by Aileen Erin
I thought about it for a second. True, they weren’t as good as the witches, but they didn’t totally suck at it either. They did their best with their metaphysics classes. “I wouldn’t say that they can’t do magic entirely. The pack is its own kind of magic. Not the same as what the witches have, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t count.”
“I see. And what kind of magic do you practice?” Morgan asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. The good kind?” It seemed like an important distinction to make when Luciana was out there.
That got Morgan to smile. “Could a human use the magic that you use?”
Wow. Morgan had been quiet, but now she was blowing my mind with the tough questions. “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, I guess there’s got to be a little bit of magic in us all, right?”
“And what about Ms. Alvarez? What are your connections to her?”
I tried to keep a look of disgust off my face. “I have none.”
“Mr. Dawson has told us a little about the grudge that she has with the pack, but we’d love to hear it from your perspective. Why is she really killing people?”
God. If I only knew. “I was asked this at the press conference, and I don’t know how much my answer can change. I mean, you must deal with this a lot. People do bad things all the time. Beats me why they do it.” That was part of it. “But if I had to guess, it started out as her being afraid of the pack.”
“So the pack started it?”
“No!” Shit. That’s not what I’d meant. “No. Not at all. She’s been acting out over the past few years. Some of my friends used to hang out with the coven members our age. But a few years ago, that all changed.”
“How?”
I wasn’t sure I should be answering this.
It’s okay, Dastien said through the bond. Go ahead and tell them. Meredith won’t mind. They need to understand how bad Luciana is.
Okay. But if she get’s mad, I’m saying you told me to tell. “Luciana found out her son was hanging out with my friend Meredith. She cast a spell on Meredith that almost killed her. She’s okay now. I broke the curse. But ever since then, the pack and coven have been estranged. When Dastien bit me, she took that as a personal affront and an act of war against the coven.”
“Why would she do that?” Ramirez asked as he rested his forearms on the table.
I licked my lips. It was like with every new question, I was digging myself in deeper. At some point, I needed to just shut my mouth. “I was supposed to be the next coven leader.”
“But you told us you had no ties to her?” Morgan asked.
“I don’t. I never met her—or knew anything about being the next coven leader until recently.” I paused as I thought about what I should say next. “This is all really complicated, but it boils down to her vendetta. And to be quite honest—I think it’s driven her a little mad. Raising demons?” I blew out a breath. “She’s crossed into extremely evil territory. Stopping her before she hurts more people is imperative.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?” Ramirez asked.
“Honestly? I have no idea.” Wanting to end this before I spilled any more pack secrets, I leaned forward. My side pinched with the movement, and I ignored it. “Can I ask you a question?”
Special Agent Morgan nodded. “Yes. Of course.”
“What do you want from me?”
“You’re very straightforward.” Special Agent Ramirez leaned back in his chair.
I didn’t think he did that because he was afraid of me, but I wondered… “It’s been a really rough few days—as I’m sure you’re aware. My father woke me up from only a few hours of sleep to come talk to you, and I just want to know what’s going on. Am I in trouble?”
“No. Not at all. We’ve talked quite a bit to Mr. Dawson, and we understand what’s going on with Ms. Alvarez.”
Okay. Then, what was I doing here? “So, what do you want from me?”
“Basically, we’d like to have you as a point of contact.”
A point of contact? “But I’m just a kid. I’m sure Mr. Dawson or one of the other Alphas would love to be your point of contact.”
“I’ve given my information to others, but I’d really like to form a relationship with you. You’re eighteen. That’s an adult in this country. You’re part-witch. And, although Mr. Dawson mentioned that you only very recently had contact with any other witches, you managed to save some from Ms. Alvarez. That tells me that I can trust you to do the right thing, even when it’s hard.”
I wasn’t sure that was true, but I wasn’t about to contradict him.
“You’re also part-human from your father’s side, which means you can understand what the general public is going through right now. Because you were bitten, you—of all the werewolves in this world—have a unique perspective on the supernatural world.”
When he put it that way… “I guess that’s all pretty accurate.”
“Good. We wanted to interview you so we can get to know each other. As with any relationship, there needs to be a level of trust. We want you to trust us—to feel okay coming to us—when problems like those with Ms. Alvarez come up. In the interest of starting on good terms, we’re going to pretend that your pack didn’t break all kinds of laws while covering up a major crime, but next time, we won’t. So, let’s not have that happen again. If something comes up, we’d appreciate a call.” He made it sound nice, but his voice had a distinct ‘or else’ tone to it. He pulled out a business card and scribbled on the back. “That’s my cell number. If something happens—especially when non-supernatural people are around—I want a call. No more burning houses to the ground.”
I swallowed. They had a big point. We should have been in big trouble. Not that that had been my idea, but I wasn’t about to stick it on Dad. Not to the FBI. “Got it. No more covering up crime scenes.” Shit. Did I just admit to something bad? “Not that I was a part of anything like that.”
Agent Morgan grinned. “We’re aware.”
My hands were sweating as she stared me down. “Can I ask you another question?”
“Sure.”
“Which one of you is Mulder and which is Skully? Because you both seem very Mulder-ish with your blind belief in all of this stuff. It took me a while to come to terms with it, and I was a Were. I couldn’t ignore it for long when people were shifting in front of me—when my own body wanted to shift. I had to adjust and quickly.”
Agent Morgan’s smile broadened, and this time I thought it might be genuine. “Just as you said. No one gets to be skeptical when there’s proof in front of you.”
“Right.” I guess that was true, but I’d had issues with it for weeks when I first got to St. Ailbe’s. It took me a while to finally give in and let myself shift forms.
“And if we ever have any questions, we want you to be available to us,” Morgan said.
I swallowed. That didn’t sound too terrible, but I had a feeling it was going to be more complicated than that. “Okay.” Wait a second. “Don’t you need my number?”
Agent Ramirez grinned and it wasn’t the nice one that Morgan had given me a second ago. The twinkle in his eye gave him an air of mischief. “We’re the FBI, Miss McCaide.”
That was totally creepy.
I took that as my cue to leave, and slid away from the table while the agents leaned in to talk to each other. Dad and Dastien approached me as I closed the door.
“Well,” Dad said. “Is everything okay?”
“I think so.”
“What did they want?” Dad asked.
I held up the business card. “Apparently they wanted a contact. And they wanted to make sure I had their info in case something comes up. Some people—” I coughed to muffle FBI. “—frown on the whole let’s-burn-everything-down-before-the-cops-get-here attitude.”
Dad shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
I snorted. “I still can’t believe you showed up with gasoline. It’s like I don’t even kn
ow you.”
“You know me as your dad. There’s a whole other side.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really? Does Mom know about this side of you?”
“You’d be surprised what your mother knows.”
Gross. “You’re blowing my mind, Dad. I’m totally telling Axel.”
“Well, there’s no need for that.”
I laughed. “There’s definitely a need.” Dastien had been awfully quiet. Was everything okay out here?
Yes. We sorted some stuff out, but it’s okay now.
My cheeks heated and I started for the exit. “Now that all this excitement is over, I’m going back to bed. I only got—” I grabbed Dad’s wrist and checked the time. “—three hours of sleep. I can’t function on that.”
“I thought you might want to go to the lab. Work on the potions.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I probably should.” He had a point. I was already awake. A couple cans of Diet Coke would probably fix me up. At least for a little while. “Okay. I just need to get out of this blouse—” I didn’t want to spill something on it. It was the nicest one I owned. “—and then we’ll head to the labs.”
“I’m going to check on the agents,” Dad said. “I’ll come see you before I go.” He pulled me in for a hug. I ignored the pain in my side and let myself hang onto him for a second before pulling away.
“See you later,” I said.
“Yeah.” He seemed sad as I walked out the door.
“Are you sure something didn’t happen while I was in the room?” I asked.
“He realized his daughter was grown up.” Dastien looked over his shoulder. “I think it must be a hard thing.”
I glanced back and Dad was still there in the doorway, watching us. I waved, and he held up his hand in answer.
Funny. I didn’t feel grown up. But Dastien was right. Things had changed. Starting the second he bit me.
I was never going to be able to go back home. I’d just realized that sooner than Dad.
Chapter Twenty-One
I was pulling on my favorite pair of comfy jeans when someone started knocking. I jerked, but my side barely twinged. At least my wounds were healing fast. The knock came again. “What’s with today?” I couldn’t even change in peace.
Dastien laughed as he tugged a T-shirt over his head, and I stopped to stare at the ripple of muscle along his stomach.
Cherie. His voice rumbled through the bond.
The knocking started again. “Right. Right. The door,” I muttered. “Who is it?”
“Claudia and Lucas.”
I rushed to finish dressing. None of the witches had ever come into the dorms. I spared Dastien a second to make sure he was fully clothed before opening the door. “Hey. Everything okay?”
Claudia looked up and down the hall nervously. “Can we come in?”
I moved aside. “Yes. Of course.” My bed wasn’t made. I usually made it first thing, but the whole FBI thing had thrown me. “Sorry for the mess. It’s been an interesting morning.”
Claudia still wore the same clothes from last night—her khaki skirt was wrinkled and her peasant shirt had a stain that smelled like coffee on the front of it. She clutched a thick, black tome to her chest as she stepped across the threshold.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. At least, I think I am. I just couldn’t sleep. I close my eyes and—” She shuddered. “Anyway, I went through the books you brought back.” She set the book on the floor. “I don’t want it to touch where you sleep.”
“Thank you.” That was really thoughtful of her.
I sat next to her on the floor. Lucas stayed standing. He was in track pants and a T-shirt—which seemed to be the only thing he’d packed. At least as far as I knew.
Claudia opened the book. Its waxy black cover reeked like Luciana’s room of torture, and I was suddenly grateful she hadn’t put it on my bed. “See this?”
I tilted my head to try and make out the squiggly lines on the page. I got closer to the book, even though the scent of sulfur and blood was turning my stomach. “It looks like a map.” I pointed to the blue outline. “That’s definitely the US, but what are the lines? They’re not states. And there’s no river in that part of California.” I leaned away from the book. There was something splattered on the page—something pink—and I wasn’t sure if it was diluted blood or something else—and I really didn’t want to find out. “What are they?”
“Ley lines,” Dastien said from behind me. “I’ve seen maps like this before.”
“They’re lines of magnetic energy—or magical energy, depending who you talk to—that run through the world. You see these points where the lines meet?” She pointed to a few spots where a bunch of lines clustered together.
“Yeah.”
“That’s a vortex.” Claudia sat back on her heels, and tugged on the hem of her skirt. “I saw this and it got me thinking. Luciana has a lot of power now, but not as much as she’ll need. Some people in the coven were so weak—it seems wasteful to drain them to get the few drops of magic they had…” Her voice wavered, and she closed her eyes, taking a slow breath. When she opened them, she seemed a little more together. “There are two small line intersections in Texas. Marfa and Enchanted Rock. But the church that you described… It sounds more like a church you’d find in the southwest.” She moved her hand to the west. “In New Mexico, there are several adobe churches with stained glass windows. Some of them very old.”
I wanted to stay away from all churches, but hiding wouldn’t help anything. “You think she’s going there?”
“Yes.” Claudia pulled on her braid, like she did when she was nervous. “I think so. To the Santa Fe area specifically.”
“How sure are you?”
Her gaze met mine. “Pretty sure.”
Do you think we should go? I asked Dastien, hoping he’d say no. I didn’t want to leave St. Ailbe’s. Even with everything that was going on, it was my home. I felt the safest when I was here. And I didn’t want to leave my parents. Especially after what had happened last night.
Her face has been plastered all over the news, so it makes sense that she’d leave town. We were expecting her to attack campus, but there has to be a reason she hasn’t yet. I don’t know what’s changed for her, but if what Claudia says is right, then… His determination filled the bond. As he worked through his answer, I could feel him coming to a decision he was sure of. Yes. We should go after her. We can’t let her get away this time.
If that was where she was, then yes, we should go after her, but we didn’t know that. Why would she leave now? After all this time? I felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle, and I didn’t like that. Not one bit. We don’t have any proof that she went to New Mexico.
What does your gut say?
I closed my eyes and tried to force a vision of the future, but I didn’t see anything. I wanted scream, but that wouldn’t solve the problem. A part of me I wished that I’d never met Luciana Alvarez. That could still have visions like I used to. That I could touch something and see the past and—
Oh shit. I’m an idiot.
I’d been so focused on how my visions had evolved, that I’d forgotten how it all started. I hadn’t even tried using them to see the past. Not for a while.
I reached for the book, and hesitated with my fingers hovering just over the page. “I’m going to touch it and see whatever Luciana was doing with it last.” I knew it. By saying it aloud, I reinforced my will. I placed my hand on the book and relaxed.
As I exhaled, the vision washed over me.
Luciana’s magic room filled my vision. Flashes of blood. Death. A hint of sulfur.
But I wasn’t seeing anything specific. Only flashes.
I focused, drawing power from Dastien, as I concentrated. This was the answer. I had to hang on.
Another flash. A splatter of candle wax. Some chanting.
And then the smell of sulfur grew. Luciana’s face came into view as she placed the book on a s
tand. Her hair was pulled up into a braided halo on top of her head. Her long, flowy skirt brushed the floor, dragging through blood and goop that covered it, and I gagged. How could she wear anything that touched the ground in here?
She muttered something—maybe Latin—and then went to the book.
“You need more power, young one.” A scratchy voice came from the center of the circle, but there was nothing there. “Go to where the points of magic meet. Then, you can raise me and my brethren.”
“I’ll have enough when the coven is drained.”
“Not so. It takes more than the lives of one insignificant coven to open the gates.”
She turned back to the book and her finger traced the lines, moving west of Texas.
I let go of the vision and wiped my hands on my jeans, wanting to get rid of evil the feel of her. Her oily aura was coating me, making me feel like I needed more than just a long, hot shower to feel clean again. “Luciana’s heading out.”
This had started because of her vendetta against the wolves, but that couldn’t be her end goal now. Not if she was leaving the state.
The demon last night had called Luciana ‘mistress,’ but this one was calling her ‘young one.’ Which meant I’d just seen her talking to something much bigger than a major demon. The possibilities of what it could be made my breath short.
Raphael had said she was losing herself, and had Claudia confirmed it. After what I’d just seen, it seemed that both of them were right. Luciana wasn’t just after the pack. Not anymore. “This portal thing will hurt more than us. We should talk to Mr. Dawson. Get the others. We need to go as soon as possible.”
Dastien grabbed his phone from the bedside table. “I’ll call him.”
Lucas reclined quietly against the wall as we waited. He watched Claudia, and I wondered how they were doing. A lot had happened to Claudia in the past few weeks—including finding a mate—and I hadn’t had much time to check on her in the last day. We’d been going non-stop.
I leaned close to Claudia. “How are you hanging in? Are you okay?”
“I know. I look like a mess.” She fussed with her shirt. “But I’m officially out of clothes—I had to leave my new things in the middle of nowhere in Peru. And there’s been no time for laundry. And…” She blushed. “It’s a little embarrassing.”
