| |
ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, Doherty called Ciara, asking her to meet him. She asked what for, but he didn’t give the details over the phone. Ciara didn’t have a hangover unlike her flatmate and Jenna, so she agreed.
Knowing Doherty, they weren’t meeting for fun. She had to go there prepared for a mission.
The address he had sent her turned out to be an empty car park in the middle of abandoned warehouses. It was in England, but a little farther away from London.
“Out of all places, this is a weird one. Even from you.” Ciara smiled, shoving her hands in her pockets. “So what’s up?”
Doherty’s lips turned up into half of a smile. “You can still back off. This is going to be half-official, half-unofficial.”
“For me, unofficial then.” Ciara had been transferred to work in Great Britain, but she was still suspended. Even Doherty couldn’t work around that.
“Exactly.” Doherty’s smile dropped, his expression growing grim. “As it’s official on my behalf, I didn’t want to alert the group. The head of the department won’t fire you for helping, even if you’re suspended.”
“But the others would go to prison if we got caught.” Ciara nodded. “Yeah, I know. What’s the mission?”
“One of my team members, Theresa, found a new witch hunter location with her hacking talents. I’m going to search it. You can still say no and leave.”
“When have I ever said no to a fight with those fuckers?”
“Never.”
“Exactly. I’m staying.”
Doherty nodded. “Good. I was counting on it.”
“Any idea how many witch hunters to expect?”
“A few.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“Be careful.”
“As always. And that’s it?”
Doherty pulled his wand out of his pocket. “Grab my hand.”
Ciara did as she was told. The moment she grabbed Doherty’s hand, he teleported them to a warehouse. The area looked similar to the car park, and Ciara assumed they hadn’t teleported far. There were grey warehouse buildings all around them, and the sight was quite depressing.
“You okay?” Doherty asked, his voice lowered. “If this is too much after everything—”
“I’m fine.” Ciara gave him a long look. “Let’s do this.”
“I’ll take the front.”
Ciara nodded. “I’ll take the back.”
Just like good old times.
They split up, heading to the different ends of the building. At the back of the building, Ciara found two doors. Both small but still possible escape routes for witch hunters inside. There was no way she was letting even one of them slip through her fingers.
Blood rushed in her ears, thinking about how she would kill any witch hunter who crossed her path. She wouldn’t let them walk out of there.
They hadn’t given Theo a chance, and for that they were going to pay. She didn’t care if it was his actual killer or another witch hunter. They all deserved to die for their crimes.
And for everything they had taken from her.
Ciara sealed the other door shut, melting the door into one block of metal. Once it was done, she headed straight in through the other door, hands clenched into fists at her sides.
“Hey, we got company!”
Two men and a woman jumped up from their seats, cards scattering around as they dropped them. They had been waiting for something—but not Ciara.
The woman ran for the sealed door—oblivious to the fact she wouldn’t get out that way.
Meanwhile, the men charged at Ciara. Two against one didn’t seem fair, but she didn’t mind. As long as she got to kill witch hunters.
An image of Theo’s pained face just before his death flashed through Ciara’s mind right before she sent a laceration spell at the other witch hunter. It didn’t hit the man, dressed in all black, but he had to create a shield.
Ciara turned to her next target, the man in a white t-shirt. The man shot a spell at her, magic flashing in the air, but she raised her hands and shielded herself with magic. Bringing her shield back down, she shot two laceration spells back at him. Both hit their target, thanks to her swiftness.
The man grunted, stepping back. His hands flew to his wound, and the liquid pumping out painted his shirt crimson.
The man wearing black got close enough to grab Ciara by her hair. Next his hands were on her neck. Pushing with her feet, she tackled both herself and the man onto the ground. He lost his grip. To her luck, she also managed to stay on top.
Straddling the man in the most killer like way, she snapped her fingers. Her knife flew from her boot to her hand.
Behind her the woman screamed out in frustration, likely realising there was only one door leading out. Ciara’s lips curled up in satisfaction.
Before Ciara would handle the woman, though, she had another target. Blood pounding and ears roaring, she slashed at the man. His eyes turned wide for a split second. Just in time to realise he was dying. And at last, he croaked out his last breath, going limp.
Footsteps approached Ciara from the back. She jumped out and opened her fingers wide, sending a slicing spell at her attacker. The man she had already cut with a laceration spell froze. A clean line formed on his neck before his head fell. The body followed, crumpling down.
Dead and headless. Blood pouring out of the body like melted chocolate in a dessert fountain.
“Ciara!” Doherty’s voice echoed through the warehouse. Ciara’s muscles tensed, and her attention slipped for a second.
A flash hit her, sending her flying against the concrete wall. Air knocked out of her, and her hand flew up to cover for the next spell. The shield formed just in time.
“I’ll kill you!” the woman screamed at her.
Her head was fuzzy from hitting the wall. But not having time to sort it out, she forced herself up and threw her knife. She added force to it with a spell. The knife plummeted all the way to the woman standing across the enormous room.
It hit its mark on the woman’s chest, and the body hit the ground. Then, thanks to Ciara’s spell, it came back flying like a boomerang. Ciara grabbed it, sheathing it in her boot.
Doherty!
Ciara had never known her own father. But out of all the men in her life, Doherty came the closest to a father figure. He had been more than a mentor or a boss for Ciara. There was no way he would die on her watch.
Not after Theo. Losing more people would shatter her.
She dashed to the next room. Empty. Then the next. One by one, she ran from room to another until she made it to the enormous hall at the front of the warehouse.
Doherty was there, but he wasn’t alone. One body was left in a pool of blood, but two witch hunters—both men—were still alive. Both throwing spells at Doherty.
Ciara jumped at the other one. Her fist connected with the witch hunter’s face. With her forearm, she pushed the man against the wall, pressing on his throat. Peeking from beneath his shirt was the witch hunter mark. A flame with a wand in the middle.
Theo’s killer had one of those, too. The exact same one.
All she could see was white rage. Images of dying Theo flashed through her mind. Without him there, they had no leverage on her. Nothing to keep her from killing all of them, and she would kill every last one if she got the chance.
The man in her grip would never hurt anyone again.
She grabbed the man’s hair, bashing his head against the wall. Blood poured out of a new wound. She didn’t even blink, snapping her fingers. The blade from her boot flew to her right hand.
She stabbed him. The blood coated her hands in an instant, and she watched the dying man collapse with a thud.
“Ciara.”
She spun around to be met by familiar eyes.
“Lower your knife.”
Her gaze trailed down to her raised hand, still holding the blade. Eyes widening, she let it drop.
“Ciara.”
Doherty had gagged the last witch hunter and tied him to a pillar. There was no blood on him or his clothes.
Eyes narrowing, Ciara turned to her old mentor. “You didn’t kill him.”
“We need answers.” Doherty’s gaze moved from her to the body behind her. “And I think this warehouse has seen enough blood for a moment.”
She turned around to see her own handiwork. Her hand had carved an inches deep hole into the man’s neck.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Doherty’s voice lowered, turning unusually soft.
“No!” Ciara snapped. She grabbed her blade from the ground and wiped it clean with a spell before sheathing it back in her boot.
It took a moment for it all to hit her. Her clothes were soaked in blood. As if she had stepped into a bathtub filled with blood. She hadn’t even realised despite the clothes clinging onto her skin. Like the warm blood was embracing her.
Had she gone too far? Those fuckers deserved to die for what they had taken from her.
“How do I stop?” Ciara croaked out.
“Get your motives straight.” He didn’t show any pity. He never had, because she didn’t need that. She needed someone to knock some sense into her.
Ciara nodded.
“I need to call my team. They don’t know you’re here.”
It was time for her to leave. “I won’t let this happen again.”
Next time she would use her head, not her heart, like Doherty had taught her. She knew better than to let her emotions cloud her mind.
As she was about to head out, Doherty reached a hand out, squeezing her shoulder. “Ciara.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve been through more than you ever should have to go through.” His voice was foreign. It wasn’t the voice of the ruthless hit wizard Ciara knew him as. For once, there was worry clear in his words.
“I’ll deal with it.”
“Ciara.”
She turned to look at him, refusing to let her eyes water despite the burning in them. “I have to move on.”
He nodded, agreeing.
“And I will. From now on, I won’t let my emotions drive me.” Ciara pressed her lips together, forming a thin line. “I’ll do better. I won’t turn into one of them. Into a mindless killer.”
“You’re nothing like them, Ciara.” His voice turned sharp as her blade. “You have every right to feel what you do. Just don’t let it cost you your own life. Nor your sanity. Theo wouldn’t want that.”
He was right. As always.
“I’ll get better.” She had to if she wanted to do her job.
Doherty raised an eyebrow. “Where is this sudden optimism coming from?”
“Guess Liam has a bad influence on me.”
Doherty nodded, knowing it was best to leave it at that. “So—”
His own ringtone cut him off. Looking at the screen, he said, “You should go. Will you be okay?”
Ciara smiled at Doherty. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for trusting me.”
Doherty looked up and smiled, too. “Take care of yourself.” With one last look, he picked up the call and brought the phone to his ear.
It was Ciara’s cue to leave.
***
MAKING A QUICK STOP at an empty alley, Ciara used a cleaning spell to get the blood off her clothes and calmed herself. When she was done, she went home. Henry was the only one there, because Jenna had gone to get food.
There was a distinct smell of alcohol that made Ciara scrunch up her nose. Henry was lying on the sofa, suffering from a hangover. He asked Ciara where she had been when she joined him in the living room. She told him she had been with Doherty.
Henry didn’t need the details. All he had to know was that she met Doherty and then he had to rush to work. It wasn’t a lie.
“He’s busy with work then?”
“Yes.”
Henry nodded. Changing the subject, he said, “You talked with my brother last night.”
“I did.”
“And when will we talk?” Henry asked.
“About what?”
“What’s going on with you and Liam?”
“We’re friends, I guess.” Ciara shrugged. “And he’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“What about you and Jesse?”
“Friends.”
“Just friends?”
Ciara rolled her eyes. “Friends with benefits if we feel like it.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “You’re sleeping with him?”
“I’m pretty sure it was a one-time thing.”
“Remember when you said you had slept with your ex, and you meant Jesse?”
Ciara nodded. “What about it?”
Henry grimaced. “I thought you meant Liam.”
“What?” Ciara exclaimed, her eyes widening.
Grimacing, Henry continued, “I even asked him about it.”
“You what?” She opened her mouth, staring at her best friend in horror. “Henry! Do I look like a home-wrecker to you?”
“No, but I can see the tension between you and Liam.”
Ciara rolled her eyes. “There’s no tension.”
She refused to have feelings for another man so soon after Theo’s death.
Henry gave her a look. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“He’s about to get married and—”
“And it bothers you.”
It would bother you, too, if you knew Iris was cheating on him.
Henry raised his voice. “She’s what?”
Ciara’s eyes widened, realising she had said it out loud.
“Iris is cheating on Liam?” Henry repeated.
“I—”
“How do you know? For how long? What the hell?” Henry rambled.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Ciara said, trying to calm Henry down.
“I need to tell Liam!” As if his hangover had vanished, Henry jumped up from the sofa with newfound energy.
“On his birthday?” Ciara shook her head. “No.”
“She’s cheating on him!”
“Just sit down, dammit!” Ciara pointed to the sofa. “Let me explain what I know first.”
Henry sat down, facing Ciara. “Tell me.”
“I went to see Iris for wedding planning. When I went there, I saw a man walking out of the flat.”
“Maybe it was her friend or—”
“Well, her friend was shirtless. Or he was just pulling on his shirt when he walked out,” Ciara said and sneered at the memory. “Iris seemed strange when I finally knocked at her door and—”
“She doesn’t know that you know?”
Ciara shook her head. “No. I keep telling myself I misunderstood something or—”
Henry cut Ciara off again. “So, you’d think it was normal if a shirtless guy walked out of Jenna’s flat?”
“Well, no.”
Henry had a good point. Ciara would have done something about it if she had seen a shirtless man leave Jenna’s flat. She would have told Henry in an instant.
“You still like Liam.”
Ciara bit the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face. “Why wouldn’t I like him?”
“You have feelings for him,” Henry clarified. “That’s why you’re doubting what you saw. You think you’re making it up.”
Ciara buried her face in her hands. “Fuck.”
“That’s a mood.”
“You can’t tell Liam! About anything,” Ciara blurted, raising her head from her hands.
“You don’t want him to know Iris is cheating on him?”
“No, it’s not that,” Ciara said. “I just...I don’t want him to be hurt for no reason if it’s just my imagination.”
“I doubt you’re making all that up.” Henry shook his head with his eyes fixed on Ciara.
“Still!”
The front door opened, and Jenna walked in with a bag of food. Sensing the tension, she asked, “What’s going on?”
Ciara was hugging herself, staring at Henry with desperation clouding her eyes. Henry’s eyes were wide, and his face was white. It was easy to tell something was wrong.
“Iris is cheating on Liam,” Henry said.
“Henry!” Ciara exclaimed.
“She’s what?” Jenna said in disbelief, setting the food down on the table. Based on the spicy scent, it was Chinese takeaway.
“Or I’m just making things up,” Ciara said and stood up.
Henry jumped to his feet, too. “I doubt that.”
They all sat down at the kitchen table. For a moment, the flat was silent. No one touched the food.
“So what happened?” Jenna asked eventually.
“Ciara saw a shirtless guy walking out of Liam and Iris’s flat when she went to see Iris,” Henry said.
“He was pulling on his shirt,” Ciara clarified.
“Did he have bed hair?” Jenna asked.
Ciara furrowed her brows, picturing the man in her head. His hair had, in fact, been haywire.
“Possibly.” Ciara grimaced. “Iris certainly did.”
Henry sighed. “And Iris always has her hair brushed and styled.”
“She’s cheating,” Jenna stated.
“We can’t tell Liam now,” Ciara said. “It’s his birthday. And someone has to do it face to face.”
“I’ll tell him,” Henry said.
“How will you make him believe you?” Ciara asked.
“You saw it,” Henry said. “He’d believe you, so he’ll believe it when I tell him.”
“I’m his ex-girlfriend. He’ll just think I’m jealous.”
“Are you?”
Ciara gaped at his best friend. “You think I made the whole thing up?”
“No.” Henry pointed a plastic fork at her. “You think that.”
Ciara sighed.
“Alright,” Jenna said, hoping to end the conversation. “Someone, probably Henry, will tell Liam. But for now, I’d like to eat.”
“I’ll tell him tomorrow,” Henry said.
Ciara nodded, even though she feared Liam would think she was lying. Even if he believed it, Ciara was going to ruin his relationship.