We’d been sitting down for less than fifteen minutes. It was Zane, his assistant Georgette, Cole, and myself. In the five hours since we’d arrived I’d been able to find a beautiful red dress with a tight-fitting bodice, low back, and flared skirt. It was as if the dress had been made for me and matched my new Rene C.s perfectly. I made protection charms to put in everyone’s pockets and warded our rooms with protection spells. No one would get in without warning.
I faced the entrance of the restaurant and we were at a table near the back when I picked up the presence of several magical beings. Two warlocks and three witches. As they came through the entrance, I noticed they were dressed to the nines. Probably out for a great night on the town, except they walked straight toward our table.
I was about to throw up a shield, when one of them held up a hand. “We wish you no harm.” Then they all bowed their heads.
Nodding, I stood. “Do you want to speak to me about something?”
The shorter man stepped forward and held out his hand. “I am Abelard.” His English carried a heavy French accent. I shook his hand.
“This is Aimee, Esme, and Noel,” he said, and pointed to the women, all of whom had long, straight black hair, elegant, classical features, and warm smiles. “And this is Davyn, he is our leader but his English is not so good.” Davyn was positively regal in a tuxedo. His hair was gray, and he had that handsome, “I’m incredibly wealthy” air about him. “We wish you welcome to our city. We are of the Dartagnan coven.”
Wasn’t that one of the three Musketeers? These didn’t seem like the kind of people who would be hanging out with slimeball Sphere. Cole had mentioned earlier that the Dartagnan coven was the last one Sphere belonged to. I didn’t have any idea what all of this was about, but I readied myself for anything.
I smiled, very friendly-like. “It’s nice to meet you.” It’s not unusual for coven members to introduce themselves to a high witch. We tend to do a lot of damage when we aren’t sure about people, and it’s always good to make friends first.
“Would you ladies and gents like to join us for dinner?” Zane was staring Aimee down pretty hard, and she was giving it right back to him. The man never stopped with the womanizing.
Georgette elbowed him in the ribs, and whispered, “Down boy. We don’t know if they’re the good guys.”
I laughed. “It just so happens we are on the search for one of your warlocks, a guy named Sphere.” At the mention of his name, Davyn began spewing French.
Esme reached a long red-nailed hand out and touched his arm—Davyn shut up instantly.
Though my French is elementary at best, I had an idea of what he was saying from the images in his mind. I was a bit surprised he’d let his shields down.
Cole chuckled behind me. “He called Sphere a fat, insolent pig and wished him dead.”
I smiled. “Well, that’s something we both have in common.”
Abelard told him what I’d said. They both nodded seriously.
“We will help in any way we can.” Abelard put a hand on Davyn’s shoulder. “It upsets Davyn and our coven that Sphere tries to hide behind our name. He was exiled two years ago for practicing black magic and we’ve had nothing to do with him since.”
So they’d come to make sure I knew they had nothing to do with the hit on me. Smart.
“Do you have any idea where he might be?”
Esme spoke. “The warlocks he works with are hiding him, but we, too, will hunt.” She, even more than Davyn, had incredible power. I had a feeling she’d very much like to find Sphere before I did. He must have done something really wicked.
Abelard took his hand from Davyn and motioned to the woman. “Esme’s brother was harmed by the warlocks Sphere hides behind. I think she very much wishes to crush his heart.”
Esme was going to have to get in line.
“If you know he’s with these guys, how come you can’t find them?”
“Ah. It is very dark magic that protects them.” Abelard added. “We have not seen this kind of magic in many centuries. As soon as we discover their location, they move. It is most upsetting.”
I noticed the other diners were giving us curious glances. Davyn must have thought the same. He whispered something to Abelard, who bowed toward us.
“We only wanted to give our intentions, High Witch. We did not wish to keep you from your meal. Good evening to you all.” He handed me a small business card. “Please call if you wish to meet with us.”
They walked out.
Zane clapped his hands. “Good show, Bronwyn. Bloody brilliant. They are scared to death of you.”
I sat down.
Cole poured me a glass of wine and I took a sip.
I honestly would have preferred Jack Daniels, but the wine helped to ease the tension from my shoulders.
I think I had chicken for dinner. I was more concerned with the search for Sphere. Several times during the meal I sent my mind out to see if I could catch the little worm, but had no luck.
By midnight we were all upstairs. Zane and Georgette planned to hit some of the Paris nightlife, Buddha Bar and La Bains to name a few, but I was actually tired. And, well, the last time I went out with Zane it caused big trouble with Sam. The paparazzi had gone crazy and things spiraled out of control.
I told them I had work to do, and left them to their partying. The lie was a small one, but I did need some rest. Finding Sphere was on the top of my list, but I also had to figure out what happened to Garnout. I couldn’t do that while partying till the wee hours of the morning, no matter how much fun it might be.
I would find the wizard, and then I’d kill whoever had stolen him away.
Thirteen
Paris
Saturday
3 a.m.
Dead guys: Too many to count
Spells: 15
I ’ve been feeling weird lately, more tired and irritable than usual. Probably has something to do with not sleeping well since everything happened to Garnout, but I’m not sure. Paris hasn’t been exactly restful.
By eleven-fifteen on Friday night, after dinner with Zane and the crew, I’d washed my face and changed into my monkey T-shirt. I was snuggling into the pillows when the phone rang. Thinking it was Zane trying to convince me to go out with him, I answered.
“What?”
“Bronwheeen?”
It was one of the French women, from earlier.
“Yes?”
“It is Esme. I have found the slimy peeeg.” Her heavy French accent weighted the word pig.
I sat up in bed. “Wow! That was fast. Where are you?”
“Abelard has the car waiting for you outside the hotel.”
“Okay. I’ll be down in two minutes. Esme, don’t kill him until I get there.”
“I will try. But hurry.”
Cole was in the shower. I thought about leaving, but I didn’t want him to go all crazy ape on me later.
“Hey!” I yelled through the steam. “The coven found Sphere.”
He stuck his head out of the doorway, his blond hair plastered around his face. He had a gorgeous tan and I wondered where he had gone for vacation. “Two minutes. I need two minutes. Now get out of here so I can get dressed.”
Before I could stuff my pockets with potions and charms, he was out of the bathroom, dressed in jeans and carrying his boots and shirt in his hands. “Let’s go.”
I’d never noticed how ripped he was, but we were in a hurry so I tried not to think about his biceps and that stomach. Hell, he’d give Sam a run for his money and that was really saying something.
Davyn was in the limo with Abelard and as soon as we jumped in, it sped off.
“We found them at the home of one of our former members,” Abelard spoke so fast I could barely understand him. “We determine there are at least twenty witches and warlocks inside. It will be a battle to reach him.”
Cole punched some numbers on his cell phone, and then began barking orders. Magical investigators would surround
the place very soon.
“I’m not worried about who is protecting them.” I sounded bold, and I was. Anyone who tried to protect “ze fat peeg” would die tonight. He’d tried to kill me and almost ruined little Zoë’s party. All bets were off.
And if these assholes were practicing dark magic, then they should die.
The limo pulled onto a narrow street in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. The homes—mansions, really—were magnificent.
We moved down the street. I could see the wards protecting the house, we all could. Giant green and yellow ribbons tied in a series of knots were hard to miss.
I raised my hands and whispered a spell of release.
The knots slipped out and the ribbons fell away.
“Vache sainte.” Abelard whispered the words.
“Holy cow is right.” Cole shook his head. “Damn, sometimes I forget how powerful you are.”
I rolled my eyes. I took out the protection charms I’d slipped in the pockets of my jeans. I shrugged out of my jacket and pulled out a few more.
“Make sure all of you have one. They won’t keep you from getting hit with magic, but they will keep you from dying.”
Esme, Amiee, and the other woman whose name I couldn’t remember walked up. Cole handed them the charms.
“Abelard. I need you to tell everyone to stay behind me for now.”
I turned to face Esme. “I’ll let you kill Sphere, but I must speak to him first. I have to know who ordered this hit.”
She nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go play.” I smiled as I walked toward the house. I’d been so tired earlier, but now the thought of killing Sphere had me totally energized.
I threw a fireball and blew the two giant wooden doors off their hinges.
Screams filled the night air. “I love this part,” I whispered as I ran into the melee on the first floor. They must have been holding a meeting. The warlocks and witches wore hooded black robes, which made it difficult to discern who was who. I set a couple of hems on fire as we made our way to the stairs. The flames made wearing the robes near impossible, so several were immediately tossed to the floor. Naked witches and warlocks ran around like crazy people.
It’s absurd, but all my life my mom has told me to wear clean underwear in case I’m in an accident. These people could have benefited from her advice. Some well-placed undergarments beneath the robes might have helped their situation.
I sent my mind out to all who might not have had shields. “You don’t have to die. Give me Sphere.”
Shouts of “Bitch!” flew through the house.
I was going to have to do this the hard way.
I tossed a binding spell at the biggest warlock I saw.
He couldn’t move at all.
“Where is Sphere?”
The hooded figure didn’t answer. I flicked my hand and pulled the hood back. His bald head shone in the eerie light.
“Where is Sphere?” I repeated as I shoved my mind into his, screaming the words. I could see his brow wrinkle. He had no idea how bad this was about to get.
The witches and warlocks who had come with me spread out in a straight line. They were chanting in French, but I understood. They were calling out for Sphere.
Blowing a small burn into the brain of the one I held, he screamed in agony. “Il est en haut.”
“Upstairs we go, then.” I pushed the big one down and stopped the brain flame. Cole’s gang could deal with him later.
“Oh Sphere,” I called. “Better for you to come out now, because if you make me come look for you, it’s going to be very, very bad.” The words came out of my mouth in a sing-song. “You know how much I like to fry little piggies like you.”
We made it to the first landing of the split staircase. From the left came a stream of sludge headed right for us. Esme spat out a spell and the black goo fell to the ground. Then she turned to the perpetrator and said another spell that made his eyes roll back in his head as he tumbled down the stairs.
Well, that was one less warlock to worry about. Chaos surrounded us. Fireballs and sludge flew around but I didn’t have to bother with any of it. Esme and the Dartagnan coven members took care of it all. It was kind of nice to have some help for once.
We made our way up the left stairway and through a long hallway of doors. I sent my mind out in search of the idiot warlock, but he was still blocked by something powerful. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would bother protecting someone like him. It was ridiculous.
“I can’t sense anything,” I told the others. “We’re going to have to check behind every door. I say we spread out at least two to a door. Watch out for the wards, they’re strong.” I could see the knots of blue and green woven almost into a braid before all of the doors. Yes, someone was hiding something, and it was time we found out what it was.
Esme and the others ran toward the doors, pausing for my go-ahead. I worked fast to unlock the wards so no one would be harmed by them. It was tough and draining. When I hit the last door, I nodded.
I heard a collective gasp as the doors opened and I made my way down the hall. In one room there were demon bodies piled on the floor. In another, men and women were chained to the walls. All of them had been drained of their blood. If any were alive it would be a miracle.
“What kind of sick, sadistic bastards do we have here?” The sight infuriated me and I could feel my powers rise. If Sphere had anything to do with this I’d string him up by his little porcine toes and leave him to rot.
There was one remaining door that hadn’t been opened. I threw a fireball and knocked it down. There stood Sphere mumbling over some book. He was naked and sweating profusely, but he didn’t look up. His bulbous body would forever be burned into my brain. Ick.
I stood in the doorway and glanced into the room. A nude woman sat on the edge of a large four-poster bed, her eyes glazed over in trance. Sphere must have to put someone under in order to have sex with them. Repulsive.
“Oh, Sphere.” I stayed just outside the door.
He continued to chant in Latin.
“He’s calling forth a demon,” Esme whispered behind me. “We must kill him now.” She shoved me into the room and that’s when all hell broke loose. At least six Staleg demons with weapons came out of a doorway on the right, ready for battle.
I rolled my eyes. Forget leaving Sphere to rot. I’d rip off his stubby toes one at a time.
“This,” I hissed at Esme, “is why I was in no hurry to charge in. I knew he had backup.” Too late now to toss the blame around—the demons approached.
“Cole, get your ass in here and anyone else you can find.” I chanted another protection spell for myself and Esme.
Stalegs are at least seven feet tall and are born with giant breast-plates that make them difficult to kill. But thanks to my demon-slaying buddy Simone, I had a plan.
I felt Cole and the others behind me. “Crap,” Cole laughed. “Those are faces only a mother could love.”
Sweeping my eyes across the room, I looked for any more unwanted visitors. “Yep, you guys keep them busy, shoot low, and take them out at the ankles. Esme and I are going after Sphere. The longer he chants, the worse it’s going to get.” I could see steam rising in a pot behind Sphere. Whoever he was trying to bring forth was close to materializing. We didn’t want that to happen.
“Got it.” Cole and the others moved forward as I grabbed Esme’s hand and pulled her with me.
“This time follow my lead.” We’d almost made it to the left side of the table when one of the Stalegs threw out his paws, slamming one into Esme’s shoulder and knocking us both back.
Demons are born of fire, so fireballs are not terribly helpful.
I threw a binding spell at him and then shoved him toward the melee in the middle of the room. He fell over like a big tree.
A forcefield surrounded Sphere like bulletproof glass. I used my mind to carve large holes into it with a psychic knife. With the third hole the entire thing disappeared.
Sphere finally looked up, his beady little eyes in a panic.
I threw another binding spell to hold him where he stood. As I did, his power lessened and the demons disappeared. The warlocks and witches surrounded him.
“Whatcha been doing, Sphere?” I leaned over the book and saw that it was covered in human skin. Yuck. I hate black-magic garbage like this. It holds all kinds of negative energy.
I pointed to Esme. “This witch really wants to talk with you, but I have a few questions of my own. Like who sent you to the prime minister’s?…Hmmm. Still not talking? Let’s see. How about if I do this?”
Waving my fingers, I began a slow burn on the end of his big toe. Normally, I would have started with his tiny dick, but I wanted to be polite in front of company.
He shook his head, and then moaned. Nothing like burning feet to get someone to talk.
“Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll make it stop.” I set my mouth in a thin line.
He toddled a bit and then fell back, as he tried to blow out the flame on his toe.
“Let me kill him,” Esme ground the words out.
I gently pushed her aside. “In a minute.”
I sighed and took the flame away. “Look, Sphere, you aren’t going to make it out of here alive. Even Cole the cop wants you dead after what he saw in those rooms. Don’t ya, Cole?”
“Yep.” He raised an eyebrow. I almost laughed out loud at his expression. He meant it. Mr. Justice-for-all had no pity for the squirmy worm in front of me.
“You’re mixed up in some bad juju, Sphere, and I think it’s time to fess up.”
That’s when he opened his mouth and I saw the gaping open space where his tongue had been. Gross. I heard the others whispering.
I couldn’t figure out how he’d been chanting without a tongue. “So, whoever you’re working for ripped out your tongue. Still,”—I pointed to the blonde on the bed—“you obviously had some perks.”
He shook his head and I saw the fear in his eyes.
I heard a movement behind me and turned to see the blonde standing with her arms above her head. Her eyes were no longer glazed over. They were a bright yellow. A wind picked up in the room.
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