by Theda Vallee
Gia stood over the cauldron, eyeing the brackish liquid. “That doesn’t look fit for human consumption.”
I had to agree. It looked like someone had taken the Creature from the Black Lagoon and mixed it in with a tub of toxic waste. Just looking at it made me gag. Somehow, we had to get a whole cup of it down Luc’s throat.
“I don’t know what it’s supposed to look like,” Nerina said, wiping her hands on her pants. “At least we know we have the right words for the spell. I read over Kaz’s translation, and it seems legit.”
My phone buzzed on the counter, a welcome distraction from the concoction that still needed to simmer for an hour before it was ready. I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello.”
“Etta, this is Pietro.”
I almost peed myself, hearing his voice come through the phone. This is precisely why people screen phone calls. If he was calling me, it meant he was worried. The kill order for Bob had come through almost twenty-four hours ago. Aside from Nonna’s disastrous text, Luc had never reported back.
“Oh, hey,” I said, hoping my internal high-pitched squeak of terror hadn’t crept into my voice.
“I’m sorry to call, but I haven’t been able to reach Luc. Is he with you?”
“Nope. I left his place last night. I was too tired to stay, so I came home around ten. I haven’t called him this morning. I slept in a little,” I said, letting the lies roll off my tongue. I was probably saying too much. He hadn’t asked for any of that information. Fuck. Shut up, Etta!
“If you see him or talk to him, can you ask him to call me right away?” Pietro asked, his voice not giving away whether he believed me.
“Should I be worried?” I asked, trying to play the role of a concerned girlfriend.
“No, I’m sure everything is fine. Just have him call me when you see him.” He hung up abruptly without saying goodbye.
“Guys, we’re running out of time. That was Pietro. He’s looking for Luc.”
“Let’s have Luc call him back. I’m sure if we threaten his balls, he’ll do what we say,” Gia offered.
“That would not be wise. We have code words to use in conversation if we are ever captured,” Vee said.
“How come I wasn’t given a code word?” I whined.
“Bob is missing. Maybe they will think something happened with that, no?” Aunt Sophia said.
That might buy us some time, but not much. If they traced Bob’s steps or started asking questions, it wouldn’t be too hard to circle back to us. I’m pretty sure two older ladies stalking Bob around town would stick out in a few people’s memories. Unfortunately, there was no way to speed up the spell. We needed our luck to hold out for another hour.
In the meantime, we could brainstorm and come up with some ways to find our wayward murderer. “Vee, do you have any ideas on how we can search for Easton without going to headquarters? I want to be ready with a Plan B in case Brady has nothing for us.”
Vee closed one eye, scrunching her face up in thought. She looked like a drunk sea monster when she did that. “We can try to track his phone. These devices have the mode on them where you can hunt people if you need it.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s not for hunting people, and now that you’ve said that, I don’t want it on my phone anymore,” I said staring at the device in my hand like it was a virus.
“Don’t worry, I cast a spell on it. No one can track you or listen in on your conversations. I didn’t trust the Osservatori not to pull that shit on you,” Nerina said
Nonna fixed her eyes on me and pointed to my sister. “I have to accept cursing and the premarital sex now?”
“I didn’t curse. Nerina did. Why am I in trouble for that?”
“You are leading your sister into moral decay with your example.”
“She’s had way more premarital sex than me!”
“Dude! That’s not cool,” Nerina gasped.
“Yes, but who showed her it was okay to have sex by getting pregnant at seventeen?” Nonna demanded.
I was seconds away from throwing my coffee cup at her. She was so ornery, the cup would probably break and leave her intact. Why was she bringing up ancient history? I knew she wanted me to beg for forgiveness and offer penance for the next fifty years of my life. I wasn’t going to apologize this time. She was wrong, not me. I turned my attention to my sister, trying my best to ignore Nonna’s death stare. “Nerina, that was genius of you. It never occurred to me that they could monitor my every move or conversation.”
“That’s what sisters are for. By the way, I took thirty dollars out of your wallet last week. You can’t get mad at me now because I did something cool,” Nerina said over her shoulder as she stirred the cauldron.
My phone buzzed again. Brady’s face popped up on my screen. Thank God he was finally responding to my messages. I was feeling antsy and needed a distraction. Maybe he’d have a good lead for us to chase. If nothing else, he’d have a field day when I told him about what was going on with Nonna right now.
I opened the message, staring at the image. Brady sent me weird pictures all the time, but my brain couldn’t wrap around this one. I turned to Vee, my hand shaking as I held the phone out to her. “What is this a picture of?”
“What is this, Etta?” Vee asked, her voice thin with fear as she examined the image.
“What the hell is it? You’re freaking me out,” Nerina said.
I looked down at the picture again, hoping it was accompanied with a cheeky message about having some good old-fashioned kinky fun or something along those lines. Instead, there was a number for me to call. Brady was a lot of things, but he wasn’t patient enough to pull off an elaborate prank. In the picture, his eyes were covered with a blindfold, and he was gagged and bound. A trail of blood was dried to the side of his face, and red welts stood out on his neck.
“Etta. What is it?” Nerina demanded, grabbing the phone from me. She dropped it on the floor like it had burned her, the resounding thud echoing through the room like a thunderclap.
Licking my lips, I forced myself to say the words out loud. “Someone’s kidnapped Brady.”
The room erupted into chaos as Nerina began to wail at the top of her lungs. Vee stood silently, tears streaming down her face, while the rest of my family hurled questions at me. I stood there staring at the bubbles forming on top of the potion in the cauldron, not knowing what to do. Everything around me seemed to blur as I struggled to breathe.
My arm burned with a flash of heat, warning me that Kaz was incoming. I watched as he came through the arch into the kitchen, his self-assured strut giving way to cautious steps as he took in the scene before him.
“Brady’s been kidnapped.” I said as made his way to me. “There’s a number I need to call. Will you come with me to the other room to make the call?”
He nodded, offering me his arm for support without asking for any more explanation. This wasn’t a call I could make with everyone crying hysterically around me. I slid my arm into the crook of his, letting him lead me towards the storefront. It seemed to take an eternity to walk across the room. I’d known we were playing a dangerous game, but I wasn’t prepared for the consequences. Deep down, I’d assumed it would be me who would end up hurt. I thought I’d be able to keep everyone else safe.
Kaz stopped once we were around the counter, waiting patiently for me to collect myself. “Do you want me to call?” he asked, his voice soft like someone coaxing a stray cat.
I shook my head, clutching my phone in a death grip. “I can do this. He’s my friend. I have to do this.”
“I am right here. If you feel you can’t do it, I will step in, no questions asked.”
“Thank you.” I wanted to say more. Anything to let him know how grateful I was. The words weren’t there. Pulling the message up I tapped the number, allowing the phone to automatically dial. I put the phone on speaker and waited as the ringing started.
He picked up on the second ring, his voice echoing in the room, maki
ng my stomach turn. “Hello, Etta.”
“Easton.”
“It would seem you’re not nearly as stupid as I thought. Joining up with the Unseelie Prince, forcing my father to give away his secrets, capturing Robert before we could kill him, you’re thwarting me at every turn.” It almost sounded like I amused him.
“What the hell do you want? What’s the point of kidnapping Brady?” I demanded, my voice trembling with rage.
“Insurance. I can’t have you running off to the Osservatori blabbing about this. It’s common sense if you think about it. You’re welcome to come here and get him. Unless you’re afraid of me.”
“If I come and get him, then what?”
“You and I come to an agreement. I let Brady go. My buddies and I disappear. No one is the wiser, and everyone walks away happy,” he said.
“Fine. I’ll come. When and where?”
“I’ll text you the address. You’re to come alone. Leave your adorable family and the new boyfriend at home. I’m very serious about that. I’ll slit Brady’s throat if I even suspect you disobeyed me. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Great. See you soon.”
“You know it’s a trap, right?” Kaz asked as soon as Easton hung up.
I nodded, my eyes on the phone as I waited for the address to come through. “It’s unimaginative in the scheme of things, right? It’s like he took a page out of a Bond movie.”
“You can’t go alone. Your magic is incredible, but from what I understand, you don’t have control over it yet. If you can’t channel it fully, there’s no way you’ll survive multiple people attacking you.”
My phone pinged with the address. It wasn’t in a neighborhood I recognized. Not that it mattered. I swallowed hard, desperately trying not to fall apart. Brady needed me. “I know. Just give me a minute. I need to think.”
This wasn’t the time to let everything overwhelm me. I could have a breakdown tomorrow. Easton had fucked with my family. Blood or not, Brady was part of my tribe. No one would take away the people I loved. Not when I could stop it. I wasn’t living through that again.
“Come on, we have work to do,” I said to Kaz. I marched over to the double doors to the kitchen, slamming them open with a purpose. “All right, I’m making it official: I’m in charge. No one gets to argue that point. Nerina, we need to figure out how to get a large group of people to a location undetected. It can be a transportation spell or cloaking spell, whatever you want, but it has to be airtight and undetectable by any means. Gia, get your stones together and make packs for everyone to take. Don’t give the explosive ones to anyone but yourself. You’re the only one I trust with those. Auntie, I want you to find protection sigils we can draw on everyone. I want all kinds. Nonna, you pulled some surprising magic out of your ass at the club the other night. You have anything we can use to fight a group of human-killing fairies?”
“I always have surprises up my ass,” she said, chuckling to herself.
I turned to Kaz, ready to bark more orders, but his hands were already held up in mock surrender. “No need to get bossy, I can help with transportation. As you’ve noticed, I move through the shadows. There’s a space between light and dark, twilight if you will. I can move things or people into that space, and no one will detect them. We can have everyone ready to attack at your command.”
“What do I owe you for the favor?” I asked, willing to pay whatever price he demanded.
Reaching up, he tucked a stray curl behind my ear, smiling gently. “If ever there was someone I’d enjoy fighting by, I have a feeling it will be you, little hellcat. So, this one’s on the house.
“You will regret helping me when I boss you around again.”
“It’s a regret I’m looking forward to.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Luc’s eyes flickered like embers as he watched us bring the potion into the room. Saliva coated his chin as he tried to curse at us through the gag. It was not a good look for him.
Nerina held the cup, eyeing him nervously. “How are we supposed to get this down his throat? I have a feeling he’s going to thrash his head around like a great white the second I get near him.”
“Pinch his nose, so he has to do breathing from his mouth. Then you dump it in and hold his mouth closed,” Aunt Sophia said, trying to demonstrate on an unwilling Gia.
I looked at Nerina and shrugged. I didn’t have a better idea. I removed the gag from his mouth and was greeted by a string of unpleasant words.
“This is for your own good, buddy. You’ve got some nasty stuff attached to you,” I said.
I got behind him and grabbed his nose. The stubborn man closed his mouth, trying to hold his breath rather than drink the potion. Gia stepped up to his side, tilting his head back, and held him in a vice-like grip. Her arms flexed, exposing her rippling biceps. Holy shit, when did she get so buff?
Luc held his mouth shut, his face turning red as the remnants of air in his lungs depleted. I was getting nervous that he’d rather die than take the potion. Finally, with a defeated roar, he opened his mouth gasping for air. Nerina wasted no time dumping the contents of the cup down his throat. I released his nose, clamping my hand over his mouth. Sputtering and choking, the liquid went down with only a small amount dribbling down his neck.
Nerina worked quickly to set the circle around him. “All right, everyone needs to be quiet. I’m not sure how we’ll know if it works, it could be subtle. So, keep your eyes peeled.” She raised her hands and began chanting.
* * *
Sister crone of the three
I beg of you heed my plea
Your wisdom I come to seek
I listen for you to speak
* * *
Stone by stone and blood of blood
Oceans swell and rivers flood
We call the waters to purify
The weaver of these spells to defy
* * *
Unbind slowly that which was done
Burn the darkness the soul is one
Break and shatter that which bind
Free this soul but leave the mind
* * *
We thank you sister so mote it be
Our devotion given with our hearts free
North, south, east, and west
Our sister crone deliver blest
* * *
Foam formed on Luc’s lips as the words faded into the air. His eyes bulged as his body began to tremble. Tremors shook his lanky frame, rocking the chair he was secured to. As his body seized, the muscles beneath his skin rippled like bugs crawling to the surface. Vee grabbed my hand, searching for comfort. Despite everything that he’d done in the last few days, she’d been by Luc’s side for years. Between this and Brady’s kidnapping, she was reeling.
Luc’s head tilted forward as he began hacking. It sounded like a cat retching on a furball in the middle of the night. His chest heaved up and down until a thick glob of black goo slid out of him. We stood there, watching as the darkness continued to pour out of his mouth and onto the floor. With a final shudder he slumped back, sweat beading on his brow. Nonna was staring at the goo like it was her arch-nemesis. She would have a fit if that left a stain.
Luc looked around the room, his eyes wide with confusion. “I’m sure there’s a good reason I’m tied to this chair, but at the moment, I can’t imagine what it is.”
“You were cursed. We need to put the blindfold on you, so we can check if we got everything off you,” Nerina said, wrapping the cloth around his eyes.
He nodded his understanding. He was calm and seemed like his usual self. I slipped out to the hall and focused my mind on calling Kaz. He needed to get a damn cell phone.
“You’ve become quite demanding, little hellcat.” His voice slinked out of the shadows, wrapping around me like a caress. He didn’t have a sexy accent like Luc, but his voice was deep like the purr of an engine, and it did nice things to me.
“You’re the one that comes eve
ry time I call,” I laughed.
He arched his eyebrow, staring at me pointedly. “Perhaps I need to teach you a lesson in patience.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you like bossy women. Anyway, we finished the spell. I think it worked, but I’d appreciate if you could take a peek?”
With a bow, he melded into the shadows. Within a few moments, he was back, a look of surprise on his face. “I wasn’t certain your sister could handle that spell, but it appears to have been successful.”
“It would’ve been nice to know your concerns before we tried it,” I said, poking his shoulder.
“What is your preoccupation with poking my person? I’ve found that when you tell someone they’re incapable of something, they live up to that expectation. Why would I sabotage your sister with my doubts?”
“Thank you for checking. When we’re ready to head out, should I just call you again or will that be too demanding?”
“I’m working on gathering some back-up, but we should be ready to mobilize within the hour. Please do call when you’re ready.” He picked up my hand, pressing a soft kiss to it before moving back into the shadows and disappearing.
I straightened my spine, steeling myself to face Luc. He’d been under a spell when he’d hurt me, but I was still scared. I could feel my pulse speed up at the thought of sitting in a room with him. There would always be a residue of fear associated with him no matter what he said or did to ease it. It would take a lot of work to be comfortable with him again. It made me wonder if driving a wedge between us had been the intent of the curse.
“Should we cut him loose?” Aunt Sophia asked when I entered the room.
“Yeah, he’s good,” I said, stepping wide of the black ooze. “Nerina, you did a great job. I was just told that spell wasn’t easy, and you knocked it out of the park.”
