by Jayne Hawke
“Well, it won’t be one of those anti-supernatural groups. So, we can rule out their clubhouses, meeting halls, whatever they call them,” Dean said.
“It will be people looking for hope, and a place in the world. The more vulnerable people,” I said.
“They could be recruiting at the schools in the rougher areas. If they promised magic and a long life, I can see teenagers falling for it. Think about how vampires are portrayed. It’s a glamorous exotic life; it’s a fantasy. If the witches had any brains, they’d pitch it like that and pull them in that way,” Matt said.
The cruelty of such a play made me far more than angry. If that was what they were doing, then they were stripping away any hopes of a long and happy life those people may have had. They were preying on people, making them no better than a dobhar chu or a mermaid.
“We’re making too many assumptions here. We need to step back and consider all of the angles,” Ethan said.
“Ok, so if I were a vampire witch, what would I need?” Cade asked.
“How many were in the coven?” Ethan asked me.
“Ten survived, I think,” I said.
“Ok, so they’ll need a home for ten people. Covens like living together. They’ll need an income, and a supply of blood to keep them alive. You said the witch you tangled with looked normal, like she worked in an office?” Ethan asked.
“Yea. You wouldn’t look twice at her if you met her on the street,” I said.
“So, there is a very reasonable chance that they’re living normal lives, working in offices. We haven’t found a trail of suspicious deaths, so what other options are there for obtaining blood?” Ethan asked.
“Animals,” Kerry said.
“Willing donors,” Dean said.
“Hospitals,” Matt said.
“Witch supply stores,” I added.
“Where do those supply stores get their blood from?” Ethan asked.
I’d never thought about it. I knew that vials of blood were often available. The quality and purity of it was up for debate, though.
“Abattoirs?” I asked.
“Any ideas if animal blood will work for them?” Ethan asked.
“I didn’t see any notes about that in the grimoire,” I said.
There had been notes in there about how different types of blood reacted differently, but I’d been too busy looking for information about the witches.
“We’ll look at the hospital angle first and dig around for suspicious deaths outside of this territory. There’s no reason they couldn’t have moved around to cover their tracks,” Ethan said.
“First! I made pavlova,” Dean said with a grin.
I had to laugh. He had his priorities straight.
THIRTY-NINE
After a little thought, I’d decided to invite the pack over to Mom’s witch workspace. I really needed to think of a better name for that. ‘The lair’ seemed a bit too villain-y. Maybe ‘the library’ would work. We had walked down the river together, enjoying the crisp night air. A heavy frost had already begun to form by the time we reached the building. A flutter of nerves passed through me. This had been Mom’s hidden sanctuary. This was a big moment.
I reached out and opened the door. No one said a word or moved until I walked inside and gestured for them to follow. The space was well lit by hanging orbs of golden light. It appeared to have been filled with beautiful summer sunshine.
Matt took Kerry around the lab tables and very eagerly explained what it all meant and his plans for the space. I was glad to have him happy and enthusiastic. I’d been concerned about the impact of the fight with the assassin on him. The others followed me across the room to the wall of books. The sheer amount of information there was insane.
Ethan wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled warmly at me.
“Thank you for your trust,” he said.
I leaned against him. It felt right.
Dean squeezed my shoulder and smiled. Cade grinned at me and turned to look over the books.
“I’m going to finish skimming through Mom’s grimoires. Why don’t you guys see what you can find here?” I said, gesturing at the books.
“Sounds great,” Ethan said before he kissed my temple.
I found a comfortable leather armchair that looked just well enough worn for me to sink into it with a contented sigh. How many times had Mom curled up in that very chair reading one of the books on the wall, or writing in her grimoire?
The third grimoire wasn’t as easy to flip through and digest as the previous two had been. I found myself being distracted by odd symbols that tugged at something within me. When I paused to really look at them, I couldn’t recognise or understand them. Sighing, I tried to refocus on finding more information about the witches. There had to be something more, something we could use to save lives.
“Any news from Ryn?” Kerry asked idly.
“Not yet,” Ethan said as he pulled a thick blue book from the shelf.
“But you did make contact with him,” Kerry pushed.
“We are all worried about Matt and Kit’s safety and wellbeing. I have made contact with Ryn, but he is busy,” Ethan said.
Kerry backed off a bit.
“I feel weird looking through this stuff. It’s not mine,” she said quietly.
“We have Kit’s permission,” Ethan said.
“Still feels weird,” Kerry muttered.
A note caught my attention as I was flipping through the grimoire. It had a little border decorated around it to make it stand out from the words surrounding it.
Not all is as it seems with Liam. Beware his magic. Falling changed something within him.
William was my father’s name. The note almost looked as though it was meant for someone else to read. Why would Mom make a note like that? At first, I tried to tell myself it was a different Liam, but the falling part sounded a lot like Dad. It wasn’t as though there were many ways to fall. I supposed it could have been a fae then fell from the courts, but that seemed far less likely.
His magic was running through my veins, and yet my Mom thought it was something she needed to be wary of. My parents had always seemed to be madly in love. They smiled when they saw each other and were gentle and affectionate with each other. I’d always dreamed of having a marriage like they did, one full of laughter and meaningful moments.
As I looked at the note in its tidy script, I couldn’t help but fear that there were yet more secrets hiding within my perfect little family.
FORTY
I hadn’t told the others about the weird note about my father in the grimoire. It spiralled around my dreams and subconscious. I felt as though I was chasing a wisp of smoke through a dark tunnel trying to figure out exactly what secrets lay hidden in my family’s past. Could it be that the god magic was as much of a risk if not more than the witch magic?
The day had been spent looking through the library and internet, trying to piece everything together. There had to be something that would tell us what we needed about the witches. There was just so much information, so many books. It was time consuming and exhausting.
I’d been expecting the usual big pack dinner. Everyone bar Ethan headed out for pizza and the latest heist movie. I suspected that Ethan had sent them away, not that I was complaining. A little quiet time with him was exactly what I needed.
We shared a bottle of red wine as I watched Ethan cook. He knew better than to ask me to help him as he prepared the beef. The meal was a simple steak and roast potatoes with vegetables, but I appreciated the effort he’d put in. We remained in the kitchen in a comfortable silence as big heavy snowflakes fell outside, covering the cracked concrete in a fresh white layer. I adored watching the snow fall. It made everything fresh and new, even if only for a few days.
Logically, I knew that the evening was the perfect opportunity to strip Ethan down, but I had too much weighing on my mind. I needed to be in his arms and enjoy the comfort that provided rather than giving in to my carnal desires. A
s he liked to remind me, we had all the time in the world.
“Tell me what’s bothering you,” he said gently as he cleared the plates away.
Everything about the meal had been perfection. We had turned the lights off and eaten by candlelight. His eyes glittered in the warm light, and I found myself losing myself in them on more than one ocassion.
“Everything,” I said with a laugh.
He scooped me up in his arms and carried me over to the couch. I settled myself in his lap while he turned the TV on and began looking for a movie.
“I’m worried about Matt. I don’t want him to become cold and callous. I need to remove the bounty from my head for his sake if no one else’s. And... it could be nothing, but I found a weird note in Mom’s grimoire. It said to beware of Liam and his magic. Liam was my dad’s name.”
Ethan wrapped his arms around me, gently holding me against his strong chest. His scent wrapped around me, and I felt the soothing rhythm of his magic.
“Don’t worry about Matt. Kerry won’t let that happen to him. Ignore her cat nonsense about hating monogamy and never settling down. She would burn the world to the ground if that’s what it took to make Matt happy. As for the bounty, I have spoken to Ryn. If he agrees to see me, then he can remove any bounty on your head, no matter who put it there. We’re safe here. I don’t know about the note in your mother’s grimoire. It could be something, and it could be nothing. Is there any chance that she meant at an alchemical level? Could his magic be temperamental with her own?”
He was so reasonable. I felt my anxiety and fears wash away with his calm certainty. Of course he was right. Matt was part of one of the most dangerous packs in the territories, nothing was going to do any real harm. And I hadn’t thought about the note from that angle. Mom had been very interested in rituals and philosophy; maybe she had just meant that literal sparks flew between them. It wasn’t unreasonable to think that god magic and witch magic could be volatile together. Of course, that could make difficulties for me, but I’d face those when they arose.
“You’re right of course. And maybe. I haven’t seen any signs of her dabbling in alchemy, but there’s no reason she couldn’t have meant it on a similar level. Or even had it as some weird love note. Maybe she wrote that while she was falling for Dad. I don’t remember seeing a date on that section.”
Ethan grinned.
“See, nothing to worry about.”
“You’re so good to me,” I whispered.
“We all need an anchor sometimes. I’ll make sure that nothing sweeps you away.”
FORTY-ONE
The elf was waiting for me outside the back door when I got up for my morning coffee. He was casually leaning against the doorway like he was waiting for an old friend. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to do about him. At least he hadn’t broken in to make more pancakes, I reminded myself.
I chose to ignore him and go about making my coffee. Ethan, however, took a more direct path. He swung the back door open and growled at the elf.
“What do you think you’re doing here?”
“Waiting to become a member of your pack.”
Ethan exhaled slowly.
“I dispatched three bounty hunters over the last twenty-four hours. Each of them hunting your girlfriend. You’re welcome.”
Ethan growled again.
“Just let the stupid elf in. It’s cold out there,” Kerry said.
Ethan narrowed his eyes at her.
She did have a point, though. A thick carpet of snow lay upon the ground, and the temperature in the kitchen was plummeting.
Ethan stepped aside, and Sin stepped in. The elf looked around, clearly checking every entry, exit, and potential weapon. I was already regretting Ethan’s decision.
“Why is it so ridiculous that I might join your pack?” Sin asked.
“You’re an elf,” Ethan said flatly.
“You have no problems with cait sidhe, mongrels, and whatever she is,” Sin said gesturing to me.
Ethan ignored him and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Sin leaned back against the doorframe and crossed his arms.
“Your safe house isn’t as safe as you’d hoped. As I said, I already removed three attempted bounty huntings over the last twenty-four hours. Word is spreading about her existence. People are eager to get their hands on her. Her blood, magic, whatever they think they can use.”
“I am aware of the situation,” Ethan said.
“So you’re aware that having me on your side is a good thing.”
Ethan handed me a couple of danishes. I didn’t turn my back on Sin as I walked to the kitchen table and settled down to eat breakfast.
“You’re aware that if I challenge for your bond and allow you into my pack, you will bow to me,” Ethan said.
“I know how packs work, yes,” Sin said.
“And you are willing to do that?” Ethan pushed.
“I have been guarding your girlfriend and risking my own life to do so. This isn’t something I’m doing for a laugh, as you say.”
“Your application will be considered,” Ethan said stiffly.
Sin smiled.
“Then I shall continue my guard.”
With that, he left. I swore I heard footsteps up on the roof, but I couldn’t be entirely sure.
“Can he at least sleep in a shed or something?” Cade asked.
“He makes really good pancakes,” Matt said.
“I do like pancakes...” Cade said.
Ethan rolled his eyes. I tried not to laugh at the prioritisation.
“I have an appointment with Ryn,” Ethan said.
“When?” I asked.
“Soon. We haven’t pinned down exact dates and times, but soon. We’ll see what he thinks about the cursed elf. As an elf himself, he may choose to dissolve his bond and get him out of our hair,” Ethan said.
“News just came in. Two more highborn fae dead at the hands of the witches,” Dean said.
Ethan’s lip curled.
“When? We’re sure it was the witches?”
“Twenty minutes ago, and yes. Exact same mode of death - completely drained of blood. They were killed in an office at a bank headquarters,” Dean said.
Ethan groaned and dragged his fingers through his hair.
“And I assume that means the court fae are up in arms and baying for heads,” Ethan said wearily.
“Afraid so,” Dean said as he accepted a cup of coffee from Cade.
“What exactly does that mean for us?” I asked.
“It means that the court fae will start hunting down anyone and everyone they think might have some vague connection to these killings. They might try and push some awful law through. It’ll be a blood bath,” Kerry said.
“So, we need to find these witches and fast,” I said.
“Exactly. What do we have on that front? We need more information. There are too many ifs and maybes, too many potential dead ends,” Ethan said.
“I’ll go back through Mom’s grimoires, maybe she put a name in there that I missed,” I said.
“Matt and I will trawl through social media looking for any signs of the witches finding willing donors,” Kerry said.
“We have a contact not too far from here we can push for information. It’s a stretch, but he might have caught something,” Dean said.
Ethan nodded.
“I’ll join you at the library and see if we missed any important books or documents,” Ethan said.
There was an electricity in the air. This had changed from an irritation and something of a joke to something with imminent dire consequences. The mongrels and lower born humans would be the ones to suffer most if the fae did choose to lash out. Who knew how hard they would try and hit the witches, and the witches would, of course, fight back. That amount of magic flying around the city would result in hundreds of deaths and the gods only knew how much destruction.
Time was slipping through our fingers. We needed to find those vamp
ires and put an end to them.
FORTY-TWO
Sitting around trying to find some important scrap of information was eating at me. I wanted to be out there kicking asses and saving innocent lives. Instead, I was pacing around in front of the wall of books in Mom’s library. Once again, I was looking through her grimoires trying to find something that might be of use to us.
She had mentioned the witches a few times, but the details were vague. We needed a name of the leader, something we could hunt down.
After an hour of sifting through the information again, I began looking at the rituals. Maybe there was something there that I could use. That idea was quickly thrown out. The rituals were huge, complicated, and exhausting. I didn’t have enough time or control over my witch magic to pull something like that.
My god magic was thrumming in my veins, urging me to go out on the streets and just find the witches. Of course, that was completely useless, we had no idea where they were. They could be out on the moors or right next door.
Trying to calm myself, I re-focused on the words before me. Mom had to have given us something to work with. We needed her to have. I re-read the sections I’d been over many times before, how the witches came to be and how they were broken. I was about to close that book and move onto the next when something caught my eye. There was a small note and a little arrow. I followed the arrow two pages over to a section that I had thought was on the philosophy of magic.
Maeve Planer, The White Rose. Leader. Dangerous. She is too far gone to help.
I read it twice to be sure.
“Ethan, I think I have something!” I said holding the book up.
He grinned at me.
“So do I.”
We walked towards each other and showed each other the sections we were looking at. Ethan had found a note about a small coven of corrupted witches that were thought to have crossed the lines of magic. They were rumoured to live at the White Rose pub. Ethan’s book was a narrative history of the city through the last decade or so. It hadn’t really fit with the rest of the books on the shelves that I’d seen. When I looked more closely I realised there was an entire section to odd non-magical books. They ranged from cookbooks through to gardening, vampire novels, ancient archaeology, philosophy on the nature of the gods, and more.