The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Alesha Escobar

  My head still throbbed from the mind seal, and I hardly had time to react when he rushed me and bared his elongated canines. I threw my arms up in a defensive position when he reached me, and he bit into my right forearm. I growled in pain.

  “Morgan, don’t eat her!” Nena shrieked.

  I swung a left hook and nailed him right in the face. When he locked onto my arm like a pit bull, I howled and threw all my weight into a pivot, and we both hit the floor. He drew back when Nena screamed and smashed his head with a potted plant. He snarled at her, and she fell back. I rolled over toward my knife on the floor, grabbing it just as Morgan caught me by the ankle and twisted the bone. I heard a crack and screamed at the searing pain that shot through my leg. I used my good foot to kick at his face, which now resembled a rabid animal’s.

  The Cruenti crawled onto me and went for my neck. I held him at bay with my injured arm, and his swollen tongue, full of purple splotches, darted toward my face. I gripped my knife and made a few deep cuts into his torso. He shrieked and backed off to allow the wounds to regenerate. I jumped to my feet and nearly collapsed on my broken ankle. I eyed the doorframe where I had laid my Fire symbol and limped toward it. Nena stood in the little adjacent room, gripping another folding chair and using it as a shield once I made it inside. When he glided toward us, I released the Fire symbol, and his head lit up like a torch.

  The putrid smell of burnt flesh filled the room, he ran and jumped out of the waiting room’s window. I cast a Circle of Protection around the little house and leaned against the doorframe for support. I still felt light-headed from Nena’s mind seal, and tears stung my eyes from the pain in my arm and broken ankle.

  “I’m sorry, Isabella,” Nena cried. “He’s been my client for four weeks and has never done that before.”

  “Are you sure?” I motioned toward my purse with a weak hand. “Grab my satchel with the jade powder.”

  The gypsy woman did as instructed--and took a few crisp bills while she was at it. “He told me he’s been a Cruenti for five years, but wanted treatment. He said that he was starting to change into a Black Wolf, and if Octavian can be a powerful Cruenti without being transformed into a Wolf, then why can’t he.”

  “Well, he should’ve worried about the side effects before becoming a Cruenti.” I opened my satchel and sprinkled the jade powder on my arm. I lowered myself to the floor and rubbed it into my ankle. The jade stone had healing properties, and I would purchase it in small quantities from time to time. It was expensive as hell, but well worth it in my line of work.

  “He paid me good money to help treat him,” Nena said, adjusting her ugly plaid dress. “He said he wasn’t eating wizards anymore.”

  Cruenti warlocks made pacts with demons to obtain special powers, and they satisfied the bond through Blood Magic, where they’d feed on other wizards and drain them of their powers. The worst part was that in order to be initiated, you had to use an innocent person as a sacrifice. Some normal people were crazy enough to become initiates, or sycophants, because they wanted to gain magical abilities, even though they weren’t born with any.

  I closed my satchel and waited for the agony in my limbs to subside. “Nena, you can’t treat or cure a Cruenti. I’m surprised he hasn’t ripped your throat out and stolen your powers.”

  “I swear to you, I wouldn’t have let Morgan in if I knew he would react that way to you.” Nena half-heartedly offered me ten dollars from the stack of bills she had swiped.

  We both jumped when the Cruenti banged on the window of the little room we were in. He called out to Nena. “I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s your friend. She’s...different.”

  “Go away.” Nena ran and shut her curtain.

  “Send her out to me, Nena.” We heard a crash against the wall, but he couldn’t break my Circle of Protection.

  Nena scrambled to her closet and pulled out a staff. It stood four feet tall--the same height as Nena--and looked like a gnarled wooden arm. She slid her hands palm down and gripped the staff as she raised it and struck the floor. “Leave my property, or I will lay a curse on you such as you have never seen.”

  He crashed against the wall once more and let out a strangled cry. Nena pounded her staff again and what looked like lightning shot across the floor. It moved toward the window where he stood. This time, I felt his magic, and his presence, pull away and leave.

  I drew in a deep breath, and my heart thumped painfully in my chest. I rose to my feet and went for my purse, all the while glaring at Nena. Not only did she almost get me killed, but she was also going to make me miss my ride. Word had come that the Nazis were sending in tanks to Odessa today, and if I didn’t meet my contact, who could give me a ride out of the territory, then I’d have to scramble down to the port and ride across the Black Sea.

  “I feel bad about Morgan.” She mumbled something under her breath and took out a cigarette. She snapped her fingers and produced a flame. “Let me make it up to you.”

  “Are you going to give me back the last half hour of my life?”

  “Well, in case you’re interested, Delana made it to Baltimore. She has Agate stone.”

  Hmm, I probably would pay the other woman a visit. I would be on my way to the United States next week to be with my family. “Bye, Nena. And don’t let Morgan come back. He’ll probably try to eat you.”

  “So...what is it?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “What is it that makes you different?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe it’s because I’m a Tower Slave.” I had always hated that epithet. People hurled it as an insult toward wizards trained by the Gray Tower.

  “I think that’s why you asked me to seal your mind. Because you’re different.”

  “Nope.”

  She was correct, but she didn’t have to know that. She shouldn’t know that. I had her seal my mind because I couldn’t let a Tower-trained mentalist go rummaging through my thoughts and memories. I couldn’t let anyone know that far from being a “Tower Slave,” I was actually the one person that the Order of Wizards had vowed to kill--the Drifter. They believed I was a threat, so I had to show them otherwise; I refused to spend my life hiding and running.

  I said goodbye once more to Nena, and I headed into the waiting room and out the door, mindful of a possible ambush by the Cruenti. When I reached out with my senses and didn’t feel him, I smoothed my wrinkled chocolate brown dress and walked down the street toward the café near the opera house. I could already see a group of men with guns drawn, barreling down the street in a jeep. The Resistance fighters might put up a fight, but the city would fall quickly if the Nazis were already sending in warlocks like Morgan.

  I made it to the café and ordered a coffee. Only a few patrons sat inside enjoying meals and drinks. The owner looked nervous because of the commotion in the streets and talked about closing for the day, but I paid him a little extra for his trouble. I also told him that I was a member of the Order of Wizards, and I would kill any warlock who dared set foot in the café while I ate. He added a free dessert.

  I made sure to fold my table napkin in a French fold as a signal to my contact. In order to deflect any unwanted conversation, I slipped on the diamond ring Kenneth Aspen had given me. If my friends saw me with it on right now, I would just die. Ken had tried to propose to me in Paris, but I thought he was going to confess to being a traitor--and I had used a spell that almost stopped his heart from beating.

  Needless to say, it didn’t work out. Sometimes I wondered what my life would’ve been like if I had accepted his proposal, quit spying for the Allies, and settled down. I kept the ring on me because a small part of me hoped that I’d see him again; perhaps we’d reconcile with each other. I almost laughed to myself when I thought of the time he had invited me to dinner at a bar in Cairo, Egypt, and an angry crime lord barged in looking for retribution against us. Our date had ended in a gunfight and an explosion, and when we got away, he handed me a single rose, st
ill smoking hot from the fire, and said “Baby, next time, you pick the restaurant.”

  He was probably on assignment, helping the French Resistance leaders, or blowing up Nazi weapons factories--but hopefully alone and not with a cute girl at his side. I swore I’d track him down and give him a piece of my mind if that were the case. Suddenly, the reality of my circumstance hit me, and I felt like I held on to a dream that would never come true. Ken had probably moved on, and I didn’t know if I’d be dead or alive by the end of the month. Aside from Cruenti warlocks, I had to watch out for a special group of Tower-trained trackers sent out to hunt the Drifter.

  I slipped the ring back off and glanced around the area. Other shop owners were closing up, and a few more men ran down the street with weapons in their hands. I didn’t see anyone else across the street or near the café, but I could’ve sworn a pair of eyes watched me.

  I shivered, and hoped that my contact would arrive soon.

  23

  I second-guessed myself for just a moment when the old woman’s eyes glared red. It was as quick as a flash, but I saw it, and it made me wonder exactly what type of spirits she communed with. Anyhow, I wasn’t here to ask about a dead relative or to receive a message from The Beyond--I wanted a pair of earrings.

  “There’s still some hot tea in the kettle, if you want any.” Delana gestured toward the stove and then took up her mortar and pestle. She ground in her herbal mixture and muttered to herself.

  “Your kettle’s painted with Cadmium.” I could taste the bitter tinge of the toxic metal even from my seat.

  “Suit yourself.” She shrugged. “It’s good tea.”

  The folding chair creaked beneath me, and I decided to stand. “Listen, I just want the earrings. You can keep your herbs.”

  “It comes free with the earrings.” She said it as if I’d be an idiot to pass up such a bargain.

  “Fine.” I stretched and sat back down. “By the way, I saw your cousin a few days ago.”

  “Nena? How is she?”

  “She almost got me killed.” I shuddered at the image of the Cruenti, Morgan, with his electric blue eyes and glaring teeth. He had almost torn me to shreds. Why would Nena ever think someone like that could be treated or cured?

  Delana could be just as disturbing as her cousin, which was why I made it a rule to never ask her about her work. Still, it was difficult to ignore whenever someone like her was “touched” by the spirit world. That eerie gleam in her eye, the bluish tint to her face, and her erratic mutterings all gave her away. When I had first met her and saw it, I nearly jumped out of my seat and ran. My head had been filled with all kinds of warnings about wizards like her, and when I had asked her to make my Agate stone ring, I felt awkward and dirty.

  “The money,” she drawled as she held out her open hand. She needed a manicure--badly.

  I reached into my pocket and took out a few crisp bills. “And the earrings will work just as well as my ring did?”

  She snatched the money from me and chuckled. “If you don’t think so, then why did you come? Arrogant Tower Slave...”

  I wanted to yank the crackpot’s white braid and tell her to never call me that again. I swore this was the last time I’d come to her for something, but, crazy or not, she was good at making charms--and she actually had Agate stone.

  “How long do you plan on staying here in Baltimore, exactly?” I glanced around the cramped kitchen and wrinkled my nose at the musty odor wafting from her living room.

  She poured the herbs into a satchel and handed it to me. “As long as I need. In case you haven’t heard, they’re sending gypsies to places like Dachau.”

  I placed the satchel in my purse. My hand brushed against my golden knife, and I wondered if I would ever have to use it against her. Just because I bought things from her, didn’t mean I trusted her.

  “Don’t worry,” I said as I watched her pull out a cigarette and light it. “We’ll win in the end.”

  She coughed out a puff of smoke and muttered again. “So, the Gray Tower finally cares about the world. They’re going to kill Hitler?”

  “I’m not with the Order. I’m with the Allies.”

  She pursed her lips and took her time with her cigarette, staring into dead space. “They train you...they own you, alchemist.”

  “Just give me the damned earrings,” I growled. She had better not think she was keeping my money if she didn’t have the goods.

  “Here. See if you like them.” She reached into her ample bosom and pulled out two perfectly carved Agate stone earrings. She set them in front of me and stared into dead space again, probably listening to another spirit’s chattering. I examined the earrings to my satisfaction and put them on. Anyone with a gun would have a hell of a time trying to hit me with a bullet.

  “Thank you, Delana.”

  I didn’t think she heard me, but she snapped out of her trance and put out her cigarette. “Ammon wants to know where you’re going today.”

  I felt a knot in my stomach. She spoke with Ammon the most. “I have an appointment today, so I need to head out.”

  “He says you’re pretty.”

  I closed my purse and pulled the strap over my shoulder. “Tell him I said thanks.”

  “What was that?” She cocked her head to the side and strained to listen.

  I stood and glanced toward the exit. Was she talking to me? “I said...”

  “Hmmm...how?” Her stare went blank.

  “Er...yeah...I’m leaving now.” I stepped away. God, this woman was cracked.

  She let out a frustrated breath. “I’m not blind, I see her...What?”

  I turned to walk toward the door, but felt something brush my cheek. My entire body stiffened with fear and my legs grew weak. “Tell him not to touch me!”

  She still addressed Ammon. “Mmm, tell me plain, or I’ll banish you!”

  Though no windows or doors were open, a swift breeze ran through the kitchen and the dishes shook. The kettle fell to the floor and the table made a screeching sound as it slid a few inches toward me. I opened my purse and pulled out my knife, glancing in every direction and then backing away a few paces as I saw her regain awareness.

  She wore an expression of horror mixed with remorse. “Please, Isabella, take your money.” She got up and approached me, balling the cash in her right hand.

  My hands trembled, and the back of my neck burned. “Just keep it, I’m going.” I unlocked the door, a little uneasy about turning my back to her.

  “I’m sorry,” I heard her say.

  I turned the knob and flung the door open. I wasted no time in sprinting toward the backyard fence and hopping the gate, which was particularly difficult to accomplish in a pencil skirt. I headed down an alley toward the main street and flagged down the first cab I saw. I jumped inside and would’ve gladly instructed the driver to drop me off at the nearest bar, but I still had my appointment to keep.

  I could already tell this wasn’t going to be a normal day.

  “So...you gonna eat that?”

  I glared at the taxi driver in response to his round eyes watching me from the rear-view mirror. I reluctantly unwrapped the other half of my chocolate bar and handed it to him. “Five cents off my fare?”

  “Sure!” The candy was already gone, and he was licking his fingertips.

  “Can’t you drive any faster?” I smoothed my skirt and tried to ease the irritation in my voice.

  “Relax, darling. We’ll be there in no time. Hey, there’s the White House. Nice, eh?”

  “I’ve seen it before.” I turned my wrist and saw that it was five minutes till nine o’ clock.

  “So what’s a doll like you doing around here?” The cab skidded as we turned down Constitution Avenue.

  “I’m paying you to drive me down to the Munitions building, not interrogate me.”

  He shrugged. “Sorry I asked...just makin’ conversation.” Then he muttered, “And I thought the broads up in Baltimore were snappy.”

&n
bsp; “Yes, that’s us. Snappy broads.” What a heel this guy was.

  “See! We got something in common.”

  I wish I would’ve slipped on the diamond ring again. I had no time for flirtatious banter. “So are you trying to ask me out on a date or something?”

  “If you’re available, baby doll. My name’s Ralph.”

  I looked at my watch again. I was supposed to be at the Munitions building at nine. I saw it just ahead, and decided to just run for it instead of waiting for Ralph to find a parking spot. “Hey, Ralph, can you just let me out here? I’m late.”

  “But--”

  “Just do it.”

  I handed him his money and grabbed my purse. I rushed out of the cab and wiped my brow with the back of my hand. I wished I had worn a short sleeve dress instead of a blouse and skirt, because August mornings could be brutally hot here. As I smiled in response to a few men greeting me in passing, I walked in through the front entrance of the building and inquired at the reception desk about my meeting.

  “Miss George,” the young woman said as she clasped her hands together. “I think you’re supposed to be in the building next to us. This is the Main Navy building.”

  A couple of uniformed naval officers who walked by to ogle us confirmed it. “Well, I suppose that’s what happens when you’re in a rush.” I shook my head and felt my cheeks redden.

  “It’s all right.” She brushed aside wisps of her dark brown hair. “Would you like me to call and let General Donovan know you’re running late?”

  My face tightened. “That won’t be necessary. Thank you.”