"Can you locate him somehow using magic?" Gabriel asked.
"I doubt it. It's not exactly John anymore, is it? It's that leathery creature from here that's using him like a puppet now. I'm going to find Tyler."
"Tyler?" Gabriel asked.
"Yeah," Mira said. "He's apparently been stuck here for a while now."
"Weren't you concerned he was a part of this?" Gabriel asked.
Mira frowned at him. "He is a part of it, but only because he's been taken. They want to use him—all witches really—for something."
"What do they need witches for?"
Mira bit her lip, wondering how much to say. Then she realized if she held anything back, he'd know she was hiding something. "I don't know what they want us for, but John seemed surprised that Emmit hadn't told us."
"Harker knows? He let that asshole take you here and he knew what it was about?"
Mira felt deflated. Gabriel wasn't wrong. In fact, he'd probably been right all along about Emmit. She turned back to her worktable, unwilling to think about the man that had given up on her.
She also ignored Gabriel, who remained silent for a while.
Fire, Mira thought. Fire can slow the creatures down. She poured powdered charcoal in her mortar and added everything else she remembered from the fire spell she’d used most recently on John.
While she ground everything together, Gabriel came over and started poking through her supplies.
"What are you making?" he asked after he had checked out a few small bags.
"Something to create fire. I think it'll hold the creatures back if needed."
"I'm starting to get used to issuing commands," Gabriel said.
"I noticed," Mira said, not quite under her breath. "But if we get separated," she added in a normal voice, "it may keep me alive long enough to run."
"What about this?" Gabriel asked, holding out his hand.
Mira glanced at the ward she had made him. "You need to make sure it's touching skin."
"Harker said it was strong and that I should feel honored to have it," Gabriel said.
Mira shrugged noncommittally.
"Couldn't you use it while we're here?" he asked.
"It's very thoughtful of you to offer, but that's not the way wards work. It will only work for you."
He stared around the room. "You have a lot of supplies—can you make yourself one? Your old one came in handy when you were here last time."
"They don't work well when you make them for your own use. The ward is only as strong as the feeling the witch has for the person that received the ward. That one had been made for me by someone I went to high school with. We were close, and he gave it to me before he moved away."
"Oh," Gabriel said, closing his hand around the ward. He didn't say anything for a while so Mira got back to work.
Gabriel himself could keep everything away from them, assuming he had control. Mira knew she would be sticking with him like glue, but it was better to be safe and keep the fire handy.
"Is it only witches that can make wards?" Gabriel asked.
"What?" Mira asked, before she realized what he was asking. "Oh, no. Anyone can make them, even humans, but if the person making them has magic in some way, the ward is more effective. I don't think a ward made by a human would stop anything here."
"Oh," Gabriel replied, looking glum, "I was hoping I could make you one to keep you safe, but there’s no point if it won't help."
Mira looked at him, feeling confused. Then it dawned on her that he still considered himself human. In a way, she felt sorry for him.
"I'm not sure if I could teach you how to make one, but I don't think creating it here would be a good idea, anyway," Mira said. "This place feels contaminated, no matter what it is you try to do."
"True.”
"If you want to learn how to make one when we get back, though." Mira hoped he couldn't see the red creep into her cheeks in the strange light of the Ether. "I imagine you would make an excellent ward, even if you hated the person."
It was Gabriel's turn to appear puzzled until she motioned behind him. He turned his head, but if anything, the reminder of his wings seemed to depress him more.
Mira couldn't think of a thing to say to make him feel better. She managed to give him a half-hearted smile before getting back to her work. Concentrating hard, she charged the fire spell, keeping the magic on hold and stored into a crystal until it was ready to be released.
"Do you have any idea where Tyler is?" Gabriel asked.
"Not a clue," Mira said. "I'm going to create a spell to locate him. We'll need to go to his house before I can cast the spell."
"Why's that?" Gabriel asked.
"I need something from him."
"An ingredient?"
"You could say that," Mira said. "He’s the ingredient."
Gabriel's nose curled up.
Mira could only shrug as she started the spell. "It is what it is. If a witch has a piece of you, they can do some pretty nasty things. That's why I picked up all your feathers the last time we were here."
"What?" Gabriel asked, sounding offended.
"To make sure no one did anything to you. Who knows what kind of magic someone could do with angel feathers. To the angel or to anything else for that matter." She shot Gabriel a disapproving glare. "You don't think I kept them to use against you, do you?"
"No," Gabriel said quickly. She didn't drop the glare, so he continued, "I just had no idea that anyone could do anything with them."
Mira suspected that at least for a moment he thought she had kept them for nefarious purposes. She turned her back on him and went back to work.
Before long, Gabriel started to pace. "Are you making anything else?"
"I should," Mira said, "but I don't think we have enough time."
"Good, we need to go." Gabriel went to the door and moved the table he had pushed in front of it.
"I'm not done with the spell yet," Mira protested.
"Finish it at Tyler's," Gabriel said. “We need to go."
"But—"
"Something’s wrong, okay. Just trust me."
Realizing she trusted him probably more than anyone else she had ever trusted, she scooped up her projects and ingredients she might need and stowed them in a black cloth bag she used to hold ingredients that were more potent. At the last moment, she grabbed a ceremonial athame, and then followed the impatient angel.
"Slow down," she whispered to Gabriel as they made their way across the driveway.
"Tyler's house is a long way from here," Gabriel reminded her.
"Yes, but I'd like to make it there in one piece," Mira suggested. She stowed what she could in her pockets and attached the sheath to her belt buckle as best she could.
"I'm pretty sure I have the hang of my voice in this world."
"Will it work with something that can't hear, or something that's really big?"
Gabriel slowed his pace. "I'm not sure. It made that creature in your workshop run away."
"There's something you need to see," Mira said. She moved in the direction that John had taken her. "Keep an eye on the ground. I think there are things running around in the grass."
They moved up the small rise and the city came into view.
"It seems so far away," Gabriel said. "At least when you think about traveling by foot."
"Never mind that," Mira said. "Look at the towers." She watched him, not wanting to see the city.
"We already know there's no glass."
Mira sighed and turned. It took her a moment to spot what John had showed her.
"Concentrate on the large, dark skyscraper on the left."
"What am I..." His mouth gaped.
"Do you see it?" Mira asked when he stopped talking.
"Is it a root?"
"It moves," Mira said. Only hints of movement between the skyscrapers could be seen.
Gabriel grabbed Mira's arm and yanked her back.
"What the—"
"
It's an interesting sight, isn't it?" John stood below them, about twenty yards away.
"Stay behind me," Gabriel said to Mira. Louder, he addressed John. "What is it?"
John shrugged. "Some call them monsters, some call them gods."
"But what is it?" Gabriel asked.
"Hungry," John said.
Mira looked around behind them, worried that something might try to sneak up from behind.
"Maybe we can make a deal," John continued. "Your witch for, say, six of mine."
“What are you talking about?" Gabriel asked.
"As a witch, she's easily worth six of mine, but to you, well, she's just one person. What's one person compared to six?"
"That's just twisted," Gabriel said. "Even for you."
"Is Tyler with them?" Mira called.
"He's not part of the deal," John said.
"Doesn't matter," Gabriel said. "There will be no trading people."
"It was worth a shot," John said. "In either my world or yours, I'll get the witch or more like her."
"Go away," Gabriel said. The pitch wasn't quite right for an order, but John disappeared around the side of the house. When it sounded like they were alone, Gabriel said, "Come on. We've got a long walk."
Mira took one last glance at the city, knowing they were moving toward the unknown monsters instead of away from them. John's offer had her worried, but she followed Gabriel without voicing them.
Six for one, Mira turned the idea over. It’s a deal in anyone’s math. Can I trade myself?
Lost in thought, Mira ignored the houses around them as they cut through yards that diminished in size with every street.
If she could get six people away, leaving her and Tyler together, she was sure they could work together to hold back the horde.
"You know people like him never stick to their word," Gabriel said, as if reading her mind.
"It's tempting to believe he would, isn't it?" She had meant it as a statement, but it didn't come out that way.
"Not really. You don't make deals with nut jobs, especially dead ones."
"They teach you that in police academy?" Mira asked.
"You bet. It was right up there with ‘how to cope when you grow wings’."
Mira tried to laugh, but it didn't work. "Are you upset that you found out? About the wings, that is."
Gabriel shrugged, which caused his wings to extend slightly. "It's easy to ignore the truth in our world. Well, at least the feathered part. In this place, I can't say they've been useful, but everything that comes with them helps in some way."
"I guess it's hard to ignore the supernatural when it's a part of your case."
"Yeah, I can’t wrap my brain around the magic part."
"And in our world, you’re also dealing with chasing me around, making sure I don't stub a toe. I imagine that makes it harder to ignore the supernatural."
"I think the danger has to be a bit bigger than that," Gabriel said.
"But still. Maybe while we're here you could fix it."
Gabriel was shaking his head before the words were all the way out. "Not a chance. I vowed to protect you, and I will, even if it means I have to put up with Harker."
"It doesn't seem fair to you."
"I don't think it's fair for anyone to have to put up with Harker."
"You know what I mean," Mira said, giving him a wry smile.
"It's not a bad thing. Not many people can say, 'I saved someone's life today'.”
"And yesterday and maybe again tomorrow."
"It seems like the bad karma is starting to wear off," Gabriel said. "Once we take care of John, maybe you'll be okay."
"And if I'm not?"
"Then we'll see a lot of each other." He appeared tense, but when he smiled at her, Mira couldn't help but smile back.
The screeching outcry thundered through the world once again. Mira covered her ears in useless defense. Gabriel did the same while looking around for the source of the noise. When he couldn't find the cause, he backed up close to Mira.
Sound rattled down to Mira's center and seemed to take root. When her ears told her the noise had stopped, her mind told her it continued.
"What was that?" Gabriel asked, his voice trembling.
Mira turned and got a face full of feathers. She backed up, looked at Gabriel, and backed up again so she could take the spectacle in all at once. His feathers had puffed up and out like a startled cat.
"What is it?" Gabriel asked, turning. "Do you know what made the noise?"
Her mouth opened and she snapped it shut again. He didn't seem to notice anything was wrong and it was... well, it was cute. It was something she'd never tell him to his face, but she wanted to run her hands through the fluffed-up feathers to see what it felt like.
"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked.
His concern snapped her out of it. "Fine. I'm fine. Sorry, I—" she cut off knowing he'd detect any lie. "I was taken off guard, is all. I think that noise came from the thing—whatever it is—in the city."
They couldn't see the skyscrapers from the street they were on, but they both stared in that direction.
"And here I was thinking this trip was going to be less terrifying than the first," Gabriel said.
"It'll be better when we find Tyler. He'll be able to help us," Mira said.
Gabriel gave her a sad look. "If Tyler’s here, he may have been here for more than a week."
"So? John said he was starting to recover." Mira wasn't about to mention what else John had said about Tyler. John had just been trying to scare her.
"A week in a hostile environment. We haven't seen any water here and we know what passes for food."
She knew he was right, but she couldn't let herself think about it. What would they have done to her if she'd been here for a week? Would she have even survived?
"Shit," Gabriel said. "I'm sorry, Mira, I just meant that you should brace yourself."
Mira sniffed and wiped away the tears she hadn't immediately noticed. "It's okay. This place just gets to you after a while."
Gabriel nodded, looking miserable. Mira bit her lip, trying to rein herself in, but she was having a hard time.
He moved closer. "He may be fine, what do I know?"
The ear-piercing noise ripped through the air once again. This time the ground shifted under their feet. Mira grabbed Gabriel's arm, her heart frozen in her chest, and she closed her eyes tightly until it passed.
By the time it was over, she was trembling. They both stood still, waiting for something else to happen. When seconds ticked by, Mira began to breathe a little easier. The shaking started again, not as hard this time, but enough to make them aware that the ground couldn't be counted on to stay in place.
Mira swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around Gabriel. They held each other tightly, providing what little comfort they could until long after the earth stilled below them.
Chapter 21
When the world was silent for more than a minute, Mira began to notice the comfort of Gabriel's arms around her. He had been gripping hold in terror, just like her.
Now, though, with their breathing starting to slow, it soothed her to hold him close. Neither of them moved for some time. Then, by some unspoken agreement, they parted. Unwilling to let go completely, Gabriel kept her hand in his.
"We should go," he said. Each word sounded like it cost him a lot.
She nodded, not wanting to say anything in fear that something else would go wrong.
He tugged gently and they moved off. They had only gone two blocks, walking between houses and through scraps of yard, when they neared a more industrial area. Gabriel let go of her hand, sword and shield appearing at the ready.
Mira saw nothing. Their way ahead was clear and nothing seemed to move.
"What is it?" Mira asked, keeping her voice low in case something listened.
"I'm not sure," Gabriel said. "Nothing specific yet. It just feels off."
They moved forward slowly. Mira listened
so hard that she felt even her own breathing was too loud. Her heart pounded in her ears, and more than anything, she wanted to grab hold of Gabriel. He provided a strength that she hadn't noticed until it was gone.
Mira repeatedly watched behind them. The haze didn't allow her to see far, but she felt sure the odd glow would reveal something if it moved. A clatter made her glance up. A long black bar hung out over the top of the roof, but nothing moved.
When she didn't see anything else, she closed the gap between herself and Gabriel, then put her hand firmly against his wing.
He stopped. Mira kept her eyes up, checking out the rooftops. Looking back, she didn't see the bar, but thought it might be farther back than she thought.
"Do you see anything?" Gabriel asked.
"I... I'm not sure."
He turned and followed her gaze. He started breathing heavy and looking from roof to roof, glancing down from time to time as well.
"We need to—"
A thin, reedy whistle sang through the area and the rooftops erupted.
Creatures large and small jumped, climbed, and fell from above. Mira froze in face of the onslaught, but Gabriel dodged past her and slashed at the first beasts that greeted them.
"Back up to the wall!" Gabriel shouted, trying to be heard over the shrill noises that the beasts made.
It was either do what he said or be run over as he backed up. Mira pulled out her athame and held it, hands shaking.
You need magic for crap like this, Mira cursed herself.
She remembered the one spell she had made before coming to the Ether that she’d never used. Spark. It was a stupid spell and she wouldn't even admit to having it ready, but it had helped her in an emergency. Maybe it could help with this one.
Mira dug around in her pockets until she pulled out the matchstick she had used to attach the spell to, thankfully still in her pocket. Gabriel had her backed into the wall and he was faring well, but there were hundreds of them in all shapes and sizes.
Twice now, Mira had heard him order the creatures away, but only a few fled each time. Mira searched from left to right finding the highest concentration of creatures.
"Don't look to the right," Mira said, hoping Gabriel could hear over the cacophony of sounds.
Mira closed her eyes—trusting Gabriel would do what he could to keep her safe—drew her power, said the words, broke the top off the matchstick with one finger, and then blew across the top of it.
Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Page 44
