by Multiple
I doubled over, dry heaving. Naturally, the vampire clique near the Da Vinci had a laugh at my expense.
“Never would have pegged you as an O negative fan, necro,” Darius said with a chuckle, clapping me on the shoulder.
I turned toward him, embarrassment and anger coloring my face. I could have stayed at home in bed and had an equally productive night.
Darius reached out and swiped a bit of blood from my chin, suckling his finger. “I think the tang of necro really makes it pop.”
“I could put the insides of your body on your outside, fanger,” I said hotly, clutching my pentagram.
Darius let out a melodic laugh, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously. “That would be positively delicious! I hope I’d be on the mend so I could hear the charge of using magic against an unarmed supernatural tacked on to the murder of several mortals and exposing the supernatural world.”
My eyes went wide. “How did you-”
Darius licked his lips. “Everyone loves a good Trial.”
Consequences be damned, I was gonna wipe the self-satisfied smirk from his face. “Ego ver mmph!” Jack covered my mouth with his hand, jerking me toward the exit.
“Give Athanasia my regards,” he said over his shoulder. Once we were out of the building, I sank my teeth deep into his palm.
He removed it promptly but kept his arm around my shoulder. “I thought you had your fill of blood for the evening.”
I extricated myself, blowing steam from my nose. “Laugh it up, Jack. It’s not like my life hangs in the balance or anything.”
“Barius will keep an eye out for us,” Jack squeezed my shoulder. “Just relax.”
“Relax?” I repeated. “Relax?! What don’t you get about my Trial happening any minute now? What’s not clicking about the huge risk you took by swapping your blood as payment for ZERO information?!?”
Jack stopped, his eyes cold. “I know it’s been awhile, but if I remember correctly, it’s customary for people to be grateful when someone sticks their neck out for them.”
I continued toward the car, my kitten heels crunching on the gravel. “Gratitude isn’t the point, Jack. The point is-”
“Shut up!” he thundered, turning and looking around in the darkness. The world around us was dead silent…not even a zip of a car on Blue Ridge road.
Usually I’d give him an earful about how a simple “could you please lower your voice?” would have done the trick, but something about the way his green eyes darted back and forth and the snarl on his lips told me now wasn’t the time for a lesson in manners. There was someone, something in the dark.
I swallowed, clutching my pentacle as a howl erupted right next to me. Before I could even blink, Jack was on the assailant. I heard a series of snaps and yelps as they went at it. I backed up to the car and with trembling lips muttered an illumination spell.
A dull glow emanated from the frenzied mass in front of me. Jack was feral, his face wild as he tussled with a dog. No, not a dog…it was too big, too agile.
“Were,” I whispered, my pulse racing faster than the speed of light. I saw the thing take hold of Jack’s shoulder and sink his teeth deep in the cartilage. Jack said a few curse words in a foreign language then lunged back into the fight.
I dumped the contents of my purse onto the grass beside me, shining the light from my pentagram on the mess. If I could find my emerga-kit, I could maybe at least distract the were so Jack could get the upper hand.
I gasped as a pair of blood red stilettos stopped in front of me. Athanasia.
“Don’t even think about it, necromancer.”
“Thank god,” I breathed exhaustedly. “You have to help-” A shrill whistle cut through my pleas. A whistle that came from Athanasia’s lips. The were gave Jack one last nip then pulled back. Jack wasn’t done though – he grabbed the thing’s broad snout and pried its mouth open.
“JACQUES!” Athanasia thundered, her voice rattling the ground we stood on. “Enough.”
With a frustrated growl, Jack pulled back, his eyes full of quiet fury.
“Werewolves,” Athanasia said with an eye roll. “I told you to separate the Moor girl from Jacques, did I not? I gave no instructions to engage my progeny.”
The were snapped his snout shut, shaking his fur with irritation.
“You’re behind this?” I said with disbelief. “What’s going on here?” I shielded my eyes as the were changed back to human form, his muscular skin glimmering in the moonlight. He bowed his head to Athanasia then bowed down on one knee as someone stepped out of the dark. Someone I never thought I’d see again.
“Holy crap,” I whispered. “Riley?”
Before I could wipe my eyes or pinch myself, everything went black.
Chapter Seventeen
Blast From the Past
There was that taste again. Thick, coppery sliminess that made my stomach lurch. At least it was my own.
My eyes fluttered open. I was in a bedroom. A nice one actually. Picasso hung on the walls. A poster bed sat in the middle, covered in expensive comforter and pillows. The window coverings were a deep mahogany, the early morning rays filtering in and making everything glitter and shine. Hell, even the chair I was tied to was ornate, my hands wrapped around mahogany rests.
Someone was smart. My purse was nowhere to be found and a nice thick layer of duct tape kept me from reciting or screaming my head off. And boy, did I want to scream – I was pretty sure I was bleeding from when Athanasia punched me in the head, I had no idea where I was or what that bitch was doing to Jack, and then there was blast from my past. Riley Carpenter.
Almost on cue, the door to the bedroom opened and he breezed in. He still had the same cocky jaunt, his hard, firm body confidently moving across the room. The last time I saw him he wore his dark black hair long, falling past his shoulders. It was short now, military style. It accentuated his strong, attractive face.
He flashed me a weary smile. “Hi Jade.”
“Hlvj Jaooya? Oi ciado yuo!” I mumbled through the tape.
“I’ll take that as an ‘I’m happy to see you’.” He replied, pulling a chair up in front of me.
I scoffed.
“Sorry about Quentin,” Riley continued. “A vamp turned some girl he was screwing so he kind of loses his shit around their kind.”
Silence.
“Oh, and I’m sorry about-” he gestured at my bindings. “All of this. To be fair, you did tell me if you ever saw me again you’d transfigure my balls onto my face.”
More silence.
“I’ll gladly take the duct tape off if you promise to not cast any spells on me or my pack until you hear my proposition.” I was considering agreeing then transfiguring him anyway, but there was something in his eyes that gave me pause. Something desperate.
I gave him a nod.
“Awesome,” he said with a sigh of relief. He stepped forward tentatively and pulled off the tape as gently as he could.
I worked my mouth, loosening my muscles. “You son of a bitch.”
“I know,” he said gravely. “I am.”
“After what you did, what gives you the right to proposition me? Ever?”
I closed my eyes as a flood of emotions came rushing back. Excitement, optimism, love, fascination. Riley was the first supernatural I met after my awakening, when my magical ability was fully realized.
I was sixteen and spending the summer in the boondocks with my mother. I’d snuck out to Greenville to party with an old friend’s sister who went to East Carolina. I hadn’t known then that Riley was a were, but I could tell there was something different – something about his aura. When he changed form for me, I’d been terrified and heartbreakingly optimistic. I was different, guys had always been put off by me. But Riley was different too…and when he said three words, I was sold. I was going to become his mate and we’d have a battalion of half-breed babies.
I was so naïve. A few days before the end of summer vacation, Riley fell off the grid. I we
nt back to New York without even telling him goodbye. I found out later that he imprinted on another female were and they were to be married.
Riley ran a hand over his buzzed hair. “I should have told you. Or said goodbye at least.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” I said acidly. “You think you can just breeze in and out of my life? All bets are off. I’m in big enough trouble anyway…oath breaker is the least of my worries.” I looked at the ceiling. “I lacked imagination back then. I bet you’d have trouble screwing people over if you had a dick for lips. Allora iseia-”
“Wait,” he interrupted. “Just-” he clenched his fists, fighting to keep his composure. “I know I have no right, but just hear me out.”
I closed my mouth and stared at him with death in my eyes.
“My mate,” he began. “My partner, Arrissa, she, uh, died a few weeks ago.”
I cleared my throat. While I’d wished a whole lotta ill on Riley, I never blamed the other girl. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks Jay.”
“Jade,” I corrected hotly.
“Right,” he nodded, pushing out of his chair. “Natural causes supposedly.” He paced the room back and forth. “I know it’s not your problem, but my dad’s real sick and Mom-”
“I heard,” I cut in. “I’m sorry about your parents.”
He nodded again then turned to look at me wearily. “My whole life, I wanted to be leader of the pack. But the costs-” He stopped, clearing his throat. “Anyway, her mother, Arrissa’s, holds a lot of pull with the pack. Her mate was one of the original weres.”
“Okay,” I said with a raised eyebrow. I was a witch. A wanted witch. Were politics was not my concern.
“Her mom wants me to find out, from Arrissa, if it was natural or if, uh, something was at play.”
“Something else like what?”
“Murder,” he answered solemnly.
I looked at him with disbelief. “I don’t have time for this drama, Riley. I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
“Uh huh.”
“And The Records are filled with plenty of necromancers who would love to help.”
His gaze settled on me. His dark opals used to set me on fire. Now they were just infuriating.
“I don’t want just anyone,” he said adamantly. “I want you.”
I let out an agitated sigh. “Even if I wanted to help, like say, if you would have asked me like a normal person instead of kidnapping me, I can’t because-”
“You’re on probation?” he finished. “It’s been taken care of. You have clearance to do this.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Does it have something to do with your all powerful fanger bff?”
He shrugged. “The how’s not important.”
I leaned forward, as close to him as I could with my restraints. “If Athanasia harms one hair on Jack’s head, I’ll stake her myself. Then I’m coming for you.”
His face softened then, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “The rumors ARE true then. You’re pretty serious with the fanger, huh?”
“None of your business.”
“He eats people, you know.”
“Yeah, but somehow he manages to not fall off the grid for several years, punch me in the face, or kidnap me.”
“I didn’t punch you in the face.”
“You might as well have,” I said stubbornly. “Clearance or not, I don’t respond well to gunpoint summonings. Find another necromancer.”
Riley crossed his arms, his face going hard. “I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice.”
“What? You gonna torture me ‘til I say yes?”
“I don’t need to torture you,” he answered icily. “I know you, Jay. You’re hotheaded, stubborn, and a pain in the ass…but you’re no murderer. The Watchers, however, don’t know you. Once they come looking for you for Trial and you’re nowhere to be found, you may as well tie yourself to a stake. My compound is pretty tightly enchanted. If they were patient, they could probably break through and locate you, but if I recall correctly, they’re not.”
I gulped.
“A summoning will take what, 30 minutes? Then you can go back to your business of hating me and trying to clear your name.”
I sank into the seat as my heart sank to the soles of my feet. I hated Riley with the passion of a thousand suns, but he was right. I really had no choice.
“You’re a bastard, you know that?” I said pathetically, giving up. “Grab a pen and paper. I’m going to need supplies.”
Chapter Eighteen
Shotgun Summoning
I tried to take solace in the fact that I was at least untied. I could wiggle my toes, fingers, and nose. Although escape was far from an option since Riley had two of his beefy packmates stationed outside the room, it was nice to be able to move about freely. But it didn’t make what was to come any easier to swallow. I had to do a summoning, on a crescent night, in a room that reeked of bad juju. Oh, and besides having to deal with Riley, I had to deal with Arrissa’s mother, Lynda, who was touching all of my summoning materials.
I turned to Riley, my jaw set. “When I agreed to help you, I said I’d allow her mother to observe as long as she didn’t disrupt anything.”
“Lynda…” Riley began warily.
“I’m just excited is all!” Lynda exclaimed, her southern drawl oozing. That wasn’t the only thing that oozed. She wore an expensive Juicy jumpsuit paired with stilettos with spikes for heels. Her blonde hair was obviously a dye job, glowing fluorescently in the dim light of the candles. She might’ve been pretty decades ago, but botox and other cosmetic delights had turned her into a Joan Rivers lookalike. Her outfit and makeup obviously took hours. What kind of grieving mother gets all dolled up for her freshly dead daughter’s summoning? Where was the tear-streaked face, the shabby clothes, and the bird nest of hair?
“I need you to back up several feet,” I ordered her. “Riley and I are about to begin.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m not some country bumpkin, necromancer.” She walked over to where her designer bag sat and pulled out a ziplock bag. “I brought some personal stuff. And I’m her mother, I should make the circle.”
From the amused look Riley gave me, I gleaned that she was pretty much ‘mother’ in name only. “Do you want to-” I cocked my head in her direction, hoping he’d be the one to tell her why.
“Nah,” he said with a smirk. “You’re the witch, you should tell her.”
Lynda’s ice gray eyes set on me.
I cleared my throat, tucking a curly strand behind my ear. “Er, uh…” I swallowed. “Mrs. Carter, Riley is creating the circle because it’s best to use a bond between-” I paused. “A husband and a wife. The bond between lovers.” While Mrs. Carter was pretty annoying, I wasn’t just telling her this to get her out of the way. The bond between a mother and her offspring worked if the ghost was a child or a virgin. Otherwise, I could say every Latin word in creation to no avail.
I braced myself for a temper tantrum to rule all temper tantrums, but it didn’t come. Mrs. Carter just rolled her eyes and strutted to an armchair, sinking into it with a sigh. “Let’s get going. I ain’t getting any younger.”
The room went quiet as I walked over to the grocery bag and tossed Riley a can of salt. I pulled out the studded dog collar next, a tiny bell fastened to the side. Someone had a sense of humor.
I gave Riley a solemn nod. “Let’s begin.”
I walked slowly, clockwise in a circle.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
I could hear the sound of the falling salt as Riley created the circle. When it was complete, I took a step back and said the incantation. A silver wisp appeared, gyrating and weaving before giving way to the ghost of Riley’s wife.
Lynda gasped, pushing out of the chair. She took several haggard steps forward, not wanting to believe what was before her eyes. For all her talk of experience, it was clear this was her first summoning. “She’s still beautiful!”
; Arrissa Carter stood in the middle of the circle. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. When I’d come across their wedding announcement all those years ago, I’d hoped to find someone homely. But the girl I’d seen beside Riley was classically beautiful…slender, fair skinned, golden haired with ice blue eyes. To top it off, she had graduated top of her class and had plans to study teaching at ECU. The All-American dream.
Even in death she was gorgeous, her short blonde hair hanging in a curly halo around her peaceful face. Well, peaceful until she realized she was standing in the middle of the circle, summoned from her sleep.
I’d been trained to view the ghosts as objects, to create distance. But even though I’d just met Riley’s wife, I knew she was more than just a ghost. She was Arrissa.
“Riley? Mom?” she said, her eyes widening. “What have you two done?”
“Don’t get hysterical,” her mom said, prancing up to the line. “We just-”
“That’s close enough,” I snapped, shooting her mom the evil eye.
Arrissa’s eyes set on me. “You called me here, necromancer?”
I felt the power from her words and put up a shield, standing my ground. “I summoned you, yes. But at the request of your husband.”
Riley reddened, coughing as he took a step forward. “Hey babe.”
“What can I do for you, Ri?” she said in a businesslike manner.
“It’s about the accident,” he answered. “Your mom and I wanted to talk to you about it.”
She shrugged her perfect shoulders. “What is there to talk about? An aneurysm is pretty open and shut.”
Her mother clapped a hand to her mouth in horror.
Arrissa looked at Riley and me with a look of confusion. “Did I say something wrong?”
Riley ran a hand over his head, his eyes on her. “You had a stroke, honey. From a blood clot after your foot surgery?”