by C. J. Pinard
Once I opened my eyes, I could see that I was no longer in my cell, but in Sanja’s magic shop.
“Oh, my God. It worked,” my witch bestie said, sounding relieved.
“What is going on? Another vision? Well, at least your spell worked, I’m having it while asleep.” I smiled at her, and then her mother.
“This isn’t a vision or a real dream. You need to tell me where you are, Ayla. Your talisman has been destroyed and I have the sick feeling you’re in grave danger.”
“Shit, yes. I’m in Linden’s house. In some kind of basement dungeon… prison. I don’t know. I’m sleepy, Sanj. I need to sleep.”
“No!” she yelled, pinching me hard on the back of my arm.
“Ow!” I yelled, rubbing the spot with my fingers.
She looked at me sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s either that, or the smelling salts, but I’m afraid that might wake you for real. Now, concentrate, Ayla. Where is Linden’s house?”
I cocked my head to the side and stared at her. She normally kept the makeup to a minimum, but right now, she had more on than I had ever seen anyone wearing, complete with a fake mole on her cheek. I reached out to touch it, and she slapped my hand away.
“What’s with the crushed green eyeshadow… and this mole?” I asked, feeling loopy—drunk.
I didn’t usually feel this way in my visions, or my dreams. Had someone slipped me something before I’d fallen asleep?
“Why is she acting like that?” Sanja asked her mom.
“I don’t know.” Samantha bit her lip. “Maybe because we forced our way into her dreams?”
“Where. Is. Linden’s. House. Ayla, tell me now!” Sanja snapped, her face stormy—angry. I’d never seen it look that way before.
I looked down at the deck of tarot cards in her hand, and saw every finger had some kind of gold jeweled ring on it. Then I noticed she was dressed like an Indian princess. “Are you doing tarot readings?” I grinned. “Do me. Do me! What does my card say?”
Samantha reached out and slapped me across the face. “Sorry, kid.”
“Ow!” I hollered, my hand going to my cheek. “That felt hella real for a dream.”
Sanja grabbed me by the face with her fingers and looked into my eyes. “Veritas nunc!”
The cloud in my brain cleared and I stared at my friend’s heavily made-up eyes. “I don’t know exactly where Linden lives. Wait! Yes I do. The Vlasé mansion. Remember? ”
“Finally, geez,” Sanja said, sighing in relief.
“Find Jeffrey, he knows the place. But don’t go there alone. Linden’s a really powerful—”
“Get up, young wolf.”
I blinked my eyes open and saw the creepy asshole standing on the other side of the bars. “What do you want? I was having a really, really good dream.”
Linden cocked his head to the side, his arms folded across the dark-blue dress shirt he wore. “Is that right? You and Kellan having a bit of jiggy-jiggy time in your dream?”
I swallowed down a smile at his stupid phrase and instead narrowed my eyes at him. “No, I had a wonderful dream that I was tearing you apart with my claws,” I lied.
His smile dropped, as did his arms, and he pointed a long, bony finger at me. “Well that most certainly will only ever be just a dream.”
“Where’s Kellan?” I demanded.
“Alive—for now. But no more of this bed-cuddling you two are doing.” He waved his hand around my cell. “He’ll be housed elsewhere until you give me what I want.”
There was no way I could reach for the dagger, or even check if I still had it, so I stood and mimicked his posture with my arms across my chest. “And where’s that?”
“You ask too many questions.” He turned his head and called out, “Phillip.”
In the blink of an eye, Phil appeared at his side.
“Escort her to the throne room.”
“Yes, sir.”
Linden walked backward away from my cell, not breaking eye contact with me. It was eerie as hell, and when I stared into his silvery-blue eyes, I could see a touch of crazy behind them. The man had been alive too long and I knew better than anyone that being half-vampire and half-something else made you even crazier. I imagined this guy was probably clinically insane. I had to do something; I had to get out of there before he tortured or killed me. The frustrating part was, he kept ignoring me when I asked what it was he wanted from me.
Phil used his keys to open my cell door, and I went willingly. With vampire speed, he pulled my arms in front of me and slapped handcuffs on them.
“Fuck you for playing dirty, Phil.”
He didn’t respond, just grabbed my upper arm and escorted me out. A twinge of pain flickered on the back of arm, as if it was bruised there, when I suddenly remembered my dream. Or had it been a vision? Or just a visit from Sanja in my sleep?
I dared not to say a word to Phil. I just went along as he escorted me out of the dungeon and toward the steep steps leading upward into the main area of the house.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“I’m okay. He’s got me on another part of the property.”
“Where?”
“The property is massive, and it’s daytime. They wrapped me in a heavy cloak and put me in the car and drove me somewhere. But, it didn’t take more than two minutes, and I can still hear their voices, so I can’t be too far from the house.”
“Not good.”
“You still in the prison?” he asked.
“Phil’s escorting me upstairs. But I got a visit from Sanja in my dream. I told her where we were… and to bring backup.”
“Tell her to find Jeffrey.”
I laughed out loud at how much we think alike, and Phil looked down at me as we reached the base of the steps. “Something funny?”
I cleared my throat. “Jiggy-jiggy, really? How old is he? Twelve? He can’t ask if I was having a sex dream?”
Phil’s face flushed slightly, and his jaw ticked. “I… I don’t know.”
He indicated for me to walk up the stairs, and I did, with him trailing behind me.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Denver…
Chapter 6
Sanja
With my lip between my teeth, I looked at my mother. “What are we going to do?”
Her green eyes looked just as concerned as mine. “We’re going to rescue her—get her out of there.”
“We and what army?” I called over my shoulder, trudging toward the reading room we’d set up in the back of the house.
I poked my head inside, between the strands of the red-beaded curtain, to find our customer looking concerned. “I’m sorry, Don. Something has come up, and we’re going to have to postpone the rest of the reading.”
Don Andrews, a man in his early fifties, dipped his salt-and-pepper brows as he looked up at me with anxious caramel-colored eyes. “Really? It was just getting good.”
I smiled, trying to swallow down the panic I felt for my best friend. “Yes, it was, but I promise, we will reschedule you, and when you come in next, both my mother and I will do your reading for free. As of today, we need to get the shop shut down. Family emergency.”
He nodded and stood, smoothing out his dark-colored jeans as he grabbed his blue and orange Broncos ball cap and pushed it low on his head. “I understand. Thank you, Sanja.”
I escorted him to the door, where he pulled the beak of the cap lower on his face before looking both ways down the street. He got into his Lexus and drove off at speed.
After shutting and locking the front door, I went into the kitchen and began removing all the ridiculous jewelry, setting it into a shallow dish. It was all fake gold, and along with the Aladdin getup I was wearing, I was glad to be rid of the costume. Even though we were real witches, doing real tarot readings, Mother said it would help with business. But I just felt silly.
I took off the beaded headpiece and then wet a paper towel at the sink. I began wiping the makeup off my cheeks and lips. “We need to
get to Kellan’s place because I can’t remember where the Vlasé’s mansion is. I remember her telling us Jeffrey was Elven. We could do a locator spell.”
My mom nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Go change and I’ll get the map set up.”
I threw the paper towel into the trash and rushed up the stairs to our makeshift apartment that took up the top floor of this old Victorian we’d renovated. Thanks to the reward money Ayla had split with me for helping her stop Zeke—a wanted, dangerous, and very old vampire—the twenty-five thousand had been almost enough to get the shop and our living quarters just how we had wanted them. The upstairs had four average-sized bedrooms. Thankfully, two of them were masters, and I had one to myself, with a master bathroom complete a claw-foot tub, a new shower we’d had installed, and a two-sink vanity in there. After changing into a black tracksuit, I went into the bathroom and put my hair in a high ponytail. I had managed to wipe most of the ridiculous makeup off, and felt like a weight had been lifted as I removed the rest. With no makeup or jewelry on, I put some lotion on my face and flipped the light out. I went downstairs and saw my mom had the large map laid out on the dining room table.
She lit a few candles, and I watched as she gracefully carried them over to the table. My mom was so pretty. We had been told we had similar features and expressions, but where her skin was fair with a light dusting of freckles, and her eyes green and wise, my skin was warm and brown, with eyes like chocolate and full red lips.
“Are you ready?” she asked me.
I smiled. As I had been putting my hair up, I’d remembered something important. “No. We don’t need the spell or the map.”
She frowned. “What? Why not?”
“Remember when Ayla and I had met with those BSI agents at Magik’s? I had given her a ride back to her apartment, but she’d made me take a detour on the way back to show me Kellan’s house. I thought maybe she had asked for the detour so she could show me his fancy house. But now I’m thinking it was maybe a backup. A contingency plan in case I needed to know.” I put my thumbnail to my teeth and began gnawing as I stared at the ground. “I can find it again, Mom.” I looked at her. “We will just have to hope this Jeffrey elf is there right now. For all we know, he could be out looking for Kellan.”
“Well then, we have no time to waste!” Mom said, excitement dancing in her eyes.
I suppressed a shudder as the pale man stared at us. “Can I help you? Witches.”
Mom chuckled nervously. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Jeffrey, I presume?”
With mistrust in his freaky-colored eyes, he nodded ever so slightly. “Yes, why?”
“May we come in?” I asked, trying to disarm him with a smile. I’d left my purse in the car so he could see that I didn’t come to harm him.
“What’s this about?” he asked, looking worried. In the light of day, his skin was so pale, I worried he had some kind of medical condition, but then I had to remind myself that the Elven were a fair folk, and that it was natural for him. I would venture to say he was even paler than a vampire. He smoothed some hair back against his temple and it was then I noticed a very slight pointed tip to the tops of his ears.
“It’s about Kellan—and Ayla. They’re in serious danger and we need your help.”
His eyes widened momentarily, and I saw a look of distress pass over his features. “Oh, Mylanta. Please come in.”
He opened the door fully, and the smell of flowers overwhelmed my senses. I knew that the Elven not only smelled like lavender, they also, apparently, liked to eat flowers when they had the munchies.
Wait... Mylanta?
I shook my head to remind myself we had bigger things to worry about than Elven curse words. Or whatever that was.
“My name is Sanja Burman, and this is my mother Samantha,” I said, introducing us as he instructed us to sit on a very clean, white sofa in a living room that looked like it belonged in a showroom. I looked up at the ceiling and it reminded me of the Sistine Chapel with its thirteenth century artwork. I was surprised to see large glass windows, as sunlight poured through them and into the living room. I noticed heavy draperies made of thick, blood-red material curtained each window.
As we sat, Jeffrey said, “Burman witches. Wow. Can I get you ladies anything? Tea?”
We both shook our heads, but Mom replied. “No, thank you. We just need some information.”
Jeffrey sat opposite of us in a stark-white satin chair, crossing his legs. He folded his hands on his knees clad in black slacks, and I noticed the deep-purple button-up shirt he wore was buttoned all the way to the very top. It contrasted wildly with his pale skin and platinum hair. It also made his eyes look even more freakishly purple.
“I’m not going to lie, I’ve been very worried about Mr. Conley. He usually checks in with me via text message or telephone call when he’s going to be away for a few days. But I have not heard from him in two and a half days. I’ve called and texted several times, with no reply. I’ve been quite concerned.”
I nodded. “Here’s the deal. I have somewhat of a connection with Ayla and was able to do a dream-walking spell. She and Kellan have been imprisoned by Linden. Do you know him?”
Jeffrey’s brows dipped together, and then he looked at us both, alarmed. “Of course, but what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. Linden is Mr. Conley’s employer, why would he imprison him?”
This made my stomach knot up. Ayla had told me as much, but for Jeffrey to be this concerned meant something was horribly wrong. Not that I didn’t already know that. With a sigh, I leaned forward and folded my hands together on my knees. “That’s what we need to know. We know Ayla has something to do with it. We suspect he’s defied Linden in order to help her.”
Jeffrey shook his head. “Now I’m confused. Help Miss St. John? With what? She doesn’t even know Linden.”
I chewed my lip once again and looked at my mom when she nodded and said, “Tell him, sweetie.”
I took a deep breath and looked at Jeffrey. “Linden killed her brother five years ago while they were wolves. She hasn’t stopped her pursuit of him.”
Jeffrey’s blue-purple eyes went wide. “Oh… Mylanta.” He looked up at us. “So you feel Miss St. John is using Mr. Conley to get to Linden?”
I shook my head immediately. “No, not in the sense you’re thinking. I know Ayla has feelings for Kellan. In fact, I believe she’s in love with him. I think kismet drew them together so she could get closure for what happened to Austyn. But in the interim, she found love, too.”
Jeffrey’s eyebrows rose.
“That’s why we’re here. We need Linden’s address, and we know you have it. We need to get her out of there,” my mom said, pleading with him.
I saw his hesitation, and said, “I’ve been there once, a couple years ago. With Ayla. I just can’t recall its location.”
He regarded us carefully, almost as if to study us as he seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “I can see the desperation in your eyes, and I believe you’re being truthful. But I need to caution you; two witches alone in that dreadful place… it’s… not safe.”
I nodded, as a plan had already formed in my mind. “I know, we just need an address. Or a location.”
Jeffrey nodded and stood from the chair. He crossed the room, his high-polished black dress shoes whispering over the pristine white carpeting as he made his way toward us. I stood up, and he looked down at my hand and grasped it in his own. “I don’t know numbers or streets, but I trust you have the power to work it out?”
He closed his eyes, and as he did, mine slid shut, too. With his cool hands in mine, I whispered, “Memoria revelare.” Suddenly, I could see flashes of Jeffrey’s memories. A car cruising slowly down a newly paved street, the houses huge, clean, and distinguished, tightly trimmed hedges and close-cropped trees lining the lane. I was seeing his vision from behind his eyes, and when they landed on a large mansion, he spoke, but the sound was distorted somehow. “We’ve arrived, sir.”
I watched as Jeffrey exited the vehicle and went around to open the car door. However, Kellan had already exited, and looked down at his manservant. “How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to do that? I am perfectly capable of opening my own bloody car door.”
I almost felt the emotion in Jeffrey as he replied, “Yes, I’m aware, but I will continue to do it, because it’s all I know.”
Kellan leaned down and kissed Jeffrey on the forehead, his hand cradling the back of his neck. “I know, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be re-taught. I appreciate you, Jeffrey. I hope you know that. However, I hope you also know I would never take you for granted. I really wish you’d go on holiday somewhere. I’ll gladly buy you a ticket. Have you seen the South of France? It’s simply breathtaking.”
Jeffrey’s excitement stirred in my gut as he looked into Kellan’s crystal-blue eyes. “No, I haven’t, sir. But if you choose to vacation there, I hope you will let me to accompany you.”
As Jeffrey went back to the driver’s seat, he looked up at Linden’s looming mansion, and I committed the place to memory. And when the elf exited the circular driveway and stopped at the stop sign at the end of the street, I made sure to memorize its name: Lofton Road crossed at Cottonwood Drive.
With a gasp, I let go of his hands. As we were the same height, I caught my breath and said with a knowing grin. “I get it. I’ll find them.”
Jeffrey also hissed out a breath. “Like I said, please don’t go alone. You stand no chance against Linden or his large security team.”
I snorted. “You seriously don’t think two witches can take on an arrogant vampire?”
He nodded and looked down. “I think you can… it’s just that he’s powerful, and more than just vampire. I’ve dealt with him for years… decades even. He’s a sadistic fool who knows no boundaries.”
Well, shoot.
I put on the most confident mask I could, and smiled at the elf. “I know, Jeffrey. We just need to get our girl back.”
