaring through the air, one of them quickly clutched onto Marcia’s arm. She screeched, beating against it. Gavin’s sharp fangs dug into the flank of the animal. It released Marcia’s arm, leaving deep punctures before he turned and snapped at Gavin, who was even faster as a panther than in human form. Gavin’s sharp claws slashed over its face, then its chest and back before ripping its throat out with one swift lurch. The head twisted into a weird angle, then it collapsed. Gavin attacked two others in a similar manner.
Midnight Falls (Sky Brooks Series Book 3) Page 24
