Dragon Magic, page 11
part #4 of Ever Witch Series
Wracking my mind, I managed to remember the path the poltergeist had taken. I grabbed a torch this time as I reached the lowest level of the castle. The old dungeon. If there were any undiscovered clues, they could be down here where I saw the hooded figure.
Selma had assured me the entire castle had been looked over, but I couldn’t let it go. What if we’d missed a clue, a bit of evidence, something that would either fully condemn Lucius, or prove he was not the killer. None of us saw him stab Troy to death. He was merely holding the blade. Not that I had any idea who would be the killer if it wasn’t Lucius, but I was sure it wasn’t him.
In the dungeons, even with a torch, I took a couple of wrong turns until I finally sensed I was headed in the right direction. Eventually, the sound of dripping water met my ears, and I found the shattered door I’d crashed through in my hunt for the spirit.
I stepped over the debris, then into the tunnel. I was barely halfway to the room when I heard voices. Just as I had that night.
The only difference was that when I peeked around the corner, the hooded figure’s back was to me.
Another ghostly figure flickered in and out of view, as if he was summoning it.
Setting the torch down, I waited until the figure was speaking again, then threw myself at him. He grunted as we hit the stones hard, rolling over each other.
I fought to keep hold of him as he wildly punched and kicked to get free.
“No disappearing this time,” I spat through gritted teeth, securely wrapping my arms around him. “You’re coming with me. Now.”
Words in a language I didn’t understand burst from his mouth, and I was thrown off.
Water splashed as he took off, but I wasn’t giving up that easily. Shooting a ball of fire down the tunnel, I watched it slam into the figure’s back and sent him careening forward.
It was all the chance I needed to catch up.
I grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around.
His hood fell back with a curse.
“You.” In confusion, then fury, I regarded the man beneath the cloak.
“Yes, me. You should have left well enough alone, dragon,” Peter threatened.
I raised my fist to deck him.
He snapped his fingers.
My limbs went weak. I collapsed to the floor, unable to get back up again.
Peter stood over me leering. He lifted his boot then smashed it into my face.
Ten
Amelie
“Tank, you in there?” I knocked on his door. “Tank?”
When there was no response, I tried the handle, surprised to find it unlocked. He wasn’t anywhere in sight, and the bathroom door was open, so I knew he wasn’t in there.
I texted him, but after a few minutes of walking around his room, there was no reply. Where had he gone? I frowned when I realized his bag was gone from the chair.
Confused, I opened drawers and the wardrobe to find all his clothes were missing.
“What?” I called him then, worry eating away at me. “Come on, pick up… Pick up.” It went to voicemail.
“Amelie?’
“Victor, have you seen Tank?”
“Not for a few hours.” He glanced around the room then back at me. “Did he leave or something?”
I was trying to call him again. “I don’t know. He’s not answering. His stuff’s gone… Damn it.” I hung up and was ready to try calling again when Peter appeared in the doorway. “You see Tank?”
“Oh, I would’ve thought left you a note or something.”
I exchanged a confused look with Victor. “A note? What are you talking about? Why would he leave me a note?”
“He was called away on urgent business.”
I squeezed my cell. “What business?”
Everest. It had to be about Everest and the baby. But if she’d gone into labor, Tank would’ve taken me with him. We would go together. She was my best friend, just as Slade was his. It wasn’t like he was part of the Hunters. Had Slade been attacked?
I felt sick to my stomach. “Did he say what it was for? Was someone hurt?”
“I’m not sure.”
“That’s not right. He would’ve taken me with him
Peter grimaced.
“Stop with the look and just tell me. What?” I demanded.
“He said he didn’t have time to wait for you to finish up here.”
“Finish up what?” Nothing Peter was saying made sense. If there was any sort of emergency, he’d want me with him. He’d need me. They all would.
“Whatever you had to do here. But I overheard him talking on his phone.”
“To who?’
“Don’t know. He mentioned bringing you along would only cause problems. He wasn’t sure you’d be up to the challenge, hence he left you here.”
Bull. Everything Peter just said was bull. Tank would never say that about me. He would’ve come and found me. Told me himself he had to go. I studied Peter’s unwavering face. He might think he was believable, but he was lying, right to my face.
“I don’t think he said that,” Victor spoke up, defending Tank.
“Just repeating what I heard,” Peter said, holding up his hands. “I don’t think he’s the dragon you assumed he was.”
I sank onto the nearby couch. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. I shut my eyes, reaching out for Tank, but unlike the night he chased the poltergeist, I sensed nothing. There was no pull to him.
“I guess he is gone,” I mumbled.
“Sadly. But if you’re still afraid, don’t worry. I can keep you company.”
“No,” I snapped. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
He paused mid-step toward me. “Why not?”
“As you said, Lucius is the culprit. He’s being held, and there’s no more reason to worry. I’ll be fine on my own. Thanks.”
“Then why don’t I escort you to the hall for dinner? We can share a pitcher of wine. I know how much Tank’s leaving must hurt.”
I was nearly off the couch and ready to smack him, but I stopped myself. “I think I’ll stay in my rooms for now. I need to figure out what the next few days are going to be like anyway.”
“You’re leaving?” he asked loudly. “Why?”
“The gathering was not exactly as relaxing as I’d hoped. Not sure there’s a reason for me to stay longer than I have already. I’m sure you understand.” I offered up a smile and waited for him to leave. “Really, Peter, I have so much to do back home anyway. I can always come back another time.”
“Yes, well, I’ll be sad to see you leave so soon.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. Not dejected. Angry. “Good evening to you. Both of you.”
Victor waited until he was gone, then turned to me. “You sure you’re okay with Tank leaving?”
“He didn’t leave. At least, not on his own.”
“What?”
“Something’s wrong.” I willed myself to feel Tank’s presence again, but still, there was nothing. “Peter’s lying. He never talked to Tank about his going anywhere.”
“Then where is he?”
“I don’t know, but I think you and Grant may have been right.” I got up quickly and checked the corridor then shut and locked the door. “I don’t think we can trust Peter.”
“Now you agree with me.”
“I know, alright? But I was trying to keep us from going after each other for no reason.”
“And now?’
I paced from one end of the room to the other, pausing when something shiny caught my eye. Bending down by the dresser, I reached my hand under and pulled out Tank’s cell phone. The screen was cracked, showing all my missed calls and texts . It was on silent. I held it up for Victor to see.
He shot an angry look at the door. “What do we do?”
“We watch each other’s backs and find Tank.” I tucked the cell phone in my pocket. “You want to camp out in my room or yours tonight?”
“Mine. Peter might not think to look for you there. Come on.”
I hoped to spend a relaxing evening with Tank, or as relaxing as it could be. Now, I was going to be hiding out in Victor’s room worrying about where Tank was and what Peter was up to. We could go to Selma, but what good would letting her know do? If Peter had Tank, he could hurt him, kill him and I wouldn’t even know. Tomorrow we’d search the castle from top to bottom, and I’d find him.
I’d find him alive and in one piece.
Then I’d kick Peter’s ass for thinking he could mess with Tank. Or me.
The couch in Victor’s room was far from comfortable, but I refused to take his bed.
He’d planned to stay awake with me through most of the night, but passed out before long.
I tossed and turned, attempting to shut my eyes to get a few hours of sleep, but my mind continually drifted to images of Tank in trouble. Hurt. I refused to even think he might already be dead. Peter had to be behind it. Why else would he lie about where Tank went, unless he had something to do with his disappearance?
I was probably overreacting a bit. Part of me believed Peter was involved in why Tank was missing, but not behind the murders. It was bad timing, I told myself, nothing more.
I shut my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep when the door shook.
I glared at it as the knob turned, but it was locked.
“Victor,” I whispered, not wanting to get up and make too much noise. “Victor wake up.”
The rattling knob stopped.
My pulse pounded in my ears. I pulled on my magic, letting it swarm around my fingers in anticipation of an attack.
When nothing happened, I lay back down, eyes trained on the door. Was I dreaming? I had to be—
The door exploded inward.
I yelled for Victor as a shadowy figure sprinted into the room with inhuman speed.
It threw me to the side when I tried to step in its path. I clambered back to my feet.
Victor’s panicked yell was cut off as the figure strangled him.
“No. You’re not killing anyone else.” I threw myself on the figure’s back and held on.
He whirled around, trying to dislodge me.
I held on tighter, magic swirling around my hands as I tried to capture the attacker.
He slammed me into a wall.
I gasped in agony, forced to let go. I expected him to attack me, but he threw himself at Victor.
A blade glinted in the moonlight.
He and Victor struggled.
Victor fell out of the bed as he fought to get away from the dagger. Then he yelped.
Blood appeared on the blade.
Victor snapped his fingers and the room filled with a high wind, knocking the attacker away.
He crawled toward me, across the floor, but the attacker snapped his fingers, and the wind died.
Another finger snap and ropes appeared, binding Victor’s arms and legs.
I rushed to get them undone.
A hand seized me by the hair and threw me aside.
I rolled into a chair.
The dagger came down again on Victor’s shoulder. If he hadn’t rolled, it would’ve gone straight into his chest.
With a scream, I shot my hands forward. A blast of green and violet light slammed into the figure. He flew into the four-poster bed, taking out two posts.
The heavy canopy collapsed on him.
He didn’t move again. I didn’t check him. Instead, I rushed to Victor.
“Hold on,” I muttered, fingers fumbling as I worked at the ropes.
Blood covered Victor’s leg and shoulder, but he was conscious.
“We need to stop this bleeding. Keep your eyes open, you hear me?”
He nodded then his eyes went wide. “Behind you.”
I didn’t even get to turn around when something heavy slammed into the back of my head, and the room dimmed, then went dark.
I gasped, fighting against whatever bound me as my eyes adjusted to the strange lighting. Victor. I’d been in Victor’s rooms. He’d been attacked.
I squinted.
This wasn’t Victor’s room. The attacker. That bastard hit me over the head.
“Real nice move there,” I muttered, searching the space as I worked at my hands. I was bound to a chair, arms behind my back and legs tied to the seat. “Coward, whacking me on the back of the head.” I tugged on the ropes, muttering about assholes and the like when chains rattled. I froze, peering around the dome-shaped room. “Hello?”
A muffled grunt answered me. The chains rattled harder.
I turned to the left. “Tank.”
He was here, chained to a wall, and a gag in his mouth. His eyes widened, as if trying to tell me something.
He looked to his right, and I followed his gaze. There was a door, the only doorway in the room. And we were alone.
“Are you alright?”
He rolled his eyes and glowered.
“Right, sorry. Working on it.”
He grunted again, straining against the chains holding him to the wall.
“Who did this?”
He tried to tell me, but the gag made it impossible for me to make out the words.
“Just burn through it,” I suggested as I called on my magic to eat away at the ropes. Except, my magic sputtered and died out without making a dent. “What? No, come on. You have to work.” I focused again, but there was nothing. Had the attacker given me something? He had to have done the same to Tank since he wasn’t able to use his fire either. “I’ll get us out of here.”
He shook his head, working at getting the gag down his face. It took a few moments, but then his mouth was free. “Peter.”
“What?”
“It’s Peter. He’s not going to be gone for long. Can you get out of the ropes or not?”
“My magic’s not working. Did he do something to me?”
“Guess so. I can’t feel my fire either.”
“What does he want?”
“I don’t know, but he’s crazy.” He glared at the door, growling furiously as he yanked on the chains again. “How did he get you?”
“He went after Victor, and I tried to stop him. Victor was bleeding. Then he knocked me out.” Panicking that no one would find Victor and he’d bleed out, I tore and tugged as hard as I could, getting rope burns without caring. I had to get out of here. Had to get back to Victor. “We have to tell Selma. To tell all of them.”
“He’s behind the murders. He framed Lucius.”
All of this was wrong. How had none of us seen it was Peter? How was he strong enough to pull this off? My right hand slipped free just as the door opened.
Peter strolled in, whistling as if he hadn’t a care in the world. I kept my free hand tucked out of sight and glared heatedly at Peter. He set several glowing vials on a table nearby, then removed his cloak with a flourish.
“Ah, good, you’re awake,” he said happily as he approached. “I was worried the hit on the head was too much.” He held my chin in his fingers and kissed my cheek.
“Get off me. What are you doing?”
“Don’t you touch her,” Tank bellowed, the chains clanking violently as he fought to get to me. “I’ll rip your arms off!”
Peter snapped his fingers and Tank’s yelling cut off, though his mouth kept moving.
“Much better,” he mused then turned his full attention to me. “I am doing what I should have done years ago.” He tugged on his silk vest the smoothed back his hair. “Taking my rightful place as leader of this coven.”
“Seriously? That’s what this is about? If you’re going to kill me just get it over with. Not in the mood to hear your crazy inner monologue.”
Tank scowled.
I shrugged.
Peter paced away from me, his back to us both.
I raised my brow, trying to get Tank to look to his right.
He shook his head, not getting my drift. The table was closest to him. There had to be something on it to help get him free. At least one of us could get out of here alive and alert the others.
“Why would I kill you?” Peter mused, circling back to my front. “You are going to be by my side when this is all over.”
“And what makes you think you can convince me to do that when you killed our friends?”
“You truly doubt my magical ability. All of you have. Tonight that ends.” He picked up one of the vials from the table and rolled it between his fingers. “I really must thank you. Without your guidance all these years, I would never have reached my full potential with potions. Especially with this one.” He held it before m, but there was nothing to indicate what it was. “This will ensure you stay by my side and that no one except me and the dead know the truth.”
He popped the cork the strong smell of rosemary reached my nose.
“You’re going to erase my memories?”
Tank’s mouth opened again, but no sound came out. Not even that fierce growl I was dying to hear at that moment. To maybe make Peter second-guess his plan. Or wet himself. Either one would be great.
“That I am. You see, for years I watched as my family was content to sit on the sidelines, while others who were less than us claimed our greatness. Claimed our birthright. But I’ve decided it’s time for me to step out of the shadows. To show the world what this warlock can do.”
“So you murder people.” I shook my head. “How the hell does that make sense?”
“They, like so many before them, were all the same. They all thought they were better than me. Now they can’t say a word against me. You’ll drink this, and when you wake up, all you’ll remember is the tragedy which stole away our friends. How I was there for you in your time of need. And together, we’ll rule this coven.”
I shouldn’t have done it. Should’ve bitten my tongue and come up with a plan.
Never said I was the smartest witch alive.
The laughter started low then grew loud until I was shaking from it. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I sucked in air, gasping for breath, then laughed more.
Peter’s smile faltered until he glared at me, hand clenched around that vile potion.
That was just fine because I had his full attention now. I just needed to stall a while longer. The potion he’d given me to dull my magic was wearing off. Already I sensed magic rising within me. Just a few more moments and I would be able to attack him. I wanted to check on Tank, but I needed to keep Peter’s attention on me. Me alone.
