“Ethel, no!”
But it was too late. She could see her mentor’s face, slack and emotionless as Roger stepped back and flashed a triumphant smile. The grip on Lily’s neck tightened as she tried to struggle free. It sent a wave of dizziness through her and her vision began to go dark again, so she went limp.
“That’s m’girl. Wouldn’t wanna break a neck as fine as yours,” the witch behind her rumbled, his voice resonating deep in his chest.
Lily tried to calm her breathing and relax, eyes darting around for Sebastian. She found him sitting on the floor, hands behind his back, wrists encircled by a glowing red light that Lily had come across before at the factory. Yet his neck was intact, if smudged with blood. Relief made her lightheaded again, and she fought the feeling, eyes flicking back to Roger as she tried to think of a spell that might disrupt whatever mind control he had over her mentor.
Roger led the old wizard over to the broom closet door and leaned in to whisper in her ear. There was a pause, and Roger’s face darkened, a scowl beginning to form. Lily’s heart lifted, and she thought perhaps Madam Barrington was fighting for control. But then the wizard began to speak, her voice dead and monotone as she obeyed Roger’s command.
An angry figure suddenly blocked Lily’s view and the witch called Cassius got up in her face, cussing and calling her names for the well-aimed kick she had dealt him earlier—apparently he’d needed a minute to regain the strut in his step before he vented his spleen on her.
“Hey, Cass. This here’s a lady you’re talkin’ to. Watch your language.”
“I don’t care what she is, the little b—ow! You idiot, we’re on the same side.”
Lily suppressed a grim smile, happy to see the bigger witch put Cassius in his place.
“Manners don’t cost nothin’, Cass. Your old man knows that, an’ you should too. Now shut up an’ tie her hands.”
Muttering more curses under his breath, Cassius got out some rope and bound her hands behind her back, the rope so tight her fingers started to go numb. Lily’s heart sank. These witches were smarter than they seemed, or at least Roger was. They knew, or had guessed, she could break through their demonic energy, and were taking no chances.
With a glare at his taller companion, Cassius took her upper arm in a cruel grip and tugged her toward Sebastian, then threw her down on the ground beside her friend. He shot them both an ugly look, but then crossed his arms and turned to watch Roger.
Feigning fatigue, Lily slumped against Sebastian, her mouth ending up conveniently close to his ear. “Are you all right?” she whispered.
She felt him shiver with suppressed tension, though he kept his head down in a posture of defeat. “Absolutely spiffing. You? I saw them—saw them slapping you.” His low voice was almost a growl, and Lily could well imagine him fighting the urge to jump up and try to thrash the entire group of witches with his hands tied behind his back. The thought was a tiny ray of sunshine in the storm of fear choking her, and she swallowed a nervous bubble of what might have been mirth. Or panic.
“I’m—I’m fine. But Madam Barrington…”
“Besides Roger’s dirty little fingers in her mind, I think she’s okay. They knocked her out with some kind of chemical on a rag. Tried the mind thing on me first, but…well, I think you saved me.”
“What?”
“Aunt B. told me about the ring when she gave it back to me. I never made the connection before, but I think it helps to protect me from—from them. My thoughts are clearer, you know? Less…” He paused, gulped, and continued, even quieter than before. “Less whisperings in my head. Like they have trouble finding me. It’s a different sort of protection than what the fae magic did for me, but it’s helping me keep my head all the same. Since Roger isn’t a wizard, I don’t think he realizes what the ring can do. He probably thinks you made me immune—you and that bracelet of yours.”
“Lovely,” Lily murmured, thoughts kicking back into action. If only there was some way to get the ring onto Madam Barrington’s hand without Roger noticing. “I can’t risk casting a spell while he’s got Madam Barrington,” she whispered. “He could crush her mind, for all I know, or make her kill us all. But I’m going to try and weaken your bonds enough that you can break free, then I’ll cause a distraction. You have to reach Madam Barrington somehow and get that ring on her hand. Hopefully Roger won’t try to control you again because it didn’t work for him the last time.”
As plans went, it was pretty desperate, and Lily still didn’t know what Roger was up to. She thought about the possibilities as she strained her arms behind her back, trying to stretch them toward Sebastian so that her bracelet might touch the demonic energy encircling his wrists. It took a bit of maneuvering, but their hands finally met, and she felt a warmth spread through her numb fingers as her bracelet came in contact with the glowing restraints. Curling her fingers around the bands of energy, she pulled as best she could while keeping still, focusing all her will on breaking their hold. She tried to breathe evenly through her nose as sweat beaded on her brow and her muscles started to burn. The demonic magic made her fingers ache, driving away the numbness with a buzzing pain. Finally, when she’d begun to fear that the angelic magic had deserted her this time, she felt the bands loosen. Letting out a slow, controlled breath, she allowed herself only a moment of relief to give Sebastian’s fingers a reassuring squeeze before letting her hands drop away.
“Bingo,” Sebastian whispered in triumph, just as Roger turned and beckoned to Cassius and the other witch.
As they were hauled to their feet and pushed toward the broom closet, it wasn’t horror at what Madam Barrington was being forced to do that occupied Lily’s mind. Neither was it the pain in her hands, fear for her friends, or apprehension at what would happen next. For some reason, all she could think about was the irony of her relationship with Sebastian—how it seemed to be only in the midst of imminent danger that the awkwardness between them fell away. Their relationship was still one big question mark in her mind, and yet she felt at ease in that moment, as if the danger they faced had made their other problems disappear. It was like she had her old Sebastian back, and whatever had been making him act so erratically was a thing of the past.
Was there something wrong with her? Were they doomed to forever be at odds, unable to make something of…whatever it was? Was she crazy, thinking about all this when their lives hung in the balance? Maybe it was her brain trying to cope with the shock.
As she stood before the broom closet, the tall witch’s enormous hand encircling her upper arm, part of her hoped Madam Barrington was faking, biding her time or perhaps casting a spell that would zap Roger when he tried to enter the Basement. Her hopes were dashed when Roger, stepping forward resolutely, didn’t drop to the floor writhing in pain, but instead passed safely through the portal. With Madam Barrington mindlessly ferrying over the witches, they were soon all standing in the Basement, surrounded by silent shelves and cabinets.
“Exsssellent,” Roger said, still-red eyes greedily taking in the sight, as if the centuries of precious wizard knowledge and artifacts were a five-course meal he was about to devour.
Cassius, who had grabbed Sebastian and was now holding him by one arm while pressing the curved knife into the small of his back, snorted. “Not much of a ‘treasure trove.’ Looks like a bunch of old books to me.”
“And that’s why you’re still just an ignorant thug your daddy keeps around to look ugly and mean, like a really dumb bulldog. He should have named you Butch. Or maybe Fido.” Sebastian looked thoughtful, as if trying to decide between the two.
Cassius’ pale face screwed up and began to turn a shade of red that looked remarkably like a tomato. “Shuddup, shrimp, or I’ll stick this knife in your back and let you bleed out on the floor in front of your girlfriend.”
Sebastian grinned over his shoulder, a good head taller than the furious witch behind him. “I love that you still call me that, really I do. It’s like yelling ‘I’
m compensating for something’ at the top of your lungs.”
“That’s it, you little—”
“Cassius! Cease your prattle. I am trying to concentrate. There will be time enough to delve into the wealth of power contained here, but for now, we have a task to complete. If you cannot control yourself, you are of no use to me.”
Cassius looked away from Roger’s piercing, scarlet gaze and mumbled an apology, though Lily saw Sebastian flinch as the shorter witch dug the tip of the knife in a little harder than necessary.
Silence fell, broken only by Cassius’ still-angered breathing as everyone watched Roger, who was once again staring deeply into Madam Barrington’s eyes. His face was tense, and a muscle twitched in his cheek, like he was fighting a battle none of them could see. Lily’s hopes rose again, and she mentally cheered her mentor on while wishing she’d had more time to talk to Sebastian. He would know more about this whole mental control thing Roger was doing, and if it would be safe to attack the vile man while he had Madam Barrington under his sway. If she hadn’t been so distracted by the throbbing pain in her hands and the sick dread clawing at her stomach, she might have risked a spell then and there, perhaps a blast of energy right in Roger’s pretty face. But she needed a moment to calm and center herself before she could cast.
Ignoring her body’s frenzied demands to act, Lily closed her eyes and forced her muscles to relax, breathing out her desperation and fear in a one long, quiet breath. It was arduous, but she slowly pushed away the pain, shut out her surroundings, and clamped down on her whirling thoughts. With her mind clearer, she could feel the Source inside, that place from which all wizards drew their magical energy. The touch of it on her awareness made her relax further, knowing it was there when she needed it, if only she could remember her training and stay calm. A frenzied mind full of panic and fear would get them all killed.
A gasp broke through her thoughts and she let herself come back to the moment, holding onto the calm in the back of her mind. To her surprise—and delight—the gasp had come from Roger. Sweat beaded on his brow and his expression was thunderous as he glared at his captive. Madam Barrington’s face was paler than death and her eyes still stared blankly. She hung limp in Roger’s grasp, held up only by his grip on her bony shoulders. Lily resisted the urge to plead for Roger to leave her alone, knowing it would do no good.
“You will obey me, you cursed she-witch. You will bow before—”
“Weaknesss! You are weaker than she. I will break her, you worthlesss human.”
“No! She is spent, I—I’m almost—”
“Ssssilence…” The malevolent power behind that hiss had everyone in the room frozen and staring at Roger as he argued with himself, or whatever demon was inside him. Nobody moved. Even Roger’s minions seemed afraid of attracting the attention of that thing.
The transformation this time was halting and slow, and there were no black tendrils reaching across the floor, as if Roger was resisting the demon’s domination. It made Lily wonder how much of their depraved symbiosis was voluntary, and how much control Roger really had. When the process was complete, Lily shivered to see the man—the demon—dressed all in black before her, almost invisible amid the shadows that cloaked him except for his cascade of pure white hair. He turned glowing red eyes on her, as if he could feel her gaze, and smiled. The smile was predatory, full of desire and the promise to hunt, to capture, to kill. Lily’s knees nearly gave way. They would have if he hadn’t then turned his eyes to Sebastian, who looked down and away. The creature’s smile widened.
Without addressing any of them, the demon turned his gaze back to Madam Barrington, whose pallor had worsened. Her sightless eyes were as wide as saucers, as if they were the only part of her that could react to being held by that creature of shadow.
“Now, Ethel, my dearest human, my enemy of old. It is such a pleasure to finally feel you. What a delicious mind you have. There are so many things I would like to know; such a pity we have not the time just now. You know what I need you to do, what I want—” The demon’s words halted abruptly and he flinched, brows pulling back as his face tensed in hatred and fear. But then it smoothed again, and he seemed to have regained control. “He cannot help you here, human,” he hissed, mouth close to the old wizard’s ear and quiet enough that Lily had to strain to hear. “You are old and weak, and he is distant. Why would he even take notice of your pathetic plea?”
Whatever conversation was happening between them, Lily wished she could hear more than just the one side. A surge of joy rose in her as she saw the demon flinch again, but in response, his grip on Madam Barrington’s shoulders tightened and his fingers elongated into claws, piercing the sleeves of the old woman’s blouse.
“Say that name again, human, and I will make you watch as I bathe in the blood of your friends and devour their souls. Open the portal as I have asked, and I will let them live.”
“Whatever it is, don’t do it, Aunt B.,” Sebastian said, eyes still averted from the demon. “He’s lying. He’ll kill us all anyway no matter what you do.”
The laugh that came from the demon’s throat was just as bad as the one Lily had endured days before at the factory. The horror of it broke her concentration and she shrank against the tall witch holding her. If she hadn’t been struggling to control her own fear, she would have sworn she could feel the big man trembling himself.
With a feral growl, the creature released Madam Barrington. Instead of collapsing, though, she stood swaying limply, as if held up by invisible strings. Arms moving like a marionette, she reached into the small purse at her side and took out a brush and silver bottle, then shuffled toward one of the wood-paneled walls of the Basement.
Understanding struck Lily like a lightning bolt and she drew in a desperate breath, mind rushing to put all the pieces together. There was a permanent portal spell on the Basement that allowed them to travel to it from anywhere, as long as you were privy to the correct spell, which was more complicated than any password or secret key. What if there was a similar spell between the Basement and the magical vault beneath the Hilprecht Museum? It would make sense, and it would be extremely sensitive information, so it didn’t surprise Lily that Madam Barrington hadn’t yet told her of it. So how had Roger found out such a portal existed? Only a wizard would have known, and no wizard Lily knew of would divulge such precious information to their kind’s sworn enemy. Yet the “who” paled in the light of the “why.” The portal was the whole purpose of tonight—the frontal attack on the museum was just a feint. The true weakness was here, and they had walked right into Roger’s trap.
Madam Barrington was already halfway through painting the appropriate dimmu runes in a neat oval on the Basement’s wall using her bottle of silver ink. The symbols were necessary to hold and stabilize the charge of the spell, as well as link the portal to its counterpart in the Hilprecht Museum. Lily assumed, by the fact that her mentor had insisted they meet here, the portal spell only worked within the Basement—a wise precaution that should have ensured only wizards, and only those qualified to know, would be able to activate it. Apparently, no one had factored in a greater demon with mind-control abilities. For a second, Lily wondered how many different kinds of greater demons there were. This well-dressed and well-spoken creature before her was nothing like the hulking monster of scales and talons she had fought with Madam Barrington, Sebastian, and Sir Kipling on that fateful night in the Clay Museum. Lily knew demons were deceptive and used lies and temptation to influence humans, but she had never heard of one who could simply break open and control the minds of its victims. But then, she was hardly an expert.
Reining in her thoughts, Lily prepared herself for action. Her only option was to attack and hope her spells could actually affect the demon—and that Sebastian could break free of Cassius without getting stabbed. She tried to catch her friend’s eye, but his gaze was still on the floor, his whole body as stiff as a board, seemingly consumed by his own internal battle.
; Lily felt the surge of energy as Madam Barrington cast the portal spell. It was now or never. Drawing on the Source, she also reached for the angelic magic she knew was there, but only seemed to react sporadically. With all the might and concentration she could muster, she screamed the ancient Enkinim, hurling her magic at the demon where he stood behind her mentor, his glowing eyes focused on the portal.
The spell which would have incinerated a mundane or an unshielded wizard merely made the demon stagger. His head whipped around, honing in on her as his expression transformed into the fearsome snarl of a predator about to strike. But before she had a chance to cast another spell, duck, run, or do anything else, several things happened in quick succession:
Three loud cracks, so close together they sounded like fully automatic gunfire, rang through the enclosed room, and the demon’s head jerked back as crimson sprouted from his face.
The undulating caterwaul of Sir Kipling sounded as the cat appeared at the edge of her vision and leapt, claws extended and teeth bared, landing on Cassius’s back with enough force to send the witch staggering forward.
And Richard, only a half-step behind Sir Kipling, charged toward the witch holding her, gun in one hand, a look of lethal focus on his face.
4
A Sacrificial Spirit
Adrenaline surged through Lily’s limbs as she launched into action, using her captor’s second of distraction to stomp on his instep, bringing her booted heel down hard enough to break bones. The man howled and lurched to the side, leg collapsing beneath him just in time for his chin to jut forward and make contact with the butt of Richard’s sidearm as the FBI agent pistol-whipped him. The blow sent the big witch spinning to the floor in an unconscious heap.
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Betrayal Page 23