A surfer boy from Bondi Beach, Australia, he might be, but Cody Shields was one of the most socially aware men she knew. That came with being an incubus, she supposed; being the son of a diplomat also helped.
He took her out and spun her onto the floor with a sweep of her skirts. She giggled.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be having a good time,” McManus growled in her ear.
“Piss off and let us enjoy this dance,” Cody said, and swept her up against him. “I think your detective is a little jealous,” he whispered softly into her other ear, so their listeners wouldn’t hear.
She pulled back and laughed aloud. “Don’t be ridiculous.” However, she felt a tingle of pleasure at the thought.
“Shhh.” Cody pulled her tight against him again.
The music stopped.
“Excuse me,” the Domina said from the small stage where the band played. “I would like to thank you all for attending this year’s Isis Institute Ball. As you know, I’ve held this ball in honor of the institute for the last thirty years. And tonight was intended to be a special occasion with my . . .” She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. “ . . . with my granddaughter attending the institute this year.”
The Domina stopped and looked down at her daughter, who was silently sobbing into a handkerchief. “That was before the horrible tragedy that took her from us. I had considered canceling the ball this year, but since this event raises a lot of money that is used to fund scholarships for less fortunate young witches, I decided against it. With that in mind, I wish to announce the creation of the Tiffany Hilden Memorial Scholarship, which will be funded solely by the Hilden Group to allow yet another underprivileged witch to attend the Isis Institute. Please help me in honoring this great school by giving generously to the Isis Institute Scholarship Fund.”
Applause filled the room.
“Again, thank you so much for your support, and please enjoy the rest of the evening.” The Domina picked up her skirts with one hand, and her son-in-law helped her descend from the small stage. She said something to Marcus and Astrid, who started shaking her head at the words. Marcus nodded and led Astrid from the room.
“Shit, they’re making her leave the party,” McManus said in her ear. “Now what’re we going to do?”
46
Witch in the Wardrobe
“You follow,” Cody said. “And when you’re ready, I’ll create a distraction.”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” McManus said in her ear.
She ignored him and slipped through the crowd just in time to catch Marcus leading Astrid up the sweeping staircase to the second floor. She watched until they disappeared and then followed, ascending the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could. She could hear them up ahead and crept into a small alcove near the top of the stairs, then peeped around the corner.
“Please,” Astrid said. “Please don’t lock me in there alone again.”
“It’s for your own good, my dear,” Marcus replied, and caught her face.
“For mine or for yours?” she asked. “Don’t think I don’t know what you and Mother are doing.”
“You’re confused, my dear, you need your medicine,” Marcus said as he opened a door. “Once the guests have gone, I’ll join you.”
“Will you at least send Mary up with some tea?” Astrid asked as she disappeared inside.
“I’ll send her right up,” he said, then closed the door again and locked it.
Bianca flattened herself against the wall, not daring to breathe, as he passed by. When she was sure he was gone, she crept down the corridor and tapped lightly on the door.
“Astrid, it’s Bianca Sin,” she called softly. “I’m going to try and get you out of here.”
“Bianca?” Astrid replied from the other side. “You’ve got to help me. My mother and my husband are doing bad things.” She let out a sob. “I think they killed my Tiffany.”
She tried the door, but it was dead-bolted tight, and with the dampening spell she wouldn’t be able to use magic to open it. At least it meant they couldn’t use magic either, to set up any nasty surprises. “McManus, tell Cody to get my parents out of here, now.”
“Already done.” The frustration in McManus’s voice came through loud and clear. He’d be going crazy right now in the van, feeling totally helpless.
Footsteps ascended the stairs with a clink of china. Bianca tried the room across the hall. It was also locked. However, this one had a simple old-fashioned lock instead of a dead bolt. She took a credit card from her little clasp bag and jiggled until she felt the lock give way. The door clicked open and she ducked into the room.
It was dark and her eyes took a moment to grow accustomed to the gloom. A thin stream of light from the window highlighted what appeared to be a pentacle on the wall to the right. She risked turning on the light for a better look and found herself in a man’s bedroom staring at newspaper articles showing photos of the victims at each point of a pentacle denoting the caste of magic.
“Holy shit,” she whispered. “Are you getting this?”
“Bingo,” McManus cried in her ear. “We got the bastard.”
“Mistress.” A knock sounded faintly on Astrid’s door. “I have your tea.”
Bianca switched off the light and cracked the door open a little. The girl who’d passed them the note the other day put a tray on a side table and fished inside her pocket. Bianca moved carefully out of the room and struck quickly, clasping one hand over her mouth before she could scream.
“It’s okay,” she whispered in the girl’s ear, and turned her around so she could see her. “Do you remember me from the other day?”
The terrified girl relaxed a little and nodded.
“Good, now unlock the door,” Bianca said, and removed her hand from the girl’s mouth.
The girl produced a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. Bianca pushed her into the room quickly and closed the door behind them.
The girl raced straight into Astrid’s arms. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—”
“Shhh.” Astrid smoothed her hair. “It’s okay, she’s here to help.”
“That’s right, to get you away from here,” Bianca said, checking the hall.
Astrid nodded, appearing less glassy-eyed than she had downstairs. “They’ll find me again, they always do.”
“If you can get them out, I’ll get them somewhere safe,” McManus said in her ear. “But first you have to get past all that security.”
“I know,” Bianca answered. “Astrid, we have a safe place for you, but first we to get you out.”
“How? My mother has security everywhere,” she said. “Though, if we could get past them, I know a way over the west wall.”
Bianca looked around, for something, anything, that could help, and found a blond wig on Astrid’s dresser. She needed a disguise.
She turned to the girl. “Swap clothes.”
“What?” Astrid said.
She picked up the wig. “You both exchange clothes and I’ll sneak you out the back way through the servant’s quarters.”
The girl shook her head. “You can’t just leave me here. Alone.”
I don’t have time for this. “I’ll tie you up and they won’t know you had anything to do with it.”
Terror filled the girl’s eyes. “They’ll know.”
“She’s right, we have to take her with us,” Astrid said, putting her arm around the scared girl and looking rather pale herself. “If they work it out, I’m afraid they’ll kill her.”
“No,” the girl cried. “Please don’t leave me.”
Helpless, Bianca scanned the room again. She looked down at her own clothes, then went into Astrid’s wardrobe. She found a tank top and a pair of pants, both black.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” she said, star
ting to undress. “Astrid, put on the girl’s clothes, and you—what’s your name?”
“Mary,” the girl said.
“Okay Mary, you’ll put on my dress and go downstairs, where my friend will meet you and take you out the front door. McManus, let Cody know the plan.”
“I’ll get him to meet her at the bottom of the staircase,” McManus said in her ear.
“Who’s McManus and Cody?” Astrid asked.
“My partners,” Bianca explained. “And they’re close by.”
“Okay,” the witch said, still looking uncertain. “Let’s do it.”
The top and pants were snug but wearable, and Bianca pulled the hairpins securing the ridiculous hairdo and let her hair fall free. Thankfully, she’d worn comfortable boots under her dress—her one concession for dressing up.
Astrid laced up the corset on Mary, and though the girl didn’t fill out the bodice as much as Bianca, it was passable. But the girl had dark hair.
Bianca grabbed the blond wig and put it on Mary. Hopefully, with the diversion Cody was about to create, they wouldn’t look at her too closely.
When they were all dressed, Bianca went to the door. “Okay, tell Cody we’re ready.”
After a few minutes, the sound of yelling and arguments came from downstairs.
“Come on,” Bianca said, herding the women to the top of the staircase, then stopping them to check that the way was safe.
Security guards rushed toward the ruckus in the ballroom, leaving the front door only lightly guarded. Cody waited at the bottom of the stairs and signaled them to come down.
“Mary, this is Cody and he’ll take good care of you,” Bianca whispered as they reached the bottom.
He took the nervous girl’s hand and led her out the front door, joining several other guests who were taking the opportunity to leave.
Bianca took Astrid’s hand. “Which way?”
“There.” She pointed to a door almost hidden in the paneling. “To the kitchens and the back way out.”
The kitchens were busy. Bianca pushed her way through, dragging Astrid with her.
A man stepped out of a door in front of them and looked surprised then glanced at the name tag on Astrid’s uniform. He recovered and frowned. “Mary, where have you been? And who the fuck are you?”
Bianca didn’t have time. She brought the heel of her boot down on his foot and shoved him back through the door he’d just come out of. Astrid ran. Bianca raced across the grounds after her, leaving the chaos behind.
Astrid pulled up and pointed off to the left. “Over there.”
Bianca glanced behind for signs of pursuit, but only confusion came from the house. The witch led her to a wall of dense shrubs and pushed through. Bianca followed to find an eight-foot stone wall with a tall tree beside it. The cut branches up the trunk formed the perfect climbing holds.
“I used this tree to sneak out when I was a teenager,” Astrid said. “I think Tiffany did too, though I could never prove it.”
She climbed. The dress was not exactly conducive for tree climbing, and Astrid wasn’t exactly a teenager anymore. But she reached the top of the wall and Bianca followed.
The street beyond the wall was dark and the pavement seemed such a long way down.
“It never used to seem so high when I was a kid,” Astrid said, a quaver in her voice.
Car headlights appeared, creeping along the street and passing by.
McManus’s car.
Bianca took a deep breath and pushed off, landing hard. Her ankle twisted, pain shooting up her leg as she struggled to her feet. Red brake lights lit up as the car stopped, then quickly reversed.
McManus jumped out and raced over to help her up. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, help Astrid down.” She pointed to where the witch sat on the wall above.
Mary also climbed out of the car, still wearing Bianca’s gown, and stood beside the car glancing around nervously.
“Jump—I’ll catch you,” McManus called up to Astrid.
“It’s too high, I can’t do it,” she cried.
“Yes, you can,” Bianca said. “And you must hurry or they’ll catch us.”
Astrid jumped, and just as he promised, McManus caught her.
“Good,” he said, and gently set her down. “Get in the car and let’s move before the Indians arrive.”
“Don’t you mean the cavalry?” Bianca said.
He winked. “No, we’re the cavalry.”
Astrid hugged Mary and held her away by the shoulders. “Thank you.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Bianca said, and opened the car door.
“Please.” Astrid grabbed her hand. “Make sure they catch my mother. I won’t feel safe until they get her.”
She’s right. “I need to check on my parents anyway,” Bianca said, and turned to McManus as Astrid climbed in the backseat behind the girl. “Get them somewhere safe.”
“I know just the faerie forest.”
“Oh, perfect. It’ll shield them from any magic search.”
“That’s my thinking.”
She smiled and looked at the women in the car. “Okay—text me when you get there. As soon as I’m sure my parents are safe and that the Hildens are in custody, I’ll join you at the O’Shea complex.”
As she turned away, he caught her by the arm and pulled her back, planting a quick kiss on her lips. “Be careful. Okay?”
She smiled. “You too.”
Bianca got back to the ops van to find the area swarming with police and men in suits. Agent Neil Roberts stepped out of the door and saw her. “There’s one of them now. Where’s McManus?”
“As I already told you.” Oberon’s deep rumble preceded his giant frame. “They have been working under my direction on—”
“Yes, yes, yes . . . a possible drug ring supplying the campus . . .” Agent Roberts turned on Oberon as he stepped onto the pavement. “Do you really think I’m that big an idiot?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” Oberon replied, squaring his shoulders.
The top of Roberts’s head didn’t even reach Oberon’s chin, and the bear of a man outweighed him by a couple hundred pounds at least. There was no doubt who would win in a smackdown, but right now Roberts had all the cards.
“Chief, we got something,” the walkie-talkie on Roberts’s belt squawked.
“What is it?” Roberts barked.
“You better come take a look; we’re in a bedroom at the top of the staircase.”
Roberts frowned and huffed. “I’ll be right there.” He turned back to Oberon and pointed a finger at him. “This isn’t over—not by a long shot.”
Oberon turned his back on the agent, lifted his right hand, and extended his middle finger. “Bianca, your parents are inside.”
Artemisia leapt up from between Bianca’s father and Cody and pulled her into a huge hug. Vincent rubbed his body against her leg, purring, and Kedrax landed on her shoulder.
“I’m okay, Artemisia,” she said, hugging her mother back.
“So it looks like Marcus is our man,” Oberon said as he closed the door. “Tones showed us the footage of the room again.”
“Marcus doesn’t shit unless Gayla tells him too,” her father said.
“Daddy!” She’d never heard him talk like that before.
“Well it’s true,” Theron said with conviction. “He’s always been a jumped up little coward.”
“I should get you both home,” she said to her parents.
“Oh no,” Tones said from the communication desk, one hand clasping the headphones as he twiddled with the dials. “I just picked up something on the police channel. They’ve found McManus’s vehicle . . .” His eyes widened.
“And?” Oberon prompted.
Tones took off the headset and placed it
on the desk. “There’s a body.”
47
The Cavalry Rides
Squad cars and emergency vehicles blocked the road around the car. Bianca tried to get past, but Oberon stopped her. “Stay here, I’ll find out what’s happening.”
Bianca craned to look at the scene beyond. “No, I need to see.”
“Let the captain go first,” Cody whispered, and wrapped his arm around her as Oberon strode over to the nearest cop.
Guilt immediately followed the relief she felt when saw part of her gown hanging from the covered gurney as the EMTs loaded the body into the open ambulance.
Cody squeezed her shoulder. “I know your succubus heritage makes you immune to my abilities, but if there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”
“Thanks,” she said. “But until I know what happened here, I don’t think anything will help.”
“Maybe Oberon has found something out?” Cody said.
Oberon didn’t look too happy. “The investigator says the car was found like that, the girl’s body inside, with her throat cut. There’s a lot of blood, more than could’ve come from the one victim. It looks like it could’ve come from both McManus and Astrid.”
“So whoever was working with the Hildens now has them both,” she said quietly.
Kedrax wrapped his tail tighter around her upper arm and a calm numbness crept over her. She turned and walked away.
“Where’re you going?” Oberon asked.
“To question Gayla and Marcus Hilden.”
“But they’re in VCU custody,” Cody reminded her.
“I don’t care.” She kept walking.
Oberon’s brow furrowed. “They’re not going to let you just walk in and talk to them.”
She stopped and turned back to them. “Let them try and stop me.”
Oberon crossed his arms and shrugged at Cody.
“Okay, but I’m driving,” Cody said, taking the keys from his pocket.
The Violent Crimes Unit was on the first floor of the Department of Parahuman Security building. Bianca stepped through the metal detector at the checkpoint and placed her hand on the facimorph test panel. It took every ounce of control not to charge ahead and rip the place apart to find Gayla and Marcus.
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