A Wicked Power

by Bilinda Sheehan

  15

  A few minutes later I was pulling into the underground parking lot below the Elite building. Heading in through the doors to the main building, I was stunned to find the place crawling with officers I didn’t recognise. It seemed that with the prison breach they were anticipating trouble and had called in every available Elite officer who had ever signed up. I just couldn’t understand why we hadn’t seen any of the expected trouble yet.

  The elevator was crowded so I opted to take the stairs. That would at least give me a chance to clear my head.

  I took the steps two at a time, smiling and nodding my head at the other Elite officers who clearly had the same idea as me and had elected to eschew the elevator. Finally, I pulled open the door to the main office floor and stepped inside. The sound of phones ringing off the hook and the clamour of voices within the room was immense.

  Picking my way through the desks laden with papers and files, I made it as far as my own desk without drawing anyone’s attention.

  I kept my gaze trained on the desk as I shuffled through the papers there in an attempt to appear busy. Not that I really cared what anyone thought of me. I hadn’t been back here since the morning after Graham’s death and despite the amount of time that had passed, every time I drew in a deep enough breath I could swear the scent of blood and death still permeated the air.

  “Amber!” Jon’s voice jolted me out of my reverie and I jerked in my chair.

  Turning toward the main doors, I expected to see him waiting for me in the hall beyond but he wasn’t there.

  “Who are you looking for?” His voice came from next to my elbow and I glanced up to see him standing next to my desk. “Why didn’t you come straight in?” He gestured in the direction of what had once been Graham’s office and my heart sank in my chest.

  Of course he wouldn’t have kept his makeshift office set-up.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realise you were already here.”

  “I’ve been here since seven,” he said. Perhaps he wanted me to tell him what a wonderful job he was doing.

  “I heard about the prison,” I said. “Victoria told me.”

  “She shouldn’t have done that.”

  I raised both brows in surprise. “And why not? She’s my partner and I’m still a member of the Elite.”

  “Why don’t you step into my office and we can discuss everything.”

  “Are you firing me?”

  “Nothing so crass,” he said archly. “But we have a few little things we need to clarify.”

  He headed for the office. “Come on.” The smile that curled his lips made my skin crawl.

  Getting up from the desk, I followed him reluctantly into the office. Upon reaching the door, I paused. Nausea rose in the back of my throat.

  “You didn’t get the carpet changed?” My voice sounded half strangled and tears blurred my vision.

  Someone had obviously tried to clean the carpet. There were patches of bleach stains scattered amongst the much darker rust-coloured stains.

  “They’re coming next week to have the place refitted,” he said. “A little blood doesn’t bother me. I didn’t think it would be a problem for you.”

  A short bark of laughter escaped my throat, the sound reminding me of someone suffering from hysteria.

  “He died here and you didn’t think it would bother me? Come on, Jon, neither of us are fools. You knew exactly what it would do to me.”

  He dropped down into his executive chair and shrugged. That, at least, hadn’t belonged to Graham.

  “Shut the door behind you.”

  I took a tentative step onto the carpet. It crunched under the weight of my boots. Closing my eyes, I swallowed past the lump in my throat and I could imagine the squish beneath my feet as I crossed the floor.

  “Take a seat.”

  I contemplated being awkward and refusing a chair but at least if I was sitting, I could keep my boots somewhat clear of the bloody carpet.

  Taking the offered chair, I struggled to school my features into a more neutral expression. From the look on Jon’s face he was enjoying this far too much and if there was one thing I never wanted to give this man it was any kind of satisfaction.

  “Now. The investigation into Graham’s death is far from over but we have some other, more pressing, matters to attend to.”

  “You mean the prison breach?”

  “Amongst others,” he said somewhat cryptically. Yeah, he was definitely enjoying this far too much.

  “Have you made any progress into Graham’s murder?”

  “I can’t discuss that with you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re one of the suspects.”

  I felt my jaw drop. “You think I killed him?”

  “You were covered in his blood and as we all now know the Saga Venatione are compromised by their complicated feelings for your kind.”

  He made it sound like I was some kind of an insect he’d caught in a jar.

  “I would never hurt Graham.”

  “So you said. But we’re not here to discuss that. We’re here to look at your future in the Elite.”

  “You can’t just get rid of me. I deserve a fair hearing and—”

  Jon slammed his hands down onto the desk. “Really? You think you deserve a fair hearing? You’re a fucking sorcerer. You’re the very thing this office was created to destroy and you have tainted it with your very presence.”

  His vitriol took me by surprise and I caught myself before I cringed away from the venom in his voice. It would be a cold day in Hell before I would ever cower before something like him.

  “You have no proof,” I said calmly.

  “I have the testimony of a Saga Venatione,” he said, sounding smug. “They’re willing to testify that you are, in fact, a shadow sorcerer.”

  “Bullshit.” Sweat slid down my spine. He was bluffing. He had to be bluffing.

  “Being a bitch never did suit you,” he said. “You need to learn when you are well and truly beaten, Amber.”

  “If that’s true then why am I here and not in cuffs?”

  Jon gave a dramatic sigh. “Because as much as I detest you I can’t help but think you might have your uses.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “Aren’t you afraid I might turn you into a toad or something?”

  “You can try,” he said. “But if anything were to happen to me I’ve got a contingency plan. Something your old pal Graham never had.”

  It was a low blow but I kept my face deliberately impassive so he wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing his words had hurt.

  “Do your worst, Jon. I’m not afraid of you. I never have been.” I stood and leaned over the desk toward him. The pulse in his throat began to jump and sweat beaded on his upper lip but there was an eagerness in his eyes that unnerved me. It was almost as though he wanted me to hurt him. But why would he want that?

  “I know you’re not but what if I told you that leaking your little secret wouldn’t only bring you down but others too?”

  I paused. “Go on.”

  “The changeling knows the truth about what you are. If it becomes public knowledge that you are, in fact, a shadow sorcerer I will ensure that those in power know that she was in league with you.”

  “That’s not fair. Victoria had never done anything wrong. This isn’t her fight, it’s between you and me.”

  “Ah but you see there’s the beauty in all of this, Amber. I don’t have to make this a fair fight. The very fact that you have magical powers makes a fair fight is impossible.”

  “Leave her out of it.”

  “Do you know what they will do to something like her when they find out she was helping a shadow sorcerer?” There was a note of cruelty in his voice.

  “Threatening her won’t make this better for you.”

  He reached out and caught a strand of my hair in his fingers. I tried to pull away but he held fast, tangling his hand up into my hair until he had a proper grip on my head
.

  “Threatening her means I have the perfect leash with which to bring you to heel.” He jerked my head down savagely so that my face was almost pinned to the table.

  “Do you think I forgot what you cost me?” His breath was hot against my face and power crept up into my chest.

  “Did you think I could just let it go?”

  I brought my hand up and pressed the tip of my blade to his throat. Rolling my eyes up so that I could see into his face, I lowered my voice to a whisper.

  “Get your hands off me before I open you up.”

  Jon started to laugh, the sound echoing around the office. “So predictable,” he said and pressed something hard and cold against my chest.

  Agony tore through my body as he pushed it into my flesh. I opened my mouth to scream but I found myself unable to draw breath. Cold fire spread through my limbs and my teeth chattered violently in my head.

  “Put the knife down.” He pushed his weapon against my chest to emphasise his words and I let the athame go.

  The pain was all consuming, making the world run in streaks of violent colour. I felt as though I was being burned alive.

  “With this, I can make you do whatever I want.”

  He released his hold on me and I slumped down from the desk and onto the floor.

  Drawing a deep ragged breath, I stared down at the star-shaped scar of blackened skin in the centre of my chest. The smell of my own singed flesh stung my nose and poured the taste of vomit into my mouth.

  Jon’s shiny shoes appeared around the side of the desk and this time, I didn’t stop myself from shrinking away from him. In his hand, he held the object he’d used to paralyze me. He thrust it out toward me as though he would press it to my body once more.

  “Do you know they used these on the original shadow sorcerers?” he said, turning it over in his hands. It looked like a small iron bar but the top of it was carved with a star.

  From where I sat on the floor it didn’t look particularly powerful but I had felt its bite and I was damn sure I wasn’t going to let him touch me with it again.

  “I’ll bet they had a lot of fun with them. I mean, I only pressed that against your chest; imagine if I used it elsewhere?”

  I scrambled backwards, not caring about the bloodied carpet anymore.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to use it on you again, Amber. So long as you do as you’re told.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “Well for a start, I want you to use your powers to get this little preternatural issue in the city cleared up.”

  “You mean round up the escaped prisoners?”

  “Not just them,” he said. “I want you to pinpoint the location of every last preternatural creature on the streets so we can arrest them.”

  “You can’t do that,” I said, swiping the back of my hand over my face. My hand came away wet with my tears and in that moment I knew I hated Jon. He had reduced me to the very thing I swore I would never be.

  “Of course I can,” he said. “I’ve got the backing of head office. They don’t like how things have been run. They don’t like that the Elite has been co-opted by your kind. King City is just the beginning. People are going to learn that you can’t break the law here and get away with it. We’re in for a little shake-up and it starts with a crackdown on the preternaturals.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  He waggled the iron bar in his hand. “Then I start applying a little pressure.”

  I pushed up onto my feet. “I’m never going to let you come near me again with that thing,” I said defiantly as I backed away to the door. “And the other officers aren’t going to stand by and let you do this. They won’t stand for you rounding up innocent preternaturals. You’ve clearly lost your mind on this one, Jon, if you think it’s going to fly.”

  He grinned at me. “And again, that’s where you’re wrong. Didn’t you notice all the new faces out there?”

  I paused and felt my breath constrict in my chest.

  “All those new fresh faced recruits. Human. Not a preternatural among them.”

  “They still won’t stand idly by while you turn this city inside out. You’re going to kill hundreds, maybe thousands of people if you do this.”

  Jon shrugged. “Fine.”

  I felt for the handle and tugged the door open behind me before I spilled out into the office.

  Strong rough hands grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me back into the office. “Watch out, she’s got a nasty right hook.” The unadulterated joy in Jon’s voice turned my stomach.

  I twisted and managed to free my right arm. Turning my body, I brought my foot down on the instep of the man on my right. But instead of reacting in pain, he punched me square in the jaw. Streamers erupted behind my eyeballs as the room tilted violently. Something struck me across the back of my head, driving me to my knees. Vomit washed up into my throat and it took all of my control not to lose consciousness. My head lolled back onto my shoulders as my knees buckled and I stared up into the white eyes of the two Saga Venatione holding me.

  Except these two were different to any witch hunter I’d seen before. Their heads were shaved and every inch of their pale skin was covered with writhing, vine-like tattoos. The same kinds of tattoos both Nic and Jason had.

  The hunter on my right grabbed my arm again and twisted it up behind my back. The move forced my upper body forward. It was either that or let them snap my arm in half.

  Jon raked his hands through my hair, scooping it forward and exposing the back of my neck. The scrabbling sensation of his fingers made me struggle but the hunters holding me wouldn’t budge. Something clicked into place around my throat and I went still.

  The metal hummed against my skin, sending an unpleasant vibration coursing through my nervous system.

  “There. You’ll find your new piece of jewelry makes you very amenable to my requests,” Jon said.

  The hunters let me go and I dropped on to my hands and knees. Tentatively, I lifted my hands to my throat and pressed my finger tips against the cold metal collar I now wore.

  “What’s this?” My voice was hoarse as though I’d spent the last hour screaming.

  “A little insurance,” Jon said pleasantly. “Anything I ask of you, you will do. Or—”

  I glanced up at him and watched as he waved the iron bar in front of me once more.

  “And in case there was any confusion, Amber.” He stalked back over to his desk and pulled a poppet out of the top drawer.

  “This was not part of the agreement.” The low rumbling voice of the Saga Venatione behind me caused the hairs to rise on the back of my neck.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Jon said. “I’ll keep my end of the bargain so long as you keep yours.”

  “What bargain?” I asked, glancing back at the hunter behind me.

  He expression was impassive and he stared through me rather than at me.

  “I said what bargain?”

  “It does not talk,” he said.

  “Unless it is spoken to.” The other hunter finished.

  From the corner of my eye I could see Jon wrapping the strands of my hair he’d pulled out earlier around the poppet.

  “You can’t let him do that,” I said, panic lending an unpleasant note to my voice. “That magic isn’t sanctioned. You can’t—” My voice cut off as white hot agony tore through my stomach and spread upwards into my chest. I gagged on my words as I dropped back onto the floor.

  It was just as bad as it had been before, and the collar around my neck began to heat as my power struggled to rise to the surface.

  “There’s nothing you can do, Amber.” Jon’s voice came from far away as I floated in a fog of misery. “The more you try to use your power, the worse it will get.”

  He was right. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

  Darkness ate at the corners of my vision and as much as I wanted to stay alert and fight my human body could only take so much.

  I sank i
nto oblivion, my scream silenced beneath Jon’s torment.

  16

  When I came to, I was upright and in the same chair I’d been sitting in when I’d been in Jon’s office. My head felt like someone had started up a pneumatic drill inside my skull and my heart threatened to beat out of my chest.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I whipped my head up and shot a terrified look around the office.

  The hunters were gone but Jon was still there. He was back behind the desk, the poppet--with my hair wrapped around its body--rested on top of a pile of files that hadn’t been there before.

  “I was wondering when you’d wake up,” he said, sounding quietly pleased with himself. “Now. Are we done with the demonstrations for the day?” As he spoke he held the iron bar above the poppet.

  I nodded, my dry tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.

  “Good,” he said, setting the two items aside. “Now that we’re both on the same page I want you to start by getting me the locations of the preternaturals.”

  “And the other thing you want me for?”

  “That’s a little more complicated.”

  “Spit it out.”

  “Your little stunt in Fortune has created quite a mess.”

  “I saved the town.”

  “The town was expendable,” he said. “The treaty between the humans and the fae is not and your destroying the night wings has created somewhat of a rift between us and them.”

  I stared at him uncomprehendingly. Had I just heard him correctly? Had he really just suggested I should have allowed the night wings to destroy the inhabitants of an entire town?

  “What am I supposed to do about that?” I asked.

  “There is going to be a meeting between the fae and the human government. You are to be a gesture of good will for the fae,” he said.

  Cold dread coiled in the pit of my stomach. My mind instantly conjured the image of Fionn and a shudder of revulsion raced through me. I wouldn’t go back there. I wouldn’t be their prisoner. Jon would have to kill me first.