“Roger…questioned me. I don’t remember what he asked, or what I said. All I remember is pain. But I probably told him everything about…whatever he asked.” He looked down, guilt pulling at his features.
“That will do, Nephew,” Madam Barrington said softly. Her eyes moved to Lily. “What happened next?”
Feeling self-conscious, Lily leaned back in her chair and away from Sebastian. He shuddered as her fingers lost contact with his arm, but he still didn’t look at her.
In as much detail as she could remember, Lily described how she had followed Pip’s directions and snuck into the old factory using a combination of spell glamour and Sebastian’s Ring of Cacophony. At mention of the ring, Madam Barrington’s gaze narrowed and Lily realized, too late, that she should have left that part out. She would no doubt have to return to the topic in the near future, now that it was once again on the old wizard’s radar.
Hurrying on, she described Sebastian’s bonds, as well as the power in her ward bracelet that had enabled her to break them. Her mentor already knew about the mysterious white light that seemed to act with a mind of its own. She had even examined Lily’s ward bracelet in detail on multiple occasions, but had found no explanation for the odd magic that had piggybacked on Lily’s own magical crafting. The only thing Lily kept to herself was how she had been able to feel and command the white light while in Melthalin. She hadn’t spoken of her time in the fae realm to anyone, whether because the fae’s secrets were not hers to share, or because she thought no one would believe her, she wasn’t sure.
Moving past the moment of rescue, Lily described their escape, giving details on the number of witches and demons and Roger’s own odd behavior. When she got to the part where he had transformed into a different person—into a demon—her voice faltered, and she shot an uncertain look at Sebastian. His eyes were bloodshot, his gaze locked on the fire as if his life depended on it.
“It was him,” his voice croaked, filling the silence. “The one who killed…who killed…Meg.” The last word was barely a whisper, and Lily looked at Madam Barrington in question, her curiosity burning so bright it was almost a physical itch. But her mentor’s troubled gaze was as distant as Sebastian’s, as if lost in memory.
When it was clear neither of them was going to speak, Lily cleared her throat. “So, um, have you had dealings with this…thing before, Ethel?”
The older wizard’s eyes snapped to her, and Lily shrank back at the stark anger in them. But a blink and a head shake later, the emotion had been replaced by cool poise as the woman spoke. “I have encountered the demon before, though I had no notion it was in league with Roger Darthe. Since then I have attempted to learn more of its origin and powers. Unfortunately, in my and other wizards’ well-intentioned attempts to destroy any sources of demonology over the years, vital information has, perhaps, been lost.”
Lily stared wide-eyed at her mentor. The mere thought of destroying documents or books of any kind caused a visceral horror in her gut that only a true bibliophile would understand.
A smile lifted one side of Madam Barrington’s mouth, a touch of irony tucked into the corners of her thin lips. “I understood the risk of destroying such knowledge, but the gain was worth the cost. Nothing else could ensure such dangerous knowledge would not fall into the wrong hands. Yet, perhaps as a consequence, I have found little to nothing of use in fighting this demon Mr. Darthe seems bound to, though the book which he has now repossessed would no doubt tell us a great deal.” She shot a stern look at Sebastian, and he flinched.
“I tried to destroy it,” he said, and shuddered. “Couldn’t figure out how.”
“You should have brought it to me when you first acquired it,” Madam Barrington said, frown lines deepening.
Sebastian laughed. The sound was a dry and broken thing, full of mocking. “When you disowned me, you said if you ever saw me again with the faintest whiff of demon taint on me, you’d kill me yourself. You really think it even crossed my mind to show up on your doorstep with the Holy Grail of demonic texts after that? I assumed you’d curse first and ask questions later.”
Shock coursed through Lily. No wonder Sebastian had always been such a loner. His parents, dead. His brother, acting like a jerk. His aunt and legal guardian, threatening him to his face. Surely Madam Barrington’s reasons had been well-intentioned…and yet it seemed unnecessarily harsh, even to her own rule-following sensibilities.
Apparently, Madam Barrington agreed, at least in hindsight. Her usually composed expression cracked at Sebastian’s words, sternness crumpling into regret. “I spoke out of anger… and fear. Forgive me. You cannot imagine the pain of a parent who feels they have failed their child, knowing their charge is running straight into danger yet they themselves are unable to stop it. Perhaps a better woman than myself could have gotten through to you. I…I did not know how.”
Sebastian’s eyes lifted from the fire, fixing on his aunt for the first time since he’d entered the room. Anger, hurt, and pain fought a fierce battle across his face, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to glow faintly red. Lily felt a sudden chill roll down her spine at the sight, and she blinked. As if a switch had been flipped, Sebastian’s eyes lost their glow—or rather, he shifted in his seat and the reflection of the fire in them disappeared—and his expression softened. He dropped his head to cradle it in his hands, fingers laced through his dark hair and gripping it between pale fingers. “We both made mistakes. But it doesn’t matter now. Roger has the book, and in it, the name of every demon he could possibly want to summon and control. We need to find him and get it back.”
“Indeed. Yet to accomplish such a thing we need more information on Mr. Darthe’s objective and the reason for this recent activity, assuming he is behind it. I fear it is intertwined, but the larger picture is still hidden in shadow.”
They all fell silent, Lily watching her mentor’s troubled, faraway expression. Perhaps she was thinking of the incident earlier that winter when Sir Kipling had discovered witches poking around McCain Library. At the time they had chalked it up to general troublemaking, but perhaps it had been more. Perhaps the witches had been looking for something specific…
“What if we went back to the factory—” she began.
“No!” Sebastian’s head came up, his eyes wide and slightly crazed. “You can’t go anywhere near Roger, it’s too dangerous.”
Lily pursed her lips, smothering a snarky retort and trying to keep in mind the horrors Sebastian had just been through. “I understand it’s dangerous, but I faced him once and I can do it again. Besides, I doubt he’s even still there. The last time we saw him he was running like a bat out of hell. He might have left something behind that will give us a clue.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Lily. Last time was a fluke. We escaped by pure chance and there’s no way I’m letting you—”
“Excuse me? Let me? You have no right—”
“Lily! Sebastian!” Madam Barrington’s voice cut through the clamor, and silence fell, the air rippling with tension. Sir Kipling uncurled enough to give them all an imperious glare worthy of a sphinx, obviously incensed that his nap had been disturbed. Madam Barrington stroked his head absently, the scowl on her face much more intimidating—probably because of her lack of whiskers and a white mustache pattern beneath her nose. The mental image brought a nervous titter to Lily’s throat, which she quickly swallowed.
Once it was clear order had been restored, Madam Barrington spoke again. “Lily, you are correct, Roger and his allies have most likely abandoned their position after so sound a defeat, and it should certainly be searched for clues. However, Sebastian’s concern is also valid. We would be foolish to underestimate Roger, or assume too much from a single encounter. Demons are dangerous for much more than just their physical power. Their ability to tempt and manipulate the hearts of men is their most dangerous skill of all. Which is why I will be accompanying you—”
“But Ethel, you aren’t well—”
“Aunt B, you can’t
be serious—”
They both protested at once, but a sharp gesture from Madam Barrington silenced them.
“My health is my business and mine alone. And, Lily, while your actions were both admirable and brave, you risked a great deal by attempting your rescue alone. It would be foolish of you to continue in such a manner.”
Lily flushed, itching to point out that she had not been alone—Pip and Sir Kipling were formidable allies in their own right. But instead, she simply nodded, hiding her worry for the older wizard. She knew her mentor would not accept coddling, whether it was needed or not.
“You, Sebastian,” Madam Barrington continued, “will remain here, to rest and recover.”
To Lily’s astonishment, her friend nodded slowly, jaw clenched and eyes downcast. She had expected him to protest, to demand to go along despite his injuries. His silent acceptance troubled her far more than any amount of overprotective machismo. What was wrong with him?
“It is settled, then. Tomorrow morning—” Madam Barrington’s words were interrupted by a jaunty ringtone, and Lily jumped an inch in her seat as the unexpected noise erupted from her skirt pocket. She was still wearing her adventure outfit—the spells woven into its cloth keeping it miraculously free of terrible body odor despite her not having changed in several days. Fumbling, she rushed to get the phone out, trying not to cringe beneath her mentor’s disapproving stare.
“Hello?”
“Miss Singer? It’s Ric—Agent Grant. I’m sorry for disturbing you, but things seemed a little…off the last time you called. I wanted to make sure you were—I mean, that everything was okay. I tried calling Sebastian over a dozen times, but he’s not answering. Have you been able to get hold of him? Has there been anything useful in those case files I sent?”
“Um…” Lily glanced between Sebastian and her mentor, painfully aware that Richard’s words were most likely audible in the awkward silence that had fallen. Her two companions wore identical frowns. Well, not identical. Madam Barrington’s face was frigid with distaste, while Sebastian’s expression was thunderous as he silently fumed. Lily suddenly remembered Richard’s offhand remark that Sebastian had threatened him, warning him never to contact her again.
Great, just great.
“Miss Singer?”
“So sorry, Agent Grant. I’m, uh, in a meeting at the moment. My brain is a bit scattered,” she said, stalling. Madam Barrington had never approved of her decision to reveal the existence of wizards to the FBI agent, and of course Sebastian hated the man’s guts—not just for his past dishonesty, but also, she suspected, out of at least a little jealousy. It would probably be best if she just hung up. Yet, she had promised to help. “We’ve, um, looked at the files and have come to some, uh, preliminary conclusions. Well, guesses. Nothing solid yet, you understand, but we’re, um, chasing down a few leads.” She grimaced, knowing she was rambling.
There was a long silence.
“I see,” Richard said, not sounding happy. He did not elaborate, and Lily felt her anxiety spike. Finally, he spoke again, his voice much softer. “Lily, what’s going on? Something happened over the weekend, I can tell. You don’t sound right. Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Just fine.”
“And Sebastian?”
“Well…”
“What happened? Is it related to the case?”
“Uh…no, of course not.” Ugh. She was such a terrible liar.
A rush of static came over the line as if Richard had heaved a sigh, and Lily could imagine him running his hand through his hair in frustration. No, wait. That was something Sebastian did when he was anxious, not Richard. She dared a glance at her friend, and instantly regretted it. If looks could kill, her phone would be a smoking pile of slag on the floor right now.
“Look, Lily, I know you’re lying to me, and I can’t just ignore that. People have been murdered and more people might be in danger. Whatever you know, whatever you’ve found out, you need to tell me.”
“It’s nothing that would make any sense to you, Agent Grant. Magical technicalities. Wizard business.”
“Try me.”
“I—can’t,” Lily said, half choking at the look Madam Barrington was giving her. The elder wizard held out a hand, and Lily was more than happy to comply, since she had no idea what to say anyway. She did, however, press the speaker button before she set the phone in her mentor’s hand.
“Agent Grant, I’ve put you on speaker phone. I’m with Madam Barrington—you may remember her from the Clay Museum incident?”
“Good evening, Ms. Barrington. I apologize for disturbing your meeting.” Richard’s voice sounded tinny on the external speaker, though Lily couldn’t help but notice his smooth transition from tender and worried friend to professional federal agent. The idea that he considered her a friend heated her cheeks, and she could only hope Sebastian held his tongue, because he looked about ready to launch into a tirade.
“We appreciate your concern for the safety of the public in our great city,” Madam Barrington said, ignoring Richard’s pleasantries. “However, this is wizard’s business, and we shall deal with it as we have always dealt with those who misuse magic. It should be of no further concern, and you would do well to cease your investigation.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Barrington, but I can’t do that. I understand you and…your kind might have done things differently in the past, but this is the modern day, not some medieval era. People are dying and it’s my job to stop it. I have the full weight and authority of the United States Government behind me, and while I have no wish to cause trouble for, um, magical folk, the laws apply equally to everyone, as do the consequences of breaking those laws. Right now, you’re obstructing a federal investigation.” He hesitated, sounding unhappy. “I—I could have you and Miss Singer arrested.”
Madam Barrington’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and Lily cringed.
This was so not good.
“I don’t want to do that, ma’am. I really don’t. But if you have information that could help us apprehend these people, it is your legal duty to hand it over.”
“And it is my moral duty to protect mundanes from that which they can neither understand nor control.”
There was a tense silence, and Lily could almost hear Sebastian grinding his teeth beside her. Or was that the crackling of the fire? She shook her head, trying to force her tired brain to think. “Look, Agent Grant, you have to understand that wizards have been a hidden subculture for thousands of years, quietly looking after their own affairs. Involving mundanes has only ever been a recipe for disaster and persecution.”
“I don’t care about wizard politics or society, L—Miss Singer. My concern is with keeping people safe and upholding the law. I’m not asking you to compromise your safety, I just want to find the bastards who’ve been murdering innocent people so I can slap cuffs on them and put them away where they belong.”
Lily looked up at Madam Barrington, her expression pleading. The woman’s brow was still marked by deep lines of displeasure, but when she spoke she sounded less hostile. “If that is truly your only aim, then perhaps we could…come to a compromise. Last fall your agency collected a number of items belonging to John Faust LeFay as evidence of his crimes. Some of them are magical in nature, such as paraphernalia from his workshop, and are of no use to you in your investigation. If you will provide us the location of these items, we will share what information we have on the witches.”
“Just their location?” Richard asked, suspicion lacing his voice.
“Their exact location, including the room and any file, box, or other storage device within which they are contained.”
Lily waited with bated breath, knowing what Madam Barrington had in mind and wondering if Richard truly believed in magic—believed enough to know that, if he gave up the location, said items would disappear without a trace and leave the FBI scratching their collective heads.
“I don’t know their location offhand. I’ll have to look it up.
”
That sounded like a stall tactic. After all, Richard had been given the lead in investigating John Faust, known to the FBI as Rex Morganson. Wouldn’t he have been poring over the evidence the past few months? Apparently, Madam Barrington agreed, or at least was suspicious enough to not be deterred.
“Then do so, Agent Grant. You have until tomorrow at noon,” she said, shooting Lily a questioning glance. Lily nodded to indicate the timing was satisfactory—she had already arranged for a few days off to care for Sebastian. “Meet us, alone, at Five Cups Tavern and bring with you proof of the items’ location. If it is satisfactory, we will show you what we have learned. I suggest you also bring your field kit, assuming you FBI agents have such a thing.”
Richard made all sorts of noise about how he couldn’t possibly get hold of the paperwork that fast, but Madam Barrington stood firm and, finally, he agreed to meet. Before anyone else had a chance to get a word in edgewise, she said a curt goodbye and hung up.
“I’m coming.” Sebastian’s words were almost a growl, and for some reason, they sent a bolt of anger shooting through Lily. She knew she ought to stay calm—Sebastian had been under a lot of stress lately and wasn’t acting himself. But the uncharacteristically ugly sneer on his lips and accusatory light in his eyes eroded her last bit of self control.
“Oh, so now you insist on coming? What are you going to do, limp around, completely useless except to glare at Agent Grant? What are you afraid of? That he’ll smile at me? Compliment me? Be perfectly polite and gentlemanly, unlike some people I know? I can’t believe you, Sebastian. You’re terrified of this witch, Roger, but the moment a guy shows up that I had two measly dates with, you suddenly act like someone has threatened your territory. What’s gotten into you?”
Sebastian stared at her, open-mouthed. “It—it’s not like that.”
“Oh really?”
He flushed at her sarcasm, his expression morphing into that stubborn, disgruntled look he’d been adopting much more frequently of late. “Yeah, really. I don’t trust that guy. He lied to you once, and he’ll lie to you again in a heartbeat if it gets him what he wants.”
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Betrayal Page 19