"This will be a brief meeting," Hailey announced. "We wanted to redirect the rumor mill. I hope you'll feel better if you know Linc has agreed to have counseling to develop his empathy. Not magic mind reading but simply understanding the feelings of others. Linc is going to say a few words to you." She paused at the sound of feet rushing down the staircase.
Linc ran up to Hailey, extending his hand. On his palm stood the white figure of a cat, just like the one he'd made in the class with Wyatt. "It's stuck to my hand. I must've dropped it on the floor. The second I picked it up, it attached itself to me." His voice shook. "Help me get it off. It's like having a growth on my hand."
Hailey grasped Linc's forearm and called "Lights, lights!" Instantly track lighting flashed on. People jumped to their feet, pointing at Linc, their faces shocked at the sight of the cat stuck to his palm. I feared it could be the start of something really awful. What if someone had put a spell on the cat and it turned into a demon? I sprang up, muscles tense, unsure what to do.
Jake had joined Hailey in examining Linc's hand while the other staff members tried to calm the crowd. I ignored their requests to sit down as I kept my gaze riveted on Linc. Why weren't they helping him?
I gasped when the cat all at once burst into flames on Linc's palm. He screamed and flung himself away from Hailey and Jake.
Linc's face contorted with pain as he plunged into the residents on my right. They threw up their hands and cried out when he barged into them. Dawn and I tried to reach Linc. His groans of pain tore through me. His flesh was burning. Wyatt darted past us and tackled Linc, knocking him down on the floor.
Jake touched the flames with his staff and extinguished them. Linc moaned and writhed. The residents knocked aside by Linc had scrambled to their feet. They clustered around him, exclaiming, "What happened? How badly is he hurt?" Dawn kneeled by him and wailed, "Linc!" Putting my arm around her, I flinched at the sight of the reddened, blistered skin of his hand.
Hailey brushed past us. "Everybody stand back. I'll see if I can help him."
Jake pressed his staff on Linc's shoulder. Linc went limp, and his eyes closed. "Hailey," Jake urged, "do what you can. I did a healing spell on him that seems to have quieted him down."
Behind us Kai's voice could be heard calling 9-1-1 for help. Nobody had backed away to give Hailey room. Instead, residents crowded around and watched as she placed her hands on Linc's shoulders. The instant she touched him, Linc shrieked and leaped up, knocking aside Jake's staff. Shouts and screams erupted as we realized that Linc's hand had turned into a long silver knife.
Linc slashed out at those closest to him, making them jump away and shriek. Then he whirled and jabbed the knife at Dawn and me. She shrank from him, and I yanked her sideways, keeping us just out of range of the bright blade. I'd never been so scared. Before Linc struck out once more, Jake snatched up his staff, smacked it on Linc's shoulder, and shouted, "Be still!" Linc's arms dropped to his side, and he went rigid in place. We were safe if Jake could maintain his freeze spell.
"We have to get out of here!" someone shouted.
At once, residents stampeded for the front door. They bottlenecked as they shoved and pushed, all trying to get out.
"Vidoc," ordered Jake, "you and Kai help the residents get out of the house and into the front yard. Hailey and Wyatt, stay here and back me up."
Jake kept his staff on Linc's shoulder while Vidoc and Kai directed the residents into a line out the front door. Some residents had pulled out their phones and shouted into them, quick to share bad news. Kai had to restrain one woman from photographing Linc with his hand transformed into a weapon.
I trailed at the end of the line with Dawn, who dragged her feet, her gaze fixed on Linc. Like her, I stared at Linc, or really the knife, and the reaction struck me. My friend Linc had just missed slashing open my stomach. I pressed my arm protectively over my midriff. Get outside, and get away from Linc.
Ira moved over to me. "Are you okay?"
I checked to see if Linc was still under restraint. Wyatt and Hailey reinforced Jake's magic by cupping their hands on his shoulder. I should feel safe but wondered if Linc could break their control. I finally answered Ira. "It just hit me how close Dawn and I came to being stabbed." I motioned to Dawn to follow the line outside, but she wouldn't move.
"Do you want some help with her?" Ira asked. Vidoc hovered beside him. Kai had already gone outside with the rest of the residents.
"No, I think she'll come along." I waved at them to go ahead. Dawn did shuffle ahead a few steps.
Just as the two men were about to step outside, Dawn balked. She turned to look at frozen-faced, deformed Linc. "I'm afraid they're going to hurt him if he overcomes Jake's spell. I'll stay in case they need help."
Grab Dawn and drag her out? Tempting, but no, she might resist, use magic, and create another crisis. Be calm. I gestured at Ira and Vidoc to keep back. "Give me a second." I put my arm lightly around Dawn's waist. "I know you're frantic about what has happened to Linc, but these wizards can work better if they don't have to worry about bystanders being hurt. We'll be just outside. Help is coming. Let's go."
Dawn stumbled forward. I waved at Ira and Vidoc to go ahead. I didn't want them crowding her and making her even slower.
At the threshold she clutched my arm and looked back at Linc. "I'm so afraid Jake won't be able to control him."
Her worry infected me, and I turned to observe Linc before we left. I froze as a spasm passed over his face. He might be marshaling his resources to resist. The knife hand lifted. Get out of here. I yanked Dawn toward the threshold just as Vidoc and Ira reentered.
Dawn shoved me away. I tumbled into Vidoc, who knocked down Ira, and all three of us toppled to the floor. We scrambled up. Linc's arm had dropped to his side again. Good, Jake had reasserted his control.
Dawn stood about five feet from Linc and pointed at the knife.
"Vidoc, get her out of here!" Jake ordered. Just as Vidoc reached her, Jake stabbed his finger at Linc and called out, "Knife, become hand!"
Vidoc and Ira grabbed Dawn and tugged her toward the door.
She thrashed about. "Look, Jake did it! The knife is gone!"
I sagged in relief. The knife had changed into a rounded shape that resembled a fist. Jake's freeze spell seemed to be holding since Linc's arm still hung straight down at his side. If Jake maintained his power, Linc could be taken away by the Proz to a secure place where he couldn't hurt himself or somebody else.
"Dawn," Vidoc said, "calm down. There's nothing for you to do. Come with us. Linc is going to be okay."
Ira loosened his grip to pat her shoulder. "We'll be right outside. You can watch but not distract the wizards keeping Linc in control."
Dawn stopped struggling. "All right. I'll leave, but let go of me." Vidoc and Ira released their hold but stayed close to her as she walked with them to the door. I followed close behind, anxious to leave. I worried it weakened Jake's concentration to have to be concerned about us. Just as Dawn stepped up to the threshold, Linc called out, "Help!"
I turned and saw his face twisted in anguish. He moaned, the cry of someone who hurt. Once again, he struggled to escape Jake's control. Why couldn't Jake maintain his power?
Dawn darted toward him, brushing past me. I grabbed her arm and was tugged along by her momentum. Vidoc and Ira snatched at her just before she reached Linc.
"Repel," Dawn cried out, flailing her arms.
The force of her spell against us forced Ira, Vidoc, and me to stumble backward. Dawn stood before Linc. She should have run from him, but she extended her arms. "Linc, don't fight them!"
At the end of Linc's hand, the round shape turned into a gun. My eyes riveted on the weapon. Its silver barrel and black handle looked awfully real. I stiffened as Linc's gun hand lifted. Dawn screamed. Even though Hailey and Wyatt had reinforced Jake's spell, Linc had broken it and was about to shoot us. Ira made a quick movement, but before he even took a step, Linc pressed the gun t
o his chest and pulled the trigger. The shot echoed around the room.
Linc slumped to the floor, supported by Wyatt and Hailey. Blood poured out of the hole in his chest. I stared at the gory mess. Linc couldn't survive a gunshot at such close range. His eyes were open with a glazed, uncomprehending look. I didn't know what to do to help.
Hailey placed her hand on Linc's chest. Ira kneeled and pressed a scarf to Linc's wound. Dawn flung herself next to them and sobbed.
Jake backed away, his features distorted as if he were in pain. "Can you aid him, Hailey?"
Her face crumpled as she fought back tears. "I can send him warmth, but chest wounds like this need a medical doctor."
I ran into the kitchen and returned with a stack of clean towels that I handed to Ira.
Wyatt placed his hand on Ira's shoulder. "Let me take over here till the ambulance comes. See if you can get Dawn out. This is very traumatic for her."
"I'll help," I offered. Dawn had seen enough mutilation. Unfortunately, when Ira turned to Dawn, blood stained his shirt and hands. She took one look at the red streaks, screamed, and ran out of the house. Ira and I followed her. This was the last time I'd see Linc alive.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Wind chilled us as we reached the top of the porch steps. Dawn fled into the residents scattered across the front yard. She collapsed on the ground and buried her face in her hands. With relief I saw Kai come up and try to help her. Then Trevor joined them. Trevor? Yes, he'd understand trauma. He nodded sympathetically as Dawn raised her head and gesticulated wildly.
Two police cars pulled up with sirens wailing. The horror of the scene with Linc struck me, causing my legs to give out as I descended the porch steps. I seized the railing, and Ira supported me. Directed by Vidoc, regular uniformed officers and wizard specialists, the Proz, rushed into the house.
Ira and I sank onto the dirt of the front yard. I cried deep gulping sounds while Ira stroked my back. I kept reliving the scene of Linc shooting himself. When I ran out of tears, I held on tightly to Ira. He needed comfort too.
"Poor Linc. What do you think happened?" I asked. If only we could make sense of that awful scene.
"I have a theory," Ira said. Lights from the cop cars flashed on and off over his face. "What if somebody made a copy of Linc's mascot cat? They could've put a spell in the cat and tossed it into Linc's room. I passed by to check on him several times. People were wandering all over the hallways. Nobody would've noticed if someone paused and threw the cat on the pile of clothes on the floor. He was probably looking for something clean to wear and came upon what he thought was his mascot."
Vidoc gestured for us to join him. Except for Dawn and her comforters, he'd gathered together the other residents. Speaking in a level tone, he briefly described the scene with Linc they'd missed, ending with the phrase "gravely wounded." In spite of his calm tone and sparse description, the residents reacted with gasps, dropped jaws, and incredulous stares. When Vidoc finished talking, the residents crowded around him asking questions.
This chatter quieted as a sports car pulled up. Red and impossibly low slung, it simmered with power. Sleek legs emerged, followed by the slim, elegant torso of Detective Sigrid Jonson.
Smoothing back her silvery hair, she scrutinized us. When her glance swept past Ira, I blinked in surprise at him, for he had somehow had time to clean off the bloodstains. Fast and quiet work on a remove spell.
We residents shuffled restlessly as a Proz emerged from the house and spoke to Detective Jonson. After listening to a quick report, she addressed us. "An ambulance is right behind us, so the wounded man will receive care. Please follow directions so we can get organized."
Detective Jonson ordered five of her Proz assistants to escort us to the barn to wait to be interviewed.
The barn's brightness spotlighted our turned-down lips and sad eyes. Some residents perched on stools in the cubicles. Most huddled together in the central area. Proz armed with wizard staves guarded the door and the stairs to the loft.
Wait to be interviewed. The lawyer part of my brain clicked on. I pulled out my phone to call my lawyer.
A Proz hurried over. "Ma'am, Detective Jonson has ordered no outside communication until she can assess the situation."
Really? "I have a right to call my attorney."
"Wait while I check with Detective Jonson."
Ten minutes of intense negotiation ended with me outside the barn, observed by a Proz who could see but not hear me if I talked softly. Detective Jonson had finally agreed that I had a right to a private phone conversation with my attorney. It turned out my lawyer, Chris, had already left for the ranch, alerted by Jake, who had also called my partner, Maxy, to give him legal advice. Since she was dating Chris, he had her handy.
I agreed with Ira that Linc must have been infected with a spell that made him kill himself. Jake, Hailey, and Wyatt had been using magic on Linc when he died. That would make all three suspects, although I believed the cat had been the problem.
As I finished my call, Detective Jonson marched into the barn, followed by Jake, Vidoc, Kai, Hailey, and Wyatt. Jake looked especially drained, his skin faded to the grayish white of cheap paper. He moved to stand by himself in a cubicle, his eyes tracking the other staff members who moved among the residents, patting shoulders and rubbing backs.
Looking for Ira, I saw him in a corner with Trevor, both of them intently listening to Dawn. She wasn't crying, although she dabbed at her nose with a crumpled tissue.
I slipped into the cubicle with Jake. "Are you okay?" What a stupid question. And why wasn't someone from the staff comforting him? He'd probably directed them to help the residents. When he turned away, I moved to face him. "Jake, I know you did everything you could to help Linc."
Jake crossed his arms over his chest and glowered. "It wasn't enough."
I wanted to give him hope. "Linc was still alive when the paramedics took him away, wasn't he?"
"He lost an incredible amount of blood." He shook his head. "It looks bad."
I hated the way Jake looked drained of his dynamic energy. Nobody watched us because the others had bunched around Detective Jonson near the front of the barn. I squeezed Jake's hand. His skin was clammy and cool.
"Jake, Maxy will give you good legal advice. She won't let the cops push you around."
He squeezed my fingers. He blinked and focused on me.
"Petra, I get it. Maxy will be here for me. What will happen tonight?"
"The cops will interview everyone and search the place. They'll use forensics and magic specialists to develop a theory. That's going to take some time. Tonight, I'm not sure what kind of restrictions they'll put on us. It's an unusual situation. I don't think they'll make an arrest. It's too complicated."
Jake's eyes glazed over. I'd lost him with my legalese. Never ask a lawyer for comfort. I had to get through to him. He'd helped me so many times when I'd despaired of ever learning to control my magic. I grabbed his shoulders. "You worked to save Linc. I saw in your face that you were totally concentrated on helping him."
I eased my grip and pulled Jake to me in a light embrace. He sobbed, sighed, and then rested his lips on my hair. Men. They don't know how to cry. I whispered, "Heat," and sent a wave of warmth over Jake, my fingers resting on the nape of his neck. For once, my spell worked—Jake relaxed his body against me.
"Everyone! I need your attention," yelled Detective Jonson.
Jake and I separated and stepped out of the cubicle. I hoped he was better. He did have some color in his cheeks and moved with almost his usual stride to join Vidoc and Kai.
Detective Jonson stood in front of the entrance holding her silver phone. "I'm sorry to tell you that your friend and colleague, Linc, died on the way to the hospital."
She paused as sobs and murmurs traveled round the room. Linc was dead. His death from such a serious injury was not surprising, but I hated her for saying it out loud. Jake hunched into himself. I clutched the collar of my shirt as if I
wanted to hurt it. The residents who had stood frozen during her announcement couldn't stay still any longer. They darted about and bumped into those next to them. Some clutched friends and cried on their shoulders. Three residents bolted for the door, where the Proz held them back. One woman shrieked, "No, no," as if she could change history by screaming. I took a step forward. I wanted out of there.
Hailey reached out to us. "Please! I understand you're all hurting. Staff will move among you to provide help. Let's all sit down."
With a series of thumps, we sat on the chilled cement. There is something about being seated on the floor that makes it harder to be riotous. Most quieted, some of us wiping away tears. Staff walked among the residents, leaning down to press hands on heads and shoulders.
Jake stood beside Detective Jonson. "Hailey is right—this is a hard time. Please cooperate with the police. They want to help us."
Detective Jonson deepened her voice. "Thank you, Dr. Herz. All of us do have some difficult times to get through. I've had a consult with the Wizards Council. They have provided guidance. We are going on a preliminary theory that someone put a spell on the white cat so that it activated when the victim handled it. There is concern that other spells may have been activated at the ranch and that it's not safe."
Muttering erupted. When two residents started to get up, Wyatt gestured at them to stay down, and they obeyed.
It hit me. "They're shutting down the ranch. They're going to kick us out."
Others burst out, "You don't have the right," "You can't do that," "Where will we go?"
"We're going home," shrilled one woman.
Detective Jonson raised her hands and her voice. "You are not going home. You will be temporarily moved to a different location until the ranch has been cleansed through an exorcism. We've had to make a quick decision. There aren't that many facilities willing and able to supervise dysfunctional wizards. Plus we need a site that can provide security until the killer is caught. We have found a place. You will be moved to the Pioneer House at the Phoenix Institute of Magic. A bus will soon be here to transport you."
Murder Lifts the Spirits Page 11
