High Stakes and Vampires (Pandora's Pride Book 2)

by Annabel Chase

  I spun around and looked at Oren. “Holy hellfire! I have to go.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I ran straight to headquarters and ushered everyone into the nearest empty conference room. I was in such a rush that I knew half my words were unintelligible. The extra caffeine I’d ingested didn’t help.

  “I’m confused. What are you trying to tell us about a coven?” Abra asked.

  I tried to slow my breathing and my speech. “In Wayzata, Cecily mentioned the Whitney witches.” I pulled out my phone and typed in a quick search to find a news article. “The bodies of six witches were discovered last week in Whitney Forest in Virginia. According to the report, they killed each other after a coven dispute.”

  “Six?” Liam tugged his ear. “That’s quite an argument.”

  I gave them a pointed look. “Who do we know that can cause six witches to fight each other to the death?”

  “Whitney Forest is where we went to see Broward Littleton,” Saxon said.

  “And it isn’t too far from Lothar Friedan’s house either,” Liam said.

  I splayed my hands on the table. “You were wondering why Dasim only turned up recently. There’s your answer.”

  Abra pursed her lips. “I don’t understand.”

  “Dasim is one of the demons that settled in Virginia after the Plague. In fact, I think he must’ve been the one who lived in Lothar’s house before he bought it. That’s why he knew to look there for the Ab.”

  Saxon brightened, catching on. “Broward Littleton said that witches and werewolves banded together to cast out the demons and that the ones they couldn’t chase away or kill, the witches held captive in some kind of magical prison.”

  “That explains why Dasim went for Tate first,” Evadne said. “He’s got a thing about witches.”

  “Somehow Dasim must’ve finally been able to use his powers to turn the witches against each other,” I continued. “That’s how he escaped their prison and went straight to his old house to pick up his girlfriend. Well, her soul anyway.”

  “This is all very exciting, but I don’t see how it helps,” Liam said. “It’s not like Dasim’s going to hang around with his special book and prizes in the place where he was held prisoner for the past couple of decades.”

  “I think that’s exactly what he would do,” I said. “Think about it. It’s the only area he knows well in a post-Plague world. He killed his captors, so they’re no longer a problem, and he wants to act swiftly to be reunited with Tefnut. He’s not going to waste valuable time finding new digs and setting up camp. He probably commandeered Lothar’s house after the Plague thinking that he and Tefnut would live there together. He had the Ab. He was probably on the hunt for the other items when he was captured by the witches and I bet his hideout is somewhere in those woods not far from his magical prison, probably a house that belonged to one of the witches.”

  Evadne made a thoughtful face. “It’s not the worst theory in the world.”

  Abra’s gaze swept the room. “I’m not convinced, but I’m not willing to let a theory go untested at this stage either. There’s too much at stake.”

  Natasha began typing on her phone. “I’ll have Nita get you a list of the deceased witches and their residences. I’d start with anyone who lived alone.”

  Purvis stared blankly at the table. “Surely Dasim knows where the tomb is by now and has a head start. Even if your theory pans out, we’re already too late.”

  Natasha fixed him with a hard stare. “So what’s your plan, Purvis? Do nothing and let Tefnut destroy the world?”

  The werewolf didn’t answer.

  “Emil, can you handle the portal?”

  The fae stretched his arms in front of him. “As soon as Nita comes through with the addresses.”

  “What about Tate?” Saxon asked.

  Abra shook her head. “This is a recovery mission only. The four of you can handle it.”

  We headed to the armory for weapons before meeting Emil on the rooftop. Apparently the elements helped with accuracy, which is why he favored creating his portals outdoors.

  “If Dasim is there, don’t engage,” Emil said, as an oval of green light swirled in front of us. “Grab any one of the items he needs to revive Tefnut. It doesn’t matter which one.”

  Easier said than done. We didn’t need to engage with the demon in order to be influenced by him.

  “Thanks for the ride,” Liam said. He stepped through the portal with Saxon and Evadne behind him, each with weapons strapped to their bodies.

  “Be careful, Callie,” Emil said. “Defenses way up.”

  “That’s the plan.” I passed through the portal and was pleased to note the absence of nausea this time. Baby steps. I emerged in a thick forest with my teammates—with any luck, it was Whitney Forest.

  “I can’t believe we’ve been sent to fetch a book,” Evadne grumbled. “If they wanted a librarian, they should’ve sent Doran.”

  “Let me know if you’re going to complain the whole time so I can put in earplugs,” Liam said.

  Evadne kicked his ankle and he hopped away.

  “I think it’s best that Tate isn’t with us, knowing how much Dasim hates witches,” I said. She wouldn’t be able to withstand another attack, not while she was still recovering.

  “Can you blame the guy?” Liam asked. “Think about it. He managed to break out during the Plague with the other demons. He finally thinks he’s reclaiming his life, has a nice house, gonna be reunited with his girlfriend, and then bam! The witches shove him right back into a prison.”

  Evadne shrugged. “I think he would’ve killed all of us if he’d been able to. Tate’s the weakest, that’s all. I’m surprised she didn’t bite the big one instead of Leto.”

  Saxon looked up from the map on his phone. “Callie, would you mind punching her for me while I figure out where we’re headed?”

  “Haven’t you done enough punching of teammates for the foreseeable future?” Evadne shot back. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill her, Saxon. The purists think we’re freaks, but the problem is we’re more powerful than any of them and they know it.” Evadne paused and looked at me. “Well, not you. You’ve got that half human thing working against you.”

  “What are your glitches?” I asked.

  She leveled me with a look. “Excuse me?”

  “Your glitches. Like Saxon and his celestial fire and Liam with his fangs and shifting.”

  “Hey, can we not do this right now?” Liam complained.

  “I don’t have any glitches,” Evadne said.

  “Right. Okay.”

  “Her whole personality is one big glitch,” Liam said.

  “You all know what I’m saying is true,” Evadne said. “Tate has a few good tricks, but she’s only part of the team because of Abra. That old witch will sacrifice anybody to get what she wants.”

  “And what does she want?” I asked.

  “What a lot of us want. To kill all the Plague demons. It’s just that Abra is cold-blooded enough to use her own grandkid to do it.”

  I thought of what Evadne told me in Minneapolis. “Did your mother sell you to the Pride?”

  “Callie!” Saxon said vehemently.

  “Technically, she sold me to Purvis,” Evadne said, ignoring Saxon’s obvious objection. “She had no clue who he was or why he wanted me. Didn’t care either.”

  “Purvis…bought you?”

  “He saved me.”

  My stomach turned at the thought. At least my mother died. She didn’t hand me over like a used car she no longer wanted. “How old were you?”

  “Old enough to remember bits and pieces.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Evadne snarled. “Don’t you dare pity me, halfling. I’m fine. Better than fine, in fact. Do you think I’d still be alive if I’d stayed with that poor excuse for a vampire? I’d have been sold into prostitution long before now. Some sickos will pay top dollar for a freak like me.”

  “You’re not a
freak, Evadne.”

  Liam shrugged. “We’re all freaks, Callie.”

  “It’s cool,” Evadne said. “I don’t mind. I’m stronger and more powerful than anyone I know. You included; I don’t care what you did to those Tzitzimime demons. As far as I’m concerned, it was beginner’s luck.”

  “I’m not trying to compete with you, Evadne.”

  “Smart move because you can’t.”

  Evadne’s behavior reminded me of advice my father gave me when I was very young. I’d started obsessing over bears after a frighteningly close encounter and my father told me that if it ever happened again, I was to act bigger and scarier than the bear so that it would feel intimidated enough to leave. Evadne reminded me of that scared little girl who viewed me as the bear. To be fair, she seemed to view everyone she came into contact with as the bear—as a threat. I wasn’t special. It was probably her way of giving herself value. At her core, she probably felt worthless and unloved. That realization made it easier to tolerate her, although I still didn’t enjoy her company.

  Saxon tucked away his phone. “This is where we divide and conquer. Evadne and Callie, you take the house at the end of this dirt road. I’ll fly Liam and I to the next one about five miles away. If you see any sign of Dasim, don’t engage. Come back here first until we figure out a plan. Otherwise, grab anything that seems relevant and meet back at this spot in half an hour. If we don’t find anything, we’ll move on to the next two houses.”

  “You sure you don’t want to go with Callie?” Evadne asked. “You two seem so chummy.”

  Liam grinned. “We flipped a coin. He got stuck with the better-looking one.”

  “Stay safe,” Saxon said, his eyes on me.

  I could tell my smile was anxious, but it was the only one I could manage right now. Evadne and I turned and headed down the dirt road to the small house. It reminded me of a fairy tale cottage with white shutters and a wooden door. There was even an herb garden separated by its own fence, probably to keep out the hungry woodland animals.

  I came to an abrupt stop about twenty feet from the house. “This is his hideout,” I said.

  “How can you be sure?”

  I pointed to an object on the ground a few feet in front of us.

  “A feather?” she queried. “I hate to break it to you, but we’re in a forest. There are bound to be feathers.”

  “Not like that one. Trust me. This is the house.” I glanced over my shoulder to see whether Saxon and Liam were still visible. “Should we go back and wait?”

  “We need to take a closer look first.” Evadne unsheathed her sword and continued walking forward.

  I grabbed her by the shoulder. “Hey, we can’t go barging in there. If Dasim is there, we’re toast.”

  “Then make yourself useful and conjure a spell.”

  I thought of The Magician card in my pocket. “Let me go alone and see if the coast is clear.”

  Encouragingly, there was no sign of life from out here. I lingered at the front door for a moment, listening intently. The inside of the house was quiet, so I clicked open the door as slowly and quietly as I could and slipped inside.

  The interior was a sharp contrast to the other two we’d visited nearby. There were no personal effects on display. Every item in the house seemed perfunctory, from the cauldron in the deep fireplace to the wooden table and chairs in the kitchen. There were, however, a smattering of feathers across the pine floor.

  I deactivated the invisibility spell and returned to the door to motion to Evadne.

  “Any sign of the book?” she asked.

  “Not yet,” I said.

  “How about an amulet?” She brushed past me and immediately began upending chairs and opening drawers. “I don’t see anything.” The frustration in her voice was evident. “If all the objects are gone, that means he’s already gone to the tomb.”

  As she slammed another drawer closed, I froze. “Did you hear that?”

  She continued her search, flipping up sofa cushions. “Hear what?”

  “Stop moving for a second and be quiet.” I listened. There it was again. A thumping sound.

  “I hear it.” She looked down at the floor. “It sounds like it’s coming from underneath us, but there’s no basement in a house like this.”

  I spied a green oval rug in front of the fireplace. “No, but that doesn’t mean there’s no storage.” I hurried over and kicked the rug aside to reveal a trapdoor.

  Evadne’s hands were on her hips. “Well, what do you know? Do you think he’s storing his valuables in there until he’s ready?”

  “One way to find out.” I yanked on the handle and pulled as hard as I could. The door went flying off the hinges and I toppled backward along with it. I scrambled forward to peer into the darkness.

  “Witch on a cracker,” Evadne breathed.

  In the compartment was a young woman. She’d been bound and gagged and her unruly hair was slick with sweat. It seemed that one of the witches had survived after all.

  “My name is Callie and this is Evadne. I promise we’re not here to hurt you.” I bent over and tugged the gag from her mouth.

  She sucked in a deep breath, which immediately resulted in a coughing fit.

  “Help me pull her out,” I said.

  Evadne and I hooked an arm under each of the witch’s and lifted her to the floor. Beads of sweat pebbled across her forehead and her cheeks were smudged with dirt.

  “I’m going to untie you, okay?” I didn’t want to make any sudden moves and risk retaliatory magic.

  She nodded as tears streaked her sallow skin. I reached behind her and worked out the knot in the rope. The skin on her wrists was angry and red. Slowly and with difficulty, she moved her arms to rest at her sides.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Emily,” she croaked.

  I gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “You’re going to be okay, Emily. Evadne and I are here to help you.”

  “We’re here for the book or the scepter,” Evadne said.

  I shot her a dirty look. “Can you tell us what happened, Emily?”

  “How about an amulet?” Evadne pressed. “Do you know where Tefnut’s tomb is located?”

  Emily motioned to her neck.

  “She needs water,” I said. I hurried to the kitchen area and hunted for a glass. He must’ve tortured her—denied her food and water. I filled the glass with water and raced back to her. “Here. Just sip. If you drink too much, you’ll throw it up.” I was no stranger to dehydration in the mountains. We lost a traveler to it a couple years ago and I never forgot the experience.

  The witch wet her lips before taking a careful sip.

  “Dasim,” she said, her voice hoarse. “A dangerous demon.”

  “Yes, we’re familiar with him,” I said. “You’d been holding him captive in a magical prison since the uprising, right?”

  Emily’s shock showed in her round hazel eyes. “Yes, we tried to protect ourselves, but he finally wore down our defenses. He pitted us against each other. There were others…”

  “Six, according to the news,” Evadne said.

  “Yes, six,” she whispered.

  I gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m so sorry, Emily.”

  “Why did he spare you?” Evadne asked.

  I turned to gape at her. “Spare her? Are you blind?” Death would have been more merciful.

  “He used me to create a protective ward around the house so that no one could come here,” she said.

  I looked at Evadne in confusion. “But we came.”

  She shook her head. “He had me disable it yesterday. He doesn’t need it anymore.”

  The realization hit me. “Because he’s not coming back.”

  “He left me in there to die,” Emily broke down and started to cry.

  I put a comforting arm around her. “He’s planning to bring a goddess called Tefnut back to life. We need to find her tomb and stop him.”

  Emily closed her eyes and i
nhaled gently. “Yes, I know.”

  “You know where the tomb is?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yes, I overheard him. It’s hidden in a stone quarry in Elephantine, Egypt.”

  If she weren’t so weak and broken, I would’ve thrown my arms around her and squeezed her. I looked at Evadne. “Do you realize what this means?” Dasim didn’t have access to a portal. He’d have to travel to Egypt the old-fashioned way.

  “It means we still have a chance,” Evadne said.

  “You’re a miracle, Emily. Truly.” I patted her hand. “My friend Evadne has healing abilities. She might be able to help you until you can see a proper healer.”

  Emily shifted her hopeful eyes to Evadne and the light quickly faded from them. “You’re not fae.”

  “Not completely. I’m a scoop of vampire and a scoop of werewolf and fae is the cherry on top.”

  Emily recoiled slightly. “I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t have to understand,” Evadne said. “Do you want to be healed or not?”

  The witch shifted her gaze to me. “You can heal me.”

  “Trust me. You want Evadne.”

  Evadne lowered herself to the floor and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She rubbed her hands together until a white light began to glow.

  “I don’t understand,” Emily said again, intent on Evadne’s hands. “Three species…”

  Evadne smiled and showed her fangs. “I know. Special, right?”

  Emily stiffened as the tri-brid ran her hands over the witch’s body. Every glimpse of skin revealed a bruise or contusion.

  “What spell did the coven use to contain him?” I asked. It might help to know how the coven managed to subdue him all those years ago.

  “I don’t know. It happened before I was born,” she said. “All I know is that we tried to kill him many times over the years, but he always came back.”

  “That’s because you need celestial fire,” Evadne said. “Lucky for us, we’ve got access to an endless supply, if Saxon would angel up and get the job done.” Evadne helped the witch to her feet. “You should be okay to walk now.”

  “Thank you,” Emily said

  “No, thank you,” I said. The witch had given us our best chance at stopping Dasim. “Take care, Emily.”