Norns of Fate: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Descendants of Thor Trilogy Book Two)

by S. A. Ashdown

  ‘Miss Strand is determined to undermine Theo’s character. Isobel Clemensen died, her supposed crimes – which were never proved – have nothing to do with my client. He was a ten-year-old boy at the time, hardly old enough to wipe his own backside.’ He paused for the inevitable grunts. ‘It’s doubtful he had already developed a fetish for necromancy.

  ‘I am curious how the prosecution supposes my client capable of eradicating terminal cancer, a feat that has defied the best warlocks for centuries. Yet apparently, my client managed it within hours of discharge from hospital. As far as Lorenzo is concerned, you will have your chance to question him tomorrow, Miss Strand. For now, let me assure you that Lorenzo was concerned for Theo’s well-being, who suffered a mental breakdown shortly after his discharge, and brought him home to his family.

  ‘Anyone could have gone through the portal, and the images you saw could’ve easily been doctored or degraded by Espen’s wards. They aren’t reliable. As to why the Praetoriani had already flown aircraft over the Clemensen estate is something of an overreaction, if not a mystery. Why were they so eager to ensnare him again?

  ‘The fact is, any witch or warlock may have cured Anna Rayner. She could have been misdiagnosed in the first place, or perhaps her body had a unique reaction to her treatment. It happens. Even sapiens sometimes possess the ability to self-heal. Remember, the burden of absolute proof is on the prosecution. Any doubt, and you must declare Theo innocent.’

  Michele laughed as if to himself, bemused. ‘Plagues and famines, Miss Strand? Did I hear you correctly, young lady? Such superstition was common in my day, but plagues and famines are natural phenomena, not supernatural. The gods have better things to do than worry about the ants between their toes. What we do know for sure, however, is that Anna, beloved mother and wife, is alive. Neither my client nor Lorenzo has gained anything from her recovery, nor have they had any further contact with the Rayners. There is nothing “profane” about that picture.’

  Praetor Cullen interjected. ‘The Codes are not on trial today, Doctor. Your client is. Keep that in mind over the recess.’ The gavel banged against his desk. ‘Court is adjourned for two hours.’

  I felt hands grasping my shoulders. Father and Menelaus. Michele picked up his briefcase and motioned us outside, Julian, Penny, and Malachi close behind. One of the guards led us down the tunnel a little way, showing us into a waiting room with sofas, a coffee maker, and a vending machine. ‘First class treatment,’ I said, half surprised and half suspicious.

  ‘There’s no excuse to leave,’ Menelaus said, heading straight for the coffee. ‘Want one?’

  ‘Please.’

  ‘Anyone else?’

  Nods. Julian winced as he sat down, propping his cane against his knee. While Penny arched her back, a minx-like stretch, I attacked the vending machine, and had already eaten a chocolate bar by the time Menelaus handed over the caffeine. ‘Well, that was about as fun as being tortured,’ I said.

  Michele had already warned us to watch our words. Nothing incriminating. ‘The worst is yet to come,’ said Penny.

  I sidled over and hugged her. ‘We’ll deal with it together.’

  Father chugged back his coffee and crushed the paper cup in his hand, killing the moment. I had to kiss her, damn it. This is wrong. I should talk to her, convince her to listen.

  But it was too late. How many had she murdered, with Malachi’s help? I’d asked her to refrain from prepping the spell, I’d asked her to free the servants, I’d asked her to keep me in the loop and not to hurt anyone. She’d failed on each occasion.

  And Malachi was her lover.

  His breath crept down my neck. ‘Then work on your defence, warlock.’ He shoved me toward Michele, who had taken up an entire sofa, his briefcase open.

  Don’t retaliate, not here.

  ‘How do you think we did?’ I asked him, leaning against the sofa’s arm.

  He brushed a spec of fluff off his Armani suit. ‘That was a warm-up bout. Now the gloves are off.’

  39

  Rats

  ‘Enjoy your lunch, honey?

  Ava meandered through the contents of the shop to find Isis unpacking another crate full of dreamcatchers and herbs to promote good sleep. ‘Not really. No appetite.’ She glanced at the display window. ‘Are we out already? How many did you sell while I was sipping a latte?’

  Isis shrugged. ‘Something’s changing, honey. We might as well profit from it.’ Isis flashed that wide, stunning smile, a stripe of ivory against dark skin and faded dungarees, and Ava could see why Belle had fallen for her.

  ‘I suppose the lavender has some scientific backing.’

  Isis threw the box cutter onto the counter and stretched – and yawned, pointing to the dark grooves under her eyes. ‘Girl, this has nothing to do with science.’

  ‘Right,’ said Ava. ‘What’s causing it then?’

  Isis called her over with one finger, reeling Ava in. Her rich voice lingered in the air. ‘That man or thing they call the Imperi Ducis. He’s stripped magic away from so many, so who’s to say he ain’t absorbed some? He’s searching for something. What better way to extract information than when unsuspecting folk are fast asleep?’

  ‘So, he’s clawing through every head in Hellingstead?’ Ava shuddered, suddenly recalling her confession to Espen that someone had been watching her speaking to Isobel in her dreams.

  Isis tapped her head. ‘No better way than that. Who can hide from their subconscious? We all need to dream. Thank the Goddess that the dream realm is even more complicated than the other nine!’

  ‘There’s a tenth realm?’

  ‘Nah, don’t be so literal. The connections between the branches are mental, not physical. Not many sapiens have actually seen Elves or the creatures of the Underworld, and yet their myths are littered with tales. That’s because of dreams – you see, memories, ideas, fears, they flow through the veins of the World Tree. Don’t matter which branch you’re on.’

  Ava rubbed her eyes. ‘Can’t we block him, fight back with magic somehow?’

  Isis flashed that wicked grin again. ‘Oh, girl, what do you think we’ve been slipping in those sleeping potions?’ Her wink said enough.

  ‘Is that allowed?’

  She sighed, dumping a load of dreamcatchers into Ava’s arms. ‘You think anyone cares what Fletch and Susan mix in with the Red Hawk brew? Nah. How’s this worse? We’re protecting people, sapiens, and Pneuma alike. Now go hang those up in the window, honey, and make yourself useful. It’s looking a little bare. Remember, your next reading is in fifteen.’

  ‘I know,’ Ava groaned, feeling exhausted. But Raphael’s advice was starting to work and it was easier to direct her visions. As she hung up the dreamcatchers in the bay window of Crystal Clear, she tried to shake away that smear on her retinas. Menelaus, bleeding to death.

  I can’t be with Theo tonight. Maybe I can look out for Menelaus. Theo would hate her risking it, she knew, but hey, he didn’t have to know, right? Everyone had something to lose.

  The reading went well. Her client, a middle-aged woman with chronic back pain, had come seeking the cause of it after her medical tests proved inconclusive. What I wouldn’t do for a vial of vampire blood, Ava thought, but anyway, the cards had their own healing touch. The woman, having at last decided to walk away from a miserable marriage, stood and walked out of the reading room, pain-free.

  She purchased a dreamcatcher on the way out. Isis handed her the herbal ‘dream cocktail’, free of charge.

  They exchanged a smirk and Ava retreated to clean up, taking the empty crate down into the basement. She heard the bell go in the shop but thought nothing of it. It had been a busy day, and she’d hardly had time to worry about Theo.

  Isis screamed. ‘Get off me!’

  Ava scrambled up the stairs, searching her pockets for the Fae-dust Theo had given her. Fuck, where had she left it? My handbag.

  She peeped through the decorative screen shielding the entrance to the
basement. Isis was struggling against two men with heavy beards. Ava ducked and dashed behind the counter as the men dragged Isis towards the back door, unaware of her. A bolt of…what was it? Green, like Isis’s eyes. It crashed into the low hanging lights and glass showered over the floor. Ava risked a glance over the counter as she rummaged in her bag.

  Stupid, stupid, she snapped at herself, why didn’t I just wear it? Pride, she realised, because Theo had given it to her, and she hadn’t wanted to admit she needed magical protection. Now Isis…

  A thud. Isis’s screams fell silent.

  At last Ava jumped to her feet, arm pulled back. One of the men was there, clearly searching for something around the till. Ava yelped involuntarily and dropped the dust in fright. He lunged over the counter but she stumbled out of reach, heading for the basement.

  A hand caught her hair and yanked her backward. She fell into the hard chest of her assailant and squirmed, biting hard on his hand. Somehow, she rolled, and the man, so heavy, lay on top of her. Blue sparks shot through her fingertips and he hissed, looking for the source of the pain. Theo, his sparks.

  She shoved the Fae-dust into his mouth. ‘Get off me, you dirty rat!’

  Suddenly she was released.

  Dazed, she sat up and peered through the smoky dust cloud she had just created. A rodent squeaked at her ankle and she kicked it aside, clambering to her feet and running to the back door.

  Ava ran out into the enclosed yard and spun round.

  Isis was gone.

  Her fault. Her fault. Stupid. Stupid.

  She fell to her knees and sobbed. Why hadn’t Frigg warned her?

  The sleeve of her cardigan was stained with tears when at last she went back inside and secured the shop.

  The rat was gone too.

  40

  Cut Short

  It was actually a relief to get back into court; Malachi had fixed his death stare on me and Menelaus, while a rival duel bubbled between Father and Julian. I expected someone to shout ‘draw!’ at any moment. Also, Penny remained aloof. She leaned against the wall, tapping her heel, her expression uninviting. No progress there.

  However, I had sneaked into the toilet and projected into Crystal Clear, sans body, to check in on Ava. She was conducting a reading in the rear room and Isis was manning the till. By the time I returned, Father was hammering on the restroom door – we’d been summoned.

  Ella Strand smiled at us as we filed in, the same way one might smile at someone before shooting them. I ignored her, and watched the door for Uncle Nikolaj. ‘I can’t believe he’s not here,’ I said to Father.

  ‘Well, you left him behind.’ He shrugged.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  But Praetor Cullen was adjusting his robes, ready to resume. ‘Bare knuckles,’ I said to Michele.

  The latches snapped open on his suitcase. ‘We can only leave with blood on our hands,’ and the way he said it sent a spasm of panic through my chest.

  That woman is a demon, I thought as Ella bounded across the floor. She sparkled, glee oozing from every pore. She likes to steamroll over others.

  ‘Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, so far we have established that the defendant, Theodore Clemensen, thinks himself above the Code. Not only was he unable to attend Assessment because he was too busy practising magic with evil intent, he continued down this dark path the moment he recovered from its backlash, aligning himself with a coven well-known by the Tuscan branch of the Praetoriani – for all the wrong reasons.’ The auxiliary placed a scroll in her hand, which she unfurled.

  ‘Pietra Nocenti – high priestess – otherwise known as Penny. Previously charged with inciting riots and Possession of Arcane Material, amongst other crimes. She has spent a total of two years and five months, since her sixteenth birthday, in re-educational facilities.’

  I balked. I didn’t know that. Ella was about to expose the depths of my ignorance. ‘Maria Bertola – her younger brother – found guilty of the Use of Human Organs in Ritual Divination. Arabella Carloni, given a probationary sentence after attempting to seduce her Assessors with a love spell – all three of them.’

  I winced; didn’t I have some spread across my lips?

  Ella sighed. ‘Ricarda and Faflon – caught performing sex magic in public. Aldo Dragotta, known as Strix – a protean suspected of vandalism while in his owl-form. Lori and Camilla – imprisoned for six months for shoplifting gold jewellery for use in spell-casting. Lucia Donato – convicted of attempting to impersonate a Praetoriani official but released early for good behaviour. I’m running out of breath, Ladies and Gentlemen.’

  She rolled up the scroll and passed it to the Indian man sitting at the edge of the jury box. He read it as Ella continued, and handed it down the row. ‘I shall not mention Malachi De Laurentis’s multiple brushes with the law, for fear of undermining Mr Clemensen’s attorney, Malachi’s Pater Sanguinem.’

  Michele watched her intently like an arrow held taut in a bow.

  ‘However, I will discuss how Theodore has engaged in yet more profane magic since his plea hearing on the eighth of June. In addition, he’s practised magic in front of sapiens, endangering them and risking exposure, simultaneously breaking the First and Fourth Precepts of the Code. The prosecution would like to call its next witness, Your Honour.’

  Cullen nodded, and once again the doors swung open. My heart sank as a man in sapien police uniform strode down the aisle. After swearing the oath, he announced himself as Officer Henry Charles, explaining he worked undercover for the Praetoriani to manage exposure risks. ‘Explain to the jury what happened on the evening of the eleventh of June.’

  ‘My partner and I received a report of an explosion at Number Three, Limes Cottages, Park Lane. As part of our undercover work, we maintain an up-to-date list of Pneuma in Hellingstead under observation by the Praetoriani. The address matched our records for people associated with Mr Clemensen.’

  They had Ava’s address? I’ve only been with her for a couple of weeks. That old, familiar anger spiked.

  ‘And when you arrived at the scene, what did you and your partner see?’

  ‘We pulled up outside the cottage of Lolita and Ava Wallace. The upstairs window on the left-hand side was blown out, scorch marks on the outside of the widow frame. There was pulverised glass all over the front garden. Whatever caused the explosion, the force behind it must have been huge. We even found a few precious stones outside, which we collected and took back to the lab.’

  ‘And what did the tests discover?’

  ‘The jewels were rubies and diamonds but they had certain structural anomalies not seen in this realm.’

  ‘So, Officer, the jewels were not from this realm?’

  Michele growled. ‘Leading the witness!’

  ‘I think the implication is obvious in this case,’ Praetor Cullen said, and motioned lazily for Ella to continue.

  Officer Charles fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. ‘So the technician informed me. Certain precious stones are associated with certain divinities.’

  ‘And diamond and rubies?’

  ‘With the goddess, Frigg, ma’am.’

  Gasps.

  ‘Please continue, Officer. What happened when you entered the property?’

  ‘Miss Wallace opened the door. Her hair and eyebrows were singed. We asked her where her mother – Lolita Wallace – was and she claimed she was in bed, sick with the flu. Miss Wallace was adamant that we didn’t disturb her, ma’am.’

  ‘And what was Miss Wallace’s explanation for the explosion?’ Ella asked, her face a mask of innocent curiosity.

  ‘She denied there had been any explosion, ma’am. She claimed her boyfriend – Mr Clemensen, the defendant, ma’am, was fixing the windows in her bedroom and dropped a pane of glass by accident, startled by her sudden scream.’

  ‘Why was she screaming?’

  ‘Miss Wallace said she was lighting candles for a romantic evening but a flame caught her hair and burnt her.’
/>
  “Uh-huh.’ Ella nodded, chin resting on her fist, ‘Did that seem reasonable to you and Officer Gibbs?’

  ‘No, ma’am. Miss Wallace’s room was smoky with magical residue. It’s one of my specialities, you see, ma’am, detecting such things. Her story didn’t explain the scorch marks or the pulverised glass, or the precious stones. Mr Clemensen was half-naked and dishevelled when we arrived. There were no tools in sight that would suggest he’d been working in the house. The entire room was disordered and some items were broken on the dressing table.’

  ‘Was anything else unusual, Officer Charles?’

  He nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am. A young vampire, who introduced himself as Lorenzo, was also present. He claimed he was there to look after Lolita Wallace.’

  ‘And he was qualified to do so, how exactly? Surely vampire blood can heal the flu?’

  ‘Quite right, ma’am. He confirmed that he volunteered at Hellingstead Hospital, and to ask for a Doctor Smyth if we didn’t believe him.’

  Ella addressed the jury. ‘The same Lorenzo that healed Theodore but was unable to heal a simple virus? The same Lorenzo who asked the defendant to cure Anna Rayner of terminal cancer? The same Lorenzo who… I get ahead of myself.’ She made a beeline for Michele. ‘Tell me, why is your grandson-in-blood not here for questioning? What facts are you afraid we will discover?’

  Crap, I thought, Lorenzo can’t be summoned. He can’t.

  But Michele was too quick. ‘He’ll be here tomorrow, Miss Strand.’

  ‘You just had to say that in front of the whole court,’ I whispered, as Ella stalked away.

  ‘My territory,’ he hissed back.

  ‘You’re not here for me at all, are you?’

  Dark eyes and twisted smile. I thought he would rip my head off if I pushed any further. For the first time, I felt afraid, a piercing awareness penetrating my bones. We weren’t going to walk out of this. Michele had never intended it. Something was brewing, and it had been steeped in vengeance for a long time. It was the Black Widow’s poisonous drink.