Spells & Death

by Rachel Medhurst

  I couldn’t tell Brianna what had happened to me. I couldn’t tell anyone. If they knew, I’d be in danger. And, I was already flying high in that department.

  Licking her lips, Brianna ran her tongue over her canine. It was slightly more elongated than a humans, but it would grow when she wanted to feed. Her healthy lifestyle meant that she only fed on one person, her lover. Yeah, my friend had a human lover. And, they were genuinely in love. She was lucky that I had to keep my Paranormal MI5 status a secret, or I’d be obligated to arrest her. It was illegal for species to inter-relate. Although, a vampire couldn’t get pregnant, so it wasn’t as harsh a crime.

  “Bella, this is so odd.” Brianna stared at me, her gaze far too probing for my anti-social self. “Why can’t I smell you?”

  Plastering a fake smile on my face, I shoved a forkful of food into my mouth.

  Brianna frowned as she elicited a nervous laugh. “Are you playing a trick on me?”

  She didn’t look amused as I swallowed my food and nodded quickly. Yes, I’d run with her assumption. That might just work.

  “You’ve done a spell to hide the scent of your blood!” Brianna smacked me on the arm. “That’s crazy. Are you in danger?”

  About to shake my head, I froze when she let out a little squeak. “No, no, I bet you’re hiding your DNA so no one knows you’re an Essex witch. You’re a genius, girl.”

  Her loud laughter echoed in the room as the Game of Thrones theme tune started to play. Oh, yeah, I was ready for the next episode.

  “Gemma!” Brianna exclaimed, bringing my attention back to her.

  My eyes were wide as I looked at her, my insides quivering. She had probably picked up on my ploy to let her think what she wanted regarding my blood. When in reality...

  My hands started to shake so I quickly put my plate on the side table and tucked them between my leather clad legs. “What?”

  “You’ve watched this episode ten times already. Can’t we watch something else?”

  My muscles couldn’t relax, even though I’d successfully distracted her from my death problem. Because ultimately, that was what it was... I was dead, and Brianna had just confirmed it.

  What the fuck would I do now?

  Chapter 5

  “I can’t believe you’ve dragged me to this place,” Dave moaned as I flashed my pass.

  My skin started to tingle as soon as my gaze landed on the big sign overhead. Fantasy Book Fair. Oh yeah. There was nothing like meeting my favourite authors. I was quite recognisable to some of those who set up the events. It was my bucket list to meet every one of my ten favourite authors of the year, every year. If possible. Most people thought I was sad, but books were my life. Even at the age of twenty-five. And, if that meant I was classed as immature, I would be the female Peter Pan my whole life. He was as kickass as me, so it was all good.

  My desk friend had picked me up from my house wearing blue jeans and a tight white shirt. His tanned arms flexed as he’d held onto the steering wheel, eyeing me when I had got into his Audi TT. For a big man, he drove a little car. However, the thing was pretty speedy.

  “I quite like your T-shirt today,” he commented as we weaved into the crowd.

  Glancing down at my shirt, I smiled to myself. The closed book with a crow sitting on top was one of my favourites. My mind was quickly distracted as we walked into the main area, and I looked up.

  The gothic building had high ceilings with candle chandeliers hanging from them. My mouth was hanging open as I stared up at the décor. There was something about a gothic building that made me feel at home. Maybe it was my pagan roots.

  “See what I do for you?” Dave interrupted my musings as we came to the first row of tables.

  It was a kind of mishmash of tables in rows, authors behind them. A couple of areas were dedicated to seating. A panel was at the back of the room, on a raised platform. Some of my favourite authors would be speaking later, but I doubted I could persuade Dave to stay that long. Especially considering we were meant to be working on the case.

  “The DNA came back.” Dave ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. I glanced away, suddenly aware of how hot he looked. The women were staring at him as he passed them.

  “Are you one of the cover models?” one woman asked, reaching out to grab his arm.

  Going still, Dave smiled kindly as he took her hand. “No, I’m not. I’ve been dragged along by my bookaholic friend. However, I’m very interested in becoming a cover model. How do I go about doing that?”

  Her frown quickly changed to a smouldering smile. “You could easily be my book boyfriend.”

  The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek. I couldn’t help but watch their exchange, transfixed. I had never seen my desk friend in this environment. We’d never gone out socially together, although this wasn’t technically social. I had forced him to swing by on the way to stake out Helen Cambridge.

  Throwing a ‘help me’ look, Dave coughed as he smiled. The woman was snaking her arm up his chest, seemingly oblivious to anyone else in the room.

  Tempted to leave them to it, I glanced over to where my first author was meant to be seated. There wasn’t anyone waiting there yet, which meant I could quickly get my book signed.

  “Gemma!” Dave barked. “This is my girlfriend...” He pointed to me when I looked at them again. “She keeps saying I’m just like a book boyfriend, but much more annoying because I can talk back to her.”

  His hand suddenly grabbed mine, tugging me closer. When his thick arm landed over my shoulders, I swallowed hard. Awkward was not the word for it. No, bury me in the sand now was much more relevant considering the evil glare the other book nerd was throwing in my direction.

  Clearing my mind, I reminded myself that I was a bloody good agent. A confident one at that. So, why not let that part of me be the book lover too?

  Straightening my back, I slid my arm around Dave’s waist and smiled broadly. “Trust me, he may look the part, but men like Dave are high maintenance. I don’t mind, though, the reward is worth it, know what I mean?”

  Winking at her before I glanced up at Dave, I couldn’t help but laugh. His gaze narrowed on me, his previous jovial expression replaced by a questioning look. Quickly recovering, he grinned at the woman and squeezed my shoulder with his big hand. I’d never noticed how broad he was.

  “This woman is the light of my soul,” he said, looking down at me. “She drives me insane because she never does what I ask. I even have to watch everything she does through a camera because she’s so-”

  “Time to go!” I interjected, taking his hand and dragging him away.

  The woman stared after us, her eyes wide and her eyebrows pulled together. I didn’t blame her for looking totally bewildered. We were the weirdest couple, which was why we weren’t a couple. We were work partners. That was all.

  “That was your fault.” Dave was eyeing up a pretty woman who handed us leaflets as we went past.

  Now, she was a cover model. I had seen her on an indie author book or two. She smiled at us, totally not making eyes at Dave, even though he was practically drooling in her direction.

  Marching over to the table of one of my favourite authors, I paused when I realised I didn’t have my bag on me. Glancing at Dave, I put my hands on my hips slanting my head to the side.

  “You look so cute when you do that, book girlfriend,” Dave said as he handed me the heavy bag that had been slung over his shoulder.

  I hadn’t forced him to carry my stash of books, but he’d gallantly offered, leaving me with no choice when he’d snatched the bag from my hand. He wasn’t exactly the most charming. Unlike my real book boyfriends.

  Taking out the book I wanted, I turned back to the author. She was smiling at the person in front of me, her eyes genuinely sparkling. A chill ran through my body suddenly, making me freeze to the spot. I knew that feeling. A tug on the energy under my feet made me shudder. Someone was trying to access the ley line. That wasn’t possible, unles
s another Essex witch was trying to use it.

  “Hello,” the author greeted me as the previous reader walked away.

  She was an indie author who didn’t have a huge following, but I’d come across her books and fallen hard for them. A part of me wondered if she was paranormal, but her human face was all round and pretty, her energy sweet and kind. A normal person who knew more about the paranormal world than she probably realised.

  “Hi,” I said, all of a sudden feeling uncomfortable. “I’m a big fan.”

  Placing my book on the table, I watched as she brought it towards her and opened it. Heat enveloped my neck, making me aware that someone was watching. Discreetly rubbing the skin where it was hot under my hair, which was down for a change, I glanced around. Everyone was getting on with their day, paying no attention to me. Even Dave was chatting to the cover model, laughing every now and then.

  “Who shall I make it out to?”

  Bringing my attention back to the author, I smiled. “Gemma, please. I started reading your books earlier in the year. I really enjoy how you explain your magic system. It’s so unique, I wondered where you’d come up with the idea?”

  Her cheeks blossomed pink as she scribbled my name, followed by something I couldn’t read upside down. When she looked up at me, her gaze met with mine. “I’m not quite sure, if I’m honest. I don’t plan my books, I just write off the top of my head. It’s like the universe feeds me the story.”

  Her little shrug was followed by a quiet laugh. I loved introverted people. It reminded me that I wasn’t the only one who found it hard to communicate to normal people. Well, that wasn’t fair, just people in general. Even Smudge found it hard to coax me out of my shell.

  “I wish I had that ability.”

  “Have you ever tried writing?” She looked over my shoulder, her eyes widening slightly.

  Only Dave would have that effect on a woman. Which was fairly irritating considering I was trying to talk to the writer who had created a world that made me feel more at home than my real life. Maybe it was because in her world, all supernatural beings were out in the open. They lived alongside human beings, fairly comfortably. I secretly wished for a world like that, but alas, I knew it would never happen.

  “You’d make a brilliant Darcian,” the author said.

  A grunt was followed by Dave’s scent wriggling up my nose. The smell was familiar, safe. I waited for him to reply, his assured reply guaranteed.

  “I make an even better Dave.”

  Laughter shot from me before I could retrieve it. His arm brushed mine as he moved closer to speak to the author. He glanced at me, his eyebrows raised.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh.”

  His gaze softened when I sucked on my bottom lip. For one blissful moment, the tension of my life fell away. The joke shared between my favourite author, my desk friend, and myself was something I would remember.

  “If you haven’t made her laugh before, you’re not doing something right,” my new author friend said, handing me my book as other readers started to queue up behind us.

  The skin on the soles of my feet suddenly heated, making me shuffle my boots. The urge to rip them off and put my feet in a cool bath made me thank her quickly and retreat.

  “Are you okay?” Dave asked as I strode through the crowds, my eyes searching for the person who was watching me.

  I could feel it, the energy of someone’s eyes on me. My connection to the ley line was compromised. I would have to speak to someone and find out exactly what was going on. I couldn’t keep ignoring the fact that I was dead, but somehow still alive. Especially as there was a killer on the loose.

  “I’m feeling a little anxious,” I told Dave as he took my elbow to draw my attention. “Crowds make me nervous.”

  Bending down, he put his mouth close to my ear as people parted to let us through. “You’re an agent with the Paranormal MI5. I’ve seen you kill people. How can you be afraid of a crowd?”

  His breath hit my ear, making me lose my concentration. My feet were cooling off, the rush of energy loosening slightly.

  Digging my phone out, I sent a quick text to Devon, the other Essex witch I knew who used the ley lines. Maybe she was doing a spell or using it to track one of their targets. The Hunted Witch Agency were often in the field. Today wouldn’t be any different.

  “I’m... I don’t know,” I muttered to Dave as the compulsion to look up overtook me.

  There was a slight balcony on the right, curving over the lower floor. Someone stood there, a demon mask on his face. I assumed it was male, it could’ve easily been female too. He was looking in my direction, but the mask covered his eyes, so I couldn’t be sure he was actually staring at me.

  I could feel it though, the energy of his gaze. The long black cloak was tied by a red string around his neck. There was something about him that made the tips of my fingers develop pins and needles.

  “I just need the toilet,” I said to Dave, moving away from him before he could protest.

  As I left my desk friend behind, I kept my gaze on the man on the balcony. He was alone.

  His head followed my movement. I was about to go into the toilet when he waved in my direction. That was too much of a sign.

  My phone pinged. I read the message from Devon Jinx. She hadn’t been using the ley line, it was her day off. So, who had then?

  Without hesitating, I changed my direction. My agent mind was in full gear, my ears drowning out the talk of books around me as I dodged through people to reach the stairs that led up to the balcony. Dave would kill me if he knew that I was going in blind. He was always in my ear, and yet, for some bizarre reason, I felt that whatever the man above wanted, it was personal.

  “You can’t go up there,” an official told me just as I was about to duck under the chain that closed off the stone steps.

  “Oh,” I muttered, backtracking to face the older man. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.”

  Waving my hand, I invoked an illusion spell. He would see me walk away, but really, my body swung under the chain, my feet pounding the steps to reach the balcony.

  The whoosh of the black cloak caught my eye as it disappeared through a door. I hadn’t even seen the wooden entryway from below. Great, it seemed my admirer wanted to play chase. That wasn’t something I was interested in... well, that was a lie. Something about the mystery person made me tug open the door and follow him.

  “You have a secret,” a male voice startled me, causing me to jump.

  The room was large, an office by the looks of it. The masked man stood on the other side of a desk, his stance strong, his arms by his side. The aroma in the room reminded me of cannabis, but the slightly distinct tang of Sage made my teeth go on edge. Someone had cast a spell in this room, very recently.

  “Who are you?” I demanded, my hand reaching behind me.

  My gun and dagger were tucked into the waistband of my leather trousers at the small of my back. I hadn’t wanted to bring any weapons to a book convention, but needs must. Plus, I felt naked without them.

  The beat of my heart was loud in my chest as he placed his hands on the desk and laughed. Yep, he actually laughed. Son of a bitch was lucky he didn’t get a bullet in his forehead. I was a good shot, I could do it. And, if he didn’t shut up, I would. I’d just say that he was a dark crawler. Demons who used human bodies to house them. They couldn’t live on the Earth without them, so they took the light from human souls. All paranormals could tell when a dark crawler was nearby because of the malodourous smell. The human body they used rotted from the inside, sending the smell out far and wide. Eventually, the dark crawler would drain the human of their life force. Once that happened, the crawler jumped into another poor unsuspecting body, leaving the last one to die. The only saving grace was that as soon as a crawler was in a body, the human’s mind died. One day, I would eradicate the world of the dirty bastards.

  “I know that you’re dead.” His deep voice was serious, th
e hilarity gone.

  Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath before I recited a spell under my breath. His laugh came louder when it didn’t work. I’d attempted to remove his mask, but it held on fast.

  “You won’t reveal me, so don’t even try. I know you. I know how powerful you are, and I’ve taken precautions. I also know that you died.”

  The skin on my arms erupted in goose bumps. If someone knew my secret, they could use it as a bargaining chip against me. Not only that, I... I had never been vulnerable in my life. Ever. Until now.

  “What do you want?”

  There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Finding out what his demands were would make him disappear quickly. Hopefully.

  “I’m not ready to speak about this. I just wanted to let you know that I’m aware of your recent fate.”

  Holding my breath, I pulled the magic from the ley line into my body. It poured outwards, almost stroking the man’s aura when it reached him. Pedalling backwards when the magic didn’t repel from him, I felt for the door with my hand.

  “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice shaky as I tried to get control of the magic.

  It was drawn to him, wanting to connect. Sucking it back in, I trembled as he took a step around the desk. My hand was up, my mouth open before he could come any closer.

  The spell that garbled from my lips placed a barrier wall between us. He hit it with the tip of his leather shoe, a growl coming from him when his own hand went up. What was happening? Why was the ley line attracted to him? He was a witch, but it had never reacted that way with other witches.

  “You can try to fight me-”

  “Okay!”

  Taking out my dagger, I crouched and launched towards him just as he stepped through my barrier. Shit, he was strong. Too strong.

  “No, I meant-”

  His feeble defence was ignored as I spun around him, my dagger extended. He jumped to the side, only just missing the edge of my blade. A laugh escaped me as he tripped on his cloak, his body flying backwards. I was there, my leg kicking out and rebounding off his chest.