The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) (30 page)

“Yes.”

“Ah, hell,” she repeated.

Natalie ogled Alexander for a few more minutes on the pretext of thanking him for his time, then the coverage cut back to the studio.

“As is getting to be a theme,” the anchorman said, “His Grace has no comment.”

Another cut away followed, this one showing the exterior of the Elemental Offices and the protesters gathered on the lawn. It wasn't a large crowd, but I had a feeling that would change as Alexander continued his campaign.

I crossed my arms. “I can't believe Doug went back.”

“Went back?” Elysia asked.

“To that house in the woods. He speculated that the tunnel ran beneath his father's house. I made him promise not to go alone.”

She frowned. “That's not like Doug. He's a man of his word.”

I remembered how Doug refused to violate his vow of never giving James a command. He had stood by it even when he really should have stopped James.

“You're right,” I agreed. The feeling of dread returned tenfold. “But Doug isn't the only one who knows about my Fire Hazard potion or the tunnel.”

“Who do you—” Elysia began.

“Ian,” James said.

“Yes,” I whispered, feeling physically sick. “Did I piss him off that much? Is he setting up Rowan?”

“No,” Elysia said. “I had a lot of personal hang-ups with the guy, but I would never believe that of him. It probably was Doug. And if he promised not to go alone, maybe he took someone with him. He didn't promise not to go entirely, right?”

I thought back over our conversation. “I think that was the nature of the promise.”

“That's got to be it.”

I pulled out my phone.

“Who are you calling?” Elysia asked.

“Era.”

“Um, why?”

“She's been in that tunnel. She's not helpless, and she wants to take down Alexander just as much as the rest of us.”

James grumbled something and paced away. I could see he agreed with my logic.

I brought the phone to my ear. It rang four times before her voice mail picked up. I ended the call.

“No answer?” Elysia asked.

“Nope.” I frowned at my phone. “Do I call Cora? I hate to freak them all out for no reason.”

“I wish we could ask Doug,” Elysia said.

“We can.” James walked back to us. “If the PIA arrested him, he's in a holding cell in the basement.”

I smiled. “And you can get us in.”

“Then let's—” Elysia's comment cut off on a gasp. At the same instant, James dropped into a crouch with a snarl.

“Guys?” I said, my heart thumping in my ears.

“A portal just opened,” Elysia whispered. “Downstairs.”

Chapter 26

“J
ames, please watch from the
veil,” Elysia called, running toward the stairs.

I hurried after her, wishing I had a vial of something useful on my person. But there was no need to arm myself at my own place—typically.

Following Elysia into my lab, I took a step toward my shelf of potions and stopped. Livie stood a few yards away, grinning at us.

“Livie?” Elysia rushed over to her. “Are you—”

Livie abruptly threw her arms around her cousin's neck. “I did it! Ely, I did it!”

Soft thumps echoed from the hall to the stairs and James joined us. He must have seen who it was and went back to dress.

“You traveled the land of the dead?” he asked Livie. “Alone?”

“Grandfather taught me how. I just couldn't quite do it. This morning, I could. I think my blood gift manifested. Is he here?”

I met Elysia's eyes. “No,” we said in unison.

“Wow,” James cut in, his glowing green eyes on Livie. “You
are
brighter.”

She grinned. “Yeah?” She turned to Elysia. “If Grandfather isn't here, can you test me. Tell me what I am?”

“I wouldn't know even if I did.”

“How about Doug? I bet he was trained.”

Elysia and I made eye contact again.

“What's going on?” Livie asked.

Elysia sighed. “The shit has hit the fan—from several directions.”

“Go on.”

Elysia told her about Alexander's interview and Doug's arrest. “We were just about to go speak to Doug to learn the truth.”

“Isn't he in jail?”

“Yes.” Elysia shrugged. “James can show you the way back home, and as soon as things calm down, we'll come figure out what your new blood gift is.” She smiled.

“No,” Livie said. “I'm going with you.”

“Livie.”

“If you don't take me, I'll follow.” She crossed her arms.

“I'm not taking my fourteen-year-old cousin on a breaking and entering mission at the PIA offices.”

“Who's going to know?” Livie demanded. “They don't hire the magical—which is so stupid. The only person who'll know we've been there is Doug.”

“She has a point,” I said.

Elysia gave me a frown.

“Come on, Ely,” Livie said. “I'm so tired of us being outcasts, of watching Grams worry about how she's going to keep the business. Let me help you take down the Deacon.”

Elysia bit her lip.

“Don't you think it's time the Mallory girls put that bastard in his place?” She lifted her chin.

Elysia smiled. “Grams is going to kick my butt.”

“Is that a yes?” Livie asked.

“Fine. I'll let you come, but you have to do what I say. No foolish risks.”

“We're just visiting Doug in jail. Besides, we'll have James, and Addie can bring some potions. What could go wrong?”

“Don't ask that,” I said, walking to my shelf to gather those potions she mentioned. I tucked a few in my pockets when my eyes fell on the vial of necromancy solvent I had recently brewed. We were going up against a ghoul master. The solvent might come in handy.

“Ready?” Elysia called to me.

I tucked the vial in my front pocket. “Locked and loaded.”

 

I stood beside Elysia and
Livie in the land of the dead, waiting for James to return to us. He had slipped into the veil to check that the cellblock in the basement of the PIA office building was empty.

“I can't believe you traveled, on your own,” Elysia said to Livie.

“It's no big deal when you know where you're going.”

“Ian refuses to teach me. Maybe you could—”

“I don't want to go against his wishes,” Livie said. “Please don't ask me to.”

“Okay.” Elysia glanced at me. Neither of us had told Livie that I had run Ian off, or why. I just didn't have the heart to disappoint her like that. Though we would have to tell her eventually.

A soft growl drew my attention and I glanced over. James must be back. It took me a moment to distinguish the dark fur from the surrounding.

“Oh God.” Livie grabbed my arm.

The hellhound lifted its head, its black eyes on us.

I blinked. “That's not James.”

“Of course not.” Elysia stepped in front of us. “He can't assume his hellhound form here.”

Oh, duh. I knew that. “Uh, Ely?” I whispered. “Do you have an iron knife?”

“I don't need one.” Elysia stepped up to the hellhound and lay a hand on its head.

My mouth dropped open.

“This is Bella's hound,” Elysia said. “The one she promised her soul to.”

“Bella?”

“Alexander's eldest daughter.”

That's right. Elysia had met her during her misadventure in Alexander's catacombs. No, that wasn't accurate. Bella had watched over Elysia her entire life, as she had watched over all of Elysia's ancestors. A powerful necromancer like Elysia could actually sleepwalk into the land of the dead. James had watched her do it.

“Wow,” Livie said, joining Elysia. “That's an actual—”

The hellhound lifted its lips.

“No,” Elysia said. “She is my cousin. As you and Bella watched over us on this side, her ancestors watched over us there.”

A thump was followed by a snarl that stood my hair on end. I spun to find a seven-foot monster closing with us and released a breath. James.

He dropped to a crouch, his lips lifting away from his plentiful teeth.
They are not for you, sister.

I arched a brow. “Sister?” Hellhounds had genders?

James didn't acknowledge the question.
I will deliver as promised.

The hellhound regarded him with those black eyes—then she was no longer there.

I wanted to rub my eyes. “You can communicate with it? I mean, her?”

Of a sort
. He rose to his full height.

“What did she want?” I asked.

She's waiting for me to bring her what I promised.

“And that is?”

Alexander's soul. He killed Bella and denied her Bella's soul. I promised to bring her Alexander's instead.

“But didn't you say the hellhound guarded Bella?” I asked Elysia.

“No.” Elysia gazed out across the black plain. “The hellhound guarded the decedents of Bella's sisters, my ancestors. In exchange for that service, Bella promised the hellhound her soul.”

We can discuss it later.
James cut in.
Come. The cellblock is empty
. A portal opened a few feet away, and through it, I saw the familiar holding cells.

I stepped through.

“Addie?” Doug sat on a cot in the cell to my right, but came to his feet. His brows rose when the others joined me. “What are you all doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” I crossed my arms. “You told me you wouldn't go explore that tunnel alone.”

“I didn't go alone.”

“Era.”

“Yes, but—”

“Era was your date?” Elysia demanded.

James, still the hellhound, growled softly.

“Not that kind of date. Besides, she was as interested in where that tunnel led as I was.” Doug's gaze returned to me. “She wanted to know why Alexander was keeping James's brothers down there.”

I opened my mouth to tell him it wasn't Alexander, it was Ian—then I remembered Livie. I would tell Doug later.

“The tunnel does lead to the crypt beneath my father's house,” Doug continued.

“The one where Neil had kept Gavin?”

“Yes. When I sensed a corpse upstairs, I figured it was Alexander and sent Era to the car. I didn't want him jerking her into the land of the dead like he had Rowan. I couldn't follow.”

“Next time, you should take us,” Livie said. “I can travel.”

Doug blinked. “You can?”

Livie's chin came up.

“She showed up in the lab this morning,” Elysia said. “On her own. I think someone's blood gift has manifested.”

Doug smiled. “Congratulations.”

“Back to Era,” I said. “I tried to call her and she didn't answer.”

Doug frowned. “Maybe she was in the shower or something. I sent her back to the car and told her to drive it home if something went wrong. Which it did.”

“The corpse
was
Alexander,” Elysia said.

“Yes.”

“And you tried to burn him with my Fire Hazard potion,” I said.

Doug gave me a sheepish look. “Yes.”

James growled in what I thought was an admonishment, then the loud click of a latch echoed in the unadorned space. I turned toward the sound, and the cellblock door swung open. Waylon stood on the threshold.

“Here,” Livie said, her voice low and urgent. “I'll open—”

“No need,” I said as Waylon started toward us. “It's just Director Waylon. I know him.”

Agent Johnson and a second agent who was almost as large followed Waylon into the room.

“Addie?” Waylon asked.

“Hello, Director. We just stopped in to get Doug's side of the story. I hope that's—”

The agents behind Waylon parted, and I found myself staring into Xander's faded blue eyes.

James snarled, reminding me that he was there. I opened my mouth to tell James to go, but it was too late, Xander's faded eyes were already on him.

“Go ahead,” Elysia said, moving past me toward Xander. “Touch him, and I'll show you why I'm called a soul reaper.”

Xander's mouth curled upward into that smug smile I hated so much. “Yet another charming display of tact and decorum, Miss Mallory?”

Elysia slowly raised her hand and flipped him off.

I pressed a hand to my mouth. It wasn't the place for this, but God, I loved her. I patted her arm and stepped in front of her.

“Xander,” I said. “I would say it's good to see you, but I believe lying probably violates this high standard you hold yourself to.”

“Miss Daulton.” His lip curled. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”

“What are
you
doing here?”

“His Grace burned my house this morning.”

“Bullshit.”

Elysia snorted, and Xander gave her a glare before turning to me. “Tests will need to be run and the evidence documented, but it is clear that it wasn't a natural fire. It burned stone.”

“Father, that's not—” Doug tried to cut in.

“Silence,” Xander said to him. “You have shamed me enough.” Xander turned to Waylon. “Well, are you going to arrest them?” He waved a hand at the rest of us. “They are clearly here to break Douglas out.”

“Which is why we're all just standing around talking,” I said, “instead of opening a portal
inside
his cell.”

Xander's eyes narrowed and lightened several shades as he watched me.

I shoved my hand in my pocket and wrapped my fist around the vial of necromancy solvent.

“The fire was Elemental,” Xander continued. It was his voice, but the cadence was different. “After the burning of the lodge, the incident at the parade, and now my home, Director Waylon has agreed that His Grace must be held accountable.”

“Hey, Lex,” I whispered. I pulled my hand from my pocket and slid my thumbnail beneath the cap of the vial. “Enjoy your fun. I'm about to end it.”

I flicked off the cap, then threw the vial's contents in Xander's face.

Xander gasped and staggered back, catching himself on the bars of the next cell.

“Addie!” Waylon started toward me.

I ignored him, watching Xander double over. He rubbed a hand across his dripping chin and straightened to face me. His once faded eyes were the same vibrant blue he shared with Doug.

“Welcome back,” I said. “I think forty years is long enough to serve that sadistic bastard, don't you?”

“Why you little bitch.” He sprang at me, reaching for my throat.

James jumped between us, snarling, and Xander pulled up short.

James's lips lifted away from his teeth and he growled.

The agent standing with Johnson turned and ran, slamming the door behind him as he fled the room.

Xander's eyes narrowed, never leaving James.

I sucked in a breath. Would he try to take James? What if Elysia couldn't stop him?

I stepped in front of James, and Xander's blue eyes rose to mine.

“It is an honor to serve.” Xander straightened his sports coat with a jerk. “The greatest honor of my life. If you have spoiled that—”

“He tried to
Make
your son,” I said between clenched teeth.

“It is an honor,” Xander repeated, then turned on his heel and left.

“So much for taking away Alexander's favorite pet,” Elysia said.

“Yeah.”

“Addie,” Waylon said, his tone stern. “What did you do?”

I held up the empty vial. “Necromancy solvent. It breaks the hold of a ghoul master.”

“A what?”

“A ghoul master. It's a necromantic blood gift that allows the user to possess the living.”

“Like hypnosis?” Waylon asked.

“It's stronger than that.”

“A ghoul master has complete control of his puppets,” Doug spoke up, his tone subdued. “Strong personalities often break, and those left under a ghoul master's thumb for years usually lose all sense of self.” He looked down, and I had no doubt he spoke of his own father. Did he remember a day when his father was different?

“Xander has been a puppet for Deacon Alexander Nelson for close to forty years,” I said.

Waylon's jaw dropped.

“I just broke his connection.” I took a step toward Waylon. “Now what's this crap about arresting Rowan?”

“It's out of my hands. The National Director of the PIA will be flying in from Washington in the next few days. He's bringing some necromancer.”