Authors: T. G. Ayer
I headed to my office to grab some supplies. Once I got the Death-talker's estate
, I would need a distraction in case the High Priestess's library was occupied. Thanks to Drake, we were well stocked with small explosives and smoke bombs. I could blast a hole through a wall if I wanted to. Just hoped I wouldn't need to.
Concentrating on the Death-talker's estate, I jumped to the grounds a few miles outside of Chicago. I'd considered the best place to jump and figured I was better off arriving among the trees that surrounded the property. Hidden behind a stand of oaks and elms
, I readied myself to project into the house. I'd been there before to discuss Veil transitioning with the last High Priestess. Kira I didn't know so wasn't about to knock and ask for an appointment. A magical ward pulsed around the mansion, not unlike the one protecting my own house. Only this one was strong and powerful, and laced with dark magic. They would have to use dark power considering the type of people who would want to get in.
Like Nathaniel.
I snorted softly and wondered how I was supposed to get past the ward. Light magic wards were easy for me to break through but dark power was a whole other ballgame. I was stuck on the outside until I could find a way in that didn’t include exploding myself while breaking through a dark magic ward.
I blinked, a vision of my blood dripping into a bowl appearing before my eyes. Dark magic was just what I had with me. In two little vials still tied
in my hair. Would it work? And how would I use it to begin with. I had no time to go seeking advice. I needed to get this done fast and get back home to speak to Cross about his child. For now I had to guess. For a physically drawn spell I had to remove the drawing. What would I need to do for an ethereal spell like this one?
I removed one of the tubes and held it up in the light. Maybe it was enough to just hold it in my hand and walk through. The spell still had power so I hoped it work
ed. Circling the property I looked for a way to get closer to the house that would provide sufficient cover. Just ahead were a line of hedges that ran along a path toward the building. Where it ended at the edge of a stone-floored patio, a row of enormous potted trees took over. I scrambled along the hedges, duck-walking most of the way.
As I reached the patio
, I began to feel the energy of the ward strengthen. The difference was the dense darkness seemed to want to swallow me whole. I struggled to breathe, then tried to calm myself down. I had no choice. I had to get in or I might as well say goodbye to Drake. Not going to happen.
Creeping closer to the ward
, I gripped the vial in my palm. My hand shook as I extended it, my fingers almost touching the magical shield.
Then I stopped.
What if it wasn't enough? For the demon's spell I had to pour the blood onto the markings on the floor. Maybe the blood itself needed to go through first. And I didn't exactly have the means to throw drops of the blood onto the ward. I considered breaking the bottle but wasn't confident it wouldn't just shatter into a dozen unusable pieces. The best way was for the blood to be on my body to allow me to pass through. On my skin.
I unscrewed the lid of the bottle and poured some of the blood onto my forefinger until it was coated in the black sludge. I sealed the
vial using my other fingers, sticking the pointer digit out, hoping not to drip blood all over myself. Tucking the vial into my jacket pocket, I inched closer to the ward. The energy pulsed, the hair on my cheeks picking up the almost nonexistent movement.
Using my forefinger
, I probed for the ward and felt the resistance when my blood-drenched digit touched it. It had the bounce of an invisible balloon but softer, giving off a hum only a few people could feel. I pressed harder and my finger popped through the shield. I winced, expecting the doors to the house to fly open, spilling Death-talkers all intent on finding who had penetrated their wards.
But nothing happened
.
My finger was now on the other side of the shield. I sighed with relief and said a silent prayer as the rest of my hand followed. Still nothing happened. No magical shockwave sent me flying backwards. No ethereal alarms were set off. Or at least none I could hear. I relaxed and followed my hand through the ward and onto the patio. Clear of the magical wall, I ran to the end of the patio and ducked down beside another large potted tree.
I leaned against the warm stone wall and concentrated on projecting into Kira's library. Floor to ceiling windows let the daylight into the room and I held my breath in the brightness. The library was still and silent. I was about to jump fully when Kira moved from a shadowy corner and walked into the center of the room, holding open a large book and staring hard at its pages. Damn. Not what I'd hope for.
Her attention remained on the book and she seemed not to know I was there. Now I had to find a way to get her out of the room or I was stuck outside without the key. I moved from the library, slid through the wall into the passageway and scanned the ceiling for smoke detectors. Smoke would do to set the detectors off. And I had come prepared.
I floated along the passage, then poked my head into the next room. More smoke detectors dotted the paneled ceiling of a large sitting room filled with overstuffed chairs that were threadbare and looked like sitting on them would be dangerous to the chair's health. The room was close enough and looked like it would serve my purpose.
Without hesitating
, I followed my projection and jumped to the center of the room. A glance around me revealed a large glass fronted cabinet beside the door. Sufficient space to hide on the far side of it. But if the last searchers were too diligent, they would walk in and see me. I couldn't take that chance. Large purple drapes framed the windows, heavy brocade patterned with garish gold fleur-de-lis. I'd have to make do with hiding behind the hanging fabric.
Rummaging inside my bag
, I withdrew two smoke bombs. Then I set the timers for thirty seconds and jumped to the reception hall at the front door. I set one bomb under a gigantic round table bedecked with an arrangement of dry flowers. It sat in the center of the hall and would serve my purpose perfectly. I scanned the hall to ensure it was clear and hurried to set the bomb beside the large triple footed base of the table. Then I jumped straight back into the room beside Kira's library.
I dropped another bomb beside a sofa, hidden from the doorway, then scurried behind the drapes. From where I hid I could see the mirror above the ornate stone fireplace. It reflected the doorway, allowing me to see who came and went. I made it just in time. The timer coughed and with a soft puff
, smoke hissed from the contraption, slowly filling the room. I waited for the alarm to kick in, holding my breath from both expectation and the need not to breathe in too much of the smoke. The formula would make my eyes sting and tear and irritate my throat until I coughed continuously.
Seconds later the alarm blared, hurting my ears as the wail rose and fell around the building. A door opened nearby and fabric swished as Kira hurried into the sitting room. I watched her reflection in the mirror as she scanned the room then turned to hurry down the passage. Moments later
, I heard her voice echo towards me.
"Move. We need to get outside fast." Her voice rang cold and unemotional, unperturbed b
y the possibility of this beautiful building burning up around her.
Satisfied they were gone
, I jumped straight into the library. Once I got my footing, I hurried to a low cupboard on the left of the room. The last time I'd been to this library I'd wanted a portal key to make my life easier. My jumps had always been taxing on my strength and my first year had been peppered with nosebleeds, extreme dizziness and blinding headaches when I did multiple jumps in a day. Even now I kept my jumping for emergencies.
I opened the cupboard and found shelves filled with metal keys, all blank and waiting to be programmed to individual users. Talia, the last High Priestess, had summoned a junior to assist and the younger Death
-talker had fetched a blank key from this very cupboard. Only in the end, Talia had refused my request when she learned I already had the ability to move through the Veil on my own.
Her advice was to practice and become stronger and to leave the portal keys to those not blessed with my ability. I sniffed at the memory as I pulled out three keys and tucked them inside my
bag. Then I jumped straight to Nathaniel's front porch and sighed with relief. Drake was almost free.
***
I slammed the garish bronze knocker on the door, watching as the lion's head bounced off the dark wood. The door swished open and Nathaniel's corpse-like butler stared at me, eyes cold black chips. "The Master awaits you downstairs." Then he moved aside for me to enter. As soon I stepped over the threshold, he shut the door and stalked off.
Raising an eyebrow, I followed as he led me to the stairs to the necromancer's underground lair. The butler halted at the top of the stairs then bowed and left me there, disappearing down the hall in shadowy silence. My heart thumped as I hurried down the stairs. The door was shut and I swallowed, praying Drake and I would get out of here fast. I pounded on the door and waited, feeling the cold of the underground stone seep into my bones.
The door opened fast enough and Nathaniel stood there, a satisfied smile on his face. He waved me inside and I walked to his desk, slinging my bag forward to withdraw the blank keys. Over in the far corner stood Drake, a perfectly carved statue watching in stony silence.
Not long now, Drake.
I dropped the metal disks on the table and they clanged together, the musical sound ringing around the stone room.
"Ah, well done, Ms. Morgan." Nathaniel clapped his hands together and hurried to the desk. He stood close to me as he reached for the keys, so close I could have easily stabbed him in the gut. But that would be a mistake. I hardly knew if Nathaniel was strong enough to regenerate himself. I could just be killing myself by trying to end his sorry life.
I took a step back and waited as he examined the disks. "Are you satisfied?"
He nodded but his attention remained on the keys.
"You have what you want. Now let Drake go."
His eyes drifted to me, lips curling in a cold smile. "D
id you think it would be that easy?"
Icy dread filtered through me. Nathaniel was going to cheat me? I gritted my teeth. "We had a deal. Do you plan to dishonor that deal?" He stared at me as if considering how best to answer my question. "It's not hard
, Nathaniel. Yes or no." I shifted a little to face him head on. "But before you speak, let me remind you that I am not a meek little human bowing at your powerful feet. If you renege on this deal, I can promise you I will not be quiet about it."
His face darkened, his jaw a granite curve. He gripped the keys in tight, white fingers and I wondered if he was stupid enough to try to break the deal. The glare he sent me had shivers running up and down my spine. He knew he would have to kill me to ensure his dishonor wasn't revealed. "Oh and don't think you can just kill me and be done with it. A number of people already know I am here
; they also know what you did to Drake and what you made me do to save him. They will not be inclined to keep quiet should I conveniently disappear while visiting you."
I watched as he stewed on my words, his eyes darkening. He glanced over at Drake
, then back at me and shrugged. "You are no good to me dead," was all he said.
I frowned. Heaven knew what he meant by that but I certainly didn't want to stick around to find out. I walked to Drake and looked at Nathaniel over my shoulder. "Release him." Not a request, although I wasn't quite sure what I would do if he didn't free Drake. The hum around me reminded me his lair was protected by a powerful spell so jumping was not an option.
A moment went by in which I glared at Nathaniel. And then he flicked his hand at Drake. I spun back to Drake and watched, holding my breath. The stony solidity eased, the grey color lightening. His skin scrunched as he moved his facial muscles. I met his gaze and let go of my breath. Drake stared back at me, relief so evident in the glossiness of his eyes. He blinked slowly. I stepped closer in case he fell forward, watching as his color gradually returned. But he didn't move.
Soon he looked like Drake again, no longer giving me that stony hard-faced gargoyle stare. He frowned and glanced down at his body, tilting his head. He tried to move but it seemed his body hadn't received the message yet. I
looked over at Nathaniel, who stood watching, his fingers tracing the keys unconsciously. He paid no attention to me, his gaze remaining on Drake.
When I turned my attention back to Drake
, I sighed with relief. He was moving his shoulders, struggling against the hold the spell had on him. At last he stepped forward and sagged against me.
"Here, put your arm around me," I said, struggling under the gargoyle
’s weight. He was so heavy I strained to support him and was very near collapsing beneath him. He seemed to understand, throwing his arm over my shoulder and taking more of his weight onto his legs. I glanced over at Nathaniel, who had lost interest in my reanimated friend and was back at his desk, caressing his keys. "Let's get you home," I said as I guided him to the door.
"Wait
," Drake said, stopping our progress.
"What?" I met his gaze. Seeing the fury in his eyes
, I shook my head. "No. We have no time. And he is too powerful."
"The bastard turned me to fucking stone." He gritted his teeth, his jaw pumping with anger.
"And he will turn you to fucking stone again if we don't get the hell out of here now," I growled softly, not even daring to check on Nathaniel. Knowing how quietly he moved, chances were he was right behind us. I tugged Drake forward and expelled a sigh of relief when he grunted and let me lead him to the entrance. As I pulled open the door, I glanced at Nathaniel whose face was dark, his eyebrows looming over shadowed eyes.
He nodded at me and a shiver ran up my spine. Maybe it was the smug smile on his face but something told me he was not yet done with me.
***