The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) (24 page)

“Five adults can ride just fine in my car,” Doug told Era.

Era turned to Rowan, but he just shrugged.

“I'll get my coat.” Doug gave Era a triumphant grin and headed for his room.

“If you're mean to Blake,” Era called after him, “I'll, I'll…”

Doug stopped on the threshold and turned. “Yes?”

“I'll deflate all your tires,” she finished.

“Not while I'm driving, I hope. I might wreck and damage the boy.” Chuckling, Doug left the room.

Era turned her glare on Rowan. “That threat always works with you.”

“Apparently, Doug doesn't view his car as a family member,” I said.

“They're custom rims.” Rowan spoke to Era, but I caught the glance he gave me.

“You're no help at all,” Era told him.

“Do you have something against Doug?” Rowan began to frown. “Has he done something to you?”

“No, but you didn't see how he treated Blake last time.”

“If I feel he's being unkind, I'll speak to him.”

Era crossed her arms, but didn't get to protest further as Doug returned.

“What about Elysia?” I asked.

“Cora picked her up an hour ago,” Ian spoke up. “They were supposed to take the baby off the respirator today.”

“That's great.” I wanted to ask if Cora and Elysia had come to an agreement on who would adopt the baby, but if Cora hadn't mentioned it, I didn't want to bring it up. “Will you let Elysia know where I went?” I asked Ian.

“Of course.” He twisted a stopper into the mouth of his volumetric flask and inverted it a few times. “I should have this done by the time you return,” he said to Rowan.

Rowan nodded. “Thank you.”

I glanced between the two of them, not sure what to make of this polite behavior. “I want to see that formula,” I told Ian.

“I believe you have. Didn't the two of you steal my notes from my crypt?” The corner of his mouth curled upward.

“That was Addie,” Rowan said.

“Rowan's the one who ashed your zombie dog.”

“I believe you burned one, too,” Rowan countered.

“And the wall,” Ian added. “At least His Grace didn't vandalize my home while destroying my pets.”

“That's not—”

Doug jingled his keys. “We're doing this now, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “We can argue about it later, Ian.”

“Yes, Mistress.” He exchanged a look with Rowan. What had they been talking about?

“Call me when you finish the potion, Mallory.” Rowan headed for the door.

“Of course, Your Grace.” Ian gave me a grin before turning to his flask.

I frowned at his back. I would question him later.

 

Blake's family lived in a
nice subdivision on the west side of Cincinnati—which was on the opposite side from where the Elements lived. I wondered how Era had found him.

Doug pulled the Mercedes to a stop behind the small SUV in the driveway.

“Come to the door with me, Roe.” Era opened her door.

“Why?” Rowan asked, though he opened his door as well.

“His folks are the over-protective type. You should have a lot in common with them.”

“Sounds like they're good parents.”

She shook her head, but I didn't catch her response as they closed their doors and headed for the house.

“Rowan's never met this kid's folks?” Doug asked.

“I guess not.” I scooted over behind him to make room for Era and Blake when they returned.

“Rowan strikes me as more strict than that,” Doug continued. “I didn't think he'd let Era go out with just anyone.”

I laughed. “I don't think there's anything romantic going on. She said something about him just recently getting his driver's license. He's probably only sixteen.”

“She's not that much older.”

“She's twenty-three.”

“Seriously?” He looked up, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. “I thought she and James were going to college together.”

“She would only agree to let him play bodyguard if he enrolled. This is her last year and his first.”

Doug grunted. “Then I'm shocked I've never met her before.”

“That gets back to the whole over-protective thing the Elements have going on with her.”

“Ah.”

Rowan was standing on the porch, shaking hands with an older version of Blake. The boy really favored his father. He stood nearby, casting the exchange a nervous glance.

“By the way,” I said, “unless something has changed since our last meeting, Blake doesn't know that Era is an Element.”

Doug grunted.

“So we should probably play along unless Rowan and Era want to share.”

“That should make for an interesting afternoon. Did you tell Judith and Olivia?”

“I'll text them.” I pulled out my phone, grateful he'd brought that up. We were going to their house after all, and they both knew who Era and Rowan were.

“Are they cool with their afternoon houseguest?” Doug asked.

“What's with the medium phobia?”

“It's hardly a phobia.”

“Well, what would you call it?”

“You will recall what I said about necromancers being ghost magnets? Mediums have a history of kidnapping my kind and using us for bait at their séances.”

“So, you're afraid Blake is planning something?” I bit back a laugh. “He's a skinny teenager. You almost make two of him.”

“It's the principle. We're not meant to share breathing space.”

Rowan and Era were descending the front steps, Blake following.

“I suggest you get over that, or Era's going to make some adjustments to your breathing space.”

“I make no promises,” Doug grumbled as the door opened.

Rowan took the front passenger seat while Era slid in beside me, making room for Blake. She patted the place beside her. “Climb in.”

“You didn't tell me
he
was going.” Blake frowned at Doug. I had to admire the kid's spunk.

“I'm not going to bite you, boy,” Doug said. “Get in if you're coming.”

“Don't worry about him,” Era said. “I threatened to vandalize his car if he doesn't behave.”

Blake gave the Mercedes a frown, no doubt disappointed to learn that it belonged to Doug. He glanced back at the house where his father still watched from the porch. The muscles in Blake's jaw tightened, then he climbed in beside Era and closed the door firmly.

Doug put the car in reverse and backed out of the drive.

“So why
is
he here?” Blake asked Era. “We don't need a necromancer for this.”

“You don't like necromancers?” Rowan asked.

“Just the Nelson ones.”

“Is there a reason for this dislike?” Rowan asked.

“Yes. He had my great-grandfather killed.”

Doug frowned over his shoulder at Blake. “I did?”

“Maybe not you personally, but the Deacon did.”

“When was this?” I asked.

“Thirty years ago.”

“You witness it?” Doug asked, the sarcasm heavy in his tone. “Or are you just repeating family propaganda?”

“It happened,” Blake said with heat. “And before you start making plans, he was the last medium in my family until me.”

“Why would I be making plans?” Doug asked. “Unless
you're
planning something to give me a reason.”

“That'll do,” Rowan cut in, then looked over at Doug. “You have to admit, your family does seem to collect its share of feuds.”

Doug gave him a frown before turning back to his driving. “I think you know who's behind most of those.”

“So, Blake,” I said, trying to steer the topic onto more friendly grounds. “How did you and Era end up hunting ghosts together?”

“Ironically,” Era answered, “it was his great-grandfather. The guy was a legend, so we went looking for a descendant and found this fourteen-year-old boy.” She patted Blake's knee. “Unfortunately, his parents were very protective.”

Blake made a face. “That was two years ago. I get to go out a lot more since I got my own car.”

Era glanced over and gave me a wink. “When he doesn't have a hot date that is.”

Blake's cheeks actually reddened. “That only happened one time.”

“Bet it won't be the only time,” Era teased.

Blake just huffed and rolled his eyes, but he gave Era a sheepish glance when she wasn't looking.

I bit back a laugh. I suspected he probably had a crush on her. It wasn't every day a teen had a cool older woman dragging him out on an adventure. That was probably why he was here today.

 

It wasn't the most comfortable
of rides, but we managed to keep Blake and Doug from each other's throats. It was still a relief to see Grams's big old house come into view an hour later.

“Mallory Funeral Parlor,” Blake read the marquee on the front lawn, before we turned onto the side street that led to the residential entrance and parked at the curb.

“This is where Elysia's grandmother lives,” I told him. “We thought it best to keep the bones here, well away from her.”

“If the spirit has formed an attachment, it won't matter.”

I rubbed a hand over my face. “I'll just be glad when this is behind us.”

“Me, too,” Blake muttered, watching Doug climb from the car.

Rowan hadn't been much help mitigating the tension. He seemed to be taking a call or texting every few minutes. It reminded me of my first road trip with him—the time he had “kidnapped” James and me from Portsmouth.

We had no sooner left the car then Rowan's phone rang again. He glanced at the screen. “I need to take this. Go ahead.” He waved us toward the house, then gave us his back and answered the phone.

I glanced over at Era. Normally, she scolded Rowan for letting his phone intrude on whatever we were doing, but she hadn't chided him once today. Even now, she watched him with a concerned wrinkle on her forehead.

“Your brother's a busy guy,” Blake commented as we followed Doug up the walk to the side door.

“Yeah,” she answered.

I glanced back at Rowan. He was frowning at something on his phone. “Maybe I should—”

The door opened before I could finish. Livie greeted us with a smile. “Grams is making sandwiches. You want to eat first or go play with those bones?”

Era caught my eye and smiled, apparently as amused with the girl as I was.

“Judging by the frequency of the phone calls, I'm guessing Rowan will need to get back to Cincinnati soon.” I waved a hand to where Rowan still stood by the street, his attention on his phone.

“Bones first,” Livie said. She turned an appraising eye on Blake. “You must be the medium.”

He frowned, but his tone was hesitant when he answered. “Yes.”

“Cool.” She grinned, then offered her hand. “I'm Livie.”

“Blake.” He took her hand, looking a little shell-shocked. After Doug, he probably hadn't expected a polite greeting from a necromancer.

“Come in.” Livie stepped back, holding the door open.

“You guys go ahead,” I said. “We'll be right in.” I gestured to include Rowan.

“Tell him to hurry,” Era said.

I agreed, and they walked into the house, leaving me alone with Rowan. I took a breath and walked out to where he still stood on the sidewalk.

“Rowan, what is it?”

He looked up from his phone and sighed. “Alexander's latest interview.”

“Another one?” I stepped up beside him so I could see the screen.

The picture was frozen showing Alexander sitting in a studio beside reporter Natalie Gomez. He hadn't bothered with his robe. Instead, he was dressed casually in a royal blue sweater and a pair of khakis.

“Are you going to play it?” I asked.

“I've already seen it.” Rowan's jaw tensed with restrained anger. “It's just more of the same crap.”

“What kind of crap exactly?”

Rowan turned his frown on me. A small band of fire already encircled each pupil. “He implies that the events at the parade were the result of me flying into a jealous rage.”

“Jealous? Of his swanky sweater? You would look better in it.”

Rowan pressed his lips together. “Jealous of you…and him.”

“The picture in the newspaper?”

Rowan shoved his phone in his jacket pocket.

“Um. You don't actually buy that, do you?”

“Of course not.” The ring of fire grew taking up more of his irises. “He's doing everything in his power to make me look bad, and now he's dragging you into it.”

“Easy.” I laid a hand against the smooth fabric of his T-shirt, over his heart. “This is what he wants.”

Rowan took a step back, and my fingers slid from his chest. Could I not even touch him?

I looked up, about to ask, when I noticed the gold flickering through the orange of his eyes. He turned away before I could speak.

“Go on,” he said over his shoulder. “I'll be in shortly.” He walked away without looking back.

I watched him go, trying to swallow the knot in my throat.

The side door opened and Era stepped out, her eyes going immediately to Rowan. Had she felt his magic? She walked out to me. “What's going on?”

“Alexander gave another interview.” I went on to tell her what Rowan had told me.

“That bastard needs to die,” Era spoke through gritted teeth. “Again.”

“You'll get no argument from me.”

Era sighed. “And Rowan?”

“He's cooling down. He said he'll be in a few.”

She frowned after him, her expression concerned.

I wanted to ask what her senses told her that mine didn't, but I didn't want to hear how close Rowan was to losing it.

Era studied him a moment longer, then shook her head. “Let's go in. I don't like leaving Blake alone with Doug.”