Touching Evil (The Leila Marx Novels Book 1)

by Amber Garr

  Gallus lost his grip, so he slammed the wolf into the floor, put a knee across King’s ribs and effectively pinned him to the ground. It reminded me of the dog training shows- hold him down until he submits. The deep cuts on Gallus began to heal while he held the wolf still. King made a few attempts to shake him off, but they were only half-hearted at best.

  Once King’s breathing slowed, Gallus let him go. The wolf snapped in his direction then sauntered off to Mac at the opposite end of the table. He huffed at us all and lay down with a move so dog-like it made me nostalgic for my childhood. That’s where I’d recognized the sound from earlier.

  Conner and Atticus continued their discussions and I quickly realized I should be paying more attention. Atticus pointed at me.

  “She can do it, that’s how! All she has to do is touch him and then we’ll know if he has anything else to say.” Oh no. What did they want me to do?

  Conner’s human appearance returned but the anger hadn’t dissipated. “She can’t do that. It’s doesn’t work that way.”

  “No? Well let’s ask her then.” Both men looked expectantly at me and I stared back.

  “What?” I screeched. “What do you want me to do?”

  Conner started to answer but Atticus cut him off. “We want you to do a reading on him, Leila. Tell us what he’s hiding.”

  I gawked at the sorcerer. When he didn’t react, I looked around the rest of the room only to find anxious faces staring back. Elise hid next to Mac, and I was slightly disappointed to see her so hopeful as well. Only Leanna didn’t seem fazed by Atticus’s suggestion. Her attention focused on Jake and she began rubbing some type of mud-like substance over his arm. She spoke softly to him, tending to his injuries and comforting his fears. Jake was still out cold, blissfully unaware of the discussion surrounding him.

  “You are all crazy. I can’t do that!”

  “Yes you can. You’re a touch clairvoyant. So…” Atticus waved his hand flippantly toward Jake, “…touch him.”

  Conner shrugged his shoulders when I looked at him for support. Within the last few minutes, my attraction to him had turned first to fear and then to betrayal. He wouldn’t discourage Atticus. But I still had an out.

  “Where’s Terez? She can do things like that, not me. She’s much more skilled and much more talented.” I rotated full circle again to search the room for my mentor. Of all the times I needed someone, I needed her now more than ever. And she wasn’t here.

  Atticus stepped closer to me with a look of determination. “You’re good enough. Now go over there and do your thing!”

  He started to reach for me and when I instinctively backed up, I tripped over a large wolf. King moved to stand beside me, and before Atticus took that last step, he jumped between us. He didn’t growl or snarl or snap. His presence alone was enough of a threat for Atticus to back down.

  The door from the shop opened and closed with a loud bang. Tiny clicks of heels echoed in the pending silence until Terez could view the entire room.

  “Well, I guess I missed all of the fun now didn’t I?” She joked then directed her attention to our battered hostage. “Would someone mind telling me what’s going on here?”

  Mac gave her a quick summary and ended it with Atticus’s demand that I use my gifts on Jake. Terez walked over to me and gave me a small hug.

  “That won’t be necessary sweetie. I’ve solved the puzzle,” she proclaimed with an air of satisfaction.

  No one spoke for a few seconds until Conner jumped in. “You mean you know what the note means?” Apparently Conner had decided to share our private conversation with Terez.

  “Yes, I know what the note means. And we don’t need Leila for this,” she rotated her head to the other side of the room with a smile. “We need Elise.”

  Nineteen

  “Me?” Elise questioned with surprise. “But what would I have to do with any of this.” She emphasized that last statement with a wave around the room.

  “Why don’t we all sit down and I’ll explain.” Terez looked over at Jake. “Someone needs to get him out of here. Is he alive?”

  Leanna stood and primped her clothes back into place. “Yes. It was a knock out spell.” Her eyes found Conner and King. “Atticus had to save him from a few people in this room.”

  Conner didn’t make any attempt to argue and King moved back to his spot on the floor like he could care less. Terez took a moment to absorb the tension in the room before continuing.

  “I see. Well, why don’t you and Atticus take Jake home?” Then as an afterthought, she added, “But clean him up first.”

  I was more than a little surprised at Terez’s nonchalant attitude about torture. Maybe they could magically heal his wounds, but someone had still tortured him. Someone whom I’d hoped could be a part of my life. But seeing Conner so angry and so evil completely eradicated all such thoughts from my mind. And the rest of the group hadn’t acted any better, standing around observing and not stepping in. I felt like I was the only one who had any semblance of a conscience.

  “Leila, please sit,” Terez said, interrupting my internal dialogue. “We have much to discuss.”

  The remaining six of us found a seat at the large table while King stayed perched on the floor between Conner and me. I didn’t know who he was protecting at the moment, so I tried to ignore his presence the best I could. Elise sat at the head of the table with Gallus close to her side. They had been wearing matching outfits again, until King tore through most of Gallus’ top. He only had his pants on now, and the dried blood was all that remained of the deep gashes. The couple wore brown suede clothing with intricate beading highlighting the seams. One of these days I’d ask where they shopped.

  “Terez, would you care to enlighten us now?” asked Mac who still seemed off. Maybe he wasn’t into the torturing either.

  Terez looked calmly around the room to make sure she had our full attention. “I’ve been able to decode Jake’s note.” Smiling demurely she added, “Well, maybe decode is not the proper term. That sounds too…espionage-like. I simply figured out what he tried to say. You see, I worked with a few of my police sources and together we determined the purpose.”

  I stared at her like a total stranger, and wondered who in the department she had contact with. The rest of the crowed watched with anticipation. Well, except for one person.

  “I’m not getting any younger over here,” griped Mac.

  “And neither am I, dear fae,” she replied without a hint of sympathy. “The words on the note were an address. They identify a cemetery and a specific gravesite in Baltimore.”

  No one responded. Due to my lack of magical experience, I didn’t fully understand how a grave would help us find a kidnapped girl. Unless…oh no! Was she buried there? It made sense. After all, Jake had been involved in her abduction. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so sympathetic for Jake and amended my views on torture.

  “Let me go get my bag,” Elise said, ending the silence. I hadn’t noticed, but all eyes were on her. She hurriedly walked out of the room with Gallus on her heels. It took me a second before I understood that we needed Elise as a medium, not because the gravesite was the final resting spot for Angela. At least that’s what I hoped. I felt morbidly confident that Jake wouldn’t lead us to her body that easily.

  I examined the remaining supernaturals in the room. Mac pouted across from me, and appeared upset and disconnected from the current situation. It was so unlike him that I made a mental note to question him myself once we were done in here. Conner’s features morphed back to harmless human, and although I could tell he tried to make eye contact with me, I purposely avoided looking in his direction.

  A loud screech of a chair startled me. The table shook and a wolf jumped up onto the other end. I guess no one ever told him it’s not polite to crawl on a table. He shook his entire body from head to tail, pulled his hind quarters back in a full body stretch, then plunked down. His golden eyes peered into mine as he settled himself. The two front p
aws crossed in a way that appeared more graceful than unusual, and when he laid his head on them, he sighed with satisfaction. Or maybe indifference.

  I reached my hand toward him in an automatic reaction. Upon seeing me do this, he wiggled closer and pushed the top of his head into my palm. I brushed his soft fur in slow motions and before long, his eyes closed in content. It’s a big dog, I told myself. And for a few moments, I could believe that to be true.

  Elise and Gallus marched back into the room. An undersized old-fashioned doctor’s bag dangled in Elise’s hands. Made of aged leather, it had two small handles and a tension opening with a gold clasp. I felt pretty sure they didn’t make those anymore, so I wondered if this was a family heirloom. She dropped it onto the table on the opposite end from King.

  “Okay. I don’t know if this is going to work, but perhaps with all of the magic and supernaturals in here tonight, we’ll get lucky.” Her voice had taken on a professional tone and I became instantly drawn into her show. “Just let me get set up.”

  The bag opened with a snap and she began to pull out several objects. The first was a candle wrapped in black velvet. The large red cylinder must have consumed most of the space in the bag. She smoothed the velvet piece out on the table and placed the candle in the center directly in front of her. Next, she pulled out some type of dried herb that may have been sage, but really it could have been anything- I was no expert. Surprisingly, the only other object she collected was a lighter and after placing the bag on the floor, she lit the candle and the dried plant material.

  Taking a deep breath in, she closed her eyes. I found myself doing the same although I couldn’t keep them closed for very long in fear that I would miss my first séance ever. She stayed in this trancelike stage for several minutes. Slowly breathing in and out, hardly moving at all. When she began to speak, it was quickly evident to me that she wasn’t talking to anyone in the room.

  “Thank you for coming.” Pause. “Yes, I need your guidance tonight.” She shook her head. “Not going to happen no matter how many times you ask.”

  The one-way conversation proved difficult to follow, but I think we understood well enough. Apparently she was asking someone for help. I remember she spoke about the spirit guides in the cemetery, so I assumed that one of them was the object of her exchange.

  “No, I don’t have a name,” she explained to the empty space above the table.

  “Miranda Jefferson,” Terez interrupted. Elise looked over sharply at her and then gave a curt nod.

  “You heard her. Miranda Jefferson. Buried at Louden Cemetery, section 15, plot 84.” There was another pregnant pause. “No I don’t have a date.” But she looked questionably at Terez who shook her head. “No. No date of death.”

  Another pause. Elise rolled her eyes in frustration. “Can you help me or not?” She quickly turned to look behind Gallus who stood at her side. “George,” she said in disgust. “I’m not having this conversation again. You’re dead, he’s not. End of discussion.”

  Gallus looked over his shoulders uneasily as Elise continued arguing with the spirit. “He’s not dead dead.” She faced the candle again and snapped, “Well, at least he has a body.”

  Distracted by the unusual conversation, I didn’t notice the change in temperature. The air felt chilled and I swear the more they argued, the colder it got. I tried to discretely put on my sweater but attracted the ghost’s attention with my movement.

  “George, get out of her face. That’s rude,” Elise scolded him. What? He was in front of my face. I stopped moving which, it seemed, was also the wrong reaction.

  “You’re not scaring her, George. She’s just cold.” A pause followed by an exasperated sigh. “Look, if you don’t quit playing around, I’m going to find Noel.” She jerked back a little as though something, or someone, had invaded her personal space. “Oh, yes I will. Don’t test me.”

  Another round of silence stretched a bit longer. Then finally, George must have agreed because she thanked him and sat down in the chair. “Sorry about that everyone. George is one of my best, but he’s obsessed with tormenting me. We always have to play this game before he’ll agree to do what I know he’s going to do anyway.”

  I wasn’t sure if we could speak, but I had to ask. “What is he going to do?”

  She smiled at me then rubbed her forehead. “He’ll try to find Miranda Jefferson. If she’s still in his realm, he can bring her to me. He’s one of my guides.”

  “Is he trapped here…or there…or wherever?” I felt so out of my element.

  “Yeah, pretty much. George wasn’t such a peach in his real life, so now he’s stuck in limbo. Although, if you ask him, he’ll tell you that it’s paradise.” She laughed quietly. “I think he tries to make it sound enticing so that I’ll join him.”

  “That’s exactly what he wants,” interrupted Gallus under his breath. Elise shot him a look. “What?” he continued. “That phantom is obnoxious, annoying, and completely disrespectful of you and what you can do to him.”

  Before I could ask exactly what he meant, Elise’s head snapped up. “George? That was quick. Did you find her?” Her expression changed from hopeful to satisfied before my eyes. She looked at all of us. “She’s coming.”

  I don’t really know what I expected to happen. Maybe a slight breeze, maybe a box flying off the shelf. But what I didn’t expect was to actually see a ghost. Despite Elise probably saw them all of the time, I guessed that this was a new experience for most of us in the room. The ghost’s semi-transparent form grew into a corporeal being.

  King sat up and pulled his lip back in a silent snarl. Mac and Conner sat at attention in their chairs with their eyes focused on the spirit. Gallus had his hand on his hip as though reaching for a sword, surely a habit from centuries ago. Terez was the only one who seemed at ease. She had her hands crossed in her lap, admiring the women hovering over the candle.

  Elise stood and bowed her head in acknowledgement. “Miranda Jefferson, thank you for coming.” She smiled up at the ghost and seemed to be unfazed by her appearance. The young women could not have been more than twenty and wore a modern lavender dress with cap sleeves and a lengthy, flowing skirt. Her long black hair curled over her shoulders and arms as though styled by a professional. I would have thought her beautiful, were it not for the sunken, dried skin and abnormally withered appendages.

  Miranda slowly turned to assess each of us in the room. I noticed a small reaction from the men, but when she got to me, I was surprised at how calm they’d been. Miranda’s face looked barely recognizable anymore. Small features overshadowed by leathery skin, she resembled a mummified corpse. The skeletal structure clearly visible, her mouth and eyes no more than gaping holes.

  King dropped his head to avoid the sight before us. I wanted to do the same, but felt like I owed this woman some type of respect. Terez continued smiling and tilted her head toward Miranda before her attention focused back on Elise.

  “Miranda, you will be able to speak to me either verbally or mentally, whichever you choose.” Elise waited until the ghost acknowledged her and then continued. “We were given your name by a sorcerer. By someone who thought that you may be able to help us.”

  Immediately, Miranda’s shriveled hands and arms flailed around in anger. She wasn’t speaking out loud, but her distress was obvious.

  “No, he’s not here right now,” Elise answered her silent question. The ghost continued to thrash.

  “Calm down, Miranda. No one can hurt you now.” Elise’s energy calmed and Miranda responded instantly, almost like a puppet. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  A noise sounding like a falcon’s screech erupted from Miranda’s mouth area. Her head tilted up toward the ceiling and she hissed one word.

  “Deeemmmooonnn.”

  At a signal I didn’t see, she dropped to her hands and knees in front of Conner. Her eyeless pits dancing inches from his face, but he didn’t move. She sniffed him several times then returned to her standin
g position in a blink. In a perfectly clear and perfectly human voice she said, “Demon like him. And magic like sorcerer.”

  Like a sorcerer or like the sorcerer? Was she referring to Jake? I hoped Elise would ask, but instead she changed the subject.

  “When did you die?”

  Miranda pondered this for a while and I wondered if we were losing her. Well, if it even works that way. The chill in the air had returned and I guessed there was a certain insufferable ghost hovering near me.

  “This year. Winter. Snow. Death in circle.” Her voice started to sound animal-like again and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

  Elise stared at Conner. Not in an unfriendly manner but kind of like they, too, were having a silent conversation. Miranda’s attention focused now on Mac and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She pushed her hair over her right shoulder with her nub of a hand and tried to straighten her dress. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed she was flirting with him.

  “How do you know about demons and sorcerers?” Elise asked. Her voice held a tone that demanded an answer. Or maybe she was just trying to rescue Mac.

  Miranda’s head twisted back so suddenly, that it didn’t stop at Elise. Instead, her head rotated far beyond the normal range until she stared at me. It was enough to make me practically lose my nerve and my lunch, but I refused to be the weak link. She used her left hand to push her head into the correct position and snapped at Elise.

  “I am coven, not human.”

  Perhaps if I hadn’t been so distracted by the exorcist sideshow, I would have realized what she implied sooner. She had been a witch. And she looked like the victims in the police photos. Like Erin Montgomery. And a demon had killed her. And witches and sorcerers were working together to summon demons in Baltimore.