Shadow Hunted: an Urban Fantasy Novel (Shadows of Salem Book 3)

by Jasmine Walt

  “Stop.”

  I jerked at the sound of Darun’s voice in my head. What the hell? Where had he come from? Looking up, I saw him standing at the perimeter of the circle, his yellow eyes blazing.

  “You’ve taken enough,” he told me. “Stop, before it’s too late. You’ll sicken yourself with that much power.”

  Dammit. He was right. Panting, I turned my attention back to Darcia, then yanked on the connection that bound us together. It wouldn’t budge at first, but I gritted my teeth and bore down, yanking against it with all my might. The connection severed, and the glow surrounding us winked out instantly.

  Power blazed beneath my skin, hot and heavy and crying out for an outlet. But it wasn’t as bad as it had been the last time I’d done this. I hadn’t overloaded myself. Thank God.

  Suddenly disgusted with my behavior, I scrambled away from Darcia. The crowd was utterly silent, and I knew they were staring at their former coven mistress in horror. No longer was she the beautiful, ageless witch who’d ruled them—the woman lying on the ground looked about sixty-five, haggard and frail. She still had some of her power, but it wasn’t near what she’d possessed before. Certainly not enough to keep her position. Any of the other witches here could beat her now.

  But they couldn’t beat me. I was stronger than them all, and now they knew it. Slowly, I rose to my feet and met every one of their gazes. Thelia’s face was pale with shock and anger, and Laura looked like she was about to faint. Carina’s lips were pressed together, but her eyes blazed with something like satisfaction—she was happy to see Darcia brought low, even if she didn’t like that I was the one who’d done it.

  “It has been decided,” Thomas said gravely. He broke the circle with a sweep of his foot, and the magic glow died away as he stood by my side and raised my hand. “I hereby proclaim Brooke Chandler the new Mistress of the Daire Coven!”

  “This is ridiculous!” Thelia protested, color rushing back into her cheeks as her eyes blazed with outrage. “Brooke Chandler hasn’t even gone through a witch apprenticeship. She can’t possibly be qualified to lead us as coven mistress!”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Thomas said firmly. “She defeated Darcia. By our laws, that makes her the next coven mistress.” His eyes swept the crowd. “Unless anyone here wishes to challenge the new mistress?”

  There were a few mutters, but nobody came forward, and that gave me a huge boost of confidence. There was nobody here who wanted to risk it, and unless they all decided to gang up on me at once, there was no way they would win. As if summoned by the very thought, Darun immediately pushed his body in front of me and snarled at the others. The crowd backed up several steps, including Thelia.

  “Well, then,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “Guess that makes me the new coven mistress. And my first act is to call off the ritual. We’re not opening up that channel, guys.” I shook my head. “Sorry.”

  There was a loud outcry at this, and Laura and Marion actually turned around and angrily walked off, along with a few others. Thelia collected Darcia off the ground, though they had to walk more slowly because of her condition. Carina, however, stepped forward, a challenge in her eyes.

  “What do you mean we’re not opening up that channel?” she demanded. “We have every right to access that power. One of our coven ancestors made it. Therefore, it belongs to us.”

  “And as coven mistress, I declare that it’s off-limits.” I met her gaze squarely. “That channel is too dangerous for anyone to use. We can’t just rip it open without careful consideration. There are consequences.”

  “Hah!” Carina spat. “What do you know about the consequences? We’ve been working on this for months. You only just found out about the channel, and you’re barely a witch. You hardly know anything about magic.”

  “I know enough to drain every drop of yours from you,” I hissed, stepping close enough that the tip of my nose nearly brushed hers. Carina’s sun-kissed skin paled. “So unless you plan on challenging me, back off.”

  She held my gaze for a moment longer, then spun around and walked away. The other members gradually followed her, heading back to their cars. I guessed they were all going home, and I wasn’t going to stop them. After all, it wasn’t as if I had anything for them to do.

  Speaking of home, what the hell was I gonna do now? Thelia had taken Darcia away, likely back to her own house, but the farm belonged to her, not me. I couldn’t stay here.

  “You did very well.” Thomas placed a hand on my shoulder, and I whirled around. I’d completely forgotten he was there. “But this will only last until the next full moon.”

  “No, it won’t,” I said. “They can’t unblock the channel without me, because it’s shaded. They’ll either have to convince me, or find another shadow to help them.”

  Thomas shook his head. “They don’t need you to un-shade the channel in order to do the ritual. As long as they know where the channel is, the spell will still work. It’s just easier if you un-shade it, but it won’t stop them.”

  “Fuck.” I scraped a hand through my hair. Just when I thought I’d caught a break, someone had to come and yank the rug out from beneath me. So we only had a month at best?

  Darun slid his body in between us, his fur brushing against my legs as he growled softly at Thomas. The warlock backed away, hands up. “All right, buddy. I’m not trying to poach on your girlfriend.”

  I chuckled a little at that, patting Darun’s head. “It’s all right. He’s helping us.”

  “He’s still a witch,” Darun pointed out grumpily. “And witches can’t be trusted.”

  “Is that a police car?” Thomas asked, his eyes widening as he stared over my shoulder. My heart leapt into my throat, and I spun around just in time to see a cop car pull into the recently cleared driveway. Some of the witches were still getting into their cars on the street, and they watched as Detective Brasher got out of the car, accompanied by a uniform.

  “Well, look at that,” he said, smiling grimly as he approached. He held up a folded piece of paper in his left hand. “We came back with a warrant, but guess we don’t need one. Brooke Chandler, you’re under arrest for the murder of Devon Randall.”

  My mind went completely numb as he pulled out the handcuffs, and I didn’t even bother to resist. I just let them clap the restraints on me and take me away.

  Chapter 25

  I spent a very long, uncomfortable night in one of the women’s holding cells in the Salem PD—a place I never thought I’d end up in my life. There was no bed, just a hard bench with flaking blue paint, and they refused to give me a pillow or blanket even though I knew they had them. I could see them refusing the blanket, as it could theoretically be used to choke, but the pillow? That was just cruel.

  And the fuckers wouldn’t even allow me to make my damn phone call. “In the morning,” they’d said after they tossed me in the cell.

  However, the solitude did give me some time to reflect. And the one thing I kept going back to, no matter how many different trains of thought I followed, was that magic didn’t solve everything. Yes, I could have used my magic to kill the cops, to break out of this cell, to disappear to some tropical island somewhere. I could use my magic voice to convince someone to open this cell and to get myself a one-way ticket to Honduras without showing a passport or driver’s license.

  But none of that would erase the burning outrage in my gut over this.

  I would forever live with this deep sense of injustice in my heart. That I’d tried my damnedest to do the right thing and had been branded a criminal for it burned. And that was something I couldn’t allow. I was starting to realize this was who I’d always been. Even in my past life, when I’d been raised as an Unseelie princess in the lap of fae luxury, I’d had a deep sense of right and wrong. I’d learned about what the Seelie had done to my Unseelie brethren, and I’d been determined to make it right.

  Even at the cost of my own life.

  The night seemed to stretch endlessl
y, and with no windows, it was impossible to tell when morning came. I slept for an hour or two but was woken by a hunger so powerful, I felt as though my stomach was actually trying to eat itself. I hadn’t had anything since lunch yesterday, and I’d burned some serious calories with that duel. The extra magic I’d taken in from Darcia had kept me full for a while, but magic only took the edge off. Real food was the only thing that made hunger go away. I knew that all too well from my time at the Morrigan’s island, where they’d kept me in a constant state of starvation.

  A shiver crawled over me at those terrible memories, and I shook myself to get rid of the feeling. I wasn’t going down that path or I’d be liable to have a panic attack. This wasn’t the same situation, I told myself repeatedly. I was just a holding cell. I wasn’t imprisoned on a god-forsaken island. I’d be able to call my lawyer eventually, and he’d get me out on bail.

  The door to the women’s holding cells opened, and I sat up quickly, my pulse jumping with nerves. Bile rose in my throat as Detective Baxter strolled in, his face a mask that barely concealed the terrible rage burning deeply in his eyes.

  “So,” he said softly, coming to a stop in front of the bars. “They finally caught your skinny, backstabbing ass.”

  “Nice to see you, too, Baxter,” I said as pleasantly as I could manage with my stomach trying to crawl out of my throat. “How have things been?”

  “They’ve actually been pretty peachy without you fouling up the office,” Baxter said with a sneer. “There were some days I thought maybe it was better you were gone. But unlike you, Chandler, I’m a real cop. I believe in justice, and there’s no way you’re not spending the rest of your life in a cage after what you’ve done.”

  “I haven’t done anything,” I began, then stopped myself. Desperation had crept into my voice, and I couldn’t have that. I had to stay calm.

  But Baxter had heard it, too, and he pounced on it like a lion on a raw steak. “That’s bullshit, and we both know it,” he snarled. “We have a witness and evidence that will prove you killed Randall, and I know you had something to do with my brother’s death. I can see it in your eyes—you’re holding out on me. You always have been.” He shook his head, a sharp motion filled with restrained violence. “How the fuck I ever trusted you is beyond me, Chandler. I even fucking recommended to the chief that she bring you onto the force so you and I could be permanent partners. I thought you truly cared about the job.”

  “I do,” I choked out, my eyes burning. “Baxter, you have to believe me. I didn’t kill Captain Randall. I would never.”

  “Please.” He lifted his head, and the tears gleaming in his eyes were like a sucker punch to the gut. Baxter was a tough son of a bitch. He would never cry. Ever. “At least tell me where the body is, Chandler. Even if you don’t plead guilty, you’re going to jail anyway. At least give me some closure.”

  My heart hardened at that last bit—he thought he had this in the bag, did he? That I was going down so easily? Well, fuck him. “I think I’d like to speak to my lawyer now,” I said coldly.

  “You bitch!” Eyes wild, Baxter drew his weapon on me. “Tell me where he is!”

  The door burst open, and two uniformed officers rushed in, along with Detective Brasher. “Give me that weapon,” Brasher hissed. “Are you insane? We don’t need to give her lawyer anything he can use against us!”

  Baxter’s eyes blazed with fury, but he handed his weapon to Detective Brasher. “You’re going down, Chandler,” he spat as the uniforms dragged him away. “I’ll see you in a cage if it’s the last fucking thing I do!”

  The door slammed shut, and I collapsed onto the bench, my knees shaking. Only when I was sure they weren’t coming back did I put my face in my hands and allow myself to cry. Silent, soul-wracking sobs that made my entire body shake. God, how the fuck had it come to this? I’d come here seeking justice for Tom, and I’d somehow turned into the enemy. My life was one big clusterfuck, and nobody here believed there was even the slightest chance I was innocent.

  What was the point of coming here, of trying to convince them otherwise? I’d never truly been one of the Salem PD, so of course they didn’t believe me. Why was I so hell-bent on making things right, when I could use my magic to break down this door and walk out of here?

  Because you’re not a monster, a voice reminded me. And the last thing you want is to be remembered as one, which is what will happen if you disappear.

  I took another minute, then sucked in a shuddering breath and pulled myself together. A few minutes later, Detective Brasher came back inside, this time with my lawyer in tow.

  “Your counselor has impeccable timing,” Brasher said coldly. He gave me a hard look, then turned to the kitsune. “You get twenty minutes with her. We’ve already turned off the microphones.”

  He walked out, and Jesse turned to me with a sigh. “What the hell happened?”

  I used a silencing spell to block anyone who might be trying to listen through the walls, then brought my lawyer up to speed on everything. Including the fact I was now mistress of a witch coven that wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.

  “Damn,” he said, shaking his head when I’d finished. “You sure do get around fast, Miss Chandler. Seems like every time I turn around, I come back to find you in a new mess.”

  I grimaced. “It’s not my intention, believe me.”

  Jesse raised an eyebrow. “I find that when it comes to people who can’t leave well enough alone, that getting into trouble is part of the package.”

  I scowled. “Are you here to lecture me or to get me out of this holding cell?”

  Six hours later, my lawyer and I walked out into the chilly, overcast afternoon, my trust fund a little bit lighter. I’d had my hearing, and the lawyer had arranged for me to be released on a hefty bail. Luckily, I’d been allowed to use a phone, and I’d finally gotten a hold of Oscar. He transferred the funds into the lawyer’s account so he could post the bail for me, as well as a large chunk of change into my own checking account.

  “I think now would be a good time to stop for dinner,” Jesse said after we walked out of the bank with a replacement debit card for me. “We can discuss our plan of action, which should include getting you a new driver’s license. You can’t keep using your magic to get around the law like this. Someone is bound to catch you eventually.”

  I sighed—Jesse had watched with raised eyebrow as I’d used my magic voice to convince the personal banker to issue me a new one. “You’re right, but since I don’t know where the hell I’m going to be living, I don’t know where to get my driver’s license from.”

  We ended up going to Turner’s, the same seafood restaurant I’d met Thelia at the first time. As we enjoyed a meal of clam chowder, baked stuffed lobster, and other offerings full of deliciousness, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should track Thelia down. Maybe I could force her to retract her testimony. She’d seen firsthand what I could do to her magic if she refused—did she really want to make an enemy out of me?

  “I recognize that look,” the lawyer said, setting his glass of red on the glossy wooden tabletop. “You’re thinking about doing something illegal.”

  My cheeks warmed. “You can’t know what I’m thinking.”

  Jesse shook his head. “Do yourself a favor and stay on the white side of the line. I’m pretty confident, based on the extremely circumstantial evidence I’ve seen, that I can get you off on this case. The Salem PD’s case against you is far from air tight. But if you end up getting yourself arrested for something else, it’s going to make it a lot harder for me to defend you.”

  “All right,” I agreed. “I’ll keep my nose clean.” That wouldn’t be too hard to do as long as I could keep my head down. “I guess I’ll just be hiding out at ENVY, then, until the hearing?” It seemed like the safest option, though I hated the idea of hunkering down.

  “It’s safest for you to spend your nights there,” Jesse said, “but I wouldn’t hide 24/7. It will make you look guilt
y. You should make sure people see you around town, smiling and doing normal things. Yeah, it’ll piss some people off, especially that hothead Detective Baxter, so take someone with you.” A scowl crossed his face. “Do you want me to press charges against that asshole, by the way? It’s one thing for him to be mad at you, another to pull his gun. He has no business holding any kind of weapon.”

  I frowned. “That’ll just make him hate me even more. Baxter’s been through enough.”

  The lawyer gave me a puzzled look. “I understand you sympathize with him because of his loss, but you have to protect yourself, Brooke. If he’s crazy enough to pull a gun on you in front of video cameras, what the hell do you think he’ll do outside the police station? You definitely need a bodyguard with you at all times.”

  “I agree,” a familiar Scottish voice said. “I will ensure it happens.”

  I twisted my head around so hard, I nearly gave myself whiplash. Maddock Tremaine was standing right behind me, his hand on the back of my booth. My heart pounded hard as I took in the sight of him—he looked the same as always, dressed in one of his perfect designer suits, not a single hair on his dark head out of place. But there was a different glimmer in his eyes as he looked at Jesse and me sitting in the booth together, something I wasn’t used to seeing.

  There is no way Maddock Tremaine is jealous.

  “Nice of you to finally show up,” I said coolly.

  Maddock ignored me, his gaze on my lawyer. “I can take it from here,” he told Jesse. “I appreciate ye taking care of her while I’ve been gone. I will handle the bill.”

  “All right,” Jesse said, scooting out of the booth immediately. He’d finished with his food anyway. He shook hands with Maddock, the expression in his eyes wary. “I’ll let her fill you in on the details. Enjoy your evening.”

  Jesse bid me goodbye, and Maddock slid into the vacated booth seat as the lawyer walked off without a backward glance. As soon as he’d cleared the entrance, I turned to Maddock, my jaw clenched so hard I thought I might crack a tooth.