Second Alliance_Ember Lane

by Kelly Goode

  ‘Including finding out why a beautiful, wealthy, young lady left the security of her privileged life to join a coven and cultivate magic,’ Harvey said, and it was obvious he was trying to provoke an argument, but I had no idea why.

  ‘You met my daughter, Ms Lane. Maybe you could answer that question.’

  ‘I didn’t know Colleen very well, but she struck me as a level-headed, down to earth girl. She never brought up her wealth or status, or acted like she was better than anyone else.’

  Mr Chambers face softened for a second, before Harvey attacked again.

  ‘But she had a dark side, didn’t she?’

  ‘I would never have allowed her out of the house, if I’d known mixing with supernatural creatures would get her killed.’

  ‘But you mix with supernatural creatures all the time. When was the last time you frequented Darrick’s strip club?’

  Mr Chambers face turned red.

  ‘I told you the last time that we met that my clients go to Darrick’s club, not me. If this is what you came here to talk about, then this conversation is over.’

  I stood up, indicating to Harvey that I was ready to leave, but he wasn’t done.

  ‘Just one more thing, sir.’

  Mr Chambers released another thick cloud of cigar smoke into the air.

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Your daughter was pregnant.’

  The words hung in the air like a bad smell.

  ‘Colleen was going to have a baby,’ Harvey pressed on. ‘Did either of you know that?’

  ‘That’s a fucking lie.’

  The curse came from Mrs Chambers, which was unexpected. Her voice was cracked and raw, as if she hadn’t used it in a while.

  ‘How dare you come into my house,’ she seethed, ‘telling lies about my daughter, my dead, beautiful daughter. You fucking arsehole.’

  Mrs Chambers launched herself at Harvey, and I heard the slap of her palm making contact with his cheek. Mr Chambers put down his cigar and retrieved his wife, holding her against his chest while she sobbed

  ‘She couldn’t be pregnant. Tell them Virgil. Tell them it’s not true.’

  Mr Chambers made comforting noises against the top of his wife’s head and then turned his attention to Harvey.

  ‘This discussion is over; I won’t have Linda upset anymore.’

  ‘We have Colleen’s autopsy report,’ I said gently. ‘It confirmed she was pregnant. First trimester. I’m sorry.’

  Mrs Franklins tried to break free so she could launch another attack, seemingly in my direction this time, but was restrained by her husband.

  ‘Why are you people doing this to us?’ she screamed. ‘Virgil, get them out of my house, get them out now.’

  ‘I won’t speak with S.P.T.F. anymore,’ Mr Chambers said. ‘Anything else can go through our lawyer.’

  ‘Of course,’ I replied. ‘I truly am sorry.’

  I tugged at Harvey’s sleeve, and tried to pull him towards the door but he shook me off.

  ‘I didn’t come here today to upset either of you,’ he said, ‘but I want you to know that I will find the creature responsible for taking Colleen’s life. You have my word on that.’

  ‘And you have mine. Stay away from me and my wife, or they’ll be trouble.’

  45

  My phone rang as we left the Chambers’ residence and it provided a welcome reprieve from having to confront Harvey about why he’d been so harsh with Colleen’s grieving parents. Mr Chambers was hardly father-of–the-year, but I didn’t believe he had anything to do with his daughter’s death.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Ember, this is Sophia.’

  ‘Hey, Sophia.’

  Harvey wandered away from me and started inspecting the line of flashy cars that the Chambers kept on display.

  ‘Where are you?’ Sophia asked.

  ‘Primrose Hill, why?’

  ‘Ava has agreed to meet with you, but it has to be today. She’s going to stay with relatives in Scotland. Her flight leaves tomorrow.’

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Where all witches gather in times of crisis. One hour, come alone.’

  Sophia disconnected the call and I put my phone away.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Harvey asked, as he opened the car door for me.

  ‘We’re not going anywhere,’ I replied. ‘This is something I have to do on my own.’

  He shut the door and then got into the driver’s side.

  ‘Carter called me earlier, before I picked you up, and he made it crystal clear that I’m not supposed to let you out of my sight. He also told me to check whether the Chambers own a red Ford mustang. I didn’t see one in their collection. Did you?’

  ‘Like I know anything about cars and what they look like, and since when have you given a damn about what Carter wants you to do? Just drop me at a train station. These women won’t talk if you’re there.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘For a start, a demon is targeting witches and garrotting them, before dressing them up as brides. Even if I convince them you’re a “good” demon, they’re not going to talk freely around you.’

  ‘Fair enough, I’ll wait outside.’

  I didn’t have time to sit around arguing with him, so relented, and said, ‘fine.’

  Harvey revved the engine and pulled away just as it started raining. The pitter-patter on the roof grew louder, as the rain quickened. I looked out of the window as we drove along Victoria Embankment. The River Thames looked gloomy and sullied, which matched how I felt inside.

  ‘What’s your problem with Mr Chambers?’ I asked.

  ‘He’s not what he says he is.’

  ‘A grieving father?’

  Harvey shook his head. ‘He only cares about his status and his money. I bet he’s already working Colleen’s death into one of his publicity stunts. He didn’t care about her. Not really.’

  Harvey fell silent after that and we drove in silence through Tower Hill. Half an hour later, we’d driven through Whitechapel and Mile End, and when we approached Stratford, I directed him towards Sophia’s house.

  As we pulled up outside the large, white period house, Harvey’s phone rang. He parked and switched the engine off before answering the call. I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but watched the changing expressions on Harvey’s face as he gave yes and no answers, I determined it was Carter again.

  ‘I’m coming inside with you,’ Harvey said after he disconnected the call.

  ‘I already told you that Ava won’t talk if you’re there.’

  ‘I don’t care. Carter just advised me that against my better judgement, JC went ahead and agreed to the trade with Darrick. The vampire gave up the demon’s location. JC and Ghent are keeping an eye on Perry as he tracks the demon across London in his wolf form.’

  ‘Oh, right. I didn’t know he could do that,’ I replied, though it answered the question that had been bothering me about what Perry’s contribution to the team was going to be.

  ‘According to Carter, Perry followed the trail from Hampstead Heath until he found a concentrated scent at The Olympic Park. That’s only a few miles from here. He could be coming for you.’

  ‘Or for Ava,’ I said, my gut twisting with fear. ‘Ok. You can come inside, but just don’t mention demons.’

  46

  The coven’s supposedly secret meeting place was a house just like any other in the street, but the closer Harvey got to the front door, the denser the magic infiltrated the air. Stratford mainly consisted of flats, as it had formed part of a major urban regeneration scheme, helped along by the successful 2012 Summer Olympics. The area was becoming desirable and hip again, and properties of this size would reach a good price on the market.

  ‘I told you to come alone,’ the woman who opened the door said, as she spied Harvey over Ember’s shoulder.

  ‘He’s my bodyguard,’ Ember replied.

  The woman looked like she was still in her nightgown, the flowery
material billowing around her ankles in the breeze. She looked like a witch, Harvey thought, with her long, grey hair and harsh face. She was also very powerful. He could feel the energy coming from her in waves. This was the coven leader.

  ‘Be reasonable, Sophia. I fit the same profile as Katrina, Mary, and Colleen,’ Ember continued. ‘I’m the same age as them and I practiced magic with the same coven. Harvey is not here for any other reason than he’s been ordered to keep an eye on me.’

  ‘That’s a lie,’ Sophia replied, and Ember turned to Harvey for support.

  ‘Tell her it’s true,’ she said.

  Harvey considered his words carefully before saying, ‘I am a demon, and I wouldn’t be here with Ember unless S.P.T.F. were forcing me. It’s not in my interest to hurt her, or you.’

  The old woman shook her head.

  ‘Another lie,’ she declared, staring into Harvey’s eyes and seemingly reading his soul. ‘Are you trying to convince me, or yourself, with that story?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Ember asked.

  ‘The demon is in love with you.’

  Ember turned to Harvey and rolled her eyes.

  ‘She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Tell her.’

  Harvey opened his mouth to deny the accusation, but found the words wouldn’t come. Ember’s green eyes widened, before she laughed.

  ‘See,’ she said. ‘The idea is so ridiculous to him that he won’t even refute it. Now let us in, I need to speak to Ava. She could be in danger too.’

  Sophia stepped aside, and Ember stepped into the hallway. Harvey followed closely behind, but collided with what felt like a brick wall.

  ‘Humph,’ he grunted, as the air was forcibly expelled from his lungs. He recovered quickly enough and pushed his shoulder against the invisible barrier.

  ‘Since when did you set wards against demons?’ Ember asked.

  ‘Since you told me one was killing witches from this coven,’ was Sophia’s reply.

  Harvey continued to push against the barrier, testing for weaknesses with his fists but there were none.

  ‘Your demon will have to wait for you on the front step like any other guard dog,’ Sophia said, her lips twisting into a vindictive smirk.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Ember said, ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

  Sophia flicked her hand and the door slammed shut in Harvey’s face.

  47

  ‘This way,’ Sophia said. ‘Ava is waiting in the back.’

  I followed her though the familiar house, feeling an ache in my chest as I remembered how happy I’d been here for the briefest of times. I entered the large, glass conservatory and found a young girl sitting in a chair, wrapped in a blanket. She put down the mug she’d been holding as we entered.

  ‘Ava, this is Ember,’ Sophia said.

  ‘Did she bring S.P.T.F? I told you I won’t talk to the police.’

  ‘I came alone as you requested,’ I said, ‘but I can assure you that S.P.T.F. wants to catch the demon that killed our friends as much as we do.’

  Ava stared up at me with large, docile eyes. She might seem feeble and childlike, swallowed by the oversized chair, but I could sense an undercurrent of derision coming from her.

  ‘I remember you from the coven meetings,’ she said, her face now matching the true extent of her feelings towards me. ‘Mary, Katrina, and Colleen weren’t your friends. Don’t pretend to care about them because they’re dead.’

  ‘You’re right; they weren’t my friends, but I’m not pretending to care. The coven is like a family. Families pull together when they’re in trouble.’

  ‘And yet you blew up Wild Side, and set a war in motion.’

  I shook my head. ‘Contrary to popular belief, that had nothing to do with me.’

  ‘You were there.’

  ‘Yes, I was, but I left before the bomb exploded. Don’t you think if I’d known what the rogue witches were planning, I would have warned the people inside? I’m not a murderer.’

  Ava wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

  ‘I don’t know what you are. None of us ever did. You always seemed so composed, so self-assured when you were here. You didn’t even need spells to conjure the fire. All of us were jealous of you because you were Sophia’s favourite.’

  Her statement surprised me, and I looked across at Sophia who just shrugged her shoulders.

  ‘I even tried to die my hair the same colour as yours once,’ Ava continued. ‘Colleen told me it wouldn’t work, but I didn’t listen. She said your hair was like that because you were born from hell itself and that I could never replicate it. She was right, and I had to live with this horrible shade of purple for weeks.’

  ‘She wasn’t right about everything,’ I cut in. ‘I’m pretty sure I was born in London, although some people do think it’s the centre of hell during the busy morning commute.’

  Ava reached for her mug and took a large gulp. I noticed her hand shook slightly, but I wasn’t sure if it was with anger or nerves.

  ‘I need your help, Ava. Do you have any idea who might have summoned a demon to target Mary, Katrina, and Colleen?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Did anyone in the coven have a problem with those girls specifically?’

  ‘No.’

  I glanced at Sophia to gauge whether she agreed with that and she nodded her head in concurrence.

  ‘Have you noticed anything strange lately?’ I asked.

  ‘Like what?’ Ava replied.

  ‘I don’t know, like the feeling that you’re being followed. Or hearing noises, but there’s no one there.’

  ‘No.’

  I sighed. The girl was hard work.

  ‘Ava, I don’t believe the demon is finished yet,’ I said, switching tactics. ‘You could be the next target. You fit the profile.’

  ‘So do you,’ Ava replied, her eyes narrowing as she looked me up and down.

  ‘True, and that’s a good point,’ I said, turning to Sophia. ‘Are there any other girls linked to the coven, past or present, that were the same age as the victims? We should warn them too.’

  Sophia was stopped from answering by the telephone. Its shrill ring echoed through the large house.

  ‘It’s probably a wrong number,’ Sophia said. ‘You girls continue chatting. I’ll be right back.’

  After Sophia left the room, Ava began working her lip through her teeth.

  ‘I think we should work on another protection spell,’ she said. ‘This demon was able to overpower three competent witches. What makes you think that it won’t get to us here?’

  ‘Sophia already has that covered. The house is guarded against evil.’

  Ava started nervously twisting the ring on her left hand, drawing my attention to the large pink gemstone in the centre of the golden band.

  ‘Wow, what a pretty diamond,’ I said. ‘I’ve never seen one like that before.’

  Ava thrust her hands back beneath the blanket, and I could tell that I’d embarrassed her.

  ‘I’m sorry, that was rude of me. It’s a lovely engagement ring.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said hesitantly.

  ‘When’s the date?’ I asked.

  ‘We had to postpone it.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure you and your fiancé will be very happy together when you eventually tie the knot.’

  ‘Thank you. Colleen was going to be my bridesmaid…’

  Ava’s voice trailed off and she wiped her eyes again.

  ‘It was actually Colleen that first discovered magic,’ she continued, and I was pleased that she was finally opening up a little. ‘Her father was a little overbearing, and didn’t like her hanging around the streets in the evenings so she used to spend her time locked away in her library. One day, she found a book - a book of spells. She showed it to me and we began researching crystals and minerals. I didn’t think any of it was real, well not until Mary and Katrina recited one of them with us. Surprised the hell out of us when we
caused Mary’s cat to levitate.’

  ‘Who found Sophia’s coven?’

  ‘I did. Sophia accepted us for what we were during a time when supernaturals were still very much feared by humans. She taught us how to focus our energy and become better witches.’

  ‘But Colleen didn’t join until last year. Why was that?’

  ‘Colleen was too afraid of her father to visit the coven.’

  ‘What changed last year?’

  Ava’s eyes narrowed. ‘She met a boy. Everything changed when she fell in love.’

  48

  Another half-hour talking to Ava led nowhere. She was evasive and only answered my questions with the barest information. She wouldn’t elaborate on who Colleen fell in love with and became really upset when I mentioned her pregnancy. At that point, Sophia took over and suggested I leave the interrogation there. I’d hardly call it an interrogation, but I could tell I’d outstayed my welcome.

  ‘Be careful, Ember,’ Sophia said as she opened the front door for me. ‘I felt several surges of dark magic today. Something is moving in the underworld. Be prepared.’

  ‘Will you keep an eye on Ava?’

  ‘Of course.’

  I expected to find Harvey waiting on the doorstep, but Sophia’s front garden was empty.

  ‘I see that your demon grew bored of waiting,’ Sophia said, lifting her hands and chanting another spell. I recognised it as a protection spell, and guessed she was strengthening the shields around the house.

  ‘Probably,’ I replied. ‘He doesn’t do well with authority.’

  ‘Be careful around him. I felt the darkness coming from him too. I could even sense his demon stirring beneath the surface. It’s a losing battle to care for someone like him; someone who can never know true love. He’ll never be free.’

  ‘I know,’ I said, not wanting to discuss Harvey with Sophia. ‘Let me know if Ava says any more about Colleen or the other girls.’

  ‘I will.’

  Sophia shut the door, and I heard the scrape of metal as she slid the lock into place. It seemed she wasn’t taking any chances against human intruders as well as supernaturals.