“I heard about you taking down two vampires without even killing them. I didn’t believe the stories until I witnessed you at the club.”
“How ironic—a member of HF hanging out at a vampire club.”
“I do believe you have HF wrong. We don’t have a problem with supernaturals. I just think that they need to be regulated better. And more boundaries between us and them would improve safety.”
“How can they be regulated more? They have their own police and strict laws that could even end in death for some infractions. Besides, most crimes committed aren’t by supernaturals.”
He chuckled and took another sip from his glass before he leaned into the table. The restaurant was darker than outside and the pale lights were reflected in a glint in his eyes as they fastened on me.
“I don’t for one minute think you’re that naïve. You know that the Magic Council goes to great lengths to hide their infractions and make them look a lot more innocent and innocuous than they are. Your friend was attacked by a vampire; do you think that is acceptable?”
“He wasn’t acting on his own,” I pointed out in a cool, severe voice. Any other time I might try to soften it, but I wanted to make it clear that I wasn’t interested.
The restaurant was starting to get a little bit more crowded. Conversation blended with the soft music, the bustle of waitstaff walking back and forth from the kitchen, and the light buzz I was getting from the margarita, all becoming a distraction. I didn’t need a distraction. I needed to be aware. Hyperaware.
“Then isn’t that even more concerning? Someone was controlling vampires.”
The waiter dropped off our food: a chimichanga for me and a couple of soft tacos for him. Clive ordered two more margaritas; I changed the order to one, just for him. Mine was nearly full. My inhibitions and wit strongly intact, the way they needed to be, dealing with him.
He took a bite and between them said, “People think that the Cleanse was a bad thing; I don’t.”
I sighed. He didn’t take long getting to the same rhetoric I had seen in their pamphlets and heard when the news covered their rallies and meetings. They weren’t very big, but every once in a while, someone did something disruptive and it would make news. They touted themselves as being a peaceful organization, but they had a very archaic and ominous view. He was silent for a while, allowing me to contemplate and consider his words.
“We were wrong to intervene.”
It was at that moment I considered just packing up my food, downing my drink, and heading out the door. He knew nothing of the Cleanse. For people like him, it was glamorized. They didn’t see the curse that drifted throughout the city attaching to anything magical, sucking it out of them and claiming their life. A path of destruction in its wake. I’d heard my mom’s stories of it so many times that it was a vivid loop in my head as though I was there. Yes, the Legacy had an agenda to get rid of everyone with magic. It started with the weakest, those who didn’t demonstrate any or were vaguely aware that they had magical skills or abilities. They were the first to be destroyed. Pure humans were left untouched, but they watched their fallen brothers and sisters who’d lived in ignorance without the knowledge that they were part supernatural. Humans had been afraid that they could be next. And as the curse coursed throughout the land it killed off the lower-level witches, mages, and faes, leaving only the strong. But the strongest supernaturals were the targets and the very people whom the Legacy wanted destroyed in the first place. People like Clive and his followers didn’t realize that the Legacy wanted the strongest gone so they could have total power. HF’s disillusioned and misguided members were seduced by this Utopian world where people didn’t shift into animals, immortal creatures that drank blood didn’t exist, and magic was just something found in a book of fairy tales. They weren’t aware that eventually the humans would have become slaves. It was my mother and her family and those like-minded who tried to stop them. But it was too late before they realized the extent of the corruption and there was nothing they could do about it.
He put his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at me with renewed curiosity. “What’s the matter?”
I lifted my glass and took another sip. “This is stronger than I thought.”
Anger, resentment, and frustration burned in my belly. It all felt like a shawl that wrapped around me too tightly. Although I wasn’t there, I could remember the story, each time my mother told me and the sadness in her eyes. I remembered the way they glistened from unshed tears, the rasp in her voice, and the streaks of color that rose over her neck and her cheeks as if she was reliving it again. Back in Empyrean, where Legacy lived, a place now destroyed by bombs and strong magic.
I tried not to let my emotions show and my anger be directed at Clive. HF had its tenets. They were victims of an ideology and a foolish misinterpretation of a tragic event.
“Levy, we aren’t the only ones that feel that way. There are even those in the supernatural community who want to see some changes. Things are in the works, change is coming. Don’t get lost within it.”
As a recruiter he was very good at his job, and maybe it worked on a lot of people, but I was tired of this conversation. I was tired of reliving memories that I had long buried. I didn’t want to sit there and discuss the very reason I couldn’t come out of the closet like everyone else. Why I had to live in constant fear of being discovered. I didn’t want to play his game anymore. I was done.
“I’m not sure which way you need me to say it, but let me say this in no uncertain terms: I am not interested in joining Humans First. I’m not a sympathizer. I don’t understand where you are coming from, and I’ll never believe in your rhetoric. Most of the time, I consider you all ridiculous.” I looked down at my half-eaten chimichanga, wrapped it in a napkin, and came to my feet. I fought the urge to lean in and tell him about the Cleanse, and all the intentions, and pull a thread out of his tapestry of uninformed adulation for something that was downright cruel and draconian. But I doubt it would change anything. The Cleanse proved one thing: he was a special little snowflake. Pure human. And he and the rest of HF probably wore it like a badge of honor.
“At least let me take you home,” he offered as he came to his feet, too.
I simply mumbled a no and headed out the door before he could follow me. I’m sure he knew where I lived, but there was no way I would take another meeting with him no matter how persistent he was. But I couldn’t help but think, who in the supernatural community felt this way and how could they?
CHAPTER 9
I did not have a problem with the long stretch of silence between Gareth and me. A half an hour into the drive, I had relaxed back in the car, listening to the music, surprised by his choice. Not sure what I expected, but a unique blend of new age music, rap, and the sultry sound of jazz wasn’t what I expected Pandora to be playing. Most of the time I busied myself with the scene outside the window as we drove out of the city and farther into the country. I lived near Chicago; this part of the Midwest was what I considered the forgotten area. The trees dwindled down to large florets of luscious greenery and were slowly starting to show the transition from summer to fall. We passed several miles of cornfields. Small farmhouses sat back from the road with acres of fertile land. And when he drove off the main road, responding to the curious look I gave him, he said, “I have no idea why she wanted us to meet her out here.”
“She doesn’t live out here?”
“Their coven owns it. They come out here to practice.”
Is she going to be practicing her memory retrieval skills on me?
I looked at him, and as though he’d read my thoughts or more specifically my face he offered, “She’s really good. It’s probably because she wanted privacy.”
We drove down the dark pathways to a small red brick ranch house. At one time, it might have been a farm, but the land had been abandoned. Near the house the grass was green, plush, and well maintained; a few feet away was barren land
, patches of poorly kept grass, and dry soil. Behind the house was a small pond, but it looked empty. Also behind were a few stretches of ground, wired off, with plants growing within. I assumed some of the herbs they used for spells, but some looked like their herba terrae.
Gareth knocked one time, opened the door, and peeked his head in as a soft silky voice welcomed him. The large smile matched the light, spirited tone of her voice. I’m not sure what I expected—someone older, maybe a little less modern in her dress. Someone who looked like she possessed old-world knowledge. Instead, standing in front of us, was a tall slender woman. Her full lips pulled into a wide smile. Her dark thick masses of curls were too big for her narrow face and were just a couple of shades darker than her walnut-colored skin. In contrast, were the tips, which were dyed indigo blue. Large bracelets jingled around her narrow wrists. And her earrings, like her hair, were just a little too large. I wasn’t sure if the Jimi Hendrix t-shirt was worn ironically or not. I quickly put her in the “peculiar” category.
“Hi.” She greeted Gareth with a hug, and me with a firm handshake. Then she turned her attention to me. “I’m Blu, no E, and will be working my witchy skills on you today.” She grinned. Okay, she was peculiar as hell and her parents named her after a color—what’s not to like?
“Why not the E?”
Her response was so automatic that I was sure she’d been asked so many times it didn’t even bother her. “You’ll have to ask my parents. My dad’s a jazz saxophonist, and my mother sings. I’m just happy that they didn’t name me Thelonious, Duke, Ella, or Sade. I think Jazz was in the running, too. The artist in them just decided to keep it weird and artsy. So I’m Blu Jasmine. I feel like I should be on stage.” She smiled.
I laughed—she made sense. How could she not be peculiar?
“Thanks for coming out here. We’re about to migrate to questionable territory and I don’t need an audience.”
Sweet. I’m about to let a witch perform borderline strong and illegal magic in the woods away from most of the population. She pulled out a tube and filled it with herbs. She whispered an incantation, and the leaves came alive with vibrant hues of blue, orange, and yellow. Then vapors puffed from its opening.
“Here.”
“What do I do with it?”
She chuckled and gave Gareth a look, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “You inhale. It will help you to relax. It’ll be easier for me to negotiate your mind.”
I sat it on the table, I didn’t need to inhale it, the vapors were filling the room. I didn’t want any part of it. “No thank you. Will you put that out?”
“It’ll be easier if you try it,” she urged. She smiled, and I was sure if I didn’t use it, she would.
Once again I declined. I didn’t want to be relaxed, I wanted to be guarded. As much as I wanted to retrieve the memory, I was more concerned about what else she would find while rooting around in my head—especially while I was high.
“What about tea?”
“Unless it’s green tea, I’ll pass.”
Again, her eyes lifted to meet Gareth’s. I wasn’t sure what he did behind me and I didn’t care. I wasn’t smoking “witch weed” or drinking their witchy tea. I was already allowing her to rummage around in my head; I’d be damned if I gave her free rein while inside of it.
She guided me to a sofa and asked me to sit. She lit several candles around the room, soft scents, vanilla and cinnamon. Like a flower, they quickly filled the room with appealing aromas. Moving over to the curio, she pulled out a couple of things: a charm, salts, and a gray crystal-like substance. She dipped her finger in the gray crystal powder and made a mark on my forehead. The salt was spread around us both, and then she held the charm between both of our hands.
“All you have to do is relax and I’ll do everything.”
She closed her eyes. I wasn’t sure if I needed to, but I followed suit. Her voice dropped to a low, gentle murmur and the words came fast, indiscernible. The charm warmed, and magic, powerful and potent, filled the air, so strong it was almost stifling. A kaleidoscope of colors overtook my vision. Magic danced and whirled around me.
“Just relax and open your mind to me,” she said softly, ushering the magic lightly forward.
The magic hit. I wondered why she needed me high to do this. I couldn’t be any more relaxed than I was as the pastel rainbow of colors danced around my eyes. Memories flashed in and out, pleasant ones that seemed so far in my past that I’d forgotten them. Lighthearted images that made me smile, some that caused me to laugh. She laughed. Does she see them, too?
“Show me the last thing you remember the night before they found you with the bodies,” she directed in a soothing voice.
I thought about it and started to tell her.
“You don’t need to speak, just think.” And I did. Her hand tightened around mine briefly before it was ripped away and she soared through the room, slamming into the wall. She gasped for breath. Something was off. This wasn’t her magic. It wasn’t witch’s magic at all. I grabbed the twins and headed out the door with Gareth right behind me.
A strong magic tornado slammed against me. I stumbled. Magic, different from Blu’s, ravaged. I could feel her trying to push against it, but it was too strong—mage magic. A witch would not stand a chance against mage magic. I waited for the mages to reveal themselves, sai in hand, ready to engage. I stepped closer to the woods, feeling the thrashing of magic against the air, its dark presence. I was hit hard by a heavy furry body, warm breath hit my face, and a growl reverberated against my chest. Large fangs drew closer, about to take a bite out of me, when Gareth slammed against it, knocking it off of me. I quickly rolled to my feet. It lunged again, exposing fangs, salivating at the mouth, eyes just as vacant as those of the vampires who attacked me at the auction. It wasn’t acting on its own, something was controlling it. When it charged at me again, I slid one of the twins into its side, making sure to hit the belly. I didn’t want to kill; it wasn’t working on its own. I just needed to protect myself. It whined in pain and crumbled as it hit the ground. It made another attempt to attack. Gareth careened into it and tossed it to the ground; with a tie in hand he secured its limbs. It was done so quickly and with such ease it was obvious he’d done this many times before. Before he could move the animal I saw four more approaching us. They padded slowly at first, but quickly transitioned into a full run, charging at us.
“You take the one on the right, and I’ll take the other three,” he commanded.
Even during a fight he was a narcissist and arrogant. He was going to take three? But I didn’t have time to say anything before he pulled out his phone, pressed a button, and said “I’m going to need a cleanup.” He tossed the phone out of the way, and I assumed they were going to use the locator on the phone to find us.
“Try not to kill them if you can help it. Someone is controlling them.”
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
He took several steps back as an animal lunged toward him. Gareth started toward him at a speed that looked almost as if he’d taken flight, and then he changed, sprouting into a massive feline, tawny thick coat stretched over the thick muscled limbs that moved with the grace and ferocity of a dangerous predator. His massive fangs extended like daggers. I didn’t know if I could even call it a tiger because creatures like him didn’t roam the earth anymore. He was a feline in name only. A large majestic creature that had been reduced to something as pedantic as feline, but there weren’t many other words to define him. He was feline in its most primal, ancient existence. The large cat before me could very well have walked the earth during prehistoric times with the dire wolves, sabers, and mammoths, and survived. With his massive paw he smacked the challenger across the air sending it cannoning several feet away. The creature started to get up but then collapsed. I didn’t have time to see what else happened because a large wolf approached me. Its massive weight had me by at least 150 pounds. If it slammed into me or landed on me, I was done. I took a coupl
e of steps back, needing enough distance to run and make a maneuver around it. Thirty feet away I started to run toward it. The creature charged, galloping fast, and I quickly sidestepped and punched a sai into its side. It wailed. I pulled it out and did it again, shoving it between its ribs enough to cause pain but not collapse the lung. It gasped for breath. I wanted to make sure it couldn’t get up and attack again. I moved behind it and let one of the sai slide into its Achilles tendon. It fell to the ground and when it attempted to stand it crashed down again. Shifters healed fast. He’d be pissed today and in substantial pain, but fine in a day or two. By the time I finished, Gareth was walking toward me in human form; naked. I looked away, but not before seeing him grin as I tried not to look.
It’s not like I hadn’t seen a naked shifter before. In fact, if you went through heavily shifter-populated areas, it was rare that you left without seeing a naked body crossing the street going toward the woods to change, or coming out of them after they had changed. Shapeshifters were not known for being a modest in any way. Often very gifted with physiques that didn’t make you turn away, they didn’t possess a sliver of the shame that most people had about their own nudity. And Gareth seemed to be very much the same. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but three cars and a van pulled up as he walked to his car. He was putting on a pair of pants when a man walked up to him.
“What are we doing with them?” the guy asked.
“They will need medical attention. Once they are healed I need them to be available for questioning.”
Gareth went over to the crew and started giving orders before he headed toward the house. I followed behind him; when we entered, Blu was lying on the floor. Her head was lolled to the side, her skin pallid and eyes closed. Magic still lingered in the air and the herbs mingled with it.
Double-Sided Magic (Legacy Series Book 1) Page 11
