Magic After Dark: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Margo Bond Collins

  “Father, I can—”

  Mr. Cressington held up a hand. “Inside.” His overcoat swirled behind him as he led the way into the house. Lionel, Hadrian, and Danielle followed. I started forward, then stopped, realizing I had forgotten someone.

  The driver was walking around the limo, shutting all the doors. “Wait,” I said, then I stuck my head into the back, finding Harps sitting in the corner, against the back windshield. His eyes gleamed as they turned my way.

  What did you make of that Hadrian guy? I thought. Rather protective of a girl who’s not that interested in him.

  Don’t ask me, Harps thought. Human mating stuff is just weird. Never makes any sense. You guys should just get on with it.

  Straight to the humping, is that it?

  Simple is best, Harps affirmed. Find out where you stand.

  Are you okay? Harps didn’t appreciate lots of new people, but he didn’t normally hide away, either. I’m scared too, you know.

  No you’re not, Harps scoffed.

  I usually have nothing to be afraid of. I’m stronger than nearly anyone or anything. But I’ve never faced a power like that before. The necromancer could have killed me as easily as snapping his fingers and there was nothing I could do to stop him.

  Perhaps I can teach you the ways of the small and weak. Harps hopped down onto the seat, and from there climbed up onto my shoulder.

  Teach me the ways, oh gloriously small one. Show me the true path, my most magnificently weak master.

  The most important thing is to be funny.

  Funny, check. I have that part down. I climbed up the steps to the front door.

  It’s hopeless. Slate, you’re just not funny. Don’t have in you at all. He mentally sighed. I hate to give up this early, but I think we’ll just have to figure out how to make you strong enough to defeat this evil necromancer.

  That’s a drastic solution, but maybe I can get it to work. Are you sure I have to give up my dreams of being small and weak?

  I’m afraid so. You don’t have what it takes.

  Let’s go inside, I thought, stepping through the front door. I have it on good authority I won’t be shot. Not straight away, at least.

  Always a good start, Harps thought.

  That’s for me, though, not you. I think monkey-hunting season begins early in the richer suburbs of Philly.

  Harps sharply tugged on a lock of my hair.

  Nothing to worry about. I bet no one here even has a gun, I thought, scanning the hall. All those dark-suited, serious-looking men standing sentry are obviously unarmed. The bulges in the chest areas of their jackets are simply midnight snacks.

  The men all displayed their pendants on the outside of their shirts, though from what I’d seen so far, Cressingtons favored bullets over magic. Christian, Hadrian, and Lionel were clustered together by the stairs, with Christian half turned away from his son, listening intently to what Hadrian was whispering into his ear.

  Danielle stood by herself in the center of the hall underneath a glistening chandelier. I went to join her. “This place isn’t as fancy as I expected,” I said.

  “What were you expecting? Grecian statues? The crown jewels?”

  I nodded. “Something like that.” Like the Cressingtons themselves, the interior of their house was elegant rather than ostentatious.

  Lionel tried to interrupt his father and Hadrian’s conversation, but Christian brushed him off and came over to me. “You’re the helsing, then?”

  “Does the monkey not give it away?” Lionel asked, moving past his father to stand beside me. “Here, I’ll make it easier for you.” Lionel shed my yellow hunting coat and handed it across to me.

  “I’m Slate Blackthorn,” I said, putting on my coat. Harps dived into an inner pocket when I had it only halfway on, making the last part of getting the coat fully on a squirmy affair.

  “Are you part of the caravan presently in Fairmount Park?” Christian asked. “As a courtesy, your people usually let us know if one of you are to be operating in my city.”

  I raised my eyebrows. Your people. My city. “I’m not with the caravan in Fairmount. And I wasn’t made aware of any requirement to report to your family.”

  “So you think you can just waltz into Philadelphia and invade my property.” Christian Cressington’s voice rose a notch.

  “We learned that a necromancer was attacking the Dulane Building and tried to stop him,” Lionel said.

  “Hadrian told me your story,” Christian said. “It has more holes than a broken colander.”

  “Wouldn’t a broken colander have no holes?” Danielle suggested. “Since they are supposed to have holes?”

  Christian turned a steely gaze her way. “I know who you are. And you’d be wise not to draw any more attention to yourself than you already have.”

  Lionel took Danielle’s arm. “Father, I’ve been actually meaning to introduce you to Danielle. I think she’d make a worthy addition to our family. She’d make a great Cressington.”

  “You want her to join our family?” Christian’s look of shock was mirrored by Danielle’s. “And you decide to bring it up now? After you, her, and this helsing attacked and almost destroyed one of our facilities?”

  “We told you—”

  “Tell me about this necromancer, then,” Christian said.

  “His name is Grimstar,” I said. “He wears a bowler hat and dresses like he’s from the eighteen hundreds. Hadrian saw him too.”

  Hadrian spoke up. “Just before the roof fell in, I saw a swirling darkness, and heard a voice. The mage controlling Alpha Two saw the same thing. The person who runs Casino Demonica, one of the haunts for the dark community, is called Grimstar and dresses as Slate described.”

  “I’ve heard of him,” Christian admitted. “He claims to be a necromancer, but is generally considered to be nothing more than a two-bit charlatan.”

  “Quite the opposite,” I said. “It’s hard to believe what he does is possible, even after experiencing it.”

  “You fought him?” Hadrian asked.

  “I wasn’t able to do anything against him.”

  “How did you get away, then?” Hadrian asked.

  “He let me go. He said…” I trailed off. He’d said I’d be useful for what was to come. No, that he was told I’d be useful. Either way, I didn’t want to share that snippet. “He spared me.”

  “After everything I’ve heard about helsing warriors, the first one I meet gets destroyed, and has to be spared,” Hadrian said. “How disappointing.”

  “I wasn’t all he destroyed,” I said, a slight growl in my voice. “Dulane Building isn’t much of a building anymore, and those two magictech fighting robots are inoperable. At least I could see my enemy.”

  Hadrian faced Christian. “There’s something I haven’t mentioned yet. After the ceiling collapse, Slate blocked us out of a corridor. When we got past him, we found Lionel in the mindtrap. But I suspect he was hiding someone or something else. It’s possible that this unknown person took the magtroller.”

  “I know who that was,” Christian said.

  “You do?” Lionel sounded worried. Unsurprisingly, his parents didn’t know about his relationship with Alessa.

  “It was the mage who started all this, the one with in the shiny suit. From Italy. Man-something.”

  “Gabriel Mancini,” Lionel said.

  “Yes, him. Him and his ridiculous claims.” Christian turned to address me. “Maybe you can explain it to me. Our family came into possession of this magical device. We realized it was powerful and dangerous, so we locked in the most secure safe ever invented in the middle of Cressington Tower, which is surrounded by mages and magic twenty-four hours a day. So this vagabond mage came to us, and tells us that it’s not safe enough. That we should just hand it over to him. Explain to me how that is keeping it safer?”

  “I can’t.”

  “So why are you part of this?”

  “I’m following the orders I was given.” />
  “A lot of terrible things have been done under the umbrella of following orders,” Christian said. “You should think for yourself.”

  “What about me, Father?” Lionel said. “You’ve never told me to think for myself. You always wanted me to follow orders.”

  “My orders. The right orders.”

  “Gabriel’s family has been keeping the swirl key safe for generations,” Lionel said. “You didn’t even know what it was or what it could do until he told you. And you didn’t believe him when he told you that someone would come for it, and that you wouldn’t be able to keep it safe. What Gabriel said is coming to pass. You can’t continue to dismiss what he told you.”

  “For all I know, he is making it happen,” Christian said. “How did everyone end up in the Dulane Building tonight?”

  “We found a security guard downtown,” I said. “One who’d been turned into a zombie and wandered off.”

  “And you just came across this zombie by chance. Is that part of the steaming pile of bull you are hoping I’ll swallow?” Christian asked.

  “Danielle…” Lionel hesitated, clearly uncertain about reminding his father of Danielle’s magic. “Since Gabriel had warned us about a necromancer, we were on the lookout for black magic. A spell alerted us.”

  “One of our security guards was found where Slate said to expect him,” Hadrian said. “Zombified, and with the head ripped off.”

  “Do we know how all our night guards were turned into zombies?” Christian asked.

  Hadrian shook his head. “Most of what the necromancer did tonight, if it happened the way Slate said, is nothing that we’ve seen before.”

  “Are you lot still arguing?” A female voice floated down from the upstairs landing. We all looked up to see Mrs. Cressington come down the stairs. “I think it’s time for everyone to sleep. It will all be clearer in the morning.”

  Did that mean the Cressingtons were going to let us go? I glanced at the sentries standing to attention. I didn’t fancy my chances of fighting my way out if it came to that, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try.

  Maybe we’ve had enough fighting for one night, Harps thought.

  I hope so.

  Mrs. Cressington, upon reaching the hall, moved across to greet her son, giving him a hug. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you when you first arrived,” she said. “Becca was shivering like a leaf in a wind tunnel.”

  “Becca is still Becca, I see,” Lionel said.

  “Worse.” Mrs. Cressington sighed. “Lionel, you should come home more often. We hardly ever see you.” She paused to look around at everyone staring at them. “This isn’t the time to talk. Will you be at the function tomorrow night? The one for the Hamiltons.”

  “I hadn’t planned on it.”

  “You should come.” Mrs. Cressington offered her hand to me. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Ann Cressington.”

  I shook her hand. “Slate Blackthorn.”

  She offered her hand to Danielle.

  “Danielle Wright, Mrs. Cressington.”

  Mrs. Cressington smiled. “Call me Ann.”

  “Danielle might be joining our family very soon,” Hadrian said. “If we are to believe Lionel.”

  Ann Cressington looked from Lionel to Danielle. “How… sudden.” She gave a quick headshake. “Wonderful of course, but sudden.”

  “Nothing is decided,” Christian said. “After what happened tonight, it’s more likely that Lionel will be expelled than he’ll be bringing others into the family.”

  “Come now, Christian. There’ll be no rash decisions. It’s been a long night. It’s time for everyone to get some sleep, I think.”

  “We’ll be off, then,” Lionel said, grabbing Danielle’s wrist and my forearm and pulling us toward the front door.

  “The hood mage is going nowhere,” Christian said. Two mages shifted across to block our way to front door. “This is the second time I’ve become aware of Danielle Wright casting illicit magic in Philly. She can stay here until we figure out what we are going to do with her.”

  “In one of the bedrooms?” Lionel asked. “Not in—”

  Before Christian could answer, his wife spoke up. “Yes, of course in one of the bedrooms. She could be part of the family before long. Where else would we put her?”

  Lionel leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “Come on, let’s go. Before Father changes his mind.”

  “We can’t just…” It didn’t seem right to leave her behind.

  “This works for me.” Danielle forced a smile. “Nice soft beds, I bet. Better comfort than those ratty sheets in that dingy apartment we’re staying in.”

  “Come on.” Lionel pulled at my arm again. I shrugged off his hand, but I followed him out the main door. The mages moved aside to let us pass.

  “My driver will drop you off wherever you want to go.” Christian nodded for the door to be shut.

  Just before the door closed, I had a final look at Danielle’s frightened face as Christian Cressington wrapped his fingers around her forearm.

  Chapter 11

  My eyes sprang open and I sat up, at once fully awake. I was facing a white wall, and I turned around to see to a destroyed couch on the other side. I had slept on the floor of the living room of Camp Danielle, where Lionel, Harps, and I had returned after leaving Christian Cressington’s mansion.

  I reached into the inner pockets of my cloak, seeking the item that had disturbed my sleep, and I pulled out the tarot deck. Rosehip Hawke’s so-called gift. If only she had gifted me the knowledge of the kind of fiasco ahead of me so I could have turned around immediately.

  Close by, Harps lay curled up in the corner. He made soft mewling sounds, and his tiny arm waved at the air above his head. I reached out and placed my hand on him, feeling a tremor run through his body. He jolted awake.

  Easy, boy. It’s okay. We’re safe, I thought.

  Fierce. He’s… Harps’s head twitched back and forth.

  Just a nightmare, I told him.

  He climbed up onto my shoulder. No more mindtraps. Deal? And no more visits to the underworld.

  I’ll do my best.

  No. He yanked on my hair. No more. Promise me. He yanked again, causing a sharp jab of pain.

  Stop. I reached up and disentangled his hand from my hair. I can’t promise that. And it doesn’t matter. You know why? Because you can face whatever you need to. You are stronger than you know.

  I’m not like you, Slate.

  I know you are not, boy. That doesn’t mean you aren’t strong in your own way. Now come on. Tell me what you think about these tarot cards. There’re just hocus pocus mumbo jumbo, right? I started to shuffle.

  I don’t like the card with the demon and the fire, Harps thought.

  I’m sure that one doesn’t always appear. I sat up onto my knees, gave a few more shuffles, then turned the first card, placing it on my thigh.

  It was The Chariot. The light was better than it had been in Rosehip’s wagon, and still the face looked startlingly like mine.

  Just a coincidence, boy. I turned the second card. The Lovers. Same cards, same order as when Rosehip’s wagon. I glanced across at Harps, who was worried about The Devil arriving. You are right, boy, we don’t need to see the third card, do we? I shuffled the two cards back into the deck.

  “I didn’t think gypsies really used with tarot cards.”

  I looked up to see Lionel appearing in a bedroom doorway. He wore a T-shirt and no pants, his hair disheveled. His pendant dangled around his neck.

  “We don’t,” I said, pocketing the deck. “It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus mumbo jumbo.”

  “I feel like shit,” he said.

  “You look like shit.”

  “Good pep talk.” He stumbled across the living room and into the kitchenette unit where he began opening and closing cupboards, seeking food.

  “How come your pendant is different?” I asked. His consisted of three interlocking stars. “All the rest of you
r family display a ship and a bird with a twig in its mouth.”

  “The famous Cressington crest. Symbol of hope. Noah’s ark and a dove returning with an olive branch in its mouth. I threw mine away and got this instead.”

  “What’re the three stars a symbol of?”

  “My inner twelve-year-old girl, according to Alessa.”

  “Does the pendant have to be special in some way? You use it to help you perform the spells, right?”

  Lionel lifted up his three-star pendant and examined it. “It just has to be metal. Some mages use bracelets. Spells can be cast immediately or they can be embedded into metal. If not pre-stored, spells need to be read from a book or parchment, all the words chanted out with correct pronunciation and rhythm. It can take time.”

  “So I gathered.” That was why the Cressington mages relied on guns. And why Danielle had been fumbling with her spellbook while a zombie was chewing on her shoulder.

  “If I know in advance I’m going to need a spell, I can cast it into a metal object, then call it to use immediately at a later time. Unfortunately, stored spells fade away with time, rarely lasting more than a day. And casting a spell costs life force, even spells that never get used.” He shrugged. “Usually, each morning I embed my pendant with a few defensive spells such as the one I used against you when you attacked Alessa, and a few spells of illusion, and healing spells.”

  “I see.”

  “Never any food in here,” Lionel grumbled, picking up a box of cereal and carrying them into the living area, plopping himself down onto one of the armchairs. He grabbed a fistful of cornflakes and started munching on them.

  “What happens now?” I asked.

  Lionel blew out a long breath. “Wait until Gabriel gets here, I guess. Perhaps we shouldn’t have moved without him last night. All we succeeded in doing was getting Danielle locked up.”

  Gabriel was at the heart of everything, and I had no idea who he was. And suddenly I realized it didn’t matter. “I agree with your father,” I told Lionel. “The best way to keep this swirl key safe is to leave it with him. I shouldn’t be a part of this. I should go.”