Richard’s eyes flicked toward Sebastian, forehead creasing as he hesitated. Lily remained silent, fingers interlaced on her lap as she waited, offering no explanation for her friend’s presence. The FBI agent had come to her for help, after all.
“Well…it’s not really one thing so much as a series of odd occurrences,” he finally said, gaze moving back to her. “None of them seem to be particularly connected, yet they all have the local LEOs—er, that is, local law enforcement officers—scratching their heads. There are some similarities between these crimes and the big child abduction case we solved last summer”—he jerked a nod of thanks in Lily’s direction, though the movement seemed strained—“and, since the bosses thought our performance was so exemplary on that case, my partner and I were assigned to help out here in Atlanta.”
Richard gave them a wan smile, and, as silence descended, Lily almost felt sorry for the man. She knew what it was like to be pulled into a problem you wanted nothing to do with. Her stomach clenched at the very thought, and scenes from their joint effort with the FBI last summer flashed across her mind—the brick basement that housed her father’s lab, the crumbling tiled floor of the old mental asylum, and the blank, emotionless eyes of the children he had been housing, raising, and no doubt brainwashing there. It had been quite the shock for Lily to discover that, for the past twenty-plus years since her mother had fled with her as an infant into hiding, John Faust had been fathering bastard children to pass on his wizard genes, kidnapping them after their second birthday to raise them himself in secret. As far as John Faust was concerned, since the children were biologically his, the descendants of a wizard, their mundane mothers had no business being involved. He believed he was doing them a favor, teaching them of their true heritage. Of course, the FBI had not shared his view, and had enlisted Lily and Sebastian’s help in locating and busting the operation. Coming face to face with nearly twenty half-siblings had almost been more than she could handle, especially since the two oldest had actively worked with their father to try and kill her friends. It was small comfort that one of them—Trista, a mundane trained in hand-to-hand and weapons combat—had become disenchanted with her father’s ideology and had helped them defeat John Faust and Morgan le Fay in England last September.
“So, are you saying more children are being kidnapped?” she asked when Richard didn’t speak again. Her whole body was tense, dreading the thought that her father was once again involved in some sort of crime—as if fraud, murder, and kidnapping weren’t enough.
Richard sighed, raising a hand to rub his temples. “No—well, not exactly. There have been some disappearances, but all adults, and all pretty much nobodies. You know the sort: drug addicts, homeless people, runaways. People who would not generally be reported as missing.”
“If no one reported them, then how do you know they're missing and not simply gone elsewhere?” Lily asked.
“We’ve found…remains,” Richard replied delicately. “There have been strange symbols showing up all across Atlanta. Some were done in red paint, but just as many were…blood.”
A cold dread washed through Lily as Richard reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a stack of pictures, half standing to hold them out to her. She accepted them with trembling fingers. The images showed splashes of red across brick, pavement, and crumbling walls. Fortunately, the remains in question were not visible, only the twisting, malevolent symbols that seemed uncomfortably familiar.
“Sebastian?” Lily said, turning to look at him. She thought she’d kept the tremble out of her voice, but some of her worry must have leaked through, because when he lifted his eyes to meet hers his expression had changed from grumpy to grave.
Setting aside his plate and mug, he shifted Sir Kipling—who meowed in protest—then got up and came over, hand outstretched. As he riffled through the stack of pictures, his body grew tense and the skin of his face paled. When he finally raised his head again, shadows had gathered behind his eyes and a sense of foreboding seemed to loom as he uttered the word she had dreaded hearing.
“Witches.”
“What? You mean like wiccans? Pagans?” Richard asked, expression confused.
“No, you idiot. Witches.” Sebastian’s reply was scathing, and he shot the other man a withering glare before returning to the couch. “Wiccans and pagans are harmless wackos. Their made-up mumbo-jumbo couldn’t hurt a fly even if they wanted to.”
“Sebastian! That’s not a very nice thing to say. Just because you don’t agree with their beliefs doesn’t mean you should insult them.”
“Yeah? Well, when you’ve seen the real thing you tend not to take the wannabes seriously. I’ve got nothing against them. I’d even go so far as to say they help keep the overly curious occupied with smoke and mirrors. If their beliefs make them happy, then more power to them. Real magic, real power, isn’t a belief, and you can’t get it from herbs and salt and calling the quarters. Real power can only be accessed by certain beings. Wizards”—he pointed at Lily—“demons, and fae.”
“Don’t forget angels,” Lily said softly, but Sebastian just shrugged, as if the entire topic was not worth mentioning.
“Fae want nothing to do with humans. I’m probably the only person in centuries who they’ve even deigned to talk to, much less help. Demons, on the other hand, are all too eager to ‘help.’ When a mundane”—Sebastian stabbed a finger at Richard—“is stupid enough to get involved with magic, we call them a witch. I’m a witch,” he added with a feral grin, and Richard visibly drew back.
“Well, that’s oversimplifying the distinction a little, because there’s also—” Lily began, but Sebastian shot her a warning look and she stopped abruptly, clamping her mouth shut as embarrassment heated her face. Of course. She shouldn’t be telling Richard any more than strictly necessary.
“Fortunately for you,” Sebastian continued, “I learned my lesson early on and stick to dealing with fae. But once upon a time…well, I know a thing or two about demons, let’s just say, and based on those pictures you’ve got some seriously crazy witches running around Atlanta. If I were you, I wouldn’t touch this mess with a twenty-foot pole. Go back to the FBI and tell them to take you off the case.”
“I—I can’t do that,” Richard said, then swallowed nervously. “It’s my job. And anyway, there’s more. There has been a scattering of violent crimes across the city that seem absolutely senseless, as if the perpetrator had no plan or reason in mind beyond just…destruction. Property vandalized, people beaten, animals abused. Of course, it’s not like we don’t see those kinds of crimes every day, but the thing is that these perpetrators turn themselves in. And they do it bewildered, claiming no memory of what they did. It’s as if people are getting high on some new drug and going on wild rampages.”
Sebastian’s nostrils flared and he began to rub the fae tattoo on the back of his right hand, as if it pained him. As soon as he noticed Lily watching him, though, he dropped his hands and stuck them in his pockets. “Then your problem is even worse than I thought. Though why I haven’t heard anything yet…” He trailed off, turning troubled eyes to Lily, tension in every line of his face.
“So, can you help?” Richard finally asked into the silence.
A muscle in Sebastian’s cheek twitched, but he did not look at the FBI agent.
“People are getting hurt, and the local police are nowhere near finding out who is responsible. We need your unique knowledge and experience.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Sebastian said, voice tight and eyes still locked on Lily. A faint blush crept into her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. He seemed to be searching for something in her gaze. Permission? Forgiveness?
“We can’t sit back and do nothing,” she told him, her words heavy with reluctance. Why did problems always come and find her? Surely there were people out there who liked saving the day, so why did life have to pick on her, a poor, awkward, introvert? She sighed, resisting the urge to let her shoulders sag. �
��We can’t ignore this, not when people need our help.”
Sebastian shut his eyes and let out a heavy breath through his nostrils. When he finally opened them again, his dark expression was back and he pinned Richard with a glare. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he sought out Lily’s interlaced fingers and untangled them, then slipped something round, hard, and cool into one of her palms. He closed her fingers over it and held them there between his own.
“Swear to us that everything you’ve said is true, and that you mean Lily no harm.”
Confusion and…something else crossed Richard’s face. Anger, perhaps, but Lily couldn’t tell—it happened too fast. “Of course, why would I come to you for help if—”
“I said, swear it.” Sebastian’s voice was dangerously soft, and Richard’s expression hardened in response.
“Very well. I swear it.”
“No. Say it, the whole thing.” Sebastian’s fingers tightened, and Lily felt the round object being pressed into her palm. She suddenly realized what he was doing, remembering how incensed she’d been when he had finally told her about his truth coin last year—a silver medallion he’d inherited from his father that grew hot whenever someone lied in its presence. She’d seen it many times, but had never held it. Reaching out a little with her senses, she could tell the magic on it was strong and old. Very old. She wondered what wizard had made it, and if it had been one of Sebastian’s ancestors.
“I swear that everything I’ve said is true, and that I would never, ever harm a hair on Lily’s head. There. Satisfied? What is this, some sort of wizard trick?”
Sebastian withdrew, deftly snagging the still-cool coin and slipping it back into his pocket unseen. “What this is, is that we don’t trust you. Not after you pretended to date Lily just to get information about her father.”
Richard bristled, and Lily felt a painful wrench in her chest.
“I was not pretending, I was protecting her!” Richard objected, eyes seeking her out. They seemed to beg for understanding. She looked away.
“Seems rather convenient that you had to take her out on dates and snuggle up with her on the couch in order to protect her,” Sebastian deadpanned. “What an astounding coincidence.”
Richard surged to his feet. “Now see here, you—”
“Enough!”
Lily’s voice cut through the tension like a whip. She was standing, her body reacting without conscious thought as adrenaline pumped through her and her heart beat wildly like she’d been running. Fleeing. Putting a hand out to steady herself, she felt soft fur and gratefully began to stroke Sir Kipling, who had magically appeared on the couch arm by her elbow just when she needed him most.
“Enough,” she repeated, more quietly. “The past is the past. We all make mistakes sometimes”—she gave Sebastian a pointed look—“but what matters is what we do now. Agent Grant, while I am no expert on demonology, I will, of course, be glad to help bring this violence to an end. Sebastian has knowledge that will help us, and there are other sources I can consult as well. But before we can do anything at all, we need to know every detail. Can you get us copies of the relevant case files?”
Richard sighed mightily, collapsing back into his chair and rubbing his temples with both hands this time. “Yes. I’ve already broken a dozen laws just coming here and talking to you, so I guess breaking a few more won’t make much difference. I’ll deliver them as soon as I—”
“No.” Sebastian stepped forward, coming between Lily and the FBI agent. “I’ll come pick them up. Here’s my card, just call me when they’re ready. And make it snappy. This isn’t a situation you want to let develop any more than it already has.”
Lily frowned at Sebastian’s back, but said nothing, not wanting to have an argument about it in front of Richard. Instead, she rose, moving to stand beside Sebastian. “Once we’ve had a good look at the situation, we’ll be in touch.”
Richard nodded, stood, and handed her his half-empty mug with a tired smile. “Thank you for your help…both of you.” He turned to Sebastian, lips forming an unhappy line, though he still extended a hand in offering. Sebastian gave him a long, level stare, making no move to grasp the hand. Richard finally gave up. “I’ll see myself out. Good day, Miss Singer.”
“Goodbye, Agent Grant,” Lily returned with a nod. Inwardly, she sighed, wishing Sebastian would show the same kind of polite professionalism as the FBI agent. It wasn’t as if courtesy cost him anything. True, Richard had deceived her during the short time they had dated. But that was the only detractor in his otherwise exemplary behavior. If only…but no, the past was the past, and Lily shook her head to clear the notion as the door clicked shut behind the departing agent.
“Did you really need to be so rude?” she asked in exasperation as she moved to gather up the dishes.
“I don’t trust him, and neither should you.” Sebastian followed her into the kitchen, hands in his pockets.
“I’m not a naive child in need of supervision, Sebastian.”
“You are when it comes to judging people.”
Lily set down the dishes and turned slowly, that familiar frustration building in her chest. “Excuse me?”
“It’s true and you know it.” At the thunderous look on her face, Sebastian sighed, his body sagging as he ran a hand through his already-messy hair. “Look, I’m sorry, Lily. I’m not trying to insult you, I’m just trying to protect you. You are too trusting for your own good. You…you see the good in people. Me? I’ve seen too many good people do terrible things, and terrible people take advantage of other people’s goodness. I can’t change who I am. I guess you can’t change who you are either, so…will you just trust me on this? Please?”
Leaning back against the kitchen sink, Lily folded her hands in front of her and took a deep breath, clamping down on her instinctive retort. Sebastian was right…sort of. At least enough that she shouldn’t dismiss his argument outright. “Very well. What do you suggest?”
“Leave this to me. Stay out of it entirely. And most of all, stay away from that man.”
“I can’t do that, Sebastian. He came to me for help, and I have just as much a stake in keeping this city safe as you do. Demons are a problem for everyone, and for all we know my father could be mixed up in this.” Even as she spoke, she silently cursed her overdeveloped sense of responsibility. Here was Sebastian, giving her an excuse to hide in her library and do nothing, yet she was scorning it.
“He came to you for help because he knew you would say yes, because he knew…” Sebastian paused, let out a frustrated gush of air, and started over. “This is demon business, my area of expertise—”
“And you think wizards haven’t been fighting to keep witches and their evil minions under control for the past few millennia?”
“Hey, not all witches are a problem.”
“Your aunt would disagree. And you aren’t even really a witch anyway, you’re a druid. People just don’t use that term anymore because no one has had dealings with the fae for over a thousand years.”
Sebastian glared at her. “Yeah? Then what about Tina?”
“Oh, you’re holding her up as a shining example of virtue?”
“No, I’m saying when it really mattered she helped us, and that’s more than can be said of certain wizards we both know.”
“Don’t you bring my father into this—”
“And why not? He’s done more damage than a dozen witches put together. He’s murdered people, Lily. Murdered them in cold blood. Tina is a better person than he’ll ever be.”
Lily opened her mouth to respond, but couldn’t force the words out. The burning in her eyes distracted her and her chest felt tight, like her lungs had forgotten how to expand. What was wrong with the two of them? They were on the same side—they were friends—so why were they arguing? More importantly, everything Sebastian had said about her father was true, so why did hearing it hurt so much?
“Oh, excuse me, is this the children’s nursery? I thought thi
s was where adults could be found.” Sir Kipling’s meow came from the doorway where he sat, yellow eyes staring and tail twitching.
Lily looked down, biting her lip and searching for some semblance of inner calm. Everything had been going wrong lately. She was not normally this emotional. Why couldn’t she be detached and logical about all of this?
“Now, why don’t you two make up like good little boys and girls, and then we can all get back to important things, like saving lives.”
There was a long moment of silence before Lily realized that, of course, Sebastian hadn’t understood a word her cat had said. “Sir Kipling thinks we’re being juvenile and should stop arguing,” she muttered at the floor.
A hoarse laugh made her look up. Sebastian was shaking his head, his expression rueful. “Leave it to the cat to be the only one who makes any sense around here. Look, let’s not worry about what we’re going to do just yet, okay? Once we, um, look at the files and have a better idea of what the problem is, then we can start strategizing.”
Lily nodded, her tension easing. “I’ll pay Madam Barrington a visit and let her know what’s going on. Maybe she’s heard something. Just make sure you tell me as soon as you get hold of those files. We’ll meet back here and go over them together.”
Sebastian made a noncommittal noise, his eyes distant, like he was already turning over their witch problem in his head.
“You better get going, then,” Lily prompted after a moment. “I’m leaving straight away.”
“Oh, right.” He led the way out of the kitchen to the front door, then paused, hand on the handle. “Um…Lily?”
“Mhmm?”
“About last night…”
“Yes?” Lily’s heart jumped in her chest.
“I…are…we okay?”
He tried to catch her eye, his expression unexpectedly vulnerable, but she blushed and glanced down, gaze fixed on her hands. She didn’t know what to say. That she was sorry? That he frustrated her to no end? That the look in his eyes right now made her knees weak and that all she wanted was for him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right? Okay, definitely not that last one.
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Betrayal Page 5