“This place doesn’t belong here.” It felt like it had been pulled through time, a tear in existence where human world and the afterlife occupied the same spot.
“It was Heloise’s childhood home. She brought the house with her when she took over management of the coven.” He reached for her hand, and Raven flinched away from his touch. Not taking no for an answer, Durant entwined their fingers and tugged until she was forced to walk at his side or be dragged behind him. “They say she took apart the house and had it reassembled here.”
“Childhood home?” Her face scrunched in confusion. “The place is hundreds of years old.”
Durant shook his head. “I sometimes forget you didn’t grow up around all of this. As witches grow older, they gain power. The more power they accumulate, the less they age.”
“I know some of the lore, but knowing and seeing it are two different things.” She studied the ancient mansion as they approached. “Is there a limit to how much power they can accumulate?”
“That’s a more complicated answer.” He absently rubbed his thumb along her fingers, and she stiffened when the innocent touch threatened to scramble her brain.
But she couldn’t make herself pull away.
Despite knowing it could only lead to trouble, she craved more.
Desperate for a distraction, she grabbed onto the threads of the conversation. “Complicated?”
“They don’t have unlimited power. Their body can only process so much magic at once.”
“Which is where familiars come into play.” He only nodded. She gave him a look from the corner of her eyes. “Do I hear a but?”
“Most witches can only use as much power as they can harness. There are a few who can reach beyond themselves. It’s dangerous, a skill that develops over time, but only for a special few.”
“And your Heloise is one of them.”
“She’s not mine.” Durant showed a little fang when he replied, revealing how much he disliked the claim, then he shrugged. “She’s the leader of a coven. You don’t become the leader of one this size without being able to wield a lot of power.”
As they approached the door, unease sent chills down her spine. The place felt wrong. As soon as she crossed the threshold, all warmth bled away and her breath billowed out in a cloud of frost. Sounds became muffled, the room fading to black and white. Ghosts from all eras wandered aimlessly through the house, and Raven was afraid to move and attract their attention.
The creature uncurled through Raven, using her eyes to see what had caught her attention. The past came alive as the world sharpened into focus. Two women were in a fierce argument, one she easily recognized as Heloise. She was the exact image of the woman she had just met, except for the elaborate dress she wore was more than a hundred years old. The other woman was older, possibly a sister if the similarities in their appearances were any indication. The elaborate outfit she wore was the kind you’d find in an old voodoo shop.
Authentic.
They gestured toward her…or more precisely, toward where she was standing. When Raven glanced down, it was to see her feet were firmly planted in the middle of a dead body. The man’s neck was twisted at an impossible angle. Like a cat, Raven jumped straight up in the air and scuttled to the side in a weird dance until she was sure she was clear of the man. Her heart continued to slam in her chest for a bit longer.
The body was so lifelike it took her seconds to realize he was a ghost. She rubbed her arms to get rid of the heebie-jeebies she got at finding herself standing in the middle of a corpse.
The man had come to a stop some distance from the stairs. To land so far away, someone had to have done more than push him, they had to have sent him flying.
“Raven?”
“Huh?” She turned to see Durant’s alarmed face inches from her own. The real world returned in a rush of sound and color, and she staggered to keep her balance as she was dumped out of the vision. Now that she was no longer touching the ghost, the past lost its grip on her. Humidity and a hint of Magnolias hung in the air, as if she’d pulled it with her through time, but the haunting scent disappeared as quickly as the vision.
Without the excitement, her creature rolled over and returned to its slumber.
“Where did you go?” Durant’s hands were knotted into fists, no doubt to keep from shaking the answer out of her.
She blinked to clear the last of the vision. Her mouth had gone bone dry, and she licked her parched lips, struggling to answer him in a way that wouldn’t freak him out. “The past, I think.”
Durant’s brows lowered ominously, and he looked ready to scoop her up into the safety of his arms.
“I’m fine.” She smiled to cover her unease. “I accidently stepped in a ghost and saw a snippet of his murder.”
Chapter Four
“Oh, well, if that’s all.” Though Durant’s voice revealed no inflection, a muscle flexed in his jaw.
“The murder happened a long time ago.” She tried to brush it off, but immediately noticed he was having none of it. Taking another tack, Raven prodded his back to get him moving forward, placing her own feet with more care this time. “We’d better hurry, or we’ll be late for dinner.”
They entered the large ballroom, now converted into a cafeteria of sorts. The decor was clearly original to the house, the wallpaper unchanged. It was as if she had stepped through time.
Most of the students were already eating, all of them older than she would have expected. Although a few appeared curious about their arrival, the majority of the students dismissed them out of hand, while the rest didn’t seem to even notice. The unpleasant smell of cafeteria food thickened the air, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“This way.”
She followed Durant’s example and filled her plate. As they walked toward an empty table, she noticed there wasn’t any available space on his dish, the food piled so high it spilled over onto the tray. They barely sat down when a small group of girls walked into the room and grabbed their food.
They giggled, rudely staring at Durant as they neared, then one of the girls stopped, forcing the rest to halt as well.
Raven stilled, instantly on alert.
“He doesn’t belong at the table.” The girl smirked as she removed a bowl from her tray and set it on the floor. “Here, kitty-kitty.”
Raven went taut, ready to lunge across the table. Durant gave a tiny warning shake of his head. He bent, scooped up the bowl and smiled, flashing his fangs. “Thanks.”
A couple of the girls squealed and leapt back, but the one in charge narrowed her eyes at the challenge before she led her small band of stuck-up princesses away.
Raven’s blood boiled at the insult, and she barely resisted following to teach them a lesson. They headed toward a table at the front of the room. As they neared, the occupants scrambled to vacate, but one boy wasn’t fast enough. The leader of the group leaned over and shoved the poor guy’s tray of food to the floor while her friends laughed.
“Don’t do it.”
Raven blinked innocently. “Do what?”
The girls were fools if they thought she was helpless. Raven reached for her core before she remembered there was nothing left. The reminder was an annoyance. She might not be able to use her own power, but that didn’t mean she was defenseless. She noted the plug-ins behind the main table, and drew down hard and fast.
Electricity forked through the room, and she directed it toward the lead table.
Sparks arched up the metal legs.
Within seconds, the girls launched to their feet with a collective squeal, rubbing their asses while they scurried away, dumping trays of food over themselves in their haste.
Raven smothered her smile and dropped her gaze to her food. Durant snorted and continued to eat. The room grew eerily quiet. Some of the kids smiled, a few others snickered.
Much to her surprise, the creature gave a snort as well, seemingly to approve of her petty revenge.
The girls
marched past them, heads held high, humiliation burning in their cheeks as they headed out the door…all but one.
The lead girl stopped at their table, hatred fizzing around her like the buzz of an annoying insect. “You did this.”
The whole room fell silent, all eyes on them.
“Prove it.” Magic swelled around Raven, the air turning overly sweet until her teeth ached.
“They’re guests of the coven.” A young male, probably just short of graduating, strolled boldly up to their table, tossing an apple in the air before catching it. He was thin, his blond hair short in the back and styled longer in the front. There was something gregarious about the boy that made Raven want to smile and invite him to sit with them. “You’re already pushing the boundaries, Paige.”
The girl spun to face him, wrath darkening her eyes, her long blonde hair whipping out in her agitation. “Mind your own business, wizard.”
“Of course.” He bowed, then his eyes lit with mischief. “You have something on your dress.” Then with a perfectly straight face, he pulled a noodle off her skirt.
A scream of rage escaped behind the girl’s clenched teeth. Magic rippled in the air, knocking the boy on his ass.
Raven shot to her feet, but the girl had already turned, storming across the room toward the door. By the time Raven reached the kid’s side, he was already on his feet, a little wisp of smoke curling up from his chest where the stuck-up princess had struck him with a hex. “Are you all right?”
The boy shrugged and pulled out a necklace. The small metal charm was now charred beyond recognition. “She does it about once a week. If she hadn’t done it now, she’d have found a different excuse to do it later.”
The reply baffled Raven. “Why?”
The kid appeared startled, his eyebrows inching up his face. “Because she’s a witch, and I’m only a wizard.”
The answer meant absolutely nothing to her. “Explain.”
Dawning understanding crossed his face. “A witch can harness and cast magic. A wizard can only manipulate existing magic. We’re considered second-class citizens. Only the best of us are allowed to train here. They resent having us in their classes.”
Curiosity got the better of her. “Train for what?”
“The witches are being trained in how to cast. The rest of us are shown how to make potions and amulets to sell. We work in the specialty shops for humans.”
He appeared resigned to his fate.
“Like wizards are the working class compared to their royalty?”
A smile quirked his lips at the analogy. “Exactly.” Another bell gonged in the distance. “I’d better go. Good luck.”
He straightened abruptly, flashed a smile that would seduce many a women in a year or two, and walked backwards. “I’m Luca, by the way.”
Raven watched him leave, his blond head blending in with the rest of the students. Despite her determination not to like the witches, Luca had charmed her. He reminded her that not all witches were the same. Just like any other species, people here were both good and bad.
Her presence on campus suddenly became clear. She’d been selected to find a killer. Someone on campus was murdering witches. It was the only thing that could possibly explain why they’d invite someone like her into their coven and school.
When the cafeteria was empty, Raven noticed Heloise waiting by the door.
She stiffened and wondered if the whole show had been a setup.
“If you’ve finished, please follow me.”
Durant rose, coming on silent feet to stand by her side. As they followed the witch, Raven realized the entire house was a warren of secret passageways and rooms. But after a few minutes with no rhyme or reason to its architecture, it became more like a carnival funhouse. “It’s magic.”
The woman turned her head slightly. “Only part of it.”
“Why are we here?” She’d had enough games. She wanted this case over and done with while she still had time.
“The coven is in trouble.”
Raven didn’t say anything for a moment. The witches here were the best of the best. What kind of murderer stalked the grounds that would force them to seek outside help? To say they were a select and secretive organization was putting it mildly. People with even a lick of magic were inducted into a coven, whether they wanted it or not.
Those who protested, those who wanted out, were never seen again…if they were lucky. The few who had been found after a coven was through with them had been stripped of everything—their powers, their money, and often their minds.
Being invited to the coven couldn’t be good for her health.
“Why me?”
They continued down the hall, until they came to a set of double doors. Heloise didn’t pause as she pushed them open and strode into the room.
Raven took a step to follow, and stopped short when she detected a slight hum of magic in the air.
Wards.
Raven hesitated, but no amount of standing there would tell her whether the magic was malevolent or not. And queen bitch wasn’t sharing.
Durant nudged her aside. “Let me go first.”
Raven scowled, liking his suggestion even less. When he lifted his foot to cross over the threshold, she placed her hand on his shoulder and stepped into the room at his side. Magic washed over her, the sticky cobwebs clinging to her until they were five feet into the room before sloughing off.
“Are we going to have to go through this every time I want answers?”
Heloise glanced up from her papers. “The wards were created decades ago. They inform me when I have visitors, and if they have malicious intent. It also soundproofs the office and makes it impossible for anyone to eavesdrop by other means. They’re not easily dismantled, so I am disinclined to take them down just to cater to your delicate sensibilities.”
Raven grudgingly accepted the explanation. She scanned the office, and her eyes were drawn to an old portrait of a woman who looked vaguely familiar. The second woman from her vision. Written on a plaque beneath was the name Marie Laveau. Despite herself, Raven was impressed. “You’re related to the voodoo queen.”
Heloise snorted as if finding the whole thing ridiculous. “Everyone from Louisiana claims they’re a long lost relative.”
Raven flushed at the remark, feeling a little foolish, then focused on the mission. “Why are we here?”
“We need help, and the coven has voted to seek outside assistance. The decision was not unanimous.” Those dark eyes of hers were direct and unflinching.
Something about her stiffness made Raven distinctively uneasy.
“You wanted us here.” Despite all her snootiness, Heloise had voted to bring them on the case. That was the last thing Raven had expected.
The woman gave a regal nod. “Someone is hunting us and stealing our magic. Our resources are limited. We need someone who can sense magic and remain unaffected.”
There was more to it, though.
“Why me?” Raven couldn’t keep her suspicions from coloring her voice. There was more happening than what she was being told. The sense of a cage door closing behind her left Raven with the feeling she was never going to be permitted to leave.
“You have a reputation. You’re efficient. Discreet.” There was a smidge of respect in the witch’s voice, also a certain pleasure in being able to answer without revealing anything of value.
The tight twist of Heloise’s lips spoke volumes. Raven wasn’t going to get any more out of her. So instead, she focused on what wasn’t being said. “And if I can’t find your suspect—”
“Killer.” The witch’s voice was flat. “If you take a witch’s magic, you kill them.”
Although she desperately wanted to learn more about her own situation, Raven bit her lip to keep from asking questions. The last thing she needed was for them to be even more suspicious about her.
She suspected she already knew the answer anyway.
The creature had stolen her energy.
“What happens if I haven’t captured your killer when my week is up?”
“We have our own checks and balances. We’ve requested other assistance, but it’s unavailable at the moment. They said they would send someone as soon as possible.” Her mouth tightened in annoyance at being denied. “We can’t wait that long.”
A heavy fist pounded on the door, and a young man charged into the room. “You have to come quick.”
Heloise inhaled deeply as she rose to her feet, the sound infinitely weary. “What is it this time?”
“One of the familiars has gone feral and is on a rampage.”
Chapter Five
Raven sprinted for the door when Durant grabbed her arm. “This isn’t your fight.”
“I’m an alpha. I can help.” She didn’t understand why he’d stopped her
Durant didn’t disagree, but his hold didn’t loosen. “You’re also human and female.”
She tightened her lips against an automatic protest. “They’ll kill him.”
He only shrugged. “He agreed to this when he threw in his lot with the witches.”
His compete lack of compassion stupefied her. She couldn’t live that way. Life mattered. She went up on tiptoes and got right up into his face. “Do you really expect me to stand aside while they kill him?”
He gave a wry smile. “I was kind of hoping…but expecting? No.” He narrowed the space between them down to nothing. His warmth washed over her, and she stared up at him, part of her ire melting. “Just be careful. Remember the witches own him. They won’t thank you for your interference. In fact, they might demand reparations.”
Raven nodded, and the sense of urgency swept over her, as if the Reaper had run his hand down her spine. “It’s a chance I have to take.”
They bounded down the stairs in two leaps. By the time they exited the house, a crowd had gathered. Primitive, animalistic snarls echoed in the distance. The scent of pain and blood smashed into her, and every inch of her prickled as her body roared to life. When they neared the crowd, Durant took lead and pushed his way forward.
Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3) Page 4