by Fiona Starr
Van slips his hand in his pocket and pulls out a heavy gold chain. It’s the one they all wear. The one Salma made for them to suppress their wolves. I can’t see under their collars, but based on the way they feel to me, I am pretty sure Van and Marco are both wearing theirs.
“Is that what I think it is?” I ask.
Van nods. “We found it out back.”
“What does this mean for the plan?”
Marco shakes his head. “I don’t know. But it’s going to be hard to zero in on him with his energy everywhere, you know?”
I nod.
Van say, “Nothing’s changed. We carry on planned, but if he’s not wearing his chain, then you can bet the Vessel is already humming.”
Marco nods. “We saw Underwood as soon as we got here. He was at the door welcoming guests. So I’m going to… go.”
My breath catches. I don’t like this at all. The guys have spent so much time talking about how dangerous Damon is, how they can’t face him one on one because he’ll destroy them without even breaking a sweat. The thought of losing any of them, even Van, despite his feelings, is enough to send me over the edge.
“Marco, be careful, please.” Tears prick the corners of my eyes. “You make sure you come back to me.”
Marco smiles and wraps me in his arms and plants a kiss on me that makes my knees buckle. His tongue moves with mine as I breathe him in, letting the sense of him fill me for this brief moment, just in case it’s all we ever get.
“I’m going to be all right. Don’t worry about me. Just find Angus.” Marco heads for the woods behind the mansion, undoing his cufflinks as he walks away.
When I look up at Van, he looks stunned.
“What?” I say, daring him to say something about the kiss.
He shakes his head. “We don’t have time for this. Let’s go.”
Chapter Eighteen
JOELY
Inside the mansion, Van and I split up. According to the plan, we’re both supposed to mingle and visit with people and try not to act like we’re here to find a dire wolf shifter who is being held against his will. We will both check out the main floor before venturing into the other areas. When there was the three of us, we had originally intended to split up the searching by floor. But now that Marco’s going to become a diversion, the plan calls for Van in the basement and me upstairs.
I grab a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter, and glance around the room while I sip. There are easily three hundred people here, with a lot of new faces, but that’s expected because this is an alumni event. Under any other circumstances, I would be in awe of the fact that I was in this room. The Society of Ancient Magic is the hub of the magical world. Here are all the wealthiest, most powerful and influential people in the magical world.
Part of what makes an invitation to the Society so alluring is the proximity and access to the power centers, and the ability to network and secure your place and your fortune forever.
But right now, I have to concentrate so I am not lost in the sense of Angus permeating every cell of my being.
Roz and Winter are near the balcony doors, laughing and talking to Mason and his friend, a tall blond mage with a close-cropped beard and a long, thin face. He has his hand on the small of Roz’s back as she leans toward him. Her beaming smile tells me she’s having a great time.
I scan some more and stop when I see a face that doesn’t belong. My sister Kate is standing with Sebastian in a group near the door to the library. I find myself walking toward them before I can stop and think.
Kate glances at me and does a double take. “Joely! That dress, my goodness!” She gapes at me as I stand in front of her, swishing my ice blue skirts so she can get the full effect. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” I say, feeling strange standing with my handmade custom gown that I didn’t have to pay for. I also feel bad for not trusting her smile, even though it seems totally genuine.
Sebastian steps back to widen the circle for me. “Mom, Dad, this is Joely, Katie’s sister. Joely, these are my parents, Porter and Yvonne Allbright.”
I catch a glimpse of Van passing on the far side of the room as I introduce myself. I reach over and shake Mrs. Allbright’s hand and then turn to do the same to the father.
Porter Allbright takes my hand and then covers it with his other one. He holds me in his grip, his hazel eyes holding mine with an intensity that catches me off guard. “Joely Everstar, it is so nice to meet you! I can’t tell you how much we’ve enjoyed speaking with your Katie, here.” He nods in my sister’s direction and continues on. “Bas tells me he’s your tutor. You’re in good hands, young lady. Good hands, indeed.”
“Our Sebastian has a talent for potions, that’s for sure. Gets top marks every term,” Mrs. Allbright says, beaming at her son.
Mr. Porter is still clutching my hand. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, so I just smile and pull my hand away. “Nice to meet you, too.” I pretend that Roz is waving me over and I tip my chin at her imaginary summons. “If you’ll excuse me. It was very nice meeting you.”
“Absolutely our pleasure, of course,” Mr. Allbright says.
I head across the room toward Roz and then step behind a column so I can be alone. Van waves at me from the back of the room, near where a string quartet plays chamber music. His usual anger and stern face has an added element of concern. I arch a brow at him and he waves me over.
“Did you find something?” I whisper.
“Come with me.” It isn’t a question, but a command, and he doesn’t wait for me to respond. He just starts walking and I’m forced to follow.
He stops and turns near the hallway and waves at the wall. “Look,” he says.
I glance at the wall and then stop and take it in again. This isn’t right. There’s a solid wall where the basement stairs used to be.
“What does this mean?” I say.
He rubs his hand on the wall, testing it on the sly. “I have no idea, but I can’t get down there.”
“Shit. What should we do?”
He pulls his pocket watch out of his vest pocket and flips it open. I’m struck by how natural the whole motion seems to him.
“Why are you smiling?” he asks.
I shake my head and touch the watch. “I just remembered that you were around when those things were new. It has to be strange sometimes.”
He snaps the watch closed and slips it into his vest pocket with a shrug. “Not really. You’d be surprised how quickly you adapt to change,” he says.
“It’s been twenty minutes. Marco should be in the park by now. Once he shifts, they are going to need to access the basement. I’ll stand watch and see what they do and follow them down.”
“That’s good. As soon as that happens, I’ll head upstairs.” I scan the room, looking for Daria. I spot Mr. Allbright looking in my direction. We make eye contact and he smiles at me.
Van doesn’t look at me when he talks. “Be careful, and remember the attack spells we worked on. Don’t attempt the cloaking spell. You can’t hold it, so don’t try. And don’t fuck up.”
“Good luck to you too,” I say. I can’t help but flip my hair as I walk away.
Van tried to teach me his cloaking spell last night, but I think I was too tired and also it’s just beyond my abilities right now.
I catch sight of Daria near the entrance. She’s speaking to a group of alumni, smiling and looking as friendly as ever. I sip my drink as I walk around the perimeter of the room, watching Daria and eyeing the stairs.
It isn’t uncommon for people to wander around the mansion during parties. The halls are adorned with paintings and sculptures and there are little alcoves at random intervals through the house for sitting and reading, or maybe even taking a nap. I want to make sure that when I do head up, Daria and Underwood are nowhere around.
I can feel Angus all around me, despite every effort to ignore him. My heart squeezes thinking that he is alone and maybe even afraid. Do
es he know that we’re close by and we’re looking for him? I close my eyes and concentrate on him, pushing my energy out to let him know I’m here. I’d give anything to tap into the collective mind the way the wolves do, just so I could reassure him.
A terrible screeching sound blasts through the party. I flinch in surprise and watch as the party comes to a shocked standstill. If I wasn’t already aware of what to expect, thanks to Van, I might have thought someone was tearing the roof off the mansion, scraping slate and metal and wood together in a horrible, metallic wail.
I’ve lost sight of Daria.
Master Damon appears on the stairs and calls out to the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s nothing to be alarmed about. Probably just a tripped wire or something. It will take a moment to disarm the alarm. If you’ll kindly step outside, you’ll be able to weather the noise with less discomfort.” He smiles and steps aside as an older couple comes down the stairs behind him. Then he turns and heads toward the back of the room.
Van was right to wait back there.
The doors at the side of the room open and I watch Roz leave with Winter and the two guys. They head out to the wide veranda where once Angus and I declared that we wanted to get to know each other better.
As the crowd moves toward the doors, I inch toward the stairs, hoping the distraction keeps other people away as well as Daria and Master Underwood.
Upstairs, the hall is quiet. I take a moment to catch my breath and get my bearings. There are several hallways branching off the main atrium that overlooks the staircase and the main ballroom. I head for the closest one, where I found Mel’s body the last time I was up here, and say a little prayer.
As glad I as am to feel Angus all around me, part of me wishes he was still wearing his necklace. Maybe I would have been able to zero in on him better the way I felt him and Marco in the house that afternoon. As it is, I feel like I’m walking through a cloud of Angus, while Van and Marco don’t even register to me.
Butterflies bang against my insides as I make my way down the hall. I decide to start at the room where I know Mel was. Some of the doors are ajar, so I peek in quickly as I pass, but they look like guest rooms and sitting rooms, and nothing about them seems at all suspicious.
I stand outside the door to the room and feel every inch of my body wind up tight. If Angus is inside, I hope it’s not too late. I try not to picture him strapped to the bed, unconscious. And I won’t allow myself to think the worst. He has to be all right. He just has to be.
A voice in my head whispers that Tobias is still able to come to me even though he’s dead, so just because I can still feel Angus doesn’t really mean anything, does it? No. I won’t let myself believe that.
Angus is alive.
I steel myself and grab the door handle.
“Miss Everstar? Is that you?” a man calls from the hall behind me.
I turn and find Sebastian’s dad hurrying down the hall in my direction. “Mr. Allbright? What are you doing here?”
He smiles and it’s a little too bright. “I thought I saw you coming this way. I just wanted to tell you how nice it was to meet you. We didn’t get a chance to chat earlier. You were called away so quickly…”
I don’t know what to think. “Oh, that’s nice. Sorry I couldn’t stay longer.” I have no idea what to say.
He nods. “I was speaking to your father the other day. He told me you were attending school here now. I think it’s extraordinary how your magic sparked at your age.”
“My father?” Mention of my father sends a rod of ice straight down my spine.
“Yes. We’re old friends. Ran into him at the club.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Yes, well, with Sebastian and Katie getting on so well, it’s right that the families get better acquainted, I think. My Yvonne is looking forward to meeting your mother and your other sister, Liza, is it?”
“Eliza,” I say, correcting him.
“I would love to chat with you some more. Perhaps we could duck into one of the sitting rooms and get away from all this noise.”
He grabs the door handle and I want to pull him away. But he undoes the latch and the door swings wide revealing a warm sitting room with a plush floral patterned couch done in greens and blues.
I blink as I take in the space. I am sure this is the same room where I saw Mel’s body strapped to a bed. I am sure of it.
Am I in the right hallway? I could swear it. I glance over my shoulder and try to get my bearings and spot Daria hurrying into a room on the other side of the house.
Mr. Allbright has his arm around me, ushering me into the room.
I pull back. “I’m sorry. I have to go. I’m supposed to meet a friend. It was really nice to meet you. I’ll look for you downstairs, all right?”
I don’t wait for him to respond. I dash down the hall and take the stairs down to the main floor, and hurry out into the veranda so I can lose him in the crowd.
Chapter Nineteen
JOELY
I remember from the blueprints that there are two other staircases for the servants at the back of the house. One is in the kitchen, which is likely full of people, but the other is tucked inside the solarium, along the far wall where the potting shed sits.
I slip back inside and make my way through the main floor, past the library and a couple of corridors before I find the double glass doors of the sunroom. I open the door just wide enough to step inside and close it behind me. The glass-walled room is dark, except for the light from the party going outside. This far to the side of the house, its mostly garden torches and a few paper lanterns strung from the trees.
“Bless you and your blueprints, Van.”
The staircase is exactly where it’s supposed to be. I lift up the bottom of my skirts and hurry back up. It’s hard to gauge where I am from this landing at the back of the house. I’m pretty sure this is the same hall where I saw Daria a few minutes ago, but all the corridors look the same.
I start where I am, opening the doors as I pass, peeking into each room as I go, my heart banging inside my chest like a drum. It takes only a minute to check each room, and when I get to the end of the hall, I turn around and make my way to the next set of rooms.
Bump
Something moves behind me. I freeze and listen, trying to figure out where the sound came from. I can still feel the cloud of Angus surrounding me, so I close my eyes and concentrate.
Bump
It’s a muffled sound, coming from somewhere behind me and to my right. But I checked the room back there already. I hurry back and open the door again, and it’s the same way I found it before—a guest bedroom with a frilly white duvet on a four poster bed, and a small writing desk and lamp. I’m about to close the door when I hear it again.
Bump
I step into the room and close the door, and as soon as the latch clicks shut, the four poster bed and the writing desk flicker and disappear, winking out like a projection on a movie screen.
What in the world?
The room is transformed. It’s easily twice the size of the guest room, the floor spreading out much farther than it seems the building itself could support. In the center of the room, there’s a gigantic hole cut into the floor, and cold air blows up from below.
I inch toward the opening and peek down, my heart in my throat. It takes a moment to realize that I am looking down on the room in the basement that holds the Vessel of Truth and an enormous cavern beyond. The light from the Vessel glows green and is humming in a churning, rhythmic way that Van described.
Somehow this room must be positioned directly above the basement room where the rituals are held. I wonder if the ceiling on the basement room is as fake as the one in the guest room up here. How many more rooms in this place are hiding secrets?
Bump bump
The sound is coming from my right. I hurry to the back of the room where a curtain has been pulled across the ceiling like in a hospital.
I pull it back, b
racing myself for anything.
“Angus!” I whisper.
He’s strapped to some kind of medical seat, in a semi-upright position. I run to him and touch his face, holding him up so I can look in his eyes. He’s got a gag in his mouth and he’s sweaty and cold. His eyes are unfocused. There’s a needle in his right arm, hooked up to an IV bag. Whatever they’re giving him, it’s pretty strong.
The braces holding him in place are made of metal. I run my hand along each of them, looking for a latch of some kind. When I touch his left arm, he moans in pain and I realize his arm is broken where the metal brace touches him, just above the elbow.
Angus thrashes against the restraints. His body seems to expand for a moment, forcing him to press against the braces. He flinches when his broken arm is crushed against the metal and then he shrinks back down to his normal size.
Bump
The effort causes the seat to bump against the floor, creating the sound that I heard from outside in the hall. I glance up at Angus's face but he’s still out of it—it’s his wolf that’s fighting from behind his drugged haze.
“Hold on. I’m here. I’m going to get you out of this thing.”
The door opens and light from the hallway cuts a beam across the floor, shining right at me and Angus. I freeze like a deer in the headlights. I have nowhere to hide and I have no excuse for being here.
Daria stands in the doorway staring at me, looking very confused. “Joely? You shouldn’t be in here dear.” Her tone is friendly and only a little surprised. She closes the door and comes closer, cool and calm, as if we’re in her office talking about my grades.
“I…” I hadn’t prepared for this. I don’t know what to say. “I heard a noise.”
“So did I.” Daria smiles. “But I must say, I am so sorry to find you here.”
