Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1)

by Amanda Booloodian

  "Emmit!" Mira began fumbling to remove her seatbelt but was having trouble finding it. Her hands were shaking. They didn't want to work.

  Her car door was wrenched open as she unclipped her belt.

  She arched forward to reach Emmit, but hands grabbed her arm and pulled her out.

  Someone hooked their arms under hers and dragged her backwards, away from the wreckage. With each step the person took, Mira could see more of the scene.

  A garbage truck had hit them on the driver's side.

  Sirens rose in the distance and she hoped the empty streets would help to reach them quickly.

  Mira was dropped unceremoniously on the ground, where she smacked her head on concrete. White lights popped behind her closed eyes.

  "Hey! Hey! Open your eyes, damn you!"

  Mira blinked a few times, letting the figure come into view.

  She screamed.

  "Yeah, I have that effect on people," said the scarred face. "Get up."

  John's face was covered in burn scars, but that wasn't what caused her stomach to revolt. The creature was still using John’s body, despite the fact that his shell looked beyond being dead.

  "You're hard to get at," John said, kicking her leg lightly. "Now, we've got to go."

  Mira was still trying to wrap her mind around what had happened.

  "Come on," John grabbed her under the arms and tried to drag her to her feet.

  "I'm not going with you," Mira said. In the back of her mind, she knew that she wasn't protesting or being as forceful as she should, but that part of her was being blocked out by the confusion and shock of the incident.

  He struggled for a while longer before dropping her. "Dammit, get up already! You stupid—"

  John stopped and looked around, apparently startled. Then he reached for her again.

  Her brain kicked into low gear, realizing that it was a dead man reaching out for her. She pushed herself onto her elbows and scuttled to the side.

  "Stupid witch," he spat. "That's okay, though. If you won't come with me now, then you're going to come to me later."

  "What?" Mira asked, tears running down her face.

  "That's right, princess. You're going to ditch your guards and leave your tower. If you don't, the witch in the hospital is dead, your angel friend will be taken away, and then we'll move on to your family."

  "What?"

  Nothing John was saying was soaking in.

  The sound of metal scraping against metal made John's head whip around to the accident.

  "I'm out of time. You've got my number. You should, anyway, it hasn't even been an hour since I called."

  "You—"

  "When I call, you'll come, or I'll make you regret it."

  He disappeared.

  Mira laid, stunned, on what she hoped was the sidewalk. The cold seeped through her clothes. Seconds ticked by as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

  "Mira!"

  Thoughts of John tore away like cobwebs. "Gabriel?" She didn't yell—she was too dazed and too cold to yell. Even the concept of raising her voice made her head ache.

  "Shit."

  Feet pounded toward her and she leveraged herself up to a sitting position.

  Gabriel appeared over her. He took off his coat, which he immediately tossed over Mira. It didn't take her body long to soak up the warmth Gabriel had left behind.

  "Lay down," Gabriel said, somehow maintaining a professional composure.

  "Where did you come from?" Mira asked.

  His calmness broke. "I— I tried to call... I didn't make it in time. I tried—"

  The sound of metal bending out of shape made Gabriel look up.

  "Tell me where it hurts," he said, more adamant this time.

  Mira had to think about the question. She was feeling light headed, and the world didn't seem real anymore. Could it be real if John was in it?

  "Mira, answer me," Gabriel insisted.

  "I think... I think I'm cold. Help me up."

  "Not a chance, you could be hurt. There's an ambulance on the way."

  "There are a million airbags in that vehicle and it's freezing. I only hit my head on the concrete when..." She didn't want to finish that statement. It still seemed unreal.

  "Mira!" It was a roar more than a yell.

  Mira cringed, wondering what fresh hell was about to be bestowed on her.

  "Jesus, Harker," Gabriel snapped. "Shut the hell up."

  Gabriel had barely got out his name before Emmit appeared beside them.

  "She's alive?" Emmit asked, barely disguising his fury.

  When she moved to stand, Gabriel moved closer and her way up was barred.

  "You're going to scare her. Back off," Gabriel said.

  But Mira wasn't scared of Emmit. All fear was reserved for John. Still, hot energy poured over her and she decided the wisest decision would be to stay on the ground.

  "Go help the others," Gabriel said.

  "No." Emmit's voice was a dark dam ready to burst. "I can't be found on the scene."

  "You're leaving?" Gabriel asked through clenched teeth.

  "I will momentarily now that I see she is alive."

  "It's not life threatening," Gabriel said. "At least as far as I can tell."

  "Where were you?" Emmit asked. "Someone did this and you were nowhere."

  "Go to hell," Gabriel said. "And if you're going to leave, do it. The ambulance is almost here."

  "Give me a moment," Emmit said, trying to bring his anger under control.

  "Not a chance."

  "You're a cop," Emmit snapped. "Go check on the others."

  Gabriel glared up at him and they stared at each other. Mira had no idea what passed unspoken between them.

  "I'll be right back," Gabriel said. "One minute."

  Emmit crouched down next to her and took her hand, but he watched Gabriel until he was well away.

  Then he looked at her, slowly taking in every inch of her as though he was able to look beyond her clothes to the skin beneath.

  "Are you badly injured?" Emmit asked, his voice softer than she’d expected.

  "No, but I'm cold. Help me up."

  "We should take Gabriel's advice on this. Wait until a professional can check on you."

  "Emmit Harker, if you don't help me up right now, I'll—I'll—"

  Emmit watched her, eyebrows raised, waiting for the end of the sentence.

  Threatening to curse Emmit seemed ludicrous, so Mira changed tactics. "Just help me up."

  "You have some fire in you." A small smile appeared as Emmit took Mira’s hand and pulled her up, but he watched her carefully.

  Mira clutched at Gabriel's coat and wrapped it around her once she was steady.

  "I'm not sure what happened tonight," Emmit said, "but I will find out."

  Mira was going to tell him about John, but her brain and mouth seemed to be disagreeing on that course of action.

  The sirens were almost to them.

  "I'll be nearby," Emmit said.

  He was gone the moment the words left his mouth.

  Chapter 12

  Dreams came and went. Angels and demons fighting. The mysterious Chris, smoking his pipe while watching Mira run, trying to escape John.

  Sometimes she fought alongside the demon, sometimes the angel. There were times when they both battled against her and she stood no hope.

  When she clawed her way out of a twisted dream—one where she and John stood over Gabriel and laughed—she opened her eyes to a brightly lit room. Sadly, it was one completely unfamiliar to her.

  When she moved, muscles protested and she groaned.

  Memories from the night before came out of hiding. The night had become a string of flashing lights and commotion. One of Reinfield's men had died on the scene, and the other had been injured.

  Mira was the only one left from the accident that hadn’t been forced to go to the hospital, but the EMTs checked her out on the scene.

  Another person was foun
d dead as well. The other driver hadn't been wearing his seatbelt. Mira wondered if John had forced the man to drive, or if the man had been working with John.

  The driver would never be able to tell them.

  When Gabriel took her away from the mess, Mira had fallen asleep as he drove carefully through the city. She remembered waking up and going into a house and...

  And that's it, I guess, Mira thought.

  She tried to stretch, but her body was one big ache made worse when she spread her arms wide.

  Noises from another room forced Mira out of bed, despite not being happy with the movement. She was still fully dressed from last night, minus shoes.

  Mira practically tiptoed across the room and slowly opened the door, only to find a short empty hallway, at the end of which she found Gabriel, humming while cooking.

  "Oh good," Gabriel said when he noticed her. "You're up."

  "Yeah." Mira didn't remember the decision to go to Gabriel's, but her heart warmed at the idea that she was there.

  "How are you feeling this morning?"

  "Sore," Mira admitted.

  "I've got something for that. And lunch is almost ready."

  "Thanks."

  "Don't thank me yet—we still need to talk about last night."

  Mira wrinkled her nose at the suggestion and looked around. "You have a nice house."

  "Thanks." Gabriel tipped a sandwich out of the pan and onto a plate before sliding it across the counter to her.

  "This smells good."

  "I think you'll like it. Let's take a seat."

  The kitchen had a breakfast table next to two large side-by-side windows. Mira could only see a fence and sky when she looked out, but at least the sun was shining.

  "Do you remember everything that happened last night?"

  "Yeah. Up to the point I fell asleep, anyway. How is..." She realized she didn't know the other passengers’ names and her stomach dropped.

  "Harker is fine, if that's what you're worried about. He's called a few times."

  "Not Emmit. The others."

  "You already know about the driver. The passenger has a broken arm and he's bruised pretty badly."

  Mira pictured her driver and turned inward. "I can't believe... I mean..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to think about it.

  "It was a bad wreck. We're lucky it didn't kill everyone involved."

  Mira nodded.

  "The authorities are looking into the accident. Harker is digging deeper, but can't seem to find anything about the driver to indicate this was anything other than an accident. The only thing out of place is Tyler. He never woke up."

  Mira shook her head.

  "I, on the other hand, think you know something. I found you a dozen yards away, and it didn't look like you got there on your own."

  "It was John." Mira didn't see the point in trying to hide the fact.

  "Jesus. That asshole has more lives than a cat."

  "He was burned pretty badly, but he's still going."

  More for something to do rather than hunger, Mira started to eat lunch, which was even better than it smelled.

  "What did he want?" Gabriel asked.

  Mira twisted uncomfortably in her seat. That was the part she really didn't want to discuss.

  "He wanted you," Gabriel guessed.

  "Yes," Mira said with a sigh. "I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow."

  "His brain must be starting to die if he thinks you'll meet go anywhere near him."

  "Right," Mira said halfheartedly.

  Gabriel drummed his fingers on the table. "Why does he think you'll come?"

  "Tyler. He said he'd kill Tyler and..." Mira faltered. Did she want Gabriel to know John had threatened him as well? "And go after my family."

  "And?" Gabriel asked.

  She had no idea if he’d heard the lie by omission or if he was just that good at reading people. "He said he'd take you away."

  Gabriel shook his head. "Tyler's easy to look after—Harker can put some people on it, I'm sure. We can get word to your family as well. I think the community will help."

  "And you?"

  Gabriel looked at her like she was crazy. "If he comes near either of us, I'll shoot him. This time I won't stop until he stops moving."

  Mira knew that was easy to say, but much harder to put into practice.

  When their plates were empty, Gabriel stacked them and put them next to the sink.

  "I can do the dishes if you want," Mira said, following him.

  "They can wait. You should put some shoes on. I have nightmares about you not wearing shoes."

  Mira wiggled her toes. "I'm not sure where you put them."

  "Under the bed. You should grab your stuff, too. We need to get over to Harker's place."

  Mira's shoulders sagged at the thought.

  "We won't be there long." Gabriel's voice dropped the professional edge he'd been using since she woke. "Unless you want to be there longer, of course."

  That was enough to perk Mira up. "Are we doing more interviews today?"

  Gabriel had a worried look in his eyes. "Not today. We're moving you out of Harker's place and into here."

  "Here, as in your house?"

  "There are two extra bedrooms, so you can take your pick—or stay in one and we can set the other up for your workshop. There's also space in the garage you can use. I'm not sure where you can hide stuff, but I bet we can come up with something."

  "You want me to move in with you?"

  He seemed to be losing steam. "If you'd rather stay at Harker's place I'm sure he has other rooms I can use."

  "No!" Mira said much more quickly than she intended. "No. But maybe I should move back home."

  "I can sleep on the couch."

  Mira's lips sprung up in the corners. "Are you planning on following me around?"

  "Yes," he said, completely serious. "I'm not going to be so far away again. And relying on others..." he trailed off as he seemed to forget what he was going to say. "Anyway, I'm sticking close by."

  "You can't blame yourself for last night," Mira said, reading between the lines. "The creature living inside John appears to be getting desperate."

  Gabriel said nothing.

  Mira felt that words would be wasted trying to convince him further. "Does Emmit know you want me to move out? After last night I'm surprised he hasn’t tracked me down yet."

  "I thought it best to tell Harker face to face." Gabriel grinned, but managed to hide it quickly.

  "That should be a fun conversation," Mira said.

  "In the end, it's your choice."

  "My choice to have you follow me around?"

  "That's my choice," Gabriel said. "Your choice is whether I get the couch, my own bed, or if I have to sleep outside your apartment in my car."

  Mira liked how he casually left out Emmit's apartment.

  Gabriel being beside her, that was something she could live with—wanted to live with—but there was no way she'd admit it.

  "Let's give your bed a shot," she said.

  He grinned. "That sounds more promising than I intended."

  She couldn't help but return the smile. "Good."

  Butterflies swarmed Mira's stomach while they looked at each other. Her breathing became shallower and faster.

  The phone rang, killing the moment.

  "That'll be Harker." Gabriel made no move to answer the phone. Instead, he looked pointedly down to her feet.

  She wriggled her toes again in response.

  "Shoes," he said. "Then we can go before Harker ruptures something."

  ***

  Emmit wasn't happy, but didn't react quite the way Mira had anticipated.

  He calmly asked to speak to Gabriel for a while alone, so Mira just shrugged and went to pack her things.

  When she entered the room, she could only stare around. She'd been here less than a week, but somehow she had burrowed into the place. How could she dig her way out?

  Figuring
the bathroom to be the most difficult part, since she had used it as her only true sanctuary away from people, she skipped it and started with the closet.

  How did she have so many clothes? She swore the hangers spontaneously created them somehow. After she folded a few outfits and laid them out on the bed, she second-guessed her packing. It wasn't a permanent move any more than staying in Emmit’s apartment. What would Gabriel think if she hauled tons of stuff over to his house?

  The other issue was luggage. She had a few bags to pack things around in and nothing more.

  Mira sorted through her belongings. She'd just have to explain to Emmit that she'd return for the rest. Even though her apartment wasn't in use, she could still store her stuff there.

  Packing only what she needed for the next few days was a quick process. Rising and falling energy could be felt in the living room, but the two weren't shouting.

  Maybe it was an improvement?

  Instead of interrupting, Mira wound her way through the hallways, crossing the kitchen and letting herself into Emmit's study.

  John wanted strength, and since she had the most, it raised a big fat target on her back. He wasn't going to let her go.

  Emmit had the only information she knew of about the Ether.

  The table was long and crowded with materials. At first, she only walked around it, searching for a trace of anything that might look familiar. At the far end, she decided to delve into the mess. She carefully opened the nearest book, finding a language so far different than her own that even the letters didn't make any sense.

  Moving on, she found where Emmit must have been working. The surrounding books had some symbols of witchcraft, some English, and another in Latin.

  More importantly, she found his notes.

  Emmit wrote in a mixture of Latin and English. Since college was a few years in the past, and Mira hadn't seen a lick of Latin since, she could only make rough translations of what he was saying. His drawings, however, were more intelligible.

  The first illustration showed a double circle, much like the one that she had used when she’d cast the Balance spell for him. This one had runes along the outside. From what she could see, there was no matching potion to go with it, so she assumed he must be intending straight circle magic.

  On the next page she found another double circle, much smaller, with three points surrounding, but this one didn't even have runes around it.