Heart of Malice (Alice Worth Book 1)

by Lisa Edmonds

  “Blood magic is the most peaceful feeling,” she said, breathing deeply. She touched Eppright’s body and it fell over, hitting the floor with a wet thump.

  Then she turned to Elise’s husband Ray, who was facing me. When she slit his throat, hot blood sprayed across my stomach and legs before Amelia moved the Kasten between us. I flinched and continued pulling on my ropes, watching Amelia smile and hold the wooden box while Ray’s lifeblood drained into it. I kept my face impassive, but inside I was screaming curses. I’d wanted him to suffer for hurting me, but this…this was a nightmare.

  It took longer for Ray to die, but in the end, the life faded from his eyes and my skin tingled. More lifeblood for the triple-damned Kasten. At Amelia’s touch, his body joined Eppright’s on the blood-splattered floor.

  I looked at Kathy and Deborah, and then at Natalie, still lying unconscious on the other table. “What’s my part in all of this? I’m not a part of the family.”

  “You’re actually very important,” Amelia informed me. “Imagine how glad I was to sense that you have water magic. No one in our family is a water mage.”

  I blinked. “I’m not a water mage.”

  She shook her head at me. “No point in lying, dear. Not now.” She walked to Kathy and casually cut her throat.

  I clenched my teeth as the blood fountained from Kathy’s slim neck and Amelia lifted the box to catch it. “I’m not a water mage,” I repeated. “I have air and earth magic and that’s all.”

  Amelia ignored me and watched Kathy’s lifeblood drain into the Kasten.

  I desperately tried to think, despite the pounding in my head and the nausea. I didn’t understand why she was insisting I had water magic. I’d never….

  Wait.

  I remembered something Malcolm had said several days ago, after he’d had to use a dozen healing spells to save my life. He’d said I’d carry some of his magic as a result. Shit, I did have water magic—only a trace, but it might be enough. Thanks to me, Amelia would be able to give the Kasten everything it needed to unleash destruction on a massive scale.

  I seethed and continued pulling on the rope on my left wrist as another tingle ran over my skin. Kathy was dead. A moment later, she fell to the floor.

  Something started to slide over my left hand. The leather cord holding the masking and obfuscation spells had gotten slippery enough with blood that I might be able to slide it off. I scraped my wrist against the edge of the table, trying to push it over the big part of my hand, but it was stuck. I pulled harder.

  If I could get the cord off, Malcolm might be able to sense me, at least enough to get close, since the blood ward wasn’t specifically designed to obscure my aura like the obfuscation spells were. It was likely Charles knew I was missing by now. If I could somehow break Amelia’s blood ward, someone would be able to find me quickly. I didn’t know if I could break the ward without getting my spell cuff off, but one problem at a time.

  I kept my attention on Amelia so she wouldn’t suspect I was trying to get my hand free.

  “Isn’t the box full yet?” I asked her. Deborah’s eyes were so full of fear, horror, and grief that I could hardly stand to look at her.

  “It can’t be filled.” Amelia’s voice sounded dreamy, her eyes unfocused. “Its capacity is endless, like its power.”

  The cord slid off. I caught it so it didn’t fall to the floor, then tossed it up and onto the table where it was hidden by my body. The obfuscation spell was gone. Hopefully Malcolm would be on his way. Now I had to get out of this spell cuff and break the blood ward.

  Sure. No problem.

  My left wrist was streaming blood now from cuts made by the rope. If Amelia was paying attention to me instead of slitting throats, she’d have noticed the small puddle forming on the floor near my table. Instead, she stood with her eyes closed, swaying back and forth, presumably entranced by the power of the Kasten.

  I twisted my left wrist just so, and the rope went slack and started to slide over my hand. My wrist was shredded, and I could barely feel my fingers.

  I had a few seconds to plan at the most. If I got my left hand free, I might be able to undo the spell cuff if it wasn’t the kind that required a key. Once I had my magic, Amelia was fucking toast.

  Even if I couldn’t get the cuff off, I might still be able to break her blood ward. It might only be down for a short time, but it might be long enough for Malcolm and whoever else was looking to find me. That was a lot of “mights,” but I didn’t think I had much of a choice. Amelia was heading over to Deborah, and once she was dead, then she’d be ready to cut Natalie’s throat and mine. It was now or never. I was done watching people die.

  I slipped my left hand out of the rope, twisted my upper body, and looked at the spell cuff on my right wrist. Hallelujah, no key required; it was the kind with two latches.

  “No!” Amelia shouted. I ignored her and focused on making my numb fingers unfasten the latches. I had to get the damn cuff off or I was dead.

  Just as I flicked open the second catch on the cuff, Amelia attacked, slashing me with her knife. The blade cut across my chest and blood spilled out. I shrieked and swung wildly with my left arm as I shook the cuff off my right wrist.

  The second the cuff fell off, my magic roared through me like a dam had broken, and I made no attempt to hold back the surge of power. I threw my head back and screamed. The sheer force of my unleashed magic caused Amelia to stumble backward and fall, splashing blood from the Kasten onto her.

  I fought to pull my magic back into myself and get it under control, but it was harder than it should have been; my head was pounding because of the damn concussion. I tried to move before I remembered my feet were still tied. I used my earth magic to burn the ropes off.

  I staggered to my feet just as Amelia cut loose with a flash of air and fire magic. I barely had time to throw up a quick protective circle. She attacked again with a stronger blast, breaking my circle, and fire scoured my body. I screamed and lashed out with my cold-fire whip. It seared Amelia across the chest and knocked her down again. Her shriek of pain was music to my ears.

  I realized Natalie was unprotected, lying unconscious on her table. As Amelia struggled to get to her feet, I threw up another circle, this one much stronger, and staggered over to Natalie. With a heave, I pushed her table over so it was between us and Amelia and made my circle larger to cover us both. The other mage blasted my circle with fire, but this time, it held.

  I yanked the spell bracelet off Natalie’s wrist. She was deathly pale, her breathing shallow. Amelia’s spells were killing her. I didn’t have time to unweave them, but if I unbound Natalie’s null magic, it might disrupt the spells and keep her alive. I pulled at the threads of the binding spell and removed the one that kept her null magic contained. Yellow magic flared briefly, and Amelia’s spells fractured.

  Amelia sent another wave of fire, stronger than the last. My circle wavered but held. It wouldn’t protect us for long, though. I needed to drop the damn blood ward and call in the cavalry. I’d hand Amelia over to the vamps.

  With my right hand, I wiped across my chest, gathering up as much of my blood as I could. I steeled myself, broke my protective circle, and lunged for the blood ward. Behind me, Amelia screeched in fury.

  I shoved my bloody hand into Amelia’s ward and pushed energy into it, chanting “Obliterate, obliterate, obliterate,” until it broke with a surge that made me stagger. I wiped my foot through the ward on the floor and smeared my blood across it so she couldn’t close it again. Now maybe Malcolm and Charles could find me.

  I turned around and realized Amelia was right behind me. The light glinted off the edge of her knife as it arced toward my heart.

  I stumbled backward, but I was dazed and disoriented from breaking the blood ward and moved too slowly. Screaming incoherently in rage, Amelia buried the blade in my chest, just above my right breast.

  I stared dumbly at the knife for several confused seconds before Amelia yanked it out.
My feet slid out from under me and I collapsed.

  As I slumped against a large crate, Amelia picked up the Kasten. With the knife in one hand and the box in the other, she walked toward me. I tried to use my earth or air magic to push her back, but I was too dizzy and weakened to do more than raise a gentle breeze and a few paltry green flames.

  With my lifeblood, she would have all four kinds of natural magic. If the legends were true, she would wield the Kasten and destroy the city, killing everyone in her path. With it, she might become the most powerful blood mage in modern history.

  No.

  There was no Malcolm. No Charles. There was only me here to stop her.

  I forced myself to think. What could I do? I was having trouble breathing; my lung was probably punctured. Blood pumped out of the stab wound in my chest at an alarming rate. I wasn’t going to be able to put up much of a physical fight. I didn’t know if she would try to slit my throat or just catch the blood coming out of my chest. All I knew was that I was not going to give up yet.

  I looked up at the half-finished building we were in. If I could spool enough earth magic, I could bring the building down on her. On us. Let’s see the bitch get out of that one. I smiled and coughed up some blood.

  Natalie and I might survive, if we were lucky. If not, at least we’d take her with us.

  Amelia knelt in front of me, knife poised, and rested the Kasten in my lap. It looked like she was going to slit my throat after all.

  I started spooling my earth magic. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

  Amelia leaned close to me. “I enjoyed this. It’s rare I find someone so near my own skill level. I’m almost sorry to have to kill you.”

  “Fuck off,” I mumbled, which would have been more impressive if it hadn’t come out in a bloody gurgle.

  She opened the Kasten. Despite having its contents splashed around several times, the box was still full of blood. The power it gave off was enormous.

  “Leave it be,” Amelia said. “There’s nothing for you to do now.” I realized she was referring to my spooling earth magic.

  She was wrong about that; I could bring down the building. Either she didn’t think I could or she didn’t think I would. I certainly didn’t want to, but I didn’t think I had much choice.

  I looked down. My bloody hands tingled with the power of my earth magic, but I wasn’t sure it was going to be strong enough or fast enough. I put my palms on the floor and prepared to shove every last ounce of magic I had kindled into the concrete.

  I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced up. To my shock, Natalie, pale and shaken, was standing behind Amelia. She gestured at me as if to say, What should I do?

  Amelia raised the knife.

  “Just touch her,” I whispered.

  Amelia paused, her blade an inch from my jugular, and stared at me. “What?”

  I’d been on the receiving end of Natalie’s nulling once, but I’d never seen anyone hit with it before. When Natalie’s hands came down on Amelia’s shoulders, the flare of bright yellow magic seared my eyes. Amelia screamed in anger and panic, and I felt a strange pulling sensation on the edge of my senses, like I was too close to the big drain at the bottom of a pool. Natalie’s powerful nulling magic sucked Amelia dry in an instant.

  With a cry of rage, Amelia staggered to her feet, knife in hand. She might be nulled, but she was far from defenseless.

  “Look out,” I rasped.

  Natalie dodged the knife as Amelia lunged. As the older woman stumbled, off-balance, Natalie reached for a stack of short metal pipes, grabbed one, and swung it two-handed at Amelia’s head.

  The pipe connected with Amelia’s skull with a sickening, wet crunch. She went down, and I seriously doubted she’d be getting up again.

  Natalie dropped the pipe and stared at Amelia’s body. “Oh God.”

  Before I could speak, a wave of gray-and-black magic swept over me, and a surge of pure power whited out my vision. The Kasten had lost its host and moved on to the strongest mage in the vicinity.

  As if in a dream, I stuck my hand into the box. The blood felt thick and warm. In the bottom, I felt small, knobby objects that I realized were finger bones. Adelbert.

  Hallo, meine Liebe. The voice in my head sounded like it originated in the depths of hell.

  Power coursed up my right arm and through my body. It was the most incredible feeling I’d ever experienced, and with it came the desire and the power to annihilate. I could destroy the building, the city, the world, and I wanted to.

  I closed my eyes. The Kasten showed me a vision of my mother, beautiful and gentle. My mother, who promised me that soon she and my father would take me away from my grandfather to a place where he’d never find us. My mother, whose own father had burned her alive, along with my father, when the guard she’d bribed to help her get me out of the compound betrayed her. I saw my mother and father, two piles of ash, on the floor of their house. My grandfather had taken me to see them when it was over so I could see what happened to people who crossed him.

  Then the Kasten showed me my grandfather. Moses Murphy sat in his office, reading an offer from a prospective client. People were to die. Moses had only to agree to a price. He would never stop killing, unless someone stopped him.

  Grief and rage rose within me like a tidal wave. I could level the compound, kill everyone in it. Moses would be dead. I could burn him to ash, and I could stand in front of him when I did it. I would be free forever. The Kasten offered it to me as a gift, and I wept in joy at the thought.

  Then I would destroy everything and everyone else who stood against me. I would bring the world to its knees.

  No. I wanted no one on their knees, not ever.

  Ja, the Kasten said. Somehow, though I’d never spoken a word of German, I could understand it. We will have vengeance. All will suffer for what was done to you. Take us and destroy.

  No, I am not a destroyer. I struggled but sank further into the darkness that was spreading through my brain.

  Alice. I heard a different voice in my mind. It was gentle, like a caress. Alice, come back.

  I opened my eyes. My brain processed a series of images, like a slideshow.

  My right hand was wrist-deep in the blood in the Kasten. My left arm was wrapped around the box, holding it against my stomach.

  Charles crouched in front of me, his hands on my bloody, burned legs, fangs extended, eyes solid black. Somehow, he had found me within minutes of the blood ward falling. He must have been nearby when I broke it. I wasn’t sure I liked the covetous way he was looking at the box on my lap.

  Amelia lay dead on the floor next to him in a puddle of her own blood. I felt nothing at the sight, not even satisfaction.

  Natalie stood next to Bryan, her eyes as wide as saucers. Malcolm floated on the other side of her, looking at me and the box in horror.

  I was burned again. Blood pumped sluggishly out of the stab wound in my chest. I should be dead, but I wasn’t. I knew the box was keeping me alive so we could become the Destroyer.

  I never needed to fear again. The Kasten would free me.

  I would become a monster. I’d run away from the cabal so I didn’t become one.

  His eyes shining silver, Charles reached for the box. The Kasten struck with a bolt of black-and-gray magic that knocked him back several feet and left a scorched and bloody gash on his chest.

  Natalie shrieked. Bryan was instantly at the vampire’s side, but Charles held up his hand and stared at the Kasten.

  “Fass mich nicht an,” I heard myself say, my voice flat. “Ich bin für dich nicht da du Toter.” Do not touch me. I am not for you, dead man.

  Unlike me, Charles apparently spoke German. “Was willst du?” the vampire asked me, his voice hard. What do you want?

  “Rache,” I rasped.

  Revenge.

  The Kasten showed me a vision of endless devastation, of blackened earth and mountains of corpses. I understood then that Adelbert’s th
irst was unquenchable. I could not just use the Kasten to kill my grandfather; once released, Adelbert would control me. Through me, he would destroy everything in his path.

  If I gave in to what the box wanted—what this terrible part of me wanted—I might as well be dead. As badly as I wanted Moses to die for everything he had done, I couldn’t surrender my soul to this darkness. I couldn’t unleash the Kasten on the world.

  And yet, I couldn’t just let go of the box either. No one else should have this kind of power. Charles wanted it. Others would kill to possess it. There was no choice here; the Kasten must be destroyed.

  I met Charles’s gaze and coughed up more blood. “Thank you for finding me,” I whispered.

  The vampire’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He recognized a good-bye when he heard one. He reached out cautiously to touch my foot, and I heard his voice in my head: Alice, no!

  I closed my eyes and shoved every ounce of magical energy I had down my right arm into the black void that was the soul of the Kasten. Die, I ordered it.

  From deep within the emptiness came a roar of fury: NO. YOU WILL DIE.

  I’m already dying, I said simply. And I’m taking you with me.

  The only response was a wordless scream out of the darkness.

  The Kasten lived on the life energy of those whose blood made it whole. I felt familiar magical traces: Amelia Wharton, Peter Eppright, Ray Browning, Kathy Adams. My own. Beyond that, deep in the core of the box, I sensed a dark malevolence, a spirit so filled with hate and malice that it made me shudder.

  Adelbert’s enduring evil was the soul of the Kasten.

  I had not used my blood magic to kill in a very long time, not since I left the cabal, but I still remembered how. I reached into the vile nothingness at the center of the Kasten and ripped out its heart with a single power word.

  The darkness receded. With a howl of rage, the box died.

  I let out a long, gurgling sigh. Without the Kasten’s poison in my veins, I felt completely at peace. Amelia was dead. Natalie and Deborah were alive. Despite the power it had offered me, I’d resisted long enough to destroy the Kasten. This was going to be a giant mess, but it was going to be someone else’s job to clean it up.