The usual jovial Devon was opening up to me. A rush of longing mixed with happiness for her made me nibble on my nail. A habit I had given up a long time ago. One that was meant to bring me comfort when I was feeling a little insecure.
“I’m really happy for you,” I said as I spat out the bit of nail I’d chewed off.
Smiling, Devon yanked my hand away from my mouth. “Come on, let’s go and find your enemy.”
Without giving me warning, she flashed us to the living area. There was a big carved table in the centre with a map of London on it. Dave waved me over at the same time as Kate stuck her fingers into the bowl. Lifting them, she closed her eyes as the blood dripped.
“Wow,” she breathed. “This man is full of so much pain.”
Having Lucien’s blood meant we could access far more than we’d ever been able to before. Kate’s reading could go one of two ways. She could find out everything about him or nothing if he had cloaked himself.
Straightening my spine, I joined them in front of the map. They had taken the lead, which had been healthy for my wellbeing, but I wasn’t going to wallow anymore. Devon’s words reminded me of how much I needed to step up. How much I needed to be there for my team.
“What can you see, Kate?” I asked as I rolled up the sleeves to my jacket and took the bowl in my hands.
Shuddering, Kate kept her eyes closed. I could see the frantic movement of her eyeballs under her eyelids. What was it like to see the past? Or future in most seers’ cases?
“Lucien’s father is cruel, controlling him. That man has spewed hate into Lucien’s brain since he was born. He’s warped him. He’s pure evil. Greed and lust for immortality has turned him into a monster, willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive. Including having many children to steal the firstborn and drain them of life in order to give him another lifetime.”
Putting my hand on my stomach, I watched her closely. I couldn’t even get round the idea that Xvair Harvey was killing babies in order to have many more years on Earth. The man needed executing by the human government as soon as possible. There was no way in a million years I would allow him to have any children of mine. I’d rather never have sex again to prevent ever getting pregnant. Extreme, but it was what I was willing to do to stop the man.
“Let’s find him,” Dave said, squeezing my shoulder.
Devon came to the other side of the table and offered her hands. Nodding, I placed my finger in the bowl and scooped a drop of blood out. Hovering over the map, I allowed the bright red liquid to drop onto the glass surface of the table. The map was underneath, protected from all the magic that was performed on it.
“He’s determined to marry you,” Kate said. “The prophecy is in a grimoire in Xvair’s library. I can see Lucien reading it.”
Taking Devon’s hands in mine, I swallowed hard. The energy of her magic was strong as our connection linked. I dug into the ley line, allowing the light magic to raise through my soles.
“Something has been wrong with the line,” Devon muttered as she cleared her throat.
There was no point in going into detail. At the moment, our case was classified, even to the Hunted Witch Agency. We had to take down Lucien and Xvair before we could let Devon and her team know the risk that the men posed. Luckily, Devon was focusing so hard on our impending spell, she didn’t take notice of what Kate was saying.
“I’ll go and write my findings down.” Kate took the offered towel from Jake as she backed away. “Let me know when you need me.”
Dismissing her with a nod, I closed my eyes. Devon’s grip tightened when I started to chant the location spell. Her voice quickly followed mine, the Latin words drifting from her tongue. Power started to grow inside me, the strength of it akin to what I’d been used to before I’d died. Devon’s connection was intensifying my own. Oh, how I missed it. Tears sprung to my eyes as magic flowed freely, settling on the blood that rested on the table.
“It’s working,” Dave whispered.
A burst of energy sucked out of us and into the blood. Letting go of Devon, I watched the blood as it slowly moved across the map, towards a spot near Battersea.
“That’s the old power plant. Looks like our friends are hiding out in there. Hasn’t it been knocked down?”
Dave grabbed out his tablet and googled it. Humming to himself as he read, he put up a finger. “Not quite finished. Okay, we’ve got a location, let’s go.”
Taking pictures of where the blood had come to a rest, he tucked his tablet away and offered me his hand. Waving it away, I looked at Devon. Gerard had waited outside for us, but I could hear him pacing the hallway. We were probably taking Devon away from their own case.
“Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.”
A smirk came over her face. “No worries. I knew the top dog would want my help one day. I’m catching up to your awesomeness.”
The bark of a laugh escaped from Dave, drawing both of our attention. Cocking her hip out with her hand resting on it, Devon stared at Dave. “And, your desk friend is much hotter than I’d imagined.”
Choosing to ignore her remark, I went closer to Jake. “We need a backup team. Can you call my mum and arrange one while we go and scope out the place?”
This time, Dave and I wouldn’t go near anything that looked remotely like Lucien, Xvair or their home. It was time to take them down properly, by any means necessary.
“Wait...” Dave interrupted me before Jake could reply.
Glancing over my shoulder, I waited to hear what my desk friend wanted to say. He looked pointedly at Devon who rolled her eyes and shook her head at the same time.
“I get the hint.” She turned to leave us. “Just let me know if you need any help.”
Calling a thank you, I smiled when she waved without looking back. Once the door had clicked closed behind her, Dave took a deep breath.
“What is it?”
The agitation in him was evident by the way he bit his lip harshly between his strong white teeth. Whatever he wanted to say was going to be difficult to come out. That wasn’t like him.
“You’re powerful, Gem, but...” His sentence trailed off as he glanced at Jake.
The shifters strong hand landed on my shoulder. “Maybe you can ask the ancestors for assistance?”
Ah, okay. They didn’t think I was strong enough to bring Xvair and Lucien down. Heat seared my skin as shame flamed over it. It felt like the hairs on my arms singed, but it was all in my mind.
Looking at the toes of my boots, I scuffed them against the plush maroon carpet. Maybe they were right. Asking the ancestors for assistance might be the tipping point of capturing Xvair and Lucien. Pride was useless in this situation. Reaching out to my mother or the top dogs in MI5 was impossible, especially if I wanted to keep my place as an agent. Dave had been an expert at making sure our reports were tight. No doubts about the case had cropped up. In fact, my mother had been quiet since she’d helped me. Our progress was obviously pleasing to her.
“I’ll do it.” Looking at Jake, I pointed towards the door. “Please go and tell Kate what’s happening. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
Saluting me, he left us alone. Blinking slowly, I glanced at Dave. “I hate being so powerless.”
In two steps, he was in front of me. He had been about to reach out but pushed his fingers through his loose hair instead. “You’re not powerless. Gemma, there’s no shame in needing help occasionally. Maybe the universe is trying to help you to... I dunno, connect with people more.”
Hanging my head, I stared at the Goonies logo on my T-shirt. I hadn’t expected my desk friend to be so spiritual. Illusionist witches often felt disconnected from the universe or Mother Earth because of their inability to connect to magic.
“I’ve never needed anyone,” I muttered. “I...” Glancing up, I took his hand and squeezed hard. “Thank you.”
Sucking his lip into his mouth, Dave blinked rapidly. “You’re welcome. Just know that we won’t
let you down. No matter what happens, we’ll get Xvair and Lucien. After that, we’ll figure out how to bring you back. And, I mean completely. I won’t let you die. You mean too much to me.”
As my heart played like a drum, Dave reached out and took my hand. I was tempted to ask him what he meant, but I chickened out as the heat of his fingers sent tingles up my arm. He enjoyed working with me, that’s all he meant.
“The ancestors will help,” he said as I got ready to transport us. “If they don’t, I’ll launch a personal vendetta against them.”
Chapter 13
“Back so soon?” Helga said as we entered the church.
A shudder shook me as I remembered the last time I had been there. Everything had happened so fast, I hadn’t even had time to process the fact that my father had not only come back from the dead, but had also been evil at the same time.
“We need to see the ancestors.” My less than polite approach drew a frown from both Dave and Helga.
Quickly interrupting, Dave jogged down the aisle ahead of me. “What she means to say is that we’d appreciate it a ton if you could help us contact the ancestors?”
Spinning to me, he widened his eyes and gestured to the ancient witch as she bent over her spell table. What? Did I really have to put on all the pleasantries to do something I wasn’t in the mood for?
“Well, this is what it will feel like to marry you!” Dave’s exclamation made my feet come to a halt.
He had a grin on his face, but I wasn’t laughing. Yes, he had often joked about us marrying one day, well before I’d died, but the subject was a little touchy right now.
“Helga,” I called, thrusting around my desk friend. “Please, help me.”
My plea was strained, the tone of my voice tight. Shit, I hadn’t realised how hard it was to ask for assistance, and yet, it felt like that’s all I was doing in the last few days.
The Viking witch turned her head to look at me. She must have taken pity on me because her hard gaze softened. Frizzy grey hair moved as she nodded for me to join her up on the platform.
Going to her, I ignored Dave as he joined us. Helga finished grinding herb roots and put them aside. Her energy was soft, nurturing, as she gently took my hand. “What is it? I can feel your anxiousness.”
Relaxing my shoulders, I tried to appear calm. My insides quivered as I contemplated my next move. Reaching out for the ancestors was risky. I would never bother if they hadn’t spoken to me first. I had to persuade them to help me to end Lucien and Xvair’s reign of terror.
“We’ve found the men responsible for draining the ley line. We need help to stop them. If we can’t, my father’s warning about the veil disappearing will come true.”
Helga’s arms started to shake. Letting go of me, she pointed to the circle on the platform to the right. “We better get you a link to the ancestors then.”
Relief flooded me as I tiptoed over and stepped into the salt circle. Dave gave me a thumbs up when I turned to face them. Having Helga’s help would mean that I didn’t have to wait to speak to the ancestors. If possible, I wanted to go for Lucien and Xvair straight away. It was time to end this.
“You’ll need to use a blood connection to reach them,” Helga said.
Remembering the ritual I’d performed with my mother, I took my Essex dagger out of my holster. The silver glinted in the sunlight that streamed through the stain-glass window. Without hesitating, I sliced my palm, allowing a few drops of my blood to drip onto the hard stone floor. As soon as the liquid sizzled, Helga started her chant.
“Good luck,” Dave called as my head fell back and my eyes closed.
Clouds suddenly grew thick around me, wind forcing my ponytail to flick around my shoulders. My mind begged the ancestors to answer my call. I had to speak to-
“What’s happening?” a female voice asked.
Opening my eyes, I almost stumbled. We were in the meadow, the usually light clouds dark and red above us. Heavy with rain, they looked like they were about to burst.
“I’ve found them,” I shouted over the loud whistle of wind.
The one with blonde hair stepped closer and grabbed my hand. “Why are you here? Why have you not stopped them from draining the line?”
Seeing what was happening in this realm made my palms sweat. The ley line was in worse shape than I realised.
“I need your help.” Looking at all four of the ancestors, every one of them in long white gowns, I wondered if I would be one of them in the future. Only those who were good in life would serve the Earth in death. Other witches would go to the other side or the universe’s version of hell, which I knew nothing about.
“What do you want?” The curt question made me swallow down my fear.
Nothing they did or said would prevent me from getting what I needed. Well, maybe that was a bit of an arrogant stance, but I would try my damn hardest. I was no longer in a book. My real life had become much more consuming than my books. I had to be the agent I knew I was capable of being.
“As you know, my connection to the ley line is compromised. Please give me more power so I can bring these men down. I can’t defeat them without my pure magic.”
A gust of wind almost knocked one of the ancestors down. There didn’t seem to be much power left in this realm. I desperately had to sever Lucien’s link to the ley line.
“And you think you’ll be able to end this man quickly?” The hesitation on their faces was apparent as they stared at me.
One of them bit their lip, their hands clenched by their sides. Looking around, I spotted the Essex graveyard in the distance. Two tombstones toppled over as I watched, their crash loud in our ears as the breeze carried it towards us.
“We know where he is, I have a huge team ready to take him down. It’s me he wants. I need to be the one to disconnect him from the line. I can’t do that as I am now.”
My words flew away, but the ancestors must have heard as one of them came closer and gestured for the others to join her. “We don’t have much power left, Gemma. If we channel our magic through you, you’ll have enough to do what you need to do. If you fail, we won’t recover, we’ll be lost to the void, and so will this realm.”
Wow, talk about pressure beating down on my shoulders. Maybe I shouldn’t have come to the ancestors for help. I hadn’t expected so much expectation to be placed on me. A dead witch with a weak link to the ley line.
“I...”
“It’s okay,” one of the other witches said as she took her friend’s hand. “We believe in you, Gemma. Your mother trained you to be the best. Every moment of your life has led you to this.”
It had? Oh jeez, that didn’t help at all. Since I was young, I’d had a confidence that most found arrogant. Recently, with my death and all, I’d lost that. My ego had been knocked down a peg or two.
“I’ll try my hardest.” Weak words at best, but that’s all I could promise. They might have faith in me, but I’d somehow lost my belief in myself.
“You can do it!”
Another of them put her hand up. “If you’re successful, we’ll use our power to bring you back to life without consequences.”
My knees almost gave out as I breathed deeply, my hand on my chest. Really? My life also depended on my ability to detach Lucien Harvey. Boy, my mission really was set out for me.
The ancestors joined hands and started to chant. A rush of energy pulsed on the grass beneath my feet. Heat rose inside me, pooling at the pit of my stomach. Strength that had been missing since I’d died came flooding back.
“Go now!”
Their bark echoed in my head as I was whisked away from the field and back into my body in the church. My gasp was loud in the silent church as my eyes flew open. Humming in my veins made my muscles burn with tension. Magic lined every part of me.
“You did it,” Dave whispered as his dark eyes raked over me.
Lifting my hands, I glanced at them. They were glowing with light, the colour quickly fading as the power
settled in my bones.
“Let’s go!”
Looking at Helga, I smiled my thanks. She waved at me in dismissal. “Please, save the ancestors.”
Had she heard the conversation with the ancestors?
Not bothering to think too hard on it, I joined Dave as we jogged down the aisle. He glanced at me, a glint in his eye.
“There’s the Gemma I know and love.”
Shaking my head, I couldn’t help the smile that came to my face. “It feels good to be back. However...” I dragged the last bit out as we exited the church and prepared to flash to our team. “If we don’t do this right, not only will I stay dead, the whole world will die along with me.”
Chapter 14
“You’re all in place?” I spoke into the walkie talkie.
There were several of us in my team now. I’d called in reinforcements. Too many mishaps would cause chaos in our world, which meant we had to take Xvair, and especially Lucien, down immediately. Lucien was the threat with his weird connection to the line.
The talkie crackled as three people affirmed that they were in place. The Battersea power station had been out of use for many years. It was run down and derelict, the inside a gaping open chasm.
Through the doors and somewhere in there, Lucien hid. Devon was keeping an eye on the map to make sure his blood didn’t move.
“Each of them are stationed at the exit points that we could find,” Dave said, waving Jake over from the van we’d arrived in. “They’re going to stay on standby as we investigate inside.”
“I’m ready to shift,” Jake said as he joined us. “Kate’s just strapping on her bulletproof vest.”
We all had them, including me. Yep, I wasn’t able to die, but I had to show Paranormal MI5 that I was acting normal. Otherwise, they’d question me. The real danger came from being completely drained of magic. Hopefully, Lucien would be caught before he attempted to do that again.
“Brilliant, thank you for offering to smell him out. You know the scent of his blood, and his clothes, so hopefully you can lead us straight to him.” Clicking my gun’s barrel into place, I put it into my holster, ready to take down the bastard who had caused so much trouble.
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