Before she realized it, Mira needed to dry her eyes. She put a cold damp cloth on them for a few minutes and tried to shift her train of thought away from that great chasm of dreariness. It was time to pull herself back together.
There had to be a reason, a real reason, that Mr. Singer was doing this. He wasn't telling her everything, but he had sent her for the book.
When she wandered out of the bathroom, she was surprised to still find herself alone. The book waited for her, so she flopped down on the bed next to it and started to read.
Dull. That was her first impression. It was also her second and third. It was written like a legal document, except without the legalese.
The person or persons implicated must have committed a breach that threatens exposure or is deemed inappropriate by the witches local or at large. Once a transgression is suspected the accused can be shunned without evidence for no longer than one lunar cycle.
The book droned on and on. The witches’ conclave had pummeled down each tradition, exception, and clause, and forced them to work together. Mira had expected to find out what it was she was supposed to be doing, but it appeared to be the one thing they left out. The only hint was on the marked page.
Once the accused is officially shunned, all witches must disregard the person or persons. Until the tribunal has gathered, the accused's existence is not to be realized. The local power has the authority to alter the severity of this action in extreme circumstances.
Mira sniffed and closed the book with a snap. She knew that you had to ignore someone shunned, but according to this, Mira no longer existed in the eyes of the witches. Unless Ian or Gabriel were around, which somehow made it worse.
Why in the hell should I bother to help if I don't exist? Why should I risk more negative karmic buildup?
Her heart felt squeezed. Then Mira thought about her mother. Even if she was found innocent at the tribunal, she'd never hear the end of it. And her dad, he must have been so disappointed in her at that point.
Seeing the severity of the protocols, Mira was surprised Robin had reached out to her at all. Her sister was straight and narrow, especially when it came to witchcraft, but Robin was willing to stand by Mira.
Mira toyed with the idea of opening the book again, to see what happens when a shunned is allowed back into the fold, but it seemed as though the book already wanted the shunned to be non-existent.
I haven't done anything wrong. The idea burned through her and she snatched the book up, ready to throw it across the room. As she heaved the book back, a memory of Chris popped into her mind. He didn't seem like the type of guy to quickly forgive damage to one of his books.
Mira tried to rein in her frustrations and tossed the book gently on the bedside table. Looking around the room only aggravated her more. Home was where she belonged, not in Emmit's towering apartment.
But home was no longer safe. The people after her wouldn't ignore her existence. In fact, they'd use the shunning to their advantage if they discovered it.
Maybe magic would make her feel better. Chris had mentioned that even with the full thirteen they may not be able to bind her power. It was hers, and since she no longer existed, they couldn't even try to take it away until the trial.
Mira may not be able to live at her apartment, but she planned on visiting. It was time to get back to what she was good at.
***
As Mira got ready the next day, she marveled that she’d woken up alone in her room. She had assumed one of Reinfield's men would have entered in the night. When she was ready to face the day, she found someone waiting for her in the hallway.
Mira couldn't remember the man's name, so settled for, "Good morning."
"Good morning, ma'am. If there is anything you need assistance with, please let me know."
"The only thing I need right now is breakfast." When Mira moved toward the kitchen, the man followed, but not as closely as many of the others, for which Mira was grateful.
They had just reached the door to the kitchen when cold energy began to erratically vibrate the air. Mira gripped her stomach and abandoned the thought of breakfast. Frowning, she moved to the living room.
For once, she wasn't greeted by raised voices with Emmit and Gabriel, but the men were definitely clashing.
"If I could have persuaded them, I would have already done so," Emmit said.
"You should try anyway," Gabriel said.
"What's going on this time?" Mira asked.
The two eased back from one another and the charged atmosphere began to diminish.
Emmit glanced up at Mira's guard and motioned the man away.
"I was trying to explain to Gabriel that the witches are not going to listen to me in this situation," Emmit said.
"What situation?" Mira asked.
"Yours," Gabriel said. "He could at least try to talk them around."
"What's done is done," Mira said, trying not to get upset at the reminder. "Leave the witches alone. To them, I don't exist."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Gabriel asked.
Mira shrugged. "I have no idea, but they'll meet fairly soon and it can get sorted out then."
"If you two will excuse me," Emmit said, "I have a busy day ahead of me."
"A busy day starting with us," Gabriel said.
Emmit raised an eyebrow and waited for an explanation.
"We have some questions to ask you," Gabriel said.
Mira hadn't noticed it happen, but once the two had stopped arguing, Emmit moved closer to Gabriel. Now he stood less than arm’s length away. Gabriel was giving Emmit a cross look, but Gabriel didn't move.
"I'm sure we can make an appointment—"
"We really need to ask you some things," Mira cut in.
Agitation marred Emmit's face as he glared at Mira. "I did tell you before that people usually don't demand answers from me."
"But we are," Mira said, meeting and matching his aggravation, borrowing on the anger that had built up the previous night.
Emmit's face grew darker. "I don't see a reason—"
Gabriel stepped between them and crossed his arms. "Don't be an ass."
Emmit's eyes narrowed in on Gabriel. The room was still for the length of a breath before Emmit recomposed his expressionless face.
"Very well. This goes both ways, of course," Emmit said.
"What do you mean?" Mira asked.
"Neither of you has told me what happened the last time you were in the Ether."
Chapter 6
"You're living in this building, and you never talked to him about it?" Gabriel asked, turning to Mira.
"Every time it was brought up, I got so ticked off that I never really said much," Mira admitted. "I figured he'd ask you, since I didn't tell him."
"Understandable," Gabriel said, "but still, the building may not be safe."
"Why wouldn't it be?" Emmit asked.
"The Ether isn't the same thing as this world," Mira said. "I didn't think what was happening there would matter."
"It probably doesn't," Gabriel said.
"There is not much in the Ether that can affect our world," Emmit said.
"The earthquakes and the heat wave weren't exactly a coincidence," Gabriel said.
"I said there isn't much that can affect us," Emmit said. "There are some ways for that world to project onto ours."
"See!" Gabriel snapped. "It's stuff like that that tells me there's a whole lot you aren't saying, and we need to know."
"The things I know have no bearing on your case," Emmit said.
"How can you be sure?" Gabriel asked.
Emmit rubbed his temple. "The Ether is another world. Your case should remain firmly in this one."
"Not if we've ended up there twice already," Mira reasoned. "No one has gone into the Ether for centuries, and we've been there twice in the space of a couple of weeks. We need to know what you know."
Emmit sighed and flopped down into a chair. It was such a rare departure from his usual po
ised self that Mira almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
"You are not the first in centuries to go into the Ether. You're not even the first this year," Emmit said. "Please sit."
Mira took a seat, but it took a minute before Gabriel relaxed enough to join her on the couch. Mira could almost imagine him adjusting his wings as he rolled his shoulders before sitting.
"What I tell you is not to go beyond these walls," Emmit said. "Each of you must swear that you will not impart this information to anyone else. Not even your partner."
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I swear."
Mira watched Emmit as he shook his head disparagingly at Gabriel. She had sworn to keep one of Emmit's secrets before, but Gabriel had forced the information out of her, through no fault of her own. Nothing had happened when she’d broken her promise.
Except the buildup of negative karma. After a few moments of contemplation, she dismissed the thought. She had done so much in the last two weeks that could cause bad karma that she couldn't blame it on breaking her promise to Emmit.
Still, it was something she wanted to think through, just in case.
"I'm afraid that isn't good enough," Emmit said to Gabriel. "Making a pact with a supernatural can be very different from making a promise to a human."
"How so?" Gabriel asked.
"Look at Ian," Mira said, still thinking over her decision. "He's bound by his promise to me."
"So, Emmit's going to bind us?" Gabriel asked.
"Not exactly," Mira said. "Although that is always a possibility that you should consider before promising a supernatural anything. Other things are possible as well, depending on the supernatural you're dealing with."
"Supernaturals also take their promises more seriously," Emmit said. "Much like what Mira is doing now, they think things through before agreeing. It goes back to the days where knowing supernatural secrets could get you tortured or killed—if you were lucky."
"That's lucky?" Gabriel asked.
Emmit shrugged. "It depends on the alternatives. Since you are unfamiliar with the idea, follow Mira's lead."
When it came down to it, it was information Mira really needed to know. "I swear on my name and my family."
"That is a shortened version of a very old pact between supernaturals," Emmit said. "Basically, it means that if Mira breaks the promise, there will be consequences for her and her family."
Mira had never thought of it that way, but Emmit was right. The bad karma would be magnified and spread around. In centuries past, one supernatural may harm or kill another if they broke the promise. That was, if the secret sharer survived once others knew their secret.
Gabriel looked from one to the other. "That seems a little extreme."
"And yet, for many races it's vital that their secrets are kept," Emmit said.
"I get it." Gabriel appeared to mull the idea over and looked to Mira. Mira gave a small nod of encouragement. "Fine, I swear on my name and my family."
Emmit settled back into his chair and steepled his hands. "As I said, you were not the first to walk the Ether recently."
When his silence lasted too long, Mira pressed, "How do you know?"
"It is the reason I'm here," Emmit said. "It is also why I needed you to create the spell for me recently."
"Okay," Mira said, "but how did you know someone else was there? Did someone call and tell you?"
"The Ether is a world balanced on a knife blade. Changes can cause drastic effects. Myself, and those of my family, can sense when something occurs in the Ether and destroys the equilibrium."
So, this is one of the secrets of the Harkers'. No wonder he is always adamant that no one find out.
"Has the Ether always been so unsteady?" Mira asked.
Emmit nodded once. "I know what you are thinking and yes, centuries ago something happened that nearly destroyed the world."
"What happened?" Mira asked.
"That is definitely not relevant to the here and now," Emmit said. "The Ether settled into a new rhythm and it is what you have recently seen."
"You came into town because of the Ether," Gabriel said. “You arrived around the time the murders started."
"About a week before they started," Emmit said.
"That looks pretty suspicious," Gabriel said.
"I can see how it would have been easy to tie the murders to my arrival, but the cause started before I arrived," Emmit said. "I was unaware of them until Mira's friend was taken. But, speaking of the murders are getting ahead of ourselves, I think."
"Go on, then," Mira said.
"Not long after my arrival, I discovered that someone had tried to clean the Ether."
"Did you go there?" Mira asked.
"If I entered the Ether I would never be able to return," Emmit said. "It is essentially a death sentence that would last an eternity."
"Death usually lasts that long," Gabriel said.
"What I mean," Emmit said, "is it would take that long for me to die. It would be a slow process."
Mira wrinkled her nose. His description made her wonder if Tyler had been going through something similar.
"How I learned is not important,” Emmit said. "Although, the end result was what caused me to seek out Mira's help. I didn't know about the first death at the time."
"Because?" Mira pressed.
"I can't be certain since I haven't spoken to all those involved—this is conjecture only. Once the witches tried to clean the Ether the veil between the worlds became soft. Malleable, even."
"How do you know it was witches?" Mira asked. "Have you figured out who it was?"
"There are very few that could cross the border between our worlds," Emmit said. "The only groups with motive to do so would be the witches and the humans, but witches are the only ones with the ability. Anyway, because of the interference of the witches, I believe a group of misguided people were able to contact the other side."
"Using Barney?" Mira asked.
"There are other ways," Emmit said, "but it is probable that they went through Barney."
"If witches went to the Ether and saw the creatures there, why would they try to contact them again," Mira asked.
"John was human," Gabriel said. "So it was the humans that contacted the other side, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Emmit said. "The witches went to the Ether, weakening the path between worlds. It was the humans that reached out."
"Why would anyone want to clean the Ether?" Mira asked. "Why risk it with all those things there?"
"I doubt they saw any right away," Emmit said. "The people on the other side usually keep distance between themselves."
"But whatever the witches were doing drew them together?" Gabriel asked.
"Possibly, but I think the witches stepping into the Ether was enough to attract the attention of those that live there," Emmit said.
"Those things were what killed the witches a long time ago, weren't they?" Mira asked.
"Yes, and no," Emmit said, "but we should stick with the present. With the people on the other side gathered together and with the way to our world reestablished, they reached out to the humans, probably through Barney."
"Why didn’t they contact the witches?" Mira asked. "They were the ones actually going into the Ether."
Emmit hesitated. "The people on the other side wouldn't want to work with witches. It's also possible that they needed a certain type of mind. I guess they found that in John."
"And they got him to kill people?" Gabriel asked.
"Sacrifice, yes," Emmit said.
Gabriel's voice grew louder. "How could you think that wasn't related to the case?"
"There is nothing about what I am telling you that could help with your case. As I said, your job should stay firmly in this world."
"That's not up to you," Gabriel said with a barb in each word.
"Let's move on," Mira interrupted "Why sacrifices?"
"My guess would be the energy involved," Emmit said. "With enough blood,
it's possible to push the energy through to the other side."
"Why do they need it?” Gabriel asked. "We've seen what they eat—and it's not energy."
Emmit shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "I've never seen the people from the other side, but I've heard them described numerous times."
"Numerous?" Mira asked.
"This is not the first time that witches have tried to access the Ether in my lifetime," Emmit said. "Nor is it the first time they've succeeded."
"I was always told that witches destroyed everything they knew about going to the Ether," Mira said.
"All witches are told that," Emmit said. "But it's difficult to wipe something like that out completely. There are always old grimoires being found. A few families also kept hold of the information and passed it down through the years in the hopes of gaining access again."
"Why, though?" Mira asked. "Why would anyone want to go there?"
"Have you performed any magic since you've returned from the Ether this time?" Emmit asked.
"No," she said, feeling a blush creep up. Her last spell had killed so many on the other side.
"While you were there, did you use any?" Emmit asked.
This time Mira glared at him. "I didn't have much of a choice."
"Magic is much stronger there," Emmit said, ignoring her angst. "It deteriorates quickly, but while you have it, it's powerful. Not all of that goes away when you return. After your first visit to the Ether, did you notice the change when you returned?"
Mira remembered Della's response to the increase in power when Mira cast a spell.
Mira shrugged. "I didn't think much about it, since I didn't do much magic."
"You burned down a church," Emmit said.
"It wasn't a real church," Mira muttered.
"Why did they move to kidnapping people?" Gabriel asked.
"They specifically started kidnapping witches, and they will continue to do so." Emmit raised a hand as Gabriel attempted to respond. "Which you and your partner had already considered might happen. So again, it has no bearing on your case."
Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Page 54
