The emails flipped open.
“Several emails yesterday. Weird email address.”
I scanned the first one.
If you’re having second thoughts, then you know the price. Otherwise, you know what to do.
The second one was a single sentence.
The package will be with you in the morning. Apply a single dose.
And the final one.
Initiation complete. The Rise welcomes you. Coordinates will be delivered by hand shortly.
The Rise? As in the Custodians?
Mai stepped away from the laptop, her hand going to her mouth. “They have him, Kat. The Custodians have him.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Mai drove back to Scorchwood like a demon. We passed Kris’s abandoned car on the way, already crawling with Watch agents specializing in forensics.
Jay, Bres, and Tris were waiting for us in the lounge when we got back. The twinkling lights and the festive decorations felt out of place now that Kris had been taken. Our team was incomplete. Our family was incomplete.
“What is headquarters doing?” Mai demanded.
“I don’t know,” Jay said. “The HQ operator took all the details and said someone would be in touch.”
“It’s been over an hour,” Bres said softly.
He wasn’t complaining, he was simply giving us the information.
“Someone should have called by now.” Mai wrung her hands.
The carefree, chill kitsune was losing her shit. Any doubts as to the depth of her feelings for Kris were put to rest, not that I’d had any, but she may have had.
She paced, her boots leaving wet patches on the laminate floor. “Every minute we waste is another minute they have him. They could be hurting him. They could be torturing him.”
My mind was spinning with information. “Vick did this. He was in contact with the Custodians. Maybe the missing tainted were connected to the Custodians after all.”
“You think Vick lied to Kris the last time you went to Reverie?” Jay asked. “He said everything was all right, and he’d made a mistake in calling us about the missing tainted humans.”
I nodded. “I think he knew. He was messed up, anxious. Maybe they got to him, offered him a spot in their Custodian cult.”
“The emails mentioned an initiation,” Mai added.
And we’d believed him. Walked away. “He gave them Kris.” I met Jay’s eyes. “That must have been the initiation. To give them a demon, and he did.”
“Kris is noble class,” Jay said. “His blood would be potent.”
“And Vick knew that.” Mai slapped her right fist into her palm as if she was imagining it was Vick’s face.
But my brain was still making connections, unraveling the truth. The Custodians wanted to bleed Kris and use his potent blood on their addicted Custodian operatives. We’d scoured Vick’s house looking for the coordinates the email had said would be delivered, but he’d either received them orally, or if they’d come on paper, he’d taken them with him. We had no way of knowing where he’d gone. No way to find the Custodians’ location.
Wait. That was a lie. We had a way. We had a bloody clue. “Mai, the bracelet?”
Mai locked gazes with me, confused, and then her mouth parted in revelation. “We use a tracking spell.”
“Yes. We can use it to find them. It must have belonged to one of the Custodians. I bet Kris was responsible for making sure it got ripped off.”
“He left us a clue, a way to find him.” Mai teared up. “Okay, we need Lark back now so he can do a tracking spell.”
“He’s already on his way back,” Jay said.
“He didn’t call me,” Mai said. “Did he get hold of Karishma?”
“Yes,” Jay said. “He passed on the message, but he said she got called to HQ a little while after that.”
Fuck. “Okay, so we focus on Kris and finding his location, and the rest can wait.”
Tris, who’d been listening silently to everything from a seat by the window, hopped up and down. “Someone’s here. A fancy car on the drive.”
Emmett entered the room. “We have visitors,” he said.
“You don’t say,” Tris said sarcastically.
He shot her a narrow-eyed look, and she blew him a kiss, and damn if he didn’t blush.
Jay headed for the front door. “Everyone, wait here.”
I joined Tris at the window as two figures exited the vehicle. The first, I recognized. Karishma was here, dressed in her head weaver finery, and the other … Well, blow me down and roll me around in honey.
Orion Winterfell. The only pureblood Tuatha on this side of the veil was here, in Scorchwood. Wearing a designer suit and a haughty expression.
I’d only ever seen him in black-and-white pictures in the Secret Eye, and even then, the photographer had barely managed to snap a glimpse. The photographs were always blurry and grainy, and they certainly did not do justice to the imposing man who was crunching across the frozen gravel to shake hands with Jay.
Winterfell, billionaire magnate and owner of Winterfell Enterprises, was a man not many people dared to cross. He was also on the Watch council representing the many feyblood, several bloodlines of which he was the head.
But the question was, what the fuck was he doing here?
* * *
Bres ducked out of the room, and down into the basement. We couldn’t risk Orion seeing him and figuring out what he was. That left Tris, Mai, and me in the lounge when Jay led Orion and Karishma in. Our team leader’s expression was stiff. He looked about the room, probably to see if Bres had made it to safety, but his shoulders didn’t relax.
Oh, shit.
No one knew that Jay wasn’t really Jay, that he was an imposter. Would Orion be able to tell? Had he even known the real Jay? Highly unlikely. I caught Jay’s eye, trying to convey that to him, to tell him to relax.
He nodded slightly before turning to our guests. “Mr. Winterfell and Miss Raj want to speak to us about something of the utmost importance.”
“I hope you’re here to help us find Kris,” Mai said, her attention on Karishma.
Orion’s jaw tensed.
Mai’s anxiety and panic had stolen her sense of self-preservation. If rumors were true, then people who pissed Orion off disappeared. Forever. And right now, Mai’s tone was both abrasive and accusatory.
I patted Mai’s shoulder. “Excuse my colleague, Mr. Winterfell. We’re having a little crisis of our own right now. A member of our team has been kidnapped by the Custodians, and we’re eager to get him back.” I slid a quick look Karishma’s way.
Orion relaxed a little, but his hard gaze didn’t soften. “You’ll be pleased to know that our purposes align. I have a mission for you, and if you succeed in its completion, it could help bring your teammate home. I’ve done my homework, Miss Justice, and I believe you and your team are the best Nightwatch for the job.”
“What do you need us to do?” Jay asked.
Orion walked over to the hearth and stood in front of it, warming his hands. “A few weeks ago, the council met in secret. I believe you were present, Miss Justice, as was Miss Raj.”
My trial. I looked at Karishma, who nodded encouragingly. Okay, so this was a safe topic then.
I nodded. “Yes. I was there. I was on trial.”
“For being … different.” Orion’s smile was perfunctory. “Not a pure Nightblood.”
I took a deep breath. “That isn’t supposed to be public knowledge.”
He gave me a flat look. “I’m not the public. I’m Orion Winterfell, and the council were fools to think they could keep your trial a secret. I’ve done my homework on you, Miss Justice. You have an interesting bloodline and skills, which I believe will be invaluable to the task I need completed. You see, the council wanted you to steal a book from Demonica, and you didn’t.”
I couldn’t help but bristle at his tone. “They wanted to break the treaty, and I wasn’t about to let them do that.”
> “Yes. They went behind my back on that one, although it was an ingenious plan. I’m annoyed I didn’t come up with it myself. However, the reason they wanted the demons to breach the treaty, the reason they wanted the thinnings to Demonica closed, was to protect our world.”
“The shadow knights protect our world,” Jay said. “The only threat we face comes from Fomoria.”
“For now,” Orion said. “But there is another threat, one we rid ourselves of after the great war.” He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over us all. “Golems. Hundreds of free golems.”
“Wait …” I looked at Karishma. “I thought the golems that were freed after the war were dismantled?”
Orion’s brows shot up. “You’ve done some research, good. But no, they were not. That is simply the official story.”
“I didn’t know,” Karishma said to me. “We’re able to dismantle deactivated golems, so I simply assumed we could use the same tools on a free golem.”
“And so did the weavers back then,” Orion said. “They believed they’d be able to dismantle these free golems, but the tools didn’t work, and the golems fought back.”
“So, why not just leave them, let them go free,” Tris asked.
Orion frowned down at her, studying her for a long beat before answering. “It was considered too dangerous.” He tore his gaze from Tris and fixed it on me. “Golems are constructs that are immune to magical attack. They cannot be killed, and we discovered, once freed, they could not be deactivated or dismantled. The Nightwatch couldn’t risk letting them remain unchecked, because if they chose to, they could be a formidable foe.”
“So, what did you do?” Mai asked.
“We asked the demons for help. Their demi-mages draw power from a different source. This source was able to control the golems and wrangle them into compliance, before herding them out of this mortal plane and into Demonica, where the demons have kept them prisoner ever since.”
“What has that got to do with the treaty?” Jay asked.
“Yeah, I don’t get it,” Mai added.
“The golems are part of the treaty. They remain in Demonica as long as we uphold our side of the treaty and meet our conditions.”
Oh … Okay, it was making sense now. It was all falling into place. “We’re in breach, aren’t we? We’ve done something to breach the treaty, and the council wanted to manipulate the situation to make it seem as if the demons had breached it. That way you could shut down the thinnings before they found out about our breach and released the golems back into our world.”
Orin smiled thinly. “I knew you were smart.”
“Oh, God. It’s something to do with the demons, isn’t it?”
He nodded slowly. “For six months now, demons have been going missing. We’ve sent three Nightwatch teams out to investigate, and none of them have returned. Since then, several supernaturals have also gone missing. We were beginning to lose hope until you caught the tainted human, what was his name?”
“Lex,” Karishma provided.
“Ah, yes. Lex, who was taking demon blood to enhance his strength and stamina. Everything fell into place. We finally had a name for our adversary. The Custodians. We’re certain now that they have the demons, but the council has voted against sending any more Nightwatch agents after them. We’ve lost too many agents, and the activity is attracting much attention. Attention that could alert Demonica that something is amiss. Protecting their demons is a primary condition of the treaty, and right now, we are failing. We are in breach.”
“So, you what? Bury your heads in the sand and pretend nothing is happening. You know it’s only a matter of time before the truth gets out, right?”
“Which is why the council is preparing a natural disaster.” Orion looked to Karishma.
Karishma shifted uncomfortably. “An enchantment built into the treaty prevents lockdown occurring unless one side or other has breached the contract. We’re creating a surge of magick that will shut down the thinnings into Demonica by mimicking a freak incidence that will bypass the enchantment.”
Bloody hell. Major loophole. “But that’s cutting your nose off to spite your face. Demonica is an ally. We could need them in the future.”
“I agree,” Orion said. “Which is why I’m here without council approval.” His tone conveyed that he didn’t really give a fuck about the council. “I want you to find the Custodians who took your teammate and free the demons they have in captivity. We can then approach our Demonica allies with the truth and a victory. I believe when they see we’ve acted to save their brethren and succeeded, they’ll agree to help us bring the Custodian operation down. We can avoid cutting ties with our allies.” He sighed. “I know it’s no easy undertaking. We have no idea where their bases are, but Miss Raj and I have compiled the last known locations of every Nightwatch agent who has gone missing while hunting the Custodians. The information could be useful. You have three days, after which Miss Raj will have no choice but to deploy the magical surge.”
The alliance and our world’s safety net now depended on this team’s success.
Karishma handed me a folder of information. “I can’t stay and help. I need to get back to headquarters and supervise the surge, but I’ll be back to help you with the shimmer man.”
“I’ll ensure Miss Raj gets the leave required,” Orion said. “And any resources you may need to deal with this phantom entity.”
He made it sound trivial, and annoyance leaked into my tone. “I should hope so. It’s not just me he threatens. He wants into this world. He somehow contacted and coerced a trio of harpies into infecting several humans with their viral toxin. He’s insane, and he’s single-minded.”
Orion frowned. “Are the humans alive?”
Okay, so he hadn’t picked up on my snark. Probably for the best. Disappearing did not sound like fun. I blew out a breath and adjusted my tone to polite. “Yes, but they’re stuck in REM sleep.”
“He has them …” Karishma gnawed on her bottom lip. “This is bad.”
“Is it contagious?” Orion asked.
“Our contact at the hospital doesn’t think so,” Mai said. “She’s confident she can create an antidote.”
It was Orion’s turn to frown. “Why would this shimmer man want to hold these humans in sleep?”
I filled him in on the dreaming, on Somnium, and our theory that the shimmer man was trapped there.
“And you are his way out?”
“I believe so.”
“He needs Kat’s soul to use as a bridge,” Karishma explained quickly, probably worried that Orion would jump to the let’s-execute-Kat-and-solve-the-problem solution.
He rubbed his bottom lip with his index finger. “Maybe this shimmer man is trying to spook you by showing you he has some power. Or maybe he’s getting stronger.”
“You think the humans he’s taken are fueling him?” Mai asked.
“It’s a possibility. Have you taken care of the harpies?”
“They’re gone.”
He sighed. “Then there is nothing more you can do for now.” He tapped the folder in my hand. “Let’s resolve this issue first.”
I placed it on the table. “We won’t be needing it. We have a bracelet belonging to one of the Custodians who kidnapped Kris. All we need is a tracking spell.”
Orion’s chest swelled. “I’m impressed.”
“I can’t stay to do the spell,” Karishma said.
Lights cut across the window. I glanced outside to see Lark jump out of his car and jog toward the house.
“You won’t have to.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Orion and Karishma left as soon as Lark arrived. That had been an hour ago, and in that time, Mai wore a groove in the laminate floor from all her pacing.
Lark was still working on the tracking spell in his lab. Surely, it couldn’t take much longer?
I was tempted to join Mai in her pacing.
Bres and Jay were outside prepping both vans. We’d nee
d two rides to transport the demons we saved and to lock up the Custodians we captured, but Orion had been clear that he didn’t care if we brought the Custodians back dead or alive. The only one he needed breathing was their leader.
Someone to torture for more intel, no doubt.
I guess being almost human wasn’t going to save them this time.
I looked at Tris, who was sitting on the sofa with a book. When was the last time she’d turned a page?
“Tris?”
She jolted and looked up at me. “Huh? Sorry, chickie. What did you say?”
“Are you all right?”
She waved a hand dismissively in my direction. “Pah, I’m fine.”
She didn’t look fine. Her pale gray skin was paler than usual, and her eyes were duller. “Tris, come on.”
She stifled a yawn and then sat up straighter. “I’m feeling a little tired. Must be all the dress shopping.”
It was barely midnight; she had seven hours till dawn. Seven hours before she was due to turn to stone, and she looked ready to drop. My chest tightened with anxiety.
“Oh, no, chickie, don’t you worry. I’m fine. A cup of coffee will set me straight.”
Emmett entered a moment later with a tray bearing a coffee pot. He placed it on the coffee table, poured a mug, and handed it to Tris with a shy smile.
Wait, was my gargoyle fluttering her eyelashes at the housekeeper? Yes, yes, she was, and now Emmett had taken a seat beside her. This was new.
“Looks like love is in the air,” Mai whispered.
“She deserves it.”
“Done.” Lark entered the room, waving a map. “I got the location.”
Mai took the map from him. “Fifty miles from Reverie.” She glanced at the clock. “We leave now, and we attack at dawn when they’re sleeping. I’ll grab Bres and Jay.”
Lark gently gripped her elbow as she made to pass. “We’ll find him, Mai. We’ll bring him home.”
Mai pressed her lips together and nodded. “Thanks.”
Ghost at the Feast: The Nightwatch Book 3 Page 14