by Linsey Hall
Mari’s nose wrinkled, and she started sniffing like a bloodhound on the scent. She turned to face the back door. “You smell that?”
I sniffed. Rotten eggs and sour milk.
Connor and Claire would never have those in their kitchen.
“Dark magic.” I followed the scent, headed to the door.
It led out to an alley, and I followed it to the right, winding through the narrow space and into a larger courtyard between two of the factory buildings.
“I didn’t even realize this was here,” Mari said.
There was a scattering of trees, dumpsters, and a single bench, along with a glowing crystal thing that sat right in the middle. The stench of dark magic emanated from it—rotten eggs and sour milk.
I pointed at the crystal. “That can’t be normal.”
“Ah, no.” Mari frowned and approached it. “What the hell is it?”
I followed her to the crystal, raising my shirt up over my mouth and nose. It didn’t help much.
We stopped a few feet in front of it, squinting into the glowing red depths. It was about the size of a soccer ball, waist high and sitting on top of a post that plunged deep into the ground.
A stick lay nearby, fallen off one of the trees. I picked it up and moved it toward the glowing orb.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Mari asked.
“Not really, no.”
She chuckled.
I sucked in a deep breath and poked the orb with the stick. A shock traveled up the wood, into my arm. Pain flared, and I dropped the stick, jumping back.
“You okay?” Mari frowned at me.
I shook my hand. “Fine. But that thing is stuck on there, solid.”
“It has to be the cause of the problems here.” Mari crouched down, inspecting it closer. “But how?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think we should destroy it, though.”
“No, agreed. What if it makes the stone spell permanent?”
“My fear exactly.”
The sound of voices filtered toward us from a nearby alley. It was probably the police or the Order of the Magica coming to check it out, and they’d boot us as soon as they saw us. Or decide that we were responsible and take us into custody.
I looked at Mari. “We need more time to investigate.”
“Use your ghost suit to turn invisible and look around. I’ll try to hold them off.”
“How?”
She shrugged. “I’ll figure it out.”
She didn’t have the power of invisibility like I did. This suit had cost me a hell of a lot of money and magic. But she was resourceful.
“Safe hunting,” I said.
She squeezed my shoulder quickly. “Safe hunting.”
I drew my hood up, letting the invisibility overtake me, then began to scour the courtyard. I needed something—anything—that would tell me where the damned orb had come from. What it could do. Who had put it here.
For the most part, the entire place was empty. Just rocks and twigs, shadows and nothing. The voices stopped, though. Somehow, Mari had stalled them.
I’d finished scouring the square with no luck when a figure entered from the same alley we had.
Declan.
The tall, broad-shouldered fallen angel looked as good as ever. His dark hair was disheveled, in the way of a perfectly done-up clothing model. Except I knew he didn’t waste time on his hair. Or on his face, with his full lips, dark eyes, and once-broken nose. All of his good looks were natural, damn him.
I’d last seen Declan a few days ago after our kiss. And after I’d tried to enchant him to forget I existed.
It hadn’t worked.
And he’d realized what I was up to.
He had not been pleased.
We’d parted ways, and I hadn’t expected to see him again. It was disappointing, actually, even though I’d been the one to screw things up. But I hadn’t wanted to get close to anyone—not if it meant they could find out what I really was.
He’d said it was foolish to hang around a woman who would try to remove herself from his memory anyway. He had a point.
But what the hell was the bounty hunter doing here?
Was he after me?
2
Quickly, Declan swept his gaze over the square, missing me entirely. I stood stock-still in the shadows, my invisibility suit helping me avoid detection.
He frowned when he spotted the orb. Unlike Mari and me, he didn’t approach immediately. Instead, he circled the square, looking for clues or dangers.
He didn’t find anything, though he nearly ran into me. I moved back silently, heart pounding.
Should I reveal myself?
No.
One, I was too curious to see what he would do.
Two, he was probably still pissed at me.
He approached the sphere, curiosity and worry gleaming in his dark eyes. He looked at the stick that I’d tossed on the ground.
Would he pick it up?
He ignored it.
Points for the clever angel.
He knelt next to the orb, digging into his pocket. After a moment, he withdrew a tiny silver pebble, then held it up to the orb. He was careful not to touch the gleaming surface, but he held it quite close.
I crept nearer, wanting to get a good view.
The orb pulsed and glowed, the red magic growing active. Excited. Tiny crimson sparkles drifted toward the silver pebble that Declan held. Slowly, it turned red as well, a tiny bit of the magic of the orb transferring to the pebble.
Nice.
The pebble was a magic collector. They were rare and expensive. I’d only ever made one a couple of times. He wouldn’t be able to suck all the magic out of the orb—not even close—but he could get a sample of it.
I was nearly to him when I stopped dead in my tracks. I’d been so absorbed by his actions that I hadn’t realized how close I was getting. I held my breath.
“Something to go on, at least,” he muttered.
He was going to track the magic in the sphere, and right now, it was the only clue he had. The only clue I had. I doubted I’d find anything else in the square if I checked again.
Declan reached into his pocket, and my heart thundered. When I spotted the gray stone, I grinned.
A transport charm.
I was only about six feet from him. That would give me enough time.
Declan hurled the stone to the ground, and a burst of gray glittery dust rose high in the air. He stepped into it, and I followed, sprinting for the temporary portal.
As the one who had thrown the transport charm, he’d be able to choose where it went. I’d just hitch a ride and follow along.
I made it to the glittery cloud before it dissipated, and the ether sucked me in, twisting me through space as it sent me toward…somewhere. I had no idea.
When it spat me out on a cobblestone street, I stumbled, trying to keep my footsteps silent, and inspected my new surroundings.
Declan was already walking down a narrow, winding street ahead of me. He turned back to look at me, his brow furrowed.
I froze, breath held.
His gaze met mine—almost. He couldn’t see me, but I felt the connection. A tingle down my spine. Did he feel it, too?
He shook his head and turned back, striding off down the street. I hurried to keep up, years of practice keeping my footsteps silent. The air was cold and dark here, with fog lying heavy on the ground. It was an old city—some of the buildings on this narrow street looked to be medieval.
English, probably. The air was moist enough, and some of the construction looked Tudor, with the signature dark wood and white plaster. Old iron lamps rose tall along the street, casting a yellow glow upon the fog. The shops were full of normal things—clothes, shoes, stationery, books. No potions or weapons or shrunken heads.
So we were probably in a human town. Maybe a mixed human and supernatural town.
Declan knew where he was going, though. He moved quickly down the street, hi
s long strides eating up the ground. I pressed my fingertips to the comms charm around my neck, muting it in case Mari decided to call me while I was on the hunt.
A couple hundred yards later, we passed onto another street—this one was a bit wider, with a massive sandstone cliff on one side. I couldn’t see it, but I’d bet a hundred bags of Cheetos that there was a castle on that cliff. I did spot a smallish stone tower perched there, which only confirmed my theory.
Magic sparkled in the air, and I caught sight of a shop window that featured broomsticks and cauldrons, along with spell books.
Supernatural part of town.
A sign above the shop read, Nottingham’s Niceties and Notteties.
So we were in Nottingham. Wasn’t that somewhere outside of London? Or kind of close? At least by American distance standards.
Declan beelined for a pub that appeared to be built into the side of the cliff. Parts of the building protruded from the rock walls—a couple of walls and a half roof—but most of the pub was set deep into the earth. Light glittered through the mullioned glass windows, revealing patrons of all species—fae, shifter, Magica, even a goblin.
I followed Declan toward the pub, which was called Ye Olde Trip to Brigadoon.
What a mouthful.
Thankfully, the door was propped open to let in some fresh air, and I was able to slip in behind him.
It was late at night here, but the whole place was packed, with supernaturals standing shoulder to shoulder. It was a maze of tiny rooms, and the ceiling above was rough golden stone. A small bar was built near the door, and Declan leaned against it.
The bartender was a pretty woman with a truly magnificent chest. She knew it, too, and wore a low-cut tank top that made her breasts look like a work of art. Especially when she crossed her arms and leaned over, batting her eyes at Declan.
I looked down at my little boobs and mouthed, “Don’t worry, guys. You’re fab, too.”
A fairy next to me frowned and tilted her head, purple eyes confused. No doubt she’d heard the barest hint of my whisper, but I’d been so quiet she couldn’t have heard much more. She shook her head, purple wings on her back quivering just slightly from the movement of her shoulders.
I looked toward Declan, perking my ears to hear what he had to say.
“Hello, Lira.” His voice was low and smooth, sending a shiver over my spine.
I kind of wanted to be Lira right now.
No, moron. You had your chance.
“Declan,” she purred. “Long time, no see.”
“A total tragedy, it is.”
“We could go, ah, see more of each other in the back.” She pointed toward an alcove at the rear of the bar.
Wow, she wasted no time.
“As much as I’d love to, I’m on a job.”
I scowled, then mentally kicked myself.
“You’re here to see Aurelia the All Knowing?” She raised a brow.
“Indeed I am. Is she open to visitors?”
“To you, she is.”
Jeez, what was with this guy? Panties seemed to be flung into the air wherever he walked. Mine included, which was embarrassing.
“You’re a gem. Thanks, Lira.”
She smiled. “You know where to find me.”
“You know where to find me,” I muttered under my breath. Yeah, I was childish. It wasn’t my finest moment.
Declan turned and walked through the crowd. A normal person would have to do some pushing and squishing, the way mortals got through a packed place. Not the fallen angel, though. People parted like the freaking Red Sea for him.
I hurried after him, taking advantage of the temporary spaces within the crowd. At the back of the bar, Declan found a staircase leading up. A burly man guarded it, his arms crossed over his chest and his brow set in a scowl. The faint blue tinge to his skin was weird—I’d never seen a supernatural like that.
Without a word, he stepped aside for Declan, who took the stairs two at a time. I raced forward, hoping to beat the man, but he was back at his post as soon as Declan passed.
There was no way I could sneak by.
Damn.
I melted back against the wall, finding a tiny nook to squeeze into. The whole place was a crazy maze of rooms and cubbies, carved out of the rock hundreds of years ago. I could feel the history in the air.
Quickly, I pressed my fingertip to my comms charm and whispered, “Mari?”
“Where the hell have you been?” she hissed back. “I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I know, I know. I silenced my charm because I’m stalking Declan.”
“Oh, you’re stalking—” There was a brief pause as she processed. “You’re what?!”
“He found a clue and I didn’t, so I’m trying to figure out what he does.”
“Fine, that’s not a bad plan.”
“I only have a sec. What are you doing?”
“The voices that we heard while we were in Factory Row belonged to Order Investigators. They don’t know what the orb is, but they know it’s dangerous.”
“Duh.”
“Preach. Anyway, they’ve determined that it’s too dangerous to approach, so they are bringing in a specialist team from Europe to do an assessment.”
“That’ll take forever.” The Order was famous for the slowness of their operations. They were nearly crippled under bureaucracy and were notoriously corrupt. We didn’t trust them as far as we could throw them, and we had very good reason. “That leaves this up to us.”
“Sure does. By the time they get their shit together, we’ll have solved it or we’ll all be dead.”
“Fine, then I’ve got to go follow Declan.”
“I’m off to San Francisco. If I can get closer to Claire, my Seeker sense might kick in and I can find her.”
“Good.” Maybe she’d have a clue. And since she was pretty much our only friend who hadn’t turned into a rock—besides Aethelred, the old seer—I wanted to know she was okay. “Safe hunting.”
“Safe hunting.”
I cut the connection on the comms charm and stepped forward. I wouldn’t need to become visible for this. In fact, it would help if I weren’t. Quickly, I slipped through the crowd, avoiding the people who filled the bar.
The guard at the stairs hadn’t moved an inch. I sliced my finger with my sharp thumbnail. Blood welled, and I swiped the white liquid over his forehead and yanked my hand away. He flinched, slapping a hand to his face.
“Move to the side for three seconds,” I whispered, imbuing the magic with the power of suggestion. I definitely preferred using this magic while I was invisible and no one could see me.
He frowned, then stepped aside briefly, pressing his shoulder against the wall. I slipped past him and up the stairs, hurrying on silent feet. The hallway at the top was narrow and dark. Though there were several doors, only one glowed with light.
I made my way to it, perking my ears for any noise.
“I was hoping you could tell me what kind of spell it is.” Declan’s deep voice filtered down the hall. He sounded…different.
A bit the way he did when he’d flirted with me.
“Anything for you, sugar,” a woman’s voice purred down the hall.
Were they flirting?
He’d just been flirting with me, two days ago!
What a man-whore.
I scowled—I shouldn’t even be thinking about that—and stopped in the doorway, peeking through.
A beautiful dark-skinned woman leaned over a desk, staring down at the tiny crimson orb that glowed with dark magic. Her breasts spilled out of the pink shirt she wore, giving the bartender downstairs a run for her money in the cleavage department. What was with this place? Hot-woman headquarters?
She tapped one long fingernail on the desk as she thought.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here.” Her voice made me think of whiskey and honey.
Hell, even I wanted to flirt with her now.
She peered hard at the orb. Then
slowly, she shook her head. Any flirtation or lightness on her face had disappeared. “Some dark magic in there.”
“You’re not afraid of a little dark magic,” Declan said.
“No, honey, I’m not.” The woman looked up. “But I am smart, and I don’t want to get mixed up in any of this.”
“There’s no this.” Declan raised his hands, an innocent expression on his face. He pulled it off pretty well. Probably the angel blood in him.
“Cut the crap, sugar.” Her expression flattened out.
“Never could pull a fast one on you.” Declan grinned. “I’ll pay, of course.”
Her brows rose, an interested expression on her face. “Oh?”
“With money, Nara.”
“Fine.” She sounded disappointed.
What else would she want him to pay with?
From the way she looked at him, I had a feeling I knew.
She nodded, lips pursed. “You’d better. Ten thousand. Cash.”
I winced, but Declan nodded as if he’d expected it. “Obviously I don’t have it on me.”
No, he’d almost need a briefcase for that kind of dough. And damn, this guy shelled out the big bucks when he was on his bounty-hunting gigs. Did he even take home any money?
Holy fates, was he doing this out of the goodness of his heart?
I felt a horrified expression twist the corners of my mouth. Mari and I never worked like that. We always expected to be paid, and paid well.
Except for that one time. And that other time.
And right now.
Because even if Agatha hadn’t told me to get to it on this job, I’d have done it because my friends were in danger.
Shit.
I leaned against the doorjamb, surprise coursing through me. I wasn’t quite the person I thought I was.
I was being nice.
I shook my head. Screw it. Why I was doing it didn’t matter, as long as I succeeded.
Despite my recent existential crisis, the scene in front of me continued to play out. My breath caught in my lungs as I watched the woman debate. Apparently she needed a little while longer to decide, or she liked keeping Declan hanging on the line.
Finally, she sighed. “All right. I’ll expect the money by morning.”