by Lisa Kessler
I’m underground, buried in a cemetery. Shit. Breathe.
She glanced over at Chris, hating herself for ever believing in the Digi Robins’ mission, for trusting them. She wet her lips. “If I get out of here, I’m coming for you.”
“Save your outrage.” His eyes cut over to her face. “No one is going to find us down here.”
What if he was right? She tipped her head back, trying to see the bindings at her wrists. I’m not dying with this jerk.
…
John entered Skye’s shop, The Magnolia Mystic, and closed the door behind him. After discovering that the money he donated to help Harmony with the Digi Robins’ mission actually went to the man who now claimed to be holding Harmony prisoner, he wasn’t sure what to think anymore.
He didn’t want to believe she was in on this plot, and he’d been a pirate far too long to be played as a patsy.
His life would be much simpler if he could just dive headfirst into anger and betrayal. Then he could walk away and never look back. But one thing kept nagging at him.
When he’d first confessed to her that he didn’t want their relationship to end, she turned him down. If this was all a play for his money and his help retrieving the real Pandora’s box from Agent Bale, why not agree to continue seeing him? If she was using him for his bank account, it didn’t make sense to break up before they had the real box back in their hands.
Something wasn’t adding up, and the ticking of the clock marking time until she ran out of air wasn’t helping. Hopefully Skye could get a read on it. His judgment was obviously clouded when it came to Harmony.
“Hey, John.” Skye came in from the back room. “Is everything okay?”
The Magnolia Mystic had been passed down through her family for generations, but this was John’s first time inside. Until Colton brought Skye into the crew, John hadn’t put much faith in metaphysics. After Skye’s visions helped them find the Grail, John was starting to believe in her gifts, and now he prayed she might be able to lead him to Harmony.
Wherever she was, the air was running out. He didn’t have the luxury of time.
Unless it was all a setup. Fuck.
“No. Far from okay.” He ground his teeth. “Harmony is missing. I’m hoping you can help me find her. Did Colton tell you anything?”
“He told me there was a video. Trumain has her locked up someplace.”
“Right. I did some digging, looking for a money trail, but instead…” He shook his head. “Never mind. I just need to find her.”
“I think I can help.” Skye nodded to herself. “Just a second.”
She vanished into the back room again and returned cradling a large crystal ball in her hands. She placed it onto a small stand in the center of the table, then took the chair across from him.
“Give me your hands.” She laid hers on either side of the orb with her palms up.
He rested his on top, and she gripped his wrists, closing her eyes. Her voice was slow, almost melodic in its monotone. “Close your eyes and picture Harmony’s face. Replay the video in your mind frame by frame. Focus on the details.” Her grip tightened. “That’s it. Let go of the fear. Harmony is safe for now.”
He tried, but the dark cavern from Trumain’s video never appeared. Long-dead faces he’d known through his lifetimes in Savannah flashed through his mind. He grimaced, struggling to recall the scene from the video, but again and again, generations of people he’d known filled his head.
“It’s not working.” He opened his eyes, releasing her hands.
Skye stared into the fog swirling inside the crystal ball. “Something’s happening.” Her gaze flicked up to him for a second. “What did you see?”
“Faces of people I knew lifetimes ago.” He rubbed his forehead.
“Who?” she probed, her attention back on the orb.
His shoulders tensed, conscious of the time slipping through his fingers while he offered her names of long-dead Savannahians. “Eli’s friend during the Civil War, Lieutenant John Rodgers. Dr. Noble Jones, who delivered new babes right up until the day he died. And Johnny Mercer. Personality by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers was one of the first albums I ever bought.” He clenched his jaw. “I don’t have time for this.”
He started to get up, but Skye caught his hand. “Sit down. I’m getting something.”
His heart stuttered as he followed her directions. “How is any of this going to help me find Harmony?”
“All those old faces. They’re all resting in the Bonaventure Cemetery.” Her voice took on the meditative tone again. “Try to clear your mind and focus on the ball.”
His eyes widened for a second. Bloody hell. She was right.
He stared into the crystal with more intensity. “I don’t see anything. It’s foggy.”
She opened her eyes. “There’s a reason those faces popped in your head. I think Harmony is in the Bonaventure someplace.”
He frowned. “The video looked like a church.”
Skye was quiet for a moment, lost in thought. “I took my ex out there for a cemetery tour once. Some of the older plots had underground chapels. The keys for them are long gone, though. I don’t know how Trumain would’ve gotten them down there.”
John’s pulse raced. “That would explain why he mentioned they were going to run out of oxygen. If they’re underground…” He got up, giving her a quick hug. “Thanks, Skye.”
“Wait. Where are you going?”
He stopped at the door. “To the Bonaventure.”
“John, the Bonaventure is almost two hundred acres, and it’s getting dark. We need to narrow this down first.”
Skye was right, but damn it, he couldn’t just sit around and wait for Bale to bring the box and meet Trumain. There was a better-than-average chance Bale wasn’t going to help them, anyway.
And until he found Harmony, he wouldn’t know for sure if she’d been part of this con from the beginning.
He gripped the door knob. “Call me if you get a clearer location. I’ve got to get out there. I’ll have Keegan and Drake meet me. They know the layout better than I do.”
John headed outside to his car, texting his crewmates as he walked around the car and popped the back hatch on the Porsche. The knapsack carrying the Holy Grail was still there. Bringing the priceless relic anywhere near Trumain and the Digi Robins was stupid, but so was fucking love.
Did he love the woman who robbed him? Probably.
And the emotions were definitely clouding his judgment.
But what if his heart was right? What if she hadn’t been included in the plot. Was he willing to risk her life and walk away without knowing for certain?
No. The flame of hope that she hadn’t known about the plot still flickered in his old battered heart.
He slammed the back hatch closed as a cold truth echoed through his head.
The Grail didn’t raise the dead.
He needed to find Harmony. Fast.
Chapter Twenty-Two
David stormed through the door of the safe house in Savannah. Department 13 had employee studios all over the country, but since the Serpent Society had resurfaced in Savannah, he found himself calling this place home more often than the main hub in D.C. He set his briefcase on the floor and opened the tote bag. He removed a couple folded pieces of fabric and draped the card table that doubled as dining room furniture with the deep purple and black velvet throws.
Next, he took out a round black framed mirror and placed it in the center, then set a crystal at each edge, representing the four elements of earth, fire, water, and air. He took out an abalone shell and a bundle of sage, cleansing the studio while chanting a protection spell.
With his wards in place, he sat at the table, but before he could begin the ritual, a knock sounded on the door. Frowning, he got up, his hand resting on the gun in his shoulder holster.
“Who is it?” he called through the door.
“Heather.”
David blinked, sliding his hand fr
ee of the firearm as he opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
The medium was dressed in a long skirt, with a burgundy hooded cape protecting her from the sun. Even though it set two hours ago.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
He nodded, stepping back. She walked past him, taking the hood off of her head. Her long silver hair gleamed in the dim light. “I wore my hood, so hopefully I didn’t attract any attention.” A half smile curved on her lips. “Most people have never seen an albino before, so…” Her words faded as she scanned the makeshift altar on the card table. “What’s all this?”
“I was about to cast a locator spell. It won’t give me an exact location, but it’ll get me in the neighborhood.” He pulled out a chair for her. “Why are you here?”
In the brief time he’d dated Heather, she’d only been to the studio twice. He was surprised she remembered where it was.
Her bright ice blue eyes locked on his. “You’re in danger.”
“It happens in my line of work.” David ran a hand down his face. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m really busy at the moment.”
She placed her hand over the mirror on the table, her ivory skin in stark contrast to the dark table covering. “Enough secrets.” She lifted her head, her jaw tight with defiance. “You think I don’t know who and what you are?” She arched a brow. “I talk to the dead, David. When I helped you find the Grail, your murdered informant asked me to look out for you. He told me you protect Americans from paranormal threats. He showed me visions of some of the relics he worked with you to acquire.”
His heart raced as he started to reply, but she raised her hand to silence him.
“I’m not finished.” She searched his face. “I’ve never told a soul, and I never will. I understand magic and the responsibilities and dangers connected to it. Stop treating me like an outsider and let me help you.”
He loosened his tie and popped the top button on his shirt as he went to the table. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“A spirit who claims to be your brother wants me to warn you about his great-great-grandson.”
Her blunt statement surprised him. David searched her face for any sign of shock or panic or even betrayal for all of the lies he’d told her over the past few years, but the only thing apparent was her determination.
Heather took a breath, her gaze going distant. Was she communicating with Paul now? Her tone softened. “His great-great-grandson has been courted by darkness. He says Chris knows about your work and yearns for your power. Does that make sense?”
David sat in the chair, nodding slowly. “I suspected as much, but I was hoping I was wrong.”
Heather shifted in her chair. “Is he who you were casting to find?”
David nodded, lifting his gaze from the table. “Someone from the Serpent Society, the same group who killed Pokey, has Chris. I’m supposed to meet them with Pandora’s box in hand, and then they’ll tell me where they’ve hidden him. There’s no way I can hand over something as dangerous as Pandora’s box, so I need to find Chris before he suffocates. Time is running out.”
“You’re going to save him even though he means you harm?”
Good question, but David nodded without hesitation. “Yeah. He’s confused, buried in student loan debt, and looking for a calling. He needs guidance, not judgment. I’m sure from the outside looking in, maybe my life seems enviable to him, but if I can save him, I can make him understand the truth.” He stared at the mirror on the table. “But I have to find him first.”
Heather rose from her chair. “I can help you. Your brother says he’s inside the Bonaventure.”
“The cemetery?” David frowned, his mind digesting the new information. There were legends about underground chapels in the Bonaventure. “That might explain why our software isn’t recognizing the location. Maybe there’s never been a photo of the interior online.” He got up and reached for his coat. “Thanks, Heather.”
She followed him to the door. “Thank me after we save him.”
David’s eyes widened. “I can’t let you come. If the Serpent Society is involved in any way—it’s too dangerous.”
She rolled her eyes. “I appreciate the concern, but you’re going to the final resting place of thousands of souls. You’ll never find him in time without my help.”
Shit. She was right. He crossed his arms. “You’ll need to stay behind me, and if I tell you to do something, we won’t have time for questions.”
“There’s a reason you’re still single, David.” She gave his arm a squeeze as she passed by and out the door.
He patted his pocket for the satchel of healing herbs, then brushed his fingers along the handle of his Glock. Satisfied, he scooped up a quartz crystal carved with a Norse rune. No shame in bringing backup.
The crystal was imbued with the power to heal your allies and grant death to your enemies. If the Serpent Society members were around, they wouldn’t be able to resist grabbing the relic, and holding the rock in your palm decided your fate.
He’d send another agent in his place to the meeting with Trumain, and hopefully David would be able to locate Chris before any of the Serpents realized he’d found him. He gripped the crystal once more before sliding it into his other pocket.
His plan seemed solid, but a good agent was always ready in case a well-laid plan turned to shit.
And the probability of an oncoming shitstorm was high.
…
John parked on the street outside the Bonaventure. Twilight robbed the azaleas and the Spanish moss hanging from the ancient oaks of their color as darkness descended. The ticking of the clock in his mind grew louder with every passing minute. He got out and grabbed the knapsack from the back of the Porsche just as Keegan’s pickup rolled to a stop behind him.
Keegan and Drake came toward him, their expressions stoic. This was a place filled with painful memories for both men, and John never would have asked either of them to accompany him, but without their help, he wouldn’t be able to find Harmony before the air ran out.
“Thanks for coming, mates.”
Keegan nodded, flipping the collar of his jacket up around his neck. “Aye. Char is with Skye and Colton, trying to get us a lock on Harmony, but the hallowed ground seems to be giving her trouble, or maybe Trumain cast some sort of spell to keep her spirit out. Who the hell knows?”
“Skye said there are some underground chapels here. If they’re in one, we can start by checking each of them for any signs of being opened recently.” John peered at his phone, but no messages from Skye yet.
“Good plan,” Drake grunted, all his attention on the oversized iron gates across the street.
As far as John knew, Drake hadn’t lost a mortal lover like Keegan had, but the ship’s carpenter still frequented the Bonaventure every year on the anniversary of the Sea Dog’s sinking. Whatever the reason, they knew their way around the city of the dead, and he was counting on their guidance.
Together they crossed the sleepy street and ventured into the shadows. John’s phone vibrated as they walked down the quiet path deeper into the cemetery. He glanced at the screen before lifting his head. “Skye thinks we should start at the plot for Noble W. Jones.”
“The doctor?” Keegan asked.
“Aye.” John nodded. “He was the first face I saw when I looked into Skye’s crystal ball, and I probably hadn’t thought of him in a century.”
Noble Jones was already an old man by the time the Sea Dog crew had settled in Savannah, but his spirit for public service had been infectious, even to a pirate. John knew firsthand that the stories of Dr. Jones delivering babies right up until his last week on earth were true.
Keegan led the way toward the Jones plot with John and Drake bringing up the rear. An iron fence surrounded it with locked gates, connected with a weathered padlock from the days of skeleton keys.
John lifted the lock as he inspected it closer. It didn’t appear to have been tampered with. Drake
nudged him, pointing inside the family plot. “Look. The cover’s been moved.”
Drake was right. The stone markers for family members lined the outside edges, but in the center was a simple rectangular slab of marble. If there was an underground chapel, the slab could’ve been protecting a staircase to reach the chamber below.
John shook his head. “How could Trumain have lifted it by himself?”
Keegan’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe he wasn’t alone. Char killed most of the group of Serpent Society members who came for the Grail at the Tybee Lighthouse, but we don’t know if that was all of the Serpents.”
John focused on the lock again. “You think they climbed the fence with Harmony and her friend?”
Keegan shrugged. “Maybe they knocked them out first? But knowing the Serpent Society, one of them could’ve had a key to that lock.”
“But we don’t.” Drake glanced around at the large trees. “If the Serpents moved that stone without being seen, I’m guessing there aren’t security cameras around here.”
John nodded. “Safe bet, but maybe one of us should stay topside, just in case.”
“Aye.” In one fluid movement, Drake was over the iron fence. “I’ll help you move the marble cover, and then I’ll be the look out.”
“Thanks, mate.” John climbed over, careful to keep his family jewels clear of the pointed iron tips on top of the fence.
Keegan followed him over, and the three of them grasped the end of the stone. It was too heavy to lift completely, but they were able to push the end to the side far enough to expose a stairway.
John’s pulse thrummed as he sent up a silent prayer that this would lead him to Harmony. Once she was safe, he’d be able to think straight, and if she was in on the plot to steal his money and the box, she would wish he’d left her in the tomb.
…
Harmony’s joints screamed as she slowly lifted her feet up from the bucket. No amount of Pilates could have prepared her core muscles for the fight to bring her knees into her chest. The depleted oxygen supply in the confined space had her heart racing with effort. Her muscles cramped, and while every physical part of her body pleaded to give up, her spirit demanded she fight. John’s smile filled her exhausted heart, his words, “I wouldn’t change a single thing about you…” urged her on.