No More Black Magic

by A. L. Kessler

I took a deep breath. “That this might be a revenge killing.”

  “And the others?”

  “Same thing. Binding spells are not easy, we know all of our victims so far have ties in the magical world. It could have been a group effort.”

  “What’s the advantage of that?” He asked and I flipped the picture over.

  1989 was scrawled on the back in fading black ink. So the person would be my age.

  “Sharing the tinting of the aura and to make a more powerful binding.” I showed him the back where the date was. “Luckily for us, I think this child grew up, which means we’re not dealing with a minor.”

  “You don’t sound too relieved.”

  I shook my head. “Just another piece of the puzzle and nothing is fitting together. We have people who are related to research on the Cult, a child who was bound, someone who is mimicking the Cult. Mason, we’re missing something.”

  “You said you were going to go work a lead?” He took the picture from me.

  “Our newest victim, the owner of the lock box, was a teacher at the college. I’m going to go talk to her colleagues and see if I can’t find something out.” I sighed. “We need a break.”

  “What’s your next step after that?” He asked. “We’re chasing shadows right now, Abby.”

  He didn’t have to remind me of that. “I’m going to do another tracking spell and I have a meeting with one of the coven priestesses tonight. I’m hoping she’ll be able to tell me something.”

  I glanced at my watch.

  “Okay, do what you need to do. We need to bring this person in.”

  He looked down at the photo. “Who would bind a child?”

  “Maybe they thought they were protecting him.” I shrugged and started towards the door. “Or maybe those involved didn’t really understand what they were doing.” I walked out without saying anything else. The bank manager walked up with the papers.

  “The box was originally owned by a Kevin Smith, instructions were to give Ms. Maclamore the box upon his death.”

  “Hand them to Detective Mason, I’m doing foot work.” I’d see if I could try to make a connection between Kevin and Jade. I tried to smile, but I didn’t feel it. All this case was giving me was confusion. It wasn’t often that a case had this many pieces and I needed to start drawing them out. Digging deeper, but I needed a name that went with that innocent face on the picture.

  Who could bind a child? Morally? My mind drifted to Oliver and my heart fell. That child could have been me, if he’d gotten his way. I could have been powerless all through my childhood. Goddess only knew what would have happened if Levi hadn’t been the one to take me in.

  Simon looked at me from the open car window “You look grim.”

  “I can’t talk about it.” I shook my head. “Let’s get to the school and see if I can get any more answers.” Hopefully Detective Mason would call me if he found out the identity of the child in the photo.

  A bad feeling crept through me. I tried to shake it off, but it didn’t want to leave me. It meant that something stuck to my aura and I had to wonder if it wasn’t a bit of magical residue from the binding spell. I started the car and headed out.

  The school was like any other college. Students bustled around from place to place, some buried in books, others with their gazes glued to their phones, but they all carried big bags and walked with a sense of purpose. Simon and I finally found the administration’s office and stepped in. I took a deep breath, glad to be out of the fast paced crowd of students.

  “Can I help you?” The woman looked up from the computer screen at the counter.

  I pulled my badge off my belt and showed it to her. “I’m Agent Abigail Collins, and I’m looking into the death of one of your professors.”

  “Oh poor Jade”, the woman sighed. “Yes, I was wondering how long until you came to talk to us.”

  It was great when people actually worked with me and not against me.

  “I suppose you’ll want to see her classroom? I’ll also have a list of students for you.”

  She was almost too prepared.

  “Ma’am, have you had to deal with something like this before?” I asked gently. No one was this prepared for me or any law enforcement for that matter.

  She nodded. “I have. Not the same type of situation, but a few years ago one of our teachers was shot. I handled everyone who came in to talk to the students and staff.”

  Tough job, but someone had to do it and this woman was perfectly calm and relaxed about it. That rubbed me the wrong way. “If you know which students have magical abilities, or if there was anyone who audited the class, please mark them. I need to know those in particular.”

  That caught her attention, her gaze shot to mine and she nodded. “Of course.” She pulled out a map and a key. She drew two Xs on it. “You’re here.” She pointed to one and then to the other. “That’s her class room. She never switched rooms, she never shared it. It was part of her contract with the school.” She handed me the key. “This is so you can get in. I’ll have the list for you when you return.”

  She sat back down and turned to the computer. I glanced at Simon who shrugged. He seemed to do that a lot around me. I was starting to wonder if he really didn’t understand. Of course the woman had caught me off guard too. I turned and left the office, the hall was still busy, but it seemed many of the students had cleared out and made it to their destinations.

  I looked at the map and groaned. Why did campuses have to be so big?

  CHAPTER TEN

  We fought our way through the crowd and stopped halfway to the classroom for coffee. Simon and I stood in front of the classroom door sipping the mediocre brew. We stared at the door and I felt that we both were avoiding going in. I was physically tired, but I needed to get to the bottom, get a clue of something.

  I slid the key into the lock and twisted it. The first thing I felt was a ward click into place. The magic marched down my arms and I found myself wondering how she managed to get one in place like that. Of course, she was dead, so I couldn’t ask her. I walked in and looked around.

  Runes in our coven’s language covered the walls, purple light coming from them. My breath caught as I felt nothing but peace when I walked in the room. Wards, protecting wards. I felt the smile cross my face as I walked slowly to the middle of the room and closed my eyes.

  “Abby?” Simon asked.

  I opened my eyes and he stood right in front of me. “Can you see the runes?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I can feel the effects. What do you think it means?”

  “That she was powerful, but also that she was scared of something. I have a hard time imagining someone who was this peaceful had anything to do with what was at the bank.” But of course everyone had their pasts. I looked around the classroom. “There’s no way anything bad could happen in here, but I’m surprised the runes are still active.”

  He nodded. “Your magic normally dies with you.”

  “As soon as the soul abandons the body, but she did die only two nights ago.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” He crossed his arms.

  I started to march up the stadium-like seating and look at desks for anything out of the ordinary. Even the desks had runes drawn on them. “The Irish believe that it takes three days for the soul to actually leave the body.”

  “So her magic could still be active.” Simon caught on. “What do you think she was so scared of?”

  “What makes you think she was scared?” I came back down and went to her desk, pulling out drawers and looking for something that would give me a clue.

  “I may not be able to see them, but I know that there are protection runes all over. I can feel them. No one puts up that many wards without being scared of something.”

  Paranoia. I clicked my tongue. “I don’t know, it might have something to do with that lock box. She would have been what in 1989? Twenty something? Young?”

  “You’re twenty somet
hing, so am I.” He laughed. “You consider us young, that’s good.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re twenty seven, I’m twenty four, my parents were killed twenty years ago. She would have been just about twenty.” I sighed. “Maybe she got mixed up in something stupid. Witches are just starting to discover their powers at this age.”

  “Except for you, you seem to have mastered them already.”

  The tone in his voice made me look up. “I have got to get you a book on witches.” I made my voice light, even though he had been serious. “I’m not even at the height of my powers yet.”

  “No wonder why the Cult wants you dead.”

  Yeah, no wonder. I flipped open a planner I’d found in the desk. My eyes grew wide as there was another picture of the child taped to the inside of it. My heart stopped beating for a moment. What the hell?

  “You found something.” Simon came bounding over to me and I shut the planner. And got an evidence bag out of my bag. “Yeah, but I can’t show you.” She had known the child. Could the child have been hers? It was a possibility. The child would be only a couple years older than me.

  I pulled out my phone and texted Mason about what I found. “I need to drop this off at the lab and then I need to try and get your club done.”

  “Why now?” He asked as I slid the planner into my bag.

  “Because I’m in the mood to do some blood magic tonight.” I had extra energy that I needed to get out and using a stronger form of magic would help “I have to do the tracking from the chamber so that’s out of the question.” I needed to do something that would ground me. I was taken aback by today. I needed to get myself back into the right headspace. “And I have to meet with Michele tonight, so I can’t go back to the mansion until that is done.”

  “Okay, fair enough. Let’s go. There’s a bunch of students looking in the window.” He whispered.

  I turned towards the door and saw it was true. Gawkers, seriously. I shook my head and walked towards the door, pushing my way through. I turned around and locked it. The ward clicked back into place. If our victim had still been alive, then she would have known when we got there and when we left.

  The students were asking me questions as I pushed through and I ignored them. Simon followed me, but I didn’t dare look back at them. I didn’t want to look at the students just barely younger than me wondering what had happened to a beloved teacher.

  I took a deep breath when we got out of the building and walked through the courtyard. My mind spun at everything; maybe Michele could shed some light on it for me. Simon and I walked to the car without questioning each other. We got in and my phone rang.

  I looked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number. Frowning, I answered it.

  “Abigail Collins, we need to meet. In person. Alone.”

  I didn’t know the voice, but it sent chills down my back.

  “Who is this?”

  “I’m Merick, one of the members of the Cult of Ra. I know you got our message, but clearly you’re too stubborn to listen to a hex.”

  I cursed. “It has to be a public area.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Agent A.”

  Only a few people called me that, it was odd hearing it from someone I didn’t know.

  “I have a business meeting tonight, care to meet me for coffee after? Midnight Cafe is open late.” It was a cafe that a lot of supernatural creatures frequented because it was open 24/7. It would be public enough that if something went wrong I wouldn’t be alone, but private enough that we could discuss murders or trying to kill me.

  “I’m familiar with it. I’ll see you there at midnight, will that give you enough time?”

  “Should. No hexes?”

  “Look at this as an olive branch. We can be reasonable when we want.” He chuckled and the line went dead.

  Simon glared at me. “Please don’t tell me that you agreed to go meet with a member of the Cult?”

  “Why would I?” I asked with a bit of sarcasm. “You already know the answer.” I started the car. “Wonder how the creep got my number?”

  He shrugged and my phone rang again. I looked at it and saw Levi’s face pop up on the screen with his name. It dispelled the common myth that their pictures couldn’t be taken. He even had a reflection too. “What’s up, boss?”

  “There was a person who died from an overdose on Thrills.” He growled “One of my people.”

  Oh shit, this just couldn’t get any worse could it?

  “You need to finish this. Tonight.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’ll fit it into my schedule.”

  “You will do it tonight, Abigail. I cannot have him killing my people with his stupid drug.” He snarled.

  “I know, I’ll do it. I’m just...a bit overwhelmed right now. You know, other murders and all. But I’ll be close to his area of town tonight.”

  “You never let me down.”

  I could almost hear the grin in his voice, but I let it go. Before I had a chance to say something, he asked. “Are you coming back to the mansion tonight?”

  “Yeah, apparently after I kill this drug dealer. Seriously, can’t anyone else do it?” I sighed. “I have dinner with someone who was close to the newest victims tonight. I’ll probably be back close to dawn.”

  “It has to be you.” Levi snapped. “Don’t question why, just trust me on this matter.”

  Of course, like everything else. Just trust him. “Okay, it’ll be done tonight. I really hate to have to kill him, but it’s not like there’s a vampire rehab.” I shook my head and he just laughed at me.

  “I will see you if you get back before dawn then.” He disconnected and I banged my head against the steering wheel.

  Simon patted my back. “Vacation.”

  “What?” I asked and looked at him.

  “I’m treating you to a vacation after this. I’m sure you need one.”

  I laughed and sat up. “That sounds wonderful, but I don’t know if people could function here without me.” I joked. “Cause, you know, vampire drug dealers need to be killed. And though Levi has twenty other capable people, it must be me.”

  “Yeah, don’t even think about involving me in that one.” Simon chuckled. “Let’s get to the club, you can do the runes before opening. I can work a few hours and you’ll pick me up? My car is still at the mansion.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, it’ll probably be after closing time. You know, druggy vamp and all.”

  “Working will do me some good. I’ve been missing the bar.” He shrugged. “It’s like home to me.”

  A small amount of guilt came to me. He shouldn’t be running around with me. He should be living his own life. “Yeah, it’ll be good for you to get back.” I kept myself from apologizing because it meant that I had done something wrong, which for once, wasn’t the case.

  We got to the club and he let us in. It was strange seeing the building this empty. I dug into my bag and found the blessed knife. Blood magic took more energy, but it would also help edge off some of the stress I was feeling. And I seriously needed the stress relief.

  “You are paying me for this, right?” I asked over my shoulder with a grin.

  “Woman, you’ve lived in my house for the last week, ate my food, I’m pretty sure that’s payment enough.”

  It was true and I laughed. I conjured a circle around me before I started the spell. The runes were already there, so all I needed to do was push more power into them. I took a deep breath and sliced my hand. Muttering the Latin words I put my hand against the wall. The magic flowed through me and into the blood smear. I felt the magic hit each rune and I pulled my hand away as the spell closed itself.

  The blood on the wall disappeared, taken by the magic as a sacrifice. I bowed my head in thanks to the Goddess and then closed the circle. I took a deep breath as the loss of energy hit me. I fished into my bag and pulled out a roll of bandages.

  Simon came to my side and grabbed them from me. “Here, let me.”
/>
  I blinked at him, unsure how to react. Most people just let me struggle to wrap it myself. Blood magic was seen as contradictory, many thought it automatically meant black magic. Kind of like sex magic, it could be good or bad, but mostly it was associated as black magic.

  I held my hand up and he wrapped the bandage around it tightly, tucking the ends away perfectly.

  “The fact that you carry all these supplies in your bag makes me think that you have a Mary Poppins' bag.”

  I shook my head. “Nope, just a really big bag. It’s not bigger on the inside. I don’t carry everything in it, just things I’m likely to need at a crime scene.” I shrugged.

  “How long have you worked with the state?” He asked and then took me over to the bar. “Sit. I’ll get you a glass of water.”

  I sighed. “A cup of coffee would be better.”

  “Okay, I’ll make a pot.” He chuckled and turned around to the coffee maker.

  “To answer your question, three years.”

  “That’s it?”

  “I started when I was twenty-one. Newly recruited. Special circumstances and all that.” I laughed. “Boy was I naive then.” I shook my head. “I’ve learned a lot.”

  “Do you like it?” He asked and turned around after starting the pot.

  I nodded. “I do. I feel like it’s my calling.” I shrugged. “It’s dangerous and Levi hates that about it, but I don’t really mind that much. It’s no more dangerous than me going after random people in his territory.”

  Simon looked like he was contemplating something, but I didn’t want to ask. I wasn’t sure I liked where the conversation was going.

  “Do you want a family?” He asked after a couple of moments.

  I almost fell off my stool. “Um? What?”

  “I don’t mean right now. I mean down the line.” He scrubbed at his face. “Never mind. I sound like an idiot.”

  “I feel like there’s something else you’re getting at.” I raised a brow. “What about you? Grand plans for the future?”

  He shrugged. “Eventually I want a family, but really what kind of life is being a child of a werewolf? It’s not something I can really hide.”