Touching Evil (The Leila Marx Novels Book 1)

by Amber Garr

  Puzzled, I gave him a skeptical look. “A sock? I don’t know if that’s going to work. If she hasn’t worn it for a while, I may not be able to pick up anything.”

  “That’s what I told him,” grumbled Sherwood.

  “And that’s why I grabbed one more thing, Danny.” Garrick pulled the sock out of my hands and dumped something on to the table. It made a heavy clinking sound before coming to a stop. “This is her watch. I figured it was probably one of the last things she’d take off before going to bed.”

  “You stole her watch?” the other detective and I said in near perfect unison.

  “Garrick, they’ll miss that if it’s on the personal effects list, which I’m sure it is.” Sherwood snatched the watch from the table and examined it more closely. Without hesitation, Garrick grabbed it back and secured it in his fist.

  “I’ll bag and return it as soon as we get back. No one will know.”

  The partners had another testosterone filled stare-off, and that was enough to break my patience. I flung my arm, palm outstretched, across the table.

  “Give it to me.” That was enough to temporarily stop the tension, but Garrick didn’t move. “I actually have to touch it to see if I can get a reading, you know?”

  The anger around his eyes softened. I rolled mine and pushed my arm forward another inch. He dropped the watch into my hand and I instantly felt my ability jump into action.

  I usually had to steady my breathing in order to clear the way for the images to form. But this time was different. This was something similar to what I’d experienced with Russ. Maybe it was because the chaotic event was so close in time to my contact with the object. I didn’t know for sure, but regardless, I was getting a vision.

  First, flashes like a strobe light of her parents, friends, maybe other family members flitted by, all surrounded by a feeling of content. A teenage girl happy with her life? It couldn’t be. The images cleared and I found myself in her perspective. Lights from the outside cast ghost-like shadows across the canopy of her large bed. She was scared. Something woke her up. Someone was in her room. From the doorway, she heard a female voice mumbling. I tried to focus on the words, but if Angela hadn’t understood them, then neither would I.

  The veil covering the side of her bed disappeared and a young man with a dark cap on his head leaned over her face. He told her not to scream or he’d kill her parents. Fear and anguish swept through her body as she tried to keep herself from crying out. The chanting in the corner continued, a constant din in the background. One other person came into view, but he faced away from her while scrutinizing all of the trinkets on her dresser. The man with the cap stood so close to her she smelled his spicy breath when he continued to whisper threats and commands. Without warning, the capped man grabbed her by the throat and yanked her off the bed.

  She struggled to pull his hand away, tears streaming down her face. The chanting stopped and the man turned to yell at the women. The muffled voices consumed Angela, now paralyzed in fear. Her eyes tried to make out her assailant, but in her position, she couldn’t see him. Instead she focused on the man on the opposite side looking through her drawers. As though sensing her interest, the man turned. He sauntered over to her, almost seeming to float. Angela thought she was in a dream because he looked too graceful to be dangerous.

  The chanting began again and the hand shifted uncomfortably on her throat. Through blurred tears and shallow breaths she pleaded with the floating man to let her go. He smiled and wiped the tears away from her eyes…and I stared into the face of Jake Montgomery. My shock almost tore me away from the vision, but not before he told her to sleep and everything went black.

  I dropped the watch and surprised the detectives. Trying to understand what I’d just seen, I began to walk around the picnic table. My head hurt, my heart ached, and I believed Jake Montgomery was a part of Angela’s abduction and possibly part of his own sister’s as well. The chanting in the corner reminded me of my vision from the morgue and of the witches and sorcerers I’d read about. I couldn’t help but think the command that put Angela to sleep was magically induced. I definitely needed to talk to the others, but right now, I had two anxious detectives that were awaiting an explanation.

  “You look really scary when you go into your trance,” Detective Sherwood stated rather rudely.

  “Do you want to know what I saw?” I countered, stalling to figure out how much I wanted to tell them.

  Garrick stood up and cuffed his partner on the arm. “How can your wife stand you?” He walked around Sherwood to stand closer to me. “Please tell us what you saw.”

  I sat back down and waited until they both did the same. It gave me another thirty seconds. Telling them about everything in my vision seemed like the best idea until I thought about the chanting and apparent spell casting. Seeing Jake, especially after my initial impression of him, triggered something in my subconscious and I decided that, for now, I would leave a few details out. I mentally made a plan to talk to the supernatural investigators about all that I envisioned.

  For the next twenty minutes we discussed and dissected my story trying to find hidden clues or develop interpretations of Angela’s feelings. “I can’t tell where she is because she was asleep when they took her,” I said for what must have been the hundredth time.

  “You mean she was knocked out?” Detective Sherwood asked again.

  “No, I mean that she was asleep. They didn’t hit her, she was awake and then asleep.” I rubbed my temples in an attempt to relieve the headache forming behind my eyes. “Maybe she passed out from the choke hold. I don’t know.”

  Garrick pushed himself up and gestured for us to do the same. “Let’s go. I don’t think we’re going to be able to analyze anything else. We should see what’s happening back at the station.”

  He didn’t wait for us to join him before heading toward the car. I got up slowly and patted Detective Sherwood on the shoulder. This was frustrating for him as well and I wanted to let him know that I got it. The action earned me a small grin, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie. Together, we would do what we could to bring Angela home.

  Twelve

  Twenty four hours later I drove to Conner’s house. It surprised me to find that he lived nearby, just south on York Road. Tall, skinny homes lined the streets in rows, more akin to townhouses. Each dwelling had enough room for a small yard and some type of large tree out front.

  Although I knew most of these homes were older, this was one of the “up and coming” neighborhoods targeted for young professionals. The mayor encouraged the project to increase home ownership. By investing in street improvements and offering financial incentives for renovations, it became a successful endeavor. Most of the time, investors purchased these properties, modernized them the best they could, then flipped them at shockingly high prices. Apparently Conner had succumbed to the ploy if he’d just recently moved here.

  With only street parking available, I found a spot across the road and halfway down the block. In the quiet night, heels clicking along the sidewalk, I remembered being here before. Russ and I briefly searched this market, but decided on the condo. Russ wouldn’t have to mow, and I had a gym and a pool as part of the association. The memory of Russ trying to fix a weed whacker at his parent’s house made me smile. He’d nearly sliced off his fingers because he forgot to let go of the trigger when untangling some weeds. I certainly couldn’t risk that again, so we settled for a place where he wouldn’t be responsible for any lawn care.

  Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Mac standing on the porch, watching me approach the house. He jumped off the landing and over the three shallow stairs to pounce in front of me. Startled, I bit back a scream and then I got mad.

  “What’s the deal?” Irritated, I put my hand on my pounding heart in response. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be the scary one.”

  Once I composed myself, I almost had another heart attack when I noticed his outfit. The man cert
ainly was too beautiful for his own good. Tonight he donned an unusual combination of tight black jeans and a gold mesh long-sleeved shirt overlaid on nothing but his bare chest. Even though it was nearly winter, he didn’t seem to be bothered by the colder weather. He stood a few inches higher because of the platform boots, and his hair was stylishly pulled back with a flexible glitter headband.

  “Don’t ever underestimate the fae, dear lady,” he warned and flashed me a wicked smile full of promises and innuendos.

  Waving my hand while gazing up and down his body I asked, “And what exactly are you supposed to be tonight? Did someone forget to tell me it was a costume party?”

  Without warning, he swept me up in a bear hug and twirled around in a circle. His seductive laugh made me shiver and when he kissed me full on the mouth, I froze. He ignored my discomfort and put me back on my feet. “Tonight, I am going to a friend’s party at a club in Fells Point.”

  Running his hands down his near perfect figure he smiled and executed a model-like turn. “Why? What’s wrong with my outfit?” He leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “Is it too conservative?”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “I have a feeling no one would ever call you conservative.” I linked my arm through his and we started walking toward the door. “I didn’t know that they still made clothes like that,” I mumbled more to myself than to Mac.

  “You’d be surprised at what one can accumulate over the years,” he replied, and before I could ask him how long he’s been shopping for outrageous clothes, Conner opened the front door.

  “Look what the cat dragged in,” Mac joked then slipped inside before I could retaliate.

  Shaking my head, I smiled at Conner and caught myself stealing another appreciative glance at his appearance. The dark hair mixed with those blue eyes mesmerized me every time, even if it was just for a moment. He stepped in front of me and closed the door behind him.

  “Leila, before we even start tonight, I want to apologize for not discussing all of this with you sooner. We have to be very careful about what information escapes, and I didn’t know what you were until we met at the restaurant.” He ran his hand through his hair and looked absently down the street. The dramatic pause lasted a number of seconds before he sighed. “I’ve lived a long time.”

  I waited…and waited for him to continue. Finally, he turned to face me and grabbed my hands. He looked into my eyes as he brought both of my hands to his mouth and kissed them lightly. “I’m sorry.”

  Although curious to know how long he’d lived, I could tell he was being sincere in his apology. Perhaps he was old enough to remember the days of chivalry.

  “Look Conner, am I shocked, surprised, and overwhelmed right now? Yes. But is that your fault? No, not necessarily. We just met and you couldn’t have told me about your half demon past in front of Sara and Ben. Although a little warning may have been warranted.” Hesitantly, I removed my hands from his and wrapped them around my torso. “If I’m upset with anyone, it’s Terez. I’ve know her for several years, and not once did she tell me about any of you people.”

  “You people?” he asked with mock disgust.

  I huffed and gave him an annoyed look. “You know what I mean. Other supernaturals.” I glanced at the door where the rest of the group waited. “It’s a little hard to accept the fact that werewolves, vampires, and demons are actually real.” He looked at me with a skeptical glint in his eyes. “Yes, I know that most people don’t believe my talents exist either,” I agreed.

  “You’re cold.”

  “What? I’m being honest here,” I snapped back. He smiled and nodded toward my hands that frantically rubbed up and down my arms.

  “No, you’re cold. Let’s go inside.”

  He opened the door and ushered me through. The heat hit me with a welcoming blast and I stepped aside to let Conner lead me through his house. The entryway had tall ceilings and hardwood floors. Sparse artwork along the hallway highlighted the white walls. We walked halfway down to an opening on the right. The wood floors carried on through to the new room to reveal an open kitchen and comfortable sized sitting area filled with the rest of the group. Once again, I was the last to arrive.

  The quiet rumble of conversations stopped when we walked in. I didn’t know if they were shocked I actually showed up, or if they noticed the way I held onto Conner’s arm. Without my body’s knowledge, I’d grabbed him in support of what I would to face when we rounded the corner.

  Mac sprawled across a large brown leather recliner and winked when he saw my hand on the half demon. I quickly, and probably awkwardly, pulled away from Conner. Moving toward the bay window in the front of the house, I smiled at Elise. She met me part way and gave me a huge hug.

  “I’m so glad that you came,” she beamed. Tilting sideways she looked past me at Leanna. “You owe me twenty bucks, witch.”

  Leanna snorted and sipped her wine as if it were no big deal they bet on my appearance here tonight. Elise was positively chipper, and I noticed that her and her beau matched again. No leather tonight, instead groomed for some type of semi-formal gathering.

  “Why are you two so dressed up?” I asked.

  Her smile stretched from ear to ear. “It’s our anniversary and we have fantastic plans after this meeting.” The last part was directed at the scary vampire sitting on the window ledge. For all of his height and frightening demeanor, I have to say that the man cleaned up well. I smiled at him and looked back down at Elise.

  “Well, congratulations. Perhaps we should get started so you two can get out of here.”

  I turned to see where I could sit. Conner had arranged most of his furniture into a semicircle around an oversized glass coffee table. Leanna planted herself on one of the dining room chairs, and although dressed casually, she still held herself like a debutant. And she still looked unhappy to be here.

  Next to her was the sorcerer, Atticus. He left the cowboy getup at home tonight, and wore a business suit complete with a tie and shiny shoes. I’d have to find out what he did for his day job. Mac nestled in the recliner, Elise and Gallus in the window seat, and Terez, whom I hadn’t acknowledged yet, sat in a black leather desk chair. Without hesitation, I walked to her and gave her a quick hug. Although still a little upset that she hid things from me, I couldn’t stay mad.

  “Hi Terez. Surprised to see me?” I teased.

  The old lady laughed and squeezed my hand. “What do you think?”

  Her wide smile showed how relived she felt that I wasn’t angry with her, and that I hadn’t packed my bags and fled. The matching leather couch was the only spot with empty seats. The cambion and the werewolf remained on the other side of the room, watching our interactions. It surprised me to see King standing so close to Conner, considering how he stayed far away from everyone the other night. I thought it a little odd, but then again, my definition of odd had changed quite a bit in the past two days.

  I made my way around the table to sit on the couch. As soon as I hit the upholstery, Conner and King took their seats. If I was astonished before, I was in total shock when King settled down into the couch right next to me, with Conner on the opposite end. I guess I didn’t smell too bad tonight.

  Terez began the meeting by thanking Conner for the use of his house and a promise to keep it short and sweet. “I’d like to pick up where we left off. Atticus, can you please tell us what you know.”

  As one, we all turned our attention to the sorcerer. I would have wilted under the scrutinizing stares and unspoken questions as public speaking was not my forte. But Atticus straightened up and began telling his story without wavering.

  “As I planned to inform you the other night,” he directed the comment at me, “I think I may know the motive for these kidnappings thanks to Leila’s vision at the morgue.” Now he really had my interest. I looked surprisingly at Terez, who made a point not to make eye contact. “Rumors have been flying around The Order. The sorcerer’s version of a coven,” he explained to me. “A few of
our members seem to be very interested in the dark arts lately.”

  Leanna tensed and her eyes widened at Atticus. “No,” she gasped. “You can’t mean what I think you do.”

  The two magic users stared at each other for a long time, having some type of silent conversation.

  “Would you two stop making lovey-dovey eyes at each other and explain what’s going on here?” Mac chided. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees in a more attentive position. Gallus grunted in agreement which earned him a scowl from Leanna.

  Atticus glanced quickly at Conner. I turned to see that he’d pushed himself into the far corner of the couch as though wishing he could disappear. The sorcerer continued.

  “I think they’re trying to summon a demon.” We all sat in shocked silence until Conner tried to speak. It took him two tries before he got enough sound out.

  “Which one?”

  Again, Atticus briefly glanced at him before returning his attention to his shoes. “Asmodeus,” he answered grimly.

  Several people reacted in shock at this name. Conner’s usually stoic demeanor shattered. I watched him pale and tremble as he absorbed this information. I didn’t know who this demon was, but apparently he was bad news.

  Conner jumped up, walked into the kitchen, and stared out the window over the sink. Without thinking, I began to stand. For some reason I wanted to go comfort him. Before I could make much of a move, King gently placed his hand on my leg and shook his head, warning me not to go after him. I didn’t think anyone noticed our exchange, but I stayed still nonetheless. He was better at sensing emotions.

  Leanna spoke first. “Atticus, that is impossible.” Her voice climbed higher and sounded less composed than usual. “They cannot summon that demon without using witch magic too, and besides, they wouldn’t be able to keep him in this world for very long outside of a circle.” Her last statement seemed more like a question, asking if this was possible.