"Was there any mention of her in his file?" Mason rubbed his eyes. "I don't remember what happened. I was standing there one moment and the next I wanted a cup of coffee, and I found myself at the cafe.
I shook my head. "She bespelled you. I'm going to go back in and talk to Jon for a minute. I had to escort her out of the room because she was making him uncomfortable. Stay here?"
He nodded. "I'm sorry Abby, she caught me off guard."
"I think she threw us both for a loop." I walked back into the hospital room to find Jon sitting up and reading a book. "I'm sorry she busted in here."
He shook his head. "I didn't even know that she was in town, or I wouldn't have let us settle here."
"Is she really your ex-wife? There wasn't anything in the files that told me you were married."
He shook his head. "She's my ex, but we were never officially married. She disappeared after seven years of being together." He shook his head. "She wasn't cult, so I had to hide a lot from her."
I sat back down. "Being cult is a huge thing to hide from someone. I don't imagine that was easy."
"Especially when you're living with someone." He sighed. "Anyways, after she disappeared, I started getting threats against my brother and me."
"You didn't think this was something that needed to be mentioned?" I tried to keep my voice calm and even.
He met my gaze. "It was eight years ago, my brother was younger, and they stopped after a year. I figured she'd moved on with her life."
Okay, that was fair, he had probably just been grateful that the threats had stopped. "Can I get her full name? I'd like to look into her, just in case she's involved."
He nodded. "Virginia Stride."
I put the name in my phone, and I stood. "I'll let you rest. I'll try to keep a guard on your door, but I don't know if I can."
He shook his head. "The Cult will send someone, and they'll be more useful than the detective outside."
"Be easy on Mason, he's human." I gave him a gentle smile. "He does the best he can." I walked out to find Mason leaning against the wall. "I got the information I needed. He says he has some people coming to stay with him. He should be safe for you to leave when they get here.
"And what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to go to the office and run Virginia's name and see what comes up. I also have a meeting today. I'll keep you informed of what's going on. Did Jason get anything off the heart?"
He shook his head. "If he has, he hasn't mentioned it to me."
"I didn't expect him to, but I thought I'd ask." I hiked my bag up on my shoulder and headed down the hall. I dropped my visitor badge off at the nurse's station and went to continue on, but the nurse grabbed my hand.
"That woman was very cross when she left. I'd be careful leaving."
I smiled. "Thank you for the warning. I know that I upset her." I turned my hand around and squeezed the nurse's hand before walking to the elevator.
I pressed the button and waited, bouncing between my feet. I wished that there had been stairs to take, but the only ones I saw were marked as emergency only. The doors finally opened, and I stepped inside and pressed the button for the lobby level.
Luckily for me, I made it to the lobby floor without getting stuck or something blowing up.
I got to the Hummer and gave it a quick once over before getting in and heading toward the office.
∞
I walked into my office and threw my bag down by my desk. There had been no one following me from the hospital to the office, which made me wonder why the person was trailing me in the first place. Or maybe I was just imagining someone following me. I guess it wasn't out of the question. I sat in my chair and booted up the computer, waiting for the login screen to appear.
I turned from side to side in the chair, thinking about what I already knew. The case was Cult related, it was tied to the local coven, I had a pair of brothers, a PIB agent, and a crazy ex all tied to it.
The computer chimed, and I logged in. I pulled up my search program and typed in Virginia's name.
Results scrolled up the screen, report after report, article after article. She had quite the record going, and I clicked on the first one.
Magical Misconduct. Apparently casting spells while drunk in a bar, and it was the most recent one as well.
I clicked on the next one.
Assault.
The following one was an arrest warrant that was current. Ooo. I texted Mason the warrant number and information. If we could bring her in on a warrant, that would keep her away from Jon.
The next document was an old arrest warrant. She'd been a suspect in a previous murder. I scanned the document. There were very few details on it, but there was one thing that caught my attention that told me it could be related was the mention of human organs found in the house.
I threw the case details into the search engine hoping I could find the complete file. It pulled up instantly. I opened it and searched through the details.
Human organs had been found in her house, but she was brought in as a suspect only to be let go. Her roommate, on the other hand, was tried for the crime of murder and was still sitting in jail for it. It was considered a PIB case due to the nature of the murder, which meant that she would be in containment. But the fact that she was still alive meant that she wasn't charged with killing with magic, which made me curious as to what exactly the cause of the death was.
I scrolled further down. The bodies they had recovered had missing organs, and the organs had been at the house this woman owned. It was as if the organs disappeared out of the bodies. They couldn't prove who had done the magic, but Cynthia and Virginia provided testimony that the roommate was in on it.
Interesting. I wrote the roommate's name down, Lydia Trist. I could pay her a visit and see what was going on with the case. Maybe she'd be willing to talk to a new face.
I looked at the clock, I'd have to meet with Seth soon. Merick had given me the details on the time and reservation at La Soeur. I still wasn't sure if meeting at a place that Oliver was fond of was a good idea. We'd gone a couple times together when he had been helping me with my elemental abilities. Some of the staff knew me, and I didn't want them to report back or question why I was there without him. But I trusted Merick. Seth not so much, but I doubted Merick would set me up for something.
I grabbed my bag and headed toward the door, my phone rang right as I swung it open.
I answered it. "Agent Collin's speaking."
"Hey Agent A. I have instructions to call you for the case Agent Yorkingson is working on." Jason's voice came over the phone, and it shook a little bit as if he was nervous. The question was, what was making him nervous?
"I wasn't aware that you had a body, but what's up?" Wasn't that nice of Grayson not to mention…I didn't like that he wasn't being transparent about this case.
He took a deep breath. "The victims that were brought in all died from blood loss. There are bites that are consistent with out of control feeding, but…there's no sign of struggle."
Interesting. A sire teaching a fledgling to feed? "Okay, thanks, Jason. I'll talk to Yorkingson."
"I didn't know you were on the case. This is vampire, not black magic."
"I was pulled in to consult. Oh, nothing on the heart that was brought in for the Black Magic Taskforce?"
"There wasn't much there. It was Zayden's heart, that much was confirmed, but no prints. Nothing out of the ordinary on it."
I don't know what I was hoping for him to say, but that was not it. "Okay, thanks." I disconnected the call and sighed.
I headed to the Hummer and made a note to grab coffee on my way to the restaurant because the late night was catching up to me.
CHAPTER TEN
I walked into La Soeur and looked around for Seth. The hostess approached me and smiled.
"Ms. Collins, s
o wonderful to see you again. Are you meeting Oliver today?"
I shook my head. "A client." I saw Merick stand toward the back and wave at me. "And I see him. Thank you."
I walked through the sea of tables dressed with white tablecloths and fancy wrapped silverware until I got back to the table that Merick and Seth were sitting at. I pulled the chair out and sat down. "Seth, Merick." I gave them a smile. "What do you have for me?"
"A crazy ex." Seth put a folder in front of me.
I nodded. "She's pretty crazy. Currently has a warrant out for her arrest. Came to the hospital to see Jon. So what else do you have for me?"
"Jon and Zayden both requested to leave the Cult recently. This of course rarely happens except for special circumstances." Seth flipped open the file and pointed to the letter that looked very official.
I read through it. "Zayden was sick?"
"So the letter said, but he refused to be seen by one of our healers or doctors." Seth flipped the page to show the request from the Cult that Zayden be seen. "We were worried about a curse or a hex."
Since witches and warlocks were rarely sick, a curse or a hex would be the best guess on what happened. "Zayden had the protective and binding tattoos on him, like his brother. Do we know who did them?"
Seth shook his head. "No one in the cult will confess to it, not even with some…pressure."
I didn't want to know what kind of pressure the cult put on their people. "Does anyone know what he was trying to bind?"
"No." Seth flipped the page again. "Here's all the missions Zayden and Jon have gone on, either together or separate. Merick can help you go through them if you have any questions."
I nodded and took the file, slipping it into my bag. "Now, there's one more matter we need to handle since you're in town now."
"You want the information you're owed."
I nodded. "I solved the murder for you, faced the demon, and took him out. The least you can do is give me the information promised."
"I had to jump through hoops and talk to people involved. I can give you the information if you swear to me you will not go after any cult members that were involved."
I leaned back in my chair and considered him for a moment. The waiter came to take our drink orders, and we ordered water all around. I had to go back to work after this, so wine wasn't on the menu, though I wish it were for the discussion we were having.
The waiter walked off, and I looked at Seth. "I don't like the fact that you're asking that. It makes me think that your cult was not so innocent in the murder. That it wasn't a big misunderstanding."
"My team was told that we were after the Collins because of a demon summoning." He folded his hands on the table. "After opening your file and talking to those who passed the order to my team, I found out that was not the case. Your parents were involved in something much darker than the Cult would let them live for. Messing with life and trying to create creatures that were hybrids. Not with willing subjects, but by force."
My stomach churned. "My parents weren't involved with that. We know who the vampire is behind that."
"There were some things in their past that you are not aware of. They had changed their ways and their beliefs before the Cult was sent after them. The order was given by a vampire, that's all I know. There was no name associated with it, and there is no record of when it was given. I'm afraid that I've come to a dead end, and that is all the information I'm able to give you."
My mind spun. A vampire? Ira was the first one that came to mind, but I didn't think he would have ordered to kill my mother. Levi? Had it been a ploy for him to gain custody of me? "Who were the people who took the order?"
"They are retired priests and priestesses. I can get you in contact, but again, you cannot retaliate."
I nodded. "I'm not out for revenge. I'm out for answers." I looked up as the waiter came with the waters and then took our orders.
The table remained quiet for a few minutes. Finally, Seth spoke. "You would make a wonderful cult member."
I'm sure Merick and I had the same look on our faces because we both choked on our water. "What?" I coughed to try and compose myself.
"You're resilient, determined, powerful, and you're able to set the idea of revenge to the side merely because you want answers."
I raised a brow. "You forget, I'm not a dark witch. I'm not even a gray witch. Your coven would eat me alive."
"I think you've listened to too many horror stories about us Abigail." He chuckled. "After this case, maybe consider stopping by our temple, stay for a ritual or two."
I glanced at Merick. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug as if he didn't even know what to say about it.
"I'll think on it."
The waitress brought our food and then handed me a note. "A message for you, Ms. Collins, and the bill has been taken care of."
I nodded and took the folded piece of paper. I flipped it open. "Do not eat. Get up and leave, it's not safe."
I handed the note to Merick, and Seth looked over his shoulder. We stood at the same time and apologized to the hostess about having to leave so soon. I stepped out of the door, and someone grabbed me, slamming me against the wall. Merick grabbed the person's wrist.
"Don't touch her."
The man had me pinned against the wall by my neck. I waited, trying to remain calm to see what his next move was. Magic flowed around us. I knew it wasn't Merick's, and I didn't think it was Seth's. The magic flowed from the man and burned my skin. I shoved my magic out, forcing him away from me. The man fell back against the pavement, but recovered quickly, jumping back up on to his feet.
I touched a hand to my neck and flinched at the pain there. I glared at him, irritated. "You with the underground?"
He said nothing as he rushed toward me again. This time Merick's magic shot out and slammed into the man. Dark magical chains wrapped around him, tethering him to the ground. I hadn't seen Merick's magic manifest that way before.
"The lady asked you a question," Merick growled.
The man laughed. "Are you her bodyguard now? Is the great Abigail Collins so scared for her life that she's surrounded herself with warlocks to protect her?"
I crossed my arms. "Listen here. I'm going to have Merick let you go, but it's going to be with a message. You tell whoever wants me dead in the underground, to back the hell off or I will find them, and I will kill them." I wasn't sure if I could go through with the threat, but by the look on the man's face, he thought I would.
"Are you sure?" Merick asked.
I nodded, but I walked up to the man. I reached out and pulled out a few hairs. "Reassurance." I held them up. "That should be enough for a spell or two." It was all talk, and I was just trying to scare him. If it worked, he'd back the hell off me, and maybe the person pulling his strings would too. If it didn't, then the underground would have some more rumors about me, and I could use his hair to hunt him down.
He gave a shaky nod. "Just let me go, and I'll deliver the message."
Merick let his magic down. The man smirked, and a black circle engulfed us. Merick reached out and grabbed my wrist, my magic flared as soon as we touched. My lungs were on fire, like I couldn't breathe through the darkness around us. I gasped for air but swore all I was swallowing was water.
Merick's hand still gripped my wrist. I forced my eyes to open, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was underwater. The coldness seeped into my bones as the world around me shifted and changed again.
∞
I found myself on my hands and knees on a floor I didn't know, coughing and sputtering as I tried to clear the water from my burning lungs. Merick was right next to me doing the same thing. When I could finally breathe, I looked at Merick. "What the fuck?"
"They couldn't best you with magic, so they dumped you in a lake to drown. Had I not grabbed on to you, you'd be dead." He ran his hand through
his wet hair, pushing it away from his face. "That's two attempts in two days, Abigail. We may need to rethink your safety."
I coughed a couple more times. "Where's my bag?" I asked, my heart sinking. "Everything is in that bag." Except my phone which I was sure was ruined.
Seth appeared, and he had my bag in his hand. Thank the goddess. I jumped up from the floor and took it from him. I glanced at Merick. "It does seem that the underground is a bit more enthusiastic about killing me, but I feel like they are sending the weaker people after me." I put my bag down and rung out my hair. "Where are we?"
"My house," Merick said easily. "I thought it was a safer place than yours right now since Levi is suspicious of what Samuel has told him. I didn't want to pop in."
"He can't get in right now." I looked around the room we were in. The tile floor made me feel less guilty about the amount of water that was coming from my hair and dripping down my clothes. "What kind of spell was that?"
"A more advanced form of the transportation spell. He shouldn't be able to perform it if he was that weak."
I nodded. "Someone needs to teach me the basic transportation spell. I may not like traveling that way, but I think it's a necessity."
"The only people who learn it are Cult. It's believed to be a spell passed down from the gods."
"So that guy?" I motioned behind me as if the assassin was still there. "Was cult?"
"No, that spell was different than the one we use."
I stopped for a moment. "Liz?"
Neither of them answered me.
"Liz is Cult." I looked between the two of them. "You've managed to penetrate PIB."
Merick shook his head. "Liz is honorary Cult. Her father was a priest with us. When he was killed, we took her, her mother, and sisters under our protection. So she's not exactly Cult. She shouldn't know that spell."
Not exactly Cult. I wasn't sure how those words actually fit together. "What's Liz's connection to the Serif brothers?"
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