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“You’re sure that he lives here?” I muttered to Dave as he checked over his tablet.
We had just landed in front of an overgrown garden. The fence was made out of iron, the top of the railings lined with spikes. Obviously, whoever lived there didn’t want anyone to get inside. It was hard to see the house from where we were on the street.
“Yes, I’m hundred per cent sure that he lives here. I managed to tap into the paranormal database and find his address. Well, his last address. From the look of his garden, he might well have moved on.”
My sigh was audible as I glanced over my shoulder at him. “His last address? Dave, this man has lived for centuries, please tell me what date this address was registered.”
Looking anywhere but at me, Dave tried to hide the grin on his face. “Well... it may have been 1986.”
My fingers folded into my palms as I resisted the urge to extend my fist into his arm. “You’re telling me that the last time that this man was recorded was thirty odd years ago?”
Tucking his tablet into his suit jacket pocket, Dave shrugged as he walked down the pathway towards the gate. Dragging my feet behind him, I kept my head, not allowing this bit of information to distract me from our target.
“Okay.” I sighed once more, overtaking Dave. “Let’s go and investigate.”
A thrill ran up my spine as my hand clasped the gate. A slight shake made me growl low in my throat as it refused to budge. A sudden burst of magic propelled me back, my hand burning from the contact of the spell.
“I take it that he’s got a boundary spell up?” Dave deliberately wrapped his fingers around the bars of the gate.
About to warn him of the protection spell, the words dried in my mouth when he closed his eyes and started to shudder. Shit, I had never seen Dave drain magic before. He was so rarely out in the field with me, I forgot that his power was in taking others’ magic.
“That should do it,” he muttered as he let go of the gate.
It clicked open by itself, the small sound loud on the quiet street. There were no cars in this part of London. Why would such a lovely place fall to ruin?
“Thank you.” Striding through the gate, I waited for Dave to follow me.
He was slow, his footsteps heavy as they thumped up the pathway. The overgrown nettles and brambles almost stopped us as they grew across the path. Waving his hand, Dave sent them back, almost shrivelling into themselves.
As we got closer, the energy grew more intense. Outside had been untainted by magic, obviously purposefully so that no one would realise how much power was behind the fence.
My footsteps were silent as both Dave and I forced ourselves on guard. The magic was growing stronger and stronger as we approached the house. Poking up from the overgrown garden, a reasonably sized derelict building loomed in front of us. With the amount of power that thrummed around us, I knew that it couldn’t be uninhabited.
“There must be someone here,” Dave whispered, grabbing my hand. “Be very careful.”
We had left Jake and Kate at the office. They were ready to back us up if we needed it, but this mission was surveillance only. We needed to scope out Xvair Harvey before we made a move. There had been no trace of a son anywhere.
“I think it’s him.” My words were quiet, and yet, a chill filtered through my spine as we stepped over a boundary line that was formed with bricks in the ground. My eyes only just caught it as we entered the circle.
“Shit!” My muttered curse caused Dave to stare at me. “The ground. We’ve just stepped into a bloody circle.”
Turning around, I pushed my hand back towards the pathway. Surprise, surprise, there was resistance. We were trapped within the circle. Crap. That was not a good sign.
“Oh dear.” Dave’s less than enthusiastic response made me laugh.
Yes, an actual laugh left my mouth, even though we were trapped. It was now time to work out whether or not someone knew we were there. Sometimes boundary spells were put up to stop anyone from getting close, even when there was no one home.
“Come on.” Taking Dave’s hand, I tugged him towards the house. “No one has come for us. The owner might not know we’re here yet.”
The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly rose as a loud hiss sounded behind us. Dave spun me behind him, turning to face whatever it was that threatened us. A gargoyle was flapping his little wings, hovering right above where we had just entered the circle. He was obviously a guardian of the house, placed to protect it at whatever cost.
“Gem,” Dave murmured, his hand still firmly wrapped around my fingers. “This might be a good time to try and get as much magic as possible. I’ve still got some from the gate, I’ll use that. You use the ley line.”
Nodding, I squeezed his hand to let him know that I understood. We would have to take down the gargoyle if we wanted to get near the house. I had believed that someone was inside, but now doubts were setting in.
The gargoyle was made of stone, its bulging eyes the only thing that showed any colour. They were bright red, flames licking across the expanse of the eyeball. What could he do to harm us? There was no doubt that the spell had given him power to stop people from entering the house.
Closing my eyes briefly, I dug the heels of my boots into the ground and felt into the ley line. As the warmth of the magic tickled my soles, I allowed it to filter into me. The warmth of the pure magic sent tingles across every single muscle. Relaxing as the power spread throughout me, I opened my eyes and stared at the gargoyle.
His stone face didn’t change expression, but it felt like he was looking into my soul. Unable to tear my gaze away, I lifted my hand and pointed towards him. Suddenly breaking eye contact with me, the gargoyle charged towards Dave, flames extending from its eyes.
“Move!” I shoved Dave, jumping in his place.
As soon as I was in front of the gargoyle, it reversed, as if it didn’t want to hurt me. What was that about?
Holding my hands high, I recited a freezing spell. The magic from the ley line was strong here. It filtered up and out of me, the spell instantly causing the gargoyle to freeze in mid-air. Ice crystallised over his stone body. A smile came to my face as it travelled up to its eyes.
Movement beside me made the gargoyle scream, its form able to wrench free of the ice that was trying to hold him. He charged again, his little body heading straight for Dave as he stood up.
Dave swore as he scrambled away, his shoes trying to gain traction on the small stones that made up the circle. The gargoyle chased him instantly, shooting fireballs from its eyes. Luckily, Dave was able to dodge them as he headed towards the house.
Without saying a word, I held up both hands again and incited a breakage spell. Focusing all my attention on the gargoyle, feeling the stone of his skin in my mind, I squeezed as hard as I could with my magic. The sound of stone cracking reached my ears as the gargoyle exploded, the solid chunks of stone falling to the ground. Dave must’ve heard its destruction as his feet skidded to a halt at the bottom of the steps that led up to the front door.
Able to breathe again, I tried to slow the erratic beating of my heart. Dave bent over and leant his hands on his knees, his hair falling forward. The adrenaline that pumped through our veins made us both pause for a second. If the gargoyle was there to protect the house, there would more than likely be others.
The house towered above us, the redbrick harsh against the soft blue of the sky. Although we were in England, a porch wrapped around the front of the house. It wasn’t something I’d often see in London, making it look out of place.
“Come on.” Dave gestured for me to join him.
Taking a few tentative steps, I studied the windows of the house. They were covered in black material from the inside, keeping anyone from being able to see in. There didn’t seem to be any life behind the walls. Was the witch hiding there?
Reaching Dave, I put my finger to my lips as a slight sound reached my ears. It was hard to determine where it had come from, or who had made it. But the scraping of something against something else was evident as it repeated again.
Nodding, Dave acknowledged that he had also heard something. Indicating that we should go up the steps, I led Dave to the door. Goosebumps lined the skin on my arms as I prepared myself for the worst. If a barrier spell had been around the house, there would probably be an even stronger one on the door.
My hand hovered over the handle, ready to try and gain access. Just as my skin was about to make contact, the door was wrenched open, causing me to stumble backwards and knock into Dave. His arm came around my waist, his fingers squeezing to show that he was there.
“How did you get past my gargoyle?” an old man rasped as he stared at us from the other side of the doorway.
The lines on his face dug deep into his skin. His eyes were glassy, reminding me of an old dog who once belonged to my mother. That meant he was almost blind.
“For some reason, he didn’t attack me,” I said, grabbing Dave’s hand when he went to step in front of me.
Something compelled me to tell the man what had happened. If the gargoyle was somehow spelled not to attack me, there was a reason. Maybe the man remembered his bet, and so he wanted to keep me protected for his son. Not that I knew where I had got that information from, it was just a hunch.
Staring at me, the old man went still. He held a walking stick in one hand, the other clasped the door to help his balance. The old grey suit he wore was threadbare, almost hanging off of his small frame.
“You. I take it that you’re the witch Gemma Abbott?” Releasing the door, Xvair Harvey waved his hand across his eyes.
His pupils cleared and the irises turned brown. Blinking, he peered closer at me, his scowl evident when he had studied every inch of me.
“I take it that you’re the evil witch who forced my father to use me as a stake in a bet.”
The quirk of his lips made me clench my teeth. The callous man had no idea what his stupid bet had cost my family.
Dave stayed quiet, allowing me to take the lead. That’s what I loved about my desk friend, he knew when to step back, and he knew when to step forward. I would never forget his support in my greatest time of need.
“You have no idea,” the man rasped, waving his hand again.
My feet suddenly started moving without me ordering them to. Dave squirmed beside me as he was also pulled into the house. The man chuckled as he backed up, his legs suddenly strong as he pulled an invisible line that was attached to us, forcing us into the hallway. I tried to wrench away from his spell, but the muscles in my legs screamed as I was unable to prevent them from moving.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Dave shouted, trying to reach for him.
The chuckle that left the man’s chest grew in sound as our feet tripped through an archway and into a room. A gasp was ripped from me as we were stopped in the middle of a library. The wooden bookcases filled the walls, built into the brickwork. Hardback books lined every single wall on all four sides. Comfy sofas were in one corner and a wooden desk in the other.
“Great,” Dave whispered. “You’re about to have an orgasm over this bloody place, aren’t you?”
“Don’t speak, let me do the talking.”
A smile escaped, even though the old man was hobbling over to his desk. The power of the man was unprecedented. I’d allowed him to drag us inside so we could talk. Or, that’s what I told myself, anyway. If I was honest, I’d tried to fight, but it had been useless.
“Where’s your son?” I asked, ignoring the enticement of the books around us.
If I allowed myself to get distracted, anything could happen. We had to get away from the mad old witch, and the only thing that would free us, would be the ability to outsmart him.
Slumping in his seat, the old man looked at us. We stood before him, unable to move. He’d trapped our feet to the ground, forcing us to face him as his shaking hands took a cigarette out of an old silver box.
“I made that bet a long time ago. Your father was a greedy fool. He only wanted one thing... access to the ley line.”
Huh? My father was an Essex witch, he should’ve had access to the ley line when he married my mother. Although, my mother had kept very quiet about the lead-up to my father’s death. What exactly had made my father promise me in marriage to a stranger? And to forgo my first born child too?
“You’re looking a little dumbfounded, girl. Seems you’ve been kept in the dark.” Lighting his cigarette, he coughed when the smoke went into his lungs.
Tempted to use the ley line to choke him even more, I clenched my hands into fists to prevent me from trying to harm him. He probably had a stupid protection spell on himself. He wouldn’t have lived to such an age if he didn’t have an extreme amount of magic.
“Where’s your son?” I asked again, not bothering to speak about my father.
“Has your mother really not kept you informed? Surely, a top ranking Paranormal MI5 agent would want to protect her child?”
“If you don’t tell her where your son is, she’ll end your sorry life,” Dave pushed through his teeth.
Aw, it was nice that my partner was threatening him on my behalf, but a tiny clench of my stomach had alerted me to my own misgivings about my mother. How much exactly had she kept from me?
“Tell me, then,” I blurted as Xvair got into the rhythm of smoking his cigarette.
His eyes clouded over again as he blinked several times. Whatever spell was keeping him alive was obviously wearing away. How long could a mortal cling to life by magic? Jeez, great question to ask when I was in the same boat.
Glancing at me, Dave coughed as the smoke danced towards us. “Gemma, we-”
“I’m letting you stay out of courtesy.” Xvair slammed his gnarled hand against the wooden surface of his desk as he glared at Dave. “Stay silent while I talk to the real witch.”
Dave’s lips pulled up, baring his teeth. The blaze of fury that crossed his face made me wince. The poor man didn’t need someone as powerful as Xvair to put him down. He already knew his weaknesses.
“Just tell me,” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
A door slammed above us, making us all raise our eyes to the dark wood ceiling. Footsteps clunked across the floor, the sound leading to the top of the stairs.
“Stay up there!” Xvair shouted, causing the footsteps to halt. “I’ve got company!”
Tension grew in the air as the footsteps paused before retreating. My gut rolled as the strong smell of leather crept up my nose.
“That’s your son, isn’t it?” I barked, trying to free my feet from the dark stained wooden floor.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears as Dave started to struggle next to me. Our feet wouldn’t move, and as I lifted my arm to attack our captor, he clicked his fingers. Our arms suddenly pinned to our sides, making it impossible for either of us to cast magic.
“Your father was actually saving your mother,” Xvair said as he got up from his seat, came around the front of his desk, and leant against it. “My elder son was betrothed to your mother before your father came along and stole her. He was best friends with my son, knowing full well that he was supposed to marry your mother.”
Staying quiet, I glared at him, a part of me wanting to shout him down, kill him and capture the serial killer. Another part of me wanted to hear the story that my mother refused to tell me. This was the part in books where I usually lost my temper at the protagonist. Stupid woman too curious for her own good. Now I felt what it was like being in their shoes. Ugh.
“You might as well tell us your story.” Dave’s words were followed by a heavy sigh.
Inclining his head, Xvair stared between us. “Well, I hope you stem whatever is blossoming here.” Gesturing between us, he growled low in his throat. “I will not have another of my sons usurped by the woman he’s supposed to marry.”
“Supposed to marry?” Swallowing hard to prevent the torrent of abuse that wanted to purge from me, I almost choked. “No one owns me.”
Waving away my protest, Xvair shook his head gently. “Your father took what belonged to my elder son. In turn, he then wanted money from me to fund his lavish lifestyle. We decided to place a bet. As a very old man, I have to find my thrills where I can. You were barely a toddler when he gambled you away. When he lost, I deemed the payment quite apt, especially as he’d raised the stake in the game of poker. Your firstborn to be given to me when my son impregnated you.”
“You sick bastard!” Okay, so being professional was overrated. As if I was going to let him spew shit about a child I hadn’t even conceived. Not only that, I was a free woman.
My shout made the man jump, but he just chuckled to himself. About to hurl viler language his way, I paused when Dave cleared his throat roughly. Glancing at him, I took several deep breaths and calmed. Apparently, a flick of his eyes told me that I should stay silent. He obviously wanted me to let the man talk.
“It’s good to see you have spirit. I despise dull women who are too scared to challenge their husbands. My son needs a little bit of a tough hand, as you can tell from his misdemeanours. I’ve tried to stop him, but he insisted that he wanted to get your attention. I take it that he has it, considering you’re standing in his home?”
“I see that psychopathy runs in the family,” I quipped, unable to help myself.
Rolling his shoulders, Xvair closed his eyes for a second.
Dave wiggled his fingers to get my attention. A flash of a tiny blue spark caught my eye as it left his finger. Ah, he still had his magic, and being an illusionist witch, he might be able to use his magic through the binds that tied us. Whereas my magic was connected to the ley line, which currently ran cold under my feet. The man’s protection spell made it almost impossible for me to link to my magic.
“I will not allow someone to take what is mine. At the end of the day, your father did me wrong. He repaid his debt, but also used you as a pawn to clear it fully. The firstborn was an added bonus because he thought he’d be able to persuade me to let him have access to my immortality spell. Obviously, he was never going to win that bet.”
“I must admit,” I said almost conversationally to Dave. “I wouldn’t want to be alive if I were you. Your body is extremely decrepit.”
His smirk made my skin crawl. The jibe hadn’t affected him at all, which was worrying. He really was a cold hearted evil man.
“It is for now. However, as soon as you deliver me your son, I shall take his pure Essex blood and retrieve youth once again.” The creases in his face almost flapped as he threw his head back and laughed.
Fucking hell, he’d just revealed his secret. And it sickened me enough to make me almost heave. My urgent gaze sought Dave’s as he clenched his fists. A mist of thick red smoke descended on us all, blocking our view of each other.
“What the...?” Xvair gasped, his breath uneven as the smoke evidently went into his lungs.
Coughing myself, I bent low to the ground, trying my hardest to connect into the ley line at the same time as not inhaling Dave’s illusion smoke. The connection was made, the impact of my energy with the line making me dizzy. The house had some weird shit going on.
“Don’t you dare!” the vile man shouted, even though he couldn’t see us. “Lucien! Get down here!”
Nope, the magic wasn’t forthcoming, which meant the line here was disconnected. How was that possible when Xvair’s son was draining the line? Lucien, was that his name?
“Let’s go,” Dave said in my ear as his fingers wrapped around my wrist.
Before I could respond, my body warped and my skin heated fast. My breath rushed out of me as we landed in a park.
“We need backup,” Dave said as I coughed my guts up. “We have to go back and arrest them.”
Without waiting for me to answer, Dave grabbed his phone and dialled the team. As he spoke, I collapsed on the ground, my backside hitting the earth hard. I had never seen anything so crazy in my life. Both men were insane. How could my father insist that I marry a psychopath?
Grabbing my arm, Dave hauled me to my feet. “We’ve got them. We can’t stop now.”
My energy had drained out of me. Not only was I dead, I couldn’t connect into the ley line. My power had been useless at the scene. I had never felt so vulnerable.
“I know,” I said, spinning away from him. “Maybe it’s best that you go without me.”
Closing my eyes to block out the anger that flashed across his face, I squeezed my fingers into my palms and felt for the ley line. When connection was made, I heaved a sigh of relief, the air rushing from my tight lungs. I was still alive, of course I was connected to the ley line. If I couldn’t access it, I wouldn’t be alive.
Storming over, Dave grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look at him. His dark hair flew around his face as his eyes stared into mine. “For a long time I’ve watched you beat anyone you’ve come against. All that time you had a fragment of an arrogance about you that used to annoy me. However, working in the field with you has shown me why you need to believe in yourself. You have many enemies, Gemma. Why are you suddenly allowing them to intimidate you? Just because you’re dead, doesn’t mean you’re not powerful. Get a grip on yourself.”
My mouth hung open as I stared at him. The intensity of his gaze made my heart thump in my chest, and my palms line with sweat. He truly did believe in me. Even though I had never given him much credit for what he was capable of. He was the one who had helped us escape an ancient powerful witch. He was the reason that I wasn’t currently locked up, awaiting a shoddy wedding to an insane crazy man.
“Okay.” Putting my hands on his arms, I squeezed before tugging him towards me.
His eyes widened as I grabbed the back of his head, my fingers brushing into his hair. Pulling his face towards me, I planted a kiss on his cheek before releasing him. “Thank you. Let’s do this. Let’s kill these bastards.”
