She walked around it, stepping into the bathroom, and immediately regretted it. The scent of blood still hung in the air like a fog. Seeing it splattered against the walls like red paint reminded her of that crazy, old vampire Bram and his little basement of horrors. A shudder ran down her spine and she turned away. Even if there was a scent hidden under all that blood, she’d never be able to find it.
“Who would do something like this?” Tommy asked quietly from the doorway of the bedroom.
“I don’t know. Let’s search the rest of the house. There’s nothing that can help us in here.”
Tommy didn’t argue, gladly retreating back into the hall ahead of her. She took a deep breath of clean air as soon as she was a few feet away from the scene of the murder. The lingering smell of blood was still there, at the back of her throat, but it was better out here.
“We should check downstairs,” Amber said, wanting to put more distance between herself and the carnage in that bathroom.
“Sure, maybe the murderer came in through the front door. The police didn’t find any sign of forced entry. According to the news at least.” Tommy jogged ahead of her, skipping over the bloody footprints.
They spent a few minutes sniffing around downstairs, coming up with absolutely nothing new.
“She’s got to be erasing her scent somehow. Elves always smell like flowers and dirt, it’d be obvious if someone besides police had been in here,” Amber said, sighing in frustration.
They heard the car turning into the driveway at the same time.
Tommy froze, looking at her with wide eyes. “We can’t go out the front door.”
“Back upstairs, now.” They’d gotten too cocky and let their guard down. She pushed Tommy ahead of her and sprinted up the stairs after him.
They made it just around the corner when the front door swung open. It was too late to get out of the house. If they opened the window now it’d make noise. They were stuck.
Frantically searching for a hiding spot, she decided on a guest bedroom and shoved Tommy inside, scrambling in after him. She held her breath as she strained her ears for another sound. The voice grew louder, their footsteps drawing closer to her and Tommy.
After a moment, the voice became clear. It was Agent Horan. She was surprised he was here considering he was supposed to be meeting with Genevieve in about an hour –– she was the first of the pack that would have to be interrogated.
“You’re going to have to move faster. I can only drag this out for so much longer. It was hard enough to clear this crime scene out today.” Horan paused for a long moment. “No, that’s not good enough. Have it by this weekend or I’m out.”
Tommy’s hand tightened on her arm.
“This conversation is pointless. Do what you were hired to do or neither of us will be getting paid. I’m dealing with my problem. You need to deal with yours.”
Amber frowned. If he was talking to Carter, did that mean both of them were being paid by someone to make them look guilty?
“Yeah, I’ve got it. The forensics team is going over the place again tomorrow. They’ll find it then. Now, stop worrying about what I’m doing, and take care of your end of the deal.” Horan ended the call, muttering insults to himself as he moved something heavy in the bedroom Laurel was killed in. After a brief moment of silence, he grunted, moving the heavy thing back. “I better get that bonus.”
With an annoyed sigh, he tromped out of the room and back toward the stairs. Amber slumped in relief against the wall. That had been way too close for comfort.
She and Tommy waited in the empty room until they heard him driving away, then cautiously slipped back into the hallway. Once again, the house was empty.
“I’m starting to feel like I’m in a corny filler episode of Werespy,” Tommy muttered as they walked back to the murder scene.
“Did you actually watch that show?” Amber asked with a laugh, the adrenaline giving her energy she had no outlet for. “It was so bad.”
“Hey, it’s a classic,” Tommy objected, his nose twitching as he tried to sniff out where Horan had been in the room.
She snorted. “I don’t think a soapy spy drama that was cancelled after one and a half seasons can be called a classic.”
Tommy glared at her but didn’t bother trying to argue. “He left it behind the dresser.”
They moved it with little effort. Sometimes she forgot how much extra strength being a werewolf gave her. It was just normal now.
She crouched down by the dresser. Half of a flower preserved in resin was laying on the floor as if it had been broken and knocked under the dresser during a struggle.
“What is it?” Tommy asked.
“I have no clue, but he planted it here, so it can’t be good. I’m taking it.” She picked it up carefully, turning it over in her hand. It had broken near the top, ripping the bloom in half. Horan was clearly trying to frame someone for this…but who?
Chapter 36
Ceri
Ceri stood just inside the circle, her hands held out over the silver bowl of water. Velgo and Ithra stood in two connected circles, chanting quietly in Latin. Spells were most powerful when cast by witches in groups that were prime numbers. Three, five, seven, etc. Adding Xenya as the fourth would have weakened them.
The world fell away as she sank into the spell. Her heartbeat synced up with the steady rhythm of the chants. With each inhale, she let her magic fill her body a little more.
When she had cast spells with her coven, each of them had controlled the flow of their own magic. This was vastly different. Witches all had a deep well of magic, the trolls, however, seemed to be a conduit. She drew the magic through them from the earth itself. It allowed her greater individual control but would never give her the power a real coven would provide.
She pushed away the doubt. It would be enough for this. She had enough magic within herself and the pack to break the curse if she could complete this spell.
“Saturo.”
Their magic seeped into the water. It darkened. The surface rippled in agitation. Her lips continued forming the words of the chant but all her attention was on the scrying bowl. Slowly, the water lifted from the bowl, spreading out above it in a thin disc.
Tendrils rose from the surface, winding together to form legs, then a torso. As Deward took shape, the echo of him began to move. Sharp, jerky movements as though he was fighting someone. Red seeped into the figure’s outstretched hands, dripping back down into the scrying water.
Her vision stuttered and shifted, drawing closer and closer to Deward until he was all she could see. With one final push, she was within him, seeing out of his eyes. It was blurry and everything seemed too slow.
He looked down at his hands covered in blood.
Hurry, a harsh whisper came from behind him.
The hands moved. The feet moved. She saw an elf, darkness folded around her like a shroud, beckoning him to follow.
Lies and tricks. It is hidden, the harsh voice said again, frustration clear in their tone.
We must find it. The words rumbled out of Deward’s chest this time.
The figure ahead of him stopped and turned on Deward. Someone watches.
The other person drew nearer, pale eyes shining from within the shroud of darkness. They looked into Deward. Into her.
Get out.
Ceri dug in, pouring more power into the spell. She wasn’t leaving until she was ready.
It is not time yet.
Pure, furious magic hit her. She fell to her knees, fingers clawing the floor as she gasped for air.
“No!” she screamed, clinging to the spell with all the magic and stubbornness she could bring to bear. She wouldn’t lose like this. Not again. “Show yourself!”
She wanted to see her enemy. She was sick of fighting the unseen. Sick of battling against darkness she didn’t understand.
It is not time yet.
A wave of magic even stronger than the last hit her and the spell shattered. The
scrying water exploded, raining down on everyone in the room.
Ceri lay on the floor, tears mixed with the cold water running into her eyes.
“Ceri!” Ithra cried, dropping to her knees beside her. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head but found herself unable to move. Her body ached as though she’d been physically hit.
“What happened?” Velgo demanded as he rolled her over and helped her sit up.
Her teeth chattered as she tried to recover from the shock of that much magic battering her mind. “The elf. She––she forced me out. But I saw him.”
“Deward is alive?” Ithra asked, emotion showing in her voice for the first time.
She nodded. “But he’s helping the elf. I don’t understand why. Must be––must be mind control or something else.”
“Do you know where he is?” Ithra asked.
“No,” she shook her head. “But they killed someone. There was blood…on his hands.”
Ithra stood abruptly and walked to the other side of the room, her back to the others. “We have to stop him. He would not want to be a part of this.”
Ceri let Velgo help her to her feet. “This is still a rescue mission, Ithra. If this elf is controlling him somehow, then we can save him. We can break her power over him.”
Ithra nodded but still looked upset. Ceri could hardly blame her. Even if they did rescue Deward, it was likely he had just killed someone. There may not be a happy ending to this and everyone in the room was smart enough to understand that.
She couldn’t justify using blood magic to track down Selena, but in this moment she was sorely tempted to use it to find Deward. He didn’t deserve any of this.
Chapter 37
Genevieve
Dressed in her best suit, with her hair arranged in a neat french twist, Genevieve felt as ready as she could for this interrogation. They called it an interview but she knew better.
She was glad she was the first to go though. After this, she’d be able to coach the others on what to expect and how to handle the questions. She’d also be attending as their lawyer, which the agents legally had to allow. Luckily, she was also going to have some help today.
“You really didn’t have to do this,” she said.
Her boss waved a hand at her. “One of the perks of working for a law firm is an excellent defense team at your beck and call. Besides, it counts toward my pro bono.”
Genevieve laughed and pulled open the door to the MIB office. It was a big building but not a pretty one. They’d built it to be functional, so it was boxy and gray.
The inside wasn’t any better. Dull, burnt orange carpet muffled their steps as they walked to the receptionist desk. The walls were beige –– an unfortunate shade that looked dirty rather than neutral, though that could have been the glare of the fluorescent lighting reflecting off the carpet.
She smiled at the woman sitting behind the desk and got a blank look in return. “Genevieve Bisset, here for my appointment with Agents Icewind and Horan along with my lawyer, Ms. Susan Lau.”
“IDs,” the woman replied, holding out her hand. Once they’d both dug them out of their purses, she scanned them, then printed out temporary visitor passes they had to pin to their chests. “That way, third floor.” She pointed toward some elevators to their left.
“Thank you,” Genevieve said politely, not bothering to smile this time.
“Friendly bunch, aren’t they?” Susan said as they walked away.
“Apparently.”
Her boss had intimidated her when she’d first met her. She was gorgeous in a stop-and-stare kind of way, with sleek black hair and a slender frame. The more they’d worked together, the more she’d come to appreciate her intelligence and sharp wit. Susan didn’t care who you were within the law firm, the only thing that mattered to her was the effort you put into your work.
The elevator let them off on the third floor, which looked exactly the same as the first except for the windows. The natural light did nothing to improve the look of things.
They arrived at the office designated in the summons and found the door already open. Agent Horan rose as soon as he spotted them in the hallway.
“You’re early,” he said with a smile as he rose from his desk, his eyes flicking from her to Susan. “And you brought company.”
“Didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Genevieve said as she shook his hand. “This is my lawyer, Susan Lau.”
“Ah, a lawyer wasn’t necessary, this is a casual chat, but of course she’s welcome to stay,” he said with an easy smile. “Have a seat, my partner will be back in just a moment.”
Genevieve glanced at Susan, who had put on a neutral expression as soon as they’d walked in. Something about Horan made her skin crawl. She didn’t like his attitude or his subtle digs. No one in their right mind went to talk to someone investigating them without a lawyer.
They sat down in the two chairs across from Horan’s desk. The budget must be thin these days based on the peeling leather on the armrests.
“I’ll get the formalities out of the way while we wait on my partner,” Horan said, that same, easy smile still plastered on his face. The longer he held it, the more disingenuous it appeared. “The MIB is investigating these no-magic zones. Since your pack was involved––
“My client’s pack was not involved, they were the victims of an attack,” Lau interrupted with a fake smile of her own.
Horan cleared his throat and nodded. “Of course. Anyhow, with the appearance of the largest no-magic zone yet, we have a responsibility to the public to fully investigate the incident. And your pack’s alleged involvement.”
“Who is alleging the Hale pack had any involvement in the incident? It was clear from their statements and the police reports that they were victims in the attack. Is that in dispute?” Lau asked.
Horan waved her questions away. “This is a routine part of a thorough investigation. We have to rule out certain possibilities so that we can move forward with other leads. If it’s not done now, it could be brought up in a future trial and raise reasonable doubt with a jury.”
“Of course,” Lau said, using that particular tone she saved for when she absolutely didn’t believe what someone was telling her.
“I’m sorry, it appears I’m late,” a woman said from behind them.
Genevieve glanced back at the other agent. Unlike Horan her expression was flat, bordering on irritated.
“This is my partner, Agent Icewind,” Horan said, nodding at her as she walked around to stand behind his desk. “Icewind, this is Genevieve Bisset and her lawyer, Susan Lau.”
Icewind shook their hands briefly then leaned against the wall behind his desk, sipping on a cup of coffee. “Please, continue.”
She had pale blonde hair with a subtle blue tint to it. The severe expression on her face made it look like it might crack if she ever attempted to smile.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s get started,” Horan said with a grin, like they were all hanging out for fun. She didn’t like how dismissive he was. He either thought they were stupid or that pretending everything was fine would get more information out her.
He was going to be disappointed.
Horan pulled out a file folder and flipped it open, scanning through a list of information. “Your pack met with the sorcerer at this location, is that correct?” He pulled out a picture showing the ruins of the old, stone house, as well as the scene of the fight, and pushed it across the desk.
“I wouldn’t say met with, but yes, that’s where we fought the sorcerer in order to rescue our pack member, Ceridwen Gallagher,” Genevieve said.
“And, before the incident, did you have any prior contact with this woman?” He pulled out another picture and slid it across the desk as well. It was of Siobhan. Dead.
Genevieve looked away immediately, not wanting to linger on the grotesque image. “No, I did not.”
Susan flipped the picture over and slid it back toward Horan. “Is your
intention to traumatize my client? This is uncalled for.”
“Apologies,” Horan said, spreading his hands magnanimously. “I’m simply trying to establish a timeline.”
“I never met Siobhan while she was alive,” Genevieve said firmly, feeling bile rise in the back of her throat despite her determination to not let this idiot get under her skin.
“Of course, I’m sorry to bring up these bad memories.” Horan shuffled through the file, blessedly silent for a moment. “Let’s move on to the days leading up to the incident. Was Ceri’s kidnapping a surprise to you?”
“Of course. If we’d had any clue it was coming she never would have been taken like that.”
Horan nodded and pulled out something she didn’t expect to see at all. A picture of her and Paul. She wasn’t even sure where it had been taken. “You have a close relationship with Paul Greer.”
“My alpha sponsored Paul for his recent Trials, so yes, I do,” Genevieve said, not liking what Horan was insinuating at all.
“How long have you known Paul?” Horan continued.
“Since before the attack. He helped me with a case after he successfully challenged the previous interim alpha. What does this have to do with anything?”
“Just establishing your connections.” Horan pulled out a picture of what looked like a fiery comet shooting through the sky over Portland. “This is the only picture we have of the alleged demon involved in the attack. Did you have any contact with this demon?”
“No. We went over this a dozen times with the police.”
“What did you see that night when your pack fought the sorcerer?” Horan pressed.
She bit down on a sigh. “We fought the sorcerer and Selena Blackwood –– whose whereabouts we’ve gotten no updates on, by the way –– and rescued Ceri. There was no demon around the no-magic zone. Only a sorcerer and a half-angel who ran away at the beginning of the fight, attacking Tommy on his way out.”
Misfit Fortune Page 17
