He settled his gaze on me.
Was there something behind that look?
I hadn’t had that much to do with Max since I’d pretty much confessed I liked him in his kitchen. Now I wondered if the edge to his gaze right now was him remembering that fact.
My stomach shook with nerves, and I was suddenly reminded that they were completely different from the sensations I felt around Jason. When Jason appeared in front of me, it felt like my body was on frigging drugs. No, sorry, it felt as if it was going through some preprogrammed love spell. One that was specifically designed to make me fall head-over-heels for Jason.
When I was around Max?
I was nervous and awkward – just like you’d expect if you felt something for someone.
Though Jason was technically looking through Max’s phone, I could tell he was still paying attention to me out of the corner of his eye. He quickly gave up on Max’s phone and tossed it back to Max.
Though Max had his attention elsewhere – on me – he showed his lightning quick reflexes and caught his phone before it could break on the floor.
Jason turned toward me. “Why did you run into this room?”
I had to stop myself before I answered honestly. I brought a hand up, clamped it on the back of my neck in the universal sign that someone was lying, and I shrugged. “Because I heard a noise,” I lied.
I could see Josh looking at me out of the corner of my eye, and he obviously realized how much of a Porky that was.
If Jason figured it out, he didn’t let it show. He shrugged. “Maybe you’re coming into your sorceress skills early,” he said, and there was undeniable joy behind his voice. It was a joy that reminded me of who Jason was on the inside – someone who cared far more about power than he did about me.
That solidified my nerve. I took a step toward Max and held up my hand. I didn’t say anything immediately, and Max got the oddest look in his eyes. It made me clear my throat. “Do you mind if I have a look at your phone? At the same caller information Jason just looked at?”
“Why do you want to do that?” Jason began.
Wordlessly, Max handed over his phone.
Though I could tell that Josh wanted to keep the heck out of this, he cleared his throat. “We still have to track down Isabella.”
“You don’t need to keep pointing that out, Mr. McIntosh,” Jason said angrily.
“Maybe I do – because Beth is simply continuing the investigation.”
I started to flick through the contents of Max’s phone. Though I got the sudden urge to tap out of the caller ID section and see what else was on here, I controlled myself.
I didn’t really know what I was looking for. And I doubted, considering how much I’d already used my powers today, that simply staring at the caller ID would tell me the location of Hayden – but I had to try, didn’t I? Especially considering all eyes were on me, and none more so than Max’s.
I swear his gaze was as penetrating as a drill. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him – but as he silently watched me, I appreciated there was more he wanted to ask me.
Though both Josh and Max clearly understood how my powers worked, maybe Jason didn’t, because he gave me all of several seconds, then he actually tapped his foot angrily as if he were an impatient customer from the turn of last century. “Have you done it yet? Have you found him?”
Josh spluttered. It was a rare show of defiance, considering he’d been all but meek around the trainee sorcerer until now.
Jason turned his angry gaze on Josh. “Yes?”
“It’ll take time. Plus – she’s already used her powers a lot today, and she’s tired. This is the bit where we stand around, give her space and time, and don’t rush her,” Josh said, emphasizing the word rush with an exasperated breath of air.
Jason looked as if he wanted to throttle Josh, but at least he stopped pressuring me.
… I’d never had performance anxiety. Until now. And boy did I have it now. There was something about standing around as three grown witches watched you try to pull together the disparate facts of a case and come up with the location of a key figure, all in under a minute, that really got a girl down.
I did a lot of fidgeting, grabbing hold of the end of my ponytail and twisting it around my fingers. All the while I kept tapping on Max’s phone when it tried to go to sleep.
There was something… God I know this sounded crazy – but just go with me – but there was something intimate about holding Max’s phone. It seemed to reinforce the tether between us – the very same tether that had been unwinding ever since Jason had appeared on the scene. I found myself unconsciously clutching the phone all the tighter, and I drew the line at rubbing my thumb up and down the case.
Finally, I actually started to settle my mind on what mattered most. Hayden. This was the first genuine piece of communication I’d had with him – okay, Max had communicated with Hayden, but that wasn’t the point. In my hands was a device that had carried Hayden’s voice. It was an object that had connected to him. And I almost… I almost felt something. I just needed more.
Unconsciously, I shoved a hand out right in front of Jason’s face. “Hand me back the book,” I said, and there was a commanding edge to my tone.
It was enough that I saw Jason arch an eyebrow in my peripheral vision. “This book is now evidence for Internal Affairs—”
“If you want me to find Hayden, I suggest you hand me over the book. Plus, Josh and I were the ones to find it in the first place. And even though we’re happy to share our evidence with Internal Affairs, considering you’re an affiliate of the Justice Department,” I emphasized that word, “we still have an obligation to track down Isabella. So how about you share?”
I could tell Jason wasn’t happy with the tone I was using on him, but as Max’s eyes settled on Jason, Jason actually folded. He shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out the book. How the book fit in his pocket – well, magic of course. Jason handed it over. A faint few charges still crackled over it, and they sank not unpleasantly into my skin. You see, they had a very specific feel to them. A very specific charge. The kind of charge, to be exact, that promised it would heat you up without burning you. Before I could expand that promise to Jason himself, I concentrated. I half closed my eyes, hooking the book close to my chest. But even though my eyes half closed and I attempted to center my concentration on Hayden, I couldn’t fail to pick up Max’s expression. His cheeks hardened at the sight of the book.
I half opened an eye, and I frowned at him.
“Concentrate,” he mouthed.
If anyone else had told me to concentrate – especially Jason – I wouldn’t have. But there was a kind, promising edge to Max’s lips, so I did as I was told.
I sank my mind into everything I knew about Hayden, from his brother, to his girlfriend, to this book.
I started to move – my muscles being controlled by my magic. It felt exactly like it had when I’d led Max through the stadium to Carson Black. It didn’t, however, feel exactly like it had when I’d led Jason through the infinity tunnels beneath the City Hall to the Hidden Grimoires. You see, even though technically my magic was in control, Jason wasn’t in control through me. I started to leaf through the book until my finger stopped on a specific page. In a rush, the magic left me, and I looked down at the book.
There was some writing along the margin, and one passage was highlighted. Before I could gaze at it, Jason, acting exactly like a three-year-old, marched in and snapped the book off me.
Max’s gaze hardened. “There’s a lot you have to learn about finding magic, brother. You shouldn’t interrupt.”
“It looks as if she’s already found something important,” Jason said as he read the passage, whispering it under his breath.
Though I didn’t know Jason that well, the intensity of our experiences to date made up for the lack of length. So I swore I knew what he was thinking. He’d just found a critical clue. But for some reason I doubted it wa
s a clue that would lead him to Hayden – no, just to more Hidden Grimoires.
Jason appeared to be satisfied enough that he closed the book and shoved it into his pocket.
Josh was a lot of things, and it was clear having seen the way he interacted with the kingpins and Jason that Josh knew his place. But it was also clear as Josh took a solid step toward Jason that he had his limits. “As Beth’s already pointed out, we have an obligation to share evidence. She used finding magic to find that passage – so please give us a look.” There was a hard edge to Josh’s tone on the word please, and he shoved his hand at Jason.
Jason simply looked at the hand. “I’ve already told you, this is an Internal Affairs investigation. Internal Affairs,” he looked at Josh pointedly, “trump the bounty hunter program in order of importance. If I have a reason to believe that sharing evidence will deleteriously affect my investigation, then I don’t have to share.”
Josh looked at him, and for the first time, the bounty hunter didn’t control his expression at all. “If that’s you suggesting that neither Beth or I are trustworthy, that’s a hell of a complaint.”
Jason smoothed a smile over his mouth – though calling it a smile was a stretch. It was stiff, and it showcased his clenched teeth. “I’m saying that I have to keep hold of every detail of this investigation. The more people I share them with, the more likely these secrets are to get out.”
“And what exactly are you investigating, anyway?” Josh spat.
“Do you really expect me to answer?” Jason asked casually.
“You’re after another set of Hidden Grimoires,” I said. I brought my arms up, and I clamped my hands on my hips. “Because those books are all you really care about, aren’t they, Jason?” There was a hell of a bite to my words. Specifically the kind of bite you would use if you were about to break up with somebody.
It stopped Jason in his tracks. Though I was aware of the fact that both Josh and Max were staring at me, I couldn’t see them anymore. It was as if I suddenly had tunnel vision, and the universe had been whittled down until it was just me and Jason frigging Knights.
He cleared his throat and straightened. He also tried to smooth a smile over his face again. “When I left you alone in the tunnels, I didn’t expect—”
“You wanted the books. And now you want a new set of Hidden Grimoires again, don’t you? That’s why you won’t share the details of this case. It’s got nothing to do with Hayden and Isabella – you don’t honestly care about tracking them down before it’s too late. You just want more power.” Every single doubt I’d had about Jason started to pour out of my mouth like bile. These were things I’d complained about in my head – and things I should probably have kept in my head. But right now I couldn’t stop myself. None of this was fair. And it was either a reaction to Jason being obstructionist around this case, or it was a reaction to Jason in general.
I could not see how I was meant to fall in love with this man and frigging marry him. All I could see now were the chains of some stupid prophecy binding me to him.
Jason brought his hands up and spread them wide as if we really were having a domestic. I expected him to continue to bluster – to fob me off – to generally be a jerk. Weirdly his expression actually softened. “There’s probably a time and place for this, Beth,” he said, and for the first time he sounded like an actual human as he spoke. His voice wasn’t injected with the arrogance of a sorcerer, and nor was every word directed at forcing me to feel something. He was simply speaking. “But it’s not now. Unfortunately, I need to track Hayden down—”
“So you can get to the books,” I spat through rigidly clenched teeth.
He paled a little. “Yes, so I can get the books. It’s not because I’m obsessed with power,” he said, and his voice did a good job of sounding wounded. I say sounding wounded – because I doubted he had the heart to actually know what it felt like to get hurt. “Whether you choose… to believe in the prophecy or not,” he said, and there was exasperation behind his tone, “it is very real. And if the Hidden Grimoires are brought together by the wrong people, yes, the world will be in trouble. So yes, I need to find the Hidden Grimoires. And yes, I believe Hayden can lead me to the next set. But no – that doesn’t mean—”
I knew what he was about to say. He was about to say that didn’t mean he didn’t care about me. But I couldn’t let him say that. Not here, not with an audience. Hell, not ever.
I put my hands up. I was still holding Max’s phone, but that didn’t matter. I tried to control my emotion, but I knew that a tear or two shimmered in my eyes. “Do what you want to. I’m done listening to your excuses. I don’t need you, either. I can find Hayden on my own. Good luck finding him on your own, though. And good luck finding another finder to teach you, Jason – because God knows I won’t.” With that, I stormed out. I didn’t look at anyone – I made a beeline for the door and stalked right through it.
I was still holding Max’s phone, and he had every right to dart out and grab it – or at least slow me down – but he didn’t. He just watched me.
Jason? I caught sight of him out of the corner of my eye, and he actually looked disappointed. Though my angry heart wanted to tell me it was nothing more than an act, my brain told me that the exact way his shoulders were drooping and the exact defeated look in his gaze wasn’t faked.
Screw that. I was done with him.
I walked away.
Because I was done with this day in general.
The problem was, however, the day wasn’t done with me.
Chapter 6
I didn’t get far. Specifically, I made it into the elevator. Just as I did, I finally saw Jason jogging out of the open doorway to Isabella’s apartment – but he didn’t make it to the lifts in time. The doors closed in front of me.
“Screw you, Jason Knights. Screw you, you bastard. There is no way we are ever going to get together. You’re a frigging jerk. And this prophecy is nothing more than a joke,” I spat at the closed doors, ranting like a crazy lady. Fortunately, the elevator was empty. Unfortunately, Max’s phone chose that exact moment to ring. I wasn’t expecting it, and I swore I jumped a mile. I yelped as loudly as someone who’d been struck with a cattle prod.
It took me a moment, then I blinked down at the screen, expecting to see Josh calling me – possibly because Max had stolen his phone in order to remind me that I was technically walking away with the mobile of the most powerful man in the city.
I stared at the screen and blanched. A name flashed on the screen. Hayden Sinclair.
I almost dropped Max’s phone in my haste to answer it. By the time I thumbed the green button and brought the phone to my ear, I was breathless. “Hello? Is this Hayden—”
There was a click. A strange click that echoed over the line. It was loud enough and sudden enough that I jerked the phone away from my face. And that would be when the phone became electrified. Great bursts of sparks erupted from it, crackled down my hand, jerked over my knees, and sank into the base of the lift. I screamed, my voice pitching as high as it could.
As the sparks crackled and discharged into the base of the lift, they did something to the metal. Specifically, a circle started to write itself across the metal, actually singeing and sinking into it as the scent of molten steel met my nose.
I shrieked even louder. But there was nothing I could do. A portal was opening up below me. I might’ve been a lot of things – technically one of the most powerful witches in the city – but there was nothing I could do against this.
The next thing I knew, the floor of the elevator became porous. I started to sink through. I threw my hands out, but they were suddenly rebuffed as they hit the edges of the portal. Though technically the portal only looked as if it were on the floor, an invisible chamber surrounded it, and as my hands bashed into it, they were rebuffed as if I’d touched a force field. Paroxysms of energy blasted through me. I continued to sink. Right down to my ankles, then down to my knees. It was like being ea
ten by quicksand.
I shrieked all the louder, but there was nobody to hear me and nobody to help me. I kept hold of Max’s phone, because it felt as if it had been glued to my fingers.
Though I’d jumped into portal spells before – most recently with Frank when we’d traveled to the sewer tunnels – that had been different. They hadn’t contained nearly as much magic, and nor had I been trapped.
This was a different spell, and by God was it powerful.
I finally sank down to my eyes, and true terror ricocheted through me as the vision of the elevator was replaced with one of kaleidoscopic color and confusing shapes. It felt as if I’d been struck on the head with a battering ram. Tingles escaped through my face, rushed into my nose, and blasted down the back of my neck. I felt like I was being pushed and pulled, drawn and quartered, cut and smeared. It was categorically one of the most violent sensations I’d ever been forced to endure. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
When I’d used those portal spells with Frank, though they’d been a bit discombobulating, they’d also been quick. They’d been over in a matter of seconds. This one seemed to draw on and on.
If felt like it took an age – whole goddamn years – before I finally arrived somewhere.
With a body-shaking thump, my knees struck a cold, unyielding floor, and I lay still.
I felt myself try to open my eyes, but my gaze was still filled with the chaos of the portal spell.
My ears, however, seemed to work okay, and I heard somebody take a skidding step toward me. “Max—” they began. They stopped. “Who the hell are you? Jesus Christ, did the spell malfunction?”
I battled past the chaos swamping my vision, and I forced my gaze to resolve. I was in some kind of basement somewhere, and the place was decked out with every arcane symbol and magical object you could imagine. It looked as if it was the set of some witch drama – or maybe a magical supply room for an evil villain.
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