| |
––––––––
RODERICK WAS STILL pale and shaky from drinking the magical concoction, but he didn’t let his weakness stop him. “I was made the demon’s thrall while researching in the restricted section of the London Archives a few weeks ago,” he said. “No one knew. Not even Winston.” He said it like he was ashamed and I didn’t blame him. We all knew how he felt because we’d all suffered the same fate. “Spencer brought me a mug of his blood and the next thing I knew, I’d drained it dry,” he explained.
“He has the ability to bend people to his will,” I told him. “He put Mirra under when we had a fight at the Main Archives in Rosethorn.”
“What fight?” the siren asked in confusion. “I don’t remember that.”
“It was before we became friends,” I told her. “We argued and I pushed you too far. You were about to unleash your power on me when Spencer showed up and put some kind of whammy on you. You became docile, as if you’d been drugged.”
“What was his explanation?” Quin asked.
“That he’d drugged her,” I replied dryly. “He was wearing a signet ring with a dragon engraved on it. He opened it up to show me a needle and said it was filled with a potent sedative.”
“You didn’t believe him?” Jonah asked.
“Not for a second. Especially after he put the same whammy on me to get me to drink his blood. He didn’t use the ring on me to get me to obey him.”
“I don’t feel like such a fool now,” Roderick said in relief. “I do, however, feel bad for spying on you all.”
“There’s no point worrying about things we can’t change,” Jake said. “Tell us what you know about the relic.”
“I’ve just overheard snippets,” the Archivist replied. “I’ve heard enough to know the object is going to be very difficult to retrieve. It’s in a room on the third floor of his mansion in Rosethorn. Von Hades is the only one who can open the door.”
“It’s warded?” Connor asked.
Roderick nodded in confirmation. “With the same type of spell that protects the ancient tomes in the restricted area in the London Archives.”
“That means we won’t be able to get in there,” Winston said in disappointment.
“Neither can I,” Rudy added, then looked sheepish when we stared at him. “I’m a leprechaun,” he said defensively. “We’re a curious bunch. If we find a locked door, we want to know what’s behind it.”
“Ari?” Quin said. “Do you know a spell that will let you get past the barrier?”
“Not yet,” I replied. “I’ll check the grimoire to see if it knows one.” The book appeared in front of me right on cue. The pages blurred, then it came to a stop at yet another incantation I’d never seen. “Just how many spells do you have locked inside you that I haven’t seen yet?” I complained.
In response, the book grew in size as the pages multiplied until it was more than two feet thick.
“That’s a lot of spells,” Brandi said in awe.
“No kidding,” I said in stunned amazement. The tome had only shown me a fraction of the incantations it had at its disposal. It shrank back down to its normal size, somehow seeming smug as it fluttered back to the spell I’d asked it to show me.
“Is it going to be hard to cast?” Roderick asked as I scanned the spell.
“It won’t be easy,” I replied. “I’ll have to be standing right outside the door and I’ll have to use blood magic to break through it.” Everyone who knew anything about magic knew what that meant. If anything went wrong with the spell, it could backfire on the caster horribly.
“What sort of blood do you need?” Jake asked.
“Not yours this time,” I told him, knowing he was ready to offer it. “I’ll need some from a creature a lot darker than you.” As one, our heads swung towards the secret chambers.
“Something like a vampire?” Mirra said.
“Something exactly like a vampire,” I confirmed. “The older the better.”
“He’s the first master, so his blood should be the most potent,” Jake mused. “Can we take some of his blood in a container, or does it have to come fresh from his veins?”
“It has to be fresh. I’ll also have to use his essence.” I smiled and it felt nasty. It was mirrored by Brandi, proving she was a bloodthirsty young spirit.
“Why can’t you use your own blood and essence?” Marcus asked.
“My heart still beats, so I’m technically alive and my blood isn’t quite the same as a full vampire’s.”
“Retaining your soul has left you some of your humanity,” Winston said wisely. “I sensed it the moment you first entered these dank halls.” He hadn’t known I was a vampire at first, but he’d known I wasn’t a full human. My aura would have alerted him to that fact.
“When are we going to do this?” I asked.
“Tonight,” Quin decided. “Spencer can’t use the relic against the witch until he can find someone to cast the spell that will sever her from her reaper. He’ll hopefully be distracted once he hears about the Dread Wraiths attacking the town you saw in your vision. With luck, he’ll come to Europe to investigate.”
“He’ll have hellhounds and gargoyles guarding his mansion in Rosethorn,” Connor reminded her. “They’ll alert him when we arrive.”
“We’ll have to be quick then,” Jake said.
“How many of us will be going along on this mission?” Roderick queried nervously.
“A small team would be best,” Quin replied. “I’m thinking the Hunter Elite, Jake and Rudy.”
“And us?” Winston said expectantly.
“And you three,” Quin confirmed.
“Some of us should go with you as well,” Blair said. “I’d like to be a part of this mission.” A few of his people volunteered, but Lilly wasn’t one of them, to my relief.
Jake and Quin exchanged looks, then our boss shrugged and agreed. “Four of you can come.”
Blair chose three of his best fighters, leaving his wife and daughter behind. “We’ll follow your orders,” he said, knowing she was an alpha werewolf. He was the equivalent of an alpha as well, but he was willing to defer to her during this mission.
The shifter who had gone to make me some food returned with a heaped plate of sandwiches. He placed it in front of me and I hunkered over it protectively. A hand reached towards my food and I reached for a knife to fend her off. “Mine,” I said to the offending female shifter.
“Don’t mess with Ari when she’s hungry,” Mirra said with a smirk. “You could lose a limb.”
“There’s plenty of food in the kitchen upstairs,” Connor said to his kin with polite distance. “Feel free to help yourselves.”
A stampede occurred as they raced for the stairs. The kitchen was large enough to hold food for dozens of people and we had a huge dining room to eat in during meal times.
Showing Connor the depth of my love for him, I grudgingly offered him half a sandwich. He took it with a smile that warmed me all the way to my toes, making the sacrifice worth it.
“That’s true love right there, folks,” Jake said with a grin. “I’ve never seen my girl offer to share her food with anyone before.”
I shot him a nasty look, then went back to stuffing my face again.
