No More Black Magic (18 page)

“Okay, fair enough. Let’s go. There’s a bunch of students looking in the window.” He whispered.

I turned towards the door and saw it was true. Gawkers, seriously. I shook my head and walked towards the door, pushing my way through. I turned around and locked it. The ward clicked back into place. If our victim had still been alive, then she would have known when we got there and when we left.

The students were asking me questions as I pushed through and I ignored them. Simon followed me, but I didn’t dare look back at them. I didn’t want to look at the students just barely younger than me wondering what had happened to a beloved teacher.

I took a deep breath when we got out of the building and walked through the courtyard. My mind spun at everything; maybe Michele could shed some light on it for me. Simon and I walked to the car without questioning each other. We got in and my phone rang.

I looked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number. Frowning, I answered it.

“Abigail Collins, we need to meet. In person. Alone.”

I didn’t know the voice, but it sent chills down my back.

“Who is this?”

“I’m Merick, one of the members of the Cult of Ra. I know you got our message, but clearly you’re too stubborn to listen to a hex.”

I cursed. “It has to be a public area.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Agent A.”

Only a few people called me that, it was odd hearing it from someone I didn’t know.

“I have a business meeting tonight, care to meet me for coffee after? Midnight Cafe is open late.” It was a cafe that a lot of supernatural creatures frequented because it was open 24/7. It would be public enough that if something went wrong I wouldn’t be alone, but private enough that we could discuss murders or trying to kill me.

“I’m familiar with it. I’ll see you there at midnight, will that give you enough time?”

“Should. No hexes?”

“Look at this as an olive branch. We can be reasonable when we want.” He chuckled and the line went dead.

Simon glared at me. “Please don’t tell me that you agreed to go meet with a member of the Cult?”

“Why would I?” I asked with a bit of sarcasm. “You already know the answer.” I started the car. “Wonder how the creep got my number?”

He shrugged and my phone rang again. I looked at it and saw Levi’s face pop up on the screen with his name. It dispelled the common myth that their pictures couldn’t be taken. He even had a reflection too. “What’s up, boss?”

“There was a person who died from an overdose on Thrills.” He growled “One of my people.”

Oh shit, this just couldn’t get any worse could it?

“You need to finish this. Tonight.”

I took a deep breath. “I’ll fit it into my schedule.”

“You will do it tonight, Abigail. I cannot have him killing my people with his stupid drug.” He snarled.

“I know, I’ll do it. I’m just...a bit overwhelmed right now. You know, other murders and all. But I’ll be close to his area of town tonight.”

“You never let me down.”

I could almost hear the grin in his voice, but I let it go. Before I had a chance to say something, he asked. “Are you coming back to the mansion tonight?”

“Yeah, apparently after I kill this drug dealer. Seriously, can’t anyone else do it?” I sighed. “I have dinner with someone who was close to the newest victims tonight. I’ll probably be back close to dawn.”

“It has to be you.” Levi snapped. “Don’t question why, just trust me on this matter.”

Of course, like everything else. Just trust him. “Okay, it’ll be done tonight. I really hate to have to kill him, but it’s not like there’s a vampire rehab.” I shook my head and he just laughed at me.

“I will see you if you get back before dawn then.” He disconnected and I banged my head against the steering wheel.

Simon patted my back. “Vacation.”

“What?” I asked and looked at him.

“I’m treating you to a vacation after this. I’m sure you need one.”

I laughed and sat up. “That sounds wonderful, but I don’t know if people could function here without me.” I joked. “Cause, you know, vampire drug dealers need to be killed. And though Levi has twenty other capable people, it must be me.”

“Yeah, don’t even think about involving me in that one.” Simon chuckled. “Let’s get to the club, you can do the runes before opening. I can work a few hours and you’ll pick me up? My car is still at the mansion.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it’ll probably be after closing time. You know, druggy vamp and all.”

“Working will do me some good. I’ve been missing the bar.” He shrugged. “It’s like home to me.”

A small amount of guilt came to me. He shouldn’t be running around with me. He should be living his own life. “Yeah, it’ll be good for you to get back.” I kept myself from apologizing because it meant that I had done something wrong, which for once, wasn’t the case.

We got to the club and he let us in. It was strange seeing the building this empty. I dug into my bag and found the blessed knife. Blood magic took more energy, but it would also help edge off some of the stress I was feeling. And I seriously needed the stress relief.

“You are paying me for this, right?” I asked over my shoulder with a grin.

“Woman, you’ve lived in my house for the last week, ate my food, I’m pretty sure that’s payment enough.”

It was true and I laughed. I conjured a circle around me before I started the spell. The runes were already there, so all I needed to do was push more power into them. I took a deep breath and sliced my hand. Muttering the Latin words I put my hand against the wall. The magic flowed through me and into the blood smear. I felt the magic hit each rune and I pulled my hand away as the spell closed itself.

The blood on the wall disappeared, taken by the magic as a sacrifice. I bowed my head in thanks to the Goddess and then closed the circle. I took a deep breath as the loss of energy hit me. I fished into my bag and pulled out a roll of bandages.

Simon came to my side and grabbed them from me. “Here, let me.”

I blinked at him, unsure how to react. Most people just let me struggle to wrap it myself. Blood magic was seen as contradictory, many thought it automatically meant black magic. Kind of like sex magic, it could be good or bad, but mostly it was associated as black magic.

I held my hand up and he wrapped the bandage around it tightly, tucking the ends away perfectly.

“The fact that you carry all these supplies in your bag makes me think that you have a Mary Poppins' bag.”

I shook my head. “Nope, just a really big bag. It’s not bigger on the inside. I don’t carry everything in it, just things I’m likely to need at a crime scene.” I shrugged.

“How long have you worked with the state?” He asked and then took me over to the bar. “Sit. I’ll get you a glass of water.”

I sighed. “A cup of coffee would be better.”

“Okay, I’ll make a pot.” He chuckled and turned around to the coffee maker.

“To answer your question, three years.”

“That’s it?”

“I started when I was twenty-one. Newly recruited. Special circumstances and all that.” I laughed. “Boy was I naive then.” I shook my head. “I’ve learned a lot.”

“Do you like it?” He asked and turned around after starting the pot.

I nodded. “I do. I feel like it’s my calling.” I shrugged. “It’s dangerous and Levi hates that about it, but I don’t really mind that much. It’s no more dangerous than me going after random people in his territory.”

Simon looked like he was contemplating something, but I didn’t want to ask. I wasn’t sure I liked where the conversation was going.

“Do you want a family?” He asked after a couple of moments.

I almost fell off my stool. “Um? What?”

“I don’t mean right now. I mean down the line.” He scrubbed at his face. “Never mind. I sound like an idiot.”

“I feel like there’s something else you’re getting at.” I raised a brow. “What about you? Grand plans for the future?”

He shrugged. “Eventually I want a family, but really what kind of life is being a child of a werewolf? It’s not something I can really hide.”

“There’s a fifty-fifty chance you’d pass it to the child.” I studied the grain of the bar. “I guess knowing what’s out there, knowing how my parents died, makes me second guess bringing a family into this world.”

Simon went back to the coffee pot. “Glad I’m not the only one.” He fixed me a mug of coffee and bent behind the bar, only to return standing with a carton of half and half creamer.

“I never really said thanks for helping me out. I’m hoping Levi didn’t have to threaten you too much. Even for tagging along today.”

Simon shrugged. “He really wants us together.” He held his hands up in surrender before I could say something. “I told him that you weren’t interested and I wasn’t going to force anything. He made me promise that I’d at least ask you out for a drink.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled. “Levi worries too much. He forgets that I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Well, part of it is that he’s worried about you doing something rash and stupid with no one to talk you off the edge.”

I poured cream into my coffee and thought about it. Levi wasn’t the first one to mention something like that. This case alone had started to make me rash. “Fair enough, but I don’t think dating is the answer.”

“Neither do I.” He shrugged. “But we can be friends, or drinking buddies.” He winked at me.

I sipped the coffee and savored the warmth of it as it went down my throat. “Thanks for letting me deal with Michele alone.”

“I don’t think I want to be there. Besides I know the coven already has something against you, but you have to do this.” He laughed. “You sure you don’t want to have a shot before you go? Could help you.”

I shook my head. “Nope, don’t think I’d stop if I just had one.” I really didn’t want to do this dinner and after I had Merick from the Cult to meet with. “Keep your phone on though. My second meeting could get dicey.”

“I still don’t approve of you going to that one alone.” He scowled and I shrugged.

“Glad to know you care, but really, I think they’d kill you if you showed up and I don’t want that kind of blood on my hands.” I closed my eyes and cupped my hands around the warm mug. The heat burned the wound a little, but it wasn’t anything I was unfamiliar with. Just enough pain to let me know that it was still there and fresh.

We both remained quiet. I put my head on the bar. “Okay, I should go after I finish this cup.”

“Yeah, probably. She’s taking you to a pretty fancy place.”

I nodded. “And I’m going in with my badge clipped to me to remind her its business.” I sat up, drank the rest of my coffee, and stood.

Snatching my bag off the floor I headed towards the door. “I’ll text you when I’m done.” I gave him a little wave and left.

I walked into the restaurant and looked around for Michele. She was sitting back in a corner and waved at me. I took a deep breath and headed towards her. I noticed she seemed to be holding together a lot better than Clarissa, but of course, Michele was older and more practiced with grief, I was sure.

I sat down in the seat across from her. “I’m sorry that we have to meet under such poor circumstances. I’d much rather have come to you without someone dying.”

“Trust me, I would have preferred that too. Nonetheless here we are.” She motioned to the menu. “Feel free to order.”

My stomach grumbled and I reached for the menu. “You were my dad’s research partner at one point.”

I saw her nod over the menu. “Yes, like I told you, I knew him.”

“But you didn’t tell me how. Are you aware of the circumstances of my parents’’ deaths?” I settled on the first meal with red meat that I saw.

She sighed and folded her hands on the table. “Does this have to do with Jade’s death?”

“Yes, it does, because we found her hand with a picture of you and my father.” I put the menu down and met her gaze. “We also found out what was in the deposit box at the bank. Did she have a child?”

Michele’s jaw locked and I knew she was about to lie to me. “No.”

“Don’t lie, please. I want to catch the person doing this. I need to finish this case.” I met her gaze. “If you want me to trust you, you have to tell me the truth.”

She raised a brow at me. “I’m old enough to be your mother.”

I hated when people brought that up. “I don’t care. She had a picture of a child in her planner, and there was a picture of him in the deposit box.”

“With a binding spell, or at least the evidence of one.” She nodded. “But it wasn’t her child. None of us are related to that little brat.”

Now we were getting somewhere. “None of you?”

“Abigail, you don’t understand what you are dealing with here. His father was a powerful warlock. If we were to let him run around without guidance then his power would have gotten out of hand.”

The waiter came before I could speak. I gave my order without losing contact with Michele’s gaze. I wasn’t going to give her a chance to wuss out on me. The waiter jotted it down and then walked off.

“So you put a binding spell on him. Let me guess, the werewolf, the witch, and whoever was in that barn. You were all in on it.”

She nodded. “Yes, his mother wanted us to do it. She was afraid that he would turn out like his father. When the father died, the child went to someone else. She only kept one of two. The older child was already in the process of being mentored, but no one wanted to take on the younger one.”

“That doesn’t give you an excuse to bind a child.” I shook my head. “Do you realize that it could be him out to kill you?”

“Better than you do. I can’t get ahold of Matthew but I know he’s alive. As for the person we bound, I’ve attempted a tracking spell and I can’t pin point him.”

Fuck, she had been tipping him off with her magic. “He’s always one step ahead of you. I have the same problem. Why did Jade keep a picture of him in her binder?” I gritted my teeth.

“She felt she needed to constantly be reminded of her guilt.” She shrugged. “People do strange things like that.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“You know you can’t win this fight alone, right? With the Cult here? They are after him and then they’ll be after you for interfering.”