“What do I need to do to help?” Ignoring her jibes was the only way I would get through the spell.
Mary had been insistent that we work together to get my memory back. She had said that the ancestors had something to give me, which was a little ominous.
“If you could give me some of your blood to mix with this, we can both link into the line and ask the ancestors to talk to us.”
Holding out my hand palm up, I used my other hand to give her my dagger. Nodding, she drew the blade across my palm, ignoring my intake of breath as the sting bit into my skin.
Moving my arm so that my hand was over a stone bowl, she squeezed hard so the blood could run out of my clenched palm. The drops landed, sitting alone on the stark grey. Releasing me, she picked up her ground herbs and threw them onto my blood. It hissed and smoke started to rise, swarming up thickly to quickly fill the room.
“Hold my hands,” my mother demanded, gesturing for me to reach over the table.
Doing as I was told, I cringed when my bloody palm squelched against hers, but she ignored it, starting up a Latin chant I’d never heard.
A rush of wind caressed my face as I closed my eyes. A vibration under my feet intensified as the ley line started to hum. The hairs on my arms rose as my mother’s magic filtered into me. I connected to the line myself, allowing my own magic to swirl its way up my feet and into my body.
“They’re ready to receive you,” my mother said as she broke the chant.
“Thank you,” I said to no one in particular.
As she started the chant again, I held on to her hands tightly. My mind suddenly filled with images from the past. Women in long white gowns, their hair covered by a soft hairpiece. My breath came short and fast as I watched them circle around a fire, their laughter and chanting loud in my ears.
Just as I was about to see what they were doing, I landed in a meadow.
Memories of the place rushed back to me. There, standing in the long grass, were the four witch ancestors I’d spoken to when I’d gone into a magically depleted coma.
“You remember us now,” the leader said, her hands gripped together in front of her.
Shaking my head to clear the dull pounding, I blinked hard. “Yes. Everything is coming back. The killer. My death. Why did you take those memories away?”
The blonde one came forward, her bright blue eyes piercing me. “We needed a little time to get this.”
Extending her arm, she handed me a purple velvet bag the size of my palm. As soon as the material landed, I flinched from the powerful energy that pulsed against my skin.
“What is it?”
“As you know, we need you to find the demon masked killer. There is someone in hell who can do a location spell to find him.”
Hell? What the hell did they mean? Oh boy, I was thinking in puns and that wasn’t good. My fingers were shaking, the bag suddenly heavy in my hand. What exactly had they given me?
“These are the ashes of your father. If you use them to bring him back to life, he’ll help you to find who you are looking for.”
Shaking my head, I stared down at the bag, tempted to drop it. Why would they want me to bring my father back to life? That was against pure magic rules, it would make me an impure witch.
“Don’t think like that,” the leader said, coming closer and wrapping my fingers around the bag. “We procured these ashes, so we’ll be the ones to take the natural balance punishment. Things are getting serious, and if we don’t take action now, the whole world will end.”
My mind was spinning, the idea of what they were suggesting repulsive to me. Bring my father back from the dead? They were insane!
“You must go now. Your memories are yours to keep. Do not tell anyone else about our request. You must do this with the help of an elder alone.”
Fear gripped me as they waved their hands, sending me back to the physical realm. My arms trembled where they still held my mother’s. She let go of me when my eyes shot open. I almost tumbled over without her support.
“What happened?” My mother’s lips were drawn into a thin line, her eyes wide.
Glancing down, I swallowed hard. There was no longer a bag in my hands. Where had it gone?
“Gemma?” my mother prompted.
Grasping my head as pain pounded suddenly, I took a deep breath. The memories were strong in my mind, the images playing out every scene that I’d forgotten. “I remember it all.”
The sigh of relief from my mother made me look up at her. She smiled, her gaze softening. Wait, was that a genuine look of happy concern? She was glad I had my memory back, but was it because she cared that I’d been suffering, or because she needed me back on the case of the serial killer?
“Did you speak to the ancestors? I could feel their presence.”
Coming around the stone table, she laid a hand on my cheek. Her words were calm, quiet.
“I miss the days we would get lost in magic and spells,” I whispered, taking her hand and pulling it away. “Yes, I saw the ancestors. They gave me my memories back.”
Her eyes closed briefly as she folded her hand into the pocket of her dress. “I also miss those days, my love. In a way, I wish you’d never had to grow up. However, that is life. I’m happy the ancestors helped you to retrieve your memories.”
The flicker of sadness that crossed her eyes made me frown. If she was so sad about those days, she had never shown it before. As soon as I’d been old enough to connect to the ley line fully, I’d become an agent. From that moment on, she’d disconnected from me emotionally, preferring to keep her distance.
“Thanks for your help, Mum, I really do appreciate it.” Reaching out before she could back away, I clasped her in a hug.
Her arms came up to pat me on the back. The return of pressure was brief before I let go. Stepping away, I kept my gaze on the floor. The weight of what the ancestors had asked of me settled heavily in my gut. I couldn’t tell my mother what they wanted me to do, and yet, when my father was brought back from the dead, how would she feel? How would I feel?
“I need to get back to the case,” I murmured, uneasy with my burden.
Smiling gently, she went back to her table, her hands already busy clearing up the ingredients of the spell. “Well, if you need anything, let me know.”
Nodding, I picked up my bag from the floor and flashed back to my office. Dave was standing at his desk, the others crowded around him. They all jumped when I appeared, their guilty looks quickly cleared. What had they been up to?
“Did it work?” Kate asked as she rushed over.
“It did. I remember everything.” My eyes sought Dave’s gaze.
I almost looked away when he raised his eyebrows. The slight incline of his head told me that he understood what I meant by everything. My death. The pain of the bullet slicing into my skin was something I’d actually enjoyed forgetting.
“Thank goodness for that,” Jake said, coming around the desk as he took a chocolate bar out of the pocket of his combats. “We need the brains of the operation. This slippery bastard is starting to annoy the fuck out of me.”
“Likewise,” I muttered. “It’s time to bring the arsehole down. Now.”
Chapter 6
“Keep on guard,” I said, my hand resting on my dagger handle where it sat in my holster.
Dave glanced at me sideways, his lips pulled into a thin line. “We’re at a concert of one of the best rock bands ever. As if I could be distracted.”
The crowd were milling around, waiting for the band to come on. The arena held ten thousand people. Yep, ten thousand fucking people.
“I wanted to interrogate Joseph Cambridge,” I muttered as Kate joined us.
“Well this is slightly more important,” Kate said, handing me a bottle of water.
The Essex Obsessor had sent a message to my personal email to say that he planned an attack at the concert. As if he would tell us his plans... and yet, here we were, ready and waiting for his onslaught.
“Just to check...” I turned to Dave. “...you’ve got as much security as possible who are checking bags and searching bodies?”
Cocking his head to the side, Dave stared at me. His dark wavy hair was loose around his head, the mass of it softening his hard jaw. When he twinkled his pretty eyes at me, my heart skipped a beat or two.
“The security is stupidly tight, there’s no way he’ll get in. You’ve put the barrier spells up so only people with tickets can get in to the venue.”
My legs were slightly shaky as the floor started to get crowded. I didn’t love tons of people, it made me nervous. Don’t get me wrong, concerts were fun, but we were here to work. Sensory overload would not help me focus.
Turning to glance up to the seating area, I caught sight of Jake. “I think I’m going to join Jake.”
“Yes!” Kate exclaimed as Dave groaned.
“What?” I stared between the two of them as they giggled between themselves.
Taking a tenner out of his wallet, Dave handed it to Kate. “We made a bet. Kate said you wouldn’t be able to stay in the standing area before the music came on. I thought you might last until after the first song. I lost.”
Spinning on my heel, I rolled my eyes at the same time as waving my hand in dismissal. Whatever. Dave had been stupid to think that I could cope with mostly humans pressed up against me, or bumping into me. As if physical contact was doable when I was connected to the ley line. My senses were crazy in the concert type of environment. Why couldn’t I just be at home, curled up with a book? My fictional boyfriends were getting neglected.
“Hello, Gemma.”
My gaze had been searching around me as I made my way to the steps to join Jake. Archie Roberts stood in front of me, a smirky smile on his face. He wore jeans and band shirt, his dark hair roughened up.
“Archie,” I greeted, extremely glad that I could remember him.
Seeing him so underdressed sent a slight shock through my system. This was a vampire who loved reading. And, apparently rock music. Could he get any better?
“I hear my tip-off worked?”
“Erm, yeah, it... er....” My stuttering was extremely embarrassing. What was wrong with me? I was a kick-ass agent who, although dead, was still one of the only witches in the world connected to the ley line. And here I was, struggling to talk to a pretty man.
“Archie!” Dave came to stand next to me, his arm coming around my shoulders. “Thanks so much for telling us about that hotel. It was extremely handy info.”
Offering his hand, he smiled broadly when Archie shook it. Although the vampire glanced between the pair of us, his expression didn’t alter. Even when I shrugged Dave off.
“These are my colleagues Dave and Kate.” Indicating the seer, I waited for them to make pleasantries.
“Ah, so you’re the handsome vampire who dumbfounded our boss. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
My cheeks heated so badly, I had to fan my face with my hand. Especially when Archie glanced at me, his smile stretching across his lips.
“I did have a wonderful time on our date. I’ve not been able to ask for a second yet, but I hope Gemma will let me take her out again.”
Opening my mouth, I gulped air, unable to speak. Dave frowned at me before looking at the vampire. “Maybe after we bring down Joseph and the PFF.”
Gently taking my bicep, Dave said our goodbyes and guided me towards the steps. I let him lead me away, my mouth still hanging open. Had Dave just declined a date on my behalf? Without even consulting me?
“What was that?” I asked him as we started up the steps.
Without letting me go, he propelled me upwards. “Nothing. It’s not in your interest to date someone so closely connected to our terrorist suspect right now.”
“Wait...”
The loud introduction of the band’s most famous song suddenly blasted into the arena as the lights went down. My boots tripped as I tried to control my senses. If the Essex Obsessor was going to strike, we needed to be on high alert, not bickering.
“Let go!” I said loudly when Dave glanced down at me.
He did as I asked, shouting something in Jake’s ear when we joined him on the second tier of the seating section. Before I could get his attention, he was gone, rushing back down the steps to join Kate on the floor. If anything was going to happen, it would most likely be in the thick of the crowd.
Bending down, Jake shouted in my ear. “Looked like lover boy got a bit het up over Archie Roberts.”
“Lover boy?” I asked, my gaze searching the crowd for the rest of my team.
We all had our jobs. I had a couple of agents from Paranormal MI5 in the surveillance room, monitoring all the cameras. Dave and Kate were staying on the floor, keeping an eye on the crowd. Dave had his wand with him. I’d filled it with my magic before we’d arrived so he could use it if needed.
“So, we just wait?” Jake shouted, obviously not hearing my reply.
Nodding, I looked up at him. His bright blue eyes searched mine, waiting for me to give him an order. He wasn’t the type to wait around and do nothing. He wanted action. I knew the feeling. The bastard had slipped through our hands far too many times.
“We have nothing.” His sneer wasn’t aimed at me, but I felt the force of it regardless.
He was right. We had nothing to go on. So, the killer had a problem with women. I’d told Kate that I believed he might be connected to the man who my father had lost his bet to. What if it was him? If I assumed it was, I could find out who he was. My mother must know the identity of the coven leader. I’d never taken an interest before, preferring to pretend that I could ignore the stupid bet for the rest of my life. And, yet, my skin tingled as I thought about the man who had faced me in the street. He had been younger than I’d first imagined, the brief glimpse of the stubble on his chin enough to show me that he wasn’t old. There was no grey in the ginger whiskers, which told me that he was in his thirties, like the man who I was supposed to marry.
The beat of the music thumped into my brain as the crowd started to sing along. There was no point in trying to talk to Jake now. Hand movements would have to do.
Keeping my eyes peeled, I took out my phone and opened the Whatsapp group that we’d created for the team. Whenever one of us sent a message, everyone could see it. It was the only way we could keep contact in a place that was so noisy, my eardrums were ready to burst.
There would be sixteen tracks all in all, which made for a long concert. I loved the band, but I couldn’t relax. Being alert sucked the fun out of concerts. Being me sucked the fun out of everything right now.
My huge release of breath was cut short when the sound of a voice not belonging to the track came from the speakers.
“You’ll never catch me,” it said, the masculine voice a different tone to the lead singer.
The audience didn’t notice at first. The words were blended well. It was only when a few people glancing at one another made me realise that they didn’t fit in with the song. Jake’s hand squeezed my wrist, his other one pointing at the screen.
The gasps of the crowd forced me to look to where he indicated. On the big screen behind the band was the pictures of our victims. It circled around, the first, the second and so on. The hairs on the back of my neck raised as people started to shout.
“I’m the Essex Obsessor - such a cute name given to me by the police. I’m the killer they’ve not told you about.”
As the surprised gasps rose and the fingers started to point, the lead singer of the band turned to see what the fuss was about. He instantly stopped singing. When his band turned to see what had caused him to finish the song abruptly, the music clashed to a halt. And yet, the voice of the killer still rang out.
“If you don’t leave now, I’ll kill you. Not because I want to, but because I have to teach her a lesson. She’s mine.”
Flashes of phones and cameras jerked me into action. Both Jake and I rushed down the steps, just as the crowd started to s
urge.
“Stay calm!” I shouted pointlessly.
Screams rang out as a video came on screen. The demon masked man was talking directly to the camera, his voice sending shivers down my spine. People bashed into me as they struggled to run towards the exits. Even the band had vacated the stage.
How could we control the panic? We hadn’t expected the idiot to cause the audience to start running in all directions, putting each other at risk.
“Don’t be afraid, my friends, if she comes to me, you’ll be safe. Until then, you have five minutes.”
A countdown clock appeared on the screen. Grabbing a security guard, I ordered him to get the screen shut down. He barked into his walkie talkie as he motioned for his friends to help him.
People shoved harder, the crowd actually surging together. Crap, if we didn’t calm them down, they would crush each other to death.
“The doors are locked!” The security man grabbed my shoulder. “They can’t get out!”
“What?!” I screamed. “Who locked them?”
Shrugging, the guard plunged into the crowd to try and take control. It wasn’t worth it. People were screaming as the photos of the murders flickered on the screen again.
“Jake!” I screamed, tugging on his arm to get his attention.
He had been trying to force people to stay where they were, but it wasn’t working very well. There were people trying to climb the seats, treading on others as they pushed their way towards what they thought was an escape.
My heart beat hard in my chest. My stomach rolled as I was knocked from all sides. Ducking, I forced my way through people and back onto the stairs. Jake followed, his hand holding the back of my jacket. Once we were on the first tier, I turned into an almost empty aisle of seats.
“I need to use magic to calm these people. There’s-”
A scream cut off my words. My gaze traced a portion of the crowd nearest the stage. People were rammed against it, their faces bright red where they couldn’t breathe. Shit, they were dying.
Spells & Life Page 5
