Dead Magic

by Kara Jorgensen

  Stepping off the curb, a shadow skulked in front of her. Her heart tightened at the sight of the faceless man. Fear ran through her as she watched people pass behind him, their bodies visible through his shadowed form. Where eyes should have been, there was only piercing blackness. Emmeline grabbed her skirts and ducked across the street to avoid him, her pace quickening in time with her pulse, but as she reached the other side, a hand clamped on her shoulder. Swinging her parasol wildly, Emmeline whacked him. The umbrella’s fabric released a dark winged flap as she blindly hit her attacker over and over, her voice rising in a high-pitched cry. Between thwacks, a familiar voice rang out.

  “Emmeline, it’s me!”

  Emmeline stopped in time to see Cecil Hale grab the end of her umbrella before it made contact with his chin. She stiffened as he released it, lowering and then raising the mangled contraption over her head to block her hair from the downpour. He cocked an auburn brow, his eyes searching her face for any sign of logic.

  “Who did you think I was? You nearly took my head off.”

  Her cheeks flushed with heat. “Lord Hale, my apologies. You startled me.”

  “Apparently.”

  “Did I hurt you?” she asked softly, laying her hand on his arm.

  “I’m fine.” He ran a hand through his hair, tidying the strands sent askew by her parasol. Regaining control of his faculties, his gaze softened, lingering on the purple fabric peeking through her raincoat. “I’m very glad to see you. I wasn’t certain you would come.”

  She drew closer until she had to raise the parasol for her to see Lord Hale’s face. “Of course I was coming. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because you’re a spiritualist. I thought maybe you would have changed your mind. The idea of an initiation is enough to make anyone have second thoughts.”

  “What do you mean? What happens during the initiation?”

  “Nothing, it’s only that—”

  Looking down the street to see if anyone was watching, Lord Hale took her hand and led her into an alley just wide enough to admit her umbrella. Emmeline’s pulse raced as they stood chest-to-chest, his breath tickling her cheek with each exhalation.

  He kept his voice low as he said, “Are you certain you want to go through with this? I need you to be very certain you want to be part of the Eidolon Club. If not, you still have time to leave without her seeing you. I can make an excuse for you.”

  “Lord Hale, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” Emmeline asked, her voice tight as she watched him glance toward the Eidolon Club again. Lines appeared around his eyes and his mouth as he drew them into a frown. “Should I not join?”

  “The choice isn’t mine to make, but you will have to make an offering in order to be initiated. Here, this will be yours.”

  Reaching into his coat, Lord Hale pulled out the vellum grimoire. Emmeline resisted the urge to stroke its cover even as it beckoned to her. Why had she given it to him?

  “I don’t understand. What does the book have to do with anything?”

  “Claudia doesn’t know I have it. At the end of the ritual, she will ask you what you have to offer in order to join. Say the knowledge within the Corpus Grimoire, and I will give it to her, then.”

  Emmeline’s heart pounded in her throat. “But the book is mine, and if it’s my choice, then I—”

  “No. I will not budge on this.” His voice tightened with desperation. “If you join, this is your offering. You won’t make the same mistake I did. Do you understand? This is for your own good.”

  “I’ll do it if it’s that important to you.” She smiled nervously. “I have nothing else to give, anyway.”

  Lord Hale’s face darkened. “Neither did I. That’s why I needed to speak to you about it before you went in. I couldn’t let them take advantage of you, like they did me.”

  She watched as his eyes grew distant and the rain pattered through his hair and trailed along the curves of his cheekbones and the edge of his jaw. For a brief moment, she considered putting her lips to his. Maybe it would chase away whatever troubled his mind, but something gave her pause. He seemed so grave, so afraid for her. Instead of a kiss, Emmeline slipped her hand across his palm, her fingers hesitantly sliding into the spaces between his. A small smile broke across his lips as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

  Swallowing hard, she asked, “Lord Hale, what did you offer that was so important?”

  “Only my life.” Pain seeped into his features but disappeared as he turned his head toward the faint glow of the sun. “We should go. It’s nearly dusk, and she is expecting you.”

  As they emerged from the alley, he proffered his arm. Emmeline gratefully took it, holding it a little tighter than she should have. Despite his obvious anxiety about the initiation, he seemed lighter now that they were in motion together. His eyes traveled over the purple fabric of her gown and the inky curls that had broken from her coiffure during the umbrella attack. Emmeline smiled to herself at his casually probing gaze.

  The front door clicked open at his touch, and the moment they stepped inside, they met Claudia’s gaze where she watched them from the parlor door. Lord Hale stiffened beneath Emmeline’s grasp as he released her arm and stepped aside to take her damp parasol and mackintosh. Emmeline studied the plaits of Claudia’s bronze hair, following the glossy braids where they seamlessly combined and parted to form an intricate net punctuated with pearls and bits of absinthe peridot. Her long, gracile neck and full cleavage were on full display in her flowing gown. The gossamer fabric had been carefully pinned and sculpted to accentuate her narrow waist and alabaster arms. With her elaborate coiffure and sheer gown, she was a goddess in their midst. As with their first meeting, Emmeline felt the press of power emanating from the woman’s body. Claudia was charged and waiting for them.

  “Emmeline, it is a pleasure to see you.” Drawing close, she took Emmeline’s face in her hands. Heat flooded Emmeline’s cheeks before suddenly turning cold. The icy sensation seeped deep into her bones as the woman held her gaze. “You don’t know how pleased I am that we will soon have such a talented young woman as one of our own.”

  With one last fond look, Claudia released her face and motioned for them to follow her. Emmeline’s gaze edged to Cecil. As they trailed through the maze of rooms, his attention stayed fixed ahead of him, hard and impassive. While he didn’t stop her, his body grew more erect and his jaw tighter the deeper they went into the building. At a set of stone steps, Claudia paused. The table at the threshold had been lined with fat tapers already lit and sweating beads of wax. Handing a candle to each of them, a wry smile crossed her lips.

  “Watch your step. You never know what you may encounter in the dark,” Claudia said, her green eyes glowing in the shadows.

  Emmeline held her breath as she stepped off the landing. The murky air rippled away from her as if she had stepped into a pool. With each dip of her foot on the stairs, the cold creeped further up her body until it engulfed her, chilling her with its soul-sucking pressure, and for a second, she was falling. She was drowning, the air seeping from her lungs until her mouth opened against her will, and the flood of nothingness washed in. The moment Emmeline put her foot on the next step, she snapped back to the stone and mortar tunnel. Torches flickered on either side of the staircase, illuminating a hall that trailed into shadow. Emmeline swallowed hard, wishing she could grab Cecil’s arm for reassurance, but they were clamped behind his back out of reach.

  Following the glint of Claudia’s headdress, she led them past empty rooms so dark their size and purpose was impossible to determine. Water dripped unseen in the distance and the sweet smell of rot lingered just strong enough to make Emmeline question if it was actually there or in her mind. Perhaps she didn’t want to know what lay beyond her vision. At the end of the hall, light flooded Emmeline’s eyes, blinding her as they entered the cavernous space.

  The massive room had been painted with bright, flat figures in the style of Egyptian tombs. Winged women and
animal-headed men lined the walls, glaring down at her with sharp, black-ringed eyes. At the center of the platform was a stone altar and behind it on the dais there was something Emmeline couldn’t discern. It shifted, consolidating into a more solid mass before stretching to an impossible height. The shadows roiled, its attention concentrating on her. She wanted to cry out, demanding to know what or who was there, but the words died in her throat. As Claudia busied herself with mixing vials on the altar, Emmeline turned back to the shadow. A face appeared less than an inch from her nose. What little heat she had left leeched from her body at its intrusive, skimming touch. She stumbled back. It wanted her. It wanted to harm her. Emmeline tore her eyes away at the sound of Claudia’s voice, but when she looked back, the shadow was gone.

  “Kneel in the circle,” Claudia repeated as she turned with a full chalice in her hand.

  Holding her candle ahead, Lord Hale helped her step over the carved rings careful not to disturb the arcane symbols drawn haphazardly in chalk across the uneven stones. In the center, Emmeline sank to her knees. Her heart pounded in her throat as she faced the altar but let her eyes wander over the walls and ornaments.

  Claudia lifted the cup over her head, a faint chant issuing from her lips in sharp whispers. The air stirred, brushing the curls against Emmeline’s cheeks.

  Smoke rose from the silver goblet and trailed over Claudia’s hands as she chanted, “Gods of the unseen, hear my prayers. Accept Emmeline Jardine into your disciples. Let her prove worthy of your greatness. Give her the strength to rise above all others. Let the god of death only greet her as a friend. If you deem her worthy, purify her with the sacred elements.”

  The stones beneath Emmeline’s legs shook. For a moment, she thought it was merely her nerves, but then the stones before her rose and fell. The ancient cobbles clanked at the perimeter of the stone and between the grout came droplets of water. Moisture turned into rivulets that followed the narrow paths of Claudia’s chalk symbols. The water danced, growing hotter until steam scolded Emmeline’s hands and cheeks. Bursting like a geyser, the water transformed into thin flames. Emmeline bit down a scream, shrinking toward the center as the heat pressed in on her. She shut her eyes against the panic rising in her breast, pretending the all-consuming fire wasn’t inches from her skin and that she wouldn’t be burnt alive like her mother. The flames rose high above her head, fed by an unseen wind until the gale grew, snuffing out the pyre and the candles lining the room. Darkness fell heavily around them. Emmeline wrenched open her eyes, but all she could discern was the faint glint of the chalice near the altar. A match struck and a wisp of light appeared in Claudia’s hand. As she raised it to the wick of the altar piece, Emmeline could see her lips curl into a satisfied smirk.

  When the altar was alight, Claudia stepped forward until she stood at the edge of the circle. “Emmeline Jardine, by joining the coven known as the Eidolon Club, you have dedicated yourself to the study of life’s mysteries and the strengthening of your extranormal abilities. As a member of this coven, you will bow to our gods and serve them as if their motives were your own, and in return, they will watch over you and protect you in all of your endeavors. If you break this sacred bond, you will face misfortune. Do you understand?”

  Emmeline’s throat tightened, the taste of ash and earth on her tongue. “I do.”

  “Emmeline, do you willingly enter this family?”

  Her stomach knotted at the thought of her aunt’s face when they fought. Would she have a home to go back to? “I do.”

  “What do you bring as a dowry? If you have nothing to offer, you may pledge your life to the service of the gods.”

  Her eyes trailed to where she imagined Lord Hale to be. “I offer the Corpus Grimoire.”

  Claudia’s body locked. With a blink, the spell broke and her face returned to its somber stoicism. “Lord Hale, is this true?”

  His voice echoed from the far corner of the room as he replied, “Yes, I have the book in my possession.”

  “Very well. Emmeline, the mysteries of the world beyond our senses are numerous. As a member of the Eidolon Club, you will learn our ways and abandon all thoughts of boundaries or impropriety. You will seek knowledge and the power it brings without restraint. May the Ancient Unseen Ones guide you.” Holding the chalice before her, Claudia asked, “Will you uphold the values of the Eidolon Club and honor our gods?”

  “I will.”

  “Are you prepared to be born anew? To begin a new life with a purpose higher than your own, to be an extension of the gods and their will?”

  Emmeline swallowed hard. “I—”

  “Then rise, and enter the collection of Eidolons, the children of shadows.”

  With a flick of Claudia Rose’s hand, Emmeline’s legs moved of their own accord. Something pushed her forward, bringing her toward the cup and the shades that hung from Claudia, like children at her skirts. Emmeline took the offered cup and drank deeply, the tang of the impenetrable brew within burning her throat as it slid down. Her head swam by the time it hit her stomach. She staggered forward, grasping Claudia’s arm for purchase. Where was Cecil?

  Claudia held her faltering gaze, and with a hand on each cheek, she kissed Emmeline’s forehead. “It’s time for you to prove yourself, Emmeline. In Eidolon, the god awaits you.”

  Her voice grew fainter as Emmeline’s head grew too heavy for her neck and fell back. Her body was failing, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The arcane reliefs faded to grey around her, the walls tunneling in until only a pinhole remained.

  The world blinked, rippling in the darkness until it exploded out. It was different. It was all so different now. The room she had been in a moment ago fell into the background and over it lay a realm of trees and twisting buildings of a more complex design than humankind could ever hope to emulate. It lay over her world like a silk theatre curtain. She stared down at her own body. Inky curls fanned out around her head, her hands loosely folded over her stomach where she fell in the center of the stone circle. Its stone symbols glowed faintly in the space between worlds. Her gaze traveled to the white-hot flame housed in Claudia’s body. It blinded her, a beacon in a grey world. As she stared through the woman’s body, she locked eyes with a shade. Its hair gleamed gold as did its eyes. His features were familiar yet alien. Handsome and sharp but pinched to devilish points. Unnaturally black skin covered his body, gleaming like jet from an unseen light. Drawing closer, she could make out his incised skin and twisted features. It suddenly became horribly clear that only nightmares could live in the world of the unseen.

  His lips curled into a Cheshire smile, sending a bolt of panic coursing through her breast. “Welcome to the Eidolon Club, Emmeline. We have been waiting for you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  A Family Affair

  Cecil watched his aunt carefully lower Emmeline to the ground, her body limp. “This isn’t how I remember my initiation. I applaud you on the theatrics. At least hers was less humiliating than mine, even if she did faint.”

  Lady Rose ignored him as she folded Emmeline’s hands across her stomach. “She didn’t faint.”

  “You poisoned her?” he cried, snatching the chalice from the edge of the altar.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I gave her a silphium draught. I paid a dockhand at the museum to steal some. We will need more, but the Interceptors moved it after the first break-in. Since we don’t have the vivalabe,” she paused, her eyes darting toward the shadows, “I need her to go into Eidolon and tell me what she sees; otherwise we’ll never know where he is.”

  “Shouldn’t you have told her that before you knocked her out?”

  “If she knew what she was looking for, the world would have bent to her will. No, her acting as a human compass is best. She can’t complain. She was the one who wanted to join after all.”

  Lord Hale stared down at Emmeline’s sleeping face. She lay still as death, her breast barely rising with breath. “Will she be all right? This isn’t hurting
her, is it?”

  Lady Rose straightened, kicking away the clumsy sigil until all that remained was a trace of chalk. Turning to her nephew, she glared at him and held out her hand. “The grimoire.”

  “I said, will she be all right?”

  “If you were so concerned about her well-being, then you should have taken the book and left her out of this.” When his jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed, she added, “She’s fine, as fine as anyone having a nightmare can be. Now, the book, if you please.”

  Reaching into his coat, he pulled the book from under his arm, where he had hid it during the ritual. Lady Rose’s lime eyes brightened with glee. For a long moment, she merely stared at the cover, her fingers lovingly caressing the fine vellum and the alien flowers etched into it. Drawing in a steadying breath, she carefully opened the latch. She held her head high as if expecting something to occur, but when the cover merely flopped over her arm, her face fell and her eyes narrowed. Lowering it, she looked from the page of brown-inked sigils to Emmeline’s supine form. The moment a wave of energy finished pulsing through the room, Lady Rose slammed the book shut.

  “Damn it, Cecil. She’s bonded with it! I told you to get it, and you let this happen.”

  “How was I supposed to stop her? She could have bonded with it the moment she found it. If you had intercepted it early, I wouldn’t have had to earn her trust,” he replied, keeping his voice low enough that Emmeline couldn’t hear.

  “Earn her trust? Earn her trust. You were supposed to infiltrate the Spiritualist Society, look for practioners who align with our beliefs, and then, find the bloody book. I told you to forget her when the season ended. Now, your dilly-dallying has jeopardized our plans.”