Looking glumly around the room she saw that someone had left her purse, clothes—even the cut shirt—and Gabriel's coat on the dresser.
Right away she saw that there was a good chance Gabriel's coat was ruined. The jeans she'd wash and hope for the best. She inspected the shirt, noticing a large patch of black on the side. She curled her nose up at what had to be the beast’s blood.
Knowing that thing had bled on her made her skin crawl. All thoughts fled her mind, except getting to the shower as quickly as she could. She dropped her clothes off on the floor, not wanting to take time to actually stop and remove anything. In the bathroom, she turned the water up as hot as she could stand and showered while trying to keep her injured arm out of the water.
It wasn't an easy feat.
Another set of hands would have been ideal, but who would they belong to? She lathered her hair with one hand and thought wistfully of Gabriel, until she remembered that he’d blown off their date that evening.
It had been a date, right? When he asked her about tonight, she had no doubt that's what it was, but now she didn't feel sure.
As much as she hated to think it, Emmit was out of the question. She had no doubts that he would help her wash everything, from head to toe, and she was even more certain that she'd enjoy every minute of it. At least until the morning when she'd hate herself.
Emmit was handsome, rich—although she had no idea where his money came from—and he liked her. But it all felt temporary and fleeting. Even when thinking about Emmit thoughts of anything long term never came to mind. She couldn't even fathom the prospect.
Gabriel was different. She couldn't wait until this disaster was over with. After John was in jail or in the ground—she didn't much care which—and after the witches started talking to her again, maybe things would slow down. If life were normal, with a car, job, and simple days, she'd get the chance to know if there was something real with Gabriel.
There were already feelings building between the two of them, but maybe it was one sided. As she thought about all the times he’d saved her, she feared he’d think being with her wasn’t worth the drama.
That was probably while he called tonight off, seeing as she almost got mauled in the middle of the day by some creature from another dimension.
She turned off the water and struggled to dry off one handed.
Hell, I'm too much drama for me. He's only doing the smart thing.
By the time she was dressed, she was exhausted, but she didn't want to go to sleep yet after announcing that she had things to do. Gabriel wasn't going to let her help with the case at the moment, but that didn't mean she couldn't be of any help at all.
Chapter 11
Grabbing her purse, she wandered in the living room in search of Emmit. The room felt larger when no one was in there beyond herself and her shadow.
"Do you know where Emmit is?" Mira asked the bodyguard.
There was a long pause where he said nothing. She wondered for a moment if he had been told not to answer her, but that was crazy.
Finally, he said, "In his office. Past the kitchen to the right."
"What's your name?" Mira asked on the way.
"Eric, ma'am."
"You can call me Mira."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Or Miranda, if you want to be all formal."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You're going to call me ma'am or Ms. Owens, aren't you?" she asked as she reached what she figured was the door to Emmit's office.
"Yes, ma'am."
When she looked at him, he grinned. "It's for the best," he said. "Please, let me."
He didn't give her a chance to say no. Eric knocked once before stepping in and doing a cursory sweep of the room.
"Thank you, Eric," Emmit said. "I'm sure you're due a break. Mira, please come in and take a seat."
The office was nothing like she’d imagined. There was a desk in the corner, but it looked mostly unused. Instead, a long table with books and stacks of paper stood centrally in the room.
A soft leather couch and a few chairs were set up next to tall windows and she went there to settle in. She enjoyed the feeling of suede when she sat. It was as though the couch would encompass her.
Emmit joined her but said nothing.
"This is a little awkward," she said after a while.
"I wish it wasn't the case," Emmit said.
"What are you working on?" Mira asked, nodding to the table that dominated the room.
"Research, mostly," Emmit said. "The pathways to the Ether haven't been this thin since the witches stopped using them. If what you and Gabriel have described is true, then the issue has gone too far to be fixed by ordinary means."
"Ordinary and the Ether don’t go well together. It sounds all wrong."
"As it should."
"Do you know what happened last time?" Mira asked, leaning her head against the couch. "When the witches disappeared?"
"It's my understanding the Ether was a beautiful place then—almost the opposite as it is now. It was a gleaming, pure reflection of this world. Witches didn't discover the realm, it was shown to them, but they used it often. The time they spent there made them more powerful. For many, it became like an addiction."
Mira knew addiction well, so she said nothing.
"It didn't take long before the witches became out of hand in this world."
"Out of hand, how?" Mira asked.
"They had enough power to do as they pleased. People lived in fear of the witches."
"I didn't know that. I thought they just started disappearing."
"They did disappear. Slowly, at first, then all who entered the Ether never returned. History is what people make of it. The witches that survived were not proud of what had occurred, so they choose to erase many of the facts."
"What happened to them?"
Emmit looked at nothing for a few moments, as though trying to piece together the past. "It's hard to know for sure. The supernatural community was small at the time. Werewolves and vampires had been hunted almost to extinction. Elves were unknown, sorcerers were living on their own—virtually hidden from the entire world—and any mythological creature that couldn't pass as human stayed well away from civilization."
"What do you think happened?" Mira asked, not wanting to let the subject drop.
"People with power, especially if some are misusing that power, create many enemies."
"That's understandable, but with so few supernaturals around, who—"
"Humans."
"But that's..." Mira tried to absorb the idea, but was having difficulty. "I mean, if the witches were so powerful, how could the humans do anything?"
"How are they doing it now?" Emmit asked.
Mira sat quietly, trying to see the flaws. "They're using magic, but it's not only humans."
"This is true, but the humans are involved."
"They have witches helping them now—what did they have back then? Was it... Was it those things? Like the monster that attacked me today?"
"They wouldn't have helped," Emmit said. "When you were in the Ether, you saw the creature covering this building. I think that was what the humans used."
"John said some people called it a god."
"Some do. The elder gods became nothing more than a sentient parasite in the Ether. Thousands of witches have been sacrificed to it throughout the ages. The power of magic keeps it alive and growing, and there will always be humans that want to put an end to those that wield more power than they do."
"How was this stopped last time?" Mira asked.
"Humans had no idea what they’d created. The polarity of the Ether was flipped. Eventually, witches stopped coming for fear they wouldn't return, but the walls between the worlds were so thin that the elder gods could feel the power remaining in our world. I suspect the witches that went to the Ether no longer tasted as good. "
Mira cringed at the thought. "It tried to get through?"
"Yes," Emmit said. "Although I
can't be sure there was only one. It was much smaller than what you've described, but possibly more powerful since it had fresher food. Then again, this one has been fed."
"The ones John killed." Mira felt ill to think that Sally had been murdered to feed this thing.
"And Tyler. From what Gabriel described, there were others as well."
"I didn't see anyone but Tyler and the kids."
"He felt it prudent to spare you those details."
Mira felt heavy and closed her eyes, but nightmarish visions of what might have been in that house greeted her. "The kids?" she asked, not sure she wanted to hear anymore.
"They weren't used for that purpose. I'm not sure why they were being held."
"How do we stop it?" Mira asked.
Emmit looked at the table covered in books and paper. "I thought if I left, the power draw wouldn't be as great, but that is no longer the case. The walls are too thin and there is strong power here, other than mine, to draw on."
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Mira asked.
Emmit gave her a weak smile. "I wanted to keep you out of it as much as possible. For many reasons, not all of them good ones."
"And Gabriel?"
"Gabriel is too important to risk. He'll watch out for you, but this whole world might need him in the end."
"Why?"
"Angels are hard to come by and greatly needed. You could say they keep a kind of balance in this world."
Mira's trouble with Gabriel sounded minuscule by comparison.
"He'll need you as well."
Not believing that for even a moment, she cleared her throat and tried to shift gears away from Gabriel. "Now that you've told me, how do we stop this thing?"
"I'm sure I'll find an answer soon," Emmit said smoothly.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Not until I know what I'm doing."
"Would you let me know if I could do anything?"
Emmit smiled at her. "Possibly."
Mira shook her head. "Out of curiosity, why are you letting me know about this now?"
"Witches are good at keeping track of things if they want to. Spell books are passed down for hundreds of years, rewritten as needed. Even if you change a spell, families are usually able to trace things to the source."
"You want me to check spell books?"
"That wouldn't hurt, but I'm afraid the witches in the past wouldn't have wanted to record this knowledge. The reason I'm letting you know now is so that you'll write it down. Keep track of the information. The truth needs to be passed down in case it's needed again."
"Are you sure?"
"I am. Who knows, maybe one of your descendants will help a future Harker."
"Why are you the one doing this?"
He smiled again. "People always wonder what type of supernatural the Harkers are."
Mira lifted her head, feeling suddenly alert. She definitely wanted to know the same.
"The truth is, I'm a Harker. It's not only who I am, but what I am. My family has prevented, stopped, and even eradicated many conflicts in the past. It was my ancestor that sealed off the Ether the last time."
"How come no one knows that?"
"Some do. Lance has seen some of the work Harkers have done."
"Are there many Harkers?" Mira realized what she asked and rushed to correct herself. "You don't have to answer that, of course. I mean, I know you have a sister, but I didn't know if there were any other Harkers out in the world."
"There are very few, for good reason," he said.
"Why's that?" Mira asked.
"The witches, vampires, and werewolves weren't the only ones to let themselves get out of control."
"Oh," Mira said, surprised. "I've never heard anything about it."
"History is what you make it," Emmit repeated his earlier sentiment.
Mira's head whirled with information, and she felt even more tired than she previously had. "Thank you for telling me."
"You may not want to thank me in the end," Emmit said. "I should get back to work, and you look as though you could use some rest."
Mira nodded. "I need to do some stuff first."
"Someone has delivered the prescription the doctor left for you."
"I need to go to my apartment."
Emmit looked uncomfortable. "I'm not certain that's wise. We don't know where John might be."
"Since I doubt anyone will let me out of here alone, I'm sure someone will be with me."
"Reinfield's men are only human. At least most of them."
"Last time I was home an angel and a Harker couldn't stop John."
"All the more reason for you to stay here," Emmit said. "If you make a list, we can have someone go over and get anything you need."
"Not a chance," Mira said. "What I'm after they'd never be able to find."
Emmit frowned and drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch.
"In case you missed it," Mira said, starting to get aggravated, "I wasn't asking. It was more of a 'heads up, I'm going out.’"
"Would it be possible to wait until tomorrow?" Emmit asked. "It'll allow time for Reinfield's men to double check the area."
Mira opened her mouth to argue out of reflex, but her arm was starting to ache, and an evening curled up in her room with Alchemy and Oracle sounded ideal. "I do have another errand that I have to run tomorrow. I guess it wouldn't hurt to wait." It wasn't like she had the energy to cast any spells that night anyway.
"Thank you," Emmit said. "I'd love to join you, if you don't mind."
"We'll see."
***
Mira assumed it was the pain in her arm that woke her up, but her cell phone started ringing again. Despite the one AM call time, Mira jumped out of bed, feeling alert.
Normally, Mira never slept with the phone volume up, but she’d fostered a small hope that her sister or mother may chance a late-night call.
The number was unknown to Mira, but she answered anyway. "Hello."
"Is this Mira Owens?"
Her tiny ray of hope burned out. "It is."
"I'm sorry to bother you so late, but your friend Tyler is awake and asking for you. Normally we would wait, but he is quite insistent that he see you tonight and refuses to rest."
Tyler has been 'resting' for days, Mira thought. He's probably aggravated about the missed time. It’s definitely his way.
There was a knock at the door.
"Tell him I'm on my way," Mira said.
When she hung up, the door cracked open. In a low voice, a man asked, "Is there anything you need assistance with, Ms. Owens?"
"Yes," Mira said, not bothering to be quiet. "I need a ride to the hospital."
The man looked alarmed and stepped into the room, already searching for hidden threats. "Are you inj—"
"It's not for me, I need to go see my friend." Mira snapped on a light and began to rush through getting ready.
Tonight's bodyguard wasn't comfortable leaving the room. That’s what I get for surprising the man in the middle of the night, Mira thought distractedly. He was probably intending on doing nothing more than seeing how long he could stand without blinking.
Lesson learned, never startle your own bodyguard. Mira ground her teeth, waiting for the man to clear the bathroom.
Once again, she told herself this was going too far. There was no way she could continue living with someone shadowing her at all times of the day and night.
Then she remembered the creature that had attacked her.
Maybe a few more days wouldn’t hurt.
"Is the car ready?" she asked as she grabbed her purse and phone.
"There is a vehicle waiting for us out front."
She glanced around her bedroom one last time, always feeling that she was missing something when she rushed.
Alchemy tried to trip her up, but didn't follow her out of the room.
Emmit waited for her at the front door.
"Did the hospital call you, too?" Mira asked.
; "No," Emmit said. "I was fortunate enough to get the message, however. May I accompany you?"
Tyler had asked for her, but she figured having Emmit along wouldn't hurt. They were also friends, after all.
"Of course," Mira said.
The elevator stood waiting for them, and in a few minutes, they were on their way across town.
For some reason, Mira felt satisfied that her bodyguard for the night had been left at the apartment. Sure, there were two men in the front seat that could serve the same purpose, but they were probably more worried about Emmit.
He paid the bills, after all.
The city center still thrived, even when the late hours of the night tripped over and became the early hours of the morning. As they moved away from the tall buildings the night turned lonely and forlorn.
"How is your arm this morning?" Emmit asked.
"Not bad," Mira lied, figuring as soon as she got home she would take one of the pain pills prescribed. She could rough it until then.
"It's amazing that when someone is around a person like Gabriel, they become worse at lying instead of better."
Mira turned to deny it, but saw the grin that played on Emmit's face. She couldn't help but match it.
Lights flared behind Emmit, illuminating the truck. Then metal and glass crunched in, swallowing Emmit.
Mira's heart didn't have time to catch up. She was slung around like a rag doll, smashing into airbags as the car was thrown around.
Glass flew around her and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. Movement slowed, stopped, and then nothing but the sound of an engine remained. Mira didn't move—there hadn't been any time for panic or fear, only shock. If she moved now, she was certain that pain would shortly follow.
Doors slammed.
Good, she thought someone’s here. They can get help. She dared to open her eyes.
In the seat in front of her, the man didn't move. She could only bear to look at the driver for a few moments. She turned to Emmit and cried out.
The side of the truck and the roof had been pushed over him. His seat had collapsed back, which probably saved his life.
She hoped it had saved his life.
"Emmit?"
Only his upper body was visible. His head was turned toward her, but his eyes were shut.
Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Page 59