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Dara’s apartment was, for want of a better word, shiny. Everything was sleek and modern from the marble floors to the large windows that spanned the entire south wall.

“Damyr, welcome,” she said as I stepped off the elevator. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I wondered if you might help me with a tracking spell.”

Her eyes took in Aleksey and the several guns about his person. A sly grin curled her mouth. “Going hunting, Damyr?”

“Hopefully. We just need some help with a location.” I held out the USB to her. “Can you use this?”

“Of course. Follow me.” She turned on her heel and headed towards the back of the penthouse. Aleksey and I followed she led us deeper into the house. Her spell room was surrounded by windows on three sides and full of all sorts of plants. The singular wall was covered in shelves full of jars and urns, all containing ingredients that would help with all manner of spells and potions.

Dara moved gracefully around the space, collecting bones and powders and a map of the city. She placed them all on the central table, on old oak piece littered with the scars of her ancestors, and started chanting under her breath.

Aleksey stood by my side as we watched her work. “Do you think we’ll find anything useful?”

“Hopefully,” I muttered, but I didn’t know what we’d find. I just had to hope there was something worth finding. Or killing. Preferably killing. I really wanted to sink my claws into some flesh and rip some throats out. This Ronin had got me worked up until all I could see was red.

“The location is Mist Abbey,” Dara said, interrupting my spiralling anger.

“The Abbey? But there’s nothing there,” Aleksey said as he stepped towards the map. “Are you sure?”

“Are you questioning me, boy?” Dara hissed, the veins beneath her eyes darkening.

“He’s not,” I said quickly, before Aleksey could piss her off even more. Dara wasn’t the sort of witch to get a basic tracking spell wrong. She was also older than she looked.

Much older.

Like dawn of time old.

“Thank you for your help, Dara. It’s much appreciated,” I said.

“I apologise, Mistress Rowan,” Aleksey said with a bow. “I meant no disrespect.”

“You are forgiven,” she replied, all traces of magic leaving her face.

At least I could trust Aleksey to rectify a mistake. He was rarely at fault, but he was always the first to apologise if he’d crossed a line.

“Perhaps as a penance you could do a little task for me? Once you’ve helped solve Damyr’s little problem of course.” Dara smiled as she spoke, her eyes sharp as she backed one of my fiercest vampires into a corner. For fucks sake, I didn’t have time for this. Goddamn politics.

“Of course,” Aleksey said through gritted teeth.

“Good,” she said. “I’ll be in touch. You may go.”

We said our goodbyes and headed back to the elevator. I fixed Aleksey with a hard stare. “What have I told you about thinking before speaking?”

“I know,” he snapped as we stepped into the lift. “I was just surprised.”

“And now you’ve gotten us embroiled in witch business.”

“I know.” His eyes flashed silver as he fought to contain his emotions. Seemed I wasn’t the only one on edge tonight.

“We’ll figure it out later,” I said as we got off at the ground floor. “For now, let’s go and see what’s at the Abbey.”

***

Mist Abbey was a ruin that sat on top of a hill overlooking the city. It had been a pile of stones for as long as I could remember, there was no roof and no real place of cover up there so I had no idea what I would find. To be honest, I don’t think anyone ever came up here anymore anyway.

Using my speed, I flew up the side of the hill, Aleksey and the others following behind. As soon as I reached the top, I paused and listened for a moment. There was nothing beside the noise of animals hunting in the undergrowth. I couldn’t smell anything beyond what I was expecting, no humans, no other supernatural creatures.