Infernal Curse_A New Adult Urban Fantasy

by Antara Mann

  “You warned the Council and both Courts that a blood mage who can alter fate was kidnapped by Garrett and his arcane ally, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, they all know. The Morrigan is concerned but cannot interfere, while Kai is stubborn and thinks his protective charms are invincible.” Kagan spat the last words.

  “It suits his character,” I remarked.

  “Yes, it does.” Kagan agreed.

  “Yet, it is pretty worrisome that Garrett and the inferni have Samuel. Maybe they found a loophole that allows him to alter the world’s fate?”

  “Let us not think of the worst. I believe we can thwart their plans no matter how horrible they are. Even with the three mages they got their hands on, I still don’t see how Inferno could be unlocked.”

  “They are pumping themselves up with the mages’ magic. That’s why I had that vision of Garrett looming over Kevin, the second mage. Honey, I didn’t like the glowing necklace on Garrett’s chest. This inverted triquetra etched onto it gave me a headache and threw me off.”

  “Everything will be fine, sweetheart.” He pulled me to his muscular chest and gave me a comforting hug. I inhaled the fae’s soothing energy and closed my eyes. If felt so damn good I didn’t want to open them and face reality again. Yet, I had to.

  I took advantage of the temporary tranquility and glanced around me at the mage’s apartment. It was impeccably furnished — a large, spacious reception room, marble floor, crystal chandeliers and ornate furnishings. This place was even fancier than the fae’s apartment in NYC. I glanced at Kagan, a mischievous grin on my face.

  “It looks like this guy is in the same league as you,” I said to the fae. He only raised his eyebrows slightly. His look said, “He is nowhere near my league, sweetheart.”

  A clearing of one’s throat drew my attention and I turned my head to see the mage’s wife come into the living room. She sat in an armchair next to us.

  “I am all yours. Ask me anything.”

  “Great,” I said. “Let us introduce ourselves. I am Alex Shaw, a Magic Council investigator, and this is Kagan Griffith, an independent consultant.” I stretched my hand. She shook mine then Kagan’s, her face inscrutable.

  “Nice to meet you two. I didn’t realize Mr. Griffith would bother with a mere Council investigation.” She turned to the fae. Clearly, she knew who he was. Hell, most of the supernatural world knew, and now even humans did.

  “I like to fill up my free time with serving the higher good.” He cracked a smile. “What’s your name? Or do you prefer to be called Mrs. Hendricks?”

  “It’s Rebecca.”

  “How long have you been married to Samuel Hendricks?” I asked and took out my notepad and pen from my jacket pocket.

  “For over a year, but we’ve been together for over four years,” she said and crossed her legs. She was clad in tight red jeans and a sporty flannel; a beautiful amber necklace adorned her ample décolletage.

  “How did you two meet?” Kagan asked her and forced a smile. “Pardon my intrusion into your intimate life, but we have to clarify this issue. Given our closeted community’s rules and sanctions, it is only natural to ask how a supernatural, moreover one of Samuel’s caliber, has gotten to know a human woman like yourself.”

  “Well, that seems to be the million-dollar question wherever I go or whoever I meet.” There was no annoyance or contempt in Rebecca’s voice. I figured she was used to it. She sighed and continued, “I was placed in an orphanage as a baby, but at the age of three a foster family adopted me. They are supernaturals. My foster mother is a green witch, and my father — a time mage. Sam and I met at one of my parents’ gala dinner events, the annual Wizard Technologies’ party.”

  The name Wizard Technologies rang a bell. Together with Hatchett Industries for whom the first missing mage, Aldwyn Saal, worked, Wizard Technologies specialized in ultra-modern, high-tech gadgets that border-lined with magic. The only difference was that Wizard Technologies was a much smaller company.

  “Oh, that’s a surprise,” Kagan said, his eyes glowing with a strange emotion — probably excitement, though I couldn’t be absolutely sure. “That your parents chose to adopt a human infant, I mean.”

  “My parents are generous humanitarians. They wanted to give me all the opportunities that came with money, power and affluence. They had first obtained permission from the Magic Council, of course.”

  Very interesting and unconventional, I thought to myself, and noted this in my notepad.

  Kagan cleared his throat and straightened on the couch. “Does your husband work at your parents’ firm, Wizard Technologies?”

  “No.” Rebecca shifted her gaze from the fae to me. Her eyes were shrewd and calculating. “He is a freelancer now, but he started his career working for Hatchett Industries. My husband’s name became —” She stopped mid-sentence and directed her attention to me. I’d nearly choked when I’d heard the name of the company Aldwyn Saal had been working for being mentioned. “Umm, are you all right?”

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine. Please go on.” I waved my hand in the air dismissively.

  “Umm, I was about to say that because of his extraordinary magic Sam became very sought-after. Many private individuals and CEOs have been paying for his superpowers. As I said, Sam started his career working for Hatchett Industries, a giant in the supernatural world. Your reaction tells me you know about them.”

  Kagan and I both nodded. A faint smile lit up the fae’s face.

  “Sure. That’s the company that wants to bring science and magic together,” I said. “By the way, does the name Aldwyn Saal ring a bell? He works for Hatchett Industries, too.”

  She pondered my question for a few seconds then shook her head. “I am sorry, I don’t think I’ve heard it before. But my husband is a very sociable man, he makes friends very easily, so it’s quite probable he knows this guy.”

  Kagan took out his phone and showed her Aldwyn’s picture. “This is the person we’re talking about. You are sure you haven’t seen him?”

  She looked carefully at the photo.

  “No, I haven’t,” Rebecca said slower, her words distinct.

  “When was the last time you saw your husband?” I asked.

  She took a deep breath and folded her arms. “Two days ago, at breakfast. The morning went as usual. Nothing worrisome happened. He looked just fine. He then went out for a meeting with a potential client. At lunch he called me again and said the meeting went very well and that he’d be back later in the afternoon; he had another job to do. But he never came back.”

  “What was the name of his potential client?” I asked.

  “Some Guy Wilson, a well-off vampire here, in Rhode Island.”

  “Did he mention anything about his next job after the meeting with the vampire?”

  She shook her head.

  “I suppose, as a very talented blood mage extraordinaire, your husband has met plenty of people who wanted to misuse his gifts?” Kagan said casually.

  Rebecca studied his face for a few long seconds before replying, “Are you asking me if somebody wants to kill my husband?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Do you know of any such people?”

  “Sam has no enemies, at least not to my knowledge. But there was this guy who followed him for the past few weeks; he was pretty persistent and annoying.”

  “What was his name?” I asked.

  “He introduced himself as Iwan, but he showed us no ID, so I’m not sure that was his real name.”

  “What did he want from your husband? Why did he stalk him?”

  “Ah, the usual stuff, to change someone’s fate, but since Sam is very busy — his services are in high-demand — he has a waiting list. People have to call and book a date in advance. Usually it can take up to 3 months to secure a session with my husband. This guy Iwan, however, didn’t comply with our policy. He wanted — no, he straightforwardly demanded he meet my husband immediately. We refused, but that didn’t stop him. He even came here, to our
house, and bothered Sam and me.”

  “How did you get rid of him?” I asked her.

  “Well, Sam used his super-powers.” She smiled, pride visible on her face.

  I asked myself how she felt in a world full of magic, where she had none. How would I feel? Vulnerable, I guessed. Perhaps that was why she’d been attracted to a powerful supernatural like Samuel, to compensate? Cases like hers were a rarity, as was proven by the fact that the wizard family had asked permission from the Council to adopt a human girl. Given their influence and power, it came as no surprise their wish had been granted. Money was a key factor in our world as well.

  “And what are his super-powers, apart from altering some aspects of fate?” Kagan asked.

  “Well, he can suggest various things to people. He is very persuasive. You know what I mean.” She smiled at us, revealing her perfectly white, even teeth. They looked as if taken out of a toothpaste commercial.

  “We happen to do.” Kagan smiled back at her. Samuel obviously had the power of persuasion, controlling others through either verbal or mental communication.

  “And can you describe this Iwan person? What did he look like?”

  “Blond hair, lean, mid-size… Why? Do you have a suspect?”

  “Pretty much, yes,” I replied and glanced at Kagan. We were both thinking the same thing — the guy’s description fitted perfectly Derek Matthews’, our only lead besides Garrett.

  “Please tell me, Mrs. Hendricks, is that the same guy?” Kagan showed her Derek Matthews’ photo. He’d obviously stored on his phone a copy of the picture the Magica World had in their records.

  “Yes, that’s him. How do you know him? Does he work for the Magic Council?” Her voice rose in pitch, and the fae applied his fairy magic yet again to calm her down — he put his hand on hers.

  Small, shimmering waves invisible to the human eye rippled over her skin, and Kagan said in a calm, low, melodious voice, almost in a sing-song way, “We met this guy in the course of duty. Unfortunately, he ran away.”

  “Is Sam in danger? Is Iwan likely to hurt him?” Rebecca’s voice turned shrill with anxiety. “Does he have Sam? You’ve got to tell me! He didn’t like his energy or his karma at all, that’s why he refused to help him.”

  “Calm down, Mrs. Hendricks. We’re doing everything we can to find your husband safe and sound.” Kagan laid his hand on her shoulder, intensifying his fairy magic. Her facial muscles relaxed and she sank in her armchair. I pitied the poor woman. If I were human and my husband went missing in a supernatural world, I would feel quite helpless, too.

  “Umm, ma’am, may we have a look at your husband’s office? I take it he has one,” I asked her.

  She barely looked up at me, nodded and said, “It’s the first door on the left down the corridor,” then buried her head into her palms in a sort of praying posture.

  “Let’s go,” I whispered to the fae. He followed me.

  When we reached the door in question, I pushed it open. We were in a room double the size of the living room. It was very neat and cozy but also artistic, with pictures of Picasso and Kandinsky on the walls. A tidy desk stood against one wall, neat piles of magazines stacked on one end of it. I went to check them. The one at the top was Popular Science. I chuckled.

  “I subscribed to this magazine for several years, too,” I noted and raised my gaze to the nearby items. I let my fingers caress them but felt nothing. I’d hoped that touching one of the mage’s items would activate my hidden magic the way it had happened at Kevin Rydell’s place. But I guessed it didn’t work every time.

  “Any visions?” Kagan, who stood a few steps from me, asked. He was by the mage’s desk checking through the drawers. I lay my hand on the computer when my boyfriend’s sudden cry startled me.

  “Holy shit! This is him! Fearghus!”

  “Pardon?” I walked over to Kagan and looked at the photo he was holding in his hands. Samuel was posing alongside a much older man with a wizened beard and calm, appealing green eyes. It was the eyes who made this man attractive and benign. Strangely, he wore a “rocket scientist” t-shirt. His choice of clothing made me laugh.

  “No, Alex, it’s not funny at all.” Kagan turned to me sharply. “This is the Fearghus Netter I was just telling you about, the mage who can rewrite the world’s fate in the Book of Prophesies. Bad news is, it looks like he is somehow related to Samuel.”

  Chapter 16

  I almost choked in surprise. “What?”

  The fae nodded. “Yes, pretty much my reaction. I didn’t expect, much less wished, to find the arch blood mage’s picture in here. If this Samuel has even a quarter of Fearghus Netter’s powers, oh boy, are we in big trouble!”

  I was still holding the picture, my mouth open, trying to find similarities between the two men’s features, when the fae tugged at my sleeve.

  “Come, we have to ask Rebecca about this.”

  When she saw us back in the spacious living room a few seconds later, Rebecca raised her eyebrows. “Are you already done? That was fast. I expected you’d spend at least an hour searching every corner of that room.”

  “Umm, we’re not done yet, no.” Kagan drew nearer to her. “We stumbled upon this picture on your husband’s desk.” He showed her the photograph. “Do you know this man?”

  She glanced at the photo then back at the fae, her expression bewildered, her mouth slightly open. “Yes, of course — this is Sam’s father. Why? Is he in danger, too?” Her voice rose to a higher pitch when she saw mine and Kagan’s worried faces and the way we glanced at each other.

  The fae cleared his throat and exclaimed, “Impossible! I know all the noble families, and Fearghus Netter, too. I don’t recall him having Samuel for a son.”

  “Well, that’s probably due to the fact that Sam is Fearghus’ illegitimate son and they’ve been estranged for most of my husband’s life. He found out his father was none other but Fearghus Netter less than a year ago.”

  Kagan raised his eyebrows. “Now that is a surprise.”

  “But is Sam’s father in danger?”

  The fae took a deep breath. “No need to worry, ma’am. I’m pretty sure Fearghus is safe.”

  He took Rebecca’s hand in his and small light purple-bluish waves emanated from his hand over her skin. He was applying larger and stronger portions of his fairy magic, since she was in visible distress. And it worked. Her face lightened, her anxious look transformed into a strange, almost surreal calmness. She collapsed onto the couch where we’d been sitting minutes ago while Kagan still held her hand. Once she’d laid back on it, he dropped her hand and said, “We will find your husband. I promise you this.”

  He nodded curtly to me and we made our way to the entrance door. I glanced over my shoulder at Rebecca. She was strangely relaxed, as if high on dope or just out of massage therapy.

  “Is she okay? You didn’t overdo it, did you?” I asked the fae before he opened the front door. He waived his hand.

  “She is fine. The fairy dust will work wonders on her.” He winked at me. “I didn’t want her to worry and waste our time with silly questions. We have to stop this brewing disaster.”

  Outside the mage’s fancy apartment, Kagan stepped to the side of the grand porch, facing the stone path that lead to the yard. My magical sense told me he was mentally connecting with someone, probably the Council or his assistants, the ogres. He talked mentally with them for a few minutes, and once the conversation was over, turned to me.

  “I talked to the Council and demanded a meeting between them and the two courts; the situation calls for it. Come on, let’s go. The meeting will start any time now.”

  “A meeting, right now? At this hour? But where?”

  “It’s not that late, especially for Kai. We’ll meet in the Council’s headquarters, not in the Veil. It’ll be a rather private party.”

  He reached for his magic and the air vibrated in the usual white-yellow color, creating a swirling, simmering circle. We stepped inside it, his
hand firmly holding mine. He slid his other arm around my waist and in the next moment the void took us.

  ***

  The portal delivered us in front of the Magic Council’s building. The cold November wind blew across our faces, and the night lights illuminated the building making it seem like some eerie giant out of a children’s horror story. The opaque glass windows looked even colder than usual, intensifying the feeling of hostility palpable in the air around us.

  Kagan strode briskly to the entrance. Inside the building, the receptionist — a half-nymph, half-witch — gulped when she saw Kagan. I couldn’t help but grin; not another one!

  “Umm, Mr Griffith, how can I help you?” Awe tinged with fear colored her face. I could bet she had seen him only on the covers of Forbes and GQ.

  “Thank you, honey. We are just fine,” Kagan replied on the move, not even looking in her direction. She shifted her gaze toward me in utter bewilderment, as if that was the first time she’d seen me.

  The fae turned to me when we were in the elevator. “How do you feel here?”

  “Here — where? In the elevator with you?” I chuckled when a mischievous smile crept to his lips. He lifted my chin with his fingers and placed a hot kiss on my lips. “No, silly head. Working for the Magic Council.”

  I sighed deeply, the smile gone from my face. “Well, the pay is good… very good, actually, but I don’t like it here, honestly,” I conceded.

  “Just as I thought,” he said, his big strong hand caressing my face, and his other arm still wrapped tightly around my waist.

  “You have a suggestion?” I challenged him, lifting my chin.

  His stare burned with intensity when the elevator beeped and the doors opened. I looked at the number on the screen above it: 25. I’d never been in this part of the building before. It was reserved for the bigwigs and the Magic Council’s director himself. With the supposed high-level meeting we were about to have, this shouldn’t have surprised me.

  We stepped out of the elevator and Kagan marched down the corridor. I noticed there was less space here compared to the floor I worked on. Also, the walls were visibly thicker. Actually, there weren’t any doors around.