Endless Magic (Stella Mayweather Series Book 6) (8 page)

Talismans took up a very small section, only half a shelf, beside the totems and tarot cards. I grabbed all the talisman books before returning to my seat. None of the six books looked like they’d been checked out in a while, and each was covered in a thin film of dust. I pulled the thickest volume toward me, tracing my fingers over the embossed cover. Seeing the little nicks in the design, it looked like someone might have made it by hand. The pages inside were yellowed, but still legible. I flicked through it, speed reading as I scanned for information on the remaining talismans. It was interesting stuff. I found plenty of information if I wanted to make my own talisman, and suggestions as to what I might use them for; but there was nothing that related to the shapeshifters, demons, or vampires. One good thing I learned was: I could turn crystals into talismans and place them around my home, or give them to people I cared for to aid them in little ways. I could also give them to people I wanted to cause disruption to.

Closing the book as my name was called, I looked up and smiled. Gage walked towards me. He was clad in the same black fatigues worn by the search party. Gone were the gloves and backpack, and his sleeves were pushed up to the elbows, revealing his thick forearms and sinewy veins. I hadn't realised before how big he'd become since his ascent to pack leader. I wondered if it were a reflection of the job; an evolutionary achievement to manifest his supremacy over the lesser pack members.

"I got your message," he said, coming to a stop in front of the table. The slip of paper I'd pushed under his door was in his hand. "I thought I'd catch up with you later, but here you are."

"Here I am," I agreed, swiftly containing the disappointment I felt at hearing this was a chance meeting, and he hadn't been looking for me at all. I swallowed it. Our fling might have ended in a raw way, but it was the right thing to do. I had to remember that and not focus on my disappointment. Besides, there was little choice in my decision. It was mostly a head call, but even I had to admit my heart was never fully there for a relationship. I just wasn't sure how that left us, and whether or not I had any right to think lusty thoughts about him. We were done and that was it. I wasn't going to relive the past for a future that couldn't exist. I walked away, and I had to own that. Plus, being near Evan gave me plenty to think about already without any added complications.

"You said it was urgent?" he prompted, his hand resting on the back of the chair opposite. He was clearly uncertain whether he should sit or stand.

"It is." I gestured to the chair and he sat down, sliding his knees under the table.

"I just got back from the search," he said, running a hand through his hair. "We made a small breakthrough. We found some paperwork that indicated a house they used upstate. We checked it out, but they'd already gone. They left some paperwork behind though; and we found..." he stopped, swallowing hard.

"What did you find?"

"A dead woman."

"A witch?"

"Could be. One of the team took a photo and we're looking for a match amongst the missing."

"Wouldn't her magic be enough? I thought magic lingers in the dead."

"We found none in this one; at least, none that our witches could detect. They said she was completely empty. Drained."

"They blocked my magic," I reminded him. "Perhaps they did the same to her."

"But they didn't drain you."

"Not permanently." It was a relief to have my magic back, but the tightening in my chest only reminded me how upsetting it was not to know exactly what The Brotherhood did to me. Did they experiment on me? And do the same to this witch only for her to die? Or was that their intention for me all along? To drain me until there was nothing left? It was an unpleasant thought and one I didn't want to dwell on.

"I thought you'd want to know."

I nodded. "I do. Do you have the photo?"

He reached into his pocket, extracting a small photo that he pushed across the table. I took a long look, noting her blue-white skin and glassy eyes. It wasn't a good shot, only made worse by her clearly being dead. "I don't know," I told him, pushing the photo back. "I don't remember."

"We'll know soon."

"Do you know where they moved the others to?"

"Not yet. She'd been dead only a few days, so she might not have been captive with you. I think our search is at an end. We're shifting our focus. Now we plan on tracking the two Brotherhood that were sighted nearby."

"You hope they'll take you to Auberon?" I guessed.

"That's the idea. I don't know how they managed to vanish without a trace, but they did. We have to try a new tactic to find them."

"I understand." I gulped down my disappointment. Of course, it wouldn't be so easy to track The Brotherhood. They would do everything in their power to remain concealed while they plotted attacks against us. They would hardly surrender and hand over the prisoners to the first team attempting to trail them.

"We're not giving up," he said emphatically. "They're out there somewhere, but we can't keep searching indefinitely."

"I know. I understand, truly, I do." I did, but felt disappointed nevertheless. I wanted them to storm The Brotherhood compound and rescue the captives, ending The Brotherhood. I wanted Auberon and Georgia brought to justice, and made to account for their crimes. In all that, I wanted my escape to mean something, and to feel confident I hadn't just left the captives behind. Survivor’s guilt was a horrible thing. "I wanted to talk to you about something else," I said.

"Shoot."

"Do you remember that talisman? The one Mary Richardson tried to sell to Noah?" I asked. I reminded him of the time I witnessed Étoile's former High Council rival trying to secretly sell the talisman to the werewolf pack.

Gage tapped his fingers against the table in a light rhythm. "It's not something I could easily forget. What about it?"

"I need it."

"What for?"

"I can't tell you yet. Only that it could be really important in this war and I need to examine it."

"I don't know. It's a strange thing. It could be dangerous."

"It might still be, but not to your pack in the way we thought."

"You had better tell me more."

Chapter Nine

Gage wouldn't let me accompany him to collect the talisman. Instead, he simply promised I would have it by the following morning. Not an ideal solution, but I suppose it was too much to expect him to bring it to the city with him. I was the one to entrust him with hiding it in the first place. Where he stashed it, he never told me, but he seemed very sure that it was still there. Trusting him was all I could do, especially after he believed my feeble story about examining it. Despite the suspicion written across his face, he trusted me not to try and use its power against his kind; and for that, I was eternally grateful. How to unlock its power was something that troubled me through a fitful night. I drifted into an exhausted half sleep in the early hours of the morning, awakening from my dream only after a beeping noise pulsed incessantly.

It took me a little while to get my bearings as I rubbed my bleary eyes, focusing on the shadowy room. Realising the beeping came from the nightstand, I stuck one arm out from under the warm covers, reaching blindly for the phone.

"Hello?" I mumbled, pressing the phone to my ear.

"Good morning, Ms. Mayweather. This is the front desk. Your guest has arrived," came a perky female voice.

"My guest?" I yawned, searching my memory for whatever guest I’d forgotten.

"That's correct. Chyler Anderson has just arrived. You're expecting her?"

"Yes, yes, I am. Thank you. Please tell her I'll be right there." Since
right there
would include bedhead and pyjamas, I added, "Ten minutes."

"We'll check your guest in while she waits. Thank you!" The phone clicked off.

I dropped the receiver onto the nightstand, yawning as I hit one hundred percent awake. Just as I began to stretch, a cold wave of fear washed over me.

I wasn't alone.

Keeping my body relaxed, as if I were still in that half-awakened state, I began to sink onto the pillows. I reached for the comforter with one hand as if to pull it over my shoulders. With my other hand, concealed by the edge of the bed, I called on my magic, smiling when it tickled my palm as the energy grew. In one smooth motion, I pulled the covers up, concealing what I was about to do, then dropped them before hurling the magical bomb at whomever erroneously thought it was a good idea to sneak into my bedroom.

The magic hit a force field, erupting into little fireworks that cascaded off the shield. Inside the shield stood Evan, looking smug. Appearing well rested, his eyes were bright, and he seemed not at all perturbed that I just tried to disable him with a blast.

"What the hell...?!" I started, hard anger chilling my bones as I rubbed my tired eyes.

"Lesson one," he started, the shield disappearing, "be ready for anything."

"I thought we were going to train in one of the rec rooms."

"You think a war is staged inside a rec room? It could begin anywhere! It can be fought anywhere."

"Not in my bedroom!"

"Attacks will always be unexpected," Evan countered.

"How am I ever going to sleep again if I know you're planning to sneak up on me when I'm asleep?"

"I won't sneak up on you only while you're sleeping."

"Wha...? You have got to be kidding me. You're going to sneak up on me all the time?"

"You make funny little noises when you sleep," Evan said, his voice teasing as he ignored my question.

"No, I don't!"
Did I?

"You talk too."

"I do not!" I shuffled into a seated position, holding the comforter to my chest. I wondered how bad my bedhead was, and if I looked as tired as I felt. Evan seemed like he never slept better, and I had to envy the rejuvenating powers of daemons. If I hadn't known Evan for so long, I might have questioned whether his good looks were a glamour; mesmerising, yes, but not entirely real. Fortunately for him, he was a damn good-looking half-demon/half-man and I had to curse under my breath when he caught me at being less than my best. At least, he didn’t outdo me magically; that would have been doubly embarrassing. Speaking of which... "What did I say?"

Evan's lips drew into a languid, sexy smile. "That would be telling."

Before I could insist he tell me exactly what I said, he vanished. The heat of his teleportation flooded the room, warming me to my core. I couldn't drive myself crazy thinking about what I might have said in my sleep state. Instead, I simply had to take some comfort in knowing at least, he didn't realise I was dreaming about him.

~

I would have recognised Chyler anywhere even though it had been a long time since I last saw her. She wore skinny blue jeans, a soft beige sweater and bright pink heels. Her hair was shorter, cut into a pixie crop, and blonder with highlights.

Why does everyone have to look so good, especially so early in the morning?
I wondered, aware that my shortened sleep was doing me a serious disservice. I had to prepare for a long and grumpy day. At least, I had the werewolf talisman to look forward to receiving. I hoped Chyler brought the horologican with her, and it didn't choose to do something different at the last moment. The last thought made me want to laugh out loud. A few years ago, I would never have contemplated the existence of a book that could think for itself.

"Stella!" Chyler squealed when she saw me. "I would know you anywhere! Isn't this place fabulous? I've only been here once before. I can't believe I'm staying!"

"You're staying?" I returned her hug, pleased at the warm greeting. I wished every being, supernatural or otherwise, greeted me with such overwhelming joy. It beat having them try to kill me.

"Absolutely. Like I said, I got some time off, and I'm all checked in. I'm here as long as you need me."

"I, well, uh..." I scrambled for something appropriate to say. Something that wouldn't offend her when I told her that it wasn't she — an untrained, bound witch — that I needed, but her very clever book.

"And don't worry, I brought it," she said, patting the large leather tote slung over her shoulder. "It's been so eager to get here too. I half thought it might just transport itself, so I gave it my tickets to hold so it knew we were definitely on our way." Chyler smiled brilliantly, all white teeth and glossy, pink lips. She smelled of coconut and sunshine. If she bottled herself, I would definitely buy it.

Dropping the bag onto her lower arm, she unzipped it, reaching inside. As she began to extract the book, she flashed another brilliant smile, and I expected her to produce it with a full-on “jazz hands” flourish. Behind me the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open with a faint swoosh. Chyler's brilliant smile froze, then faded as her eyes widened before she screamed.

I spun around, my magic already itching to go.
Damn Evan and his sneak surprises!

But what I saw wasn't Evan poised to attack, compelling me to defend myself from whatever he had planned. No, the contents of the elevator had me instantly sucking in a terrified breath.

The woman inside was dead.

I stepped closer, brushing Chyler off as she grabbed for my arm, ready to pull me away.

The elevator doors were stuck, the little dings sounding each time they tried to close, only to retract again.

"Call security," I shouted to the receptionist as I edged closer, every cell of my body on full alert. An alarm sounded from deep inside the building.

I paused at the threshold of the elevator when the faint pulse of a spell vibrated from the car, but its intent didn't appear to be to attack. Instead, I found residual notes of invisibility and turn-away elements. Someone put the body in the car without being seen or stopped. Another element of the spell kept the car doors from sliding shut, ensuring its imminent discovery. Someone wanted to send a very powerful message.

The dead woman wasn't solely human. She died recently, within a matter of minutes, judging by the wet blood, and the magic lingering on her, not quite ready to disperse yet. She was a witch. Her throat was cut, the blood congealing, and her eyes were wide open and startled. She never saw the attack coming.

She'd been dumped, or positioned, on the floor, with her back against the corner, and her legs and arms spread wide like a ragdoll. Her head leaned limply to one side making the gash in her throat all the more obvious. Blood matted her long, brown hair and soaked her embroidered blouse. One hand held a piece of paper. I peered at it, trying to make out the writing without having to get any closer.

Reaching a hand forward, I summoned the paper, extracting it from the car on a wave of telekinesis. I suspended it in the air in front of me, and didn't dare touch it in case it were spelled. As I explored it, I felt sure it wasn't; but I still didn’t want to take the risk and touch it.

The words were simple, clear, and frightening.

Étoile would go ballistic.

As the sound of feet running through the corridors came closer, I turned to look for her amongst the swarm of black-fatigued guards that were fanning out across the reception area. Large arms closed around me, lifting me off my feet and carrying me away from the elevator. Over my shoulder, I caught one last look at the dead witch's glassy eyes before the guards blocked her from view.

"Put me down!" I insisted, wriggling in their arms.

"What were you doing next to that thing?" hissed a voice I recognised. The scent of earth surrounded us. "Stop wriggling."

I stopped struggling, hanging limply as we moved to the back of the room. He set me down against a wall, spinning me around to look up at him.

"Thank you, I think," I said, trying not to look too put out at being manhandled in front of the two dozen guards filling the lobby. I glanced around for Chyler. She was behind me a moment ago, but now I couldn't see her.

"Are you okay?" Gage asked, gripping my shoulders as he perused me, searching for wounds.

"Absolutely fine."

"What were you doing? You could have been killed! That thing could have contained anything."

"That 'thing' was a witch! Besides, there was no attack magic. She was a message. She, and you know, the actual message."

"What if that message exploded in your face? I saw you summoning the paper. What if your magic triggered something?"

"But it didn't," I protested weakly. That thought hadn't occurred to me. I didn't even suspect the spelled magic in the car, and around the dead witch, could have been booby-trapped and awakened by my magic. If Georgia were a part of my captivity, she would already know my magical signature. She could have spelled something for me to recognise and react to. I paled and gulped at my lack of foresight.

"You were lucky."

I was about to swallow my pride and admit he was right when Étoile swished past, briefly glancing at me and nodding when she saw I was fine. Gage relaxed his grip, waiting for Étoile, and I took the moment to look around. More guards had arrived, filling the area. A mixture of wizards, witches, and a few werewolves joined them. Some were from the search-and-rescue parties, while a few non-uniformed faces were recognisable as The Amethyst's guards. Most I didn't know, however, and I wondered if Étoile's increased defences included new hires from across our community. I turned away, searching again for Chyler, and found her with her back pressed against the wall. She clutched her bag across her chest, between two guards who stood close to her. To her right, I saw Evan as he stepped into the reception. He surveyed the area quickly, his eyes falling on me. His mouth was set in a grim line that turned even grimmer when he saw Gage.

"I thought you weren't here," I said, stating the fact as I knew it. Shouldn't Gage have been collecting the talisman? His eyes looked tired, but there was an air of otherness about him, and his teeth weren't quite human yet. Apparently, he recently turned wolf.

"I got back an hour ago, and yes, I have it."

"You had to turn wolf to get it?"

"It was faster than driving," he said. "I'll come find you later." Before I could ask him where it was, he vanished, moving nimbly through the assembled crowd to reach Étoile. I took the distraction as my moment to slide between guards, aiming for Chyler. She had to be terrified. So much for a warm welcome in the safest place on earth for witches! She had to be questioning why she came here.

Before I reached her, Evan blocked my path. He caught my hand in his, inclining his head for me to follow. I shot what I hoped was a reassuring glance toward Chyler, and followed him to an empty spot as his hand tightened around mine.

"What happened?" he asked. "I heard the alarm and followed the guards here."

"Someone put a dead witch in the elevator and sent her up here."

Evan pulled in a deep breath. "So we've been infiltrated."

"I don't think so. She was spelled, and no one else was in the car. I was here when it opened."

"What's the purpose of sending a dead witch?" Evan rubbed a hand over his face. "Except that it's one hell of a message."

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what kind of a message it was when I felt Étoile at my back. Her presence had a way of announcing itself, and I knew she was waiting for me. I turned, swallowing my shock at the message. Were they telling us they could kill any one of us, anytime? But that wasn't what the written message said.