by Jayne Hawke
39
We had returned to Gideon’s office to continue our investigation with a little comfort. Greyson lounged out like a cat with his legs thrown up over the arm of the armchair as he looked pensively out over the city. Gideon sat down next to me and handed me a cup of fresh coffee. The aroma made my mouth water. It was the really good stuff straight from a high-end roastery somewhere. Deep, dark coffee scents wrapped around a touch of citrus and a splash of chocolate. I was going to be spoilt rotten living with him.
“I can walk through the shadow plane, which before you ask, is separate and distinct from the between. The shadows there are sentient, but not in the way people are. They can show me images and present feelings. They see almost everything, but if someone knows what they’re doing they can hide from the shadows,” Greyson said.
I went to ask Greyson more about what it was like walking on the shadow plane, but Gideon squeezed my knee. As much as it pained me, I took the hint and backed off.
“So, we’re dealing with someone with enough talent and knowledge to hide from the shadows?” Gideon asked.
“Yes.”
I settled myself on the couch and tucked my legs up under me as I leaned against Gideon.
“What’s Quinn’s insurance like? Could this simply be a money thing?” I asked.
“He does have very good insurance, but I don’t know if that particular artifact was insured for enough to go through all of this. You have to remember that his reputation has taken a hit. Witches will now be hounding him to move some of those artifacts to other safer museums and spaces,” Gideon said.
“So, he took a big risk, if it was him who arranged the theft?” I asked.
“Aye,” Gideon said.
“There was something off about him. His shadow didn’t quite sit right,” Greyson said.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Greyson’s mouth pressed into a thin line.
“I’m not sure yet,” Greyson said.
I took a sip of my coffee and found it to taste even better than it smelled. That didn’t distract me from the problem at hand, though. There was something very off about Quinn, and given the possessed witches running around we couldn’t afford to ignore that.
“He’s an ass, too,” Greyson added after a few minutes of silence.
I laughed.
“Did you see the disdain on his face when he saw my jeans?”
Greyson rolled his eyes.
“Gods forbid denim enter his precious museum.”
Gideon smirked.
“It won’t have done him any harm to rough it a little,” Gideon said.
I laughed.
“Oh, sweetheart, that was not roughing it,” I said.
Gideon grinned at me.
“You think I’m some pampered prince, do you?”
“Are you telling me you’re not?” I said sweetly.
“Greyson, tell her how many bars I’ve been banned from,” Gideon said as he maintained his grin.
“I’ve lost count. There was that dive bar where you managed to break through the spell work and smash a stool over someone’s head. There was that biker bar where you broke the bartender’s nose and cheekbone. Oh! You got into a fight with a human cop in that fancy wine bar, that was a nightmare to get you out of. You still owe me for the paperwork from that one.”
I waved all of that off.
“You’re a Mars witch, of course you’ve gotten into fights. Have you ever eaten discount ramen? Or tried those cheap food carts where you don’t want to know what the meat is?” I asked.
Gideon laughed.
“Darling, I’m from Scotland. You never ask what’s in the kebabs there, I’m pretty sure they found two new species of rodent in one of those places a couple of years back.”
“Ok, have you ever slept anywhere other than a very nice bed?”
His grin widened.
“Have you?”
“Cole Loxwood made me sleep in his back yard when I was working with him as a Morrigan witch.”
Greyson howled with laughter.
“I can picture the grumpy expression on his face when you said you were staying in his home,” Greyson said with great delight.
Cole was stuck in permanent brooding mode. There had been a flash of amusement before he declared I’d be sleeping out in the yard. It had suited me just fine. Sleeping under the stars during the summer was something I thoroughly enjoyed.
“Aye, I’ve slept out in the rough, too. I’ve camped with nothing but a sleeping bag, a knife, and some twine,” Gideon said.
I squeezed his hand, reassuring him that I was just teasing him. He’d not shown any signs of being a stuck-up coven prince. It would have been so easy for him to be a prissy ass, given his money and status, but he was so easy to be around.
A knock came from the office door.
“Come in,” Gideon called out.
A willowy fae walked in with an ashy expression.
“Sir, the Kisanes are trying to make last-minute changes to the contract,” she said as she handed a sheaf of paper to Gideon.
Greyson knocked back the last of his coffee.
“That’s my cue to go.”
The fae was hot on his heels. Gideon’s expression slowly darkened as he looked over the red scribbled onto the contract in his hands. The war drums in his music raged around us, filling the room with the pounding of their beat, heavy enough to rival thunder.
“He will regret this,” Gideon snarled.
40
Gideon slammed the contract down on the table and stood up, his face contorted with rage.
“How dare he try and screw me over like that?” he growled, his accent almost too thick to comprehend.
He began striding around the room. His magic crashed against me, feeling as though it would crush me with every wave.
“Mars be with me, I have the good mind to show him who I am, and what I am capable of.”
Gideon’s eyes were burning with fire and had clear copper striations running through them. His spear formed in his hand, and he struck the base of it against the floor, making a loud thunk.
I could understand why the others had left. He was putting on quite a show and was clearly a fearsome warrior. Still, I wasn’t going to be cowed quite so easily.
Casually, I got up off the couch and wandered over to him. He looked at me with those copper and emerald eyes, his lips pulled back in an almost animalistic snarl.
“He has disrespected me and all I stand for,” he said.
I reached out and wrapped my hands around his.
“And you will destroy him for it,” I said softly.
His mouth slowly returned to a gentle smile, and his spear returned to the ether where it had come from. His magic pulled back, allowing me to breathe once more. Gideon pulled me into his arms and kissed my temple.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have allowed my temper to flare,” he whispered.
“It’s your nature. You did nothing more than talk,” I said.
I didn’t blame him for what had happened. This Kisane was clearly being ridiculous and pushing far beyond the boundaries of respectable business. That was never tolerated in the witch world, even less so from a warrior witch. I didn’t understand what was wrong with the contract, but I knew that Gideon would handle it in a way that ensured it would never happen again.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to smite him. I’ll just screw with his business and make him think twice about pulling a stunt like this again,” Gideon said wearily.
“How can I help?” I asked.
He looked down at me and his smile shone in his eyes.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Set’s lightning could be fun.”
I laughed.
“Perhaps Set would consider it to fall under my protective streak,” I said.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Set remained silent on the topic. I took that as a ‘yes I could put
a bolt into this “Kisane” if the opportunity arose’. I frowned when I realised just how protective I felt about not just Gideon, but Greyson and the others. It wouldn’t have crossed my mind to interfere with someone else’s business before when I was a Morrigan witch, but now it felt natural and almost necessary.
“Sky?”
“I’m just getting used to being a Set witch,” I said with a shrug.
“The change can be difficult. Moving from a Brigid witch to a Mars witch was a big change. I’ve never regretted it, but don’t be afraid to talk to me.”
“The protective side is very strong, and I don’t know how I feel about it. I barely know you, and yet I’d go to war for you,” I said.
Gideon stroked my hair.
“It won’t be so overwhelming forever. Take some time for yourself to feel the magic out and shape it into a way that works for you,” he said softly.
MY LITTLE APARTMENT felt alien after spending the night in the comfort of the coven house. The silence of the place pressed against my skin, forcing me to put some music on. Gideon was right. The magic coiled within me wasn’t sitting quite right. I needed to pull it into line and make it fit with who I was as a witch.
Still, I was dreading it. Set was clearly a powerful god and a big presence. I didn’t want to get into a fight with him over how I used his magic.
It needed to be done. Putting it off wasn’t going to help anything and put me and those close to me at risk. Steeling myself, I went into the small bedroom and made myself comfortable on the bed near the altar. The small tumbled garnet sat on the altar. I swear I could feel it accusing me. I’d picked it up with the intent of carrying it on me to help with the magic, and yet there it stayed.
I wrapped my fingers around the tumbled stone and held it in my closed fist as I relaxed and reached down into my magic. It was a chaotic mess deep within me. The protective streaks were broad and strong. I needed to thin them out and press them down into myself in a way that wouldn’t change who I was. Slowing my breathing, I reached my mental hands out, grasped onto the deep dark ribbons of magic, and ran my fingers along them, feeling out the small effects and abilities there.
I felt the storms coursing through them. The great swaths of clouds and electricity. Beneath that sat the protective needs and urges surrounded by swords, spears, and more weapons. Chaos was buried deep within all of it. The chaos was a core part of the magic. It formed the foundations of the rest of it. A sliver of fear formed in the pit of my stomach. Was I ready to embrace chaos?
41
I was woken by my phone ringing. Groaning, I fumbled around, trying to find it without coming out from under the warm, comfortable blankets.
“Hello?”
“Sky, it’s Gideon. I’ll be there with coffee and waffles in fifteen minutes. We’re going to have a chat with Isaac Kisane.”
“We are? What time is it? Why?” I mumbled.
Gideon laughed.
“Yes, we are. It’s nine thirty, and because traces of Mercury witch magic were found at the scene of the artifact theft. It was a tiny thread, but enough to identify it as Mercury. Kisane is head of the Mercury coven.”
“Oh, right, great.”
Gideon laughed at me again.
“Twelve minutes.”
I groaned.
“Fine, fine, I’ll get some clothes on.”
“Well, let’s not go too far...”
“That had better me amazing coffee.”
“Only the best for you.”
“Mhm.”
I hung up and covered my head with my pillow. It was too early for this. I needed to go down the gym and work off that amazing food. The last thing I wanted to be doing was watching two businessmen go to war.
Half falling out of bed, I tried to remember what Mercury witches had going for them. My brain was sluggish along with the rest of me. I put my jeans on backwards the first attempt. I’d just gotten them on correctly when Gideon knocked at the door.
He greeted me with a very large cup of coffee with rich caramel tones. The morning was starting to look up.
“Remind me, what do Mercury witches have?” I asked as I relieved Gideon of the waffles in his hand.
“Business, financial gain, trickery, thievery. Oh, and of course, running fast to help with said thievery.”
I wrinkled my nose. They sounded like nightmares.
I opened up the box and took a big bite out of the Belgian waffle, which had been topped with copious amounts of whipped cream and strawberries. It melted in my mouth. Gideon really did only bring me the very best things.
Once I’d devoured the waffles, I was ready to start thinking. The coffee was amazing, even if it did burn my mouth.
“Remind me why I’m coming along?” I asked.
Gideon had made himself comfortable on my armchair. He watched me with a warm smile.
“Because you’re going to be my wife, co-leader of my coven, and I hope a key part of the business. It’ll be good for you to learn about our rivals. And you might see or feel something I don’t.”
Sighing, I pulled my boots on, finished my coffee, and gestured at the door.
“Lead the way.”
“Careful, if you get any more enthusiastic you might combust,” Gideon teased.
I snorted.
“You’re going to need far more coffee if you want enthusiastic.”
“I can do that.”
Of course he could. I was really beginning to see what the gods saw in him.
ACCORDING TO WHAT I could find on the Grim, Isaac Kisane was a very eligible bachelor and owner of a number of very successful businesses. He was the main competitor against Warrior Security with Lock and Key Security. He also owned a number of smaller businesses that I couldn’t find much information on. A couple seemed to be into research, but nothing was showing me what type of research. That rang warning bells to me.
Lock and Key was headquartered on the opposite end of town to Warrior Security. The Lock and Key building was short, squat, and almost blended in with the forest behind it. The windows were small but evenly spaced, the road leading down to the building provided the only entry and exit for those coming in vehicles. It looked like a small fortress.
Gideon exhaled slowly and pulled his magic in tight against himself. I missed the drums sliding over my skin immediately. It was necessary, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I quickly checked that I had all of my blades on me. Set huffed at that. He had given me perfectly good swords. I wanted to be prepared, though. If there was even a small chance they could block my magic, I wanted to be sure I still had weapons on me.
We approached the heavy wooden door with two burly bear shifters standing guard.
“Gideon Shepherd to see Isaac Kisane.”
The larger bear shifter, a man with a dense brown beard and small amber-coloured eyes, grunted.
“We have an appointment,” Gideon pushed.
The other bear looked down at his phone and nodded before he buzzed us in.
The interior was dark and unwelcoming. Grotesque masks sat upon the pure white walls. They watched us with twisted tusks and bulging eyes. The floor was polished grey concrete. The room was an odd mix of old manor house and modern industrial. It was a hideous mix.
The receptionist sat behind a tall bulky desk that curved like a lazy wave with black acrylic wrapping around it.
“Mr. Kisane is busy, you’ll have to wait,” she said in clipped tones to us.
Gideon’s smile sharpened.
“We’ll be going up now,” he said.
“I said you’ll have to wait,” the receptionist said.
We ignored her and walked over to the pitch-black elevator doors.
The receptionist frantically rang up to her boss as we stepped into the elevator. I knew the drill, and I had always savoured this moment.
We were investigating a witch crime, which meant that we could bypass the ridiculous politics. I’d done this many times as a Morrigan witch, and it n
ever got less satisfying as the person realised there wasn’t anything they could do to stop me.
The elevator opened out into a dark corridor where old spears adorned with blood-red and sky-blue feathers lined the walls. The occasional painting showing grotesqueries was dotted between the old spears. That didn’t fit in with that I knew about Mercury. Normally, witches decorated their spaces in a way that fit with their god, hence Gideon’s love of copper. Mercury had no interest in any of these things.
I thought back to Quinn, the supposed Hermes witch. It was looking like Isaac wasn’t much of a Mercury witch either.
42
Isaac opened the door and revealed a tall slender man with dirty blond hair and muddy-coloured eyes. His thin lips were pressed together, making them disappear into a pale white smudge on his angular face. His suit was a dull mid-grey colour that didn’t suit his complexion and made him look almost pale and sickly. It was not at all what I had expected to find from Gideon’s fiercest business rival.
“Mr. Shepherd, do come in.”
Gideon stepped into the room, and Isaac tried to shut the door in my face. I held the door with my boot and smiled sweetly at Isaac as I walked into the room behind Gideon. The thick carpet was an odd mustard colour that clashed with the industrial grey walls that were covered in more odd art. There was a darkness to the art, thick drops of greys and blacks with slashes of jewel tones.
Nothing about that space felt right. Glancing around, I wondered if the person who put it all together was capable of seeing colour. The only way it would work was if it was all in greyscale. Isaac poured himself a large helping of a pale golden-coloured liquid that he didn’t offer to Gideon or me.
Gideon stood with his hands in his pockets and his back straight as we watched Isaac sit down in his high-backed chair with the heather-grey velvet covering. It was as though someone had intentionally designed the room to clash. I couldn’t wrap my head around how Isaac spent more than five minutes in there.