The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Alesha Escobar

  He nodded slowly. “Are you...a Practitioner?”

  I shook my head. “But I’ve learned a few things. Perhaps this is a new experience awaiting me.”

  He grinned and then glanced over at Nikolas and Lukas. The rail-thin Nikolas wore a look of disapproval, and the other man smiled and waved at Jakab. “Please excuse my cousins. Nikolas is protective, and he doesn’t believe in the Arts, as I do.”

  “Has he ever met a wizard?” I asked.

  “He has no difficulty with that, but as far as the mysticism goes--astral projection, divination and things as such, he’s a complete non-believer.”

  “What a shame,” I said. I turned to leave again.

  “Wait...wait.” He gestured toward Nikolas and Lukas, and they approached. “Go get my car.”

  Nikolas narrowed his eyes at me, but obeyed. Lukas stood there, seeming to listen to an imaginary tune that only he could hear.

  I faced Jakab. “I don’t understand...”

  “I have something to show you. It’s...at my home.”

  “Really?” I arched an eyebrow.

  He chuckled and actually seemed slightly embarrassed. “You wouldn’t mind accompanying me, would you? I promise this is not a ploy.”

  “I suppose my plans can wait. Where do you live?”

  “Just north of Andrássy.” He intertwined his arm with mine, as if expecting me to run off again. He led me downstairs, into the main hall. “Eva...I believe that I’m the man you were supposed to meet today. The gypsy woman you saw was probably Madame Veduny.”

  Lukas followed us outside the main entrance and I began sensing faint traces of magic around him. He was definitely weak, unskilled, and perhaps had been overlooked by the Gray Tower. I wondered if Jakab kept him around for more than familial reasons. I made a mental note to keep an eye on Lukas, though I felt reassured by the fact that Nikolas didn’t possess a lick of magic. Now if I had sensed anything from him, then I’d be worried.

  When Nikolas pulled up, we got inside the car. Jakab sat next to me and threw his arm around my shoulder, nuzzling his nose against my cheek and breathing in my scent as if he’d done it a thousand times. Nikolas hit the accelerator and drove down the street, weaving in and out of traffic, eyeing us from the rearview mirror.

  “Bela, do we still have to call you Mr. Jakab in front of her?” Lukas turned in his seat to gaze at us.

  Jakab’s jaw tightened. “Yes, Lukas, you do.”

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  Jakab sighed when he saw my lips curl into a smile, and said, “Family.”

  Lukas faced us again. “Mr. Jakab?”

  “What is it, Lukas?”

  “I like her.”

  “Really?” Jakab said in a sardonic tone. “So do I.”

  “She’s got that smell.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jakab snapped.

  “Her. She’s a wizard.”

  Jakab’s affectionate hold around my shoulder turned into an unfriendly grip. He clenched his teeth. “I thought you said that you weren’t a Practitioner.”

  “See, I told you,” Nikolas said, already reaching for his gun. “Let’s take care of her. Now.”

  50

  I doubted Jakab--and especially Nikolas--would believe me if I said I had no clue that I was a wizard. The crime lord’s eyes gave off a dangerous glare, and his grip on my shoulder tightened in a silent command for me to remain still. I had seconds to come up with an explanation, and it had better be a good one. The idea of getting a bullet in the head was unappealing, to say the least.

  “Your cousin is mistaken,” I said in a shaky voice that didn’t need embellishment.

  “Explain.” All warmth and desire had left Jakab’s voice.

  “If I may--” I reached into my purse and Jakab already had a pistol pointed at me with his other hand. My heart began racing. “If you’ll allow me to reach into my purse, I can explain.”

  Jakab gave a curt nod, but kept his gun trained on me. I pulled out my silver knife, which I had used several times since escaping the Gray Tower. I had lost my golden alchemist’s knife when I attempted to stab Octavian in his heart. The silver knife was a suitable replacement, and I’d used it enough times that it carried traces of my magical essence. I handed the blade, hilt first, to Lukas.

  “I think you were sensing this knife. It’s enchanted.”

  Lukas carefully grabbed the knife and raised it to eye level. He ran his nose along the blade’s length in a dramatic fashion, as if taking in the scent of a fine wine. “This is it, Mr. Jakab.”

  Jakab eyed me with suspicion. “So it wasn’t her...it was the knife?”

  Lukas nodded. “Sorry about that, Eva.” He handed the knife to Jakab.

  “You don’t mind if I hold on to this?” Jakab slid it into a side compartment.

  “As long as I can have it back later.” He must’ve taken his last tarot reading with “Madame Veduny” seriously. Mehara had played off his fears and told him that there was a traitor among his men. She said Jakab would find the traitor within ten days--then the crime lord assured Mehara that if he didn’t find the traitor, he’d come for her head. This was yet another reason to hurry up and find that Mehmed VI page and get out of Budapest.

  Nikolas grunted. “Now why would you need an enchanted knife? Was it your plan to be alone with Jakab and stab him in the back? Are you working for someone we ought to know about?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “I keep it for protection.”

  “From what?” Jakab asked.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have the benefit of guards or a man’s strength, and I don’t know how to shoot a gun.”

  Jakab nodded in understanding and then slipped his pistol back into his jacket. “I apologize, Eva. It won’t happen again. We’ve been a little more cautious as of late. Just as you wish to protect yourself, I want to do the same.”

  “Of course. You’re Bela Jakab. Who hasn’t heard of you? You probably have dangerous enemies.”

  The car finally pulled to a stop in front of a tall apartment building. Lukas got out and opened the door for us. Jakab helped me out and escorted me past more of his private security detail, through entire areas converted into offices for his “businesses,” and all the way to his living quarters, on the top floor. The area was spacious and beautiful, with a vaulted ceiling styled as a replica of the one at the opera house. It was equipped with a kitchen, a sitting area, and doors leading to baths and a bedroom. The windows on the far side, opposite the front door, spanned across the length of the sitting room, and must’ve been twelve feet tall. Of course, a perfect view of the city could be seen, as well as the oncoming sunset.

  “Have a seat, I’ll get you a drink.” Jakab gestured toward the pure white sofa that curved into a slight “C” shape.

  I stretched and yawned, and went over to the sofa. I plopped down onto the cushioned seat and wondered why the coffee table was pushed so far away. I took one look down at the floor and my heart froze in my chest. My feet instinctively hiked themselves up to the sofa, and I constructed a protective shield around me. Staring back at me from the hardwood floor was an All-Seeing Eye, within a hexagram, which in turn was enclosed in a circle.

  A demon trap.

  This wasn’t mere mysticism and arcane magic--this was dangerous. I didn’t know how studious Jakab was, but I doubted he’d know what to do if a demon manifested itself in that circle and decided to break through. I especially didn’t like this because I had had a run-in with a demon named Ammon who tried to possess me so he could control my abilities as the Drifter. I wondered how often Jakab used the trap and what for. He probably didn’t have to hire warlocks to cast curses on his enemies--he’d just set a demon on them.

  “For you,” he said, handing me a glass of wine.

  “Thank you.” I forced a smile and brought the rim of the cup to my lips, but didn’t drink.

  He drank half his glass before setting it aside on a stand next to the sofa. �
��I have something I want you to take a look at.”

  “All right...” I hoped it was the final page from the Mehmed VI texts. As soon as he pulled it out, I’d whack him with a spell and then run like hell.

  He went over to the right corner, where a wide bookcase stood. There was a top compartment with a sliding glass door, and it shimmered with the protection of some type of enchantment. He carefully retrieved a black rectangular box and brought it over to me. I took it with hesitation and set it on my lap. Jakab sat on the floor in front of me, removing my shoes and then massaging my right foot.

  “Open it, Eva.”

  I opened the box and nearly sighed with disappointment. This wasn’t the page I had come to steal--just a collection of crystals. There were about six of them, varying in color and size, and they all hummed with magic. “These are beautiful,” I said.

  “They say you can use these to open your third eye. They haven’t worked for me, and Nikolas and Lukas are afraid to touch them. I thought you’d be interested in them.”

  I closed the box and set it next to his wine glass. I went ahead and let him rub my other foot. Might as well--my stilettos were murder on my feet. “Do you mind if I go and freshen up?” I reached for my purse and smiled.

  He winked at me. “The door to the left.”

  I opened the door as he instructed and passed through his bedroom. It was unlit, with dark curtains draping the window and the smell of incense wafting toward me. I went into the adjacent bathroom (which, with a pang of envy, I noticed was larger than my entire one-room apartment) and got to work. I opened my purse and pulled out a vial containing my valerian sleeping potion and tucked it down my cleavage. I thought about just using body magic to temporarily control Jakab and have him hand over the page, but if he was strong enough to resist a command that he really didn’t want to carry out, it could all end in disaster. Besides, I dared not strain myself trying to bend him when I’d probably need my magical strength to fight my way out of here if it came to that. I double-checked my purse to make sure I had the items I needed--warded gloves, a lock pick set, and a satchel filled with salt. I closed my purse and smoothed my hair before walking out.

  Jakab shed his suit jacket and turned on the lights. The sun was nearly gone, and the city lights peeked out among the darkness below. I joined him on the sofa and set aside my purse. He grabbed both our wine glasses and began heading toward the kitchen. “You didn’t want your wine?” he asked.

  I got up and followed him, taking both glasses from him. “I was just about to have some. Let me refill yours.”

  He slipped his arms around my waist and tried to pull me in for a kiss. I turned my head and let out a laugh, gesturing with a playful flourish of my hand, for him to go and sit. I went over to the kitchen area and set the glasses down at the breakfast nook’s table. I poured half my wine into his glass and slipped the valerian potion into his drink. I grabbed the wine bottle and then filled up the rest of his glass. I fumbled and nearly spilled it when his baritone voice called out to me.

  “You’re driving me insane making me wait, Eva...”

  I brought out our glasses and handed him his drink.

  Of course, as fate would have it, he set it aside and reached for me instead. He pulled me into his lap “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Just a little body magic wouldn’t hurt.

  I grabbed his glass with one hand and framed his cheek with the other. My hand glided down to his neck, and when I found the pulsation I was looking for, I sent a tendril of energy through to his heart. His breathing slowed and his eyes grew glassy.

  “Eva...”

  “You want your drink now,” I told him in a clear voice. “So drink it.”

  “My...drink.”

  He took it from me and downed the glass before letting it fall to the floor with a shatter. His eyelids fluttered, and he called my name again. He fell unconscious. I wriggled my fingers when I felt the prickly points of energy fading from where I touched Jakab’s skin. I sighed, grabbing my purse and putting on my warded black gloves. My heart leapt in my chest when his phone began ringing, and I hoped that it wasn’t someone he was expecting.

  The first thing I did was grab my satchel of salt and run over to the All-Seeing Eye. I made sure not to cross or step onto the circle. I crouched down to observe the symbol; the entire monstrosity was etched in black and emitted a subtle flow of energy. I opened the satchel and hovered it above the Eye, and suddenly had the impression that it was watching me. I felt a vibration that resonated like a low constant hum.

  Ring, ring, ring...

  With a racing heart and sweaty palms, I poured the salt onto the Eye, and the low hum stopped. I didn’t feel like I was being watched anymore, and I stood and went to retrieve my lock pick set. I went over to the bookcase running along the wall and opened the shimmering glass case with my gloves on. I pulled out a rectangular iron box.

  Ring...

  With trembling fingers, I worked on the iron box with my lock pick set and it clicked open. I pushed the lid back. Only a beautiful silver ring and some alchemical powders were inside, no text. I frowned, closing the box and placing it back behind its protective casing.

  The telephone ringing stopped, and a cool breeze swept through the room.

  I glanced over at the Eye, and my chest tightened. The salt I had poured lay scattered across the floor--outside the circle. The Eye was doing that creepy thing again. I couldn’t believe that this man had a demon trap right in the middle of his floor, like other people had rugs. I tiptoed around the circle and came near the couch. Jakab was snoring.

  A sudden banging at the door startled me. “Bela, it’s Sevastian. Open up.”

  Jakab’s brother.

  In a whirlwind, I ran over to Jakab and straightened everything out as much as I could. I slipped my gloves and tools back into my purse, got rid of the incriminating glass of wine, and shot a quick jolt of energy through Jakab’s body, so that he’d wake up. He shook his head and slowly rose to his feet. His brother called out again from the other side of the door. I smoothed my hair and leaned back on the sofa as if nothing were amiss. Jakab ambled over to the door and unlocked it.

  “I was calling you for the last five minutes from downstairs. Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Sevastian’s voice was frustrated and held an edge of contempt.

  “I was busy,” Jakab slurred.

  “Busy, or drunk?” His footsteps pounded against the hardwood floor in my direction. “Who’s this?”

  “This is Eva...”

  Sevastian came around to take a look at me. I sized him up as well. He had the same beady eyes as Nikolas, but a much more stocky frame. His belly protruded beneath his dark pinstripe suit. I tensed when I saw him reach into his suit pocket, but he withdrew a wad of bills and tossed them onto my lap.

  “You’re done for the night, now go.”

  I clenched my teeth and threw the bills back at him. They made a thwap! against his face and fell onto the floor. “You must have me mistaken for someone else.”

  He stared at me. “Then who are you, Eva?”

  “Sevastian, why are you here?” Jakab slipped next to me on the sofa and threw his arm around my shoulder.

  “I’m here to discuss business that won’t be mentioned in front of her. Send her away.”

  Jakab leaned in and whispered into my ear. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Do you want me to send a car for you?”

  I suddenly felt ill to my stomach. The room throbbed, and the vibrations from the demon trap grew into tremors. The same queasiness I’d get when reacting to the tainted magic of a warlock seemed magnified when near the trap for too long.

  I took in a sharp breath. “Yes...I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You don’t look well, Eva. Is something wrong?” Sevastian smirked.

  “I think...I may have had too much to drink.” I stood and turned toward the front door. The pub was within walking distance. Brande and Dani were waiting for me. I just nee
ded to get away from the sickening taint of that summoning circle.

  “Eva, you should stay with me if you’re not well.” Jakab stood and extended his hand.

  “She’s not well because she’s reacting to my demon trap,” Sevastian said.

  My stomach felt like it was on fire, and my arms and legs shook. I rushed toward the front door and stumbled, trying to jab my elbow into Jakab’s ribs when he caught up to me and enclosed me in his arms. I felt a painful blow to the back of my head, and then all went dark.

  51

  A firm slap to my face woke me up.

  I was blindfolded, tied to a chair, and hungry. I didn’t feel ill anymore, which probably meant that I wasn’t in the same room as the demon trap. Though my heart pounded in my chest and my neck and shoulders tightened with tension, I forced myself to breathe steadily and remain silent. I strained to listen and reached out with my senses. All I heard was someone breathing through his mouth and the scrape of a shoe against a cement floor. I could taste copper piping and the tangy-sweetness of steel. Even more dominant than the taste of metals was the magical circle that enveloped me. I could feel it surrounding and passing through me like a wave of heat. I almost felt suffocated, except that the only thing being suppressed was my magic. I would have to deconstruct this warded circle in order to use my magic and escape.

  Without warning, the left side of my face exploded in pain as the palm of someone’s hand landed against it with a smack. I gasped and clenched my teeth. “Are you ready to talk?” Sevastian’s voice asked coolly.

  I pretended to sob, making my lower lip tremble and my chest heave. “Talk about what? Where am I?”

  “We’ll be the ones asking questions,” Jakab’s voice responded.

  “I don’t understand why I’m here,” I said, taking note of the sound of a car or two passing somewhere above us. We were in a basement.