Midnight Shadows

by Emerson Knight

  “I can do that,” Josh answered. “What’s it about?”

  I sighed. Of course there were going to be questions. My brother didn’t know about Dennis. Up to that point, he hadn’t needed to know. Before I could answer, my phone vibrated. I pulled it from my ear to read the screen.

  A text from Artemis read, “Would you like to know if a dark witch is in the neighborhood, looking for trouble?”

  I put the phone back to my ear.

  “Ethan?” Josh asked.

  “I got a lead on our biker witch. I’ll call you back.” I disconnected the call, then called Artemis. Before she answered, Josh materialized next to me. I glanced around quickly to make sure no one was paying attention, then scowled at him for his recklessness. He didn’t seem to care. Typical.

  “That was quick,” Artemis answered, pleased.

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “Excellent. I should probably inform you that my rates have recently increased,” she said speculatively.

  I don’t have time for this. “Double the usual finder’s fee,” I said. “One time only. If you want more than that, I can come over to your house to talk with you about it.” Artemis took considerable pride in keeping her home a secret. I’d found it a few months ago, but only because she’d left me no choice.

  “You drive an unnecessarily hard bargain,” she complained. “He’s strolling through the farmer’s market at Lincoln Park.”

  “Let me know if he leaves before I get there.”

  I disconnected the call and turned to Josh. He could transport us there instantly, but the market at Lincoln Park was one of the busiest farmer’s markets in the city. Magic in a crowd was a gamble. Often people in a crowd weren’t paying attention to anything not immediately around them, but a miscalculation could cause a stir and draw far more attention than we could handle. I could see by the look in his blue eyes that he was ready to risk a transport. I gestured to the BMW, unlocking it with the fob.

  Speeding as much as I could without risking an accident, it wasn’t long before we parked across from the bustling market and walked in. Hundreds of people were crowded into three rows of market stalls, where local craftsmen and farmers sold their goods from tents pitched beneath the silver maple and green ash trees. Josh and I walked together, weaving through the crowd as we looked for Lucas Reed. At just over six feet tall with a pile of red curls on his head, he wasn’t hard to miss as he purchased a bag of roasted nuts from a vendor. If that wasn’t enough, he wore the same leather jacket and chaps he’d worn in Tim’s dashcam video.

  An oppressive dark magic wafted off of him.

  Josh tensed, his gaze focused intently on the crowd around us. The market was no place for a fight—too many eyes, too much potential for collateral damage. If I had my way, I’d grab him by the jacket collar and haul him away to have a quiet chat that ended with him racing out of town, but I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t put up a fight. As a rule, supernaturals didn’t want to be noticed by the outside world, but that didn’t mean Reed was going to let me manhandle him.

  Beyond the vendors was an open area that was clear of bystanders. Our witch was already close to the end of the row. I got Josh’s attention and nodded toward the clearing, but he’d already seemed to figure out the same plan.

  The last tent was occupied by a vendor who made and sold scented candles—obnoxiously scented, to my senses. Reed lingered there. That’s when I knew he’d made us.

  Scowling, I strode to his side, gripped his elbow tightly, and walked him away from the tent. He chuckled, but didn’t resist as I escorted him into the clearing. He reeked of sage, lemongrass, and some kind of obnoxious perfume.

  “Nobody told me there’d be a welcome wagon,” he said, smiling. When I stopped and turned him to face me, his expression had only grown smugger. His heart rate remained calm as he glanced between Josh and me. “As I live and breathe, witches and wolves walking hand in hand—metaphorically speaking. An amazing if unlikely accomplishment. If you gentlemen stopped me to join you in a round of Kumbaya, I should warn you—the reports of my golden pipes and gentle disposition are greatly exaggerated.”

  “Just a courtesy greeting,” Josh said, the tightness in his voice matching the tension in his body as he anticipated a magical confrontation.

  “Why are you here, unannounced?” I demanded.

  “I do apologize for the break in decorum,” he said, brushing a dangling curl from his face. “If I missed the markings on the trees, it’s probably because I didn’t give a shit. Still, there’s no need to be alarmed. I’m just here to take in the sights, like the rest of the tourists. If you’re worried about me digging up the bones you’ve got hidden around here, I promise to leave them undisturbed. Not that that wouldn’t be entertaining, but chew toys aren’t really my style. I’m more of a consume-your-soul type of guy.”

  I growled as I stepped up to him, giving him a close look at the wolf in my eyes as it rose to just below the surface. Judging by the intensity of the dark magic that radiated from Reed, Tim had considerably underestimated his power, but his magic was useless against my wolf, and I had Josh beside me. As much as I wanted to teach Reed some manners, I needed to get my message across without causing a scene, if possible.

  “Does Marcia know you’re here?” Josh asked.

  “The Creed?” he said with a sneer. “Unless they’ve opened a tourist office and are offering discount tickets to Second City, I have no business with them. Last I heard, Marcia wasn’t too fond of dogs. Safe to say, you’re not here on her behalf.” His smile broadened as he glanced between Josh and me. “No, I believe this is an official visit from the Midwest Pack. And I have the misfortune to draw the attention of Ethan Charleston, the pack Beta, and his witch brother. It’s your tattoos that give you away.” He winked at Josh, then turned his full attention to me, his gaze locking with mine. “If you have some not-so-subtle threat to give me, something about Chicago being the pack’s personal fire hydrant, I do hope you’ll get on with it. The art museum closes in six hours.”

  The muscles in my neck grew taut. My fists clenched as I fought the urge to knock the witch’s smug smile from his face in a memorable fashion. Josh stepped closer to me, sensing I was on the cusp of losing control.

  I stared unblinking into Reed’s mocking hazel eyes as I issued my final warning. “I suggest you take in as many of the sights as you can today, because by noon tomorrow you’re going to be on your way back to your business in Indiana. Cause any trouble, or return unannounced, and there will be consequences.”

  He nodded slowly, his lips bent into a crooked smile. “Message received. I assume we’re done here?”

  Josh pulled at my arm and I took a step back, allowing Reed to walk back into the marketplace.

  “I’ve felt his magic before,” I said, staring after the witch.

  “He’s one of Ethos’s followers, like Pala.”

  Two years ago, Josh had enlisted Pala’s help to find the Gem of Levage. Instead, she’d tried to steal his magic. Like all of Ethos’s followers, they’d offered servitude in exchange for some of his magic. Supposedly he’d reclaimed it all before we’d killed him, but that obviously hadn’t been the case. There could be only one reason for a follower of Ethos to be in Chicago; he’d sensed his master’s magic and he’d come looking for it, which made Sky his target.

  I was considering how we could set a trap for Reed and kill him, away from public view, when Josh said, “He doesn’t know who he’s looking for. He’s just tracking the magic. As long as Sky doesn’t use Ethos’s power, he’ll have nothing to track. I’ll stop her training sessions for a few days.”

  I rounded on my brother with a hard look. “That’s not enough.”

  “We can’t just take it from her,” he snapped. “You can’t just do what you want to people. I’m not going to help you do that. If she can be talked into giving up Ethos’s magic, then I’ll help remove it.”

  “And when she refuses?” Which she would.
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  His brow furrowed, weighted with worry. “Then I’ll help her find a way to hide it.”

  I shook my head in disgust, but that was the best I was going to get, for the moment. At least Josh understood the immediate risk, but allowing Sky to keep Ethos’s magic for any length of time was unacceptable. I’d need his help to take it from her, which meant I needed to give him some time to come to the same conclusion I had. For the moment, he would keep his promise not to train her, and without a footprint of magic to track, Lucas Reed would give up and leave town by morning—or I’d kill him.

  For the time being, I needed to keep Sky safe, which was problematic. For anyone else, a simple warning would suffice to keep her home and under our protection. Sky was too independent and too stubborn for her own good. If I warned her she was in danger, she’d go looking for trouble. If I put a guard on her, she’d do everything imaginable to escape.

  I ran my hands over my face, trying to wipe away the tension.

  For the first time since Steven had left town to help his adopted mother, Joan, rebuild the Southern Pack, I’d regretted his absence. While I found his relationship with Sky suspect, and I didn’t approve of the way he’d inserted himself into her home, making himself a virtual roommate, he was the only pack member who could get that close to her without raising her suspicions. She trusted him more than Josh. More than me.

  I frowned as I drew out my phone and texted a description of Reed to Markos, my sixth. “If he gets within two miles of Sky, let me know.” I pocketed my phone and said to Josh, “Let’s take care of the storage. Then we’ll talk about Sky.”

  Josh rolled his eyes but followed me back to the BMW.

  A short time later, we stood across the street from Mr. Walker’s apartment building. While we waited for the street to clear, I described the general layout of the storage unit. All we needed was a window of time where Josh could disappear and reappear without being noticed by the trickle of pedestrians that used the block.

  Just when we thought we had that window, a blue Crown Vic turned onto the street. I frowned as the vehicle, notoriously used by plainclothes police, parked in front of the building’s entrance. A bored-looking woman emerged from the driver’s seat, joined by her male Latino partner from the passenger side.

  “I’ll do the talking,” she informed her partner.

  “By all means,” he answered.

  As they climbed the steps, Walker emerged from the building to hold the door for them. The woman flashed her badge as a courtesy.

  “You have to go now,” I whispered. When I turned toward Josh, he was already gone.

  To avoid looking conspicuous, I put my phone to my ear, pretending to be in conversation as I paced the sidewalk. All I could do was wait and worry. If Josh was discovered in the storage room, he’d be unable to transport himself out—not in plain sight of two police officers.

  A few tense minutes passed before the front door of the building opened and the officers emerged, visibly irritated, followed by an angry, apologetic Walker. The officers wasted no time entertaining his excuses. Instead they returned to their Crown Vic and drove away. Walker shook his head as he watched them go, then went back inside, grumbling to himself.

  Josh appeared in front of me, grinning as he brushed clingy foam packing peanuts from his shirt and pants, then his hair.

  “That was close,” he said. “I had to transport into one of the other storage units and hide in a box of packing foam.”

  “Did you get it all?”

  He nodded.

  “Both units on the end?”

  Josh tilted his head to give me a puzzled look. “There were two storage units?” he asked, then watched my anger rise before he chuckled. “Relax. I got both of them.”

  I let out a slow breath, feeling my shoulders drop as the tension left my body. It had been a long, stressful day. “Come on,” I said, directing him to follow me down the alley to the next block. “I’ll take you back to your place.”

  That evening I was at home, alone with my thoughts and a bottle of Scotch, when I got a call from Markos.

  “Is he gone?” I asked before he could speak.

  “I had him in my sight all afternoon up to now, and then I lost him.” There was a sigh on the other end. “I hate to say it, but I think I got rope-a-doped.”

  My hand clenched around the phone until I thought it might break, then I forced myself to relax.

  Markos continued, “He must’ve known I was there the entire time, because he never went to his hotel or to visit anyone he knew—just tourist stuff.” He growled in disgust. “I got complacent. When he wanted to dump me, he did it easily.”

  “Get to Skylar’s, now.”

  “I’m on it, but I’m a ways out. If anyone else is closer, you might want to call them as well.”

  Next, I called Sky. When she didn’t answer, I threw my phone across the living room. It bounced off the back of my desk chair and landed on the floor with a clatter. Growling as I walked across the room, I picked up the phone and examined it. Relieved that it still worked, I called Winter.

  “Hello,” she answered, sounding bored.

  “How close are you to Sky’s?” I asked.

  “Closer than I’d like to be. You need me to babysit?”

  “I need you to get eyes on her until Markos gets there. Make sure she’s home and alone.”

  “Should I knock on the door, or am I playing stalker?”

  “Keep it quiet. There’s a new witch in town. A biker. If he shows up, he doesn’t get inside.”

  Her interest level rose at the prospect of a fight. “I can do that.”

  I killed the call, picked up the keys to my BMW, and was halfway to Sky’s when I got the call from Winter. I placed the phone in the dash cradle and answered on speakerphone.

  “She’s fine,” Winter said, sending an immediate rush of relief through me. “She’s alone, watching some crappy movie on television. No biker witch to speak of, unfortunately.”

  I eased my foot off the gas, slowing down to the speed of traffic. “Wait for Markos, then go home.”

  “Okay,” she said with a sigh. “If you need me for a fight, don’t hesitate to call.” She ended the call.

  I found a turnaround and drove back toward home. Despite my relief, my heart was still pounding.

  I can’t wait for Josh to come around.

  Every minute Sky remained in possession of Ethos’s magic put her in danger. It put the pack in danger. The longer she possessed it, the greater the risk. Josh’s promise to halt her training wasn’t going to stop her from experimenting on her own.

  I’d talk to her first, try to get her to give up the magic voluntarily. She was stubborn, but I could appeal to her sense of obligation to the pack. As long as I kept my temper and my impatience in check, I might be able to convince her. If she couldn’t see reason, Josh was going to help me take it from her, whether he wanted to or not.

  Once home, I texted Markos to send me updates every half an hour until Sky was asleep. As long as she was conscious, there was a chance she’d get bored and start experimenting with Ethos’s magic. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t unusual for her to stay up well past midnight watching crappy movies. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t sleep until I received the final update, just before two in the morning.

  I woke the next morning, exhausted. After a shower and breakfast, I decided the best course of action was to show up at Sky’s unannounced, before she got her day started. I was en route to her house when the nurse from the assisted living home called. I put the phone on speaker and answered.

  “This is Ethan.”

  “Mr. Charleston,” the nurse said in a soft, empathetic tone. “I’m sorry to inform you that Miriam has taken a turn for the worse. I encourage you to visit her today, the sooner the better.”

  I frowned. “I understand. Is she lucid?”

  There was a brief silence before she answered. “No. I’m not sure that she will be again before she passes.”<
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  I sighed. The issue with Sky couldn’t wait. As long as she possessed Ethos’s magic, she was in danger. We all were. And there was nothing I could do for Miriam, especially if she couldn’t recognize me, but that didn’t absolve me of my obligation to her. “I’ll get there when I can,” I promised.

  I continued toward Sky’s house.

  Within a mile of her home, I felt a faint ripple of dark magic pass through me, a gentle, oppressive wave of power. Skylar. She was using Ethos’s magic. I shifted anxiously in the driver’s seat and pushed down on the accelerator.

  I started to call Markos, then realized I’d sent him home. Just a few hours, I fumed, cursing myself for trusting Sky to last just a few hours of the morning without using magic she had no business possessing. Disgusted, I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat.

  The closer I got to her house, the stronger the wave of power. I tried to calm myself. If he isn’t nearby, he won’t have time to track it to her before I put a stop to whatever she’s doing. I held my breath as I turned onto her street, until I saw that her driveway was clear—no sign of Lucas Reed or his Harley—and let out a sigh of relief.

  After parking in the driveway, I slid out of the BMW and walked toward the front door. Before I reached the porch, I caught sight of movement through the bedroom window. The curtains were wide open. Walking a few feet across the yard for a better look, I saw Sky lying on her bed, her entire wardrobe dancing and gliding about the room as she conducted the clothes like a symphony.

  Frustration rose in me, coloring my cheeks with anger. How could she be so careless? I strode toward the front door, intending to barge in and put a stop to her gross display, when I heard the violent rumbling of a motorcycle engine approaching from the street. A moment later, Reed appeared on his Harley, drawn by the same subtle sense of power that had drawn me.

  Glancing back through the window, I saw the clothes still dancing. She had no idea the danger she was in. Reed intended to take Ethos’s magic from her, and I doubted he cared if she survived the process. As long as she remained inside the house, protected by Josh’s magical ward, she had a chance, but I wasn’t kidding myself; Reed was powerful enough to break that ward eventually. If I failed to stop him, at least my effort bought her some time to react, assuming she stayed inside. Once she realized what was happening on her lawn, I knew she would come running out to help me. I couldn’t have that.