Heart of Ice

by Lisa Edmonds

  “It used to be a dumpster fire, but about a year ago a group of mages took it over and became full-time administrators. They cleaned it up, took down the fake stuff, and started moderating posts. It’s actually a pretty good resource now. You have to register to use it, but it’s worth it for you, in my opinion.”

  “That’s an idea. I’ll check it out.”

  “Let me know if you find what you’re looking for and I might be able to dig something up in our library. In the meantime, stay safe.”

  “You too. Thanks, Kim.”

  We said our goodbyes and disconnected. I topped off my coffee and took it into the living room.

  As I settled onto the other end of the couch with my laptop, Arkady asked, “Was she able to help?”

  “She suggested I look in the MOP database.” I opened the laptop and searched for the website.

  “I’m assuming that has nothing to do with actual mops.”

  I smiled. “It stands for Magic and Objects of Power. It’s basically an online database resource for mages and researchers to find information. It used to be about as helpful and trustworthy as the walls of a public bathroom, but Kim says they’ve cleaned it up and it’s reliable now, so I’m going to give it a try.”

  When I found the website, it looked nothing like what I remembered. Instead of disorganized pages full of links to error-filled articles written by anyone with access to the internet, I found a very authoritative site with public pages offering helpful information to non-mages and a registration system for mages wanting access to the database.

  I opted for a premium membership, which allowed me full access to the site. I was still skeptical, but I figured I could cancel my membership if the site didn’t live up to expectations.

  Once I was logged in, I was amazed at the amount of information and how well it was organized. The site was hosted by a foundation with a board of directors who were all credentialed mages. Many articles were written by authors affiliated with the site, while others were written by members of the public and then fact-checked by employees of the foundation. The forums were moderated, and I saw quite a few discussion threads where the questions and comments seemed insightful and accurate.

  As a test, I searched for a cup like the one that had granted Charles an hour in daylight and found an entry that described a cup very like the one I’d recovered for Esther. The photo was of a different cup, but the description of the spellwork was consistent with what I knew.

  To my surprise, a recent update to the article noted that one such cup had just sold at auction for more than sixty thousand dollars, though that was considered anomalous and nearly five times the expected price. The database’s sources were clearly up-to-date on recent transactions in the world of magical objects, since that sale had taken place less than forty-eight hours before. I was impressed.

  A second search led me to a section of the site devoted to mirrors. Mirrors had countless uses in magic, from divination to spirit communication. Some could be used as portals between realms, offering passage at a price to the demon realm, fae realm, or the in-between places. Wall and floor-length mirrors were most often used in magic, but hand mirrors were no less powerful because of their size.

  After some reading, I found an entry on hand mirrors spelled to reveal hidden memories. I’d set the possible memory the mirror had shown me aside to think about later, half-convinced the mirror had invented it from bits and pieces in my head. According to the database, the spellwork was real and a double-edged sword capable of uncovering repressed and traumatic memories. The article’s author included a heartfelt warning about using such mirrors. Reading between the lines, I wondered if she had found out the hard way that some memories were better off left buried. If my own recovered memory was true, I would have a lot to think about once this mess with the cuff was resolved.

  Having verified that the database was in fact a much-improved and useful resource, I began my search for information about ancient shifter magic and magical objects. Shifter magic was as complex and varied as my own, and some objects dated back hundreds or even thousands of years. These objects varied in strength, purpose, and application, and ranged from stone teeth to obelisks and everything in between.

  I had a better understanding of shifter magic than the average mage, but only as much as I’d needed to do spellwork, such as wards within my grandfather’s cabal compound that blocked shifters from gaining access to certain areas. I understood how magic allowed shifters to change from human form to furry form and back again, and how the pack bonds allowed shifters to sense each other and draw strength from their alpha. Having spent time around Sean, I had a better understanding of how an alpha’s magic differed from members of the pack, and how he could draw power from the pack if needed. Shifter physiology included abilities like faster healing and enhanced senses, but the magic of the shift itself was powerful enough to heal injuries, even potentially fatal ones.

  When it came to shifter magic objects, however, I knew next to nothing. No human magic could create them and they could not be used by anyone who was not a shifter. Human magic could hide them or contain their power, but that was the extent to which a non-shifter could interact with them. As such, I had never studied them and found myself engrossed in reading basic shifter magic theory in order to understand the source of their power and the mechanics of their spellwork. I hadn’t done this sort of research in a very long time, but it didn’t take long to remember how much I enjoyed it. Learning about magic was more than a hobby or a job; it was part of who I was.

  I took a break after a while to refill my coffee cup and to let Rogue into the backyard so he could potty and run off some of his seemingly boundless energy.

  As I closed the back door, Arkady looked up from her phone. “So, do you mind if I ask what’s up with your garden back there? I went out on the back porch earlier when I let the dog in and if I didn’t know better, I’d say the plants leaned in my direction like they were sizing me up.”

  I stretched, putting my coffee cup on the floor so I could bend over and touch my toes. My back popped. “It’s kind of a long story, but the short version is that the plants are magical and probably hungry, so you should keep a safe distance.”

  Her eyebrows went up, but she seemed to take that bit of news in stride. “What do you feed hungry plants? I’m guessing not normal plant food.”

  “They seem to be carnivorous, so I’m thinking I might have to run by a butcher shop and pick something up.”

  “There are a couple of shops in town that deliver. You can order on their website and they’ll bring you what you need.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. “Good point.” I didn’t have a good sense yet of how much I might need or how often I’d need to feed the garden, but I could start with a small whole hog, the kind you’d buy if you were going to have a barbecue, and go from there.

  I found the website of a local carnicería and put in an order, then returned to reading about shifter magic.

  My search for cuffs with shifter magic turned up a surprisingly high number of hits. It appeared that cuffs were a common type of magical object for shifters, which made sense. The cuff that had latched onto Sean’s arm had changed size when he shifted.

  The question was: what type of spellwork was on the cuff? If the magic had been natural human magic, I could have explored it as I had the spellwork on the cup and probably determined its purpose. But between those heavy-duty wards and my unfamiliarity with shifter magic, I was at something of a loss.

  My best option at the moment seemed to be reading through the entries on magical cuffs on the MOP website. If that didn’t pan out, I’d be forced to decide whether to ask Charles for authorization to search the Court library. No doubt he would find out what had happened at the storage unit as soon as he woke at sunset.

  Most of the entries in the database had pictures or drawings of the cuffs. That was enormously helpful, but I didn’t go by the images alone. The appearance of the cuff might ha
ve been altered along the way, so I read through each article, looking for hints as to what this particular cuff might be. It felt like I was looking for a needle in a pile of needles.

  By late afternoon, my eyes were bleary and I hadn’t found any answers. I was just getting up to refill my coffee cup when I sensed Malcolm cross the wards as he jumped to his crystal downstairs.

  I put my cup on the counter and headed for the basement door. “I need to go downstairs for a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” Arkady was watching the news and snacking on some chips she’d found in the pantry.

  When I got downstairs, I found Malcolm floating by the work table. He was still distressingly weak, so much so that I felt guilty for asking him to go check on Sean. Normally when I was near the ghost, his aura buzzed on my skin and the blue-green thread that connected us hummed with energy. Since the run-in with the wards on the cuff, our connection had felt almost completely diminished, and even standing two feet away, I couldn’t sense his energy at all.

  Judging by his expression, the news was grim. “How is he?” I asked.

  Malcolm didn’t even try to sugar-coat his response. “Not good. They’ve got him at Jack and Delia’s house, in a cage they apparently keep on hand for when they’ve got a wolf who’s gone mad. As soon as the tranquilizer wore off, he went berserk and Jack had to dose him again. Not to knock him out, but enough to make him too tired to hurt himself trying to get out of the cage.”

  “Why is he being so violent? Is it the cuff?”

  “Everyone thinks so. The wolf almost took a chunk out of Jack’s arm when he got too close to the cage. I think he knows Jack was responsible for carting him off and leaving you unprotected. If—when Sean shifts back to human, he’s gonna have Jack’s ass for that.”

  “I was hoping that since you were gone so long, no news was good news.” I sat on the work table, my legs dangling.

  Malcolm shook his head. “Jack called a pack meeting. That’s why I was gone all afternoon; I wanted to stay until the end and see what was decided. It got pretty ugly.”

  I could only imagine. “Let’s hear it.”

  “Everyone’s upset and angry about Sean’s condition and Jack blamed you for everything. He basically said that either you knew what the cuff would do and let Sean get trapped on purpose, or that you were incompetent. Either way, he’s got some of them believing you’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to Sean. He brought up how Sean ended up in Vamp Court custody after he got in a fight with Charles and blamed you for that too. Some of the pack seem to agree.”

  “What about Karen, Nan, and Felicia?”

  “They don’t believe you did it on purpose, and Nan told Jack he was wrong to have separated Sean from you. Ben said so too.”

  “Ben said that?” I was surprised. I’d only met Ben once, at Esther’s house, and I certainly hadn’t expected to hear him speak up on my behalf.

  “Yep, he came to your defense pretty strongly. He seems to be third in the pack hierarchy, just below Jack, so his voice carries weight. He reminded Jack and the rest of the pack that Sean had stated his feelings about you quite clearly and it wasn’t their place to interfere with the alpha’s courtship of a potential mate. He also reminded Jack that Sean told him to protect you and that he left you stranded in the storage unit without so much as a sharp stick. The others didn’t take kindly to that. Criticizing you is one thing, but Jack basically disobeyed a direct order from Sean. Jack tried to say he had no choice, but the others didn’t buy it. Even the ones who don’t seem to think you’d be a good mate didn’t think Jack should have gone against Sean’s directive. It reflects poorly not just on the pack, but on Maclin Security as well.”

  That was something, at least. “So where did it end up?”

  “Jack’s determined to find out what the cuff is and how to get it off. He’s made some calls to experts and the Were Ruling Council. In the meantime, he’s decreed that you’re not allowed any contact with Sean. The others argued that letting you visit him might calm him down, but Jack’s word is law until Sean is better and he wasn’t budging an inch on that.”

  “They can’t keep Sean drugged the whole time,” I protested.

  “Ben pointed that out. Jack said they’ll have the cuff off before it becomes an issue.” He floated over to me. “Here’s what’s really got me worried, Alice. Once the pack meeting broke up, Jack and Delia were talking about what’s going to happen once Sean shifts back. Delia asked what Jack will do if Sean still wants you as his mate. Jack said, and I quote, ‘Then we’ll have to deal with her some other way.’”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled. “In a weird way, I’m kind of relieved to hear that. Before, I wasn’t sure exactly where we stood. Now I know. It’s always better to know for sure who your enemies are. If Jack comes for me, I’ll be waiting.”

  “You want me to go back there and keep an eye on things?”

  “I’m worried about you. I don’t know what those wards did to you, but you’re down in power by at least half and you aren’t regenerating like you should. You’re vulnerable right now until we figure out how to undo the damage. As glad as I am to know how Sean is doing and how the pack meeting went, it was selfish and dangerous of me to ask you to leave the safety of the house and go out there.”

  “Well, the good news is that I can pretty much jump between Sean and here now, so that limits my exposure. None of the shifters seemed to sense my presence, so my masking and obfuscation spells seem to be holding up well. I am running on about half power. Other than siphoning power from you, the fastest way I know to regenerate is in a crystal.”

  I held out my arm. “Take what you need.”

  He shook his head. “Without Sean here, you can’t regenerate magical energy like you normally could.”

  I gave him a look.

  He sighed. “Alice, sex regenerates magical energy; everyone knows that. I’m not trying to embarrass you by bringing it up, but I’m not going to siphon energy from you and risk leaving you vulnerable right now with everything that’s going on.”

  “Fine. If you want to regenerate in the crystal, I can at least speed up the process.” I gestured at the circles inlaid in the floor.

  He nodded slowly. “A power circle? That would work. Good thinking, Alice.”

  “I have my moments.” I picked up Malcolm’s crystal and held it out. “Hop in. When you feel like you’re back to full strength, you can jump out and break the circle.”

  “Thanks.” Malcolm hesitated. “Everything is going to be all right. Just don’t go up against Jack without me, okay?”

  “I’ll try not to,” I promised.

  Malcolm vanished. The crystal buzzed faintly in my palm.

  I put the crystal in the center of the smallest circle on the floor, grabbed a piece of chalk, and went to work drawing runes. When the spellwork was complete, it formed a web with the crystal at the nexus. I placed my palm on the circle and fed energy into the web until every line and rune pulsed with power. The energy formed a loop, feeding power into Malcolm’s crystal and hopefully speeding up his regeneration.

  I got to my feet and took a moment to just breathe. The news about Sean and the pack was bad, but not as bad as I’d feared. Jack could be as angry as he wanted, but I wasn’t going to be intimidated. It had never been my nature to back down and I wasn’t going to start now. Sean was worth fighting for.

  Jack might think he knew what he was up against by picking a fight with me, but he had no idea what I was capable of, or what I would be willing to do to hold onto one of the few chances at happiness I had ever had.

  16

  When I got back upstairs, I found Arkady in the kitchen. “So, I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed to be talking to someone downstairs,” she said as I got a glass and filled it from the sink.

  I’d wanted to keep Malcolm under wraps, but unless I wanted to claim I was having a conversation with voices in my head, I didn’t have much choice but to acknowledge that there had
been someone else in the basement.

  “I was getting a report from a ghost,” I said.

  “As one does,” she said dryly. “Is he keeping an eye on Sean for you?”

  She put two and two together faster than about anybody I’d ever known. “Yes.”

  “How are things going?”

  I drained the water and set the glass in the sink. “Not well. Speaking of which, I should get back to my research.”

  She glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to set. “You’ll probably be getting a call soon.”

  Somewhere in or below Niara’s home, Charles would be waking soon, if he hadn’t already. “I figured as much. When’s your shift change, by the way? I just want to get a sense of how this is going to work.”

  She smiled. “There is no shift change, Alice. I’m with you twenty-four seven until this situation is resolved. The team out in the SUV will switch off every six to eight hours, depending, but you and I are best buddies until Kent Stevens is on ice.”

  “I had a thought about that,” I said.

  We headed back to the living room and settled on the couch. She muted the television and looked at me expectantly. “What’s on your mind?”

  “What are your thoughts on trying to draw Stevens out?”

  She tilted her head. “My orders are to keep you out of harm’s way and leave the search to others.” After a pause, she added, “However, with the hunt for Stevens dragging into its fourth day, there might be some flexibility there. If nothing else, your case might take us near some of the locations Stevens could be watching, like Mr. Vaughan’s new wine and cocktail bar, where his temporary offices are located while Hawthorne’s is being rebuilt.”

  “That wasn’t a spontaneous suggestion, was it?”

  “Not entirely, no. I wasn’t going to bring it up, but I thought you might suggest something along those lines. I’m kind of surprised you didn’t before now.”

  “I did bring it up, actually, but my previous bodyguard vetoed the idea.”