Heart of Darkness

by Lauren Dane

  Calls were made as Edwina interrogated Dominic. He’d thrown down a challenge for her to make a suggestion and she was on the case. She took her job seriously and now she’d be sure to find something to fit. It amused Meriel and Dominic seemed to handle her mother perfectly.

  Preparations continued as people began to show up. She’d wanted something reasonably quiet and probably with more than half an hour’s planning, but at the same time it would be taken care of and things could move forward.

  Satisfied that she had enough information from Dominic for the time being, Edwina dismissed him, sending him to the other side of the room where the males seemed to be keeping out of her mother’s way.

  Meriel looked up from her mother’s yammering to watch her father with Dominic. They already had an easy way about them. She was glad about that. Her dad’s opinion meant a lot. She wanted him to approve of her life choices.

  He looked up, his glasses on his nose and smiled. “We’re talking about you!” He waved, looking amused as he turned to pour Dominic a few fingers of Scotch.

  Dominic had been such a surprise. He’d backed off enough to give her space at the restaurant. He’d not only let her remain to look for the mage, but he’d lent her his magick. He’d then turned around and dug his heels in and proceeded to seduce her with words and deeds until she found herself knocking on her mother’s front door.

  And then he’d held his ground with her mother when she’d gone a bit bitchy but he’d managed to charm her with his defiance instead of piss her off. It was beautiful really. He was such a con artist. She smiled as she watched him talk with her father and William. He stood there in her house and made friends with her dad. And he did it for her.

  “It’s funny how something so new can feel so essential.” She put her head on Nell’s shoulder as her mother ordered people around.

  “I hear that. I like you two together. I like that he’s pushing you to keep safe in the face of all this mage stuff. He’s a bossy one, gonna take some maintenance.”

  Meriel grinned. “Yeah, that’s part of the fun.”

  “You two stop your whispering. We have to stay on task. Say your good-byes to him for now,” Edwina said, flapping an impatient hand toward Dominic. “He needs to be prepared and so do you. We’re cutting it close. Brenda and Sami have arrived. Sami will help your father prepare Dominic. Nell, can you deal with that? Just show Sami to Abe and let Brenda know where we’ll be doing the ritual.”

  Nell bustled off and Meriel, not needing any more urging, went to Dominic.

  “Hey.”

  He pulled her into his arms and it was all right. So very all right. “You just make everything all right,” she mumbled into his shirt.

  He kissed the top of her head, squeezing her just a little bit tighter. “Good.”

  “So it’s time for you to go with my dad right now. He’s going to walk you through the entire process ahead of time so you know what to expect. Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Tom so he can be here?”

  “He’s not answering his cell. I didn’t think he would anyway. He’s on a backcountry trip. He takes groups out all year long. He won’t be back in range until Sunday night, maybe Monday.”

  “I hate that he’s not here for you. Will he be upset?” The idea that this man who was so important to Dominic might think she excluded him or that she’d hurt his feelings really bothered her.

  “We’ll go down there and see him. Is that all right with you? I do want him to meet you and I’d like to show you the house and stuff. He’ll be happier that way. He’s not one for this kind of stuff. He’d have come because it was me, but he’s not overly social.”

  “I’d really like that.”

  He bent down and took her lips tenderly, just a breath of a touch across her mouth with his lips. And yet there was so much there passing between them. He touched parts of her she’d never even known existed.

  Hoo. She was so drunk off this man.

  She took a step back. “See you out there in a few.”

  Abe, Meriel’s father, raised his glass as they watched Meriel rejoin her mother and then disappear up some stairs.

  “I’m so pleased to have you do this in my garden. I’ve always loved to work my magick out here. Funny, you know Meriel is the worst with plants. Can’t keep a houseplant alive to save her own life, even with magick! But she’s loved this garden her whole life. Used to perch on the rock wall over there to watch me work and keep me company.”

  “She told me about your garden. She’s proud of it.” Dominic walked down a path, trees all around. Benches, water features, rockeries. The garden was astoundingly beautiful. Fecund. Life just dripped from every surface. He saw it clearly as he used his othersight, as Ron and Sami had suggested. Meriel had been helping him learn how to use it better and then Abe had patiently shown Dominic a new way to open himself up, a way he’d understood a little better than he had before.

  And so there she was, the moon shining on her skin. Those witches Meriel had referred to as the quorum stood in a line. Meriel’s dad had explained that they would form an internal circle around Meriel and Dominic, all of them protected by an outer circle Edwina and Ron would set.

  Meriel stepped forward. She wore a beautiful white cape; her hair was pulled from her face, exposing her features. She held out her hand and he took it. A connection was made. Energy was conducted between them, humming.

  He trusted her with everything he was.

  She knelt and he followed. The quorum made their circle and Edwina set the outer circle with a snap of energy.

  Edwina came forward and tied Meriel and Dominic’s wrists together with red twine.

  And then she stood back.

  Meriel looked at him, smiled and he felt reassured. He felt like home.

  “Open to me.”

  “Open to me,” he repeated.

  She spoke, sometimes in English, sometimes in what he was told was Gaelic. He repeated as she’d instructed, but there were times he added his own words to the spell they wove together. It was intuitive, and he trusted his gut. Her gaze remained steady on his as she spoke so he assumed what he was doing was all right.

  He felt it like a tsunami building. Massive, rising up and up. Filling him. He never worried or feared. He just knew that as long as they stayed together they’d weather it.

  Then her mouth curved up just the smallest of bits and she said, “I am open to you. I am ascended.”

  He repeated the words and the intent wrapped around them, strengthening their bond as what felt like raging rivers of magick knocked him off his feet and he had no choice but to hang on and trust that Meriel would keep him from drowning. Her eyes told him she had that same feeling.

  And then, a while later, she leaned forward and kissed him. His knees ached from where they’d been kneeling but he didn’t care. He kissed her back as someone undid their bindings.

  She put her forehead to his as they both fought for air. “I’m a little dizzy right now,” she said for his ears only.

  “Me too. Thank God, I was hoping it wasn’t just that I was a pussy.”

  Her gaze met his and everything clicked into place with total, utter certainty. This was right. What he should have done. He simply knew it.

  He helped her to stand. “We are ascended,” she announced and there was much clapping. Dominic felt part of something far bigger than he ever had before. He was part of this other person. She stood at his side, her hand in his. He tasted her magick on his tongue. Each time he breathed in it was her scent on the breeze. She was everything all at once but he never felt as if he’d lost part of himself. Just more of something else added to that. She hadn’t made him whole, she’d simply snapped all the missing pieces together and in doing so he was whole.

  Magick crackled around him as he looked around. His vision was altered as the othersight he’d only recently learned to open up seemed to layer with his normal vision. Meriel told him it might happen like that sometimes right after an ascension,
and that he’d get used to it.

  Edwina broke the circle and everyone moved back to the house where there’d be some mulled wine and light appetizers.

  “Welcome to Clan Owen.” Edwina bowed to him.

  “Hear, hear!” Abe raised a glass in agreement.

  Chapter 17

  MERIEL sat and drank tea with Gia Kelly down in a bright, cozy corner. “This is pretty swank back here. I’m sorry I’ve never seen it before.”

  “We keep it a secret so people leave us alone.”

  Gia had called her down to talk about the scrying angle and had met Meriel with a cup of tea and the promise of cookies. Which she’d made good on. Snickerdoodles even.

  “You like it that everyone’s afraid to come down here.” Meriel laughed, delighted.

  “It’s our secret. If they weren’t afraid, they’d be here all the time asking us to research things they should do themselves.”

  “Kudos to you. I wish I’d have thought of that.”

  “Given all the information you’ve provided and that Nell and Gage have supplemented, we feel what you experienced was indeed someone scrying to watch you.”

  Meriel frowned.

  “Since, in general, witches don’t need to scry because they have othersight and seeking spells, it’s usually something mages use.”

  Great.

  “I’m going to guess this is connected in some way to the alert Nell sent out about mage activity on the East Coast?”

  “Yes, that and more I suppose. I wanted to hope it wasn’t, but it’s hard to imagine why anyone would scry me except for that. How do I protect myself?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask.” Gia gave her a sly smile. “I have a spell that will work. It’s not exactly traditional but it does the trick.”

  “I’m wary, but intrigued.”

  SHE got the text from Nell while meeting with Gia so Meriel headed straight upstairs to Nell’s office.

  “So Gia says yes, it’s scrying.” Meriel grabbed one of the donuts she spied upon entry. “Why do you rate donuts?”

  “I’m the great and terrible Oz. People bring me things to keep me placated. Sit down and let me brief you on this mess.”

  “I need to be scarier if it nets me donuts.”

  “Don’t whine, it’s not cute.” Nell winked. “I’ve been in contact with Arel. He and I are in agreement that the incidents with you being watched are connected to the mages. Gage is working with some other hunter folks from Gennessee and Rodas on putting together a database. Identifying these mages who’ve messed with us. Tracking them.”

  “Eliminating them.”

  “I do like the way you think. Yes, that too. We’re going to need to step out of our comfort zone here. These mages are fueled by their addiction; they don’t care that they’re hurting and killing to do that. The only thing they’re going to understand is a fist in the face.”

  “If you’re expecting me to tell you no, you’ve got a long wait ahead of you.”

  “Good. My gut tells me they know an awful lot about us. So they’ve possibly tortured some of the witches they’ve taken for info. But I don’t really think that was the goal, though I do think they may have tortured for the power of the pain they’ve inflicted. The missing witches we’ve found to be likely targets were mainly non-clan witches.”

  “Turned witches?” She saw red a moment.

  “Given the apparent move toward snatching witches who are at the higher end of the power scale, I’m going to say yes, I think they’re getting inside information from turned witches.”

  “Are we keeping track of them in any way?”

  “No. And I should have thought of it so I apologize. Gage is on that now.”

  She waved it away. “Yes, so totally loserly of you not to know every single possibility ever. Anyway, in our history they’ve usually just burned themselves out and ended up dead within five to ten years after they get stuck. How the hell are you supposed to know they’d start working with bigots and other junkies to traffic our magick?”

  “It’s my job to think about every possibility.”

  “Make it happen and keep me apprised.” She stood. “Gia taught me a spell that renders the caster invisible to scrying. She’s agreed to teach it to anyone who’d like to know it.”

  “Good. Good. All right, I’ll work with her to get my people trained and then take it outward. Be careful, Meriel. I’ve put a guard on you. He’ll stay in the background, but your mother told me to and I agree.”

  “Nicely played.” Meriel rolled her eyes. “Not gonna argue with it. Good to have an extra pair of eyes. It’ll hopefully calm Dominic down too.”

  “TOM?”

  Dominic had made the time to call his foster father to arrange to come down.

  “Dominic! I was just thinking of you. I’ve actually had a few dreams about you while I was out last weekend.”

  It was best to just get it out quickly. “I’ve met someone special. I want you to meet her.”

  “Have you now?”

  He heard the wary interest in Tom’s voice and smiled. Crusty old man.

  “I did. You’ll like her.”

  “Hm.”

  Then he laughed. “She’s nothing like any of the women I’ve dated before. She’s a lawyer. A redhead. Gorgeous. Hyperintelligent. Works in the family business.”

  “Really? Well, this is good to hear. You know the door is always open to you. This is your home too. I’d like to meet her. What’s her name?”

  “Meriel.” He avoided saying her last name, not wanting to get into the whole ascension/bond-mate business over the phone.

  “How old is she?”

  “Twenty-seven.”

  “She marriage material?”

  “Yes.”

  “She one of us?” He meant a witch.

  “Yes.” Dominic left it at that. Once he met Meriel, Tom would feel differently and he didn’t want to have her prejudged.

  “All right then. Bring her down. Spend the weekend so I can get to know her. She’s not fussy, is she?”

  “She looks like she might be.” He snorted. “But she’s tough. Hard as nails. Ruthless when she has to be. She’ll love the house.”

  They spoke for a while longer until Dominic got called away. Meriel was at an evening meeting of this or that committee. He’d gotten used to her being in the club with him and felt her absence sorely. Her schedule was the opposite of his so meshing their time would be a challenge. But one he wasn’t afraid to take on.

  It had been several days since the ascension and there’d been no more strange incidences with feeling watched. Nell and Gage were working with the witches down in records to figure out the scrying angle. Meriel had shown him the spell they needed to perform to render anyone invisible to a scry. At least they had that much.

  He walked out of his office and headed down the long hall, away from the club. He needed to check the stock. He had staff to do this for him, but he liked to handle it himself too. No one could run the place better than he could.

  As evidenced by the low number of full bottles of top-shelf tequila. It was a favorite back in the Others portion of the bar. He made a note and left it on Simon’s desk.

  Movement at the back door got his attention. As he moved toward it, alarm slammed into his system. Power built up in his belly and somewhere he knew she felt it too. Knew his alarm raced through her across town at her meeting. He’d have to call her when this was over just to reassure her.

  “What the hell are you doing out here?” he asked the man standing near the loading dock. “No employee smoking where clientele can see you.”

  The icy claws of someone else’s magick dug into him. A dark, oily energy that slithered through him. Poisonous. It drew his energy from his body. The pain of it like a thousand sharp pins.

  Not magick, no, this was not natural at all.

  The mage made a very big mistake and stepped in closer to take a better look at Dominic where he’d slumped against the door. And when he
got close enough, Dominic whipped his fist out and slammed it into the mage’s jaw, sending him backward, reeling down the steps and onto the asphalt below. His magick might have been crippled by the spell, but his fist hadn’t been.

  “You stupid motherfucker.” Dominic kicked the mage in the side and then used his magick to hold him in place. “Simon, out back, now,” he barked into his phone.

  But even as he heard the thomp, thomp, thomp of Simon’s boots as he ran toward them, Dominic was hit with a big blast of magic so nasty it tore at his insides.

  He threw out a shield and the air stank of ozone from his energy sliding against all that wrong, dark sludge. Shoving the nearest mage back with one hand, Dominic punched him in the nose and then gave him another jab in the eye.

  As expected, the fool hit the ground, holding his face. The clawing in his guts began to lessen and his head stopped throbbing. His phone buzzed in his back pocket. He knew it was Meriel and he needed to keep her far, far away from this.

  A roar sounded over his left shoulder as Simon leapt over the railing from the loading dock ledge and down where Dominic was. The two injured mages managed to pull back and erect their own shields as three human flunkies joined them and rushed Simon and Dominic.

  Simon didn’t need to transform to take his wolf form. He was powerful enough as a man and one fist the size of a rump roast slammed into one of the thugs’ belly so hard he lost his footing.

  Dominic let the haze take over. Let the violence rush up and through him, to his fists and into his brain. This was like homecoming. This was where he knew the lay of the land. The law of the fists.

  He showed his teeth to the human who’d been edging toward him and rushed him, knocking him to his feet as Dominic delivered a beating while straddling the man.

  Someone, most likely the remaining human, hit him from the side, knocking him off his prey.

  The clawing began again and his head hurt so much he could barely see. The magick rushed up through the ground and tore from his body, draining away.