by Raven Steele
She sprinted across the lawn fast as lightning and leapt to the roof in one easy bound. I stared after her in awe. Ryder and I followed a few seconds later, going through the front door. No one was there to greet us. Lucky.
We slipped upstairs and turned the opposite direction of the wing Dominic resided on. We entered the first empty room and closed the door behind us.
“I don’t think anyone saw us.” Beads of sweat dotted Ryder’s forehead. He wasn’t used to doing something so against pack rules. An Alpha’s quarters were extremely private.
I slid open a window. Samira dropped to the window’s ledge and hoisted herself through. “Let’s go.”
She walked out the door as if she was supposed to be there.
I pointed down the hall. “Up ahead and to the right.”
We were careful passing by the stairs again, but no one was there.
Before the next corner, I stopped them and carefully peeked around the side. The shifter guarding Dominic’s quarters was Tubby. That was my nickname for him anyway, as I still didn’t know his real name. He was the grade-A jackass who had caught me in the woods with horse shit on me while I spied on the pack before joining it. He was as tall and wide as the door. He held his phone in his hands, playing some game.
I turned back to Samira. “Just one.”
Samira didn’t wait for the go-ahead, she just disappeared. When I turned the corner, she was already on Tubby, pressing him to the wall and staring into his eyes. “We were never here. You will let us in, then forget the next hour. Do you understand? You didn’t see us.”
“I didn’t see you.” He looked pretty empty-headed. So, not much different than normal.
“Now open the door.” Samira pointed towards it.
“I don’t have a key.”
Samira glanced back at me. “Shall I break the door?”
“No. Too obvious. I can pick it.”
I reached into my jacket pocket and grabbed my lock picks. I’d been keeping them on me just in case I had an opportunity just like this. I bent down and was about to press two picks into the lock, but the hair on my arms rose slightly, just a faint fluttering I might’ve missed had I moved any faster toward the door.
I lowered my head. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Ryder asked.
I straightened and stepped back. “Magic. The door’s not just locked, but spelled tight too. I bet if I try to open it, Dominic’s special witch friends will be alerted.”
We all stared at each, each of us waiting for the other to come up with an idea.
“I have a solution,” Ryder said. “But I’m torn on whether or not to share.”
I glared at him. “Share.”
“If magic shut it, then magic should be able to open it, right?”
Samira and I looked at each other. At the same time, we said, “Lynx.”
“I’ll call her.” I turned on my phone.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Ryder frowned. “It could be dangerous.”
I dialed her number. “Quit being the boyfriend right now. Lynx is secretly a badass. She just doesn’t know it yet. She’ll be fine.”
Ryder rubbed at the back of his neck. “She’s probably sleeping.”
“Not for long,” Samira said.
Lynx answered the phone just before it went to voicemail. “Briar? What’s going on?” She sounded tired.
“Hey sweetie, sorry for the late-night booty call, but we need you.”
“Huh?”
“More like your magic. Think you can help us out?”
I could hear her shuffling as she left her bed. “Where are you?”
“At Fire Ridge. We’re trying to break into Dominic’s room but the door’s locked. We’re hoping you can pop it open for us. Think you can handle that?”
“Break into an Alpha’s private room? The same man who had you torture me?”
“The one and only.”
“I’m in. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Park a mile out. I’ll text you instructions to know what to do next.” I hung up the phone. “How the hell are we going to get her in here?”
“I can do it.” Ryder flashed a confident look. “I’ll take her straight up to a room. If anyone sees me, they won’t question it. She is a Morgan, after all. Her cousins come here all the time.”
I slapped him on the shoulder. “Look at you. Banging a Morgan.”
Samira rolled her eyes. “We need to get out of sight.”
“Back to the room.” I led the way, making sure we weren’t spotted. The guard remained staring straight ahead.
I texted Lynx, explaining that she would be coming in with Ryder. It wasn’t long before he left to transfer her into his car so they would arrive together. When she entered our room nearly thirty minutes later, her eyes were big. Ryder hung onto her protectively.
“I’ve never been here before,” she said. “This place is insane!”
“That’s a good way to describe it,” I said. “Do you think you can get through the door without breaking it?”
“Possibly. Let’s see it.”
We all snuck our way back to the opposite wing. The guard didn’t even look at us when we arrived. For good measure, Samira compelled him again to not notice or remember us for another hour. Lynx studied the lock, her hand resting on the door, head bowed and eyes closed.
She straightened. “Definitely protected by magic. You did good to call me.”
“Can you get through it?” Samira asked.
She chuckled. “Yup. It’s my cousin’s magic. I’d recognize it anywhere. Just give me a second.”
She placed both hands on the door and began to mouth words in a quiet chant. I could hear voices downstairs. We needed to hurry. It was almost two, about the time shifters liked to turn in for the night—or morning, depending upon who you asked.
“Shit,” Lynx whispered. “It’s been awhile since I had to break someone’s magic.”
Ryder placed his hand on the small of her back. “Just relax. I know you can do this.”
She smiled at him and tried again.
“Someone’s coming,” Samira said.
I moved to take care of the threat, but she zipped ahead of me and disappeared around the corner.
“Don’t get caught!” I whispered after her.
She returned a moment later. “Safe. For now.”
“Got it!” Lynx said and stepped back. She reached forward and turned the knob opening the door wide.
I didn’t know what I expected to see in his room—a dungeon, a harem of waiting she-wolves, maybe even a doll collection wouldn’t have shocked me. Instead we were greeted with the plainest room in the house. Just light carpet, a bed and an end table. No pictures or books. No clothes strewn about. The guest bedrooms had more in them than this room.
“Are you sure this is his?” Samira asked.
Ryder nodded. “Positive.”
“Something smells funny,” she added. I opened my mouth to make a joke about the piss on her, but she cut me off. “And it’s not deer urine.”
I inhaled smelling something faint and … coppery? Whatever it was, it would help mask our scents even more.
“Look around for a secret entrance somewhere.” I circled the room looking for anything out of place. “It has to be here.”
We all walked around the room trying to find something that didn’t belong, but there just wasn’t anything to look at.
“There’s got to be something,” I said.
Ryder eyed the mattress. “I don’t think this has ever been slept on.”
Lynx was going around the room feeling the walls. “Lots of magic has been used here. Dark magic. I’ve never felt anything like it.” She stepped away and inhaled a shaky breath.
Ryder hurried to her. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t like it here.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “There’s nothing here. We should go.”
“Wait,” Samira said. “
Over here.” She was staring down at the carpet against the wall.
I followed her gaze but didn’t see anything. “What are you looking at?”
She pointed next to the wall. “The carpet is slightly longer in this spot.”
“It looks the same to me,” I said.
“That’s because you have dull eyes.” She reached down and felt the thick threads. “There’s something beneath it.” Very carefully she dug her fingers further into the carpet.
“Wait!” Lynx said. “Let me make sure there’s no magic.” She bent down and moved her hands over the small area. “You’re good.”
Samira jerked up on the carpet. A small section lifted, revealing a button enclosed in a hard plastic case.
“Push the button,” I said.
Samira lifted the case and pressed it. There was a whooshing sound and the wall in front of us opened, a seam appearing where there wasn’t one before. It must’ve been hidden with magic somehow. We could see nothing beyond the opening but wooden walls and cobwebs.
Lynx stepped back. “I don’t want to go in there.”
“You first.” I shoved Samira through.
She glared at me over her shoulder. I smiled, showing my teeth, and followed her in.
“Lynx will stand guard with me,” Ryder said and turned to face the door to Dominic’s room.
“Smells funny in here,” I said to Samira.
She flipped on a light. “It reminds me of the catacombs beneath Paris. I’ve always hated that place.”
“Yeah, Paris sounds really terrible.”
“I meant the catacombs.”
We turned a corner and the room opened up. There was another bed, the covers piled on top in a heap as if he’d just kicked them off. There was a small table next to his bed. It held several cups and a used bowl with milk still in the bottom. Clothes were strewn all over.
“This looks like a teenage boy’s room.” Wrinkling my nose, I carefully walked along all the junk to be sure I didn’t disturb anything. I also kept my eyes peeled for anything related to Luke’s brother.
“Here he is with Silas.” Samira was bent over, looking at a picture on a small table.
I looked at it with her. “They look like brothers, but I don’t think they are. Weird.” Straightening, I scanned the rest of the room, then stopped when I spotted another door. “Over here.”
I inspected the door closely to see if it was locked. It didn’t seem to be. “Can you sense magic?”
“Possibly.” Samira placed her hands on the door, similar to what Lynx had done. “It feels clean, but maybe we should call Lynx in here.”
“Nah,” I said. “I don’t think she’ll want to see what’s on the other side of this door, especially if it’s like anything we found in Silas’ secret room.”
I reached for the knob and turned it. It wasn’t locked. It groaned open and released a smell far stronger than any Paris catacombs. I covered my nose as my stomach revolted against the stench. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Samira pushed past me. “Don’t breathe.”
“Says the dead person.” I pulled my shirt up around my face and followed her in.
She flipped on another light. It took me a moment to digest what I was looking at. There were six paintings sitting on easels at the back of the room. A long table on the other end piled with jars, just like in Silas’ room. I didn’t need to get close to them to know what they contained.
“Sick bastard,” I whispered.
I moved toward the paintings, and Samira followed behind me. She removed her glasses to inspect them closer, pulling her eyebrows tightly together. There were buckets of red paint on the floor, a dark crimson color. The only other colors he used were black, yellow and white.
A familiar smell broke through the strong musky aroma choking the room. I leaned toward the buckets and risked a quick smell. “Holy shit balls. It’s blood.”
I clasped my hand over my mouth, swallowing down bile. I looked up at a painting, one with great strokes of red across its surface. It was bumpy, like he’d plastered the top before painting it with blood. Samira was lightly tracing her finger over the small bumps.
“I wonder why he plastered it?”
She glanced back at me. “It’s not plaster. It’s human flesh.”
Chapter 14
I took a repulsive step away, completely stunned. I couldn’t think of a single word to say. What does someone say to human flesh paintings?
Samira sure knew. “Fucking monster. I’ll kill him.”
“Sorry, but that’s my job.” I pointed at the painting. “What do you think that is? It’s sort of looks like a person wearing a cloak or something?”
She turned to the painting next to it. “I think you’re right. Look at this one.”
The next canvas showed a smaller image of the cloaked figure. Next to it were two much smaller people bent over on their knees. They appeared to be bowing to the taller, cloaked person. The background was painted a deep red and brushed upward like flames. We inspected the others. They all showed some dark, shadowy figure. In most, there was at least one other person either kneeling or sitting in a worshiping position.
“Do you think that’s Dominic?” I asked Samira.
“Possibly, but who is this other person?” She referred to the painting with two people on their knees. “He looks like a man.”
“Could be a girl with short hair.”
“Highly unlikely. Look at the shoes.”
“So she’s wearing man shoes. Or maybe Dominic didn’t know how to paint high heeled shoes with blood and flesh.”
“Or maybe it was Silas?” Samira glanced toward the door as if she’d heard something. “Hurry. Look for other clues.”
“Is someone coming?” Fear gripped me in this strange, eerie room; I was half tempted to bolt.
“We have a few minutes. Hurry.”
We each turned our attention to another part of the room. I focused on a box with a bunch of unorganized papers. There were a few more pictures of him and Silas. I dug through them quickly, looking for anything Luke could use to find his brother, Jake. I grabbed a crumpled up, yellowed paper. Straightening it out, it was labeled ‘Booking Report.’ For someone named Michael De'Angelo. I scanned it quickly. He’d been arrested for child abuse and neglect about forty years ago. It didn’t give a lot of details, but the arrest location was at some hospital.
“What’s Dominic’s last name?”
“De'Angelo.”
I showed her the paper, pointing to the name. “A relative?”
She scanned it quickly. “I think that’s his father’s name.”
I studied it again, understanding Dominic a little bit more, knowing he’d been abused as a child. Though that didn’t excuse him for his assholery, but at least I knew he wasn’t born that way. I crumpled it the way it was and put it back, looking for something, anything, to help Luke. There were some newspaper articles about a house fire. The name Michael De'Angelo stood out again, and I stopped to look at it more thoroughly. Michael and his wife, Debra, had died in the fire. It happened about five years after the arrest report.
I blanched, wondering if it had been done on purpose. I read lower. Yep, arson was the cause of the fire.
Okay then. So possibly Dominic had killed his parents.
I put the article back and looked through more papers. They were mostly old articles about serial killers and strange, unexplained events. Stuff that was more than likely supernatural related, but the regular humans didn’t know that. I couldn’t find anything that might lead to finding Jake.
“Time to go.” Samira turned and left, not waiting for me before she left the room. I fixed the papers to look like they were before and rushed after her. She was waiting for me in the unused room. As soon as I passed the threshold, she pressed the button and replaced the carpet. One last glance at the room to make sure we left no traces of our visit, and we were gone.
Samira spoke briefly with the guard again, a
nd I began to feel anxious as several voices headed our direction. We couldn’t blame things on the Greybacks this time.
I scuttled towards the hallway and saw Lynx’s head pop out of a spare room.
“Over here!”
Ryder was next to her, waving us toward them. Both Samira and I hurried into the room just as a group of shifters appeared at the end of the hall, laughing and giggling. They sounded completely wasted.
“How do we get out of here?” Lynx asked.
“This way.” Samira opened a window, peering out. She held her hand out to Lynx. We were two stories up and the jump down looked pretty far.
“You’re joking. I can’t jump!” Lynx’s cheeks flushed pink with anger or embarrassment. She glanced at Ryder.
“You won’t have to. Just hang on to me.” Samira held out her arms.
“Maybe there’s another way we can get her out.” Ryder’s hand was on Lynx’s hip.
Samira frowned. “Not with all of us in here. If it was just you two, maybe.”
“Are we in someone’s room?” I asked, just now noticing all the belongings on the floor. “Son of a mother!”
Ryder cursed. “They’re coming!”
We froze as the door handle began to move. Shit. My heart dropped to my stomach. All my work with Angel just went down the drain. There was no way I was getting out of this one. Then suddenly, the handle stopped moving, and Lynx’s hand was on my arm.
“Get out of here, Briar!”
“What?” I turned towards Ryder, who looked like a frozen mannequin.
“Briar!” Lynx was tugging me towards the window. “You can jump from here, right?”
I nodded, realizing that Samira was frozen too. “Did you just stop time again?”
“Get out!” She shoved me out the window.
I stumbled a little, flailing my arms as I fell, but managed to correct myself in time to land properly. It was only two seconds before Ryder was also shoved out. Samira came next, carrying Lynx. She landed with the grace of a panther.
I grinned at Lynx. “You little devil.”
Samira set Lynx down, touching her head lightly. “What just happened?”
I glanced up at the room we just left and a man’s voice drifted out the open window. Phew. That was as tense as a whore in church.