by Keri Arthur
If that were the case, then there was very little chance of us ever finding his remains. The flames were white-hot and the house little more than ashy piles that were being picked up and spread in the vortex of the fire.
We stopped out the front of his place; the air practically sizzled, and sweat instantly broke out across my body. I threw up an arm to protect my face from the heat and desperately scanned the front yard.
There was no sign of the soucouyant, but the faintest sliver of her energy lingered in the air. She’d been here, all right. I guessed the question we desperately needed an answer to now was, had she taken Monty as I’d seen? I hoped so, if only because it gave us a chance, however faint, to find and save him. I really didn’t want to lose one of the few relatives I didn’t actually hate.
“There’s absolutely nothing left,” Belle said, shock in her voice. “She’s obliterated everything.”
A finger of fire flicked toward us. We both took a quick step back, but its speed and reach died little more than a dozen feet away from the main blast. But it was warning enough—get too close, and the fire would hit us.
The squeal of tires rose above the babble of noise behind us, and I looked around to see Eli’s truck race toward us. It slid to a halt, then the two men climbed out and ran toward us.
“Oh, fuck,” Ashworth said. “How likely is it that he’s in there?”
I hesitated. “That depends.”
He glanced at me sharply. “On what?”
“On whether what I saw in my vision is true or not. This part of it certainly is.”
“Meaning she’s taken him?”
“Possibly, yes.”
“Which means you could find him if we found something bearing his life force?” Eli asked. “I rather suspect that even if he is alive, time is of the essence.”
“I’m well aware of that point, trust me.” My gaze swept the disintegrating ashes of the house again. “Where’s his car? There’s no carport or garage here, and I doubt he’d keep his precious Mustang in the street.”
“He keeps it in a storage facility several streets away.” Aiden came running up. “I’ll ring the facility’s owner now, and get him over there to open it up.”
“His car keys won’t be there, though, and believe me when I say he will not be impressed if you break into it.”
“There’s no spell to magic car doors open?” Aiden asked. “I find that surprising.”
“There is,” Eli said. “But there are also quicker ways to get into a car—especially the older ones.”
Aiden’s eyebrows rose. “Indeed there are, but I’m surprised you know them.”
Ashworth’s grin flashed. “He doesn’t. I do. I’m a car nut who broke the occasional rule when I was a down-on-my-luck teenager needing parts.”
“You’re an Ashworth,” I said dryly. “None of them could ever be classified as poor.”
“Except my father did not approve of my car habit and cut my allowance.” He shrugged. “Let’s just say I played in the shade for a few years before sense reasserted itself.”
“Don’t you get more and more interesting,” Belle said, amusement evident.
“I’m old, but I’m certainly not boring, lass.”
“That’s the one thing no one will ever accuse you of being.”
The fire brigade and a couple of ranger vehicles appeared in the street, their lights flashing as they screamed toward us.
“I’ll go update Tala,” Aiden said, “and then we’ll head over to the storage unit.”
I nodded and returned my gaze to the fire. “We know salted water works on soucouyants—Belle used it to destroy the younger one. What we need is a better means of applying it than the water pistols and weed killer dispenser we currently have.”
“A couple of high-pressure backpack sprayers will give us wiggle room when it comes to distance,” Ashworth said, “but that bitch will burn us all the minute she sees or hears any of us.”
“The thing I don’t get,” Eli said, “is her taking Monty. Why not just kill him straight away?”
“What if she wants revenge first?” Belle’s voice was grim. “I killed her offspring, remember?”
I scrubbed a hand through my tangled hair. “That’s more than possible.”
“It still doesn’t explain why she went after Monty,” Eli said.
“Monty lodged the tail of his tracking spell into the younger soucouyant’s fire, so it’s possible the older one got a feel for his magic once our containment spells started breaking down,” I said. “And Belle was in the water by the time the older one blew up Aiden’s truck. She might be aware Monty didn’t kill her offspring, but not really sure who did.”
“Which means she’ll either have to steal another skin,” Belle said, “or find a means of contacting us.”
I rubbed my arms, cold despite the heat still rolling from the fireball. “I have a bad feeling it’s going to be the latter.”
Ashworth grunted and gently squeezed my shoulder. “There’s four of us, lass. We’ll figure out a way to beat this bitch—believe that if nothing else.”
A smile tugged my lips; it very much seemed that in becoming a person of interest to Ashworth, I’d also gained something of a pseudo-grandfather. Which, considering my real grandfather was long gone, was all right by me.
Jaz stopped beside us, her expression grim as she studied the house remains. “Aiden wants you to head down to the rear ranger’s SUV, and he’ll meet you all there.” She hesitated and then added, “How safe is it for anyone to approach the house?”
“I wouldn’t be going anywhere near it until the fire dies down,” Ashworth said. “I’m afraid it’s not a natural fire and will attack anyone who approaches.”
Jaz nodded. “I’ll tell Tala and we’ll set up a perimeter. Good luck out there.”
We headed for the SUV. Belle and I climbed into it while Ashworth and Eli continued on to their own truck. Aiden got in a few minutes later and, after a quick check in the rearview mirror to ensure Ashworth and Eli were ready, led the way across town to the storage facility. He stopped beside the old Toyota truck parked in the driveway and, as we all climbed out, a gray-haired, somewhat paunchy man in his midfifties came around the corner and strode toward us.
“I’ve opened the unit.” His tone was matter-of-fact. “But I’ll have to be present when you enter, and the cameras will be recording what happens.”
“That’s fine,” Aiden said, and motioned the man to lead the way.
Monty’s unit was one of the larger ones to the rear of the facility, and was double-door—no doubt to avoid any possible risk of scratches when reversing out.
The Mustang sat in the middle of the large unit; to the left, there were multiple stacks of full packing boxes—meaning at least he hadn’t lost everything he owned in the explosion—and, on the other side, shelves stacked with car bits and pieces.
I moved to the right and ran my hand over the various items, looking for something that contained enough of Monty’s vibes to find him. A slight tingle of energy came from the polishing cloth sitting on top of the wax container, but it wasn’t strong enough to be of much use.
I moved around the car and ran my fingers along the front of the boxes. Again, nothing. I swore and then glanced at Aiden. “We’re going to have to break in.”
“Hang on while I go grab a coat hanger,” Ashworth said.
He was back within seconds, a screwdriver and an elongated coat hanger in one hand. He carefully levered the window away from the weather strip with the screwdriver and then stuck a hanger down in the gap between the window and the door. After a couple of seconds, the door popped open.
“Impressive.” Aiden’s voice was dry. “And your proficiency suggests you did more than dabble.”
Ashworth didn’t deny it. He simply opened the door and then motioned me to get in. I slipped inside the car and skimmed my hand over everything. It wasn’t until I neared the glove compartment that I got a reaction. I quickly opened i
t; the top layer consisted of the car’s service books and packets of spare fuses and globes—none of which held his resonance. I pulled them out and then leaned over the center console for a better look at the back of the compartment. And there, in the rear, was a gold ring. Even before I grabbed it, my fingers began to burn.
It wasn’t a reaction caused by my psychometry flaring to life.
It was a reflection of what Monty was currently feeling.
But the fact I was getting that so strongly, without going too deep, not only suggested his connection with this ring was strong, but also said he was very much alive.
I wrapped my fingers around the ring and then climbed out of the car. But before I could say anything, my phone rang, the sharp sound making me jump.
I frowned and dragged it from my pocket. Monty. My mouth went dry, and I swore again.
“What?” Aiden said immediately.
I turned the phone around so he could see the screen. “It can’t be him. He’s in the hands of the soucouyant.”
“Answer it,” Ashworth said. “It’s just possible he’s escaped and needs help.”
I didn’t think that would be the case, but I nevertheless hit the answer button and said, “Monty, are you okay?”
“No,” he said, his voice etched with weariness and pain. “But I am alive. And I want to remain that way.”
“Where are you and what does she want?”
“Her skin, in exchange for me. I think I’m in the clearing where we found the second body.”
Which wasn’t all that far away. “She’ll kill us all the minute she gets her skin.”
“More than likely, but you’ve more in your arsenal than just—”
He was cut off by a harsh, “Bring it. Tonight. Or he pay.”
The broken statement hadn’t come from a human throat.
The phone went dead.
I took a deep breath in an effort to contain the surging fear and said, “This will be a trap. How are we going to deal with it?”
“I’m guessing bullets won’t do anything against this thing, so that’s basically me out of the picture,” Aiden said.
“Not if you’re armed with a high-pressure backpack sprayer,” Eli said.
“And if the five of us hit her with salted water from different angles, there’s a fair chance we’ll be able to destroy her,” Belle said. “The problem is getting close enough before she senses us.”
I took another of those useless deep breaths. “She wants her skin, so I’ll deliver it. It should provide enough of a distraction for the rest of you to get close.”
“And if she hits us first?” Aiden said.
“Then pray like hell that fire-repelling spell I placed on your charm works.” I glanced at Ashworth. “Did Monty give you that fire screen spell he used when the soucouyant attacked the house that held her skin?”
“Yes.” He glanced at Aiden. “Where are we going to get pressure sprayers at this hour?”
“We’ve some up at the compound. I’ll go grab them and the skin, and meet the four of you back at the café.” He glanced at the facility’s portly owner. “Thanks for helping us out, Charles.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t damage the car,” he said. “That would have made for one unhappy customer, let me tell you.”
Aiden clapped him on the shoulder, then the five us quickly returned to the trucks and drove out. As Eli parked out the front of the café, Belle said, “Why would Monty point you toward the wild magic? Because I gather that’s what he was going to say before he was cut off.”
“I don’t know.” And I wasn’t entirely sure it was safe to be relying on a power that seemed to be gaining some form of sentience—one beyond Katie’s presence within it. I dragged my keys out of the pack and opened the door.
“Wild magic is a force of nature.” Eli said, “and, as such, can only be used by—and directed against—the living. Spirits technically aren’t, even if they can take on human form.”
“So why were we able to use it to contain the younger soucouyant?” I tossed the backpack onto the table and continued to the reading room. “And why would he mention it?”
“Perhaps he wasn’t suggesting you use it against the soucouyant,” Ashworth said. “But rather as a means of protecting yourself—like you did when the bitch flung the fireball at us.”
I skirted the reading room’s furniture and pressed my hand against one of the many panels that lined the back of the bookcase—which was basically little more than front for the multiple storage compartments we’d built behind each shelf. Magic stirred across my fingertips, then the compartment clicked open.
I grabbed the box of holy water, then collected my silver knife and its rarely used harness, and headed out. “The wild magic might have stopped the fireball, but it was Monty’s spell that actually saved us.”
He waved a hand. “Perhaps, but you’ve woven it successfully enough through the protections around this place.”
“Yes, but they haven’t exactly been tested yet.”
I placed the box on the table and opened it up. Inside were a dozen small bottles—our entire remaining collection of holy water. “Use these if you get burned. I used holy water on Anna Kang when she took the brunt of an explosion that had been meant for me, and it saved her from extensive scarring.”
And it would no doubt do the same for them if the soucouyant didn’t simply cinder them straight out. Whether four bottles would be enough to help Monty was another matter entirely.
I strapped the knife to my leg, then pulled the ring out of my pocket just to make sure Monty was still alive. He was, but the pulsating heat was getting worse. He was running out of time.
The bell above the door chimed as Aiden stepped through. “Everyone ready?”
I grabbed our backpack and followed everyone across to the door, locking up before striding over to the ranger SUV.
Aiden didn’t speak, but his tension filled the air and his aura was dark with fear and worry. We sped through the night and quickly reached the area where we’d found the second body.
Aiden stopped and, as Eli and Ashworth pulled up beside us, climbed out. We met at the front of his SUV.
“I’ll have to lead Ashworth and Eli in, as they weren’t here when we found the second victim. We can spread out a little once we get close.” He glanced at Belle. “Are you two going to be able to find the clearing again?”
I nodded and glanced at Belle. “Hopefully she’ll be so focused on me she won’t notice you behind me.”
“And if she does, I’ll soak her ass.”
“What’s the plan once we all get close?” Ashworth said. “She’ll undoubtedly hear us approaching—Aiden may be able to walk through the scrub without making much sound, but the rest of us won’t.”
I hesitated. “It might be best if you let me enter the clearing first. That way, she’ll be focused on me and hopefully won’t hear the rest of you. Belle can let you know when to run in and soak the bitch.”
“Sounds like a game plan.” Aiden touched my arm, squeezing it lightly. “I feel like a broken record right now, but be careful.”
“As long as you promise the same, Ranger.” I quickly kissed him and then glanced across at Ashworth and Eli. “Same thing with you two.”
“I have a truck to rebuild thanks to that bitch,” Ashworth grumbled. “Trust me when I say she’s not going to get the chance to write off anything else I care about.”
He glanced at Eli as he said that, and there was such an obvious depth of love between the two that it made my heart melt. I wanted to find a love like that. I really did.
The four of them collected the high-pressure sprayers from the back of the SUV, and then Aiden handed me the backpack that held the large jar containing the soucouyant’s skin. It was surprisingly heavy. He touched my cheek lightly, briefly, and then turned and led Ashworth and Eli into the scrub.
I took a deep breath and glanced at Belle. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. Let�
��s do this.”
I grabbed my phone, flicked on the flashlight app, and retraced our initial path. And as before, we’d barely entered the forest when Katie’s energy spun around me, leading me away from the main track. The path gradually grew steeper and rockier, forcing us to slow down even further. Neither of us bothered curtailing our noise, however. Right now, we needed the soucouyant focused on our approach rather than the men trying to sneak up behind her.
We reached the point where we had to leave the track and make our way through the trees, and my pulse rate went up several notches. The brightness of the soucouyant’s fiery form was very visible, despite the thickness of the scrub dividing her and us.
I took a deep breath and called the wild magic to me. It answered, a rush of power that was both intoxicating and euphoric. My senses immediately expanded, and suddenly I could hear the soucouyant as easily as I saw her—heard the rustle of the flames, the shudder of the earth under her fiery feet. Smelled Monty’s fear and agony, but not his burned flesh. She might have him trapped, but she hadn’t yet set her flame on him.
I turned, took Belle’s hands, and said, “Right, we need to cast a couple of fire nets. Raise your magic and repeat everything I say.”
I didn’t bother with mind speech. There was a risk of the soucouyant hearing us, but better her attention was on us rather than the men.
Belle frowned, but didn’t object. I started the spell; Belle’s words echoed mine, and the air around began to burn as twin nets formed around each of her hands. The wild magic wove its way through each thread, toughening and empowering our magic.
Once we’d both closed and activated the spell, Belle said, “Two nets?”
“One for the soucouyant, one for you.”
“Fuck my protection—what about you?”
“The wild magic is with me. I’ll be fine.”
Her gaze scanned mine briefly. The concern so evident in her thoughts and in her expression didn’t change. “And if Eli is right? If the wild magic does prove to be useless against spirits?”
“It won’t be. These spells are a mix of both our magic and the wild magic, and it was a similar combination that successfully contained the other soucouyant. Once her attention is on me, you should be able to cast the net over her. It won’t kill her—it wasn’t designed for that.” And I certainly didn’t want to stain the wild magic by making it party to murder. “It’ll just contain both her and her flames long enough for us to hit her with water.”