by Jayne Hawke
“No, no one has stood out as having hung around me a lot recently. No one stands out as having acted weird, or clingy, or anything. I haven’t seen anyone more than anyone else. I’m not a moron, I’ve been doing this whole investigator thing for a while now. I’d know if someone was being creepy.”
That, and I tended to keep a close eye on things like that in case someone got too close. It seemed I hadn’t been careful enough.
“Well, stalkers need to be close to the object of their desire, so do you have any new neighbours?” Liam asked.
“No. I have a nice private lot, anyway, no one can see into my home or garden.”
“Office?”
“No one new there either.”
Liam frowned.
“They must be watching you from somewhere. That’s what they get off on. They know that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Elijah.”
He was right. I must have missed someone somewhere.
“What if they wore a glamour?” Elijah asked.
I mentally kicked myself. That could possibly work. Glamours and appearance illusions weren’t that unusual around the city. People liked to play with how they looked. I was aware of them, but I didn’t scrutinise them, as they were so normal.
“Yea, that might do it.”
“We all make mistakes sometimes. Just remember that you’re not doing this alone. As much as you’re a pain in my ass, the offer to join the pack stands,” Elijah said.
Rex’s face twisted into a silent snarl. I ignored him. I wasn’t in the mood to play sugary sweet and wind him up.
“Maybe it would be best if someone watched out for Lily while we figure this out,” Liam said.
“Elijah’s the one who almost got taken out. Put a bodyguard on him,” I said.
There wasn’t a chance that I was letting someone see the inner workings of my life.
“He has me,” Rex said.
“Where were you earlier?” I said.
“Enough,” Elijah said as he held his hand up.
“My point stands. You’re in more danger than me,” I said.
“We don’t know how much danger you’re in right now. I would feel better if you stayed with us for a bit so I know you’re safe.”
Shifters and their overdeveloped sense of protectiveness.
“I’m an independent woman, and that isn’t going to change. Don’t forget that I’m a skilled witch.”
Elijah frowned and crossed his very large arms.
“Is that supposed to change my mind?” I asked.
“I think he was just flexing so you’d want to jump in his bed,” Jess said.
“That’s not helpful, Jess,” Elijah said.
“I’m not wrong, though,” she said with a grin.
“Cats,” Rex muttered.
Twenty-Six
Elijah had insisted on accompanying me back home later that day. I pulled up in front of my house and saw the box wrapped in silver wrapping paper. My stomach sank. That was two things in one day. The stalker was escalating.
I got out of the car and checked for magic around the box. Nothing, as expected. Whoever they were, they were very good at removing traces from the items they left. Elijah stalked up to the box and breathed in deep. Frowning, he leaned down and picked it up to take another deep breath.
“It smells like the thief.”
“You’re sure?”
He gave me a flat look.
“Ok, you’re sure. Are you saying the thief and my stalker are one and the same?”
“It’s a possibility.”
That didn’t make any sense in my mind. Why would the thief also be my stalker? Were the thefts and my stalking related?
“Are you going to invite me in?”
I hadn’t planned on it. Now that he stood there with the expectant look on his face and the box in his hands, I didn’t have much of a choice.
He reached over and squeezed my hand.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I shook my head and laughed.
“That’s sweet, but I can kick your ass while blindfolded.”
He smirked at me.
“We’ll have to test that sometime.”
“If I win, do I get your pack?”
He snorted.
“There’s not a chance of you winning.”
I opened the door and toed off my boots.
“No shoes in the house.”
He took his shoes off and followed me into my living room. This was the first time anyone but Castor had stepped foot in my home. I felt as though he was scrutinising every little detail, looking for something condemning.
“You have good taste,” he finally said.
“My taste is exquisite. I didn’t think you were cultured enough to notice, though.”
He laughed and handed me the box.
I tentatively peeled the paper off and opened the box within. A small vial of unicorn blood sat inside along with a note in the same handwriting as earlier.
Only the best for my beautiful.
I handed the note to Elijah. He scrutinised it.
“The scent is the same. It’s very faint. I believe they tried to remove it, but they were in a rush this time.”
“Mrs. Briggs will be very happy to have this back.”
I set the box on the table and tried to get my head straight.
“I think they’re stealing the items to impress you,” Elijah said.
“Well, I’m impressed that they can get in and out without leaving a trace or alerting anyone.”
My blood ran cold. Did that mean they could do that to my home? I’d woven layers of magic around the house to push people away and keep anyone but those I explicitly invited in, out. What if this stalker was good enough to get around all of that? They’d gotten through some very expensive and impressive security systems.
“All the more reason for me to stay with you until they’re caught,” Elijah said.
“The sentiment is appreciated, but Lily is very able to look after herself,” Castor said from the kitchen.
Elijah looked the fox up and down before he stood and towered over Castor.
“I would feel better knowing she has back up.”
“I’m the back up,” Castor said icily.
“Familiars are batteries and companions,” Elijah said flatly.
“Each familiar is an individual with unique abilities and strengths,” Castor said.
“You don’t look as though you could lift a butter knife, let alone defend Lily.”
I stepped between them.
“This is my home. I appreciate that you want to keep me safe, but I’m a trained combat witch. I’ll be fine, thank you,” I said to Elijah.
“I want regular texts so I know you’re ok. If you go more than two hours without a text, I’m breaking the door down.”
“I am not texting through the night.”
“Then you’ll have to text me good night.”
He waited for my response, an expectant look on his face.
“Fine. I’ll text you.”
He smiled and leaned in to brush his lips over my cheek, sending goosebumps running over my skin.
“I care. That’s not a crime.”
He left without another word.
“He cares far more than you said,” Castor said.
I slumped down on the couch.
“I told you everything about him.”
“Shifters don’t get that protective over friends.”
“Sure, they do.”
Castor settled next to me.
“Denial won’t get you very far.”
“I’ll deal with whatever is happening between Elijah and me once this stalker situation has been dealt with,” I said wearily.
“Be prepared for things to get far worse.”
“Can I get the full information? Or do I get Ominous Edition?”
“Whoever has been looking into your old coven has gotten far closer to the truth than anyone before.”
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.
Twenty-Seven
I’d dressed in a nice pair of black pants and a professional-looking silk blouse, ready to return the unicorn blood to Ms. Briggs. Elijah was in a beautifully tailored suit that highlighted his assets. I particularly enjoyed the way the fabric hugged his firm ass.
We walked up to the front door together, a united front. It was time to pretend that life was normal and the biggest concern I had was what type of coffee I was going to drink once I was done there. The young woman that had answered the door last time I was there had been replaced by an older man.
“Ms. Briggs is expecting us,” I said.
He blinked slowly at us before he gestured for us to come inside. We followed him down to the drawing room, where we waited for Ms. Briggs to grace us with her presence. She’d been quite happy to hear from us on the phone, but she had apparently become quite busy and important in the meantime. Elijah stood with his hands in his pockets, a look of calm professionalism on his face.
I was fighting down the need to keep moving. Sleep hadn’t really happened the night before as my mind kept returning to the stalker and the potential for them to invade my home. I’d ended up spending a lot of the night practising my shadow magic and katas. The coven had trained me in a number of fighting disciplines while I was growing up, and Castor had only increased that. When I was really stressed, the katas usually brought me some peace.
That time, though, I couldn’t shake off the ominous warning Castor had given me. I never knew if he was trying to warn me because of something he knew and couldn’t tell me, or if it was a general thing he felt I should be doing.
Ms. Briggs bustled into the room with a smile on her face.
“Your timing was wonderful. I bought the perfect display case for it yesterday. It will be the centrepiece for my party later.”
She’d clearly learnt absolutely nothing from all of this. Oh well. As long as she kept paying me, I’d keep retrieving her stolen shit.
“Who do I pay?”
She didn’t miss a beat about our both being present. It would seem that she saw no issue with having hired both of us.
“I’ll take the money,” I said.
Elijah knew that I’d give him his cut in the car.
Mrs. Briggs handed me a pure white envelope full of cash. I opened it and quickly checked that it was all there. It was a little rude, but so was hiring both of us. Satisfied, I handed her the box with the unicorn blood on it.
“It’s all there!” she exclaimed.
“Not a drop is missing,” I confirmed.
The thief-stalker hadn’t even opened the vial as far as I’d been able to discern, which gave credence to the idea that the thefts were to impress me.
“Well if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish arrangements for the party,” she said as she looked pointedly at the door.
Of course, people like us wouldn’t be welcome at one of her shindigs.
News came in that someone else had been killed while we were in Elijah’s car. He’d insisted on taking his car. I didn’t have it in me to argue. The victim that time had been a pixie who’d cut ahead of me in the line at the coffee shop that morning. That was no reason to die. Rex and Jess had confirmed the sea-salt scent at the scent. The stalker had taken a life because they’d been a bit rude.
Rage bubbled up within me. I was not going to be responsible for more lives lost because someone had developed a twisted idea of a relationship with me. It was bad enough when they tried to kill Elijah, but slaughtering someone for something so trivial was far beyond the line. When I found out who it was, I would unleash all of the pent-up anger I’d felt over the years at everything I had endured. They would feel the full wrath that I had to offer.
“We’ll catch them,” Elijah said with certainty.
“How many more will die between now and then?”
“Liam’s working hard on it. They must have left a clue somewhere. Last time I checked, he was looking through traffic cameras around your house.”
What if they were a shadow walker like me? That would explain the ability to get in and out without leaving a trace. That would also allow them to duck out and hide from cameras. I ground my teeth. If they were tied to the shadow like I was, then I would use the shadow to find them.
“Drop me at home. I need to check something.”
Elijah gave me a flat look.
“Sometimes we keep secrets for good reasons. I’ll let you know if it bears fruit.”
He turned down towards my house, albeit it with a fierce-looking glare on his face. When he pulled into my driveway, I leaned in and kissed him. I’d intended for it to be a frivolous thing, but it became something tender and meaningful. I climbed out of the car before it could go any further. We didn’t have time for feelings.
Twenty-Eight
Castor took one look at me and frowned.
“What now?”
“The stalker killed someone who cut in front of me at a coffee shop. I need to use the shadow to track him. There’s a chance that he’s a shadow walker like I am. It would explain how he can get in and out without leaving a trace.”
Castor put his hands on my shoulders.
“I am sorry. For the weight on you,” he said softly.
“I know. But there’s no point in dwelling on that, not when there’s a chance I can find the bastard.”
“The shadows will only reveal him if he’s a weaker shadow walker. If he’s just a skilled witch, they won’t give you anything,” Castor warned.
With the way I was feeling, I was sure I could get them to give me just about anything I wanted.
“I have to try.”
Castor nodded and stepped back.
“Pull one to three pieces of shadow. They need to compliant and respectful. Those that push back against you will make this difficult.”
I exhaled slowly and cleared my mind. This was the first time I’d seriously considered another shadow walker existing, let alone tried to find them. Reaching out with my mind, I wrapped my mental hand around a piece of black silk and pulled it onto the Earth plane.
The shadow remained still in my grasp. The feeling of it cautiously waiting filled my own mind. It made no attempt to escape my grasp or wander around the space. I pressed the thought of finding my stalker down into the swath of black silky shadow.
The shadow curled up and pressed against my palm. There was the feeling of its being unsure, unable blooming in my mind. Frustration bubbled up. I pushed it back down. The shadow wasn’t fighting me. I wasn’t going to punish it. I wasn’t sure exactly how sentient the shadows were, but I tried to be fair in everything I did.
“It’s curled up and feels like it doesn’t know,” I said.
“What did you ask it?”
“About my stalker.”
“No, ask it for words on another shadow walker. Images of someone being too close to you, perhaps.”
I formed those images and concepts in my mind and tried again. The shadow uncurled, but the sensation of an apology formed. It still didn’t know anything. I allowed it to wander around the living room while I debated what to do next. This was so new to me, I didn’t know if I was doing it wrong.
The shadow slowly made its way around the room. It appeared to be a semi-translucent piece of fabric floating on an unseen breeze. I watched as it glided over the couch and lingered against the curtains before it returned to my hand.
“Try again,” Castor pushed.
I returned that shadow to the shadow plane and pulled another out. This one fought and writhed against me. Edges of something sharp pressed against my skin but didn’t draw any blood. I mentally squeezed it tighter and pressed my will against it. The shadow stilled and relaxed.
Again I pushed the images of someone being too close and the idea of another shadow walker down against the shadow. The shadow stiffened before it relaxed again, and the feeling of a lack of knowledge spread like a fog thro
ugh my mind. Sighing, I had to accept that we weren’t dealing with another shadow walker here, or if we were they were far more skilled than I was.
I pushed the shadow back to the shadow plane and went into the kitchen, searching for something sweet to quell my irritation. I’d thought that I had a real chance to put an end to this ridiculous business.
I’d texted Elijah to tell him my potential lead hadn’t panned out before I went for a nice hot bath to clear my head. The stalker must have been in the coffee shop that morning without my knowing. How else could they have known about the pixie cutting in front of me?
“For fucks sake!”
I jumped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around me before I sprinted to Castor’s side with a shadow sword in my hand.
“What happened?”
He held up a note on expensive white paper.
“This just appeared on the floor by the front door.”
“The stalker has left them on the doorstep before...”
I felt it then. A touch of witch magic on the note. That definitely wasn’t like the other notes.
Castor handed it to me. I tore it open and my blood ran cold.
It would be better for the wolf if you walked away. I’d hate for him to find out what happened that night, Amelia.
All the love.
The note fell to the floor from my limp hand. My chest constricted as the world became slightly hazy. Castor wrapped his arms around me and led me into the kitchen, where he gently pushed me down onto a stool.
“This isn’t the end of the world. We’ll fix this,” he said as he made hot chocolate.
I slowed my breathing and gripped the edge of the table, bringing myself back to a state of cold anger. Anger was manageable, it kept me moving forward. Once the shock had worn off, I’d allow it to fade, but in that moment I needed it to drag me away from the shock and panic.
Someone knew who and what I was.
Twenty-Nine
Each type of magic is separate and distinct. Shifter magic is bundles of knots and a sense of rough wildness bound up within. Fae magic is like a bunch of stars sitting within a slippery bag that’s ready to burst at any moment. And witch magic is like a thin mist that creeps through the user’s veins, leaving a darkness within. They say that witches don’t have much magic of our own. There’s just have an emptiness to fill and a spark to pull on that allows us to feel the magic around us.