Insidious: (The Marked Mage Chronicles, Book 1)

by Victoria Evers

  “An entire bus of students disappeared a few weeks back. One of those students was killed a couple nights ago, and two more kids were turned into Hellhounds. We don’t know what happened to the rest.” Reese swiped to the other photo I’d forwarded from Adam. “And this was left at yet another murder.”

  “It’s a sacrificial ceremony of some sort. A summoning like this would only be used to break one of Hell’s seals. I can’t make out the inscriptions though.” Madsen’s entire body shuddered at the mere image. “If Sitri’s mark is topside, then it means he already is as well. Whatever his plan is, this is only the beginning. More creatures like the Moraine will come.”

  “What do you mean a ‘seal’?” asked Reese.

  “Unholy power resides in Hell. The only way to bring it here would be to break the spell binding it there. Every seal has a specific code that needs to be unlocked for it to work.” Madsen studied the picture all the more. “Given the Moraine’s unfortunate appearance, it’s safe to say that Sitri performed that ceremony to bring that beast here.”

  “Who is he?” I finally managed to ask, feeling my insides constricting tighter and tighter. “Sitri, I mean.”

  The doctor began to speak, but abruptly stopped. A glimmer of understanding flickered in his eyes as he studied me. Studied the fear that even my strongest mask could not conceal. “May I see your arm?”

  I didn’t move. Couldn’t move.

  “Please.” There was an inexplicable sense of earnestness in his gaze. He knew what it was like to be hunted. He knew what it was like to live in constant fear. He knew what I was. Madsen rounded the table, kneeling in front of me.

  “Kat…” Reese’s voice was barely audible.

  Despite my apprehension, I gave Madsen my arm. His fingers caressed my wrist, steadying the slight tremble that rattled through the limb as he pushed up my sleeve with his other hand. His eyes became pensive as he rotated my arm, taking in every symbol.

  His lips tightened, his face going taut at the sight. He wasn’t afraid. He was…concerned. Concerned for me. For a stranger.

  A single tear escaped down my cheek. “What are they?”

  “They’re Enochian runes.”

  Reese pinched his eyes shut.

  “It’s the language of the Fallen. Of the angels banished from paradise. I recognize several of their etchings. Like this one.” His fingers traveled over the upside-down Y. “It’s Naudiz.”

  I just looked at him blankly.

  “The omen rune. It reacts to impending distress.” Madsen finally held my gaze. “You weren’t born a Mage, were you?”

  I shook my head, feeling that foreign energy pulsating beneath my skin. Beneath his mark.

  “Hey.” Madsen gently tipped my chin up, as if reading the thought right inside my eyes. “You may have been marked by darkness, but you still have humanity in you. You haven’t been claimed.”

  “Claimed?”

  “Bitten,” answered Reese. “You haven’t been infected with the demonic virus.”

  “Exactly.” Madsen tugged my sleeve back down. “Sitri may have imprinted on you, but he chose not to turn you. Not yet anyway. It may be a mercy, but it’s a highly feeble one. The moment he finds it suitable, he’ll come for you.”

  “Is there a way to stop him?”

  “Apart from killing him, probably not. And that won’t be easy, especially considering that no one knows what he even looks like. But he appears to be working on a schedule of some sort if he didn’t wish to claim you when he had the chance. If you put a damper on his plans, it might buy you more time to find out who he is.”

  And kill him.

  Chapter 25

  Broken

  I had underestimated how many journals Reese’s father had kept. It was the freaking Encyclopædia Britannica of demonology and folklore. No wonder it took Reese so long trying to find anything. Unlike the Encyclopædia however, these journals didn’t have any real organization to them. It was all very random. One page would talk about a particular demon; the next would be about how to exorcise a different one entirely. It seemed his father just documented everything as he went along, which didn’t make research particularly easy. When we returned to Mystic Harbor, we spent the rest of the school day in his basement, flipping through the countless volumes to no avail. Not one mention of Sitri.

  Great, some evil lord of the Underworld had deemed me as his hellish bride, and I hadn’t the slightest clue who I was dealing with. The question kept gnawing at me, relentless in its pursuit to find an answer.

  Why me?

  Why did this demonic prince pick me of all people?

  If he was looking for an evil, malicious bitch that thrived on unholy power, surely he would’ve targeted Ava Ashford. Instead, I was the lucky winner to be bound to a scaly red-skinned creature with horns. At least, that’s what I was picturing.

  And the journals were only reinforcing my fears. Every depiction of a demon in its natural form included dragon wings, a serpent tail, a goat’s head, or worse.

  I mentioned to Madsen of my recent discovery concerning my parentage, and he didn’t seem particularly surprised given the circumstances. Blood Magic appeared to be the most powerful form of sorcery known to man, and specific individuals held more powerful blood based on their lineage. The chance I was linked to at least the girl killed in the summoning ceremony seemed highly likely. If her blood was significant enough to enact dark magic, then certainly a Mage with that same blood in their veins would prove to be most formidable. I’d been engineered into becoming the perfect weapon.

  “Got him.” Reese’s voice startled me out of my stupor as he sat down beside me on his mattress.

  I crooked a brow at him, seeing the title on the book page opened in his hands. “Bitru?”

  He lobbed the journal at me. “Keep reading.”

  “Sitri, commonly referred to by rank as Bitru, is a Great Prince of Hell and the leader of sixty-six legions of demons. As a demigod of darkness and chaos, he uses trickery and deception to create pandemonium wherever he may go. Sitri is also blessed with the ability of foresight, making his wisdom the prime temptation to summon him. It is highly advised not to attempt conjuring this Prince however, given that his powers of persuasion are often used against those who summon him. His influence is nearly impossible to resist, thus turning anyone he captivates into his unwitting servant. He is the Crown Prince of Lust and is said to be dangerously charming and unnaturally handsome.” My eyes continued scanning the page, feeling the knot in my stomach expand to the size of a baseball as I read a particular passage. “One of his many skills is illusion, in which he can disguise himself as anyone he chooses. Furthermore, he can take possession of any human vessel, but it can hold nothing more than a fraction of his potential. Only upon claiming his rightful mate can he take his true form, therefore unleashing his supreme power and wrath upon mankind…”

  My hands fell limp in my lap, forcing Reese to take back the book before it slid from my grasp.

  Well, this was just dandy. It wasn’t like I was expecting Sitri to be the ruler of teddy bears, puppies, and rainbows, but really?

  “Makes sense why the Moraine wanted me dead, and why Sitri didn’t bother bringing back Blaine,” said Reese. “There’s no room for possible competition, seeing as how you’re the key to breaking his final seal.”

  “I’m what?”

  “When his so-called ‘mate’ is marked, she apparently has to go through something known as the Great Rite. It’s a multilevel ritual of some kind that’s used to unlock the seal trapping Sitri’s power in Hell.”

  I fell back against the mattress, jamming a pillow over my face.

  “I don’t think asphyxiation is the answer,” Reese chuckled.

  The weight of the bed shifted, and I could feel the heat from his body running down my entire left side. I finally pulled the pillow away, turning over to see that Reese was indeed lying next to me. “What is the answer, then? We have no idea how to find Sitri. Even i
f we come across a black-eyed person, how can we tell if it’s actually him and not just another run-of-the-mill demon? I doubt he’s gonna be sauntering around with his runes on display.”

  “If Sitri is as strong as these texts suggest, he probably won’t have black eyes anyway,” Reese sighed inwardly, lobbing the journal to the side. “He’ll be able to conceal his demonic nature, even from the likes of us.” I moaned again, ready to slam his pillow back over my face when he caught hold of it and ripped it away. “We’ve got time to figure it out. The Great Rite can only be performed during a Sanguine lunar cycle.

  “A what-what-what?”

  “A Blood Moon,” he clarified, “which isn’t marked on any foreseeable calendar. We’ll figure it out, okay?”

  “How? If he’s that powerful and clever, he could possess anyone! Hell, he could be you for all I know.”

  The widest smile broke out across Reese’s face. “Is that what you think?”

  “Well, you have been uncharacteristically pleasant to me lately,” I jabbed, trying to snatch back his pillow. He extended his arm away teasingly, leaving it just out of my reach. “And how do I know that you’re not using some unholy power to mask your real runes?”

  “So you’re accusing me of being the Crown Prince of Lust now?”

  “Perhaps I am.” I laughed at my attempt to wrestle his arm back towards me. It was no use. He didn’t concede so much as an inch.

  He continued staring at me with that fixated grin of his, chuckling at my pitiful effort. “Having some trouble?”

  “Against your abnormal brute strength? Yeah.” I sat up and reached over him, but his arms were so much longer than mine that I still didn’t stand a chance of regaining the pillow from this position.

  “As for the other things?” Reese further prodded.

  “What other things?”

  “Do you find me ‘dangerously charming’?” he quoted.

  “You can be, when you want.”

  “And ‘unnaturally handsome’?”

  “Perhaps,” I laughed, my fingers grappling at a corner of the pillow as I lay over him.

  Reese rolled over, taking me with him in the process. Tossing playful elbows, we tried wrestling the pillow from each other’s grasp until our scuffling sent it toppling off the bedside. Reese’s whole body went rigid, and I looked down to realize why. I was straddling him at the waist, our faces mere inches apart. “Is that right?” He’d suddenly gone breathy.

  My long blonde tendrils cascaded around his face, and his tattooed hand reached up, sweeping away one side of the locks behind my neck. His fingers rested on my nape, the delicate caress urging me closer.

  The theme from Psycho suddenly blared beside us on the bed, instinctively setting me upright. “Shit,” I murmured.

  “What is it?” Reese could see my phone lighting up, but clearly couldn’t see who was calling. “Is it Unknown?”

  “Worse,” I confirmed. I didn’t need to see the screen. I’d specifically set the individualized ringtone to that chilling theme, because it seemed the most appropriate as of late. “It’s my mom.”

  “You tell her yet about your blood work?”

  I shook my head.

  I didn’t have time to even answer before she sneered, “Where the hell are you?” on the other end.

  “Out.”

  “Well, I need you to get back home! The social starts in an hour. Did you remember to pick up your dress?”

  “My what?”

  A professional string of expletives followed. “I ordered you a new dress from Collette’s over two weeks ago just for the occasion. I left you how many reminders!”

  I immediately groaned. “Is this really necessary? I mean, this is like the thousandth dress you’ve gotten me, and I’ve only ever worn them once. Besides, none of the girls are gonna be there. Kelsey and V are working tonight, and Carly’s with the student council to set up for the Homecoming Dance tomorrow. It’s not like anyone’s gonna miss me if I’m not there.”

  “Carly’s in an after-school activity?” whispered Reese, trying not to laugh as my mom continued ranting on the other end.

  “Car already said she was gonna clock in an hour and then bail,” I confirmed, holding my hand over the cell’s speaker. “She’s just using it as an excuse to get out of having to go tonight.”

  “Smart girl.”

  “I don’t care what Carly’s doing. Her mom’s not running for Regency President! What you do is very much a reflection on me,” she growled. “And don’t even think of bringing that boy! You’ve done enough damage as it is.”

  Reese’s amusement quickly turned into a scowl.

  “Trust me, I won’t,” I countered, feeling him stiffen all the more. “I wouldn’t subject anyone as decent as him to your special breed of torture.”

  A ghost of a smile returned. “Stay,” he mouthed.

  I wanted to say I was strong enough to stand my ground, but one mention of Stewart’s Landing had me woefully waving my white flag. Though Reese had been kind enough to take me to Collette’s before dropping me off at home, he still hadn’t spoken a word since we left his place.

  Sure enough, Mom was waiting at the front door, her arms crossed over her chest as the old beater truck rumbled into the driveway. I mumbled a quiet thanks to Reese and climbed out of the cabin. Mom had some choice words, but they fell on deaf ears as I shoved past her.

  It took me a good ten minutes just fussing with the special coverage concealer I had picked up at the store to hide my runes. After that, I fixed up my hair, freshened my makeup, and slipped into the incredible champagne colored cocktail dress Mom had chosen. I hated it. She had apparently ordered it with boning built in, and the midsection was corseted with absolutely no give. I was pretty sure it was crushing my internal organs.

  A knock registered at the door, and I groaned. “I’ll be down in a sec!”

  Another knock.

  “For the love of God, what?” I practically pried the door off its hinges, only to be met with striking amber eyes. “Reese?” When he didn’t make a move, I snatched him by the lapels and yanked him inside. “What are you doing? If my mom sees you—”

  He just shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I walked right past her. She didn’t even blink.”

  “Congratulations,” I groaned, disappearing into the closet. I sifted through the entire shoe collection, and still no luck. Where did I put those blasted heels?

  I came back out into the room to scour the floor when my gaze traveled over to the bed. Reese was lying atop it, his upper half propped up by his elbows. The look would have been sexy…if not for the icy glare he returned as his eyes kept traveling over my body.

  “What? You don’t like it?” I motioned to the dress, expecting some kind of reaction. A smirk, an eye roll, something. But Reese’s expression remained hardened. I attempted a feeble laugh, but the effort honestly hurt. Surely, this bodice was going to crack a rib cage. “What?”

  “You look ridiculous,” he scowled. “And in a great deal of pain.”

  “What’s that old saying? ‘If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t help.’” I sighed, still seeing no give in his temper. “It’s really not that bad. I’ve honestly had to wear worse.”

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” His words bit like a rattle snake. I actually retreated back a step. “I understand that you don’t want to disappoint your mother, but dressing up like some haughty debutante isn’t going to win her affection.”

  It was as if he slapped me across the face. “You do what you have to for the people you love.”

  “And what has she done for you lately, besides threatening to ship you away?” Reese’s gaze hardened all the more. “It’s no wonder you haven’t said anything about your blood work.”

  My breathing hitched, but I pushed past the growing lump in my throat. “She’s one of the elite in this town. As she said, what I do is a refl
ection on her, and this means a lot to my mom.”

  “A party? That’s worth bullying your own daughter over?”

  “You don’t get it,” I finally snapped. “What else does my mom have? I haven’t lived with her for most of my adolescent years, her husband spends more time away on business than he does at home, I’m going away to college next year, and she hasn’t had a job in nearly twenty years. She’s lonely. But I see the way her face lights up when people congratulate her on things like this. I don’t want to take that away from her. It’s the only time she’s ever happy anymore.”

  He scoffed. “So bragging rights, then? It all makes sense now.”

  “What?”

  “Everything. Like, for instance, why you don’t have a bedroom,” he clarified, noting my puzzled expression. “Sure, this is a room with a mattress and a closet and a door, but it’s not a bedroom. A real teenager’s bedroom has posters and movies and collages of your friends. The whole house looks like something right out of a luxury designer’s catalog. It’s fancy, but not the least bit inviting.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Really?” He motioned overhead. “What the hell is that?”

  “A…light.”

  “It’s a chandelier. And not an inexpensive one, I gather.”

  I could feel my cheeks blushing, but why? “Just because you have an apparent allergy to nice things doesn’t make them cold. I happen to like my room.”

  “Tell me, what makes this different from the guest bedroom we stayed in last night?”

  I opened my mouth, but I didn’t have a rebuttal. Instead, I pushed past him and headed over to the dresser, rummaging through my jewelry box in search of the earrings Mom had told me to wear.

  “What about the Wall of Achievement? Was that your idea, too?” he further remarked, gesturing to the very wall next to me. The entire section of the room was decked out with all the framed award plaques alongside a lengthy shelve of every trophy and medal I’d ever won. “You know what I think?”

  “If I say yes, will you go away?” I bit, turning to face him.