The Hex Files - Wicked All The Way

by Gina LaManna

  “You look...” Grey surveyed me, one of his eyebrows raised high as his lips twitched into a smile. Despite every attempt to keep his gaze on my face, his eyes flashed over the significant cleavage that’d been pushed up and out thanks to my elfin outfit and then down to my legs, which were covered in fabric that left little to the imagination.

  “Grey?” I gasped, barely registering the once-over. “Y-you’re back. Where were you? Are you okay? I just... I was worried about you. Why’d you run off like that?”

  The amusement in Grey’s eyes dimmed somewhat. “I came back to check on you. Heard you ran into someone in the dark of night and had to fight them off. I wasn’t around to help.”

  “Day late, dollar short,” I said. “Nice try, buddy. What brings you back for real?”

  “Let’s just say it’s a long story. It ends with me standing at your door, asking if you’ll forgive me for running off like that.”

  “Will you forgive me for throwing fireballs at your head?”

  He barked a laugh. “Nothing to forgive. I like a challenge.”

  I opened my arms, and we shared a hug. “I’m glad you’re back. And safe. Do you, um, want to come in?”

  “I didn’t realize I was invading a...” He hesitated, taking another glance at my clothes. “Some sort of elfin cross-dressing convention?”

  “My mother’s Christmas decorations,” I said with an eye roll. “Don’t try to change it. You wanna come in, you’ll get one too.”

  “I’m intrigued,” he said. “But I don’t want to interrupt. And I imagine Matthew wouldn’t be happy to see me around.”

  “Matthew’s not here,” I said. “And anyway, why wouldn’t he be happy? I thought you guys were okay.”

  “We’re fine because we have to be,” Grey said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that deep down, he wishes I didn’t exist.”

  “Fair enough,” I said. “Though I’m sure the same can be said for you.”

  Grey smiled brighter again. “I already said it—I like a challenge.”

  “Do you want to talk? Or, I understand if not,” I said as a sudden rush of awkwardness flooded through me. “What brings you by?”

  After the shock of seeing the Elderwolf had worn down, the reason for his disappearance came back all at once. The Hex File that I’d read containing very personal information about Grey’s life and loves drove a wave of guilt through my chest.

  “Hey,” Grey said, his voice a soft whisper as he studied my face. “I can read what you’re thinking.”

  “No, you can’t,” I said. “I’m a stone wall.”

  Grey smiled, a kindness creasing his face. “None of this is your fault, Dani. Whatever you read, why I left. Please don’t blame yourself.”

  I nodded, unable to find the right words.

  “And maybe most importantly...” Grey trailed off as he reached out, took my hand in his. He met my gaze and gave me an easy smile that grew into a dazzling grin. “Don’t be weird, please.”

  I yanked my hand back. “Don’t be weird? That’s all you have to say after disappearing on me for weeks?”

  “Look, I know how this probably feels for you. I had to figure some things out on my own, and that’s why I’m back. I’m ready to be here,” Grey said. “I’m ready to work side by side with you to take out whoever is trying to overthrow the borough. Whatever it takes. We can do that, right? Work together, be friends?”

  “Of course,” I muttered, once I found my voice. “You’re the one who’s being weird.”

  Grey laughed again. “I’m glad this won’t be a problem. Well, I’ll let you get back to your party. It smells amazing in there, and I’m sure I’ll end up cursed if I keep you from dinner much longer.”

  “It’s a possibility,” I said apologetically. “There’s lobster.”

  Grey licked his lip, eyes gleaming. “Before I go, there’s one more thing.”

  “Oh?”

  “I found this—”

  “Dani, get in here!” My mother yelled. “Is that Matthew?”

  I winced. “No.”

  “Who is it?” Rose DeMarco appeared at the door. “Oh, you must be Grey. We’ve heard about you saving Dani’s life a few times. Surely whatever you’re doing can wait an hour. Come, have a lobster. We have extra.”

  “I couldn’t impose,” Grey said. “I just came to drop this off—”

  My mother extended a hand, a fireball on the tips of her fingers. “I’ll blow it up if you keep us from dinner any longer. Now, come eat. I see you sniffing.”

  “It smells quite incredible,” Grey admitted. “But I really couldn’t impose.”

  “Good. It’s not an imposition.” My mother elbowed me out of the way and pulled Grey in through the archway.

  I watched as the curtain turned Grey into a handsomely dressed caroler complete with a songbook and a flashing necklace of Christmas lights. Grey looked down at himself and then gave a smug grin as he watched me pass through the archway again.

  And again. On my third time through the arch, I kicked at the felt cloth when it didn’t bother to change my costume.

  “Seriously?” I grumbled. “Rob is a king, and I’m Holly the stripper elf.”

  “I think you look great,” Grey said demurely. “For whatever that’s worth.”

  “Not a whole lot,” I shot back.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said, sliding up next to me as we shuffled toward the dinner table. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “You too,” I said. “Thanks for coming by and putting up with this.”

  I gestured to my family as a whole and all their holiday glory.

  “It’s a pleasure to be here,” he said, sounding as if he genuinely meant it.

  The second we returned to the table, there were rounds of raucous greetings toward Grey. The only one who didn’t make immediate eye contact with the wolf was Rob, and their half-hearted greeting didn’t fool me. They knew one another. And I wanted to know how.

  But there was no time to delve deeper into their joint history at the moment because a lobster fell onto my plate, and all other conscious thought vanished. The party, which had expanded beyond family, was filled with laughter and food, then rounded out by groans as bellies filled and dessert was hauled out of the kitchen, and another round of wine was poured.

  Finally, I glanced at my Comm and was surprised to find that several hours had passed. It had been fun, actually, even the cookie decorating part—and I hadn’t once felt the urge to slip out of the house unnoticed.

  It felt natural, calm. Like everyone belonged, including Willa on the arm of Jack, and Grey... like a brother. He fit in with the family better than I’d ever expected. Helping my mom put the carrots on snowmen sugar cookies, then regaling my father with tales of his travels to distant, mysterious lands over glasses of dark liquor squishing around ice cubes, he slid into our lives like a well-fitted glove.

  Finally, after helping clean up the dinner table, the DeMarco children began making the first stirring noises of goodbyes. It took a long time to get out from under Mama DeMarco’s grasp, and we all had learned to start saying goodbye half an hour before we were expected anywhere else.

  Jack and Willa were the first to escape out the front door. As they exited through the archway, I was relieved to see regular clothing morph back onto their bodies.

  “Guess what makes holidays more fun?” Rose said as she first kissed Jack, then Willa, goodbye on the cheek. “Babies! Just a bug in your ear. Goodnight, kids.”

  Willa turned bright red before Jack whisked her away, the pair shivering and turning up their collars against the wind.

  “Ma,” I said, once she turned around. “Don’t pressure them.”

  “It’s just a fact,” she said. “I just told them it loudly. I didn’t mean they had to provide the babies. Feel free. If you’re offering...”

  I rolled my eyes. “Goodnight, mom. Thanks for everything.”

  I waited outside while the rest of my brothers escaped fro
m the house with leftovers in hand and lipstick imprints on their cheeks. Grey was the last one out. I was an icicle by the time he stepped down from the front steps.

  “Make yourself at home, why don’t you,” I said. “It’s freezing out here!”

  “It was nice of your family to let me stay for dinner. I had a great time.”

  “Yeah,” I said as we started to walk. “I did too. It’s good to have you back. I’m glad you made it in time to get a bit of Christmas cheer.”

  I let the conversation hang on that subject, wondering if this would be the only holiday celebration that Grey would have all year. The thought filled me with an intense sadness, a loneliness for him. Grey’s family had passed away a long time ago from what I understood, and as an Elderwolf, he didn’t have a pack with whom he lived. And from what I knew, he wasn’t dating anyone.

  Matthew had the similar predicament of being centuries old and the only one of his kind around, but he had me. He had my family to join if and when he wanted. Grey was, for lack of a better term, a lone wolf.

  I glanced over at him, wondering if he felt the loss of his family as keenly now as he probably had when the wounds were fresh. But my questions stilled in my throat when I noticed him hauling something over his shoulder.

  “Why’s Rob back in town?” Grey asked before I could question him about the bulky pack.

  I watched him carefully. “About that. I’ve been meaning to ask how you know my brother. I saw the look you guys shared so don’t pretend you haven’t met Rob.”

  “We’ve crossed paths.”

  “That’s a little vague.”

  “Isn’t Rob a little vague?”

  I had to admit Grey had a point. “Hey, you’re pretty vague too.”

  “Touché,” Grey said. He took a deep breath. “Rob has a big web of contacts.”

  “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

  “I’ve come across some of his dealings in the werewolf community.”

  I groaned. “I hope he hasn’t been too much trouble.”

  Grey let out a real grin. “You know your brother better than me. If his records are to be believed, he’s a model citizen.”

  “A.k.a too smart to get caught.”

  “I knew there was something special about that DeMarco brain.” Grey winked at me. “Some of that rubbed off on you.”

  “Me?” I thumbed toward myself. “I follow the rules. I uphold the law. I’m a cop.”

  “And is throwing an illegal fireball part of your daily duty?”

  “I didn’t get caught,” I grumbled.

  “Exactly my point.” Grey laughed, but it was tense. “I just hope he’s not here in relation to the wolf pack. If he is, I can’t promise I won’t get involved.”

  “If I catch my brother doing something illegal, I’ll arrest him myself. He knows the rules. But...” I frowned. “What makes you think he’s back in relation to the wolves?”

  “Dealers in specialty spells,” Grey said, using air quotes around the specialty part, “flock to whoever needs spells.”

  I nodded. “Specialty” was a code word for spells that toyed the gray area between legal and illegal, tested and untested. It also included hard-to-find spells. Specialty spells were frequently found in The Void.

  “Supply and demand,” Grey said. “Well, the wolves aren’t capable of magic in a big way. And with things going the way they have lately, the wolves are getting worried. Antsy, feeling like they can’t protect themselves and their packs.”

  “But we caught the guy who was killing the wolves! And he wasn’t just killing wolves, he was attacking people of all different species.”

  “I know that, but the pack leaders have a job to do,” Grey said. “There’s been word on the street that some of the packs are... let’s say... creating an arsenal.”

  “Of black-market spells?” My mouth gaped open. “Werewolves are some of the most dangerous paranormals even without the help of magic! They’re a match for... well, vampires.”

  “True, but most werewolves have trouble spontaneously changing. It requires a huge amount of energy and emotion, and even then, it’s an unpredictable process. It’s not completely unsurprising they’d be looking for ways to supplement their defenses.”

  We walked in the general direction of the pizzeria. I watched the familiar landscape pass by, not seeing it despite some of the brilliant holiday decorations popping up around town. The new information was enough to overload my brain. The rest went to autopilot.

  “You think Rob’s a spell dealer for the wolves?” I asked. “He wouldn’t... Do you really think he’d do that?”

  “He’s got the means and the connections,” Grey said. “I don’t know your brother all that well, but I do monitor who comes in and out of this borough, and it’s been a long time since he’s been here. It’s also been a long time since the demand’s been high enough to need a supplier of his caliber here.”

  I closed my eyes, pinched my nose. “Tell me the truth. What is my brother into?”

  “Honestly, Dani—I’ve no clue,” Grey said. “He might be completely clean, perfectly legal. Or he could lead The Void. I know very few people who keep a profile as low as your brother while still carrying the respect that he does.”

  “It’s those pretty eyes of his, isn’t it? Everyone loves him.”

  “He is a likeable guy. That tends to help.”

  “I didn’t inherit that.”

  “You’re quite charming in your own right,” Grey said with a smile. “I happen to prefer you just the way you are.”

  “When are you going to tell me what that thing is on your back?” I quickly changed the subject. “Is that what my mother threatened to incinerate?”

  “I see where you get your love of fire from,” Grey said dryly, coming to a stop outside of the pizzeria. “This is the other reason I came back. I picked up your scent in the woods.”

  I frowned. “I haven’t been to the woods in a long time.”

  “That was the short story,” Grey said. “I picked up this backpack, thought it was weird someone had lost it in The Depth. Trotted a little closer to town and found that the scent on this backpack led me straight to you. So, it wasn’t your scent, but the effect was the same.”

  I sucked in a breath, recognizing a Campus of Magic logo on the bag. “Does that belong to Mason White by chance?”

  Grey shrugged. “Not sure. Just thought you might need it. Felt suspicious—it was deep in The Depth, deeper than most humans go alone. He was human, right?”

  “No,” I said. “His mother was a witch, his father a sorcerer.”

  Grey looked miffed. “Really?”

  “Matthew pegged him as human by scent, too,” I said. “There were absolutely no Residuals except for a basic Street Sweep on him.”

  “He swore off magic?”

  “Looked like it,” I said. “Until he enrolled himself in Orientation.”

  “That’s odd. Yet, I’m assuming if you’re interested in him, he’s dead.”

  “Would you like to rephrase that?” I asked. “Not everyone I’m interested in ends up dead.”

  “Then I won’t comment on the status of your boyfriend.” Grey grinned. “You know what I mean. How’d he die?”

  “I shouldn’t be commenting on an open investigation.”

  “Is it related to The—”

  “No,” I said shortly. “At least, I don’t think so. If it is, I’ll let you know.”

  Grey nodded.

  “You don’t think...” I hesitated. “You told me that The Hex Files draw its protectors close in times of need. Do you think Rob could be one of the other protectors? Could that have drawn him back? Maybe he really doesn’t know what he’s doing here, just felt he needed to come home for the holidays.”

  “It’s possible.” Grey looked toward the moon as if drawing strength from it. “Very possible. But quite honestly, Dani, your brother is a mystery to me. I wouldn’t assume anything when it comes to him.”

&n
bsp; “Fair.” I considered further for a moment, shook my head. “Is it wrong I want him to be here because he sells specialty spells to the wolves? It seems a better—and safer—option than him being one of the protectors.”

  Grey issued a sad smile. “I think that’s very admirable of you. I wouldn’t wish The Hex Files on anyone.”

  The slight awkwardness between us returned. We each knew we were linked inexplicably to the other for the foreseeable future, like it or not. And according to the prophecy, I would have to break Grey’s heart for the borough to remain safe from an evil ruler. It was hard to have a normal conversation with the weight of that knowledge on my shoulders.

  “Is there anything in the bag of note?” I asked.

  “I didn’t snoop through it,” Grey said. “But I’m surprised Matthew didn’t pick up on the scent.”

  “He’s been really busy in New York,” I said. “Not sure if you heard, but he’s filling in as temporary chief of NYPD after the unfortunate incident with Arthur Lemont.”

  “I heard,” Grey said simply.

  “Oh, well,” I said, and then shrugged. There wasn’t much more to say.

  “I suppose this is goodnight,” Grey said. “Thanks again for the nice evening. It was the most fun I’ve had in a very, very long time, Dani.”

  “I’m glad,” I said, letting myself into the pizzeria and dragging Mason’s backpack behind me. I turned around in the doorway and watched as Grey stepped backward, still watching me, fading smoothly into the night. “And Grey, I’m glad you’re back.”

  One more nod, and then Grey was gone, and I was home alone with a dead man’s possessions.

  “Up you go,” I said, hoisting White’s backpack onto my shoulder as I did a quick scan of the pizzeria, which had closed early in light of the evening’s festivities. “Talk to me, White. Who killed you? And why?”

  Chapter 9

  White’s backpack hadn’t been especially vocal with me the night before, though my furniture had been happy to pick up the slack. Marla, my flapper-esque coatrack, had taught me all about false bottoms in bags. A waste of time, seeing as there was no false bottom anywhere in Marcus’s backpack.