“I’ve always known you could read people,” Chas said. “Know things about them. I never bothered lying to you because I knew you already had the truth. So maybe you were a little bit psychic or maybe you just paid closer attention than I did. Either way, you didn’t seem all that special.”
Chas paled as he realized what he’d said wasn’t very nice. He didn’t apologize though. He just plunged on.
“Imagine how I felt when I saw Diego doing those things,” he said. “Real magic. It pissed me off that maybe the stories about magic in the world were true, since that meant the family lore about magic people in your family, but not in mine, were probably true, too. But at the same time, the magic was so cool, even if it did bring those damn bikers down on me.” He gently touched his ribs and winced.
I didn’t know what to say. My mother’s healing magic and my psychic ability were so much a part of my life that I never considered what it might be like not to be this way. As much as I wished I could filter out unwanted emotional bombardments, I didn’t want to not have my talent. And I didn’t want to not know the magic I’d learned from Dee.
I put my hand on his knee and pulled it back when he winced. I must have touched an injury.
“We get the gifts we get,” I said. “Your side of the family is better looking than mine.”
Chas smiled slightly. “That’s true.”
I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. It was true, so I let it go.
“Look, Chas, it’s been a long day and I need to get some sleep. I’ll show you where the guest room is.”
Chapter Fourteen
I rang Dee in the morning as soon as I’d shaken the sleep from my brain. He didn’t answer. It was early. He could be in the shower or have stepped outside without his phone. The day was chilly. I rolled over and pulled the covers closer around me.
“Oona?” Chas called from his room across the hall. “You up?”
I groaned. I’d already set my plan for the day—find The Gate and Gil. I’d had strong images holding Gate’s charm a few days ago. I was convinced now that my feeling nothing when I held it yesterday was part of a spell. I wanted to hook up with Dee and try again today—see what I could pick up. I did not want to have to worry about Chas through any of it.
I sighed and called, “I’m up. Give me a few minutes to get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I tried Dee’s cell again. It rang four times and went to voice mail.
“Hey, call me when you get this,” I said, and hung up.
I dressed and went downstairs. Chas was already in the kitchen, peering into the opened refrigerator.
“You only have two eggs,” he said.
“Sorry,” I said, still chasing sleep from my brain. “Didn’t know I was going to have a houseguest.”
“What?” Chas said, throwing one hand over his heart in mock horror. “You don’t feed Diego breakfast? What kind of girlfriend are you?”
I sat at the table. “The kind who’s been too busy to get to the store.”
Chas looked chastened as he plopped a mug of microwave-heated tea in front of me. He brought me the ceramic honey jar with a little clay bear on the lid and a bottle of almond milk.
“You’re in a better mood this morning,” I said. “Sorry I snapped at you.”
He didn’t look any better though. The bruises on his face were developing a yellow-green frame around dark purple centers. Since my mother’s powers usually accelerated a person’s healing, Chas must have been hurt more than I’d originally thought.
“I slept like a stone,” he said cheerfully. “That bed is very comfortable.”
Don’t get too comfortable, I thought. You’re out of here as soon as possible.
What I said was, “I’m glad.”
The microwave dinged, and Chas withdrew a second mug from it. He brought the mug with him when he sat across from me at the table.
“So, what are we up to today?” he said.
This, I thought, is exactly why I don’t like people in my house. They’re demanding and draining.
“You are up for nothing but rest,” I said. “I’m probably going out for a while, but I shouldn’t be gone long.”
“Can I go with you?”
I shook my head. “It’s business.”
“How am I supposed to stay here all day when there’s no food in your house?”
I counted to five in my head, but my voice still came out sharp. “Call Uber eats or something. Figure it out.”
Chas’ face fell. “Sorry, Oona. I was only kidding about the food. Well, half-kidding.”
I sighed. He did have part of a point. I looked down at the table. I’d have to leave the house wards off if he was going to have food delivered. After the illusory sorcerer last night confronting us practically on my doorstep, that wasn’t something I wanted to do. But I couldn’t have Chas tagging along with Dee and me all day.
My voice softened. “I’m going upstairs to make a call. There’s oatmeal in the pantry. Feel free to make some for yourself.”
I trotted up the stairs, anxious to get away from Chas and have a moment to myself. I sat on the bed and dialed Dee’s number. Still no answer.
I tried Danyon and Peet.
“Hey, it’s Oona,” I said when Terry, the receptionist, answered. “Has Diego been in this morning?”
“He was for a few minutes. Popped in, talked to Juliana and Tyron for a moment, and then left. Juliana is out, but Tyron is here. Do you want to talk to him?”
“Please,” I said.
Tyron came on the line with a hearty, “Oona! How are you?”
“I’m good,” I said, picturing the big redhead in his oversized black leather executive chair. “I’m looking for Diego. He isn’t answering his phone.”
“He’s pretty distracted about this old teacher of his who’s disappeared,” Tyron said. “He probably walked off and forgot it or something.”
That was possible. It wasn’t likely, given how anal Dee was about his tools of the trade, but it was possible.
“Listen,” Tyron said. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told him. Forget about Brittany Keller for a few days. Go find this Gate person and both of you come back with your heads in the game, eh? Right now, you’re both useless to me.”
For a moment I thought about reminding him that I was a consultant, he was my client not my boss, and I could work or not work as I choose, but I didn’t. Tyron was a Cadbury egg kind of guy—hard shell outside and all gooey inside—and I liked him.
I rung off and sat on my bed. I knew Dee’s signature so well I was sure I could track him no matter where he was. All I had to do was go to his house and follow where his signature led from there. I pulled on a pair of hiking boots, in case following him led me where tennis shoes wouldn’t be the best choice and went back downstairs.
Chas was staring down into a pot on the stove, stirring whatever was in it—presumably oatmeal—without much enthusiasm.
“I’m going out for a while,” I said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be. Just stay in the house and take it easy, all right?”
“Yes, Mother,” he said, but grinned.
I grabbed my purse and my keys, backed my car out of the garage, and headed to Dee’s. On the way I tried his cell again. Still no answer.
I pulled into Dee’s driveway and parked. I wished I could get to his gazing bowls and spell-casting books, but I didn’t know the words to take down the exquisitely strong wards on his wizard’s lair. Poring through his book collection looking for the right spells would take forever anyway. My only option was to physically chase him down.
It took only seconds to pick up his signature and feel which way he’d most recently gone. I backed out again and followed, trying to pick up his thoughts as well, but couldn’t. Either he was too far away or—
I didn’t want to think about or. There wasn’t a good or.
I followed Dee’s signature to the Danyon and Peet office and then back into Torrance, followin
g almost the same streets he and I had taken when we’d gone looking for Gil and The Gate. I wasn’t all that surprised when I wound up back on Alaska Avenue and getting a strong vibe from the same warehouse. The difference now was it was day and the street was parked up with cars. I could see people going in and out of various businesses and the For Lease sign on the warehouse that I hadn’t noticed before.
I found a place to park and walked back to the building. The parking lot beside it held cars, but I was pretty sure they didn’t belong to anyone inside the red brick building with the big metal rollup door around back.
There were people inside though. I felt them, felt that there was something off about them, but I couldn’t tell what. I felt the magic radiating from the building like heat on a hot day. My heart pounded. I’d always been with Dee before in situations like this, always knew he had my back. Even in the Brume when the cloud-beast had whirled Dee away and I thought I’d lost him, he was still somehow there, still watching out and offering protection. Now it was just me.
“Focus,” I muttered to myself.
I reached out with my senses, looking for Dee in the warehouse but didn’t feel him. I was sure his signature led to this building and didn’t lead away again. He had come here and hadn’t left. Why couldn’t I feel him? Why couldn’t I slip into his mind?
I took a deep breath and headed down the side of the building on high alert for any sound or movement. A car alarm screamed across the street and I almost jumped out of my skin. I stood as still as a shadow, waiting for my heartbeat and blood pressure to come back down to normal. Then I went the rest of the way to the warehouse’s back.
The same large trash containers were there as last time. I lifted the lids one after another as quietly as I could, held my breath and looked inside. Nothing but a thin layer of paper trash and some pizza crusts at the bottom. That was a relief.
The big metal door was down. The small door that entered into the kitchen area was closed as well, but it had a small glass window in it. I snuck up and peeked in.
I counted four men in the kitchen, all of them young and all in long brown robes. Acolytes, I realized. Was this all about some sort of religious or cult thing? A leader and followers, I’d felt, and Dee had said. Many people joining together to make the magical strength needed. The energy and vibes pouring off the men was of anticipation. Of the full moon. The Vulture Moon. The sacrifice and the power it would unleash.
My heart pounded, and I could hardly breathe. I still couldn’t feel Dee inside the building, but I was sure he was there. I was pretty sure The Gate and Gil were in there, too, which meant a very strong veil had been thrown over them. I moved away from the door and leaned against a strip of red brick wall between the small door and the larger roll-up one.
There was really only one thing to do. I went to my car and called Jack.
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you driving right now?” Jack asked.
“No,” I said. “I’m sitting in my car, parked half a block down from the warehouse.”
And then I wasn’t. I was standing in the magic police station and Jack was coming down the hallway toward me with fast, determined steps. I’d been in the MP station twice and still had no idea exactly where it was. That’s what happens when you get beamed somewhere.
I’d asked Dee if he could beam places. He’d said even knowing the spell was seriously illegal and using the spell even once was almost a death-sentence offense. Imagining thieves, disgruntled lovers, and those with murderous intent having the ability to beam in and out of anywhere they pleased, especially if they were veiled, made the reasons clear.
Jack stopped a few feet in front of me. His face was tight. “My boss wants to hear what you have to say. “He turned and looked over his shoulder. “If you’ll come with me.”
The cold formality in his tone set my nerves jangling. I followed him back the way he’d come, down a long hall with pea-soup-green walls and cracked brown linoleum on the floor. You’d think they’d at least put a glamour on the place, make it look nice.
Irritation was growing in me. Time was ticking away. Meeting with Jack’s boss meant wasting important minutes that should be spent getting Dee out of the warehouse. The Gate and Gil were safe—safe-ish—until the full moon, but who knew what plans whoever had taken them had for Dee? I couldn’t bear to think about it.
Jack opened a door that looked like every other door on the hallway and motioned me inside a moderately sized office. A man who was probably shorter than me when standing now sat behind a gunmetal gray desk. Jack introduced his boss as Sean McGowan and then left the room.
“Ms. Goodlight,” McGowan said, motioning to a chair in front of his desk. “I understand you have some new information about the unexplained deaths of last week.”
I sat and then stared at him a moment. “No. I called Officer Schneider because I believe I know where The Gate and Gil Adair are being held. I believe Diego Adair is with them. They are in danger.”
McGowan steepled his fingers and looked at me over the tips. “Is this psychic knowledge?”
“No. Yes. Some of it was psychically gained and some from chasing leads. There’s a warehouse in Torrance. A location spell led Diego and me to it. No one was there the first time we went, but I went back today and saw several men in brown robes inside.”
McGowan continued gazing at me as if he had all week to ask questions. “And your theory about the ghosts, is that psychic knowledge?”
Frustration bubbled in me. “Yes. Could you send a squad to the warehouse? The Gate, Gil, and Diego don’t have much time. There’s something planned for tomorrow’s full moon.”
He inclined his head. “And what would that be?”
I hesitated. “A human sacrifice.”
McGowan’s eyebrows rose slightly, but otherwise his expression didn’t change. Then he smiled. “The Vulture Moon. There are often rumors of human sacrifice around the Moon, but it’s never played out. I don’t think your friends are in any danger.” He spread his hands flat on the metal desk. “Tell me about the ghosts. Jack says you believe they are stuck here somehow, unable to move on?”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “They’re being held here. Probably by the same sorcerer who abducted The Gate and Gil. The ghosts are part of this ritual he’s planning.”
“And you know this, how?”
I wanted to scream, but I held my voice steady. “Psychic knowledge.”
Something was very wrong here. I carefully tiptoed into McGowan’s mind.
A jolt of electricity flew through me, physically knocking me back in my chair.
McGowan narrowed his eyes. “You’re wasting your time and mine. Don’t try that again.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled to placate him. I’d only been in his mind a moment, but it was time enough to see that a part of him hoped Diego was with The Gate and Gil and that they all came to a bad end. He threw in wishing I’d share a similar fate. There was no way to go back a second time and try to discover exactly why, but I had my suspicions.
“I think,” I said slowly, “that Hugo Bernard is involved in some way.”
McGowan burst into genuine laughter.
“The law is very clear that no member of the magical community shall bring physical, mental, or magical harm to any other member. Council member Bernard may seethe with hatred for The Gate and others, but he would never even poke at the law, much less bend or break it. You need to look elsewhere to find the culprits.”
His last sentence caught my attention. My gaze snapped to his eyes, trying to read if he was sending me a message or just talking. Not Hugo Bernard. Not any member of the council. Look elsewhere. Look where?
“If you were on this hunt,” I said, “where would you begin looking?”
He steepled his fingers again. “I’m only interested in the unexplained deaths and, perhaps, these stuck ghosts of yours. We are searching every avenue to find the source.”
Heat boiled through me. “It’s al
l connected. If you’ll send some people to check this warehouse, you’ll find your answers.” I leaned forward. “Please. I know Diego, The Gate, and Gil are in danger. At least send someone to take a look.”
The moment I said it, I knew something was askew. All three were in danger, but the dangers weren’t all the same. I had no idea how they were different though. Damn my psychic ability for giving me partial information.
“I’m afraid we’re stretched rather thin right now,” McGowan said. “But I will give you some advice you’d be wise to follow. Stay away from this investigation. It’s none of your concern.”
None of my concern? The man I probably loved could be murdered tomorrow and it was none of my concern?
I cleared my throat and tried to keep my voice calm. “Thomas Halvorsen.”
McGowan’s gaze hardened. “What about him?”
“It’s likely he killed the man at Alpine Village, right?”
McGowan’s nod was slight.
“Halvorsen showed up near my house as a fetch. He said The Gate and Gil were dead and warned Diego and me to stop looking for them.”
“When was this?” McGowan said.
“Last night. Doesn’t that prove that the deaths and the disappearances are linked?”
“No,” McGowan said. “It doesn’t. Halverson may or may not have killed the man at Alpine Village, but that doesn’t mean he had anything to do with the other five deaths.”
But he did—I felt that strongly.
McGowan continued talking. “It especially proves nothing considering that Halvorsen was found dead two days ago. Sudden cardiac failure.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. How could Halverson’s fetch have been at my house last night if he was dead the day before? What we saw wasn’t a ghost, I was sure of that. So, what was it? And who made it?
Before I could ask any more questions, McGowan waved his hand and I found myself back on Alaska Avenue seated in my car. I clenched my fists to drive back my anger and frustration and tried to think. I didn’t have the kind of magic needed to go up against sorcerers powerful enough to hold Dee, The Gate, and Gil under their spell. I was a psychic with just enough spellcraft to get myself in trouble.
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