In Mage We Trust (Of Mystics and Mayhem Book 1)

by Heidi Vanlandingham

  Thanks to Niki, mine crumbled away at an alarming rate. It felt good though. Liberating. I hesitated, not wanting to let it go altogether. I’d worn it like a second skin for so long, without its protection, I feared I would feel naked.

  Niki nudged me again. My shoulder tingled as my thoughts traveled back to where they were supposed to be. “Hell to Johnna . . .”

  I grimaced at the reminder of my current location. “Smart ass,” I whispered from one corner of my mouth. I cleared my throat. “My grandfather told me we needed to right the wrong and fix the lies.” I held up my hand before the king could say anything. “I know, I know. It doesn’t make any sense. What wrong and whose lies? We already beat that horse. I’m positive there’s more to it, and we’re running out of time. I want my parents back.” Whether it was instinct or some unknown magic I hadn’t figured out yet, I knew this whole thing went much deeper. My frustration skyrocketed. I’d never been good at feeling hopeless, and it would help if I had all the puzzle pieces.

  “Talk,” Lucien bit the word out.

  “A please would be nice.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that to the demon king, but he reminded me so much of my father. The words sort of slipped out before I could stop them. I was probably a glutton for punishment, but when I got scared or nervous, my sarcasm knew no bounds.

  We stared each other down when he let out a deep breath, his body visibly deflating a tiny bit. He looked away and gave a quick nod. “Please talk.”

  A feeling of power unfurled in my chest and gave me a false sense of courage. Teasing him might provide some needed levity. Too bad it was under such terrible circumstances. “Now, was that so hard?” I ignored Niki's hand squeezing my thigh in warning.

  I squirmed, trying to find a more comfortable spot and totally ignored the continuous growl coming from Lucien's throat. “Evidently, when I went to visit Max, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum forgot to turn their internal security systems on, and someone kidnapped my parents from their bedroom.” I covered Niki's mouth with my hand before he could interrupt.

  “And, I know this because my mother would absolutely never leave her bed unmade. Never. She’d rather be caught singing karaoke.” I shuddered. “Such a disturbing memory on so many levels.”

  I slid my hand from Niki's mouth with a pointed stare as I added, “My parents wouldn’t have left me. Not again. After Mom disappeared and Dad had to leave, he would always tell me goodbye and make sure I had someone to go to if I needed. I was too embarrassed to do it, of course, but that’s neither here nor there.” I raised an accusing eyebrow at Lucien. “After a while, he stopped coming home as often.” I blinked back the sudden collection of moisture pooling dangerously close to the edge of my eyelids. “Besides, Mom and I . . .”

  My voice splintered and I gulped in what little air my constricted chest would allow. One misery-filled glance at Niki, and I found myself buried in a cocoon of strong arms, male chest, and heady cologne—smoky male. I could get used to this.

  I relaxed in Niki's embrace, getting my rioting nerves under better control as I tried to hide in his lap. Too many things had happened during the past couple of days, and my cracks were showing cracks.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned to Lucien's dark gaze. “So now what?”

  He smiled and, wow, what a transformation; brooding and surly to kissable calendar material with just a slight curve of his lips. Amazing.

  “You are very much like your father, Johnna. I’m sorry if I’ve given you a bad first impression. Not only is Gerard my mage, he is also my best friend.” His regard took in both Niki and Malachi, who’d evidently returned during my meltdown. “Besides these two, your father is my most trusted confidant.”

  “The four musketeers, reborn,” I mumbled.

  His smile grew wider. “Yes, I like your analogy. It describes us perfectly.” He winked. “Malachi is Porthos, of course.”

  “Fitting.” I grinned.

  Lucien leaned forward, his face more serious. “I want you to go back to the Pits of Despair and talk to your grandfather. Can you do this?”

  I nodded.

  “Good. Find out what you can about the riddle and see if there’s more he might have left out. I will take care of the Shadows so you won’t have to deal with them. That’s one problem, at least, I can help with.”

  Lucien shifted his intense focus on his two enforcers. “I don’t need to tell you the importance of time. The longer Gerard and Sabine are at the mercy of whoever is behind all this . . .” He settled those piercing eyes on Niki. “There’s also the tiny problem of my official report. My already filed official report. The last thing I want to do is make changes. He doesn’t like changes.”

  My gaze ping-ponged between them, as I tried to figure out Lucien’s coded message.

  “He doesn’t know?” Niki asked.

  “Who doesn’t know? Know what? Who are you talking about?” I was beginning to think maybe I wasn’t as smart as I’d thought.

  A slight tic pulsed in Lucien’s jaw. “When Niki banished your grandfather to the Pits of Despair, the problem should have been taken care of, and I reported as much to my boss.”

  I frowned. “You have a boss? I thought a king was the boss.” I didn’t like the scrunchy looks on their faces and puffed out an aggravated sigh. “I’m missing something again, aren’t I?”

  “Did you ever attend Sunday School when you were younger?” Lucien asked.

  I nodded, not following until the light bulb momentarily blinded me. “No way . . . Lucifer? Lucifer’s your boss, isn’t he?” I tried to swallow, but my mouth had suddenly become the Sahara Desert. “Oh, that can’t be good.”

  Lucien’s dark eyes speared mine, and I forced myself to keep still. “It isn’t. You do not want to know what will happen if this isn’t solved quickly.”

  My thoughts turned back to his first statement, thankfully left unfinished. I didn’t want to think about whatever torture my parents were going through. I couldn’t lose my mother again. I was also just beginning to understand my father. To lose them both? Unthinkable and unacceptable.

  “No. No, I really don’t. Is there anything else you need to tell us before we leave?” Changing the subject seemed the smartest thing to do as I waited impatiently for his reply, my foot tapping a sharp staccato on the stone floor. I truly wanted to get out of here.

  “Two more of my guards were killed early this morning, so find your father.” He tiredly scrubbed his face. “I need Gerard back here ASAP to keep my mother away.”

  My mouth fell open. “You have a mom?”

  “Johnna,” Niki exclaimed.

  “Aaaggghhh.” The sound spewed between Malachi’s short bursts of laughter.

  “Where do you think demons come from, under a rock?” Lucien chastised me.

  My head pounded in time with Malachi’s chortles. I rubbed my temples with the base of my palms, wishing I had some aspirin. “That is not how I meant it. He’s the king—I figured his parents were already dead.” I grimaced when Niki shoved aside my hands, replacing them with his strong fingers. Emphasis on the word ‘strong.’ His fingertips dug into my skull as they massaged away the headache, my shoulders hunching in with each stroke.

  The pain in my head was gone, but I was positive he’d bruised my brain. I grabbed his hands to move them away from my head and pulled them down to my lap, managing a tight grin. It must have worked because he sat back in his chair without a word.

  “Regrettably, no,” Lucien replied. “My mother—the Demon Queen Giselle—is still very much alive and kicking.”

  I touched Niki's arm and leaned close to his ear. “Please take me to my grandfather.”

  The room’s temperature rose twenty degrees, and Lucien sat back, waving a hand absently through the air. “Go. Get out of here before the queen arrives or you’ll n
ever be able to leave.” He pulled the pinky ring from his finger and placed it in my hand, curling my fingers over the small circle. “If you need me, the ring will allow you to call me to wherever you are.”

  Lucien glanced at Niki. “Be safe, Enforcer.”

  Niki stared at him for a moment while something silent passed between them. He stood and pulled me to his side. The swirling sensation whirled around my mind much like what a tornado probably felt like. To my relief, the dizziness lasted only a few seconds.

  The moment my feet touched firm ground, my insides continued to bob as if I were aboard a ship. I still hadn’t gotten used to transporting.

  Clamping my mouth shut, afraid I’d embarrass myself by throwing up, I forced my gaze to focus on Max, who looked . . . well, bad. Really bad. His skin had pulled even tighter over his skull, something I hadn’t thought possible, and it had a sickly gray tint.

  He caught my stare and glowered. “Thought I got rid of you already. What brought you back so soon? The pleasing ambiance?”

  Though I tried to swallow a chuckle, a tiny one slipped out anyway. I coughed to cover it up, pretending interest in the barren landscape. “We couldn’t stay away.” I stroked my chin thoughtfully, unable to keep in the sarcasm. “Ya know, a few trees here and there, flowers, and an ocean full of water would do wonders.”

  “Don’t be disrespectful. What do you want now?”

  I raised one brow as I sat on the seat I’d used earlier, and prodded the chessboard, wondering how to get the pieces to appear. I didn’t have to wait long, maybe seconds, before the same black and white ivory pieces from our last game sat in their proper spots.

  I moved my first candle. “Same rules as before?”

  Grandpops picked up his candle and shrugged. “Sure, I don’t have any plans.”

  I heard Malachi move up behind me and stop next to Niki, whispering loudly, “Has he always been like this?”

  Niki answered softly, “Not really. This place seems to have cheered him up.”

  Smiling, I moved another candle.

  ~ ~ ~

  Several hours later, I sent my souls on to the Death Realm and focused a serious stare on my grandfather who, by now, looked positively horrible. I did the only thing I could think of—I tuned in to the metal chain around his neck and sent a small burst of power.

  The effect was immediate. The gray tone faded, and his skin turned a healthier flesh tone. The dullness cleared from his eyes, and I could see a tiny sparkle in their depths. I liked this look much better.

  “Okay, I won . . . again, so I get to ask my questions.” I stared behind me to see what my two bodyguards were doing. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought they were life-sized statues. Were they sleeping with their eyes open?

  Don’t be silly. Just get the information so we can leave. We’re bored.

  Impatient male.

  Yes, I am. Now hurry up.

  “All right, Grandpops, I need some more info, more clues, or something. Whose or what lies and what wrong? Who did the wrong?”

  His face had a stone-like quality as he sat and stared blankly at me, his pupils dilated. “Find her love and heal the pain.”

  Completely annoyed, I burst out, “That’s it? You’re giving me two more bizarre riddles?”

  “It’s all I’ve got.”

  “Well, it sucks. We still haven’t figured out the first two clues.”

  “Welcome to my world,” Max mumbled.

  Brows raised to my hairline, I stared at my cadaverous grandfather. I could feel my mouth fall open. “Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?”

  “Depends on what you heard. Kids nowadays rarely hear what you want them to.”

  “Stop playing psychologist and explain what you meant. Are you telling me you don’t know what you said or you don’t understand what you said?”

  “Maybe you took after your father’s side of the family after all.”

  Out of sheer frustration, I picked up a small pebble from the path and threw it as far as I could.

  My grandfather looked furious. “Maybe not. You need to be a bit more serious about this, Johnna. Listen closely. The only answer I have is, I don’t know. It’s taken me years to get even this far. It’s also why I was after the information in your mother’s diary. Whatever happened—and the reason I can’t remember—is in the book.”

  I couldn’t argue any further; his reasoning made sense. “If you couldn’t remember anything, how did you know to look for the diary in the first place?”

  “When I was around certain people, I had a feeling, as if I should know them better or I was missing something. Rather like a déjà vu moment but more intense. This feeling happened the most around the queen.”

  His expression darkened. “Johnna, I wasn’t always like this. I used to be a good mage. I was never as powerful as your father. Never wanted to be. But over time, these thoughts and feelings drove me crazy. I needed to know what I’d lost. It’s as if someone tore out part of my life and tossed it away. The worst thing is, I don’t know why.”

  Palpable anger rolled off Niki as he retorted, “Why didn’t you ever say anything? We would have helped you figure this out.” My own skin tingled from his angry waves of energy.

  “I was embarrassed enough thinking I’d lost my mind. Why would I spread it around?”

  “He’s got a point,” Malachi agreed.

  I didn’t like anything about this—the situation or how tight my heart clenched. Guilt dug a massive hole in my stomach, more commonly known as an ulcer, which I was positive I now had. Everyone’s pain bombarded me, but my own was the worst. If only I had known. Stupid of course, because I hadn’t even known my own mother lived.

  I pressed my hand against my rolling stomach. “We’ll figure this all out together, but we can’t do that unless you tell us everything.”

  “The one thing I do know is it has to do with Gerard’s mother, and why she left us.” Max’s face drooped. A lump formed in my throat when I caught a glimpse of the haunted shadows in his eyes. I hadn’t had any doubts before, yet if I had, they would now be gone. I knew the man before me wasn’t evil. He never had been. The rumors floating around weren’t about him. They’d been about some fictional character. My heart told me he’d been fighting for his family.

  Fighting for a stolen love.

  That’s it!

  I knew what the last two clues meant. ‘Find her love’ is about his wife, and ‘Heal the pain’ has to mean Max’s pain—my family’s pain.

  I turned to tell Niki, but from his cringe, I knew I didn’t need to. I’d broadcasted it loud and clear. I gave him a lopsided grin and halfheartedly shrugged. “I guess I think loudly.”

  “You definitely do, imp. We need to work on controlling your volume or my head’s going to explode.” He leaned closer and pressed his lips to my forehead. “I also agree with your conclusion.” His soft voice smoothed over my heart like a cool breeze, making my skin go all goosepimply. I was losing my heart to Niki, and it frightened me more than anything. I’d never had anyone take care of me and didn’t know if I was strong enough to let anyone do it now.

  He tilted his head to one side, his beautiful yellow gaze boring into me as if he could read every emotion, everything I kept hidden.

  I fidgeted, needing to get his focus off me and back on Max. “If the last two clues are about Dad’s mother and the family’s pain, it’s obvious to me what the first two are about. Although, I’m hoping you have a better idea.” Like any good romance reader, I had a gut feeling what they meant, but I wanted to be wrong.

  Niki stared over my head, concentrating on something behind me. I hoped it was only Malachi. My demon wasn’t moving fast and furious in his scary enforcer mode, so I forced my heart back into a semi-normal rhythm. Although with Niki standi
ng so close to me, keeping it nice and steady might prove to be a bit more difficult.

  The longer he stayed silent, the more difficulty I had remaining still. Patience had never been a facet of my personality, but for him, I tried. Switching from one foot to the other and glancing every few seconds at Grandpops was the best I could do. Max looked as if he’d aged ten years since we’d arrived, even with my mini treatment. I chewed on my lower lip, my nerves increasing.

  Max’s arm suddenly flew out, as if he pushed someone or something away. A flash of silver caught my eye. As his arm moved again, I noticed a charm bracelet hanging from his wrist. Kind of girly, but whatever floated his boat. The charms were only visible when his arm flew out, and that motion seemed to be increasing. Had he developed a nervous tic during his short time here?

  From the few times I caught a glimpse, the bracelet wasn’t dainty and sweet. More like tomboy with an attitude, making me feel a tad better about him wearing it.

  The thick links twisted into small spikes pointing from each end with Gothic charms spaced several loops apart. It reminded me of barbed wire, very manly and cool. I recognized a bat, wolf, and gargoyle, but the last one kept getting caught up in his sleeve, making it hard to tell what it was. To me, it sort of looked like Al.

  “If you’re correct about the last two clues, I think the wrong he’s talking about is either what happened in the relationship or because it had been written in your mother’s book.” My body jerked as Niki’s deep voice cut through the barren realm’s complete silence.

  “Could be the two combined,” Malachi interjected. “To be written in an Erinys’ book of woes, a person has to do something really bad against someone else. What if Gerard’s mother or him,” with a flip of his hand, he motioned toward Max, “had been the person Sabine named as being wronged in the book? It would have put the ball in motion for all his actions through the years.”