Song of Midnight Embers

by Dana Marie Bell

  Charla huffed out a laugh and waved the others in. “Thank the Goddess for that. When the witch doctor shows up on your doorstep and says ‘we have to talk,’ I start thinking of everything I’ve done wrong since the last time I got that lecture on proper smudging techniques.”

  Selena scowled over her shoulder as she sat on Charla’s fifties-style, retro sofa. “You used a bundle of marijuana to smudge a house!”

  Charla shrugged. “Worked, didn’t it?”

  Selena shook her head. “He wasn’t seeing ghosts anymore, but he was seeing something.”

  “I was giving him a more positive space.” She sniffed and settled in a gold club chair. “So, what’s up?”

  “We need to check your house out for a blob monster.”

  Charla glanced up at him. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “It should only take a few minutes.” He smiled and waited. Her response was bound to be epic.

  “I think I would notice if there was a blob monster in my house.” She waved her hand, taking in the small living room. “It’s only fifteen hundred square feet. It’s not that big.” She leaned forward and whispered loudly, “I think a blob monster would stand out.”

  “I know it wouldn’t match your decor, but it’s tricksy, my precious.”

  Charla laughed, just as Greer hoped she would. Already the color was back in her cheeks.

  “It could be under your bed. Flat blob monster, just sitting there, gelling, chatting up the dust bunnies.” He shook his head sadly. “Before you know it, you have fuzzy blob babies crying in the middle of the night.”

  Charla stared at him and laughed. “What would they be crying for?”

  “Jell-O. Duh.” He shuddered. “Without those tiny oranges and marshmallows in it. Yuck.”

  “Ugh.” Selena stood. “Ignore him, please. There’s demonic blood somewhere in your house, and we’re here to get rid of it.”

  “So no fuzzy blob monster babies?” Charla sighed, her face paling once more. So much for all of Greer’s hard work trying to keep her calm. “Ah, well. They sounded kinda cute. Like little blobby squeaky toys.”

  Selena’s eyes bled once more to white. “All right.” She glanced around, pointing toward the stairs. “Up there.”

  Greer and Ash took the lead, Greer calling his silver sword. He wanted to be ready for whatever they found. If it was a blob monster, he’d do whatever it took to kill it. It wasn’t getting hold of Mollie or Charla, not while he was there.

  Selena, Mollie and Charla followed them. Part of him wanted to argue, order them to remain behind or, even better, leave the house all together. But he’d need them when it was time to fight, if there was a fight. And if there wasn’t one, he’d still need his love bug to burn the blood away.

  “In that room.” Selena pushed past Ash and Greer to open the door to what looked like a guest bedroom. “Under the, um, bed.”

  Ash and Greer exchanged a quick glance before walking toward the bed. “I’ll lift, you check,” Greer said softly.

  Ash nodded, calling on his sword. Greer lifted the bed off the floor with one hand, earning a surprised gasp from Charla.

  Ash nodded and scowled, placing the tip of his sword on the floor. Dark, curling smoke came from the tip, and an almost inaudible squeal of pain and rage faded as the blood burned under the magic of earth and spirit that Ash now wielded. “Well. That was anti-climactic.”

  “What the fuck was that?” Charla, wide-eyed with surprise, was staring at the dark burn on her hardwood floors.

  “Black blood.” Greer put the bed back down. “Selena?”

  “She’s clear.” She smiled as her eyes became normal again. “I’m not detecting anything else in the...” Selena turned slowly and stared at Charla. “Where is it?”

  “What?” Charla’s surprised expression turned momentarily guilty before a false, cherubic smile crossed her face.

  “Charla.” Selena’s arms crossed over her chest, her toe tapping on the hardwood floor. “Don’t even bother.”

  Greer looked over at Ash, who shrugged. “What’s going on?”

  “I have no idea.” Ash glanced toward Selena. “Care to explain?”

  Selena grimaced. “It’s nothing bad, per se, but it’s different.”

  “Define ‘different.’” Charla still had that cherubic smile on her face. “Lots of people use them, you know.”

  “I agree with you.” Selena glanced around, obviously looking for something. “I need to see your workroom, though.”

  Charla’s smile fell away. “Damn it.” She shook her head and walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the second upstairs bedroom. This one was the same size as the first, with a dormer window dominating one wall. Unlike the other one, however, this room was being used as a witch’s work room. Greer glanced around, able to identify some of the objects Charla had but not all.

  One in particular caught his attention. A round black disk surrounded in a silver frame, runes etched into the surface of the frame, sat on a pedestal all by itself. In front of the dais sat a silk pillow and an incense burner.

  It also seemed to have grabbed Selena’s attention, because she walked right toward it. She touched the mirror and shot Charla an aggravated look. “What did you think you were doing?”

  Charla mumbled something under her breath, but Greer could hear her clearly. “Spying on the dragons?”

  “I don’t care who you were spying on,” Selena said, rounding on Charla. “This—” she pointed toward the black glass, “—is an invitation to possession.”

  “It is not, not if you take the right precautions. Mirror scrying is perfectly safe if you know what you’re doing.” Charla crossed her arms over her chest. “And I do.”

  “I know that, but—”

  “No buts.” Charla put her arms down. “Trust me, Selena. I’m not going to let the darkness in.”

  Greer could see the strength and determination in Charla’s gaze, the willpower needed to keep herself from harm. “I think she’s right.”

  Selena glanced over at Greer, but instead of the annoyance he expected, what he got was confusion. “I think I know what a witch is capable of. What makes you think I’m wrong?”

  Greer didn’t know exactly how to tell Selena that Charla was safe. “She’s strong enough to hold something off until we could get to her and free her.” He hummed under his breath. “Yes, she’s good. And she’s not infected, so the chances of her falling are slim.”

  “And I’m aware of what might happen. I have been since we first tried to help you.” Charla hugged Selena tight. “It’s okay, Selena. I’ve got this. I’m not spying on the demon, after all.”

  Greer tilted his head. “Could you?”

  The others glared at him, obviously horrified by his question.

  “No, seriously. Could you spy on the demon under the right protections?”

  Charla glanced at her mirror. “I think so. But I’d need to know more than it’s a demon. There has to be something for me to look for specifically, and I’m not willing to use the black blood for sympathetic magical ties to the creature. That would be bad.”

  “It’s dangerous, and it could hurt Charla deeply if she winds up connecting to the demon.” Selena wrinkled her nose. “Believe me, I know.”

  “But if we can find out why it’s spreading its blood around Maggie’s Grove, it might give us some insight into what it’s up to.” Greer began to pace, careful not to touch Charla’s tools or altar. “We know how and we’re beginning to get who, but we still don’t understand why.”

  “I thought that was obvious,” Charla replied. “To take us over, give us to the Van Helsings. To take a demon into yourself requires a strong desire for something. So far, if what we all suspect is true, then we have to assume that the demon is working for, or is
part of, the head of the Van Helsings.”

  “And what the Van Helsings want is the death of every supernatural in the world.” Greer shuddered. “And this is the highest concentration of different supernatural species anywhere.”

  “A target made even juicier when you count in the dragons.” Charla smiled again. “Which is totally why I was spying on them.”

  Not one of them believed her, but Greer wasn’t about to call her out on it. A part of him was curious about which dragon Charla was gawking at, but that was none of his business, at least for now. “I think it’s safe to get out of here.” He turned to Ash. “Keep looking, and let us know if you find anything else.”

  Ash nodded. “Thanks for trusting us, Charla.”

  Charla blushed sweetly. “You’re welcome.”

  They turned to leave, and—

  Was that a wolf whistle?

  Selena glared over her shoulder at Charla and placed her hand on Ash’s butt. “Mine.”

  Charla nodded. “Yup. Yours.”

  But that didn’t mean her eyes moved from Ash’s rear.

  Greer laughed. He hadn’t known his brother could turn that shade of red. Leave it to Selena and her friends to amuse Greer to no end.

  * * *

  Two weeks after finding the blood in Charla’s house, Mollie walked through the woods, aware Greer was somewhere in the branches above her. She needed to think. Something wasn’t right. They hadn’t found nearly the amount of blood drops they should have.

  Of all the citizens in Maggie’s Grove, only five had been found with black blood somewhere in their homes. Of those five, one had been a witch, two had been wolves, one had been an elemental and the last had been a dryad. No other traces of the blood could be sensed or scryed anywhere near Maggie’s Grove, inside the protections or within a mile radius without.

  None of the ones they did find with black blood were leaders, or even related to the leaders of Maggie’s Grove. Charla, while a powerful white witch, paled in power to Gideon and Selena. The wolves were gammas, normal pack members, a simple married couple horrified to find it in their child’s bedroom. Mollie was certain the parents had already torn the room down to the studs, planning on rebuilding it with new drywall, new carpeting and furniture. Even the toys had been destroyed just in case the blood might be there. Nothing Ash, Selena or Mollie could say would deter the couple from making certain, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that their child was safe.

  Mollie couldn’t blame them. If she had a child and that shit had been found in his or her room...

  Yup. There’d be a bonfire in Junior’s bedroom that night.

  The elemental was one of Rock’s, an earth elemental who lived alone and was pissed as hell to find he had the blood in his home. According to Parker and Amara, he’d almost knocked the place down before finding it and somehow eliminating it on his own. From what Amara told them, he’d used his connection to the earth to nullify the blood, much like the witches had, but he’d managed to do it externally, while the witches had done it internally. It was something Rock wanted to talk to Greer about. Mollie was curious to hear what Rock discovered and if it was something they’d be able to use against the demon.

  And finally, the dryad had been one of the town dryads, her tree growing in her backyard, safe and sound. No leaves had been dropping, and it had appeared to be healthy in all aspects. It had taken Ash and Selena to convince her to open her front door, and Ash had dispatched the blood drop with a single touch of his sword. The dryad couldn’t leave her home, but she’d gone to commune with her tree, traumatized by the incident. Ash had assured them she’d be fine once she was done. Her tree was her strength, and she’d come out of it with a renewed sense of purpose. She’d most likely join those who’d chosen to fight the Van Helsings now that her life had been touched by them.

  So, two things plagued Mollie as she walked through the forest. The first, where the fuck was the rest of the blood? It couldn’t have all been in the blob monster. That thing had been fucking huge, yes. Too huge for it to be made completely of blood droplets. No, something else had made up the blob monster, and she was certain it was the power of the demon itself. So that left blood unaccounted for, blood Bernadette had removed from the lab. But for what purpose?

  Two, why had it chosen such a random group of people? The only one of any power was Charla, but not even she had any real influence. She was friends with a number of people, but that was it.

  Unless that was the point. Target random people, make it that much harder to find who was infected and who was not. Those infected could, in theory, infect others without anyone being the wiser. Or maybe she was completely off track. Maybe something was going on that none of them had accounted for. “Distraction, maybe?”

  Greer, above and to her left, answered as he danced from branch to branch. It always amazed her how graceful he was, and now she didn’t have to hide the way her gaze followed him as he moved from tree to tree. “From where the blood actually went?”

  She glanced up, surprised he’d followed her thought so easily. “Yes. How’d you know?”

  He shrugged. “It’s been bugging me too since we got the final count.”

  “Huh.” She stopped, glancing around. It would have bothered her in the past to realize she had no idea where she was in the forest, but she was the mate of one of the ruling dryads. He’d see her safely home. “You know what else is bothering me? We never got the autopsies or went to see Lily’s body.” It was too late now to do anything about Lily or Alan. Both had been buried, the funeral filled with pack and townsfolk mourning their loss.

  “Aw, fuck. We got so distracted by the blood hunt we forgot.”

  “Not just us, everyone did. Even Dragos. But we can go get the reports. Dragos should have cleared us for that by now.”

  He dropped to the ground with so little sound the butterfly in front of him didn’t even flinch. “Good point. We need to go get those.”

  “Now?”

  He winked and strode toward her, carefully stepping around the butterfly. “Yup.”

  “Aw, shit.” She didn’t bother struggling when he picked her up in his arms. “You know, we could use my caaar!”

  Greer didn’t bother to respond. He just took her up into the trees, moving so quickly the world around her became a blur. She was aware of a sinking sensation in her stomach as they hit the ground, the black tar of the road speeding by, the white lines becoming one long, thin one into eternity.

  Mollie closed her eyes and pressed her face against Greer’s chest. The ride might be wild, but Greer would see her safely to the end of it. She might vomit all over him if she had to keep looking, though, so instead she enjoyed the air and his manly pecs until he came to a halt.

  “You can open your eyes now.”

  “You don’t have to laugh at me, you know,” she muttered as she did what he asked. They were outside the hospital, the same one where Lily Wulfenbach’s body had been taken and Dr. Kogon had lost his life. “It’s connected to here, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?” He stared at the building as he set her on her feet. “Fuck. Bernadette was an EMT—”

  “Dr. Kogon died when he looked too closely into Lily and Allen’s murder—”

  “And Dr. T, who’s been looking at the blood work but not the murders, survives. Why?” Greer’s fingers twitched, and his blade was suddenly in his hands.

  Mollie strode toward the doors, ready for some answers. “Call Eddy. When Dragos wakes up, we’re going to need him.”

  Greer was right behind her. “We’ll get someone else to do it. I’m not taking the time. If what I think is going on, is, I’m not taking my eyes off you for a second.”

  “The answers are in Dr. T’s lab and have been all along.” She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it before.

  Once they were in
the hospital, the receptionist immediately picked up the phone. “Sir, you can’t enter the hospital with a weapon.”

  Greer ignored her, so Mollie did as well. It wasn’t like they didn’t know exactly where they were going, after all.

  “Sir! I’m calling security!”

  “Do that. And while you’re at it, call Lore at the police station.” Greer headed for the elevators. “Tell him to meet us in Dr. T’s lab.”

  The woman looked flummoxed, her hand still on the receiver as the elevators opened. Mollie and Greer stepped in, closing the doors before a small family could enter with them. Mollie didn’t want anyone else on the elevator, just in case.

  “Am I right? Is it someone in Dr. T’s lab?” Greer stared at the numbers as they lit up one by one. “Or am I off-base?”

  “I think you’re right.” Mollie concentrated, building the fire within her until she was staring at everything through a heat haze. She could feel the embers deep within her, ready to explode into a blaze when she needed it.

  “I hope she’s not warning Dr. T. He might try and get his people out if he knows we’re coming in hands blazing.” Greer’s sweet smile didn’t bode well for whoever it was who’d allowed the dark blood, and all their research into ways to stop it, into the hands of the Van Helsings.

  “If he does, we find out who did this, and...” Mollie took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe what she was about to say, but it was the right thing for Maggie’s Grove.

  Greer took her hand. “I know, Mollie. I’ll take care of it.”

  The smile was gone. Greer’s expression was one of grim determination, cold and calculating as the glowing numbers finally stopped and the doors swished open.

  “—don’t care what emergency you have, get your ass back to your table now!” Dr. T’s bellow could be heard as they headed straight for his lab.

  The double doors swung open, and a woman they both recognized strode out, her purse swinging by her hip. “I have to go. Fire my ass if you want.” She turned, flinching and stepping back a pace when she saw them. “Oh. Hi.”