by Linsey Hall
“And we don’t want them knowing we’re coming,” Ana said.
“Exactly.” Jude nodded, then turned to Haris and Ali. “And you two?”
“We’ve narrowed the snowy god down to Chernobog, a West Slavic deity from the twelfth century AD,” Haris said. “But as for the entrance to his realm, we have only determined that it is somewhere in Germany. The north, most likely.”
“I can help you,” Cass said. “Sounds like you have enough clues for me to get started.”
Haris grinned, dark eyes shining. “Aye, if you’d pull a bloodhound on this, we’d appreciate it.”
Pull a bloodhound? I chuckled softly.
Cass inclined her head. “Anytime.”
Excellent. That meant we had a lead on Eris, and we were about to have one on Chernobog. If I could just figure out which spell she was under, I could have my sister back.
It was almost too good to believe.
8
After a night of fitful sleep—which was necessary because my magic was totally drained from the fight in Cocidius’s realm—Cade, Ana, and I went to The Vaults. We made our way quickly through the underground streets towards Melusine’s shop.
Ana looked around with wide eyes, taking in the buildings built right into the rocks. “This place is creepy. But awesome.”
“Agreed.” I sidestepped a wizard who stank of black magic.
We continued up the street, until Cade stopped in from of the door to Madame Mystical’s Magical Mementos and held it open for us.
I glanced at Ana. “Don’t call her Madame Mystical. You’ll regret it.”
“Personal experience?”
“Fortunately not, but after meeting Melusine, I believe the girl who gave me the advice.”
I stepped inside the shop, immediately enjoying the interior. We’d never been big shoppers—never had the money—but this place was downright cool. The main room was three stories high, with illusions of pixies fluttering near the domed ceiling. Bookshelves full of fabulous objects edged the walls all the way to the top, and the middle was a sunken area filled with low display cases and chairs.
Movement toward the back caught my eye. High up, Melusine clung to a ladder that reached three stories up. Her flame red hair tumbled down her back, glinting against the deep green catsuit that she wore. It shimmered like emeralds, complementing her gleaming stilettos.
“Wow,” Ana murmured. “She’s got style.”
“Yep.” It wasn’t our style, but I liked it all the same. The red and green made her look a bit like a Christmas tree, but she really rocked it.
Quickly, Melusine slid down the ladder, pulling a complicated maneuver that I’d never manage in heels.
She turned to us and grinned, her black eyes sparkling. “What brings you back again so soon?”
“We’re here about a spell.” I stepped forward, crossing the space between us.
Cade must have entered behind us, because her gaze snapped from me to him, and her grin widened even more.
Suddenly, I didn’t exist in Melusine’s world. Neither did Ana.
“She could do a toothpaste commercial,” Ana said, not bothering to lower her voice. It wasn’t like Melusine would notice us.
As expected, Melusine didn’t so much as glance at us again. “Well, well. Cade. So nice to see you.”
“Hello, Melusine.” His voice was brisk but polite. “We’re hoping that you can help us.”
“Anything for you,” she purred.
I sighed, and walked up to stop right in front of her. Reluctantly, her gaze left Cade—he hung behind a bit; smart man—and met mine.
“What kind of spell?” Her voice had lost some of its warmth—which was fine, because it’d basically been on fire—but she was still friendly enough.
I pulled an envelope from my pocket and handed it over. “There are a few hairs in there. The owner is enchanted with a joining spell of some kind. We’d like to know what it is exactly so that we can break it.”
She frowned, brow creasing. “That’s serious. Let’s go.”
She turned sharply on her heel and went to the back room where she conducted her magic. The small space was similar to the one we’d just left, but relatively empty. A round table in the middle held a stone basin.
I followed Melusine to the table, Ana at my side. Cade stopped by the door, no doubt conscious of not distracting Melusine, who peeked inside the envelope, then drew out a single hair.
“I’m going to see what I can find from this one,” she said. “It could destroy it, but it looks like there are about five more in there.”
“That’s fine.”
She nodded, handed the envelope back to me, then dropped the single hair into the water basin. Melusine was part Selkie, and as such, drew some of her magic from the water.
I held my breath as I watched her hover her hand over the gleaming surface. Next to me, Ana did the same, leaning forward to get a better look.
The water glowed white briefly, then a sickly yellow, then a deep red. Like blood.
Melusine sighed and stepped back, her brow wrinkled. “This is outside of my area. But I think I know someone who can help.”
“Who?”
“Wait here, and you’ll see.” She spun and walked to the wall, pressing her hand against it.
“She likes things to be cryptic, huh?” Ana whispered.
“Seems so.”
Beneath Melusine’s palm, the wall glowed with a pale light, then disappeared entirely, revealing a small alcove with a full-size mirror.
My brows rose.
Melusine tapped on the glass. “Mordaca! Aerdeca!”
I glanced at Ana. Recognition shined in her eyes, just like I was sure it shined in mine.
Mordaca and Aerdeca were Blood Sorceresses from Magic’s Bend. They plied their trade in Darklane, which was essentially the Vault’s counterpart across the ocean. We’d met them five years ago while helping Nix with a problem.
“They have to be the same ones, right?” Ana said.
“Have to be.”
“Mordaca! Aerdeca! I know it’s late, but wake up!” Melusine shouted.
Oh, right. It’d be the middle of the night over in Oregon, where Magic’s Bend was located.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” An annoyed, groggy voice sounded from inside the mirror. It was a raspy voice, like that of a woman who enjoyed cigarettes and whiskey on a regular basis. For one hundred years.
A moment later, Mordaca appeared in the mirror. Her black bouffant hairdo made her look like Elvira, and somehow, she’d managed to pile on even more black eye makeup than the Mistress of the Dark. It was like a black mask that swept across her eyes. The black satin robe that she wore gleamed in the low light, and plunged deeply to reveal some seriously fabulous cleavage.
That kind of chest would get in the way of my demon killing, but she looked like a sexy, scary supermodel.
“What is it?” Mordaca asked.
“We’ve got a doozy of a spell over here. Something I think you can handle.”
“At this hour? I was just about to go to bed.”
“It seems important.” Melusine shot a glance over her shoulder at me. “In fact, everything about this chick seems important.”
“Who is it?” Mordaca peered around.
Could she see me out of the mirror?
Her gaze widened. “You! You’re the two who helped Nix a few years ago. With your funny car.”
I frowned. I’d hardly call the buggy a “funny car.” But I needed her help, so I smiled and waved. “Yep. And we could really use some help if you have a chance.”
She thrummed her black-painted nails against her arm. “You volunteered to help her fight Drakon, didn’t you? They didn’t pay you or anything, as I recall.”
I shrugged. “Not for that job. Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Mordaca nodded decisively. “Fine. But Aerdeca is going to hate this. She’s been asleep for hours.” She leaned away from the mirror and s
houted behind her. “Aerdeca! Wake up! And bring the kit!”
She turned back, grinning as she stepped out of the mirror and into Melusine’s workshop. “I always kind of like doing that.”
I blinked, stunned. “Whoa. What kind of mirror is that?”
“A very, very rare one,” Melusine said.
“Does it go anywhere else?” I asked.
“Just to Mordaca and Aerdeca’s shops. We consult on various jobs.”
“Good for business.” Mordaca stalked toward me, and I realized that she was wearing furry black mules with her robe. She spared one interested glance at Cade, then stopped in front of me. “What is it that you need?”
I handed her the envelope and explained the situation.
Melusine joined us. “I think it’s blood magic.”
Mordaca nodded. “We can figure out what it is, but it won’t come cheap.”
“That’s fine.” I didn’t know where we’d get the money, but we’d manage. We’d been paid a bit by the Protectorate and still had some in our nest egg, but I’d heard about Mordaca and Aerdeca’s insane prices. “Do you take credit cards?”
Cade stepped up beside me. “Cash will do?”
Mordaca grinned at him, suddenly much more interested. “Of course. Six grand, even.”
“I’ll go pick that up and be back in twenty minutes.” He turned to go.
I grabbed his arm, my gaze meeting his. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back.”
He nodded and smiled, but didn’t seem particularly concerned.
As he loped out of the room, another woman stepped through the mirror.
Aerdeca looked roughly as I remembered her—slim and blond, an icy version of her darker sister. Her pajamas were a classic white satin suit style, with her nails painted white to match. A black and white striped old-style doctor’s bag was clutched in her hand.
“What is so important that I’m awake?” Her voice was sweet, but I knew enough not to be fooled.
Only a fool would think she was the sweet one because of her voice and penchant for white.
“A joining spell using blood magic,” Mordaca said. “And I have a feeling I know which spell.”
Aerdeca’s brows rose. “Well that will cost a pretty penny.”
“Indeed.” Mordaca smiled, her blood-red lips gleaming in the light.
“I know just what I’ll buy.” Aerdeca strode over.
“Another white suit that looks like all the rest?” Mordaca said.
“Just because you can’t tell the difference doesn’t mean it’s not there.” She smiled sweetly at her sister. “Elvira.”
I stifled a laugh.
The two of them made a great team, but sniping wasn’t off the table.
Aerdeca set her doctor’s bag on the edge of the round table and pulled out three daggers and an onyx bowl. Her gaze met mine. “We’ll need some of your blood for this.”
Normally, I’d stay the hell away from blood magic. It straddled the line between the dark and the light—the main reason that the sisters ran their shop out of Darklane—and it just seemed creepy in general.
But for Rowan?
I stuck my arm out so fast I almost punched Aerdeca in the stomach.
She raised a brow. “Enthusiastic, I see.”
“I need to save my sister.”
Her gaze softened, and she nodded. “This will pinch just a little.”
Pain flared as she sliced the silver blade over my wrist, then tilted my arm so that blood flowed into the little basin. Once she’d collected a few drops, she handed me a white cloth and gestured to Ana. “You next.”
I stepped back, keeping pressure on the wound, and watched as Aerdeca switched knives and repeated the procedure with Ana. Once she was done, she turned a fresh knife on herself, slicing into her own vein.
“Do you normally do that?” From what I’d heard, a blood sorceress didn’t often use her own blood.
“Rarely.” She held her dripping wrist over the bowl, then passed it over to Mordaca, who made her own contribution.
After Mordaca finished, she dug out two vials of potion—one silver and one blue. She tilted the contents into the bowl while murmuring some words I didn’t recognize. Aerdeca joined her, their voices growing in volume.
Power filled the room, magic sparking across my skin. It tasted of whiskey and sounded like chirping birds. Light glowed from the bowl as Aerdeca added a single one of Rowan’s hairs.
The liquid hissed and fizzled as it received the hair, sputtering in the light. Red smoke rose up, twisting in the air to form an image of a flower with five pointed petals. Liquid seemed to drip from the tips of the petals. Purple smoke formed at the center of the bloom.
Mordaca sighed. “As I thought. The Baeseldox weed.”
Aerdeca set the bowl on the table, and the smoky flower disappeared.
“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing,” Ana said.
Aerdeca frowned. “It may not be. If you can find the weed. It’s the key ingredient in a potion called Capti Maximus. That’s the spell that has enchanted your sister. The antidote is made from the same weed. But there are very few on the planet.”
“There’s even a chance they aren’t blooming right now,” Mordaca said.
Shit. Fear made my stomach turn. “Where do we find the weed?”
“I’ve heard rumors that there is one in Belgium. But just rumors.”
“Can you make the potion if we find the bloom?” Ana’s voice was strained with worry.
“If you find the bloom, you can make the potion,” Mordaca said. “Just boil one flower with a cup of water until it is deep red. Then drink.”
“But it’s finding the bloom that is hard,” Aerdeca said.
“We’ll find it.” We had to. “Do you have any leads at all? Belgium is pretty big if you’re just looking for a flower.”
Aerdeca and Mordaca shared a glance.
“You can go to The Alchemist, a hotel bar in Ghent,” Aerdeca said. “Ask for the Conductor. If the flower actually is in Belgium, he’ll know where. You said this was for your missing sister?”
“Yes. She’s been kidnapped. Missing for five years and we’ve finally found her.”
Aerdeca nodded. “If the Conductor gives you trouble, remind him that he owes us. We’re calling in our favor for the growth potion.”
“For us? Thank you.” My chest warmed. Then my mind caught on to what she’d said. “Growth potion?”
“He’ll know what it means,” Mordaca said. “But dress appropriately. The Alchemist is where the criminal underground mingles. But they do it in style. You’ll need to get past the guards, so look like you belong. And don’t draw attention if you don’t want a fight.”
“Dress appropriately like a criminal?” Ana asked.
“Criminals who wear haute couture, yes.” Aerdeca smiled.
So, a dress. A fancy dress, if I had to guess. Wasn’t that what haute couture meant?
I’d have to borrow one.
Cade arrived at that moment, hesitating in the doorway, likely to make sure he didn’t interrupt any magic. He had an envelope in his hand, no doubt full of cash.
Mordaca’s gaze landed on him, then she gestured between him and me. “You two should go. No large groups. You’d draw too much suspicion”
She was right on that.
Ana scowled. I felt for her. It couldn’t be easy with her magic not yet fully manifested. With Rowan’s life on the line, the stakes were the highest they’d ever been for us.
“Where are we going?” Cade asked.
“Ghent.”
That night, the transport mage Emily gave Cade and me a ride to Ghent so we could conserve our transport charms, which were running precariously low.
I stared up at the fancy hotel made of red brick. “It looks like a giant gothic wedding cake.”
Cade’s gaze moved from the hotel to my dress, a tight black number that I’d borrowed from Caro. “You look beautiful.”
I glanced down at t
he dress and the uncomfortable stilettos and laughed. “Better than my usual boots and leather, I guess.”
“No.” His gaze met mine. “That’s better. But this is nice, too. Though maybe I like it because I can see more of you.”
“So can the world.” I tugged the top up over my boobs, which seemed determined to make an escape by any means necessary. I gave him an up and down, enjoying the sight of him in a tux.
I whistled low. Damn, if he didn’t look good.
He grinned, a devilish smile that indicated he knew just what I was thinking. If this were a date, I’d drag him into a dark corner and kiss the sense out of him.
I shook my head. We were not here for that.
“Let’s do this.” I picked up my small duffel bag full of real clothes—no way I’d stay in this getup longer than I had to—and teetered across the cobblestone street toward the building. “This just reconfirms my admiration for women who can do stuff in heels. That shit is a skill.”
“I’m grateful I’ll never have to know.”
“Benefit of the patriarchy, my friend.”
He grinned and nodded, stashing his duffel back behind a large potted bush. Fortunately, the street was clear so no one could see us. I added mine to his, then straightened and tugged my dress down over my butt.
Cade held out his arm, and I took it, butterflies in my stomach. I might not be comfortable in this dress, but play-acting a date was actually really nice.
We’d have to do this for real one day.
We walked toward the entrance of the hotel—the back entrance, as far as I could tell—and entered the bottom of a fabulous spiral stairwell. The thing was massive, sweeping up several stories. I clung to Cade’s arm as we climbed.
“I vow to practice high heels,” I muttered. “If undercover is part of the job, I need to learn to walk in these things. And maybe kill a demon with the heel.”
“Both valuable skills.”
“Right through the eye. It’d be gruesome, but effective.”
He chuckled. “Agreed.”
We reached the top, and the sound of laughing guests and clinking glassware led us toward the bar on the other side of the lobby.