Blood Craft: The Shadow Sorceress Book Two (7 page)

L
ying beneath the bed covers
, heat spread up over my legs and up my stomach. Rolling away from it wasn’t an option; it didn’t matter what position I tried to find for myself, everywhere I went, the heat followed me.

Was I just dreaming it? The heat reached my ears and the first faint crackle set my heart hammering in my ribcage. My eyes flew open, and I scrambled up the bed in an attempt to get away from the fire that was eating its way across my bedspread.

“Shit,” I said, rolling free of the bed and landing with a thud on the floor. My mind instantly transporting me back to the night the vamp had attacked me. Without thinking about it, I glanced upwards at the place where I knew the black magic mark had been. The white paint I’d used to try and cover it up seemed more transparent than usual, almost as though the mark itself refused to be covered and was slowly sliding out through the micro gaps in the paint.

The bed was well and truly on fire, and I swore again as I grabbed the covers and dumped them on the floor, folding them over on themselves as I tried to smother the flames. Working fast, I stamped at the smouldering mess, causing the billowing smoke to fill the room.

With the flames finally out, I stared around the room. What the hell was happening to me? First the creepy feeling I’d had when I’d tangled with the shifter, the urge to bathe in his blood had been one that had left me feeling more than a little weirded out. And now this?

I could understand it if I was in danger, but there was nothing here but me.

The apartment was silent around me, just the usual sounds of the building settling, the creaking of wood, and the familiar rattle of the elevator far off in the distance. Nothing. I was alone.

Dropping onto the end of the bed, I buried my face in my hands. Life had never been this complicated. It had been bad, but not like this. At this rate, I didn’t need to worry about my sister or a demon coming to finish me off; I would do it all by my lonesome.

Crossing the room, I searched the bedside locker for my phone. There was one person I could call….

The events of the day hit me like a punch to the chest and I choked on the emotion that welled inside me.

My cell phone was smashed, broken when the shifter knocked me on my ass, but that wasn’t what hurt. There was one person I could call.

Graham.

But even if I had my phone, he wouldn’t be answering his anytime soon.

I wanted to feel sorry for myself, to bury myself beneath the remnants of my blankets and blot out the rest of the world. But that wasn’t going to help Graham. It wasn’t going to help me get to the bottom of what was going on, and it sure as heck wouldn’t help me catch the people responsible for putting him in the hospital.

Crossing to my closet, I pulled out the first pair of black jeans my hand closed around. They fell out into my hands, a bottle-green T-shirt tumbling out after them. I grabbed that, too. It looked clean, if a little unfamiliar. It had been a while since I’d gone to the laundromat, and I was having to dig into the back of my closet to find clean clothes—clothes that, judging by the level of unfamiliarity I had with them, I hadn’t worn in years.

Tugging them on, I fought with the jeans. They were more than a little snug; clearly, there was a reason I hadn’t worn them in a while.

Dragging out my gym bag, I scooped up my keys and headed for the front door. I needed to do something. I’d let Graham down and there was only one thing I could really do to try and make it up to him. If I couldn’t sleep, then I was going to go and see Jessica, and if she didn’t want to see me, then I was going to train.

The last thing I really wanted to do was see her but I owed Graham that much at least. And I had a sneaking suspicion that her mother wouldn’t have told her what had happened to him.

It was the one and only thing I could do.

And if I failed and she turned me away, then the fight with the shifter had taught me a valuable lesson: I badly needed to train harder. Staying alive through sheer luck and my magic popping up to save my ass wasn’t a smart move when working for the Elite. Sooner or later, one or the other would let me down, and then where would I be?

The tattered remains of my leather jacket sat on the couch where I’d dumped it the night before, and my stomach dropped. It was my favourite jacket.

Sighing, I headed back into the bedroom and searched within my Narnia closet, finally fighting free with a black hoodie. It wasn’t an ideal choice, and it certainly didn’t look smart enough for the Elite offices, but I was beyond caring. If Jon had a problem with it, then I would happily iron it out with him…. After all, I owed him a conversation after what he’d done to Graham by only sending him half a file….

S
itting
in the prison’s main visiting area, I waited for them to escort Jessica out. She wouldn’t really be escorted anywhere; the system was all electric to cut down on the number of fatalities associated with holding preternatural killers who really didn’t believe in a prison system or justice in general.

A loud buzz echoed in the room and I jumped, a green light flashing over a door inside the clear box Jessica was supposed to sit in. She shuffled out through the door, her ankles and wrists bound with silver chains, one of the few weapons we had against her kind.

The second her eyes found mine, she stiffened up, her pupils dilating until they filled her iris completely. It never ceased to amaze me how the vamps worked their little mind control tricks. Of course, in here, she was given a daily shot to neutralise her mind control ability. It was something that really only worked on the newer vampires, and Jessica was definitely a baby in comparison to who her boyfriend had been.

She launched herself across the space, slamming her body into the bomb-proof glass with the same force as a runaway freight train. She hissed and growled, her fangs fully extended as she scrabbled against the thin piece of protection between me and her.

“Why are you here?” She spat the words out, her eyes completely black as she fought to claw her way out of the box.

“Your father wanted me to come and talk to you. He wants me to help you,” I said. Honesty seemed like the best policy were Jessica was concerned.

“You don’t want to, you’re only here out of guilt … what did he say to you this time to jerk your chain?” Scorn dripped from her words like acid and I found myself shifting uncomfortably on the metal chair I’d been given.

“Jessica, there’s something I need to tell you….”

“I don’t want to know anything you have to tell me. You killed Zac, and when I get out of here, I’m going to rip your throat out.”

“Your father is in the hospital. There was an accident. He’s pretty bad….” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, “he’s on a ventilator”; if I did, it would make it all too real and I wasn’t in the mood for that.

“Do you think I care? That bastard is nothing but a thorn in my side. I hope he dies … I hope you all do, and when Lily recovers….” Jessica cut herself off and screamed in frustration. “You tricked me, how dare you trick me!”

“Jessica, I didn’t do anything to you. What do you mean when Lily recovers?”

She laughed, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, and she shook her head, causing her ponytail to whip around her shoulders.

“I’m not telling you anything except this: your sister says hi … round two is coming, and this time no demon is going to save your sorry ass.”

I straightened up in the seat, leaning forward so my arms rested on my thighs. “Tell me what else you know about her. How badly was she hurt?”

Jessica laughed again and pulled back away from the glass.

“Jessica, tell me everything you know. I can help you. I can speak to them about your execution….”

She shook her head and moved back to the heavy, reinforced steel door she’d entered through. I watched as she slammed her hands on it, the silver chains she wore sizzling and smoking as they bit into her flesh, and yet she showed no signs of pain.

“I have just one regret in all of this…” she said as the door alarm buzzed and the steel started to shuffle open.

“What’s that?”

“I didn’t cause enough pain; if I could do everything over, I’d kill more….”

She stepped out through the door, leaving me to stare after her with my mouth hanging open. I’d met plenty of vampires, but none who had so little remorse. Graham still loved her and he wanted me to help her, but after meeting her, there really was nothing I could do. Nothing I wanted to do, considering the pain she’d caused….

T
ightening
the wraps on my hands, I adjusted my stance in front of the heavy bag and restarted my routine. It was the only thing I could do to try and clear my mind of the angry hatred I’d witnessed in Jessica.

Foot forward, twist hips, extend arm, imagine your fist exiting out through your opponent’s head.

Rolling my shoulders, I switched sides and started again, gradually picking up my pace. It was easier to fight in the moment. There was something to be said about adrenaline coursing in the veins, heart pounding, fighting for your life to make the routine effortless. Standing in front of the bag, I had to remind myself over and over what my next move was supposed to be.

“You!” The female voice cut across my concentration and I turned in time to brace my body as a petite, dark-haired woman crashed into me, taking us both to the mat.

“You fucked up and now he’s dead! Why couldn’t you just do your job? Why?” The emotion in her voice wasn’t something that could be faked. She rained blows down on my head, my arms and hands taking the brunt of her punches.

Wrapping my legs around her waist, I tipped her to the side, driving her body into the mat beneath me as I attempted to pin her. But she had pure, unadulterated rage on her side and she drove her legs up between us, planting her feet in the middle of my abdomen before thrusting back with all of her might.

I tried to break my fall, but my back met the edge of the mat and I cried out as my head slammed into the floor. She was on me before I could even recover, her tear-streaked face a blur above me as she landed her first good punch, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth.

Someone appeared above her, lifting her away from me before she could land her next blow. She lashed out, her legs flailing in an attempt to hurt me by any means necessary.

“Sonia, cut it out!” Anthony said, his strong frame wrapped around her, holding her back as I climbed slowly to my feet.

“What was that about?” I said, dragging my hand across my mouth, smearing blood across the back of my fist and the white wraps I wore.

“She’s the reason he’s dead, Anthony, you know it! Let me go!” Sonia cried as she continued to fight and kick in his grip, but I could tell her movements were getting slower. The longer he held her, the more the rage seemed to seep out of her and what was left behind in her expression created a hollow feeling in the middle of my gut.

“He was doing his job; you know that. It’s the same risk we all take.” Anthony’s voice was soothing, as though he was talking to a volatile child that needed calming.

She jerked out of his grip and turned her fading temper on him. “That’s bullshit and you know it. You’re just protecting her because she saved your ass when you screwed up.”

“So Amber is supposed to save us all when we make a mistake? I don’t think that’s fair….”

Sonia shook her head, her short brown hair whipping around her face, and the look she shot Anthony was anything but friendly. “You were his friend. I can’t believe you would betray him like this. This is her doing, and if you’re not going to do something about it, then I will….” She turned and gave me a look that made me want to duck and take cover. But she didn’t make a move on me, choosing instead to stalk from the gym, leaving me to stare after her.

“I had no idea she was involved with Officer Myrtle,” I said, watching her leave.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about the people you work with, Amber. You keep to yourself, but we’re supposed to work as a team. More often than not, I see you rushing in on your own, and you’ve been lucky … until Steve.” Anthony spoke as though I’d murdered Steven and not the shifter.

“It’s not like that, I….”

“That’s your problem, Amber—there is no “I” in “team”, and the sooner you realise that, the safer it will be for the rest of us.” Anthony shook his head and turned back to the small group that had gathered around him.

I stood and watched them talk amongst themselves, anger bubbling in my veins. What was I supposed to do? This was a job at the end of the day, and most of the other “team members” looked at me like I was some sort of upstart. I hadn’t paid my dues, not the way they had; I was too new, and yet I was the one the media wanted to talk to.

Swallowing back my anger, I crushed it down inside. Allowing such destructive thoughts to fill my head was only going to result in one thing, and I didn’t want to become that person. The one that everyone despised and no one wanted to work with because they were too reckless, endangering the lives of everyone around them.

But I sure as heck wasn’t going to grovel to Anthony for his approval. Sonia’s anger towards me was justified; she’d lost the man she loved. Anthony hadn’t even been there, so why he thought he could scold me like a naughty schoolchild—well, I had no idea where he’d gotten the attitude from.

Grabbing my towel and water bottle, I stalked out of the gym and down the corridor towards the changing room.

“Amber! My office, now!” Jon’s voice made me jump. I’d been so lost in my own bitter thoughts that I hadn’t realised he’d stepped out into the hall.

“I was just….”

“My office, now. I don’t have time for your bullshit,” he said, his voice frayed with anger.

Turning, I stalked after him. The day had barely started but it really couldn’t get any worse.

I
was wrong
. The day could get a whole lot worse, and it had.

“Victoria Tellon is a very talented Elite member. She has just flown in from New York and I want you to show her the ropes…” Jon said, overly animated. In fact, if I didn’t know him better, I’d have said he was doing lines of coke in the bathroom before he’d found me in the hall.

“No offence, Victoria,” I said to her. She smiled at me, but there was no warmth behind it; “but I’m really not looking for a new partner, Jon. I have one.”

“You don’t. With Graham in the hospital, you’ve got no one, and I can’t allow you out in the public eye—” He cut himself off and pushed his hand back over his head; “—Out facing the dangers that you do without some sort of back-up. Victoria is extremely skilled; she can probably teach you a thing or two.”

I didn’t doubt it; her resume had been the first thing thrust into my hands the second I walked through the door of his office. From what I’d seen of it, she was more than proficient as an Elite member, and if I was honest, I would probably hold her back. She seemed more the type to be a member of Anthony’s clean-up crew. Efficient, and deadly.

“Jon, Graham is coming back….”

Jon shook his head and dropped his attention down onto the desk in front of him. “We both know that’s not guaranteed. They don’t even know if he’s going to pull through….”

“And whose fault is that?” I said, finally losing my temper. Graham was my partner, the only one I wanted, and certainly the only one who understood who I was.

I really wasn’t interested in starting all over with someone new, and I definitely wasn’t in the mood for entertaining the idea that Graham might not survive. He had to; there was no other choice in the matter.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, his register taking on an icy tone.

“I know you only sent him half the case file. He told me before everything turned to shit,” I said, practically spitting the words at him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jon said, but I could tell from his nervous expression that he knew exactly what I meant.

“Don’t give me your usual bullshit…” I said.

“This is not the time or the place, Amber,” Jon said, inclining his head in Victoria’s direction.

“Can we get a few minutes?” I asked, smiling sweetly in her direction.

“Actually, I was hoping we would get straight into it. I was filled in on the case before I got here. This doesn’t seem like something that can wait for personal vendettas….” There was an edge to her voice and anger bubbled in my veins, spiking my blood pressure and causing the beginnings of a headache to take up residence between my eyes.

Opening my mouth to answer, I caught myself. She’d flown in from New York, but why the hell would the Elite send someone as “talented” as her to King City. Our preternatural issues certainly couldn’t compete with New York City and its surrounding areas. None of it made any sense, unless she was sent with the express purpose of spying on me.

Biting back my words, I nodded as Jon planted his hand in the centre of my back and began pushing me towards the door.

“You’ll be pleased to know Victoria is also very skilled in dealing with the media. You’ll both be doing an interview later in the morning.”

The thought of doing an interview sent bile creeping up the back of my throat. I hated getting trotted out as the media circus’ prized performer, and their questions would be unbearable if they were anything like the barrage I’d gotten outside the hospital yesterday.

I didn’t answer Jon as I stepped out through the door and shrugged free of his vile touch.

“You don’t hold much regard for your boss,” Victoria said as I wound my way down through the desks in the office. It wasn’t a question, and the statement only served to heighten my suspicion of her.

If she was here from the New York office to spy, then I needed to find out her reasons. General subordination I could handle; it certainly wouldn’t take much to get out from underneath it, I’d just have to find a better way to make Jon pay for his misdeeds.

But if she was here because they suspected me of something … that was going to be much harder to deal with. I had secrets. How was I supposed to keep the important ones hidden from someone like her? If she was working in New York, then she was probably practically a human bloodhound, scenting out the truth no matter how difficult the puzzle.

“If you knew the things I know, you wouldn’t have much regard for him either,” I said, reaching my desk and dropping down into the generic swivel chair they’d supplied everyone in the office. Nothing in the office was comfortable; it was all simply serviceable, and it seemed that was how the Elite liked to keep it.

“What do you know about him?” Victoria asked almost lightheartedly, and instantly her new approach set my suspicions on edge.

Giving her the side eye, I dug around in the files on my desk until I found what I was looking for. Tugging it free, I dropped it down in front of her, the card folder flopping open to the first crime scene picture.

“I’m not interested in tattling—whatever problem I have with Jon, it’s going to stay just that: my problem.” I kept my voice hard as I tried to avoid looking directly at the pictures.

I’d lived through them, and they were seared into the inside of my brain. The last thing I needed to do was study them.

She stared at me a moment longer than was needed, and instinctively, I knew she sizing me up. She was still utterly unreadable and I really couldn’t figure out who she was here for. All that served to do was set me even further on edge. A partner was supposed to be someone you could trust in the field, and I’d been so certain I’d found that in Graham.

Just thinking about him brought a lump to the back of my throat, making it difficult to swallow past.

“Trust me when I say I’m here to help, Amber. You don’t have to lock me out, and if you’re protecting someone’s secret … well, I won’t hesitate to dig it out.”

I nodded and jabbed my finger into the centre of the pictures. “How about you dig this secret out instead?”

She smiled back at me, but it wasn’t a friendly look. Clearly, I’d already made myself a new enemy. Like I really needed any more?

Dropping her gaze to the pictures, her expression instantly changed. A small crease appeared in the centre of her brow as she tucked her black hair behind her ear and leaned closer.

“I’ve seen something like this…” she said, and my stomach flipped nervously.

King City wasn’t small, but it still wasn’t New York. How could we have something so unusual in common?

“What was it?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and lifted her gaze to my face. “They never got to the bottom of it, but for a while, the body count was pretty damn high.”

“Well, how did you stop it?”

“I don’t think we did; by the looks of it, whatever is going on just moved here.”

“Great,” I said, dropping my face into my hands and scrubbing them back through my hair. I was still wearing my gym clothes, and in comparison to Victoria, I looked a mess. There was no way I could go out and represent the Elite looking like I crawled out of a bar room brawl.

“So, where do you hit first?” she asked, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.

I contemplated heading over to Sanctuary to find out if Madeline had heard anything, but that would only be inviting trouble. If Madeline let slip what I was, then it was game over.

“There’s a place downtown. I was going to swing by after the gym but I was called in to meet you instead.” Swallowing back my anger, I fought to keep my voice pleasant. “The guy who runs it knows some stuff about the preternatural occult.”

“You think it’s occult?” Victoria asked, cocking an eyebrow in my direction.

“Don’t you?”

She smiled then, a hint of the true Victoria peeking out through the curl in her lips. “Sorry, I’m just so used to questioning everything. It’s been a while since I worked with someone.”

Her words intrigued me, and I contemplated asking her what she meant, but it didn’t seem like the right time. She was probably the type that, if I jumped on everything she said, would just clam up and I’d never get anything from her.

“Right, I’ll get cleaned up and then we can head on over there…” I said, hopping up from my position at the desk.

“Can I look over the file?” she asked, and I nodded, letting her take over my seat behind the desk as I headed for the locker rooms once more.