“How’s your head?”
“I’m okay. Bitherby, you okay?”
“Yes, Miss Annie.” The elf clung to her like a small child. His body trembled as his arms reached around her neck.
“How do we get out of here?” she asked.
Trust the magic.
As successive jinxes hit the building, vibrations rumbled across the frozen ground. The headmaster helped her up and led them to the back wall. Though it felt solid, Annie had some idea of what was to come.
He waved his palm across the wall, and the light shimmered with magic. He pushed against the aged wood; it led to a staircase.
Boom!
Another jinx pounded the building; the wall swayed.
“Go!” he urged. “All the way down. Lock yourself in. I’ll block the door. Just go!”
With one last look, Annie saw the headmaster joined by several staff members, all aiming their palms toward the intruders, wizards and witches Annie believed must have been sent by Gladden to fetch her. The jinxes flew in a wild light show before the door was slammed shut on them, plunging them into darkness.
Chapter 17
Annie had probably arrived home several hours before Cham considered leaving work. He had spent the day away from the office, chasing several leads regarding their missing person’s caseload. After speaking with two families for a second time, he had learned that their loved ones were indeed either shapeshifters or had the ability to change into snakes at will—and that they all went missing on the same day. Cham was more convinced they were stuck in the market as their animal forms.
And yet, the Wizard Guard was having difficulty going in after them. He sighed heavily as he ended his very long and unproductive day.
After checking back in at Wizard Hall and writing his daily report, he sat back in his chair to catch his breath until his stomach growled loudly, reminding him it was time to leave. He dialed Annie cell phone. It rang several times before going to voicemail.
Maybe she’s asleep.
But Annie had gone rogue in the past, putting herself in danger during the investigation of Princess Amelie’s death.
She promised she wouldn’t do that again.
Cham desperately tried to ignore that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and tried to convince himself that Annie was asleep and away from her phone and not chasing some lead without their knowledge.
Glancing at the clock, he cleaned up his piles and headed to her house.
Leaving the safety of the Wizard Hall courtyard, Cham landed on Annie’s back porch and slipped in the thick snow piling on her deck. Balancing himself, he reached for the back door, which hung precariously on its hinges, unlatched. Turning around, he noticed the remaining footsteps almost covered by the heavy snow.
Not Annie’s, not Zola’s. Who was here?
Based on the footprints, Cham determined that two large men had been at Annie’s house. The worry in the pit of his stomach screamed.
The open back door flew inward, and a gust of wind rushed into the house. Zola’s words rang in his head. She’s not safe with the ring in the house.
With the comforting knowledge that Annie had dropped the ring at Wizard Hall this morning, Cham entered her house, his palms out and ready.
Each step took thought. His heart beat rapidly, and his stomach churned. Starting in the kitchen, Cham saw immediately that the floor was covered in debris. The blood lock had been blown to pieces, and wood, metal, and paper were strewn across the floor. Annie’s Book of Shadows lay in pieces, bits of folders were charred, and the smell of smoke hung in the air.
What are those folders?
Curious, he picked up a pile of paper. The edge of the folder read a case file number from 2008.
What case was this?
He illuminated the countertops and floors and followed the trail of debris until he entered the den. With nothing odd in the back room, he headed through the kitchen. His boots crunched across wood and paper; a kitchen chair was missing.
What the hell?
With calculated steps, Cham entered the living room, where the sixth dining room chair had been placed at the center of the room. A pile of rope lay on the floor. Examining the twine, he noticed several drops of blood. He ran his crystal across the binding; white magic had spliced the rope in two. He followed the magic upwards and noted that whoever was tied to the chair had cast a spell.
Annie!
Dropping the twine, Cham took a long look around the room. The heavy mirror he had helped her hang lay on the floor, shattered into mirror dust.
Did you get away, Annie?
Cham ran two stairs at a time to the second floor. Sick with worry, he entered her bedroom. The bed was still made, and the room was empty. Both front bedrooms were empty and untouched.
“Damn it, Annie, where are you?” Panic gripped Cham as he dialed Gibbs and explained.
“On my way,” Gibbs said.
Trying desperately to keep his anxiety in check, Cham methodically collected magic from the deck, back hallway, kitchen, and living room, storing the magic inside his crystal.
“Anything?” Gibbs asked when he arrived and found Cham in the living room, examining the broken mirror.
“Two teleportation spells, one spell that broke her protection at the back door. A spell knocked someone out in the back hallway. A spell blew apart the blood lock. And two spells in here: one spliced the rope and another sent someone flying to the mirror.” His voice was quick and anxious.
“Someone broke in and attacked the cabinet. When the ring wasn’t found, whoever it was waited for her to come home. Knocked her out and tied her up,” Gibbs surmised as he examined the space.
“With her and Zola missing, I’d say yes. One of the teleportation spells was newer than the other. However, the spell that knocked her out was later than all the others probably by hours. Whoever was here waited a while.” Cham grimaced.
“Best case scenario, the girl got herself untied and escaped,” Gibbs said as Cham summoned a map and his scrying crystal.
Cham used Annie’s magic that he stored in his crystal and used it to scry for her. His hands shook violently as he maneuvered it across the map. His heart tightened when the crystal remained dull and cold.
“Your parents’ place?” Gibbs asked.
“They’d have left me notice, so I’m guessing no. Maybe Tartarus.” With the map of Tartarus Prison in front of him, Cham scried for Annie, though the crystal didn’t react.
“Tartarus would cloak her,” Gibbs reminded him.
“Yeah, right.”
Where are you Annie?
He stared at the map of the United States as he thought of the locations Annie might find as safe.
Wait… the elf!
“She went to Windmere. She’ll go to protect the elf!” Cham said.
*
Unprepared for the strength of the snow storm over Minnesota, Cham and Gibbs landed precariously in two feet of snow.
“Damn,” said Cham as he buttoned his lightweight spring jacket.
With their heads down, they trudged down the mile-long path to the school, arriving at the gates in forty-five minutes, which was twice as long as the normal trek took. Snow caked their pants, and their hair was drenched with sweat and melted snow. Anxiously, Cham plunged his fingers against the intercom.
“Yes, how may I help you?” said the pleasant voice.
“Robert Chamsky and John Gibbs for Headmaster Turtledove. And hurry, please!”
As if their presence was expected, the giant guard immediately retrieved them from the gate and motioned for them to enter. Cham and Gibbs followed closely, entering into the warmth of the school.
“School changed,” Gibbs grunted. Brushing snow from their hair and coats and stomping out their shoes.
“Nice,” Cham grumbled back and followed the giant in a direction neither expected, toward the back of the main entry foyer, into a low lit corridor.
“Where are we going?” Cham ask
ed, though he knew the giants did little more than grunt and nod.
“Patience, boy,” Gibbs commanded as the giant removed a tapestry hanging from the stone wall, revealing a door. He rapped on the wood with knuckles the size of small stones.
The door squeaked open, revealing stairs that angled downwards. The giant remained at the top of the stairs and waited for the two men to take their first steps into the bowels of the earth.
“You ever been to the school basement?” Cham asked.
“Never.”
Dim light from overhead sconces illuminated their way down several flights of stairs. At the bottom, light streamed from the room to the left, which was located directly under the dining hall. When they reached the bottom and turned in, they saw Bitherby sitting on Annie’s lap.
Bitherby climbed down from her lap just in time for Annie to lunge for Cham and jumped into waiting arms and buried herself in his embrace.
Chapter 18
Annie strolled with Cham through the maze that made up most of the basement under the school. They turned left and made a quick right; the maze of hallways led them closer to the center of the basement in a slow and winding way.
Annie had never been to the basement. It was a little jarring as they meandered in silence without purpose.
Her shoulder ached, and she rubbed the muscle with her bandaged wrist. Cham stopped the walk and took her hand, staring at the wrap.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call,” Annie said. Above Cham’s head, a large water stain marked the cement wall. The musty stench was strong. She grimaced and breathed through her mouth. “We must be just below the lower level bathrooms. They always flooded,” she mentioned for no particular reason. She couldn’t figure out if Cham was mad or relieved.
“I’m not mad. I was very worried. Now I’m just relieved,” Cham assured her with a warm squeeze of her hand. They continued down the passageway.
His silence allowed Annie time alone with her scattered thoughts and memories of her time at school, of that bathroom just above them. It was a large bathroom, roomy enough to work in; she made potions in there all the time as a student. Annie had gotten in the habit of squirreling away as many ingredients as she could from her class and hiding them in the storage bins.
I wonder if I left any behind.
The thought made her smile.
While they walked the maze of hallways, Bitherby sat under the watchful gaze of Headmaster Turtledove, several giants, and Gibbs, who guarded the bottom of the staircase. No one was getting in or out, even though Bitherby had pleaded for the last hour to leave. His small voice had squeaked and bounced off the walls. Annie was glad for the reprieve.
They turned another corner, finally reaching the center of the basement. She still couldn’t figure out the pointless maze.
Cham stopped. His gaze on Annie was intense, worried, anxious.
“What?” she asked. He pinned her against the wall, his mouth on hers. Worry, anger, and fear was in the kiss. She molded herself against his chest, feeling all of him. Her skin hummed at his touch. She greeted his tongue gratefully and let out a longing groan.
His hands found her butt, her breasts; she touched the zipper of his jeans. Thoughts of Gladden popped in her head, and suddenly she was done.
“Sorry. I can’t do this now,” she whispered into his neck.
“No, I’m sorry.” He pulled her into protective arms. Annie melted against him. Through his shirt, his heart pounded in her ear. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”
To reach around his neck, Annie stood on her tiptoes. Her kiss was gentle, soft and slow.
We fit together.
His hands cupped the small of her back.
“I figured you’d go to Tartarus. Since I couldn’t verify, I hoped you came here first to get the elf.”
She took a deep breath and inhaled his scent, warm and spicy. Cham knew it was her favorite. She closed her eyes.
“I saw the blood lock,” he said. “It was torn to pieces.”
“I’m pretty sure it was Gladden Worchester. He demanded I give him the ring. When I confronted him about the Fraternitatem, he seemed confused,” Annie said. She stepped away from Cham. He furrowed his brow.
I know that look.
“I want to move in with you,” he said.
She pondered his unexpected revelation. They had been dating for the last six months, and he had spent many nights with her at her house, yet the suggestion seemed out of context and for the wrong reason.
“For realsies or because you want to protect me?” she attempted to joke in order to ease the tension. She quickly realized that Cham wasn’t joking.
“Annie, they’re going to come after you. When they do, I want to be there for you.”
I love you, she thought. She sighed. “Only if you move in with because you love me and for no other reason.”
“I do love you. It’s time,” he said.
She stepped into his embrace. Her hands grazed the back of his shirt only as far as she could lift her left arm. He stroked her still damp, frizzy hair and kissed the top of her head. He pulled her chin toward him and kissed her lips, his tongue finding hers.
Pipes clinked and water dripped around them. Cham pulled away, touched her cheek, and pulled a loose strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face, tucking it behind her ear.
“So Gladden wants the ring. You think the djinn’s forcing him to find it?”
She chuckled and stroked his back with her fingers, causing him to shudder. “Yeah. I’m sure the djinn’s really in charge of the market and Gladden. He’s definitely forced to clean up the mess.”
The center of this maze was ten feet by ten feet. Scorch marks stained the walls and floor. Annie bent down and touched the flaky wallboard. “They might use this space to practice.” She rubbed the dust between her fingers. “If Gladden didn’t come back with the ring and Bitherby and I are still alive, I’m guessing he doesn’t have much time.”
“I’ll have someone check in on him just in case.” Cham glanced around the open area. “Practice space. Nice.” Returning back to her, he said, “I have a question for you.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I saw case files in the pile of rubble. What’s up?”
Annie leaned against the wall. “It was all going to be explained tonight. But seeing as that plan was squashed…” She smiled, but his returning smile was tentative, as if he thought she might not have told him had he not asked. Annie sometimes felt he still lacked trust in her, especially after how she lied to him last year. But Cham seemed cautiously optimistic when he took her hand.
“I checked the Book of Shadows for the Fraternitatem,” she told him. “It was there, one word, buried in some doodles. Dad…” It hit her in quiet moments, how much she missed her father.
Cham wiped away a tear that trickled down her cheek. “Jason met them on a case,” he finished for her. His fingers lingered on her cheek.
“The stones set in the ring—they’re Chintamani Stones. About six months before he died Dad worked a case where these same stones were being sold in the market and the Fraternitatem warned him off of the case. It’s not exactly the same, but he met them. Even the Middle East Wizard Guard doesn’t have that much on them.”
His face broke into a loose smile. “So, being the wizard guard that you are, you looked up the files.”
“Yeah. I only found three of the four of the files, though.” She grimaced, thinking of the three that were now in tattered pieces, scorched and destroyed. She hoped the missing file was somewhere safe and held the information she sought.
She leaned against the wall, which felt spongy. A potion might have made it so. The mildew in the basement tickled her nose. She thought she might sneeze and hoped to leave this dank basement soon.
“Rathbone admitted to killing your dad. Do you think he was trading on these stones and somehow your dad got caught in that?”
“Dad mentioned Rathbone in the Book of Shadows. Somethin
g about a liaison between the market and the Fraternitatem. I’m trying not to concentrate on that right now. Those files were to help me get a handle on the Fraternitatem. This group really has me concerned.”
“Wait, you said three of four folders?”
“I think dad might have taken the file out of Wizard Hall and hid it somewhere in the house. Ryan thought that might be a possibility.”
She thought about what Cham said mentioned about her dad and Rathbone. Did Rathbone kill him because Dad was going to take him in, or did the Fraternitatem threaten to kill Rathbone if he didn’t kill Dad because Dad was bringing them down? It didn’t really matter which way it had happened; she knew in her heart the answer was in that missing file.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Cham asked.
“Just thinking about Dad and the stones. Gotta get it out of my thought process. Unless it’s about this case, I can’t worry about it. We should get back.” She reached for his hand and led him the way they came, taking a right and a quick left.
“So is there anything I can get you while you’re stuck here? I think they want to wait until the weather lets up to move you to Tartarus. Grounding all of us, I think,” he advised. They took another turn. The walls rearranged themselves so that they were walking through a rounded corridor.
“Is anything salvageable from the cabinet? I’d like to continue reading the files. I didn’t get very far.”
“I’ll pick them up in the morning. We’re having difficulty getting into the market. Merchants are twitchier than normal. Anything else I can get you?”
“Yeah. In Dad’s notes, he mentioned meeting an archaeologist named Dr. Arden… Arden… Oh, I can’t remember. I think the jinx rattled my brain. Anyway, he met her in Morocco while investigating the stones. She mentioned the Chintamani Stones and the ring to him. If we can find her, she might know how to use it. We’re going to need that ring to turn the shapeshifters back to normal.” At least, I hope that’s how the ring works!
Annie and the rest of the Wizard Guard had assumed the shapeshifters were somehow stuck in their animal forms and unable to leave the market. She was hoping that since the ring was originally created to control the shapeshifting djinn, it could also turn the trapped missing persons back.
Wizard Hall Chronicles Box Set Page 50