Bury Their Bones (Wicked Fortunes Book 2)

by AJ Merlin

  His shop came into view first, with the bright mural near me acting as a landmark for both his and my place of work.

  I stopped, gazing at the wall not for the first time.

  It was a lot, in my opinion. Caricatures of men and women dancing to a brass band, while another figure with a skull-like mask rose above them with lips spread in a wide grin. It was old, though someone had put a spell on it to make the paint last.

  Even that was beginning to fade, however. The paint was chipping in spots closest to the ground or edge. It would last a few years more, but once the magic holding it on the wall crumbled, it would be gone.

  I wondered what had happened to the witch or practitioner who had placed protections on the mural. Why hadn’t they come back to fix it?

  Whatever the case, it wasn’t my responsibility. Even if I had wanted to fix it, I didn’t know just what magic was already on it. I didn’t want to mess up–

  The masked figure blinked.

  My hackles were on edge instantly. I stepped back, sure that I’d never seen that particular trick of this wall. And I’d stared at it quite a few times by now. I would’ve noticed.

  The figure looked straight at me, smiled, and then the movement drained out of the painting. I could feel the magic going into the pavement at my feet, and I looked down like I might be able to see it.

  I couldn’t, obviously, but that did nothing for my nerves.

  Looking at the painting again, I searched it for any sign of movement.

  Nothing. It was just as lifeless as it had been before.

  “What the hell…” I murmured, taking a few steps forward until I stood only inches away from the wall.

  Tentatively, I laid my hand on the brick.

  There was something there. Something laid deep in the wall, some kind of magic, that escaped my grasp and my search. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t get it in my senses long enough to discover what it might be.

  Or what kind of person had created the spell.

  After a few useless minutes of grasping at it, I stepped back with a sigh. Whatever it was, the magic wasn’t harmful. Probably. But I couldn’t tell more than that.

  The magic in the bricks wasn’t what made the mural move. Of that, I was very sure.

  With a shake of my head, I walked around the wall, fighting not to look at it in case it moved again. It wouldn’t, I repeated over and over in my head. The magic is gone.

  When nothing did happen, and when no giant masked figure burst free from the brick to chase me down the street, I forced myself to relax by increments.

  I would go home, I decided. My car was right in front of me, and this was a safe area of town. Apart from weird outdoor murals that moved.

  Maybe I’d even see if Merric wanted to spend time together soon.

  With one hand on the driver’s side door, I paused. My eyes narrowed, the very blue reflections of them bright in my SUV’s window.

  Had I heard…?

  No. Probably not–

  “Help me!”

  Yeah. I definitely had. The hair on my arms stood up, and I whirled, eyes searching the building around me. The sound had been muffled, and broke off at the end like whoever had yelled was forcibly silenced.

  No lights had come on in the street. No one else had heard the cry.

  “Damn,” I hissed, pushing away from my vehicle and scanning the buildings on either side of me. I didn’t know this part of town well, save for where I worked, and I couldn’t begin to guess who lived or worked here. As far as I knew, this street was all businesses. It was late, so why was anyone here?

  The woman screamed wordlessly, the sound bloodcurdling. Unthinking, I took off towards it at a run, the scream still echoing off of the walls around me.

  The full moon being as close as it was lent me the strength of my wolf with me barely having to ask, but that power came with the emotions and the instincts that rubbed against my skin, wanting me to shift and rip apart whatever was causing harm.

  The thing that dragged me back was the sudden scent in the air that slammed into me, nearly choking me.

  Yvenson’s magic. I couldn’t mistake it now. The magic was mixed in with other scents-other magics-that I couldn’t identify, but the smell of burning wove through the different magics in the air harshly.

  I slowed, taking in my surroundings now that I was close to what I sought. This neighborhood was full of houses and local businesses, but much smaller than any I’d seen before. Like skinny rectangles, they sat very close to one another on the long street. This part of town wasn’t a good one, that was obvious, and more scents that I didn’t want to think about tried to invade my head.

  They weren’t important. The ones that were…

  My eyes dropped to a dark sided house, the porch light casting shadows down the yard and nearly to my feet.

  The screams were gone, but something worse remained.

  The overwhelming smell of blood.

  I started to run again, my strides long as I covered the short walk from the street to the yard, and I vaulted onto the porch in one motion.

  The door was ajar. I slammed it back on its hinges, the smell of blood and magic that was wrong very strong in this place.

  The only light seemed to come from deeper inside the house, but I wasn’t so stupid as to barge right in.

  She could be dying! The panicked part of my brain urged, but I shook my head and walked slowly through the sparsely decorated living room, turning left to head down a thin hallway. I didn’t want to call out, on the off-chance this was a trap.

  Two doors lay at my left, both mostly closed. Neither of them were what I needed, though.

  No, I was headed straight for the end of the hallway, where a door was ajar and throwing lurid orange light into the hall.

  “It’s now or never, George,” I breathed, my steps slowing deliberately near the door.

  It hit me very hard that I was alone. No magical Aveline at my back. No Yuna. No trio.

  No one.

  Would it be too much to hope that Merric would show his face again?

  Definitely too much to hope for. The day I started to expect his assistance would be the day I’d come to regret it, I was sure.

  My hand was trembling as I reached out to grasp the brass knob.

  Slowly I pushed the door open, giving it a nudge so it swung back without my hand on it.

  The scene in the bedroom made me choke and swallow back bile. I couldn’t look at it all at once, so I dropped my eyes to the floor where drops of blood had soaked into the carpet near my feet.

  I could do this. I had to do this. What if whoever was there was still alive?

  Deep down, I knew that wasn’t the case. I heard no breathing from within, nor any movement.

  Whoever lay on the other side of the doorway in front of me was dead.

  I sucked in a deep breath and immediately regretted it. Covering my mouth and nose, I finally stepped into the room, lifting my gaze in increments to take in a bit at a time.

  Candles. There were lit candles on the floor, their thick white wax seeping into the carpet.

  Herbs rested on the floor in-between the candles, disappearing somewhere behind the open door.

  Was that a bone?

  I really hoped those were not bones.

  At last, my eyes landed on what I knew had been here all along.

  Long, black hair lay in a puddle at my feet. My gaze kept going, landing finally on the woman’s forehead. Then her unseeing dark eyes.

  I needed to know.

  At once I jerked my chin up, taking in the entire scene in front of me.

  There were runes on the floor, and something long that looked like a rubber hose.

  I reached for it, confused, then shuddered when my fingers met scales.

  It was a dead snake with scales as black as the woman’s hair.

  Pulling back, I focused on the woman whose screams I’d followed too slowly.

  Her lips were parted, and she seemed t
o stare at something over my head. I looked up, seeing nothing, and then back down at her.

  The rest of her was the hard thing to look at.

  Someone or something had cut her open, and it looked like they’d stuck their hands into her ribcage and pulled until her chest cavity split open and they could pick at what was inside.

  Picturing it made my stomach turn with nausea.

  My hands shook as I lifted them, trying to figure out just what to do other than clench and unclench my fingers.

  Tentatively, because I had to, I sniffed.

  Her magic was here. It held none of that burned smell that Yvenson’s had, and I could scent it very clearly.

  But hadn’t the Loa said the bodies had been checked for their magic being stolen?

  Hers was here, exactly where it belonged.

  My eyes caught sight of a small bag at her throat. A gris-gris, like Yvenson had worn. This one was surrounded by brown feathers on the leather strap, and I knelt to grab for it.

  Big mistake.

  My knee sank into the white carpet under me like a sponge, squelching as it did.

  Fresh blood seeped to the surface, and through my leggings, I felt the uncomfortable sensation of blood on my skin.

  “Oh fuck,” I gasped, trying to get my stomach under control.

  It wasn’t happening.

  As quickly as I could, I reached into the little bag at her neck, extracting a small stone similar to the first. Once I had it and the bag was closed once more, I stumbled to my feet and ran.

  I made it outside, thankfully, before my stomach ejected its contents onto the small lawn. My hands shook as I knelt here, teeth chattering in between heaving.

  Goddess, I was so glad no one I knew was here.

  My phone rang, but I ignored it. No matter who was trying to call me, this was definitely a bad time.

  When my stomach was completely empty, I stood. No one had bothered to come out, and I was glad for that.

  I didn’t need anyone knowing I was here.

  My fingers itched to call the police, to call anyone, but I didn’t have Nathanial’s number. Nor the Loa’s. No one that I knew would be able to do anything here except maybe vomit like I had.

  It seemed that my only option was to leave.

  My phone rang again as I walked away from the murder house behind me, still feeling shaky. I hadn’t known her, but I hated that I was too late to help her.

  Not to mention, I needed to know who she’d been. Quickly I snapped a picture of the house on my phone, making sure to get the mailbox and address when I did.

  Now I could finally look at who I’d been missing calls from.

  Yuna.

  Sorry, I texted, my fingers flying over the screen as I walked. It’s been a shitty night. Can I call you in the morning?

  Yes, she replied after barely any time. Are you all right?

  Was I all right?

  I cast a look around the street, sure I was going to see something trying to reach out and grab me.

  But there was nothing here. The scent of black magic was fading, and I was getting further and further from the house.

  I was alone.

  I’m fine, I lied, wishing she was here. Not just for protection or assistance. But because I wanted her here. Yuna, who didn’t bat an eye at anything. I was sure she wouldn’t have gotten sick at the house. She probably would’ve noticed anything I’d missed, and might’ve known what to do.

  I barely knew where I was.

  Are you sure? The cecaelia prodded.

  I stared at the message, thinking of all the things I could say and how to phrase them.

  Then, finally, I typed out two words.

  I’m sure.

  She didn’t ask again, and I was relieved. I didn’t know how to explain this night to her just yet.

  Chapter 10

  The sound of a vehicle I did not recognize met my ears as I languished on the sofa, content to suffer under the full moon.

  There was someone in my driveway.

  Which was unexpected, unplanned, and unwelcome. With the full moon making itself very known over the roof of the house I shared with Aveline, I had made sure to clear my schedule liberally beforehand.

  My cousin was gone, at a party she’d been talking about all day, and I was alone in the house, as I’d wanted. While she’d wanted to stay and had offered to watch a movie or ten with me, I had insisted she go.

  The full moon made me edgy. It made me intense in a not-always pleasant way.

  I wouldn’t kill anyone, but there was no reason to subject the people I cared about to my intense emotions and mood swings.

  So why in the Goddess’s name was someone revving their engine in my driveway?

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, willing the person to go away. Couldn't they leave me to stare at my dark ceiling and maybe binge Little Children, Large Crowns?

  The horn of the car honked.

  What the hell?

  Throwing my legs off the sofa, I got to my feet and walked through the living room. The only light came from the kitchen nightlight, though my eyes had no trouble seeing in the dark.

  I yanked the door open, poking my head out to look at the people who had the audacity to make a scene in my driveway.

  And found two very familiar faces.

  The light from Yuna’s silver car was more than enough to illuminate the two people who stood against it, both of them leaning against the driver’s side.

  “What are you two doing here?” I asked the cecaelia and her unlikely companion.

  Merric was with her.

  “You weren’t doing anything,” Merric shrugged, smiling that sweet smile while his twin orange tails writhed behind him. “We thought you’d want to come with us.”

  “We?” I repeated. “Is this the royal We, or is there a fox-octopus alliance brewing on the western front?”

  “He shows up sometimes,” Yuna shrugged. “And I haven’t found out the secret to banishing him for good. It’s a shame he doesn’t do it around water.” The woman addressed the last bit of it towards the kitsune, who grinned.

  “Oh, Yuna. You like me too much to drown me. I know it. You know it. I’m like a barnacle you just can’t get rid of.”

  “That’s all well and good,” I interrupted, shifting from foot to foot and glancing up at the full moon above me. Outside I could feel its light, and tonight the sky was cloudless. I had no buffer between me and that giant beacon in the sky that called to my wolf with the utmost urgency. “But what are you guys doing here?”

  “We’ve come to get you. There’s no reason not to spend time with us, is there?” Yuna asked. “And if it’s a murderous rampage you’re afraid of, no one will miss the fox.”

  Merric squawked indignantly and hit her lightly with his tails. She only glanced at him with one raised brow.

  “I’m not really dressed to go out in public,” I argued. “And uh, not really in the mood. Not sure people want to be growled at by the angry half-werewolf from down the lane.”

  “That’s why I thought we’d go to my house,” Yuna offered.

  I inhaled sharply. My blue eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair,” I pointed out, folding my arms over my chest. “That is absolutely not fair.” She knew how much I wanted to see where she lived, if just to see if she really did live underwater full time.

  Though honestly, the silver Porsche behind her made me pretty certain she didn’t just hop into the water at night and go to sleep.

  “It is,” Yuna agreed. “But honestly, George.” Her grin was full of mischief. “I’m not very fair.”

  I wavered, considering my options. Being with them really would be better than hanging out here on my own. And they knew about me. They obviously knew about my Full Moon Moods.

  Plus, it was Yuna and Merric. How much could I really hurt their feelings if I did say something without thinking?

  “All right,” I relented. “I just need to change first and get my stuff.”

  “
You look fine to me,” Merric commented.

  “I look like I’m going to bed.” I gestured to my black pajama shorts with paw prints on them and too big t-shirt.

  “You look fine to me as well,” Yuna said. She, of course, looked like a model ready for any passing camera in her tight jeans, snug shirt, and hair up in an artfully messy bun.

  I lifted my hands in surrender. “May I at least go get my phone and lock the door?” I asked finally.

  “I can help,” the kitsune offered, pushing off the side of the car.

  “No,” I told him flatly. “Thank you, but I’ll only be a few seconds.”

  Yuna made a shooing motion at me with her fingers that had me striding back inside. Like a tornado, I moved around the house, grabbing my keys, my phone, and my pill case from the bathroom. For a visit, this was all I needed.

  Though, part of me still wanted to change into something a bit nicer than my pajamas.

  I fought the urge with a sigh, looking longingly towards my room as I backtracked to the door.

  The door. My mortal enemy.

  While I was doing better now that I was older and not afraid of my own shadow, locking the door was still an irritating ritual when I was alone. Call me paranoid, but if I didn’t check the lock at least eighty times, it was obviously going to swing open of its own accord.

  And now Yuna and Merric were going to have front row seats to that little show.

  My stomach clenched, trying to turn itself over as I slid my flip-flops on.

  A moment later I was outside, closing the door and turning the key in the lock until it clicked.

  Letting out a breath, I turned the door handle. It was locked. Obviously. So I did it again.

  Uncomfortably aware of the other two waiting for me, I felt my ears lower against my hair, my tail tucked against my thigh.

  Well, if that wasn’t a neon, blaring sign, nothing else was.

  Hands shooed mine away, and I looked up in surprise to see Merric beside me. He glanced sidelong at me with eyes that gleamed yellow and twisted the door handle.

  “It’s locked,” he announced, tugging me off the porch and towards Yuna’s car.