by brett hicks
“Princess, Liam, it’s a pleasure to see you both again and to be seen.”
Mina stated plainly and she eyed Seri with curiosity and mild concern. This was something that Seri was very accustomed to with her subjects. She sometimes could forget how many inhumans viewed her, as if she were on a pedestal standing miles above them. She had been born in a gilded cage, a cage she sprang herself from at her very first opportunity. Despite the ever-present state of her royal status, Seri could almost forget she was of the purest and oldest of the inhuman line.
“Seri, is there a tracking spell? I think I know what kind of person our killer is.”
Everyone in the room jerked their heads around to look at her kin. Seri blinked a few times as her gaze fell on her sassy looking kin, who was quirking her brow in question and her thick lips her pressed together in a tight line.
Thea lightly asked, “Did I bury the lead?”
Liam snorted and stepped forward and slapped the younger woman on the back.
“You would need something of the person you are looking to track. Like a hair, or some clothing freshly worn.”
Thea bit her lip lightly.
“Would a sample of his semen work?”
“How’d you get ahold of his man-milk? Wait, I don’t think I want to know… Ok, I do, tell me!”
Liam’s eyes were filled with his curiosity and probably mirrored the look on Seri’s own face if she was being honest.
“I did a swab on the victim before we were attacked yesterday. So I might have palmed the evidence on my way out of the station.”
Liam chuckled in vibrant amusement.
“So, ye stole a body and some man-milk on yer way out lass?”
Thea crunched her cute little nose up in disgust.
“Can you please stop calling it “man-milk” it’s freaking disgusting!”
Liam huffed in faux-annoyance and threw up his hands.
“What do ye want me to call it?”
Thea set her eyes in a firm look and her tone seemed slightly chastening.
“Nothing at all for now right now. I try to forget that stuff exists.”
Liam looked like someone had killed his best pig because he didn’t dare to tease Thea any further. Any other topic and he would never have relented so quickly, but Liam knew enough about Thea to know she had never willingly had relations with a man. No one with a brain counts being coerced so you have a warm place to sleep, as consent.
He muttered something about Thea being a mood killer and then he looked over to Seri. She sensed the theatrics had finally died out so she nodded her head crisply.
“A sample of his DNA such as this could be used to track his location. We would need a witch we can trust.”
Thea grinned and bobbed her head.
“Yeah, I’ve got that part covered.”
Seri arched her brow in question. She didn’t recall her kin becoming well acquainted with any of the local witches. Then again, Thea was a big girl and she moved about the city freely. Thea seemed to derive some perverse pleasure in watching Seri try to figure out how and when she had made a friend of a witch. Finally, Seri just frowned and stared into her kin’s amber eyes.
“Are we going to get an address or a name so we can go?”
The sassy little Necrovamp licked her lips and her eyes danced in deep amusement. Seri felt suddenly annoyed and yet oddly aroused at her kin’s unruly nature. Thea had Seri trapped inside her deep and mysterious eyes.
“I was thinking we could call Ariel Bishop. She’s quite mad with the person pulling the revenant’s strings.”
Seri’s tone became befuddled.
“You think we are dealing with a revenant?!”
Liam ran his hand absently through his light hair.
“It would hold to the facts of the murders. And, it would explain the change in the latest two victims.”
He flicked his gaze to Mina and gave her a warm and yet apologetic smile.
“He might be breaking free form the necro’s control, which would indicate a weaker necromancer or someone with mixed blood. Maybe a necro-witch or just a black-witch?”
Thea nodded in agreement and she seemed to be mystified with how fast Liam had drawn his conclusion. Thea often forgot that Liam was older than Seri herself and he was a seer. Liam had witnessed many magical deeds through his second-sight over his lifetime. He probably had a more complete understanding of what each species could than nearly any being in existence.
“Thea believes that Henry Jefferson has slipped back into our domain. She reasons that this would be like his last appearance on our radar.”
Seri’s mind spun with the possibilities as she began to snap the puzzle-pieces together in her head.
“Why would Henry risk such an overt attack on us?”
Thea shrugged and spread her hands wide.
“Not sure yet, but I think he has a very clear objective in mind and all the show of his revenant’s killing-spree is just to mask his true goals, and to destabilize us in the process.”
She sighed and ran her hand through her light-red hair. Her mind became a dark tempest of thoughts and possibilities. She knew a lot about this young necro-witch and his family. His father was a powerful grey witch and his mother a necromancer of unknown origins. They had been in what became Boston for hundreds of years, nearly as long as Seri herself had been in New York.
“This reeks of a trap.”
Seri heard herself mumbling and Thea sighed and nipped at her lip again.
“Probably, but are we going to risk not checking it out?”
She shook her head adamantly.
“I never said that of course, we’re going to get the little bastard out of this territory.”
Liam had his iPhone to his ear and she heard a very bleary sounding Bix on the other end. She must have been crashing to get some sleep while she could.
“Hey there precious, can you get ready and meet us in Seri’s apartment?”
“We have some of the revenant’s DNA and we are going to call Ariel Bishop to perform a location spell.”
Even from a distance, she could feel Bix’s magic stirring to life. She was awake now and likely would be ready for a veritable war in a few moments. Liam murmured a few low and seductive things into the phone and despite her sudden excitement for the hunt, Bix was giggling like a school-girl.
“I suppose we should all get ready too, considering Bix is likely to stroll in here ready to make Rambo blush and gawk at her arsenal.”
Seri said it lightly with the edge of a suggestion in her tone. Thea stepped over to her and she pulled Seri tightly against her slim compact curvy body. Her lips captured Seri’s before she could even summon a single coherent thought.
The young woman’s kiss was demanding and very possessive. She tasted of winter and night, yet she also tasted of something much more ancient and intoxicating. Seri deepened the kiss and her tongue danced inside Thea’s mouth and she moaned as Thea’s hand claimed possession over her firm ass.
If not for the company, Seri would have thrown the young temptress down on any surface nearby and forgotten all about revenants or necro-witches until morning.
Thea smiled into Seri’s lips knowing the effect she was having on her kin. She nipped playfully at her lip and she laced her fingers into Seri’s loose silky hair.
All too quickly, she was stepping back and Seri felt as if she would never be warm again. She eyed her kin through a hooded gaze. Thea didn’t look much better, but she cleared her throat for longer than seemed necessary like she was dislodging a frog from her throat.
“I think I’ve given you something to think about, so we need to hurry and finish this.”
Thea sounded surly and slightly rough. Liam looked deeply amused, but he didn’t say anything. Mina looked wide-eyed at the pair of lovers. She had never seen anything shatter her icy princess’ calm demeanor. She knew intellectually that Seri and Thea were kin, but seeing was often believing.
“Why don’
t we get our weapons and battle gear, before someone loses their knickers. Not that I mind a gal losing her knickers around me, but Bix might.”
Liam said conversationally in his deeply Scottish accent and Thea was practically burning holes into his face with her hot glare.
“What is your obsession with finding random ways to bring the word “knickers” into a conversation?! I swear it’s like you just sit with bated breath waiting to throw that stupid British term out there!”
Liam puffed up at her and said, “I am from the Highlands, not English in the least bit!”
A new and slightly annoyed dull tone came from the door as Bix walked in with Vivian.
“I think you better keep your knickers out of a bunch until we get back home.”
She narrowed her gaze at Liam.
“You people aren’t ready yet?!”
Thea’s eyes all but said, “I told you so!”
Thirty:
After the sparks that flew when I kissed my kin like I was a marked woman headed to the gallows, I seemed to forget that I had just been unceremoniously fired. I had also forgotten that I had now taken all of Skylar’s watchers from him. Thankfully for us both, Seri had called Patty to ask her to keep vigil until the newly minted Dhampire rose.
We arrived at Witchy Wares in East Harlem. Ariel had sounded practically giddy to track someone. Apparently, this is not the type of spell a witch often has a daily use for, so she was in her own little nerd heaven.
Her windows were replaced and her sign was freshly repainted with a witch riding a broomstick above the words “Witchy Wares.” It was just this side of tacky, but for some reason the shop resonated well with Ariel’s personality, giving it a more professional air.
The witch in question was wearing a business suit as if we were headed to a courtroom and not to track a revenant and possibly a necro-witch. Her navy suit pants and jacket, with a crisp white dress blouse underneath. She was also wearing practical, flat business dress-shoes. Ariel was cut from one of the most renowned lines of witches and everything about her exuded this self-assurance.
She gave Seri a slight half-bow and then mirrored the greeting to me. Her eyes were bright with excitement and her pink lips were twitching into the beginnings of a mischievous and excited smile.
“Highness, Princess Thea, an honor to see you both again.”
Her eyes cut to Liam, Bix, Vivian, and widened when they landed on Mina. She barely managed to stop herself from asking the obvious question. She looked from Mina to me and back again. Clever witch seemed to be capable of seeing the link between us, or maybe it was just obvious I would be the only necromancer capable of waltzing into the morgue to raise a body?
“Well, who’s ready to track down this perverted serial killer?”
She asked in a chipper tone that made it sound as if we were headed out for tea and brunch, not to hunt down a psycho. Liam smirked his cocky and highly amused smirk at Ariel.
“She always has been my favorite Bishop witch.”
Bix cut him a hard gaze and Liam said, “What? Most of them are no fun!”
I snorted and said, “You’re just digging yourself in deeper with her buddy! You might as well have started talking about her knickers.”
Liam narrowed his gaze at me and he pointed his index finger.
“Says the bloody woman whose torn knickers were lying in the hall and her kin’s knickers were hung from the gods’ damned houseplant in the entryway to Seri’s flat!”
Ariel murmured, “I should invest in an apartment if you all are having that much fun.”
My face heated up like an eye on a stove. We had been pretty reckless and flamboyant that first time. I felt the heat and chills race along my skin at my remembrance. Judging from Seri’s expression, she was in a similar state of discomfort and near-pleasure.
Vivian was staring at me with a deeply bemused look in her twinkling eyes.
“Can you children behave long enough for us to track the damn killer?!”
Bix chided us both and Vivi snorted and bit down on her lip to keep a wide smile form bowing her features. Ariel seemed deeply amused by the social interactions of the people she likely had never observed in such a casual setting.
“If you’ll follow me and give me the DNA sample, I can begin the spell in my private work area. I took the liberty of clearing away all active spell-work before your arrival.”
She spoke brisk and businesslike, but I could practically feel her excitement radiating off her skin. It was not just the prospect of doing magic, but the prospect of being included in our little cluster of inhumans. It was easy to forget that Bix, Liam, and Seri were like the “cool kids” of the inhuman and supernatural world.
Behind her office was a hollow wall which leads into a hollowing. The place was one massive circular space with books and herbs stocked on shelves floor-to-ceiling. Simple oak tables stretched out along the far circular wall.
“Wow, no wonder you decided to hang out here in Harlem.”
I whistled and swept my gaze over the entire room. Mina stepped in beside me and studied the room in open awe. Seri even looked mildly impressed. Liam was too busy watching Bix’s hips sway to notice anything else. Bix eyed the room like the ever wary predator she was, looking for unseen dangers on every shelf.
Ariel looked back at me and grinned brightly.
“Welcome to the inner-workings of a Bishop witch. We don’t do anything by halves.”
Seri nodded in agreement and she gestured to me.
“Give her the sample Thea, so we can get this hunt underway.”
I nodded and stepped up to Arial and fished out the triple-bagged sample.
She looked down and frowned.
“You wrapped that thing like it’s radioactive.”
She mused mildly and I shrugged.
“I didn’t want anything to taint the filthy sample any worse than it already was.”
She snatched the baggies from my hand and she paced over to her largest table and she sat it down next to a small black cauldron on the table. She muttered something and I saw her magic spark a small flame under the cauldron.
“I just need to fetch a few ingredients and I will be ready.”
She announced and Seri nodded her understanding.
Ariel produced half a dozen herbs or powerful substances from various shelves. She began to mix everything with a deft hand and finally I watched her drop in the swab while muttering to herself in a strange language.
The resulting plume of smoke and magic raised my arm-hairs. I could feel the tangible swirl of her magic, power that was very different from my own. Ariel was not an inhuman precisely, and that was made clear in her aura with raw magic hanging in the air.
Seri stepped closer to me and rubbed her palm down my back supportively. I was not scared per-say, but I had never witnessed a true witch casting before now. Seri seemed acutely aware of my slight discomfort and she stood supportively.
“How does this show her the location?”
Seri twitching her lips in amusement at my slight sign of discomfort at the heady magic rolling against my skin.
“Just like your necromancy raises the dead, her magic just works. Metaphysics are complicated and seemingly contradicting, but like the air in the ozone, it just is.”
I narrowed my eyes at her sniffed.
“Are you attempting to mystify me, Miss Cleo?!”
Seri snorted derisively and her hand kept rubbing up and down my back in soothing motions. Part of me wanted to be difficult with her just to stand on principle, but the rest of me was much to content to feel her warm hands on my body, maybe more than just on it after this was all settled.
Ariel began to spew smoke out of her mouth and the smoke swirled on the table like a small snake.
“Ew, did she just hurl out the spell?”
Liam grinned wide and mischievously.
“She has a deep connection to the Horned God. Sometimes her spells take on influence from the light daemon
lord.”
That was something new and extremely disturbing. While I thought Ariel’s magic was interesting, I didn’t for one-second trust a daemon! Ariel was basically invoking a highly powerful light-daemon.
“Don’t give us that face lassy.”
I cut my gaze back to Liam.
“So help me god if you bring up my knickers again, I will end up burying you in a shallow grave.”
I turned to Bix and added, “Sorry, not sorry Bix.”
She shrugged and said, “Just try to resist, so you and I don’t end up doing the whole cat-fight thing.”
Liam’s smile turned evil and his eyes practically glowed with all the new material we had given him.
Bix popped him on the chest and pointed a finger in his face.
“I know what’s going through that ally drain you call a mind Liam. Know that you will not escape my wrath if you even breathe a single word.”
Ariel clapped her hands together and we all turned in surprise. She was hunched over a table, one she had spread out a map of New York on. She beckoned us quickly with her left hand, still not speaking. We all approached curiously and I noticed the sick look on her face and the tightness of her throat. Ariel was not speaking because she was in physical pain.
On the map a swirling pool of black smoke stationed itself over a certain block of The Bronx. Seri swore next to me and sighed.
“I guess that explains why he has been able to stay off our radar.”
I arched my brow in question.
“What’s in the Bronx that could keep Henry safe?”
Liam swore and Bix flatly stated, “An inhuman crime lord has many places of power spread out over the Bronx. This area is a bunch of warehouses that he uses for nefarious purposes.”
My brows pinched tight in confusion.
“I thought there were no other notable domain lords or ladies, besides Seri, myself and the Sky Lord?”
Ariel coughed and hacked, and then she seemed to clear her throat.
“He is not an official domain lord and he has no ability to use the wards, but the Bronx has long since been infested with the worse of the worst.”
“We’re going to need an army if we’re following Henry down that rabbit-hole.”