Witch Hunt, A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy (The Maurin Kincaide Series) (24 page)

Aidan sat down beside me with his arms stretched out over the back of the couch.
Oberon’s expression darkened as soon as Aidan slid close enough that he and I were both on the same cushion. It was the same look that he had given him in the alley when we were all at the warehouse together. I must admit that I felt a little smug. Having Aidan at my side felt a bit like revenge. I didn’t feel bad about it in the least. Of course, Oberon probably just put some of the blame on Aidan for how things had worked out, but in my head he was seething with jealousy. Delusional, who me?

“I’ve been scouring my library for i
nformation on the Afrit since you left my house last night. Amalie tells me that you’ve been doing some research of your own,” Mahalia said.

“I
googled it,” I told her flatly.

“So it would seem that Fate would have us as allies once again,” she said.

“Yeah, Fate and I have never seen eye to eye on anything. I assume that you have a plan?” I asked.

Graive pulled out an old grim moiré from her bag and set it on her lap.
It was held closed with a heavy iron latch, which seemed utterly pointless given the book’s condition. The leather cover was cracked and threatened to break free of the spine any second, causing its secrets to spill out onto my living room floor. She reached into her shirt and retrieved the key that she kept on a chain that hung low around her neck. She unclasped the necklace and opened the old book.

“This is the Lesser Key of Solomon,” she said.

“Mahalia, no!” Amalie gasped. Her eyes were as big as saucers.

I’ve never seen Amalie react that way to anything that Mahalia had said or done.
She usually followed her with a blind dedication. Not to mention that I felt Aidan stiffen beside me when Graive named the book that she was holding. I was missing something. Oberon was watching me, waiting to see what I would do or say. Did he assume that I knew what the book was or what it did? I guess he had forgotten what they say about assuming. Of course he was already an ass in my mind, so it didn’t really matter.

“Could someone give me the Reader’s D
igest version of what the Lesser Key is?” I asked.

“It is believed by some, mostly those not born with a magical inclination, that the Key and Lesser Key were written by Solomon.
That Solomon had, in fact, trapped seventy-two demons and kept them in a jar. He detailed everything about them: names, hierarchy and even how to summon them,” Oberon replied, relishing in the opportunity to explain it to me.

“Why would Solomon want to keep demons?
I thought he was a holy man. And how would he fit seventy-two of them in a jar?” I asked, not really sure where this conversation was going, but absolutely positive that I wouldn’t like it when we arrived.

“To build the temple, of course,” Oberon responded.

“Of course. How silly of me!” I said sarcastically.

“There are problems with the story and what’s in the books.
Solomon was B.C., not A.D. - it doesn’t all match up. Which begs the question about who really wrote it,” Amalie asked.

“The Key is thought to go back to Greco-Roman times, but it was later translated and adopted by the Practical
Kabbalah. The tie to the mystical branch of Judaism is probably where the Inquisitors’ belief that they could use it came from. Less is known about the origin of the Lesser Key,” Graive explained.

“Okay, so the Lesser Key tells you how to summon them; does it tell you how to send them back too?” I asked.

“They both do,” Graive said.

“They both do,” I repeated.
“So why the big scary book that makes Amalie look like she wants to run and hide?” I asked.

“We thought that it was important to know the hierarchy,” Graive replied.

Something told me that I was not going to like what they had to say next. Amalie looked like she was about to bolt, Aidan hadn’t said a word yet and Mahalia looked exhausted. Some of her glamour had slipped away and it looked as if life had caught up with her all at once.

“All right, enough of the history le
sson. Let’s hear the plan,” Aidan said.

I could tell, despite his calm exterior, that he was mad as hell.
His accent gave him away. The hotter his emotions ran, the thicker his accent became.

“It takes a demon to catch a demon,” Graive said.

“What? That doesn’t make any - oh! No, no, no, no, no, no!” I said.

“It’s not as bad as you think, Maurin.
We’ll summon the demon and send it after the Afrit. Once it’s captured, we send them both back,” Oberon explained.

“Oberon, this is crazy.
We can’t do this!” Amalie exclaimed.

“Well it’s not like we know the true name of the
Afrit. And we can’t summon or banish him without it!” Graive snapped at Amalie.

“It’s dark magic, Oberon.
I can’t believe that you’re suggesting this. Mahalia? You’re sanctioning this?” Amalie asked.

She seemed devastated, like a child learning for the first time that Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy weren’t real.
Mahalia had just fallen from the ivory tower that Amalie kept her in.

“Do you remember what I asked you back at Toil and Trouble, Mahalia?
Is this what you meant by shamanic? I’m with Amalie on this one,” I said.

“It’s not always black and white.
I have never permitted the use of the Lesser Key in all of my years as High Priestess, but it seems that this is the only way that we will be rid of the beast,” she said, defeated. She sounded as tired as she looked.

“Who will take it? You or Graive?” Am
alie asked.

“Take what?” I asked.

“When you use dark magic, it throws off the natural balance of everything. It is different from earth magic, which is in tune with everything around it and leaves the natural order in place. Someone has to absorb the disruption, or it will permanently alter something on this plane. It’s like soot on your soul,” Amalie said.

“She’s a necromancer.
Zombies and demons don’t affect her. She’s not a witch. She’s done it before. She knows what she’s doing,” Oberon said confidently, trying to quell Amalie’s fears.

“I bet that’s what the Inquisitors thought too - right up until the
Afrit tore them to pieces and splattered them all over the walls of that warehouse,” I said sourly.

“Trust me, she can do this,” Oberon said.

“I’m a long way from trusting you. And we are not unleashing another demon,” I informed him.

“The High Priestess has agreed.
We can do this without you,” Oberon threatened.

Mahalia grabbed his arm.
Oberon had overstepped his bounds. She may have agreed to using dark magic to stop dark magic, but not without all of us. She wanted a united front if something went wrong and we had to stand before the rest of the Council to explain our actions. It was a hollow threat and Aidan and I both knew it.

“You could do that Oberon, but it would be seen as a rogue act.
The coven would be viewed as a threat to the Council and the Treaty of Races. Your seat on the Council would be forfeited and the Fae would take your place automatically,” Aidan said.

Oberon gave up on his argument, leaving an awkward silence in the room.

“Any other ideas?” I asked, in an effort to get things moving again.

“Your only other option is to take off the amulet, let the Afrit come for you and, if we’re lucky, we can catch it in a circle and complete the banishing spell,” Graive said.

She was probably hoping that I’d pick what was behind door number two the whole time.

“Absolutely not! No. I can’t believe you actually came here with this shit! That’s the best you’ve got? Conjure up another demon or offer up Maurin?” Aidan roared.

“It’s not up to you, bloodsucker,” Graive challenged.

“Watch yourself, grave robber. You’re the real reason I’m in Salem. I warned you once already. Step out of line again and I’ll reduce the necro population by one,” Aidan threatened.

“Let’s say for argument’s sake that I decide to do this. How confident are you that you can hold him in a circle?” I asked.

“Normally I wouldn’t dignify that with an answer, but I am quite confident that we can contain him,” Mahalia replied.

“Can you hold both of us in the same circle?”
I asked her.

In one of those surreal, seemingly slow motion moments, everyone stopped and stared at me.
A small smile crept across Graive’s face. I knew that smile. I had given it a few times myself. It was a ‘damn you’re one crazy son of a bitch, but you’ve got some serious balls’ smile. Amalie just dropped her head in her hands. She knew there wasn’t any point in arguing with me, no matter how dumb she thought the idea was. Aidan and Oberon actually had similar scowls on their faces, but I was betting it was for two totally different reasons. In fact, if I was a betting girl, I would have wagered my nonexistent paycheck from the Council that Aidan’s was a scowl of concern and disappointment that I would put my life on the line once again, while Oberon wore his scowl because I didn’t let his girlfriend read from her great big book of demon things.

“Maurin, can I have a word with you?
In private,” Aidan said.

“We’ll talk after,” I waved him off
.

“What did you have in mind?”
Mahalia asked.

“I really need to talk to you now,” A
idan said.

Aidan got up and walked away from the group.
He was lingering in the hallway between my kitchen and bedroom, hoping that I’d follow. I didn’t.

“I won’t be able to hurt, never mind kill the
Afrit from outside the circle, but what if I’m inside with the Retaliator?” I asked, ignoring Aidan.

My idea wasn’t well received by anybody.
Well, except for Graive. Surprise, surprise.

“That’s crazy.
Tell her how crazy that is, Mahalia.” Amalie said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Mahalia didn’t say a word.
I could see her spinning the idea around in her head.

“No, that might actually work,” Graive said.

“Maurin?” Aidan called.

I could tell from his tone that I wasn’t going to be able to put off a private co
nversation with Aidan any longer. I excused myself from the conversation and followed him to my bedroom. He started in on me before I had even closed the door.

“Are you insane?”

“Keep your voice down. It sounds like you’re yelling at me."

“I am yelling at you.
It’s the only way to penetrate your unbelievably thick skull!"

“I think that this will give us the best chance at g
etting rid of the Afrit,” I wanted him to understand, but seriously doubted I had the energy to convince him.

“You
’re not doing this."

“It’s not up to you,” I reminded him.

“Well it shouldn’t be up to you either. You obviously have no regard for your own life."

“I’m doing this,” I
turned to leave.

“Mau
rin, wait,” Aidan grabbed my arm.

I stopped and tugged my arm free, but I didn’t say anything.
I didn’t want him to talk me out of this. The Afrit had to be stopped and I was going to be the one to do it.

“Why won’t you even consider other o
ptions?” he asked.

“What other options, Aidan?
The only other option presented was summoning another demon and that is not happening. Do you have any ideas?”

“No, not yet,” he admitted.
“But you’re rushing into this. You haven’t thought it through."

“If I think it through,
then I won’t do it."

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you.
This is madness. Just give it till morning. Sleep on it. That’s all I’m asking."

“If by sleep on it you mean sleep with you, i
t won’t change my mind."

“Is that a challenge?” he asked, backing me up against the door.

He leaned in with his palms flat on the door like he was about to do a push up. He kissed behind my ear, whispering “If so, I accept."

I started to protest, but his lips found mine preventing any objections.
The kiss was long and deep and full of passion. It was by far the best kiss of my entire life. He stopped to let me catch my breath and I made my escape. I slid down the wall and out from under his arms.

“That’s not fair,” I moaned.

He just laughed. “According to whose rules?”

“Ai
dan, I have to do this."

“Someone else could.
It doesn’t always have to be you."

“I
really wish that were true."