by Alicia Rades
A slight smile spread across my lips. This sounded like the kind of pep talk Jenna would give me.
“So, you’re not mad at me?” I asked. “For not being able to perform the spell, I mean?”
“Of course not!” Fiona said. “None of this is your fault.”
“But Sondra’s still missing,” I pointed out.
“Again, not your fault,” she said. “I’d blame a hundred different people before I’d blame you.”
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. I dared to break it.
“Whose fault is it?” I wanted to take back the question as soon as I asked it. It wasn’t fair of me to ask something like that when I didn’t even know Fiona.
She didn’t even hesitate to answer. “Matias,” she snarled in disgust.
Okay, now I had to know.
“Who’s Matias?” I asked. “Wait. Matias Vayne? The richest vampire in the state? The one who owns like fifteen skyscrapers in Chicago?”
“The one and only,” Fiona confirmed. “But you forgot manipulative and controlling jackass.”
I chuckled. “Doesn’t that apply to all vampires?”
Fiona smirked. “It certainly does. But Matias is worse than most. He has hundreds of supernaturals working for him who basically bow down to him. He’ll do anything to maintain his power.”
Power was always a dangerous motivator.
After a beat, I spoke again. “So, what happened?”
Fiona turned to stare me straight in the eyes. “First, a little backstory. Sondra’s a high witch—the low end of a high witch, but still a high witch. She runs a business collecting and selling magical artifacts—totally underground like your boss does. She does other things, too, like sells protection charms, performs spells, stuff like that…”
“Why haven’t I ever heard of her?” I asked. I liked to know what was going on in the magical community. It was one of the other reasons I stayed at my job. There was always gossip running through that place.
“She likes to keep a low profile,” Fiona answered. “She’s pretty selective about her clientele. A few years back, she was involved with some bad business deals. She ran into a lot of debt with some other witches while she was trying to get her business off the ground, but the interest was so high that we’ve just been falling further and further behind.” Fiona dropped her gaze and pursed her lips. “At this rate, we’ll never be able to pay off the debt, even if we sold the house.”
My heart broke for her family. It didn’t sound like Sondra deserved that.
“Anyway, Matias offered us a job.” Fiona spoke slowly, like the story was about to get really bad. I held my breath, bracing for it. “The money he offered us would’ve been enough to pay off the debt. We could’ve even moved out of the city. All any of us really want is to lead a quiet life, maybe use our magic to do some good in the world.”
Fiona sighed. “We spent months looking for this artifact he wanted to pay us for. We even had to ask for more time, and Matias let us have it. But… then Cowen came along.”
“Venn told me he stole something from you,” I said solemnly.
Fiona nodded. “It was the Leora Locket. It’s a magical artifact named for the witch who created it. As the story goes, the owner of the locket can use it to predict the future.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you telling me this? I mean, if I find Cowen, I could just take it and run.”
“For one, I don’t think you’re like that,” Fiona answered.
“You don’t even know me,” I pointed out.
“I know,” she said, “but I just feel like I can trust you. Besides, the locket isn’t as great as it sounds.”
I cocked my head. “How so?”
“It can only predict the future, but the future can still be changed,” Fiona explained. “The locket was created using a spell designed to connect the wearer with the spirit realm so they could communicate with loved ones—”
“Wait,” I stopped her. “The spirit realm? We’re talking about ghosts now?”
Though I was shocked by Fiona’s mention of ghosts, it shouldn’t be so hard to believe after everything else I’d seen in the last eight years.
“Not ghosts, exactly,” Fiona said, “but yeah. Anyway, the locket became connected with Synchrony—you know what that is, right?”
I nodded. “Venn explained it.”
“Right. So, Synchrony is connected to everyone, and so it can see other people’s intentions. The locket detects that and shows you how the events would play out.”
“That still sounds useful,” I said.
“Oh, sure,” Fiona agreed, “but intentions can change, and you have to know whose future you’re looking into for the locket to work. But someone else’s intentions might get in the way of that future. Matias wants power, and he thinks the Leora Locket will give him that, but it really can’t. There are too many factors at play.”
“So, you’re conning him?” I asked, slightly amused.
“No,” Fiona stated flatly. “We’re doing the job he asked us to do.”
“But you didn’t tell him about the locket’s limitations,” I pointed out. “Why tell me?”
Fiona paused. “I don’t know. There’s just… something about you.”
The way she looked at me, it was like I was supposed to know what she meant, but I was only confused.
“Anyway,” Fiona continued. “Cowen knew some stuff about the locket, and we ended up turning to him for answers. Once he knew what we were after, he waited until we got our hands on it, and then he stole it. Needless to say, Matias was not happy. After already granting us more time, he wasn’t exactly inclined to wait any longer.”
“So he kidnapped Sondra,” I guessed.
Fiona pursed her lips and nodded. “She went to have a meeting with him, and he wouldn’t let her leave. He’s using her as collateral to motivate the rest of us to deliver the locket.”
My chest felt empty. I hadn’t even met Sondra, and here I was feeling like I’d lost her, too.
“Do you think she’s okay?” I asked in a whisper.
Fiona didn’t answer right away, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she thought. “She better be. Otherwise, Matias isn’t getting anywhere near that locket.”
I chewed the inside of my lip, hoping I’d find the right words for her, but nothing I thought of sounded right in the moment. Still, I found the words coming out of my mouth anyway. “We’ll get that locket, Fiona. I don’t care if we have to sell our kidneys and pay a high witch to track Cowen down.” Not sure why I haven’t thought of that before… “One way or another, we’ll find him, and we’ll both get back the people we lost.”
The door creaked open behind us, and Fiona and I both turned to look. Venn had a frown fixed to his face.
“What is it?” Fiona asked.
Venn sighed, stalling his answer. “I talked to Ryland. We agreed it’s time to call Genevieve.”
I glanced between the two of them, hoping someone would explain who Genevieve was, but neither of them did.
Fiona stood and pursed her lips. “I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to this. We don’t have any other options?”
Venn shook his head. “It’s too late. I’ve already called her.”
Fiona stared at him in total disbelief, her mouth agape. “Uh… okay. When are we meeting her?”
“In the morning,” Venn answered. “We all need to rest. If you want to stay, Rae, we can make up Sondra’s bedroom for you.”
My heart lifted in my chest, feeling a hundred pounds lighter for a second. “Are you sure?” I asked uncertainly, not wanting to intrude.
“It’s totally fine,” Fiona assured me. An inviting smile spread across her face.
“Thank you,” I accepted, making sure they heard the gratitude in my tone. I didn’t feel like going back home to my lonely apartment tonight. “I’m exhausted.”
“It’s the spell,” Fiona said. When I shot her a questioning look, she explained. “Most of t
he spells you’ve cast probably haven’t drained you because they were well within your abilities. But when you try to cast a spell beyond your abilities, the energy starts to draw from your body instead of Synchrony. Don’t worry about it. The more you practice, the more you’ll expand your abilities. You’ll be able to draw from Synchrony more and more without feeling the drain on your body.”
My jaw went slack. “You say that like it’s not a big deal. Something like this could kill me!”
“Believe me,” Venn said, “you’re far from conducting spells that could kill you.”
At least that was comforting, but he could’ve mentioned the whole energy-draining thing before I tried the spell.
“Come on.” Fiona gestured for me to follow her. “I’ll show you to your room.”
12
“You can stay in here,” Fiona said, opening the door to the room farthest from the top of the stairs.
She flipped a switch on the wall, and two lamps on either side of the queen bed lit up, bathing the room in a soft glow. The comforter was a dark purple to match the walls, like the color of royalty. Matching curtains with intricate gold patterns stitched into the fabric covered a pair of wide windows that looked out over the front lawn. In the corner sat a table with three plants and four unlit candles. A yoga mat was rolled up beneath it.
“Thank you,” I said, inching my way into the room.
Fiona crossed the room to the closet. “I think Sondra might have something you can wear to bed. If you need a shower, there are clean towels in the cupboard in the bathroom.”
I figured I’d have to take her up on that offer. I set my purse on the bed and ran my hand across the soft blanket. Part of me felt weird being in someone else’s room without them knowing, but another part of me just wanted to crawl under the covers and sleep in a decent bed for once.
“Here you go,” Fiona said, handing me a silky black robe. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
“I will,” I said with a smile.
Fiona left the room, and I heard her footsteps pad down the hall. The house was quiet, and I assumed Teagan had fallen asleep. Normally, the quiet made me uneasy, but in this house, it felt comfortable, peaceful even.
With the silky robe in my hands, I headed to the bathroom. The shower looked inviting. The water was actually warm, and the pipes didn’t squeak when you twisted the faucet. The water hit my skin like a soft caress, washing away most of the tension in my shoulders. I stayed under the cascade of water far longer than I needed to.
By the time I stepped out of the shower, the mirror above the sink was completely fogged up. The soft towel I found in the cupboard felt good against my clean skin, but the silk robe felt even better. After drying my hair out, I ran a brush I found on the counter through it, then gathered my dirty clothes.
As I exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam, I caught Venn’s eye just as he reached the top of the stairs. He looked surprised to see me, but the corners of his lips lifted into a slight smile. Butterflies danced in my stomach at the sight of him.
“Hey, Rae,” he said softly, gazing at me from under dark lashes. “I’m sorry about earlier. Are you okay?”
I nodded. Even though I still felt bad about the unsuccessful spell, the shower had helped calm me down. I felt like I should say something to him but didn’t know what.
“Can we do another load of laundry tonight?” I heard myself say. Apparently, that was the best I could come up with. “The other half of my wardrobe could really use cleaning.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He gestured for me to follow him.
I softly descended the steps behind him in silence. I tossed my clothes and a bit of laundry soap in the washer, and Venn started the machine.
“Is there anything else you need?” he asked kindly.
Several answers rushed through my mind, but nothing I dared to say aloud to him.
“No, thanks,” I replied as we headed back down the hall. “It’s so nice of you to let me stay here.”
Venn shrugged like it was no big deal. “Don’t worry about it. We had the extra bed tonight anyway.”
My stomach dropped as I thought of Sondra. It didn’t seem fair that I was showering in her house and sleeping in her bed while she was being held captive. But there wasn’t exactly any more I could do to help tonight.
My gaze drifted to the drawings on the walls as I climbed the stairs. Each was a portrait of a different person. They looked incredibly realistic, down to their stray hairs. It almost looked as if they’d been photographed in black and white. Some portraits looked more modern, but others wore their hair and clothing as if they’d lived centuries ago.
“Are these Sondra’s ancestors?” I asked, mostly because I wasn’t ready to say goodnight to Venn.
“No,” he said simply. “It’s history.”
“History?” Okay, now he had me intrigued. “History of what?”
“Of magic,” he replied. He reached the top of the steps and turned to me with a smile. “Recent magic, anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
Venn smirked. “You up for a history lesson?”
It sounded like a challenge. “I suppose I have time.”
Venn’s smile widened, and he pointed to the portrait on the end. “Here, we start with Elizabeth Martin. Ever heard of her?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but maybe it was just a common name.
I stepped closer to the portrait for a better look. Like the drawing of Venn at the bottom of the stairs, Elizabeth’s eyes looked incredibly real, as if she was staring back at me through the photograph. An eerie shudder traveled down my spine. She wore a long-sleeved dress that covered her collarbone, and her hair was fashioned in an elegant updo.
“She was the witch who created Valkas,” Venn said, like he knew it for a fact.
I furrowed my brow. “How do you know? I’ve heard stories and speculation, but no one can actually know for sure where vampires came from.”
“Sondra does,” Venn stated. “Valkas was the first vampire.”
“I know that.” But that was all I knew. That was all anyone knew.
“Well, Elizabeth was the one who created him,” Venn said. “Not on purpose or anything. It was a revival spell gone wrong. Valkas came from a very powerful family. He recruited Elizabeth. She believed she was to perform a healing spell. He was very sick, but instead of allowing the illness to take him, he wanted to die and come back to life to show that he could conquer anything, even death. She refused to perform the spell, but he threatened her with her family's death if she didn't comply.”
“So he knew about magic before everyone else did?” I asked.
Venn cocked his head, confused by my question. Suddenly, his face softened in realization. “Oh, you think Valkas was changed eight years ago? No. This was centuries ago. Magic has always been around. But the people who knew about it before kept it secret.”
“Right,” I said, remembering something he’d said earlier. “Persecution and all that.”
“Yes,” Venn agreed. “Valkas changed that when he returned eight years ago and everyone freaked out.”
I pressed my lips together. “What happened after he threatened Elizabeth?”
“He gave his blood for the spell, but it went wrong,” Venn explained. “He died, and she brought him back to life, but he wasn’t quite human anymore. He was overcome with bloodlust and couldn’t control his power. His family was scared of what he'd become, and he was hunted. He lost the power he once had. That’s why all these years later he wants that power back.”
“No one’s heard from him in two years,” I pointed out. “No one’s heard from the Soulless at all. You think he’s still out there?”
Not everyone believed he was still around, but no one was able to confirm his death, either. Somehow, I knew they were still out there, and I knew they had Jenna.
“I think it’s possible.” Venn shrugged, then poin
ted to the next picture on the wall. “That’s him.”
I hadn’t noticed the drawing before because my attention had been so absorbed by Elizabeth. When I looked at him, my mouth went dry. I’d seen pictures of him on TV and online, but it was nothing compared to this picture. Fangs protruded from his open mouth, and he looked as if he was screaming. I could practically hear the fear-inducing howl through the portrait. His eyebrows twisted into an enraged expression, every muscle in his face tense. There was a hunger and a lust for power in his evil eyes that sent shivers down my spine. Seeing him like this, I could actually believe he was responsible for all of the terrible things he’d been accused of. Like all vampires, he was flawlessly beautiful, but I there was something in the drawing that told me to be very, very afraid.
“That’s what he would’ve been like right after the spell changed him, back in seventeenth century Europe,” Venn explained. “He started changing other people, and vampires spent the next one-hundred years spreading across Europe, then to the rest of the world.”
How could Venn know all this? He told the story like it came straight from a history book. I’d never met someone before who didn’t show skepticism in the vampire stories they’d heard. No one, as far as I knew, had the truth.
“For a long time, Valkas saw vampirism as a curse,” Venn continued. “He couldn't go out in the sun, and so he couldn't show off his power. Years later, he came to terms with the bad things about vampirism and started focusing on how much power he did have, like extra strength and the ability to kill so easily. That's when he started thinking bigger. He's already conquered death. Time to conquer the whole world.”
Venn frowned, like the very thought of Valkas disgusted him. “Anyway, for many years, humans and witches alike hunted vampires and tried to eradicate them before their population became too large. But about a hundred years in, vampires began to spread wider and faster. The witches were having a hard time finding the vampires. In the mid-seventeen-hundreds, a husband and wife team, Abigail and Charles Williams, set out to protect the world from vampires, who were killing humans and causing mass panic.”
