Dance With Death

by Becca Vincenza

  Was this where she went? What was she up to?

  Charged with a newfound purpose, I went to my bedroom to change into something more club appropriate, or rather the closest thing I had to club appropriate.

  I had a wisp to find.

  Chapter 13

  Who the fuck said leather was breathable and easy to move in? Liars, that’s who. People who never walked in stiff, uncomfortable, newly bought leather. A wedgie was so far up my ass, I didn’t think I’d ever get it out. But hell, did it make me walk straighter and strut my stuff...right up to the point I stepped into a pothole and rolled my ankle.

  Though my badass strut to the club named Seduce was not as glamorous as I hoped for, I still felt the comforting weight of my kodachi blades strapped over my shoulders. Before I left, I sent a quick text to Nix informing him that I was leaving the apartment to work on my craft. Then I promptly turned off my phone.

  Seduce was primarily a Mystic club, but humans could frequent it as well. The front entrance, which led to the human side, already had a line that stretched around the block. Most of the girls were dressed much more provocatively than I was, which made me feel slightly better about my choice of attire since I didn’t want to stand out too much. The black tank top I wore was longer and sat low on my hips. My front pocket held my ID, while my back pocket held my phone and the set of silver knuckles Abel gave me on our eighteenth birthday. I tried to avoid close hand-to-hand combat, but the silver knuckles were helpful in a pinch.

  The streets were crowded, even with the bitter chill of winter closing in on us. I didn’t relish the idea of going out of the house without extra layers, but they would only limit my movement. Not to mention make it incredibly difficult to pull out my blades. The blades were useful as a bluff and afforded me an opportunity to gain the upper hand while people gawked at my steel.

  I’d considered calling Willow’s cell phone for a second but knew it would be pointless since the girl forgot it everywhere she went. While my mind knew it was a complete long shot that I would find Willow here, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to come. A tug of destiny brought me closer to this place. Whatever it was, I’d follow with my eyes wide open.

  Following the glamoured signs around to the back, I found the entrance where Mystics entered. The Mystic entrance seemed to be as packed as the human side. Deliberating my options, I decided I could either stomp to the front of the line and act like I belonged, or I could stand here forever and wait in line. Both were shitty options. Gritting my teeth, I chanced a peek at the bouncer.

  He spotted me looking, and recognition blossomed in his gaze. It freaked me out, and my guard went up even higher. Waving me forward, I double-checked behind me to make sure I didn’t have that awkward moment. No one else stood behind me, so I went for it. Caution be damned. My curiosity would be the death of me.

  “You related to Ever, by any chance?” he asked, curious. “You look a helluva lot like him.”

  “Cousin,” I answered with an easy smile.

  “Eh, go on inside. He’s bartending tonight, but I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

  I nodded and plastered on my best fake smile. Meanwhile, the chorus of fuck, fuck, fuck me was on repeat.

  In a city this big, how the fuck did I end up at the same bar my brother worked at?

  Sweating bullets, I was glad for the black-on-black attire. No wonder the bouncer thought we looked so similar. It just so happened that tonight, I was sporting my third oldest brother’s favorite attire. Black.

  I slipped inside the club, garnering all sorts of pissed off cat calls and groans from the people still waiting in line. Shrugging my shoulders, I ducked my head inside, brushing my hair over my shoulder. The tickling sensation made me shiver. Taking a deep breath, I sneaked a glance at the bar. Everette was behind the bar, spinning bottles like a pro as he mixed drinks. He looked completely in his element, and watching him enjoy his work made me smile.

  Ever was the quiet glue that kept us all sane and together, even though he seemed like the oddball of the family. He had on his classic goth attire, and I thought I saw the flash of a new eyebrow piercing. I hoped it was fake, or else our father was liable to rip it out the next time he saw it. As if sensing my gaze, Ever lifted his head and searched the club. My heart pounded in my chest, and I ducked behind the first thing I could find.

  It happened to be a person, and they glared over their shoulder at me. I forced a shaky smile on my face and continued. Sneaking another glimpse at the bar, I saw Ever lean over to speak to a female customer. I decided to find a dark corner to hide in, so I could escape without my brother seeing me and still search for Willow.

  The wisp shouldn’t be that hard to find in a dark club, seeing as how she shone brightly with her bouncy blonde hair and excitable personality. Slipping further into the club, I spotted a short blonde and followed. The blonde stopped at a table, and I caught a glimpse of her profile. Definitely not Willow.

  I stepped around another person who gave me a weird look before recognition flashed across their face. When the person leaned in close to me, I backed off a step.

  “Personal space, bud.”

  “You can see me.”

  “Oh, fuck,” I whispered. There were some ghosts who managed to blend in well with people, and with the dark lighting in the club, I didn’t realize what they were.

  The ghost persisted, “You’re like the bartender, only he won’t give me the time of day. Please, I just need your help.”

  “Sorry, nope.”

  “Please! I need your help!” He was shouting now, looking distraught.

  No one else in the bar would hear him, besides another necromancer. Fuck. I squinted, looking through the ghost. On the other side, my brother’s angry gaze met mine.

  Ever didn’t waste a second. Ignoring the pretty female patron, he hopped over the bar and stormed over to us. “Out back. Now. Both of you.” Ever glared at me and the ghost, wrapping his hand around my bicep and leading me out. Ever grumbled under his breath and stopped to call out to another employee. “Take over for me for a few. I’ll be back!”

  The other employee nodded before taking Ever’s place behind the bar. Outside, the cold air bit into my exposed arms more intensely than before. Maybe I only felt more exposed because my brother held my arm in a vise-like grip. A sickening feeling swirled in my gut.

  “All right, let’s deal with you first,” Ever bit out, turning to face the ghost. “What’s your issue?” Ever kept his hold on me.

  Smart man, my brother, because I was already plotting how to slip away while he was busy talking to the ghost.

  “You wouldn’t listen to me! I was killed. Murdered! Why won’t anyone help me?”

  “Maybe because most people can’t see you, and those who can, usually only help if they’re under contract,” Ever responded.

  I tested his hold on my arm and leaned a centimeter away. Ever side-glanced at me.

  “Don’t even try me right now, Rowan Charlotte Hayes.”

  My eyes widened, and I remained right in place. My oldest brothers were almost as terrifying as my parents when they used my middle name. Since necromancers lived longer, my parents had the older boys almost a century before Abel and me, so they had plenty of practice.

  “I need help, though!” the ghost insisted. “I was murdered.”

  “Come back during my business hours, and we’ll talk. Got any family left? Find their contact information and bring it back to me in a couple hours. For right now, leave.” The command in Ever’s voice had the ghost flickering out before he realized what Ever had done.

  “That was impressive.” And it was. It was a rare thing to see any of my brothers use their powers. In our small town, the demand for necromancers wasn’t very high. My brothers and I came from a powerful line, and it showed with the little amount of power he used to banish the ghost. While I was still working on not overexerting myself and sometimes not putting enough power into my commands, he did it flawles
sly.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Rowan?” Ever asked as he turned to face me. His brows dropped down in anger, and I noticed the eyebrow piercing was real.

  “When did that happen?” I diverted, pointing to the offending shiny object on his face.

  “Rowan.”

  “Everette.”

  “Don’t start with me. What are you doing here? The moment Wilson or Kent find out you’re in town, they’ll take you back home. Stress levels are high, you ninny,” Ever said with his best stern tone.

  “Don’t call me a ninny.” I punched his arm.

  “Well then, don’t be a fucking dumbass. Rowan, the coven is looking for you, and Mom is being watched. Your fiancé was sent out here to look for you, and he vouched for our family. He told the coven that he’d been in town and knew you went searching for a ‘friend’ when they went missing. Balthazar lied for you, but Ro, I gotta tell you, it won’t last much longer.”

  “You mean you’re not going to take me back?”

  “No. Abel and I spoke when you two returned, and he told me what’s been going on and what his plan was. You two idiots are in way over your head, but Abel isn’t wrong. I’m just going to pretend I never saw you here tonight. What the fuck are you even doing here?”

  “Believe it or not, I’m actually looking for my friend. Pixie-like, with long, bright blonde hair. Fiery blue eyes. About this tall.” I motioned with my hand.

  “Yeah, she’s been stopping in every night for the last week, but she left about an hour ago. But Rowan, be very careful with her. The person she’s been seeing is bad fucking news. Ghosts cling to him, and anytime I try to contact one of them, another necromancer pulls them back.”

  A lead weight settled in my gut. What was Willow up to?

  Ever let go of my arm and pulled me into a hug, then he released me and held me by the shoulders. Expecting words of wisdom, instead I heard, “Stop being such a dumbass.” Patting me with both hands, he turned to go back inside the club. As he headed back inside, he stopped to look back at me. “Also, don’t ever show up to my workplace again.”

  After he left me outside the building, I spent a couple minutes debating what to do next. This took a lot longer than I expected. The ghost that visited Ever still lingered in my mind. He had been murdered, too. In a city this big, it didn’t seem unlikely, but with the current string of deaths, it seemed too coincidental.

  Ever didn’t want me coming back, but there was a good chance I would be back to see if I could catch Willow. But for now, I had someone else to find. With a final glance back at the alleyway, I left Seduce behind.

  After a short taxi ride back to the apartment building, I stood outside as a heavy weight in my gut dropped and twisted inside me. This place felt like a prison. Secrets weighed heavily on me, and the knowledge of what was happening to my family worried me. Balthazar never mentioned what he’d done for me by vouching for my family or that he lied to his Master for me.

  But the most pressing matter was that Willow, someone I considered to be a friend, was keeping secrets. Big ones.

  Chapter 14

  Breathing in deeply, I opened the door to my apartment where I saw Willow hunched over, working on a puzzle on the coffee table with a TV show running in the background. She looked up at me with those big, blue, innocent, lying eyes and smiled at me.

  “Hey!” she chirped. “Sorry I started without you. Cornelius said you had a meeting with Nix, but then you disappeared afterwards. I didn’t know when you were getting back.”

  “I went out to train, then I stopped by a club on my way home,” I said, watching for a reaction. She didn’t give any.

  “Well, come on. It looks like you were working on it earlier.”

  “Uh, no. We had an incident with a pissed-off ghost.”

  Willow pinched her brows together and shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to ask a follow-up question. She went back to the puzzle and waved me over.

  It could be that my brother was mistaken about who he saw. Hell, I was there for one hour and followed a girl, thinking she might be Willow. I walked over to the coffee table and joined her. For now, I would put my worries to rest. But my doubts still lingered.

  ****

  The next couple days moved like molasses, and my suspicions of Willow didn’t disappear, though she kept close to the apartment complex and went about her daily routines. She had a meeting with Nix, but I wasn’t dumb enough to try to follow her down there to listen in. Nix probably would have heard me sneaking around and really kicked me out. Knowing the very precarious edge I stood on, I didn’t want to play that game.

  I kept up the pretense of going out for training during the later hours of the evening. In truth, I was staking out Seduce, waiting for the ghost to return. Each night I came back empty handed and more frustrated. The case was moving a lot slower than I expected. In crime dramas, they seemed to move at lightning speed, but sitting around, doing nothing, and getting no further with the case itched under my skin.

  Indigo and Cornelius were sent out often on other missions but came back empty handed as well. Kayana, Simon, and the elusive Keller, who I’d only seen in passing, were working on other cases. Nix still hadn’t pulled me aside to discuss the possibility of summoning the female ghost, and doing nothing made me restless. Even more so because I felt like the other shoe was going to drop at any moment.

  Preparing to leave for another night standing outside Seduce, I checked the puzzles on the dining room table. They looked untouched, and I realized it had been a day or two since I noticed Willow leaving the apartment to do any of her normal activities. That night as I worked on the puzzle, I assumed I was just missing her.

  Closing my eyes, I tried to convince myself not to go check her room again. But before I knew it, my feet were moving toward her bedroom. I knocked, and there was no answer, so I peeked inside. Nothing again. I left her room, determined to find her.

  Snatching my blades off the counter in the kitchen, I ran out the door. Leaving the apartment complex, I took off toward Seduce. The whole way there, I reached between my shoulder blades just below my neck and itched the irritated skin. Rolling my shoulders, I tried to relieve the tension, but it hooked into my muscles like barbs. Nothing seemed to soothe it.

  Each night I made the trip, I chose a different route. Sometimes I had the cab driver drop me off at different spots and hoofed it the rest of the way, while other times I rode all the way to the front door. Tonight made me wish I’d asked him to drive me to the front door.

  What the fuck is wrong with me?

  When the sign for Seduce came into my sights, I sighed. Finally. The club seemed daunting tonight, and the closer I got, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something was off tonight. Expanding my senses, I realized there was more death in this area then there had been any other night. Breathing in, a sharp pain splintered down my spine. The burning sensation was far too familiar.

  The activation of my brand hit me all at once, and my muscles seized as the spellcaster ignited the spell. Unable to control my movements, I robotically walked away from Seduce, my jaw muscles closed as tightly as if they were wired shut. Even if I wanted to scream, I couldn’t.

  “Rowan.” A deep voice called out behind me, but my legs still moved forward, compelled by the spellcaster. He called out again, and when I didn’t respond, Balthazar stopped in front of me.

  I stepped around him automatically but kept my gaze on him, hoping he would understand.

  “Deehire, I do not appreciate the games. Cease this.”

  Rolling my eyes, I tried to unhinge my jaw to speak. He followed and grabbed my elbow. It was enough to get me to stop, but the burn that originated from my brand continued to flare.

  “If I could, I would,” I managed to mumble. The last time the spell took over to this extent, I’d needed something to break me from it. I cringed as I remembered the remedy from before. “Kiss me.”

  Balthazar’s deep red eyes darkene
d with desire as his gaze dropped down to my thermal long-sleeve shirt and skinny jeans. His fangs dipped down and dimpled his bottom lip. Swallowing hard, I immediately regretted my choice, but as blinding pain punctured through my thoughts, I wished I had enough control over my limbs to pull him close. I needed something to shock me out of the spell. Something, anything else, on which to focus.

  Balthazar’s nostrils flared as he leaned closer. He smelled clean and crisp, but as I waited for the lightning strike that would break me from the spell, it didn’t happen. I stood there waiting for the butterflies to take flight, but nothing.

  Balthazar brushed his cold fingers against my neck, causing me to shiver, and leaned in closer. His breath was minty fresh, but none of those sensations muted the pain coursing through me. I tried to focus on the thoughts that had broken the spell before.

  Closing my eyes, I imagined very different lips moving close to me. And as nimble, thin fingers combed through my hair, I imagined thicker, more calloused ones. When his lips brushed mine, it cooled down the fiery burn in my skin. The kiss was pleasant; definitely not like Randy, the lick-a-saurus who I made out with one drunken evening. But it didn’t cause small explosions in my mind, nor did it break the connection of the spell.

  Balthazar wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me flush to his body. I pressed my hands on his shoulders to try to keep us at a more comfortable distance. As the spell demanded I push away from him and continue forward, he pulled back, sensing the tension in my arms.

  “Is it not to your liking?”

  “No, fuck,” I groaned, my jaw clamping shut again. Without thinking it through, I brought my hand to my mouth and clamped my teeth against the sensitive skin between my forefinger and thumb. With the strain in my jaw, it was strong enough to draw blood, and the pain shocked me out of the spell. Stumbling backwards, I breathed a little easier. Whomever cast the spell would be able to weave it again soon, the brand its unerring anchor.

  Balthazar’s gaze was drawn to the blood welling up on my hand. His eyes darkened even more than when I asked him to kiss me. He gripped my wrist in an unbreakable hold that felt like my bones were being grinded together.