Page 10

CHAPTER 10

VIOLET

" F or someone who's bleeding, you're being remarkably stubborn about this," I growled at Fiona as I pulled up outside The Cozy Corner café. The neon sign flickered weakly in the growing darkness. She’d drunk a healing potion and wrapped the injury, yet refused to go home to see Zreegy or the local hospital. She insisted she was fine.

"It's just a scratch," she said for the hundredth time. The makeshift bandage we'd fashioned from my scarf told a different story. "Besides, caffeine will enhance the healing potion, right?"

"That is not how it works," I muttered as I got out and went around to help her out of the car. The wound wasn't life-threatening. We'd checked that first. But it was bad enough to warrant concern. Especially given the traces of corrupted magic that I sensed around its edges.

Aislinn trailed behind us. Her worried frown deepened as she watched Fiona try (and fail) to hide a wince. "We should be taking you to the hospital," Aislinn told her.

"And tell them what?" Fiona shot back. "Sorry doc, got a bit scratched up while investigating an evil cult's murder house? Besides, Vi’s healing potion has already stopped the worst of it."

The café was nearly empty this late. There were a few locals visiting and deliberately not looking our way. The subtle diversion and glamour I'd cast probably helped with the latter. It was bloody challenging to make three women covered in dust and magical residue appear unremarkable.

"I still think this is a terrible idea," I said as we claimed a corner booth. "We should be calling Gadross, not taking a break."

"I already texted him," Fiona replied as she eased herself onto the vinyl seat. "He's on his way. He said something about needing to secure a scene first. I don’t know about you, but I need to eat."

The waitress approached, wearing the glazed expression of someone who'd been on her feet one too many hours. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have a tea, please," Aislinn said. Her voice carried that musical lilt that always made heads turn. "And a cheese and pickle sandwich on granary."

"I'll have a coffee and a hot chocolate," Fiona ordered with a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "And one of those fruit scones from the cabinet. With clotted cream and jam, yeah?"

"Builder's tea for me," I added as I tried not to fidget. The magical residue from earlier was making my skin crawl. "And a bacon butty. Extra brown sauce." My stomach growled at the thought. Fighting Dark magic always left me famished.

After our order arrived, Fiona picked at her scone before pulling a face and gesturing toward the loo. "I need to clean myself up a bit."

"I'll come with you," I said quickly, knowing someone needed to keep her in check. "You're rubbish at healing spells." She stuck her tongue out at me as we got up and headed to the bathroom.

The loo was exactly what you'd expect from a small-town café. Poky and slightly grotty but clean enough. I splashed water on my face, trying to wash away some of the magical residue that still clung to my skin. The corruption from the house had left an oily film that ordinary water couldn't quite touch.

"You look bloody terrible," Fiona commented from where she was cleansing her hands with magic. Once clean, she took off my scarf. "Though probably better than me." She hissed as she began washing her wound.

"Considering you're still actively bleeding, that's not saying much." I started weaving a cleansing spell on myself. It helped clear away the lingering corruption. "Hold still, let me..."

A crash from outside cut me off. Fiona and I shared wide-eyed looks and froze for a split second. The sound of shattering glass mixed with screams from the few remaining patrons echoed through the wall. That broke our surprise and we burst out of the loo. Magic was already gathering around our hands. The familiar weight of power settled into my bones as my witchcraft responded to the threat. My phoenix also rose and burned at the ready.

"Civilians first," I snapped, throwing up a barrier between the mundies and the magical chaos erupting outside. "Get them clear!" My eyes scanned the room frantically searching for Aislinn and the evil minions that had attacked.

Fiona nodded as her magic wove through with a spell to encourage people to hurry toward the back of the cafe while their memories went fuzzy. It was a neat trick she'd perfected over the years of dealing with supernatural disasters in public places. It wouldn’t erase the memories. The people could and would eventually recall what happened but that’s what we had Gadross and his gadgets for.

"Nothing to see here," she called out, her voice layered with persuasion. "Just a minor gas leak. Best clear the area!"

The scene outside was pure chaos. Purple energy crackled through the air like corrupt lightning. It cast strange shadows over the snow-covered street. In the middle of it all was Aislinn. She had squared off against a figure that seemed to shift between human and something decidedly not. One moment it was the well-dressed businessman from the house, and the next, it was twisted flesh and fur.

"Well," Fiona muttered as we ran for the door, "guess we found our shifter. Lovely fashion sense you've got."

"Less quipping, more running," I shot back. Although I had to admit his outfit was impressively coordinated for someone currently violating several laws of physics and good taste.

The man moved with unnatural grace. Each motion was fluid like water but sharp as broken glass. His form flickered between shapes and never quite settled on one. The effect was nauseating to watch. Imagine trying to focus on a picture that kept changing every time you blinked.

Aislinn's Fae magic blazed against the darkness. Ice and wind responded to her call. But something was wrong. Her power seemed to sputter and fade where it should have been strongest. It was like a flame struggling to stay lit in a storm.

"The binding runes," I realized with horror as I caught sight of symbols that blazed purple against the pavement. "They're dampening her magic! They've laid a trap!"

"Of course they did," Fiona growled as she pushed herself faster despite her injury. "This night wasn't complicated enough already!"

A vice constricted around my heart as we crawled through the broken window. We were too far away. Even as we ran, I could see the trap closing. The magic pulsed and shadows wrapped around Aislinn like chains made of condensed darkness. Her eyes met mine for just a moment. They were wide with realization and fear. The sight would haunt me the rest of my life. A second later, both she and the shifter vanished in a surge of purple energy that left afterimages dancing across my vision.

"No!" Fiona's scream echoed through the suddenly silent street. Her magic lashed out. Raw power scorched the pavement where the shifter had stood. Mine erupted from me at practically the same moment. My phoenix burst from me, burning my clothing to ash and leaving me covered in flames. I rose into the air a few feet as my soul raged against what had just happened. There was nothing left to hit except lingering traces of corrupted energy.

I dropped near Fiona and recalled my flames. She hurried me to her car and threw open the trunk. A hole had opened in my heart as I stuffed myself into new clothes. Fiona pulled the business card from her pocket. It had that sickly purple glow I’d come to loathe. New text flowed across its surface like mercury. "The final vessel is secured. The old ways will return. Come and witness the remaking of the world... if you dare. Your friend's power will serve a greater purpose." Yeah, I knew the thing was designed to taunt us and lead us into a trap.

"I'm going to kill them," Fiona said with the kind of calm that preceded extremely violent explosions. "Slowly. And painfully."

"Get in line," I muttered as I reached for my phone when it buzzed. Gadross's name flashed on the screen. I answered quickly.

"What. Happened." His voice was tight with barely controlled fury. I could hear sounds of magical chaos in the background. I didn’t care what was giving him trouble. We had a bigger problem.

I explained quickly, watching as Fiona paced like a caged tiger. Her magic crackled around her in dangerous arcs. The wound in her side was forgotten in the face of this new crisis, though I could see fresh blood staining the makeshift bandage.

"The leader's involved with a twisted shifter," I added. "The guy behind this has got some serious magical juice. The binding runes they used, cut through Aislinn's defenses like they weren't even there. There are several mundie witnesses. We need you at the cafe."

"Because they were specifically designed for her," Fiona added grimly. "They've been planning this for months. They were following us. They knew exactly what they needed to counter her abilities."

I grabbed Fiona by one shoulder. “They didn’t know everything. She can protect herself because they have no idea she has witchcraft, thanks to our bond. They just see her as an extremely powerful Fae who gave birth to a dragon. She can use that until we find her.” I was careful not to say what Fiona was. That wasn’t information we wanted out there.

"Search the town," Gadross ordered. "I'm pulling in every agent we've got. And Violet? Try to keep Fiona from burning down anything important. We don't need that kind of attention right now."

"Bit late for that," I muttered. A nearby rubbish bin spontaneously combusted under the weight of Fiona's anger. Or maybe it was mine. The flames burned with her witch flames and mine. "Though to be fair, I'm as pissed as she is."

Fiona growled, and her hands were shaking. Either from blood loss or rage. Possibly both. "We need to find her. Now."

"We will," I assured her, though my own heart was racing with fear for Aislinn. "But we need to be smart about this. Running around blindly is exactly what they want us to do. That’s how they get us, too. And I bet anything that they need us as well. They did this to get us to let our guard down."

"Right. Actually," Fiona said, pulling out some of the documents we'd stolen from the house, "maybe not so blindly. Look at this. It's a ritual diagram. They need specific locations for whatever they're planning. Places where the magical energy aligns just right."

I studied the papers. My magical senses picked up traces of power embedded in the ink. "These markings are like the ones we saw in the wine cellars."

"I’ll be right there," Gadross said through the phone. "If you leave, stay in contact."

"I'm going to kill that fashion-challenged bastard," Fiona growled as she studied the scorched pavement where Aislinn had vanished. Her magic left burning footprints in her wake as she paced. The heat of her anger literally melted the snow. Her power was tied to her emotions, and right now, those emotions were running hot enough to melt steel. I could relate but I was trying to keep my cool so we could come up with a plan and rescue Aislinn.

An idea hit me. “We need to try and track the magic to her.” I knelt beside one of the scorch marks and tried to parse the magical signatures with a tracking. Something about the residual energy made my phoenix stir uneasily beneath my skin. The corruption seemed deeper than natural darkness could account for.

"Getting anything?" Gadross asked as he appeared beside us with considerably more grace than Fiona's earlier exit from the café.

"Maybe," I replied as my fingers hovered over the tainted snow. "I just need to get a hold of this power. Problem is that it’s old. "

"It’s not working,” Fiona snarled as she slammed her fists into the ground.

A flash of silver caught the streetlight, and I scrambled forward. My heart stopped when I recognized Aislinn's bracelet. It was the one her daughter had made for her last Christmas. It lay in the gutter like an accusation. The charms Fiona and I had enchanted to enhance her protections pulsed weakly against the corruption surrounding it.

"Found something," I said as I scooped up the bracelet. The protection runes Aislinn had carved into it were cracked and leaking power. It created tiny auroras in the air around it. "I’m getting a trail."

Hope lifted the weight on my chest and eased the throbbing pain enough that I could finally breathe. They weren’t physical tracks. They were magical traces, like breadcrumbs left by the corrupted power the shifter wielded. They wove through the streets in complex patterns. I closed my eyes and tried to follow them. Some led nowhere, others doubling back on themselves. “It’s not giving me a location.”

"Shite," Gadross cursed as he pulled something from his pocket. It was another of those copper disks. This one pulsed with a different kind of energy than the last one. It was more focused than the one he'd used at the morgue. "This one is designed specifically for penetrating magic and tracking corrupted energy signatures. It can’t get through everything, mind you. But it’s the best we’ve got."

"And you haven't used it yet because...?" I asked as I eyed the disk with eagerness. The runes etched into its surface were unlike anything I'd seen before.

"Because using it will alert every magical being within fifty miles that something's happening," he replied. "We'll lose the element of surprise."

"Pretty sure that ship sailed when they kidnapped Aislinn in front of a cafe full of mundies," Fiona pointed out. She was back to pacing. Fresh blood seeped through her bandage. She either didn't notice or didn't care. Knowing her, probably both. "Besides, subtlety isn't exactly our strong suit."

Gadross caught her arm, forcing her to stop. "We need a plan. They chose this area for a reason. The town's old magic will work against us. These streets have guarded darker secrets than most people know exist. This device might not work. I’ll give it a try," he said as he held up the copper disk. Ancient runes flickered across its surface as he activated it. Their light cast shadows over his weathered face. The disk hummed to life and its copper surface took on an otherworldly glow. As the power built, something went wrong. The runes began to twist and bleed together like melting wax. A high-pitched whine filled the air.

Gadross's face contorted in pain. Blood began to trickle from his nose. It had to be the town's old magic fighting back against his device. The disk's glow turned sickly. It pulsed erratically like a dying heartbeat. His hands shook as he tried to maintain control. The power was too strong and too ancient. Veins stood out on his temples as more blood dripped onto his silver-streaked beard.

"Gadross!" I moved to steady him as he swayed.

He wiped the blood away with his sleeve and deactivated the disk with shaking hands. "The old town's defenses are as strong as I anticipated."

"They knew that," Fiona said grimly. "You’re right about why they picked this town. These defenses are only part of what they need. They need me and Violet, too."

"What do you mean?" Gadross asked. His face was still pale.

Fiona pulled crumpled papers from her coat. "We found these at the house earlier. Look at the diagrams. They need specific power types for the ritual. Royal Fae blood to open the way, which they have now with Aislinn. But they also need a phoenix's primordial fire and..." She hesitated, glancing at me.

"And Fiona's particular brand of magic," I finished. "They've been studying us. They thoroughly tracked our power signatures. They knew exactly what they were looking for."

"And Aislinn's witchcraft enhancement?" Gadross asked as he examined the papers with growing concern.

"They don't know about that," Fiona said as a vicious grin spread across her face despite her pallor. "They think she's just an extremely powerful Fae who gave birth to a royal dragon. Their research missed a few key details."

The wind picked up. It carried more of the whispers in languages too old for human tongues. Magic rippled through the streets, making the sodium lights flicker and spark. "Bugger," Gadross muttered as his gaze shifted toward the café. "The mundies are starting to come out of their hidey-hole. I need to deal with them before they see too much."

"Go," I said, watching as dark shapes began to coalesce in the deepening shadows. "We'll try the emergency beacon. Someone has to notice half the town going dark, right?" Turning to Fiona, I said, "We need backup. Lots of it. The kind with serious firepower and razor-sharp teeth."

My chest tightened as I thought of Aislinn, somewhere in this maze of ancient streets. Was she being prepared for a ritual that would literally tear her apart? We'd already wasted too much time. Every second we delayed was another second they had to prepare. Another second closer to her ultimate doom. Another second closer to losing her forever. The pain of that thought nearly brought me to my knees.

I glanced at Fiona and saw my own anguish reflected in her eyes. We both knew what they could do to Aislinn in the time we spent standing here. What they would do to her. And we both knew that if we didn't find her before that ritual started, there wouldn't be anything left of our friend to save.