Fly by Midnight (18 page)

Sawyer’s truck was parked in the alley. He was leaning against the side of the shiny black hovercraft, watching the morgue.

“Back it up to the door.” Honora waved him over. “We need to be ready.”

Her pulse raced. Suddenly, plumes of dark blue smoke billowed from underneath the doorframe.

“What the heck is happening?” Sawyer pointed at the coils of smoky clouds, dumbfounded. “You didn’t tell me there was going to be an explosion.”

“That’s not an explosion. I think those are midnight clouds or smoky, misty atmosphere enhancers. I don’t think that’s supposed to happen. I was desperate. At least it’s a good distraction.” Honora shrugged. “The potion was a birthday gift from my sister.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t a gag gift?”

As if on cue, an alarm blared from inside the building. Strobes of flashing red lights illuminated the suddenly darkened facility. The back doors swung open, and a cool, gray mist spilled into the parking lot. Honora raced into the building. The tech guarding the door was gone. The lights were out; the hallway was dark as midnight. A pale moonlight glow hovered around the ceiling. Damp mist clung to her arms and face. It felt like walking through a wet spring shower. Andreas’ voice barked orders, and suddenly she saw a dark figure running toward her. Honora turned on her heels, racing out of the building.

“He’s coming!” She swung open the back of the truck.

Andreas burst through the doors with a cocooned body cradled in his arms. Honora couldn’t tell if his face was covered in sweat or misty dewdrops, but his coloring was bright red.

“That potion is causing a mess. You didn’t tell me it would take over the entire floor. It overloaded the illuma light system in the morgue, setting off the alarms.” He heaved the body into the back of the truck, shut the door, and pounded on the back.

“Sorry,” she said, remembering Vivi mentioned the potion was still in the testing phase. “Hopefully they won’t be able to trace it back to you.”

He wiped his brow and smiled. “That was a rush. I haven’t pulled anything like this since I was a young cadet. I swapped out the dummy for the real body and sealed the coffin. I doubt they’ll open it again to check.”

Andreas’ smile was a relief to Honora, but not as much as having Jonathan Rainer out of the coffin and in the back of the truck. “Thanks,” she said.

“Just get out of here.” Andreas hurried back into the morgue.

Honora climbed into the front seat as Sawyer spelled the craft to life, and they glided off. She slumped down in her seat. “That was a close one.”

Once back in her apartment, Honora and Sawyer laid Jonathan Rainer’s body on the sofa and loosened the cotton burial shroud. A few of his possessions had been wrapped up with him—a corduroy jacket, a pair of glasses, and a pocket watch. His skin was waxy and cold to the touch. Unfortunately, they didn’t have time for him to revive naturally, forcing Honora to pour the reversal potion down his throat.

“I hope that potion works. No offense, but the last potion of your sister’s I saw in action wasn’t very encouraging,” Sawyer said with his wand clutched in his hand, ready for anything. “I know a few basic resuscitation spells and some basic first aid, but that’s as far as my healing training goes.”

They waited a few achingly long minutes. Honora rubbed Jonathan’s arms, trying to get him warm by circulating his blood. His body temperature slowly rose, going from icy cold to slightly chilled. Finally, his body jerked. His eyelids fluttered, and he leaned up on his elbows. A milky film covered his eyes, taking a few blinks for it to clear. He didn’t speak for a couple of minutes, just nodded his head as Sawyer and Honora shouted questions about his well-being at him.

Jonathan gave them a weary smile. “I was dead, not deaf.”

“At least we know he can still tell a joke,” Sawyer said.

After waking fully, the resuscitated wizard sat huddled on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, sipping a cup of hot tea. She and Sawyer filled him in on what they’d learned about the Ghoul Jane since he’d been out. Once Jonathan was out of danger, Honora shifted her worry to Jenny. She’d had no update from her or Hexer Min all day. “I can’t understand why Jenny and Min aren’t back yet.” She bit her lip.

“They got caught up in interviews. That’s all.”

“It’s suspicious. Interviews don’t take this long. They should be back by now.”

“What do you want to do?” Sawyer asked.

“Get ready to roll. With or without Jenny and Min, we need to get Jonathan tucked away someplace safe.” Honora wasn’t happy they weren’t back, but maybe they would be safer without Hexer Min in the picture.

18

J
onathan Rainer looked much better, but he was far from out of danger. A prepacked black duffel bag, which Honora had ready for a quick getaway, sat on the floor of her closet. The bag contained a few changes of clothes, extra flying goggles, and a bag of gold. She changed into an all-weather flying suit, boots, and an insulated leather jacket. Luckily, she also had an extra pair of men’s cargo pants and a jacket, which she handed to Jonathan. “Put these on. I’ve got a long-sleeved T-shirt in here, too.” She pulled out more clothes in an array of universal man-sized stuff left there by ex-boyfriends, flying club buddy Jonas, and Sawyer. “Grab whatever fits. We’re going for dark colors that blend in and will keep you warm.”

Once they were changed and Jonathan’s clothes packed, Honora whistled for Barnaby, who descended from the rafters in a ruffle of feathers. “Time to fly, boy.” She scribbled a note to Vivi and attached a tiny scroll to her familiar’s leg, cryptically letting her sister know that the potion had worked and that she was headed underground. There was no way they could stay with one of her sisters. If Ghoul Jane did find out Jonathan was still alive, she would check their houses, and Honora wasn’t about to endanger her family if she could help it.

A heavy cloud mass had descended, bruising the sky with dark purples and blues. They needed to get going. From her open window, she noticed a shadow move at the far end of the ledge at the corner of the building. A rustling sound floated toward her, followed by the clip of footsteps. Her adrenaline spiked. Honora flew out the window and made a sweep of the building but found nothing. Her mind was on high alert, her thoughts reeling. There was nothing on the ledge, not even a wayward pigeon. Still, her instincts were screaming to get Jonathan out of there now.

Jonathan’s old corduroy jacket was slung over the arm of a chair. “I know a place we can go. It’s the perfect hideout.” He pulled a white card out of his jacket pocket and whispered a spell, causing the card to dissolve into a wispy white vapor that took the shape of a pale-faced ghost girl. Seeing the apparition caused a flutter of excitement in Honora’s stomach.

“Your reservation is confirmed for Ghost Beach,” the little ghost girl whispered, putting her finger to her lips. “Shh.”

“It’s a key card, giving me access to a private room. I secured another reservation as a backup place to hide from the creature, but I never used this one. I still have the room on hold.” A sparkle in his eye lit up his face.

“Perfect!” Honora yelped, clearly relieved. “The police and ghoul already know about your fake affair at the beach. The information was already discredited, so with a little luck, they’ll never expect us to go there. Hiding in plain sight. I couldn’t have planned it better.”

“Nothing at Ghost Beach is in plain sight.”

With their destination in place, all they needed was a hovercraft to get there. Honora paced in front of the window, waiting for the replacement vehicle. Sawyer’s truck would have been the obvious choice, but if anyone had been watching the station, they’d have seen it, so she sent him to secure another means of transport. One could never be too paranoid.

Within a few minutes, Slader’s rugged face appeared as he pulled up and revved the engine of a hovercraft Honora had never seen before. “Sawyer said you needed a ride.” He popped the trunk and helped Honora load up their gear. Tossing the bags inside, she floated on the cold night air. Tensely scanning the area, a shiver raced up Honora’s spine.

The Hex Division could pull its own weight and take care of Ghoul Jane
and any additional Otherworlders lurking about Everland. As much as she’d have liked to have a go at the creature, she decided to let the council take care of that mess. The wizard of the wall was her top priority. But before they could leave, a knock hammered on her front door. Not a good sign. She flew in through the window and exchanged a look with Jonathan. “Wait here.” Honora glided silently over to check the peephole.

Wearing a prissy little smile, Ghoul Jane was standing in the hallway as if nothing had happened. Honora froze in midair. “It’s her,” she mouthed the words to Jonathan, and his face paled. “Go, go!” She pointed to the window, and he followed her orders.

The ghoul knocked again. “I know you’re in there. I’ve just come to talk, I promise. Please let me in. It’ll go much easier that way.”

Honora grabbed her short staff and conjured a ward reinforcing the front door. She’d already sent Barnaby on a delivery, so there was no way to send an emergency beacon to the police and Hex Division.

The ghoul tried the door handle. “No hard feelings,” she said in a singsong voice.

“Beat it!” Honora yelled. “It’s over. We know what you are and why you’re here.” She landed and braced herself with her staff in hand.

“Then open the door and face me,” the ghoul snorted. “You’ve already lost. You’re just too stubborn to realize it. Let’s not make this any more embarrassing than it already is for you. The great and powerful Honora has failed.” A high-pitched chuckling filtered into the room.

It took all of Honora’s strength not to open the door and rip the ghoul’s head off, but she spun around and flew out the apartment window. Jonathan stood on the ledge with his back pressed firmly against the wall while Slader tried to coax him into the hovercraft. His face was covered in sweat, his eyes pinched shut.

“We need to move.” Honora grabbed his hand. His fear of heights was perfectly natural, but wasn’t coming at the best time. “Why don’t you let Slader carry you? He can swoop you up and put you into the car.” A gust of wind ruffled Jonathan’s hair, and he clutched the building.

“I just need a minute.” He narrowed his gaze and stared at the three-foot gap between the ledge and the craft.

Honora was becoming frantic. “We don’t have a minute. The ghoul’s on the rampage, and she’s going to figure out we’re not leaving by the front door.”

The strange rustling sound caught her attention again. “Oh, what now?” With her senses on high alert, Honora flew toward the noise, but there was no one around, just the usual enormous stone gargoyle perched at the corner of the building. She darted around, scanning the area. She blew her bangs out of her face with an exasperated huff. There was nothing but the statue. Often, in her more contemplative moments, Honora spent time resting on the huge gargoyle’s head, between his long spiraling horns, staring up at the starry sky. She returned to Jonathan’s side, ready to literally heave him into the car.

“Heights,” Jonathan said, swallowing hard. “It’s a phobia of mine. I’m afraid I won’t be much help in fighting the ghoul.”

“I know it’s hard, but it’s the only way. Slader’s the strongest wizard I know. He won’t let you fall. Don’t worry about the ghoul. I can handle her.”
Hopefully,
she thought.

Slader dug around in the trunk of his car, returning to Jonathan’s side with a rope tied around his thick waist. “I’ve got a guide line. Tie this around you and let me hoist you into the craft. Two seconds and this will all be over with, and we’ll be speeding off.” His brow furrowed, and he tossed the rope to Jonathan, who quickly tied it around his middle.

The sound from the ledge grew louder, grating on Honora’s nerves like sandpaper rubbing against stone. A loud cracking sound filled the night air, followed by the sound of crumbling rock. The building shook, rattling the windowpanes. Honora dove for Jonathan and pressed him against the building. She suspected someone was throwing magical detonation spells, but once again, no one was there. That was when she noticed something was wrong with the gargoyle.

At first she’d thought the entire building was moving, but she quickly realized it was the gargoyle. Loose rubble surrounded him. A shudder went through his stone shoulders. His spine made a loud crack as he arched his back. He lifted his head. He was waking up. His eyelids flickered open, squinting as if the light was too much. Slowly he blinked his eyes, adjusting to the brightness around him. It was like watching a newborn crawl, becoming aware of his own lumbering body—except this newborn was the size of an oak tree. Impossible, but magic had a way of surprising even the most jaded of witches. Stone statues didn’t just spring to life.

Until now.

A low grumble filled the night air. The sound was coming from the creature’s stone-carved chest and throat.

“I’ve got the wizard,” Slader said, coiling the rope around his hand and bicep, taking up the slack. He launched himself toward the ledge, lifted Jonathan like a feather, and flew him to the hovercraft.

Honora eased her way down the ledge with her back flat against the wall. She was trying to stay out of the gargoyle’s line of sight. No need to draw his attention until she knew exactly what she was dealing with.

The hunched beast extended his wings and rose to a height of at least ten feet tall. His enormous wingspan arched upward, dwarfing her. His muscular stone legs had curved thighs and calves that looked almost reptilian, with huge claws for feet. Serpentine horns curled out of his head like a crown. But it was the creature’s gaze that latched on to her. Deep red orbs glowed to life, the vacant stare chilling her to the bone.

This wasn’t just a gargoyle, but an evil version brought to life by twisted magic. Honora gritted her teeth, fighting her fear. He wasn’t a living thing. He was made of stone, cemented to the edge of a building. Ghoul Jane’s repertoire of powerful magic was stronger and more varied than she had suspected. Honora ran through a list of possible spells in her mind that would animate stone. This spell was calculated, complicated, advanced. Honora had underestimated the ghoul. What was even more disturbing was that someone in Everland was teaching this thing magic, and teaching it well.

Honora had to distract the gargoyle and get him as far away from Jonathan as possible until she could figure out a way to break the spell. “Hey, big guy. About time you woke up. I was starting to think you didn’t like me.” She waved her arms in the air. “Come on and play.”

A deep, guttural roar filled the sky. Totally ignoring her, the gargoyle took two bounding steps and crossed the ledge, pushing past her and heading for Jonathan and the hovercraft. Slader cast the ignition spell and gunned the engine. The craft soared toward the roof. The gargoyle thundered across the ledge like a lumbering bull until he reached the edge and plunged over the side, falling heavily though the air. Honora gasped. His plummeting descent was slowed as the huge wings shot out and waved with a slow, determined grace, lifting the beast higher and higher.

Great. He could fly. Barely, but still.

She threw a series of freezing spells as the gargoyle sailed past her in pursuit of the hovercraft, but they had no effect on his tough stone exterior. Honora conjured up a string of detonation spells and sent them flying from the tip of her wand. Unfortunately, they only seemed to annoy the gargoyle, who batted at the detonations as if they were gnats.

The stone beast surged with shocking power directly into the hovercraft, causing a midair collision that sent the vehicle into a tailspin. The stone beast was too heavy. The craft was sinking too fast. Slader kicked open the side door and flew out with the wizard in his arms. In a plume of magical sparks and exhaust, the hovercraft went crashing into the empty parking lot below. Slader flew Jonathan to the safety of the roof.

The gargoyle turned around slowly, his gaze locking on Honora. She darted into the window of her apartment, which on second thought probably wasn’t the smartest move. The gargoyle was on her tail. His giant claw swiped through the air, catching her arm, tossing her across the room into a wall as if she were as light as a kitten. A jolt of pain shot through her back as she collided with the exposed brick, which she used to think was a trendy feature. Honora slumped in a heap on the floor. She staggered to her feet; luckily he hadn’t done too much physical damage. She had a flyer’s stamina, but currently she felt anything but
lucky
.

The stone creature’s head cocked to the side, as if he were listening to a command only he could hear. Responding, he lumbered to the front door, which he ripped off the hinges with one swipe. The Ghoul Jane stepped daintily over the threshold.

“Hello, honey, I’m home,” she said in an annoyingly high-pitched voice. Prowling around, she surveyed the apartment. “Housekeeping isn’t your strong point.” Ghoul Jane smiled, clearly enjoying the chaos following in her wake. “Do you like my new friend?” She whispered a spell, and the giant stone creature stood motionless, no longer on the attack.

It annoyed Honora that it was so easy to command the powerful creature. “I didn’t think ghouls made friends.” Honora quickly regained her footing. No way was she going to give the creature the satisfaction of seeing her hesitate. “You are quite the social type for a flesh-eating parasite.” She returned Ghoul Jane’s sugary grin.

“I’m not like the others,” the creature hissed. “I’ve
evolved
.”

“Isn’t Everland fortunate to host an
evolved
ghoul? It takes some powerful magic to pull this off. Your tiny ghoul brain can’t handle spellcraft. This magic’s way past your skill level.” Honora coaxed her into revealing the magic, so hopefully she could undo it.

“Your witchy magic isn’t as complicated as you think.”

“Really? I’m sure you’re an expert now that you’ve been here a few months. What did you do to the gargoyle?”

“It was easy.” Ghoul Jane ran her thin hands over the embroidery of her bright pink cardigan. The image of a cat playing with a ball of yarn was expertly stitched into the fabric, and it suited the ghoul in a conniving way. “With you traipsing all around Everland, trying to save the day, accessing your apartment building was simple. There are no wards protecting the roof or ledge. When I cased the building, I knew exactly what to target to get the job done. He’s so magnificent.” She stroked the gargoyle’s huge stone arm as he stood beside her like a captive—attentive, awaiting her next command. That was when Honora realized how she’d done it.