by Linsey Hall
The Amazon River.
Information flowed from the feather into my mind. Whoever had owned this feather had recently been at a temple in the Amazon jungle. El Dorado.
Holy fates, El Dorado?
But what did these murders have to do with El Dorado? And with me? If my new demon powers were tied up with El Dorado somehow, I needed to go there.
“You’re going to have to give that up.” The deep voice made a shiver race up my spine.
I looked up. Maximus the gladiator stood right next to me, his back pressed against the alley wall.
For such a huge man, he’d approached with complete silence. He positively towered over me, his dark gaze moving between the feather and my face. His scent wrapped around me, soap and cedar and man. I resisted sucking in a deep breath, but it was delightful.
He held out a big hand that looked like it could break trees in half. “Hand it over.”
“No.”
At my side, the raccoon watched closely.
I really shouldn’t be arguing with the man who’d seen my dark magic, but I couldn’t give up this feather, either. It was my only clue, and what gave him the right to take it from me?
“Why were you in The Vaults last night?” I demanded. “It seemed like you were waiting for the demons.”
“Not waiting. Tracking.”
“Tracking the demons and their monster?”
He nodded. “I was hired by the Order of the Magica to hunt these demons after one of their own was killed. A mage named Kevin Moreny. I liked him. Good kid.”
I paled. Order of the Magica?
Oh crap. The very people I was afraid of. Perfect.
My mind raced as my skin chilled. I had to pretend I wasn’t afraid of the Order. I focused on the dead person, which was terrible enough. “He really died?”
He nodded, the gesture sharp and his eyes dark. His harshly beautiful features were very slightly softened in grief. But only for a moment. A second later, they hardened. I felt like I’d seen beneath the mask, and I didn’t hate the man under there.
This man, though? This man, I was wary of. He knew about the darkness in my soul.
“I’m sorry about Kevin.” My mind raced. That meant these demons were serial killers…or at the very least working for one. And I was supposed to be like them, according to the demon I’d killed? That was almost worse than the soul-devouring part of this situation. “Do you know why they targeted him? Was his death like…this?”
I didn’t know how to delicately ask were his intestines also spilled all over the road?
“Exactly like this. And no, I don’t know why. A week ago, he was attacked and left like them.” He nodded toward the bodies, his eyes sharp. “The Order knows nothing, so they hired me for the job. And personally, I want answers.”
The cold determination in his voice sent a shudder down my spine. “Yet you came to help Jude with training today?”
“I’m freelance. She hired me for this job before the Order got in touch about the murders. The deaths take precedence, but coming here had the added bonus of giving me access to the Protectorate records.”
“Ah, so you traded with Jude. In exchange for access to our records on giant monsters, you would train the new recruits.”
“You. I was brought in to train you, since you’re supposed to have no magic. Jude thought some extra fighting skills would come in handy.” His gaze turned thoughtful. “But that’s not the case, is it? You do have magic.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. So, you don’t know who is sending the birds?”
“Don’t try to change the subject.”
“We have bigger issues than my magic. Like these murderers. You’ve really found no clues?”
“None.” His gaze dropped to the feather. “That’s the first solid lead I’ve had in a week. I need you to hand it over. And we’re not done discussing the issue of your strange magic.”
I clutched it tighter. “It was the demon. His own magic backfired on him. And I’m not giving you this feather. I need answers, too.”
There was more I could learn from the feather, more clues I could reveal with the psychometros potion. I might need it to find my way to El Dorado.
“Why would you need answers?”
What could I tell him? That some mysterious note had made this my business? Or that the dark magic would devour my soul if I didn’t get answers from the murderous demons themselves?
Neither of those were good options, but one version of the truth probably wasn’t so bad.
“With my psychometros potion, I can track this feather and find out exactly where it’s been. So I don’t want to give it up.”
His gaze sharpened. “Really? Is that what the licking was about?”
I scowled, wishing I’d developed a less ridiculous way to interact with the psychometros potion. But I hadn’t because that had been the easiest way, so I was going to have to try to play this one off.
“Exactly. I developed it.” It was one of my proudest accomplishments, actually.
“A true psychometros potion? I thought those didn’t exist.”
“There’s one now. And only I can use it. So I suggest you leave me alone and go get one of those other feathers.” I hiked my thumb back toward the crime scene where members of the PITs were finding other feathers. “You don’t need this one.”
“But perhaps I need you.”
My cheeks heated, and I hated myself for it. I really didn’t want to think of him that way.
“And you need me to keep your strange dark magic a secret.”
Oh, that went downhill fast. I barely resisted wincing. He saw straight to the heart of the matter, didn’t he? “I don’t, actually. I told you, that was just the demon. His magic went haywire. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He was too smart to believe that. I could see it in his eyes.
Which meant I needed to get the hell away from him. What exactly did he think was going on with me? And would he turn me in to the Order of the Magica? After my time in captivity with the Rebel Gods, no way I was going to any prison. I’d die first.
I looked around for an escape, and caught sight of Jude walking toward me, her eyes keen on the feather in my hand.
She stopped in front of us. “What are you doing with that?”
“I’ve created a psychometros potion.” I held up the feather. “I can track where this has been. I saw a temple in the jungle. El Dorado.”
Her eyes widened. “You really created a potion that can read information from objects?”
“I did.” I was the only one who’d managed that. Sheer luck, or fate. Some skill, definitely. All three, probably. And it was going to help me find the answers I so desperately needed.
Hedy, the R&D witch with lavender hair and an ever-changing array of flowy dresses, appeared out of nowhere. “Did I hear psychometros potion? Does it really work?”
I nodded, and her eyes brightened.
Jude and Hedy demanded a breakdown of the potion’s abilities, how it reacted only with my saliva, and a full synopsis of what the feather had told me so far. Maybe I could convince them to let me get the heck out of Dodge for a while. Get away from Maximus and his damned training.
“So I was thinking that I could go hunt for the monster.” I put on my most competent and serious expression. “I could find out where it’s been by using my potion, and report back with information that might help us stop it.” Even better, I could get away from Maximus.
Hedy looked torn, while Jude looked thoughtful.
I held up the feather. “Remember, I’m the only one who can track this using the potion. I’ll go alone, and I don’t need help. I’ll travel light and fast and report back with anything I learn. There’s nothing to lose, and I’m sure everyone else is really busy.”
“They are,” Jude said. “There have been reports of other attacks. They’re tracking them down. We don’t know if they are by these monsters or others, but hopefully we’ll ca
tch one in the act.”
I nodded, feeling Maximus watching me keenly. “I can do it, Jude. I know it’s rare to send out a trainee, but I promise to be careful. And you know I’m skilled. I can handle this.”
It took a while, but eventually, Jude nodded. “You’re like your sisters, Rowan. Perhaps you’re slow to come into your powers”—I stifled a wince at the words—“but you’re getting there. You have natural skill that most trainees don’t. Consider this a test for the Academy.”
“Thank you.” Elation made me feel light as a balloon.
“But you’ll go with Maximus.” She looked at him for confirmation, and of course the bastard nodded.
My grin dropped. “I don’t need help.”
She turned to me. “You need backup. This will be dangerous. And he’s hunting answers on behalf of the Order. If you team up, he can even help train you. Kill two birds with one stone. And it frees up the rest of the PITs to try to intercept new attacks.”
Shit, shit, shit.
Everything she’d said made sense. There was no way for me to fight it. How could I make it work to my advantage?
I’d be able to keep an eye on him while getting answers, so maybe it wasn’t all bad. I’d just keep the dark magic under control and prove to him that I was normal. I’d fix myself and solve a murder, and he’d realize that I’m not a threat.
This could actually be good. “Thanks, Jude. I promise to find answers.”
“I know you will. You said you’re headed to El Dorado?”
“The monsters were there according to the vision that the potion gave me. I’ve heard rumors that El Dorado is supposed to be somewhere on the Amazon River, and the vision confirmed that. There aren’t many supernatural settlements down there. I can head down and ask around, maybe get a few more visions that can help pinpoint the location.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard it’s upriver from The Caipora’s Den, a little village deep in the jungle. I don’t have any contacts, but you can probably find a boat captain to take you.”
“I have plenty of transport charms,” Maximus said. “We can be there in minutes.”
I shot him an impressed glance. Transport charms were notoriously hard to come by, but he had plenty?
“Just be careful,” Jude said. “It’s dangerous out there.”
Dangerous? Oh yeah, I was aware. Well aware.
Jude and Hedy left, and I looked at Maximus. “I’ll meet you at the front of the castle in twenty minutes, all right? I need to grab some things.”
I had to stop by my place to get a bag of potion bombs. This was too dangerous, and my belt full of tiny potion vials wouldn’t cut it.
He nodded and strode away, and I sagged.
Good luck with that.
I jumped, having forgotten the racoon. He’d been sitting on the dumpster all this time, watching us.
I turned to him. “Thanks.”
Without another word, I left. Just before I departed the alley, I turned back, catching sight of the raccoon.
He gave me a look and made a V-shape with two tiny fingers that he pointed between us, going back and forth. I’m watching you. Your trash is ours.
Ours? I searched for other raccoons, and wondered if I’d invited a whole group of them to raid my trash bin.
Oh boy. My life was going off the rails.
5
Thirty minutes later, after collecting my bag full of potion bombs, I stepped through the portal created by Maximus’s transport charm. We arrived just as dusk fell, stepping into the thick heat. It filled my lungs with warmth, reminding me of long-ago days in Death Valley.
The jungle rustled around us, massive leaves shifting on the breeze as animals screeched in the distance. We stood at the edge of a fairly large town called The Caipora’s Den.
The brown, wooden buildings of the town blended into the jungle. Vines climbed over many of them, threatening to take them back to nature. Golden lights glowed in a few of the windows, but the street was quiet.
“Where is everyone?” I peered around, not seeing a single soul.
A massive cheer rose up from somewhere down the street, the sound of dozens of voices raised together. They sounded bloodthirsty.
“Well, that answers that,” I murmured, and started off down the street.
Maximus easily kept pace with me, his long strides eating up the ground. It was hard to ignore his presence, but I did my best.
Of course I failed. I kept darting glances at him, as mistrustful of him as he was of me. Tension prickled between us, keeping me on my toes.
The middle of the street was muddy. The road was made of packed dirt and probably flooded every time it rained. We stuck to the wooden walkways that lined the fronts of the old buildings. A faint haze of magic floated on the air, the mingled scents of different supernaturals all clustered together. Some of the buildings had clear signs of magic—potions shops and the like—but otherwise, it looked like a fairly normal place.
The noise of a crowd grew louder as we neared the end of town. Up close, I could see golden lights gleaming on the jungle behind some buildings.
I nodded toward a narrow street between two buildings. “Let’s cut through this alley.”
“You’re quite bossy.”
I grinned. “I know what I’m doing.”
Maximus gave me a quizzical look, then slipped in front of me, seeming determined to lead the way, like he wanted to get the jump on any danger. It was fine with me. If he somehow got ambushed by some demons and killed, then no one besides my sisters would know about my deadly power.
A win-win, as far as I was concerned.
But even as I thought it, guilt bloomed inside me.
He was a decent dude. Though he was definitely dangerous to my well-being, I didn’t like the thought of something bad happening to a good person.
The fizzle of attraction had nothing to do with it, of course.
Waaaaay too soon for that.
The alley was so narrow and dark that I couldn’t see around his wide shoulders, but the sound of the cheering crowd grew loud enough that it felt like we were in a stadium. There was definitely some kind of sporting event going on.
As soon as I exited the alley, I caught sight of a raised fight ring in the middle of the clearing. Two massive men went at it with just their fists, while dozens of supernaturals stood around the ring, cheering and shouting. Lights hung from wires overhead, illuminating the whole spectacle.
“I guess there’s not much else to do in the jungle,” I said.
“And gamble.” Maximus nodded toward a building to the left. A sign overhead said something in Portuguese that I had to imagine said Casino.
“You speak Portuguese?”
“And a few other languages.” He didn’t stick around to provide any more detail, just cut straight through the crowd to an open-air bar near the building.
I followed, searching the space for anyone who might be able to give us a ride up the river. No one was wearing a captain’s hat, however, and I wasn’t particularly surprised.
I joined Maximus at the bar, squeezing in beside him and a smelly guy with green skin and yellow eyes. Some kind of snake hybrid shifter, if I had to guess. I edged closer to Maximus.
He leaned on the bar and smiled at the bartender, turning up the charm. It didn’t make him look friendly—I wasn’t sure anything would—but it made him look sexy as hell.
The pretty blonde bartender seemed to agree with me. She bent over the bar and smiled at him, leaning on her arms in a way that pushed up her boobs. Next to me, the green snake man drooled.
Men.
I had to admit she looked pretty good. I just hoped she was friendly enough to give us the info we wanted.
“Two of whatever you’ve got on tap, please.” Maximus’s voice had taken on an even huskier timbre than normal.
I shot him a sidelong glance.
He was totally seducing the bartender.
“Coming right up.” She smiled and turned, sash
aying away toward the taps.
I nudged him in the ribs, leaning close enough to smell the heady scent of his skin. “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t you?”
His dark eyes met mine. “Jealous?”
Annoyance flashed through me. Maybe I was, and I didn’t like it. I’d die before I’d let him know it, though. I gave him the most desperate look I could manage and leaned close, giving my voice an extra high pitch. “So jealous, baby. I wish you’d just throw me right up on this bar and take your big—”
He growled low in his throat, his eyes heating, and pressed a hand to my mouth. “Enough. You’ll blow it for us.”
I smirked, pretending not to enjoy the warm press of his hand against my lips, and pinched his waist. He was a wall of muscle, and it was hard to get much to pinch, but he got the picture and removed his hand.
As soon as his touch disappeared, I remembered our situation. He knew what I was. He could turn me in. I could never trust him.
All very simple, really.
I gestured to the bartender who was still filling the glasses. “See what you can get out of her with that pretty face.”
He gave me an annoyed look and leaned over the bar, accepting the glasses with a smile. He passed an unidentifiable bill over the counter—Brazilian money, I had to guess— and from the bartender’s expression, I had to assume it was a lot.
“Any chance you can point us to the most desperate riverboat captain in this place?” he asked. “Someone who will take us somewhere dangerous.”
She pursed her lips, clearly thinking. “That’d have to be Eloa. She’ll be playing poker in the main building. Short girl, purple eyes, you can’t miss her.”
“Thanks, darling.” Maximus’s deep voice shivered over my nerve endings, and he wasn’t even talking to me.
Blonde girl looked like she might actually jump on him.
All he’d done was ask her a question and say thanks.
What was it about this guy? It was like he was shooting out sex pheromones and every woman within hearing distance—me included, to my horror—was way interested.