Page 17

Chapter 17

Andy

I filled the kettle with water and set it to heat, then went to get down mugs and teas, surreptitiously slipping a few spell amplifying ingredients into my pocket as I went—just in case. Meanwhile, everyone gathered into the oversized kitchen, making the space feel cramped. And I did my best to ignore the captive cultist my sister was dragging around.

When I was done puttering, and I thought I could at least somewhat control my facial expressions and not let every stray thought show on my face, I took my steaming cup of tea and went to sit at the table.

Bella was glaring at me with a mutinous expression. Every single other person in the room wore a guarded mask, probably wondering if the two of us were going to kill each other.

“Are you done now?” Bella demanded. “We don’t have time for you to play fucking games and fuss over your teabags, Oleander. There is a war going on. Every second you dither and delay more people die.”

I huffed. “You overexaggerate. What is it this time—did someone try to kidnap the magic counsel’s secretary or something?”

She snarled at me, like a freaking animal. “Haven’t you been reading the letters and news clips I’ve been sending you? Are you really so petty that you are content to sit here on your fat ass and do nothing?”

Weak. The fact that she thought taking a jab at my body was a way to insult me just showed how little she knew about me. I just smiled blandly while everyone around me bristled, wondering who would be the first one to snap and put her in her place.

I raised an eyebrow when Dyre slowly crossed the room to stand before her, ignoring the captive that knelt at her side. I was a little surprised it was him rushing to defend my honor, honestly. He wasn’t usually one to react to such basic taunts. But then the soft caress of dark magic rippled in the air, and it made perfect sense. The voice that emanated from the necromancer wasn’t his own. It was the eerie, multi-layered voice of ancient evil. He leaned down and put himself at eye level with my stupid sister, his eyes gone entirely black.

“Attempt to insult or disrespect my witch again, mortal, and I will tear your soul screaming from your body and devour it slowly, bit by agonizing bit. Then we will resurrect your corpse and ensure it is violated in every possible way while the last remaining remnant of your being watches on in horror.” He smiled, slow and gentle, his gaze never wavering. “I can make the process last for centuries.”

Bella blinked up at him, her face losing all of its color. I thought for a second there she might actually faint. But of course, she was cut from the same stubborn cloth that I was. She cleared her throat, swallowed, and tried to straighten her spine. But she still looked a bit like she was cowering.

“Call off your monster,” she demanded, not looking at me, her voice cracking a bit at the end.

Sunshine straightened and reached out to gently trace a long, cold finger along her cheek. “Why does everyone insist on believing we obey Oleander? She does not control me. She does not control any of the creatures in this room, foolish, foolish little witch. You would do well to remember that when you are making your demands.”

Then he turned and strolled over to the counter to get himself a cup of tea.

I gave my sister a look meant to convey my supreme lack of fucks over whether or not Sunny and Dyre carried out their threats against her. “You were saying?” I said drolly as I took a sip of my tea. Ah, that was the stuff. A blend meant to enhance energy and focus… with just a touch of Ambrose’s psychedelics added to it, of course. I needed something strong to get me to relax before I cracked a tooth from clenching my jaw so damned hard.

Bella huffed. Her captive had started to edge away from her while she was distracted, but she yanked him closer, repositioning her dagger at his throat. “Everything has gone to hell out there while you hide here in your little bubble,” she said in a somewhat more civil tone of voice. “The cult’s attacks have escalated to bigger and bigger targets. They’ve completely taken over a handful of smaller cities in Magea. The S.A. is no help. They fight them, but they don’t give a single fuck about the civilians and innocents that get caught in the crossfire. And you would know all of this if you were paying any attention to the information I’ve been sending you!”

I rolled my eyes. “I told you I didn’t want to be involved. Your stupid hero complex already cost us all someone we loved.”

She shook her head at me. “I know that. I’m not an idiot. I heard you loud and clear the last time we were together. Which is why I haven’t asked for your help since then. But we are losing, Andy. They are always one step ahead of us. They have too many spies, too many magical artifacts, and no moral compass to hold them back.”

She shook her captive by his hair like a dog with a tasty bit of prey. “But I finally caught one. This bastard is part of the inner circle, or close enough. I know they are planning to target somewhere big. Maybe even the heart of Magea. And this grub knows the details!”

I sighed. “And you couldn’t just torture information out of him yourself?” I said tiredly. She certainly seemed capable of something so disgusting.

She narrowed her eyes at me, her gaze full of desperation and manic light. “I could. But it wouldn’t be enough. We aren’t enough. The rebels are growing in number every day, and we are devoted to stopping this madness before it spreads even further. But the truth is, they are stronger.

Some of the anger flowed out of her and she seemed to deflate a bit at the admission, a little something like grudging resentment filling her voice. “The cult and the SA have been in a race to collect old magical artifacts. And somewhere along the way, the cult has found a way to enslave magical beings. Every time they take over a city, they come out of the attack with even more soldiers. Slaves who do whatever they are told to do. The supremacists keep multiplying, Andy. The only way we have any chance of winning is with your help.” She gave me a pointed look. “But you are going to have to drop some of your naive, sheltered morals. There is no talking. There is no peaceful resolution. The only thing these people will ever respect is power and force. Domination on a scale only you and your people can carry out.”

I rubbed the center of my forehead, where a dull headache was starting to turn into a full-fledged throb. She was right. I was being a selfish coward. And yet…

I could still feel the ghost of Hasumi’s touch, the faint memory of what their energy felt like attached to mine, like a phantom limb after an amputation. My chest constricted and I felt like I couldn’t get enough air.

What would the water weaver say? That I was letting my fear and pain cloud my judgement? That we couldn’t just let two entire realms fall to supremacist rule simply because I was terrified of losing another limb… another chunk of my heart? Or would they caution me to protect our precious, hard-won little family at all costs, even if it meant letting the world burn?

“What do you expect us to do with him?” I asked her, stalling for time. Time to make a decision I didn’t want to make. Time before I was forced to become someone I never wanted to be. “Why not just torture the information out of him first, then come here. Why bring him with you?”

She nodded along as I spoke. “That certainly would have been easier. But I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me. I thought maybe if you heard it direct from the source, you’d be more motivated to do something.” Then she shrugged. “Besides, I thought maybe one of your harem members might be able to get the information more efficiently. And I was kind of in a hurry trying not to be caught when I grabbed him.”

The captive in question finally spoke. His voice was so full of scathing disapproval and condescension, he could have been one of our long-lost family members. “You’re both going to die anyway, traitorous scum. You’ve defiled your bloodline, betrayed the natural order of things by siding with beasts. Witches will rule the realms, the way we were always meant to do! We will—”

His monolog was cut short when Bella let go of his hair long enough to smack him in the back of his head—hard. She used his distraction and his outraged gasp to jam the blade of her dagger between his teeth. “Shut the fuck up, Numb Nuts.”

Niamh chuckled dryly. “If there was ever a doubt she’s related to you, I think that just proved your connection.”

I narrowed my eyes at the fae. “Shut up.”

If I had any qualms about torturing the guy, they were rapidly dwindling after that little dumb-assed rant. I glanced around the room, considering. Then I met my jinn’s golden eyes. “Possession?” I asked him evenly. I hated to ask it of him. I didn’t want him to ever again have to use his powers the way my ancestors and the fucking O’Leary coven had forced him to do.

He jiggled his head from side to side, considering. “That could work, yes. But the thing about possessing someone is that while I can force access to their memories, it’s a bit messy. Jumbled. And it will only show me what they remember happening around them. Sometimes it can be inaccurate, because knowledge is more than just what a person sees or hears. It also involves thought. Reasoning, drawing conclusions, all of that.” He waved a hand. “I can do it, but there might be better ways.”

He grinned, slow and wicked, his eyes not leaving mine, but his words clearly for our captive. “Like regular old fashioned physical torture, for example. It has the added benefit of being quite fun. Oh, the things I can do to a body with various applications of fire….”

I fought the urge to chuckle at his blatant attempt to scare the fuck out of the cultist.

A warm hand landed on my shoulder, drawing my attention up and to my side. Ambrose’s soft, closed-lipped smile was far less bloodthirsty than Aahil’s, but far, far scarier somehow. His deep voice was soft and pleasant, his demeanor that of a polite and helpful butler. “I have a better idea. If I may?”