No More Black Magic

by A. L. Kessler

  Simon came out and looked at me. “You got to go?”

  “Yeah, but tell you what, we’ll grab something fast and I’ll drop you off so you can get some sleep. You can pick up your car later?”

  He thought for a moment. “Why don’t I drop you off and you can have Mason bring you back? Or I can go get coffee until you’re done.”

  “Only if you buy me coffee. It could be a couple hours.”

  “Deal.” He looped arms with me and I groaned as it pulled on my side.

  “Shallow cuts hurt.” I muttered and we walked out. We got in his car and drove off. I texted Mason on the way with a request for back up. He knew I’d go in first and he’d wait and get his men in position. If something went wrong then he’d send his men in. It’s how it worked, because we had no idea what we’d be dealing with. I grabbed my radio from my bag and clipped it onto my pants and put the wireless earpiece in.

  “You aren’t going to investigate. You’re going in to take down Devon.” Simon growled. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Because I had a feeling you’d try to talk me out of it. At least I was nice and let you drive.”

  “You’re wounded.” He snapped.

  I nodded. “Yeah, but I’ll have back up. Don’t worry about me, follow my directions and get me there.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He said, but I didn’t miss the sigh that came after it.

  I had Simon drop me off a block away from the warehouse. I clicked my radio on and I heard the chatter of Mason directing people to the warehouse. I had my blade on my back and my gun at my side. Taking a deep breath, I checked that I had the cuffs. They were enhanced with magic, they would block his magic as long as they were on him. With one last check, I made sure that the vial was still in my pocket. I was good to go.

  “Going in.” I said into my earpiece.

  “Good luck, you know the word if you’re in trouble.”

  That’s right. I watched my steps as I approached the warehouse back door. I stayed against the building and said a small prayer before I checked the handle of the door. It swung in without me even twisting the knob. I gave it a quick examination and the mechanism had already been compromised. Fantastic, at least I knew someone was in there.

  I walked in, trying to keep to the shadows. In the middle of the abandoned warehouse was Devon standing around a small fire. I didn’t know what the extent of his powers was and made note to stay away from the fire. I looked around. Other than beams in the ceiling and some discarded boxes and pallets, there wasn’t much there. I didn’t sense any other witches or warlocks.

  “Devon Averin, you’re under arrest for the murder of Jade Macklemore and Kevin Smith. For use of magic with lethal intent and tampering with a crime scene.” And blowing my fucking car up, but it’s not like I could add that to the official list. I held my gun up. “I suggest you come with me willingly.”

  He turned around and laughed at me. “Oh Abigail, we could have been such good friends and wonderful allies.” An insane smile crossed his face. “But you just have to be a good little girl and use your powers for the best of humanity.”

  “Must have been raised right. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

  He slowly turned towards the fire. “Abigail,” He held his hands up and put them behind his back. “You really shouldn’t have come after me.”

  I kept my gun steady as I approached him. I grabbed my cuffs just in time to see a rune on the floor glow. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the fire and the rune. I threw up a circle just in time for the rune to explode. The flames caught one of the rafters and I cursed. I cuffed one of his hands and slammed it down on the other. Flames danced along the beams, but I let the circle down and shoved him towards the door.

  “I am not dying in here with you.” I snapped. He walked towards the back door without any more urging, but he turned around and grinned.

  “I only plan on you dying.” He kicked me in the stomach and I fell back, but not before I got a shot off. He fell off balance and crashed through the back door, but another beam exploded and fell in front of the entrance. Fuck.

  “Mason, I’m trapped.” I put up a circle, but I felt something weakening. Oh fuck. My heart pounded and my body started to shake. I focused the magic tried to figure out how to get out of the warehouse without being burnt alive.

  I could feel my magic draining, heard Mason on the radio giving instructions.

  “Abby, you okay?”

  No. I was starting to panic as the purple around me began to fade. I couldn’t figure out what was going on.

  The binding spell. I got the vial out and drank it. I made a face as the liquid went down my throat and burned a pathway in me. Gross. “I’m having technical difficulties, but I see a path to the front door. Make sure it’s clear.”

  Meaning hopefully it wasn’t locked. I could feel the heat of the flames through the circle. I was going to lose it any second. I didn’t know how long the potion would take to work, but I needed my magic. I cursed as the purple faded all the way. I ran and it seemed like every step I took something else was exploding. The beams fell and I heard the building creak. I was going to go down in flames.

  Panic went through me as I jumped over fallen beams and pallets. The flames licked at me and I patted out the small singe on my pants. I couldn’t allow him to win. I would not die in here. I cried out as a blast knocked me over. I tried to keep the fear down. My lungs burned from the smoke.

  A flame wrapped around my arm when I pushed myself up. I screamed and it danced away from my body. What the hell? I didn’t take a moment to figure it out. I continued my rampage to the door. I channeled my emotions and what energy and magic I had left. The flames started parting for me, swaying away from me. I didn’t want to second-guess myself in fear that the ability would just disappear. I got to the exit and relief filled me that another beam hadn’t fallen in front of it. I shouldered it open, ignoring the burning hot metal and hoped my jacket would be enough to keep me from burning something else. I never thought I’d be so happy to see the sun.

  Mason was standing there directing his crew to put on gear. A group of firemen and an ambulance pulled up just as I got through the door. Mason grabbed me as I coughed and gasped for clean air. He handed me to someone ready with an oxygen tank. I put the mask on and took a few deep breaths as they steadied me and sat me on the bumper of a truck. I felt like I was going to throw up.

  Someone else grabbed my left arm where the flame had kissed my skin. They started applying something cool on it and then wrapped it in a bandage. My mind couldn’t keep up with the chaos. My magic was flooding back into me and I was starting to hyper focus on the one thing I wanted most. Devon.

  “Abigail?” Mason’s voice broke through the random chatter around me.

  “I’m fine. Sorry, something happened and I can’t explain it. But Devon’s wearing my damn cuffs and I’m going after the ass.” I took the mask off and thanked the EMT and firefighter. “I’ll have my radio.”

  I took a deep breath to make sure I could breathe right again and then I took off in a dead sprint. I could hear Mason cursing behind me and barking directions at his crew. It didn’t matter. Devon was mine. Devon wouldn’t be far, he’d want to admire his handiwork and would want to confirm my death, not to mention he didn’t have use of his magic as long as he was in those cuffs.

  I ran through the maze of abandoned warehouses trying to find any sign of him. Maybe I had been wrong in my assumption that he would stick around.

  I rounded the corner of a building and I found him trying to break the cuffs by sawing them against a piece of broken metal. There was no way that was going to work. “Why did you do it, Devon?”

  He didn’t look up at me as he answered. “Did you know that when you spend too much time without your magic you start to go insane?” There was something in his voice and I couldn’t tell if it was grief or pain. I drew my gun and took aim.

  “When it starts to
come back to you, in a trickle or a rush, no matter which way then it eats at your mind. You have no control with all these abilities suddenly at your finger tips.” He looked up at me and I saw the madness in his eyes. “Those who did this to me needed to pay.” He held his wrists up to show me the cuffs had snapped. Luckily for me, it was just the chain, he’d still be without magic.

  He rushed me and I shot, but it went into his shoulder and he took me to the ground. My gun fell and I could feel the pain starting in my left arm and my side. Yep, I was going to need a vacation after this shit. Devon head-butted me and I cried out as starbursts blocked my vision. He got up to run, but I tripped him and pulled out my knife. I was done playing games.

  He started to get up but I shoved my foot into his back, stepping on where the bullet had exited, and held the point of my blade at the base of his neck. “Don’t move.”

  “You wouldn’t dare kill me. You don’t have the guts.”

  “Mason, I’ve got him. I’m six buildings away, catty corner. I can see the flames.” I could already here the sirens in the background and it gave me a bit of comfort even though I knew it’d take them a few minutes. A boom echoed and I knew that the warehouse had finally caved to the fire. My heart skipped a beat at the thought that I could have been in there.

  Devon rolled and caught my foot with his hand. I fell on my back, but kept the dagger still. I kicked Devon in the head as he stood, but it didn’t faze him. With the way he moved unhindered by the gunshot, I would have said he was running on pure adrenaline. He stood and picked me up by my throat. I don’t know what he was expecting, but I shoved my dagger into his stomach and pulled upwards.

  His eyes widened in surprise and he dropped me. I landed on one knee, catching myself in a crouch. Devon’s body dropped to the ground and twitched a couple of times as the light faded from his eyes. Relief swept through me.

  “Damn it, Abby, did you have to kill him?”

  I glared at him. “He tried to kill me first.” It sounded like something a child would say, but it was true. I looked at the blood on my blade and cringed.

  Mason threw me a rag. I didn’t question why he had it. I cleaned my blade off and sheathed it and then retrieved my gun. I holstered it and listened to the sirens in the air. I felt like a weight was lifted off my chest and I could breathe easy for a moment.

  “You getting out of the building was nothing short of a miracle, especially with just a burn. What happened in there?”

  I looked at him. “Someone tried to perform a binding spell on me while I was in there. It drained the magic from me and my circle. Adrenaline carried me through the rest of the time.” I wasn’t going to share. Elementals were considered dangerous. “We have one more person to take care of today. I promise I won’t shoot her.”

  “The person who put the binding spell on you.” Mason stated easily.

  I nodded. “We need to move now, before she realizes what happened.”

  “And how do you expect to find her?”

  I smiled. “I have my ways.”

  He nodded. “Don’t do anything stupid, Abby.”

  “I won’t. I’m just going to meet up with an old friend.” I smiled and stepped away from him, pulling out my cell phone. I dialed Clarissa first.

  She answered on the first ring. “Abigail, are you okay?”

  “Ask her if she changed her mind!”

  I heard Michele in the background. I took a deep breath and forced myself to sound panicked. “Something just happened, I can’t explain it. My magic is gone. I can’t feel it, I can’t do a spell. I just about lost my life in a burning building. I think it might be the Cult.”

  “Oh Abby, come here baby, maybe we can figure out what happened. Michele was afraid that was going to happen.”

  “I know, I should have listened to her. Where are you? Can you pick me up?”

  “Are you with Detective Mason? Can he drop you off?”

  So she had caught on. I smiled. “Yeah, where you at?”

  “I’m at the shop, Michele is too. We’ll get you taken care of.” She disconnected the call.

  I looked at Mason. “I need a ride. Clarissa will be there as a witness. The person we’re after is Michele.” I looked at Devon’s dead body and looked at the broken handcuffs.

  Mason followed my gaze. “I have an extra pair in the cruiser for you. Magical and everything.”

  I laughed. “Always prepared.”

  I tossed the rag down on Devon and turned to walk away. There were other people to deal with his body. I didn’t kill him with magic, so I wouldn’t be under any type of investigation. Mason saw me kill him in self-defense.

  I sent Simon a quick text to tell him to hang tight. I took my radio off and handed it to Mason. He shook his head. “You can’t go in there alone.”

  “I have to, if I have my radio on she’ll know something is up. As it is I have to act weak and scared. I have my gun, cuffs and blade. I’ll be fine. Clarissa can act as my back up.”

  He led me to the cruiser. “And if this is a set up?”

  “Then I’m stupid for walking into it and you can lecture me later.” I got in and shut the door. We were only a few minutes away from the shop. I had no real plan. At this point my actions were fueled by anger. She had created the monster who tried to kill me and brought to the surface an ability I never wanted.

  “I’m trusting you with this, bring her in and the case will be closed.” She’d be the last straw. Karma would come full circle for her.

  “Just be ready to put her in the cruiser.”

  Mason pulled up to the shop and then circled around and parked out of sight. He didn’t want to ruin it. I stumbled to the door and banged on it. She’d locked the shop up.

  I made sure to keep my emotions in check to make it harder to sense any of my magic. Clarissa answered the door and helped me in.

  “Clarissa, it’s gone. I can’t feel it.” I gasped. “It’s not like the hex. This, this is worse.”

  She helped me to the back and into a chair. Michele was sitting across the table from me. On the table was a photo of me with a strand of my hair. I wasn’t going to question, she’d been in my house. The binding rune was drawn over it. “I had to, Abigail. You’re just too strong for your own good.”

  “Why are you doing this to me?” I asked and met her gaze. “Were Sean and Jack in on it too?”

  “You’re too strong Abby, your father never wanted this life for you. Binding you was the only way to make sure you didn’t bring the Cult to the coven. Jack and Sean didn’t know my intentions, no one did except for Clarissa and I threatened her to help me. I thought you’d listen to her.” Her voice was perfectly controlled and she even smiled at me. Nothing about her would tell an outsider that she was evil deep inside.

  Poor Clarissa. I shook my head. “And you people wonder why I don’t trust the coven. Unbind me, you’ve performed an illegal spell and you can be tried in aiding multiple murders since you made the monster who did this.”

  “You’re powerless without your magic. Weak, stumbling. You won’t be bringing me in.” She stood. “You’re coming with me.” She stood and grabbed my wrist.

  I looked up at her and I knew I had a smirk on my face. With my other hand I grabbed my cuffs and slapped them on her wrist. Jumping up, I spun her around and grabbed for her other wrist. She pulled out a knife and slammed it into my injured arm. I cursed, but got the other cuff on her as she held the hilt of the damn knife.

  I pulled the knife out of my arm. “If I have to go to the hospital, I’m going to be pissed.” I shoved her towards the door.

  “Don’t you have to read me my rights?” She snapped as I shoved her out.

  I shook my head. “Nope, not my job.” I shoved her outside where Mason was waiting. I got her in the cruiser and slammed the door shut. Mason raised a brow. “Clarissa will have to come down to make a statement. Any evidence?”

  I had all the stuff from the case, the lock box, and now I had a witness to put Mi
chele away. “I’ll send everything over I have. Clarissa needs to patch me up first.”

  “Good deal.” Mason got into the car and drove off. I gave Michele a little wave as they passed by.

  “You’re bleeding on my sidewalk.” Clarissa sighed. “And you already have a bandage on that arm. What happened?”

  I chuckled. “I don’t even know where to start. Let’s have some tea and you can patch me up. I need to tell Simon where I’m at.”

  We walked back inside and she flipped the lock. I went to the back room and sat down. Clarissa brought in the first aid kit and a jar of something white.

  “I’m sorry that you got pulled into this.” I sighed. “I don’t know what the hell happened this month.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Michele shouldn’t have been able to use me against you.” She unwrapped the bandage on my arm and I cursed as it pulled against the burn.

  “Thank you for the potion. It saved my life.” Granted, the binding spell still almost killed me. “I never want to feel my magic being locked away like that again.”

  She looked at the burn on my arm. “This is nasty. Burning building?”

  “Devon was an Elemental. He was trying to use it to his advantage. Judging by the way the beams exploded, they all had runes on them. He got out the back just before a beam fell.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as she put more salve on the burn and the wound from the knife.

  “You’re lucky you were able to get out.” She got fresh bandages out of the first aid box and started wrapping my arm again. “Abby, I’m so sorry—“

  I held my other hand up to cut her off. I could hear the remorse in her voice. “Don’t, sometimes people get in tough spots. You did what you could to protect me.” I met her gaze. “No true harm done.” But it was why I kept people at arms length. I didn’t like them being used against me.

  “So Simon’s going to pick you up?”

  “Yeah, long story.” I chuckled. “Promise, if there was more than friendship going on, you’d be the first to know.”