“Grateful, do you even remember why we went to see her today?”
I shrugged. “To see if she knew who was behind the Goblin Trinate’s attack.”
She squinted at me. “And did we learn the answer to that question?”
I rolled the conversation through my head. “Um. No.”
Polina held up one finger. “Exactly! However, we did learn one undeniable truth.”
“What?”
“Whether or not she can do it herself, after today, Mother definitely wants you dead.”
“Crap.” My gaze darted from Poe to Rick, but no one disagreed with Polina’s statement.
Polina gathered her bag from the floor near her feet and headed for the door. “If I were you, I’d put my affairs in order.”
Chapter 9
Invitations
It must have been around two a.m. when Polina walked out. I didn’t blame her for being angry. When I pissed off Mother, it put her at risk as well. She was my only witch friend, and I deeply regretted that my actions might cause her misery. Did they make an edible bouquet for this occasion? Sorry for risking your life. Have some chocolate-covered pineapple.
“Would you mind?” Poe said, tapping at the window with his beak. “All of this drama has made me hungry.”
“You could fly out your door in the attic.”
“Or you could get off your arse and open the window for me.”
I flipped him off, but Rick complied, sliding the chipped-paint frame on its track just high enough to allow Poe out.
“You shouldn’t give in to him like that,” I said, standing to grab a set of pajamas from my drawer. “You’ll spoil him.”
“You need your rest. If I had not let him out, you would still be fighting about it.”
Rick was right. I’d been up for more than twenty-four hours and was nearing collapse. I hastened into the bathroom to rinse off the bloody remains of my battle with Hecate before bed. “Would you like to stay?” I called through the door.
He cleared his throat before answering. “I am becoming accustomed to my lack of need for sleep. I fear I would keep you up. I’ll show myself out.” I heard my door close behind him as he left.
I didn’t take it personally; I was too exhausted to mind. As soon as I was clean and in my most comfortable pajamas, I crawled into bed and drifted into a dead, dreamless sleep.
For a painfully inadequate amount of time.
With a start, I awoke to find a dark figure standing over me. A familiar dark figure. One I’d like to decapitate for waking me before dawn.
“Gary, what the hell are you doing in my bedroom?” I snapped.
“Julius sent me. I tried to knock, but no one answered.”
“No one answered because it’s the middle of the night.”
“Early morning, actually.” He shifted from foot to foot, glancing toward the window. “It’s an emergency.”
“What kind of emergency would warrant you using my coerced invitation from last winter to enter my locked home?”
“The Goblin Trinate is in Carlton City. They’re tracking you, Grateful. They’ll be here at any moment.”
I sat up in bed. “You are shitting me. Do not shit me about this, Gary. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not shitting you!” he insisted. “Julius is prepared to offer you his safe house, but you’ve got to come with me now. The sun is rising. We’ll barely make it before dawn.”
Gary moved to the window in a flash. “Uh-oh.”
“What?” I scrambled off the bed.
Gary pointed toward the tree line across the road from my house. “There, in the forest.” Pinpoints of silver glinted in the moonlight and platinum hair flashed and floated between the trees. Goblins.
“Fuck.”
Just then, a flurry of black appeared and pounded the glass. Gary disappeared from my side at super speed. I moved into the space he vacated and propped open the window. “It’s okay, Gary. It’s just my familiar being an asshole, as usual.” Poe swooped into the room and landed on my dresser.
A hiss came from above my head. Gary was hanging by his fingernails from the ceiling but dropped to my side when he saw it was Poe.
“You startle easily for an undead,” I said cynically.
He smoothed his button-down shirt. “Well, er, yes. I suppose I do.”
“I’ll pretend not to notice your ex-boyfriend is in your bedroom and get down to business,” Poe interrupted. “The Goblin Trinate have surrounded our home.”
I dug my hands into my hair. “This sucks, but there’s no need to panic. We’re safe here. My protective spells are in place. They can’t get in. I’ll call our supernatural detective extraordinaire, Silas, and have them arrested.”
I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. If anyone could figure out how to shake these guys, it was Silas.
“Do your spells cover goblins?” Gary asked. “Julius warned me they might be resistant to your magic. Something about their blood.”
Poe swiveled his head on his neck as only birds can do and searched the darkness outside the window. Streaks of platinum crossed the road and flashed up my driveway. “We’re about to find out.”
Each of us held our breath as the rattle of the front doorknob reached us. There was a sharp crack and a familiar squeal of hinges. “Holy crow,” I whispered. “They’re in.”
I grabbed Nightshade from the place I kept her under my pillow and strapped her to my back before I shoved my cell phone into my back pocket. Motioning with my hand for Poe and Gary to follow, I slipped into the hall and up the stairs to the attic. Once everyone was inside my most magical space, I locked it behind me. I conjured a large wardrobe to block the entrance. “It will only last until sunrise,” I said.
“That makes two of us.” Gary fidgeted near the window.
Poe flapped his wings and landed on the windowsill near his pet door. “What now? That won’t hold them for long, and there’s no way out unless you plan to sprout wings.”
I raised one incredulous eyebrow in Gary’s direction. “Aren’t you supposed to be rescuing me? If you don’t know how to stop the goblins, why did Julius send you? If he was worried about me and wanted me to come to his safe house, he should have come himself.”
Gary tilted his head and looked at me like I was stupid. “He can’t get into your house, Grateful. If you needed rescuing, he’d be helpless.”
“So… now she needs to rescue you, as well as herself,” Poe snapped. “Make sure to thank Julius for that.”
Gary flipped him the finger.
“This isn’t helping, you two.” I crossed the attic to the The Book of Light and Copse Magicum, Forest Magic, my two magical grimoires. Truth was, I didn’t have a clue what to do next. I could climb out the window, but then what? “Wings,” I said, frantically flipping pages. “You’re a genius, Poe. We need to fly out of here.”
“You’ve flown before,” Poe said. “I’ve seen you hover.”
“I can hover, but I don’t have enough control. Not good enough to call it flying.”
“They have arrows,” Gary reminded. Hovering was not going to cut it. I needed to fly or I’d be target practice.
I lifted Tabetha’s magic wand from next to Copse Magicum. I’d resisted trying to use it in the past; it held bad memories for me. However, an idea was working its way to the front of my brain. It was a long shot, but maybe my only shot.
“When I hover, I have to concentrate on pushing the air away from myself to propel from the ground. What if I sat on a magical object and concentrated on lifting that object using the air around me?”
Poe rolled his eyes. “Like a broom? How cliché.”
“Not a broom. A branch.” I held up the crooked wand that used to be Tabetha’s and concentrated. It extended to the length of my body, sprouting a few leafy segments as it grew. With a little effort, I levitated the branch and sent it soaring around the attic. When it returned to me, I climbed on, sidesaddle, and floated across the wood floor to the windo
w.
“I don’t get it,” Gary said. “How is levitating a branch easier than levitating yourself?”
“The power comes from me,” I said evenly, trying to hold steady. “This gives me a consistent place to direct my concentrated effort.”
Gary frowned. “That makes no physical or mechanical sense.”
I shrugged. “Maybe not, but it’s the best I’ve got. Gary, you jump down and distract them. Poe, stay close and help me focus my magic.”
“Got it,” Poe said.
Behind us, the door rattled. I motioned for Gary to open the window. He complied.
“Meet me where I was turned,” the vampire whispered, so quietly I had to read his lips. I nodded. He’d told me the story of Anna Bathory turning him months ago. I knew the place.
In one lithe move, he leaped from the window into the oak tree in my front yard, then onto the road, racing toward the woods. A single streak of platinum followed him. Hmmm. Not much of a distraction. The door to the attic cracked against the wardrobe behind me. I kicked off, folding myself to the branch to fit through the window.
My flight wasn’t nearly as graceful as I’d hoped. I jerked forward and side to side like a turbulent airplane. As I struggled to hold myself aloft, Poe glided nervously near my head. “Steady,” he whispered. “Don’t draw attention.”
“I’m trying,” I whispered. I succeeded in driving forward in one awkward thrust toward the stone bridge between my house and Rick’s. If I could make it to his place, I could borrow his car to escape.
An arrow whizzed past my ear. “Watch out,” I cried to Poe, looking over my shoulder. A sea of platinum heads had formed at the end of my driveway. The twang of drawn bows left me desperate to propel forward, but I lurched and stopped in frustrating bursts.
“Pointy-eared sons of bitches,” Poe cursed.
“Go. Go,” I said to Poe. “They’ll skewer you like a pheasant. Find me later.”
My familiar nodded and left me, soaring like a bullet toward Monk’s Hill Cemetery. Smart bird. No way would the goblins risk entering my hellmouth.
I changed course to follow him, but another round of arrows cut me off. Without Poe’s presence amplifying my magic, my control faltered. I dove and rolled, almost falling off the branch. Distracted, I dropped like a rock toward the pavement. The arrows cut through my hair, just missing my scalp. I landed on the bridge, breaking my fall with a desperate gust of wind that wasn’t enough to keep me from tumbling into the stone railing.
On quick and silent feet, the goblins left the end of my drive to pursue me. I sprinted for Rick’s. A silver arrow hit the road near my feet. I was too exposed on the bridge, but unless I threw myself over the side of it, there was nowhere else to go. Halfway across, the squeal of tires and approaching headlights forced me to scramble out of the way. I slammed into the wall to keep from becoming road kill.
Blinded by the headlights, I heard the screech of braking tires, and pebbles sprayed against my calves. The car stopped in front of me and the passenger door flew open.
“Get in!” Rick commanded.
Breathless, I dove into the leather seat headfirst, transforming the branch back into a wand as quickly as I could. Another barrage of silver arrows rained around us, impaling the hood of the Tesla. Rick threw the car into reverse and slammed on the accelerator, wheels spinning before jerking us backward off the bridge. A hair-raising three-point turn later, I was able to get upright, hook my hand into the passenger door, and slam it closed. A silver arrow crashed through my window, impaling the back of my headrest.
“When did you learn to drive?” I yelled to Rick.
“Tonight!” He floored the accelerator.
“What? How?”
“I Googled it!” More arrows pinged against the road behind us, but the Tesla was burning rubber out of Red Grove.
“When did you learn how to use Google?” I asked, staring at the mob of goblins growing more distant behind us.
“After you bought me the laptop,” he said.
I stared at his profile, the wind filtering through the broken window behind me and blowing my hair into my face. I gathered it in my hands and stared at him in awe. Had I underestimated Rick? Memory or not, he wasn’t helpless. He blew both stop signs on the way out of town, and I glanced nervously at the dash to find the speedometer topping a hundred.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you should let me drive,” I said.
He turned sharp gray eyes on me and flashed an unruly smile. “Not a chance.”
* * * * *
We arrived at the alley behind the Mill Wheel just before dawn. Gary motioned for us to pull the Tesla into one of those twenty-minute oil change places across the street. A group of vampires closed the garage door behind us. As soon as we were out of the vehicle, they covered the Tesla with a tarp
“This way,” Gary said. He unlocked a door in the back and held it open for me.
Against my better judgment, I squeezed past him and descended into a musty stone stairwell. Rick followed, pressing into my side and lacing his fingers into mine. I liked the handholding. Not only did it show a level of trust on his part, but there was a sense of protective instinct in the gesture. Rick was watching out for me. Hell, Rick had saved my ass tonight. My heart swelled.
When Gary closed the door, the darkness was absolute. I lifted my hand and blew against my palm, igniting a tiny blue flame.
“It’s too dangerous,” Gary said. He bent my fingers to close my hand, effectively extinguishing my magic. “Light carries, and magic light is detectable by other means.”
“I can’t see in the dark,” I said.
Rick tucked his arm under mine. “I can,” he whispered.
I turned my face toward his voice and hugged his arm to my chest. “Okay. Gary, lead the way.”
We descended into a passageway of darkness. Rick guided me, holding me up by the waist as I tripped on the uneven floor. “What is this place?” I asked.
“Prohibition tunnels. They were built in 1923 to aid in the smuggling of alcohol between the Carlton City speakeasies.”
“I’m surprised they’re still sound. Is the roof going to collapse on my head?” I asked.
“No. They’ve been maintained. They’re used today by my kind to get around during the day. Humans who come down here these days are usually lunch.”
“Nice,” I said flatly.
“Not to worry; you are under Julius’s protection. Your blood must be one hell of a treat. He’s threatened all of us with a thousand years in a silver-lined box if anyone damages a hair on your head. No vamp would dare touch you.”
I jumped when something scurried across my toes.
“Do not worry, Grateful. It was only a rat,” Rick whispered into my ear.
“That’s comforting.”
“This way,” Gary said.
Rick turned me by the shoulders. “There is a stairway. Allow me to help you.”
Before I could say a word, Rick swept me into his arms and jogged up the flight of steps. At the top, Gary opened another door. Jovial music, voices, and warm light flooded over us. I blinked to adjust my vision while Rick set me down.
Beyond a short corridor, I stood at the threshold of a grand speakeasy, windowless, as I’d expected a vampire bar to be, and furnished in dark wood, red velvet, and brass. The bartender wore suspenders and a bow tie in the 1920’s fashion. Waitresses buzzed between round tables at super speed in flapper dresses, stained-glass votives lighting their way. In the back, males and females danced to jazz music on a small dance floor. Most were vampires. A few were human.
Heads turned as we entered. Seated couples looked up from their drinks, and a few vampires paused their dancing to flash fang my direction. Vampire after vampire glared at me. I bristled, but no one backed up their threatening looks.
“What’s their problem?” I asked.
“It’s not what you think. It’s not because you’re a witch,” Gary said matter-of-factly. “Althou
gh, I’d ask you to keep your blade stashed. We don’t want to cause a panic.”
“Why are they all pissy?”
He paused and spread his hands. “You’re underdressed. There’s a dress code.”
I looked down at myself. I was still wearing my plaid sleep shorts and a T-shirt sporting a picture of a sock monkey with the caption Nice Banana. I ran my thumbs under the straps to the sheath on my back that held Nightshade. My face felt warm. “Uh. Do you have something more appropriate for me to wear?”
Gary grimaced.
“He doesn’t, but I do.” From the shadows, Julius’s radiant blue eyes became visible before the rest of him. He melded into the dim light and lifted his rocks glass of scotch in a little toast to me. “Pleasure to see you again, Miss Knight. I am relieved to learn that Gary got you out in one piece, although I don’t recall inviting the sidekick.” He glanced pointedly at Rick.
“Rick goes where I go.”
“Perhaps your caretaker can wait at the bar while you and I discuss business.”
I frowned. “What business do we need to discuss without my caretaker?”
“For starters, why the Goblin Trinate want you dead and how long you will need sanctuary in my safe house.”
When he put it that way, I did owe him something for saving me. My shoulders softened, and the vampire held out his hand, bowing slightly at the waist. Julius was ancient. I wasn’t sure how ancient, but I suspected he held a wealth of information about my new enemies.
I looked at Rick and motioned with my chin toward the bar. “Give me a minute?”
He nodded once and released my arm to do as I asked.
Once he was gone, I slipped my hand into Julius’s and allowed the vampire to lead me from the room.
Chapter 10
The Safe House
Julius guided me to the back of the speakeasy and up a flight of stairs to a wood-paneled hallway. The second door on the left opened into an expansive bedroom that reminded me of something from The Great Gatsby. The four-poster bed at the center struck me as larger than life, a piece of furniture of inhuman standards with red silk sheets and a velvet comforter. Clearly, the bed was meant to be the centerpiece of the room, but that was hardly the most impressive feature. The two-story walls were lined with books, old and new, with a sliding brass ladder attached to the shelves to ensure each of them was accessible. Along one wall, a break in the shelving allowed for a fireplace where a lively fire crackled and popped. Two oversized red velvet chairs hugged its warmth. I took one look at their plush cushions and curved backs and sagged with exhaustion.
Mother May I (Knight Games Book 4) Page 6