Finn reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cell phone. The digital screen read Caller Unknown. Baffled, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
"About fucking time you picked up the phone, Uncle." Gabe's voice came across the line smoothly, almost as if he were in the car with Finn. "We need to talk. You hauled ass out of town before we could get to know each other better."
"I've got problems, thanks to your father's banshee girlfriend," Finn said, grimly. "How did you slip this phone in my pocket without me seeing?"
"I didn't. It's called magic and I know how to use it better than you do." Gabe laughed softly. "And as for my father's girlfriend, she's locked up in the one thing that can control her kind--the Box of Souls."
Finn sucked in his breath.
"Thought that would get you attention," Gabe said. "You know what that is then?"
"Yeah," Finn said. "How did you manage to get her in there?"
"Toby did it. I just convinced him that it was necessary."
"So why are you talking to me?"
"Because I'm willing to give you the box."
"What do you want in return?"
"The opportunity to be a part of the Spark legacy."
Surprised, Finn mulled the request over. He doubted his father would ever go for such any plan that brought Gabe into the family. Still, Jonathan Spark wasn't above a bit of trickery. If they could just get the box…
"Alright. I'll talk to him. I'll come back for the box."
"Don't bother. I'll bring it to you when grandpa agrees to my terms."
"Give me a day and I'll see what I can do."
"No. That's too long. Arrange a meeting for tonight."
"Can you get to Atlanta that fast?"
"Aren't you holding a cell phone that I created out of thin air?" Gabe laughed. "I can do anything, uncle. I'm not some wizard who is only good at one type of spell. Tonight. Make the meeting happen."
Finn jerked in surprise as the phone he'd been holding suddenly dissolved into dust.
But he didn't let the surprise distract him.
Nope. He had a new plan and he headed towards Atlanta with a smile on his face.
****
It was so quiet in the darkness.
Almost peaceful.
Almost.
The loneliness, the heartbreak, the unwanted opportunity to review her deeds--it was enough to make you crave release or even death. So far it had only been a few hours, but she couldn't imagine being stuck there for an eternity.
It hurt the most when she thought of Toby.
But she remembered the look on his face when he'd opened the box.
She'd seen his eyes, and though it infuriated and saddened her by turns, there was no doubt Toby had not wanted to put her in darkness. The man loved her.
And that reminded her…he'd been in the Box of Souls before. She'd accidentally put him there when she'd first learned about her powers. So how had he gotten out?
If there was one thing she'd learned about the world of wizards, it was that they were crafty, but each family was limited to their particular talents when it came to spell casting. If the box had been strong enough to hold Efa, it was unlikely that any wizard could get out on his own.
Gabe. The little rat.
He'd been in the box, too, setting a trap. Since he was more powerful than most, the rules of getting out of the darkness probably didn't apply to him.
She planned to have a little chat with Gabe when she saw him again.
If she saw him again.
As she plotted and planned and time ticked away, Jacqueline sensed a change in the darkness. It appeared to lighten a bit. Energy crackled in the air and it felt as she were being stretched and pulled up.
What was going on?
And then, with a pop, she was out of the box.
Her eyes blinked in the light as she tried to get her bearings.
It was an office of some kind. Very plush. Luxurious. TV screens covered one area of the wall, flashing ticker headlines from all over the world.
Two men stood nearby in front of a big picture window. Jacqueline recognized one as Finn Spark and anger flared in her. The man next to Finn had features so similar that she knew he had to be a relative.
"Hello, Jacqueline." Gabe stepped forward, but she was struck by the meekness in his movement, the heaviness in his shoulders. "I'm sure you're feeling much calmer now. A few hours in isolation can work wonders, especially in the Box of Souls."
"What do you want?" she asked, glancing around the room. "Where is Toby?"
"Well, you see that's the problem." Gabe shifted his gaze away, uneasy. "Toby has been taken."
"Taken? What do you mean? Who has him?"
"The Brotherhood. I don't know if he is still alive."
The worry and fear in Gabe's voice disturbed Jacqueline.
"Why is Finn here?" she asked, glancing at the other man. She could still see the shadow of the murdered girls around him. "He's a killer."
The older man stepped forward.
"I am Jonathan Spark, Finn's father. I'm here to help you."
"I doubt that, Daddy Dearest. From what I've seen of your family, you're all a bunch of liars." Jacqueline moved closer to him, pleased when he took an involuntary step back. Knowing that he feared her made her bolder. "You don't like Toby and would like to see him dead. I know all about the past relationship between the Spark and Williams families. I bet you called the Brotherhood to take him. You and Gabe probably have been working on this the whole time. You just needed to get me out of the way."
"You're right. I don't like the man. Never have. He violated my daughter, ruined her." Jonathan didn't bother to hide his bitterness. "Contrary to what you might think, I did not ask the Brotherhood to take him."
"Why would you help me? I know the rules to this kind of shit. You can't get something for nothing."
"You're right. I don’t want much. Just a bit of your blood."
"Blood? Why?"
"I want to study your DNA, find out what makes you tick. In exchange, I'm willing to walk you right to the front door of the Brotherhood. You won't be able to find them without me. The enchantments they use are too great to be located by just anyone."
"And if the Brotherhood is destroyed?"
"I'll be long gone, my dear." Jonathan smiled. "Do what you wish."
"How easily you turn on your fellow wizards. How do I know I can trust you?"
"Jacqueline," Gabe intervened, his face solemn. "This is Toby we're talking about. The more time we debate, the closer to death he could be."
"Oh please! You're the Great and Powerful Oz, right Gabe?" Jacqueline narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Why haven't you taken care of this yourself?"
"Because I don't know where the Brotherhood is located," Gabe admitted. "And I figured I might need back up in case things go wrong."
"What is this? Some buddy-cop movie? I'm not your friend, Gabe. Don't forget that." Jacqueline took a breath, trying to calm herself. "Right now, I want to find Toby."
She turned to Jonathan.
"You want my blood? You got it." She held out her arm, unsurprised when he magically produced a syringe. "Be quick about it."
Did she imagine the glow of triumph in old man Spark's eyes?
"Thank you, Ms. Huston," Jonathan said when he was finished. "You've been most helpful."
"Take me to Toby."
With a wave of his hand, Jonathan illuminated one of the TV screens on the walls of the office. Toby's battered and bruised face filled it. Blood dripped from a deep gash on the side of his head, and as Jacqueline watched, the skin on his exposed chest ripped away as if someone were pulling it up.
"There he is," Jonathan said.
"Oh, god," she whispered. "Stop, please. You said you would take me to him."
"You are so trusting." Jonathan laughed cruelly. "It's sweet."
A voice spoke on the screen and Jacqueline guessed it immediately.
Gwydion.
"Why did you let them take him?" Jacqueline's anger started to rise as she spoke to Gabe.
"Because he is an inept creature," Jonathan said, his eyes full of distaste and loathing as he met Gabe's gaze. "Not worthy of the Spark blood. There is no place for you here despite whatever deal you think you've made with Finn. I made plans with the Brotherhood to take Toby Williams the same day I sent my son to your town."
"What?" Finn turned to his father, surprised. "I thought you trusted me?"
"I'd like to trust you, but considering your nasty habits, I figured something might go wrong. In many ways, you are little better than Derek," Jonathan said, with a cruel grin. "Did you really think I don't know about the women and the sex games you like to play?"
"But you never--"
"I never said anything because it amused me not to." Jonathan shook his head and focused on Gabe again. "I've got my thumb on several members of the Brotherhood. They are loyal to me and have been on standby until today. They've been keeping tabs on you, Finn. As soon as they realized there was trouble, I ordered them to take Toby straight to Gwydion. I hope he kills him slowly."
Jacqueline barely heard his words. The anger at Jonathan's words, his callousness about Toby's life burned her.
"You know, Gabe," Jonathan sneered at his grandson's name as if it were a perverse word. "I'm surprised at how easy it was to get you to bring the half banshee to us. I had figured on her coming to us on her own to beg for the life of her lover. But Toby couldn't have been gone more than ten minutes before you were calling up Finn and trying to make a deal with the Box of Souls. You really are an uncreative creature aren't you? Must come from the Williams side of your gene pool."
Even as Jacqueline tried to calm down, tried to keep up with the conversation, she could hear and see Gwydion torturing Toby, demanding to know where she was.
He wouldn't break. He would protect her at all costs.
And Jonathan Spark wanted him dead.
She let the anger transform her, enjoying the shock on Jonathan's face and the raw terror on Finn's as her banshee features came into place.
Their life forces flickered like candles, and she focused on them, oblivious to almost everything else, even Gabe's voice.
"Sounds like you've been hard at work, grandfather, making plans for my father. But I've been making plans, too. My intention in making this deal to bring you the Box of Souls was to get close to you--the man who wanted me dead, who broke my mother's heart with his cold demands. Giving you Jacqueline was just a way to meet you, to be in the same room when you died." Gabe glanced at Jacqueline. When he looked back at the Sparks, a cold smile was on his face. "To tell you the truth, I hadn't expected you to play into my hands so easily--but you know just the right things to piss off a half banshee, don't you? In fact, I'll leave the killing to her. I like to watch her in action. It was nice to finally meet you. See you in hell."
He moved out of Jacqueline's way.
Toby's cries of pain echoed in her head as Jacqueline stood before them.
The sound of the Spark men screaming in agony was music to her ears.
Chapter 10
Gabe grimaced and watched Jacqueline sprawl on the floor, a half smile of rapture on her face. If he hadn't seen her rip the souls of both Spark men free, he would have thought she'd just experienced the best orgasm in the world.
Then again, maybe that's what it was like for her.
Oh, if Toby could see her now, his precious half banshee that he loved more than anything else. Wouldn't he be disappointed with her? But then again, Gabe had thought Toby would be outraged about the death of Matilda, and while he'd sensed that his father had been hurt and torn up with indecision over it, there was none of the dark rage present that Gabe had hoped for.
The image of Toby on the screen flickered as Jonathan Spark's magic faded.
Damn. He'd been too hasty in letting her kill the old man. How would they find the Brotherhood now?
Gabe stayed just out of her sightline, the Box of Souls ready to be used when she regained her senses enough to try and turn on him.
And he knew she would.
He'd studied the story of Efa and her conquests closely, noting that the young girl had not only spun out of control due to the murdered souls always surrounding her, but because of the amount of wizard souls she had absorbed. Gabe figured wizard souls must have a little more a magical boost to them as opposed to a regular mortal. Since the Sparks were the first wizard souls she'd ever taken, he doubted she'd be able to contain her hunger for more.
He clutched the box tighter.
Jacqueline stirred on the floor and her eyes fluttered open. For a long moment, she stared at the ceiling, a look of deep peace on her face. In those few seconds, Gabe saw her as his father must have: beautiful, wild, and deeply sexual.
But then she turned to him, the look melting into pure hatred.
"I'm going to find Toby," she said, sitting up. "And then I'm going to deal with you."
"Really?" Gabe tapped the box gently with his finger. "I think you need another time out."
"I'm of more use to you out here."
"Sorry. Can't trust you, Jacqueline."
"Who said anything about trust? That will never be something we share. I just want to find Toby. With all your powers, you must know where he is."
"Actually, I don't. Not yet. Wherever the Brotherhood has him, it's strongly guarded. Jonathan wasn't lying about that. Probably every wizard in the world has put some sort of enchantment on the place which makes it hard to find."
"So you don't have any idea where he's at?"
"Are you sure you want to find, Toby? I mean, after what just happened in here, odds are good he won't be pleased. You just killed again. We both know how he feels about that."
"He's been my rock these past few months, helped me when I couldn't help myself. It's my turn to be there for him, even if he doesn't want me anymore."
"How romantic."
But it wasn't Gabe that spoke.
He turned to see a woman with long black hair standing in the doorway of the room. The woman smiled and ran a hand over her dark black dress. Her skin was pale, almost white, but it was her eyes that disturbed Gabe. They were deep ebony.
"Hello, Jacqueline." The woman looked at Jacqueline and shook her head as a mother would to a child that's misbehaved. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Who is this?" Gabe raised his free hand to ready a spell. "A friend of yours?"
"This is Death, Irish Division." Jacqueline sighed. "She's kind of a bitch, so watch out."
"Now, Jacqueline, you're only saying that because all encounters thus far have been unpleasant ones. We should go to lunch some time. Make it a girl's day out or something. I'm not so bad when you get to know me." Death crossed her arms. "But again, I can't help but wonder what I'm going to do with you. I thought for sure our last conversation would have done the trick and you would start behaving."
"I'm…sorry," Jacqueline lowered her eyes, but not before Gabe caught the fear that flitted through them.
"Why are you here?" Gabe asked Death.
"Why are any of us here? It's an old question, one I've never been able to satisfy myself on." Death smiled as he frowned. "Oh, lighten up, wizard. A little existential humor never hurts anyone."
She raised one of her hands, and Jacqueline gasped when she found herself lifted up and pressed against the window of the room, held by the unseen force of Death.
"You and I have some business to take care of, my dear. I told you to behave. I told you the consequence of reaping souls that don't belong to you and aren't ready to be released from the mortal plain. But you didn't listen." Death tilted her head to the side a
nd her eyes flamed with an orange fire. "You've forced my hand and it's your humanity that will be taken from you. Morrigan demands it!"
Jacqueline twisted against the window, struggling to free herself. Energy crackled around her and the TV screens on the opposite wall exploded, sending glass shards everywhere. Her eyes turned green and she stared down at Death, ready to do battle.
"Better be careful. She just consumed two wizard souls and is juiced up from their powers," Gabe said, taking a cautious step forward, trying to figure out how to best play the situation.
"Her humanity is her downfall. She can't control the effect it has on her power. In death, she'll be as she was meant to be--a banshee who takes only those in her line." Death glared at Jacqueline. "She already had one warning and proved she can't take direction. Not in this form anyway."
Jacqueline twisted her head to see Gabe.
"Toby. No matter what happens here," she whispered. "Save Toby for me."
A pang of conscience tugged at him.
And for some reason a vision of Angela flashed through his mind.
Damn. Why couldn't anything be simple?
"Wait," he said to Death. "What about making a deal?"
"A deal?" Death sniffed. "Yeah, right. I don't make deals with mortals anymore. It's no fun and humans always cheat."
"What about with me? Would you make a deal with me?" Jacqueline gasped for air. "I'll let you kill me if you grant me one favor. That way your problems will be solved and your boss will be happy. Otherwise, you can expect me to start putting up one hell of a fight. No way will you take me without one."
"Hmm…now there's an interesting idea." Death slowly lowered Jacqueline to the ground. "What did you have in mind?"
"You have great power, right? You can come for anyone."
"This is true."
"Then take me to Toby. Let me say goodbye to my love. Then I'll go with you. No fuss. No worries. Please," Jacqueline begged. "I just need to see him one more time."
Gabe held his breath, wondering if Death would grant the request.
"Interesting," Death said after a moment. "The energy in this room is very interesting."
The Banshee's Desire Page 11