Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1)

by Amanda Booloodian

  Not knowing what Levi was made the spell a little trickier than the one that she had used to hide herself from Gabriel, but it wasn't too different. The basics were all there.

  The first part of the spell did take about five minutes, just as she had anticipated. When she went quiet she began to draw invisible symbols into the carpet. As a witch, it only made sense that she would know how to hide someone from a witch. It wouldn't be perfect, but at least she'd have a starting place.

  Mira lost track of everything but the task at hand while she was surrounded by magic. She went through the remaining incantation. It wasn't until she was wrapping up that she realized the spell had taken longer and used more power than she had anticipated.

  After she dropped the circle, she stretched her stiff limbs. Eric was once again at the window.

  "Any news?" Mira asked.

  "Detective Flint is on his way here," Eric said.

  "He is? Did they find John?"

  "He wasn't there."

  Her hopes that the disaster would finally be over evaporated. "Well, at least everyone is safe."

  Eric didn't say anything.

  "Everyone is okay, right? I mean, if John wasn't there..."

  "Something else was there. Two men were injured, nothing serious."

  "What do you mean something else?"

  Chapter 18

  There was only one thing that came to mind when Mira thought of 'something else,' but she had to be wrong. More creatures from the Ether couldn’t be here.

  But she knew it was true, so she didn't ask the question.

  Instead, she began to clear away everything that she used for her spells and asked a different question. "Who was hurt?"

  "Two of Reinfield’s men," Eric said.

  Two more hurt because of me. "I'm sorry to hear that." She wouldn't look at Eric. She wasn't sure she could look any of Reinfield’s employees in the face right now. One dead, and three injured.

  "I need to take us live." Eric didn't wait for a response, but turned on the little device in his ear. He immediately began to talk, letting them know Mira was done.

  Mira began to bring her stuff to the bedroom. She had hoped to get a little space, but Eric followed just as closely as he always did. Wordlessly, she stored the supplies. It felt strange to have some of them out in the open, but there were no hiding places in Gabriel's house.

  Spark was in her pocket. Since the nightmare wasn't over, she had a feeling her spell wouldn’t leave her side, even when she slept.

  "Detective Flint has been dropped off out front," Eric said.

  Mira hurried out of the room and met Gabriel in the living room as he walked in the door. Without even thinking about it, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged as though he might try to leave again. Gabriel returned the gesture, but not with as much enthusiasm as she expected.

  She pulled back and looked him over. The erratic power that had been around was still there.

  "What happened?" Mira asked.

  "He didn’t show up," Gabriel said.

  "I gathered that, but what happened?"

  Gabriel glanced at Eric but didn't seem inclined on sending the guard away. "Two creatures from the Ether were there."

  Mira gripped his arm. Hearing the truth forced her to face the reality of what Eric had said earlier.

  "You should get some rest."

  "Yeah, like that's going to happen."

  Gabriel ran his hand through his hair and stepped away. "You should at least try."

  Emmit's words before he left waved a flag in her mind. "We should talk."

  "Not tonight." The erratic energy seemed to get stronger.

  Mira sat down on the couch, ignoring him. "Those things. Are they dead?"

  "Yes. You don't have to worry about them."

  Alchemy and Oracle jumped on the couch. Oracle planted himself on Mira's lap while Alchemy sat rigidly beside her.

  Mira absentmindedly scratched Oracle behind the ears. "Does anyone know how they got through?"

  "No."

  "Did Emmit say—"

  "Look, if Harker knows something, he's not telling anyone," Gabriel snapped.

  Alchemy's hair stood on end and he hissed at Gabriel while Oracle moved to perch himself next to his brother.

  Gabriel looked at them in surprise before sinking down in a chair opposite Mira. "Sorry. I'm just frustrated. I thought this would all be over tonight."

  "Me, too," Mira admitted. "But I'm glad you're not hurt."

  "Not everyone was so lucky."

  "I heard." Not able to look at Gabriel due to her own guilt, she concentrated on the cats, who appeared calmer, but still ill-at-ease. Mira's guilt only grew while Gabriel stayed silent. "Do you think those things came through in my shop because you and I ended up there the first time we left the Ether?"

  "It's possible."

  "So Lance's house may have issues as well." Mira glanced up at Eric, not willing to say more with him in the room.

  "I'm more worried about Barney's apartment."

  "Is someone watching it?"

  "They are now. Barney's place, your shop and apartment, and this house."

  "And my family?" Mira looked again at Eric.

  It was Gabriel that answered. "Someone is looking out for them and Tyler."

  Mira looked down at her hands and tried not to get upset. "This is such a mess."

  "Can you give us a minute?" Gabriel asked quietly.

  She looked up in time to see Chris move into the kitchen and tried to force a smile when Gabriel sat down next to her. The cats stared at him, their tails flicking anxiously.

  "It is a mess." He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. "That's what has me frustrated. Mostly, anyway."

  Finally giving their blessing, Alchemy and Oracle jumped off the couch. Oracle rubbed against Gabriel's leg before they disappeared.

  "Mostly?" Mira asked.

  Gabriel grimaced. "I'm such a hypocrite."

  "Meaning?"

  "I don't want anything to do with being an angel until I want to use it. I spent the entire night trying to step away from that part of myself, only to end the night trying to make the whole supernatural stuff work."

  "You used your voice on the creatures?"

  "I tried to. I only ended up feeling like an idiot for thinking it would work here."

  Mira bit her lip and hesitated before taking the plunge. "It will work here. I'm sure of that."

  "What makes you think that?"

  "I've seen it."

  "When Harker was sending me to the Ether? That doesn't really count since I was part-way there already."

  "Not just then. You've helped me with it." When she saw Gabriel about to argue, she rushed on, "I've sensed it, too. Loads of times. It's as though the power builds up around you, but isn't directed or aimed."

  Gabriel seemed to think that over.

  "It happens a lot when you argue with Emmit."

  "Well, I wouldn't want to actually do anything to him. I can't stand the guy, but like it or not, we need him."

  "He likes you," Mira said.

  Gabriel snorted.

  "No, really. He's worried about you."

  "Even if my powers did work over here, they’re not going to if I spend all my time ignoring the fact that I'm not who I thought I was."

  Mira was willing to let the subject of Emmit drop. "You are, though. You still don't get it. Nothing about you has changed. You're still the same person, you just know a little more about yourself."

  Gabriel hugged her closer. "Maybe."

  "It's true. If I decided today to give up witchcraft, I'd still be me, right?"

  He smiled down at her. "Yeah. You'd still be you."

  Mira beamed, thinking maybe, just maybe, he'd get past this hurdle.

  Then he kissed her, and all thoughts of angels and witches flew from her mind. Mira melded to Gabriel. Their lips pressed together gently at first. She felt his hands on her skin under her shirt and she breathed deeply, fee
ling some of the tension unwind.

  Gabriel increased the urgency of the kiss as a tingling fire built in Mira. She let herself be pushed down on the couch, Gabriel over her. When he pressed into her she craved the feeling and wanted more.

  Shattering glass yanked them out of their haze of lust. Mira was just taking in the fact that the front window was broken as she noticed the bottle which had broken it.

  Gabriel's mind was clearly working much faster than hers. He yanked her to her feet and pushed her toward the kitchen as the curtains caught aflame.

  "Eric!" Gabriel hollered into the house.

  There was a deafening crash from the back of the house, which rattled the whole structure.

  A guttural screech came from one of the bedrooms.

  Mira's breath caught in her throat. “What the hell—"

  "I didn't have any idea this was coming," Gabriel said, interrupting her.

  The sound of breaking glass nearby grabbed their attention. A sickly green talon grasped hold of the door frame to her bedroom. What emerged could have been something almost human, if not for the color and lack of hands.

  Eric shot it three times in what might have been a chest, and the creature crumpled to the ground.

  Flames were beginning to billow in earnest from the living room. Mira sensed some magic at play, but she couldn't tell if the magic was creating the fire or just egging it on.

  "Garage," Gabriel said.

  "It's too close to the fire," Mira said. "Magic's fueling it."

  "Dammit!" Gabriel clenched his fist into a tight ball.

  Eric grabbed Mira's arm and pulled her farther into the house. The smell of burnt tar began to fill the air. Her mouth went dry when they approached the wounded creature as it twitched on the ground. Eric added another bullet to its head before stepping over the figure. Sluggish dark fluid was leaking out onto Gabriel's floors.

  Mira jumped when Eric fired more shots into the house. His hulking form hid whatever he was firing at, but the shriek that followed indicated he had hit his target. He rushed into the spare bedroom, quickly assessed the area and dragged Mira in behind him.

  Gabriel followed and slammed the door shut, gun in hand.

  Mira scanned the room herself. Her heart raced and her chest threatened to seize up. But in this room, she was surrounded by magic—her magic. She began running through possibilities, but then she froze.

  "Alchemy and Oracle," Mira squeaked. "Oh my god." She moved to the door, not even thinking about what might be on the other side.

  Eric slipped a new clip into place and grabbed her arm. "Don't even think about it."

  Mira's eyes bulged and filled with tears. She began to shake and looked toward Gabriel, who was already opening the door, inspecting the hall.

  Gabriel checked one way, then opened the door wider to check the other way. Mira called for Alchemy and Oracle. Gabriel fired twice while Mira's frantic cats ran under his legs into the room and straight under the bed.

  Gabriel fired again before slamming the door shut. "How in the hell did these things get here?"

  He wasn't asking anyone, but Eric replied anyway. "I'm getting no response from outside. More people are on their way."

  Mira covered her mouth. "The guards are—"

  "Not responding," Eric said.

  A voice called out from somewhere else inside the house, "My lucky day!" All noise sounded muffled through the walls. "I followed an angel and found he has my witch."

  "Can you get her safely out of here?" Gabriel whispered to Eric.

  "I'm not going anywhere without you," Mira whispered as forcefully as she could while trying not to let anyone outside the room hear.

  "I can't ensure anything until backup arrives," Eric said, ignoring her. "There's no way to know what the situation looks outside."

  "How far away are they?" Gabriel asked.

  "Three minutes," Eric said. "My best guess is that the police are seven minutes away."

  The doorknob turned. Gabriel pushed against the door and fastened the lock.

  "From the Ether, I've seen the doors that houses have in this age." John's voice was quiet, almost thoughtful. Louder, he added, "Give me the witch and I'll spare the rest of you."

  "Not a chance," Gabriel said.

  "He's not going to give up," Mira said.

  Gabriel looked at her. She couldn't tell if he was alarmed or startled, but he moved to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

  Eric moved between them and the door.

  She felt better with Gabriel close by. They had survived worse than this. Together, they could make it through.

  The door slammed open. Eric opened fire.

  Mira caught sight of a beast with tufts of fur matted randomly around its body. It roared and disappeared.

  "There will be a car out front in less than a minute," Eric said.

  Gabriel pulled Mira over to a window and opened it, pushing out the screen.

  He looked around outside and jerked his head up when Eric started shooting again.

  "When you hit the ground, run for the street," Gabriel said. "Don't stop for anything."

  "I'll wait for you," Mira said.

  "No. Just run. I'll be behind you."

  Mira bit her lip and nodded. She glanced nervously at Eric as he stepped out into the hallway. Shaking, she sat on the window sill and let Gabriel lower her the few feet to the ground.

  "Come on," she hissed.

  Gabriel had one leg out the window. "Dammit, Mira, run to the car!"

  She turned and ran as though demons were chasing her.

  Maybe they are.

  She heard noises behind her and shots from outside the house. There were sirens in the distance. She tried to turn and see what was behind her but found she couldn't.

  Fury took hold, trying to nudge fear out of its way. Gabriel had made her run.

  Out in the front yard, there were four armed men approaching the house. They stepped aside as she ran past them and to the truck waiting at the street.

  It was only then that she could stop and turn. She saw Reinfield's men rounding the corner of the house. The front was engulfed in flames.

  Someone grabbed Mira's arm and pulled her into the backseat of the SUV.

  "Wait! Gabriel's coming!" Mira screeched when the door was shut.

  The truck started moving before she could reach the door handle.

  "Wait!"

  Something pinched her shoulder while she tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge.

  Mira's world began to spin as she watched the fire fade away behind her.

  Chapter 19

  Mira woke up to the sound of Emmit yelling. Despite feeling like she had been raked over hot coals, she smiled. Only Gabriel made him yell like that.

  Sitting up was a chore, but she forced herself all the way to her feet. The fact that she was in Emmit's apartment wasn't a surprise. The fact that she was alone, however, was.

  It also made her nervous. She'd seen all the things that go bump in the night and knew enough to be scared. Tiptoeing down the hall, she sought out Emmit.

  One man stood outside the door to the library.

  When he noticed her, he stood up straighter and tapped his ear. "You don't want to go in there."

  "I need to see them."

  The man shook his head.

  "Is Eric okay?" Mira asked.

  "He will be."

  Mira didn't press, not yet wanting to know how bad it was. What she needed more than anything was to see Gabriel.

  She opened the door and poked her head inside. The two men didn't appear to notice her arrival. She closed the door softly behind her and looked around the room, not taking in what the argument was about. It was between Emmit and Reinfield.

  Mira's heart tried to seize up as her gaze darted around the room. She didn't see him.

  "Is Gabriel..." She couldn't say dead. The words wouldn't leave her mouth.

  They stopped arguing but continued to glare at each other. />
  "They have him," Emmit said.

  The words made Mira lightheaded. She sunk into a chair, not wanting anyone to notice that she was so unsteady.

  "You shouldn't be up," Emmit said. "The doctor is on his way."

  Mira shook her head. "I don't need to see a doctor. I need to see Gabriel. What happened?"

  Emmit hesitated—something she’d only rarely witnessed.

  "Don't lie to me or tell me to go away," Mira said before he could respond. "I want to know what happened. This time I am demanding an answer from you."

  Emmit's lips twitched as though frustrated, but trying to hide it. "And if I refuse?"

  The room seemed to grow darker, and shadows spread thickly out of the corners.

  Mira glared at him and stood up. "Try me."

  She had no idea what she could do. She had Spark with her, a spell that hides someone from witches, and Gabriel's feathers. Nothing that would hurt Emmit in the slightest.

  "Knock it off," Reinfield snapped.

  Emmit blinked and glared at him, but the darkness in the room seemed to dissipate. Mira tried not to let out a sigh of relief. Emmit could probably snap her in two if he wanted, spells or not.

  "Gabriel was followed home," Reinfield said. "At least, as far as we can tell he was."

  "The house was guarded," Mira said. "Inside and out."

  "That was my first point as well," Emmit said.

  Reinfield shrugged, not looking the least abashed. "My team is only human."

  Mira wanted to yell and rage at the man. And she saw Emmit's face grow redder, she guessed that he already had.

  "Were the guards hurt?" Mira asked.

  "Only one man outside was injured. The rest were just knocked out. We think it was magic. We'll know for sure when they wake up."

  Mira's eyes narrowed. "Speaking of knocked out, how in the hell did I end up here?"

  Reinfield shifted. "That was an unfortunate necessity with police arriving."

  "Necessity?" Mira glared at the man. "I don't think so. They drugged me. If anything like that happens again, someone is going to pay, karma be dammed." She wanted to shake Emmit—aggravated by his seemingly passive attitude to her being drugged.