Outbreak

by Annabel Chase

  It was impossible to miss the gemstone exhibit. The moment we entered the room, I was overwhelmed by the glittering display of colors, shapes, and sizes. Cerys was in her element, her gaze darting in every direction. She didn’t know where to focus first. Bryn, on the other hand, had the opposite issue. I watched with interest as she was drawn straight to the display case in the middle of the room. There was no protective ward around the gemstones because they were contained, so Bryn stood with her forehead and palms pressed against the transparent case.

  “Which one are you staring at?” I asked. A completely unnecessary question once I bothered to glance inside the case. The blood-red stone was the jewel in the crown of this exhibit. I didn’t need to read the placard to identify it.

  “This belonged to my father,” Bryn said quietly. “I felt it calling to me, like on a shared frequency.”

  Volans Moldark had possessed rare blood magic—blood magic that he’d passed down to his only child. During his lifetime, he’d concealed his blood in stones because he could draw power from them at a later time. Some of the stones had been found and sold at auction. Bryn had one that she kept hidden in her desk drawer. And now there was another blood stone staring back at us from inside the display case.

  “How did they get this?” Mia asked. All four of us were now staring at the stone.

  “It doesn’t say,” Bryn replied.

  Gray came over to stand beside his girlfriend. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “This museum is more impressive than I gave it credit for,” I said.

  “It’s so weird to see one in a museum,” Bryn murmured.

  “You know how rare and valuable they are,” I said. Bryn had stolen hers from Anton Harrington, a wealthy collector of rare items.

  “Like you,” Mia added, bumping Bryn with her hip.

  “Yep. I’m basically a walking blood stone,” Bryn said. “It’s still bizarre when I think about it.”

  The back of my neck prickled and my body went on high alert. Magic flooded my veins, waiting to see whether I’d need assistance. There had to be a threat—that was the only explanation for the sensation. I turned slowly to assess the room. Several groups had entered the room behind us. Seven school-aged fairies with a chaperone. A werewolf family with an enamored adolescent boy and a bored toddler. My focus shifted to three tall, slender blondes. They looked like sisters with their long, loose hair and matching white dresses that allowed their wings to peek through. Their skin practically glowed. Whatever skin care regime they used, I wanted the ingredient list.

  “Is something wrong, Dani?” Cerys asked. She lightly touched my shoulder.

  I snapped back to attention. “No, it’s fine. I had a strange sensation, but I think it’s in response to seeing one of Moldark’s blood stones. It’s giving me the chills.”

  Cerys gazed at the crimson stone. “I understand. Usually, the rocks call to me, but that one doesn’t speak to me at all.”

  “It speaks to Bryn, doesn’t it?” I glanced around for the dark-haired witch. “Where’s Bryn?”

  “I think she went to the bathroom,” Mia said.

  “I told her not to drink so much water on the ride here,” Cerys said. “She has the bladder of a gnome.”

  I scanned the room and located Warden Armitage lingering in front of the display case with a giant rock covered in runes. He was lecturing a trio of classmates on the importance of understanding runes.

  “Cerys is our resident expert,” I said. “If anyone wants help reading a rune, she’s right over there.”

  “I did so enjoy her predictions of failure for you,” Priscilla said. “Maybe there’s another divination method we can do while we’re here.”

  I was ready to respond with an unladylike gesture when Gray approached our group looking mildly ruffled. “Where’s Bryn?” he asked.

  “I thought she went to the bathroom,” I said.

  “No, she’s not there,” he replied.

  “Last I saw her, she was in here with us,” Armitage said. “She probably wandered over to another display.”

  “I bet her father’s stone was freaking her out,” Priscilla said. “I would’ve left, too.”

  “She wouldn’t leave without saying something to one of us,” I said. “That’s not her style.”

  “I’m going to speak with museum security,” Gray said. “See if they can do a quick sweep of the museum.”

  “We can do that, too,” Armitage said. “I’ll have everyone fan out and we can cover the entire building in no time.”

  “Then do it,” Gray said. He turned on his heel and stalked off to find the head of security.

  Cerys and I were tasked with checking the lower floor, but there was no sign of her, nor had anyone seen her down there. My heart rate began to increase as the reality set in. Bryn was nowhere to be found. By the time we finally reconvened as a group, I knew that my strange sensation had been entirely accurate. There had been a threat—it just hadn’t been for me.

  “What now?” Mia asked, visibly shaken.

  “Now we’re going to stand here and remember every detail we can about the last hour,” Gray said, “so that we can figure out what in the hell happened to Bryn.”

  “And if we can’t figure it out?” I asked.

  “There is no can’t, Dani. You of all witches should agree with that.” Gray’s eyes flashed with an emotion I’d never seen him express before—fear.

  My palms began to sweat—not perspire. My friend was officially missing, and I didn’t have the slightest idea what happened to her.

  Chapter Four

  “I need everyone to brainstorm,” Gray said, and I felt his sense of urgency right down to my bones. “Did you notice anything or anyone out of the ordinary at the museum? I don’t care how trivial you think it is. I want to hear it.”

  “I saw a guy taking photos of random stuff, like the fey lanterns,” Justin said. “It seemed odd because there were all the museum pieces there, but he was focused on the mundane objects.”

  “Describe him,” Gray ordered.

  “A pixie,” Justin said. “I only noticed him because he flew up in the air a couple times to take photos at all different angles.”

  The vampire made a few notes before glancing up. “Who else?”

  I remembered the way the back of my neck had prickled. “I had a weird feeling, but I didn’t see anything unusual.”

  “Come on, Dani,” Gray said. “You’ve got better skills than that. Your gut spoke to you. What did it say?”

  I noticed Armitage give Gray a cautioning glance. He didn’t want the vampire to lose control in front of everyone.

  “I saw fairies on a school trip,” I said, recalling the groups. “Then a werewolf family and there were three beautiful sisters.”

  Justin Holloway elbowed his friend, Wilcox. “Three hot sisters? Tell us more.”

  Gray glared at the wizards. “Do you think this is a good time to be funny? You are missing a classmate. Is this how you’d behave in the field if your partner ends up taken by the enemy?”

  “We’re not even sure someone took her,” Justin mumbled.

  Gray’s whole body went stiff. “We’re not sure? You think she’s hiding behind one of the display cases, giggling like a child while we tear our hair out?”

  Justin suddenly became fascinated by the cracks in the concrete steps and Gray returned his attention to me. “Which group do you think made your hand stand on end? Come on. Trust your gut.”

  “The sisters,” I said. “They were the ones I felt drawn to, and yet I felt…intimidated.”

  “You felt intimidated by beautiful women, Degraff?” Warden Armitage asked. He looked at Gray. “It had to be them.”

  Gray stared at me intently. “What did they look like?”

  “Tall, blond hair. White dresses. Wings.” I snapped my fingers. “Their skin. It was gorgeous and glowing, like nothing I’d ever seen. Oh, and fiery eyes.”

  Gray processed my information.
“Fiery eyes, you said?”

  I nodded. “Even from across the room, I couldn’t miss them. It was like they had flames burning in their irises.”

  “Maybe that’s the real reason you felt drawn to them,” Mia said. “Maybe they have a connection to fire.”

  “Mia, that’s an excellent point,” Gray said, “but I think, under the circumstances, we need to consider them our primary suspects.”

  “Has anyone here ever heard of Samodivas?” Armitage asked.

  We offered blank looks in return. The name didn’t sound familiar. “What are they?” I asked.

  “Nymphs,” Armitage replied.

  “Nymphs?” I repeated. “Nymphs are one of the most harmless groups. Why would they be an obvious threat?”

  “Samodivas aren’t your average nymphs,” Gray said. “They’re rare and dangerous.”

  “They’re nymphs with a connection to fire?” Cerys asked.

  Gray nodded. “Historically, they often served as fire priestesses.”

  “They can shift into the ugliest birds you’ve ever seen,” Armitage added. “Trust me on that one.” He shuddered.

  “Uglier than harpies?” I asked. The one I’d met on Geir Pointe in the Northern Quadrant looked like a lab experiment gone horribly wrong.

  “What would Samodivas want with Bryn?” Mia asked.

  Gray blew out a breath. “I have no idea, but it’s a good starting point. First, we need to figure out if they actually took her and whether they acted alone or on behalf of someone else.”

  “Do they typically serve as mercenaries?” I asked.

  “They don’t typically do anything,” Armitage said. “They’re too unusual to have a specific function.”

  “Why haven’t we heard of them?” Cerys asked.

  “They’re usually not in the Western Quadrant,” Gray said. “They tend to live in the Northern and Eastern Quadrants.”

  “So how do we figure out if they’re involved in Bryn’s disappearance?” I asked. “Can we do a tracking spell?”

  “Not necessary,” Armitage said. “The museum may not have footage of the exhibit area where Bryn disappeared, but they should be able to spot three beautiful blondes elsewhere in the museum today. They’re hard to miss. If we can pinpoint when they entered the museum, we can try to identify them from their payment at the admissions counter.”

  “Anyone else have anything to offer?” Gray asked. “I’m going to go back to security now and have them pull footage of other areas in the museum today.”

  “I’ll come with you,” I offered.

  “No,” he said firmly. “I want you to head back to the academy with everyone else. I’ll make my own way back later.”

  “I can’t do nothing,” I objected.

  “I’m not asking you to do nothing,” he said. “You’ve got a first-rate library and a wise gryphon’s head mounted on the wall. Go use them.”

  “Robin will want to help, too,” Mia said.

  “Then someone contact him,” Gray said. “He’s about to become an agency analyst. He’s in a great position to provide assistance.”

  “Wait, what?” I asked. “Robin’s been offered an analyst position?” I remembered that he’d been summoned to AMF headquarters recently, but I’d never followed up with him to discover the outcome.

  “Try not to be so self-involved, Degraff,” Armitage said. “It’s easier to ask for help when others know you’d do the same for them.”

  “I would do the same for them,” I said. I found his words hurtful. I’d thwarted a giant revolution and destroyed a dangerous sword. Was that the work of someone too self-involved? Granted, both of those tasks had come about because of my obsession with my family, but still. I’d put my life at risk to achieve those goals.

  “I’ll let the chancellor know what’s going on,” Armitage said. “Though I don’t look forward to it.”

  That much I didn’t doubt. Bryn had technically been under his watchful eye on this trip and now she was gone. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

  “We’ll rendezvous back at the academy in two hours,” Gray said. He held up a finger. “I expect every one of you to have at least one useful piece of information to share.”

  “I’ll have ten,” I said.

  Armitage looked at me. “For once, your overachievement might not annoy me, Degraff.”

  I didn’t care if I annoyed every paranormal at Spellslingers, including the chancellor. Bryn was missing, and I was determined to find her.

  My first order of business was to break the news to Icarus. Mia and Cerys joined me in our room as we relayed the day’s events to the snowy owl. Although we couldn’t understand Icarus the way Bryn could, we knew he could understand us and Clementine could understand him. The familiars had a way of special communicating with each other.

  He says he’s lost their link, Clementine said. There’s only silence.

  “If there’s any way you can pick up her signal,” I said, “please try. Bring us any information you can, no matter how trivial it seems.” I opened the window. “Report back here when you find something.”

  Icarus flew out the window and Clementine gave me a sorrowful look. She’s going to be okay, my familiar assured me. She’s Bryn Morrow. She survived the worst father in history.

  You’re right, Clementine. Thank you for the reminder.

  “Let’s head to the library,” Mia said. “I want to ask Cato about the Samodivas. I’m willing to bet he knew some personally back before he lost his head.”

  “Maybe it’s a grudge against her father,” Cerys said, as we walked outside to the library. “We’ve always been concerned about that possibility.”

  “Except her father’s dead,” I said. “What would they have to gain now?” I wasn’t ruling it out as a motive, but I wasn’t convinced either.

  “The reason doesn’t need to be rational,” Mia said.

  “They would also have to know her location,” I said.

  “Or they simply followed her from the academy and waited for a chance to snatch her,” Cerys said. “Samodivas have wings and they could have disguised themselves in the air as birds.”

  We exchanged pleasantries with Fred and George, the stone gargoyles at the library’s entrance, and went straight to the back wall to consult with Cato. The gryphon was distressed to hear of Bryn’s disappearance.

  “Right out from under your noses,” he said. “I can hardly believe it.”

  “Don’t make us feel any more guilty than we already do,” I said. “I think Gray’s ready to sharpen his fangs. He’s beside himself.”

  “I don’t understand how anyone could capture Bryn,” Mia said. “She’s so powerful.”

  “It can happen easily if you’re not expecting it,” Cerys said. She knew that all too well.

  “If she went to the bathroom by herself and three Samodivas snatched her on the way out, she wouldn’t have had a chance,” I said.

  Cato’s round eyes popped. “Did you say Samodivas?”

  “You know of them?” I asked.

  “Naturally,” Cato sniffed. “Some of the most hostile creatures you’ll ever meet. They ruined many a farmer’s crops, bringing starvation to whole communities. They lured in weary travelers with their seductive voices only to drain them of their essence.”

  Well, they sounded delightful. “Can you think of any reason they’d want to take Bryn?” I asked.

  Cato’s beak tightened as he struggled to come up with a plausible reason. “Perhaps they want her blood for an ancient ritual.”

  “It does contain powerful magic,” Cerys said.

  “If you discover they’re the responsible party,” Cato said, “you should know that their hair is their weakness. If you cut it off or manage to damage it, they lose their power. Some Samodivas will even disappear completely, as though they never existed.”

  “I guess it really is their crowning glory,” Mia said.

  “There are a few books in the stacks with specific sto
ries about them,” Cato said. “I believe row five, section H is where you’ll find them.”

  “Perfect, thanks,” I said.

  “Please let me know when you learn something,” the gryphon said. “It is no secret that I have a special place in my…beak for the water witch.”

  “You still have a heart, Cato,” I said. “It just isn’t connected to the rest of your body anymore.”

  The other witches and I pulled all the books we could find with references to Samodivas and hunkered down at the table. After a couple of hours, my eyes kept threatening to close. I was almost ready to give in to sleep when Hazel appeared at the end of the table, holding a tray of snacks and drinks.

  “I’ve come in the nick of time,” Hazel said. “This will give you the energy you need to keep going.”

  I glanced furtively around the room for any sign of the librarian. “Hazel, you know we’re not allowed to have food and drinks in here.”

  Hazel set the tray on the end of the table and placed a small plate in front of me. “You need your strength if you intend to find Miss Bryn. I’ll not have anyone go hungry on my watch.”

  I inhaled the sweet smell of fizzlewick cookies. “Hazel, you’re the best.”

  “Where are the other girls?” she asked.

  “I think Mia’s somewhere in the stacks and Cerys is sleeping, at least she’s supposed to be. We’re doing a rotation so everyone gets a chance to rest.”

  Hazel dropped a hand on my shoulder. “Such smart witches. If anyone can find her, I know you lot will.”

  So far, the stories of the Samodivas seemed to be in line with what we’d learned from Cato. Over the centuries, they’d decreased in number and importance, resorting to intermediary roles as mercenaries. With three of them working together to kidnap Bryn, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that they were carrying out the dirty work for a bigger player, but who?

  My head was resting on one of the small stacks of books when I heard the scrape of a chair across the wooden floor. Robin Chambers dropped into the seat across from me. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was disheveled. Even his bow tie was crooked. I resisted the urge to reach across the table and straighten it.