No More Black Magic (19 page)

I thought as much, but I was planning on taking care of that problem tonight when I met with Merick. “What do you suggest?”

“Let the coven take care of you, Abigail, you spend so much time away from us. We’re worried about you and the influences around you.” She cupped my wounded hand with hers. “Blood magic is dangerous, you’re not strong enough to control it. You’re too young.”

I chuckled. “I control it just fine. And that’s the reason I’ve never been interested in completely joining the coven. It’s a family, yes, but I will always be the misfit. I saw that when I registered in my teenage years. Everyone knows what happened to my parents and they expect me to be a healer like my mother.”

“You were raised by a vampire, we expected you to be out of control.” She admitted.

I shrugged. “I have perfect control. Especially for my age. I won’t allow you to try to mold me into something that I’m not. Levi knows what he’s doing and I’m my own person.”

Luckily for me, our food arrived and I found myself in awe of how fast a pricey restaurant worked. Quick, efficient. I cut into my meat. “I’ll consider it later, but I really don’t have the time to commit because of other obligations.”

“Levi.” She stated.

“Paranormal Investigation Bureau. In case you forgot, we have a serial killer that you and a few other people created.” I shot back. “I need to know who else was involved and if you want we can get you protective custody.”

She shook her head. “I’m not scared of him.”

“Jade sure was. She had protective wards all over her classroom. I’m sure if I was to go to her home, I’d find the same things.”

“She was paranoid.” She shrugged. “He won’t come after me. He doesn’t know that I was involved.”

I tried not to roll my eyes again. She was over confident and I didn’t like it. Many of the powerful people in the coven tended to be that way. “What was his name?”

“Devon Averin.”

I felt the color drain from my face. “You’re kidding me.”

“No, you can run it through any of your systems. I’m sure something would come up.” She fussed with her napkin. “His brother’s name—“

“Nikolas.” I finished for her. “Fuck. I’d be surprised if I’m not on this guy’s menu.”

“Something you want to share?” She asked and started to eat her meal.

I shook my head. “Nope, just my own personal demons.” And the past coming back to bite me in the ass. I cut into my steak and started eating. The rest of the meal was awkward silence. I didn’t really have anything to say to her, nor her to me. My mind was occupied by the next meeting at the coffee shop with Merick. I could only imagine a man in a red cloak and sinister voice...except he didn’t sound that sinister over the phone.

I finished and went to take out my wallet. Michele touched my hand. “No, my treat. Good luck.” She left it at that and went back to what was left of her meal.

“Thank you.” I stood and grabbed my bag. I couldn’t ignore the feeling that she was watching me leave. Creepy, but I didn’t expect anything less of a person willing to bind an innocent child. I needed to talk to Nick, but that would have to wait. Surviving this night was my first priority.

I was early to the coffee shop, but I had nowhere else to be. I texted Simon to let him know that I was fine after meeting with Michele. I sat down with my coffee and called Detective Mason.

“You realize that it’s late, right?” He asked, but there was no sign in his voice that he was sleeping.

“Boy do I, but I have a name to go with that baby picture. Devon Averin. I also have a connection to him that I wasn’t expecting.”

“You going to get pulled off the case?” He sounded worried.

“No, because I know who his brother is and that his dad was one of my father’s research partners.” Just like Michele. I had a moment of terror wondering if my dad had been involved with the binding. “Everyone that has been killed so far has a connection to the binding.”

“Do you know what his connection to the Cult is yet?”

“Not yet.” I looked up as the door at the coffee shop chimed. I met the dark eyes of the man who walked in and I knew that it was Merick. “I have to go.” I hung up on Mason without another word.

The man walked towards me, his dark skin looked as if he’d been tanned by the sun, but a tan that dark came only from ancestry. His dark eyes held my gaze as he approached me. His black hair was slicked back and his suit made him look like any businessman.

Who wore a suit to meet for coffee? Seriously? I started to offer my hand, but thought better of it. “You must be Merick.”

“I am. It’s so nice to meet you in person, Abigail.” He couldn’t have been much older than me and his voice only held a hint of an accent.

“Can’t say the same, seeing as your people tried to kill me. What does the Cult want with me?” I asked. I cupped my hands around the mug and tried to look natural, but my nerves were on edge.

“We wanted you to stay out of our way, but it seems that you can actually help us.” He said and leaned back in the chair. “We were not aware that you were the best in the nation.”

I frowned. “The best in the nation for what?”

“Linguistics, paranormal investigation, you name it.” He shrugged. “You have quite the talents.”

“Someone is blowing smoke, I’m not top in everything. I struggle with linguistics.” I shook my head. “But how can I help you? You’ve gone from trying to kill me to wanting my help.”

“The reason we have come to your city is to find Devon, he is making a mockery of our Cult and has gone rogue.” There was no humor in his voice, but I found it funny.

I cracked a small smile. “A Cult that kills people, under what they believe are the true laws and the true way of the Craft, has a rogue.”

“You find it humorous?”

I nodded. “I do, seeing as your Cult killed my family, tried to kill me, and is very questionable...in general. Why should I help you?”

“For the reason you named, so we don’t kill you, Abigail. Your father and mother were very powerful. Your father stumbled onto some old magic, that is why he had to be killed. Your mother was killed for trying to defend him. Had you not been a child, you would have joined them in death.”

“You’re no older than me, how do you know so much about it?”

He leaned forward and flashed me a smile that, under any other circumstances, would have made me melt. “Because you’re in our history books. You’re taught to every new inductee as a person to keep our eyes out for. One that is bound to get into more trouble than they can handle.”

Sounded like me. “So I help you how? I’m doing my job, we know that he’s our murderer now.”

“You kill him.”

I jerked. “Why does everybody think that I just go around killing people? I’m not trigger happy. He’ll be taken to court and bound again if found guilty.”

“You know that’s not true, he’s using magic to kill.”

I cursed. It was a death sentence, either way he would die. “I’m not an executioner.”

“That’s not what I hear.” He chuckled. “He dies by your hand and you live to see another case. You fail and we kill you for your parents’ crimes.”

I shook my head. “You people are so screwed up.”

“Take it or leave it, Abigail. I’m sure Levi would mourn losing you.” He stood. “You have until the case is solved. We’ll be in touch.”

“One question. How long has Devon been part of the Cult?”

He chuckled, glancing back at me. “He found us when his binding started to wear off. We took him in and taught him how to control his abilities.”

He walked out and left me sitting there with my cooling coffee. My heart stopped. I could save my own life by taking another. When I signed up with the state there was a reason that I didn’t want to be an executioner. I didn’t have it in me to kill when it wasn’t self-defense, it’s why I hated when Levi sent me on missions to kill. Like tonight.

I leaned my head against the back of the chair. This was not the turn of events that I wanted or expected, but at least I didn’t have to worry about the Cult until after the case was over. 

After the case I’d have to figure something else out. My mind went back to Oliver. How would Merick have gotten my number? I wondered for a moment if there was a connection and then decided it was probably best unknown. I had a drug-selling vampire to take care of.

T
he dumbass vampire was on the same corner as the first night I found him. I took a deep breath. I could shoot him, but that was noisy and it didn’t promise his death. The only way to make sure he’d stay down was if I took out his heart and then took his head. I’d leave him to the sunlight and his body would disappear into ashes. It would be perfect.

I’d left my bag in the trunk of my car. Pulling out a long blade instead. I held the blade up to the moonlight and smiled. Some part of me enjoyed the hunt. I’d regret and mourn the killing after, but I told myself now that he’d killed someone.

I started towards his corner, sticking to the shadows. I had my gun at my back just to be prepared, but he was staring up at the sky when I approached him. He’d been that way too when I drove by.

Something wasn’t right here. I rushed up and came around him. My blade was ready to strike, but I stopped. My eyes widened when I saw that he’d been impaled on a stick and arranged to make it look like he was staring at the sky. There was a hole where his heart should have been.

My stomach churned. Impalement hurt, if done right death wasn’t quick as the spike slowly made its way through the body. He’d suffered. Around his neck a note was hanging.

You’re welcome. -Merick.

What the fuck? I just stood there staring at it. How did Merick know? Why did it suddenly seem like I had no privacy? I tore the note off the neck and ripped it up. I wanted to stomp and scream like a child, but I knew he’d just saved me from killing.

Just how much about me was in their history books? I ran a hand through my hair and walked back to the car. I was sheathing my blade and putting it in the trunk when John came up to talk to me. I hadn’t even parked near his motel this time.

“Hey, I’m off work, want to grab that cup of coffee?” He asked.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m working on this huge case right now.”

“Aw, come on, you need a break.” He grinned at me. He was charming, he was human, and he wasn’t trying to kill me. “My treat.” He added, which made the deal that much better.

I sighed. “Fine. I’ve got an hour before I have to head back anyways.”

I craved something normal and he was willing to give it to me.

“Midnight Cafe?” He asked, like there was another choice.

I laughed. “Of course, I’ll meet you there.”

“Abby, promise you won’t stand me up?”

I glanced at my watch, I still had an hour before Simon’s bar would close. “Promise. I have time.” I got in my car and started the engine. I drove back to the coffee shop and looked around to see if I could see any sign of Merick or Oliver. I had a feeling the two knew each other, especially since the truce came after I’d met Oliver.

I got out of the car when I didn’t see either and walked into the shop. John had beaten me there and already claimed a set of chairs by the fireplace. I ordered my coffee and joined him. 

“So, just like old times?” He held up his coffee. “Except during high school you were pretty much a hermit.”

Great way to start a conversation, really, someone should have given him lessons. “I had a hard time during high school. It’s when my magic truly started showing itself. It was an awkward stage for me.” I shrugged and watched the fire dancing.

“You turned out better than anyone else in the class.” He laughed. “State job, sweet SUV, anything else? I’m sure you have an amazing boyfriend, or husband at this point?”

I chuckled. “Nope, the amazing job pretty much takes up all my time. But that’s neither here nor there. What about you? How did you end up working at a hole in the wall motel?”

He shrugged. “Failed out of college, needed a job, I was a stripper for a little while, but then I needed to get out. Ducky took my spot and I found the job at the motel. It’s not fancy, but it works.”

“Ducky?” I raised a brow. “What kind of name is that?”

“A stage one.”

Well of course, but there was nothing sexy about the name Ducky. “I gathered that. Not one that I’d pick for a stripper.”

“Speak of the devil.” John said and stood, waving to someone else.

It was almost two am, there weren’t many people who were up this late and most of them were paranormal creatures. A man walked over and I knew exactly who it was before John introduced him.

“This is Devon.”

I stood and shook his hand. The moment our skin touched our eyes met and a shock went through me. Heat flowed through me and I tried not to frown at the sensation. “Nice to meet you Devon, please sit down and join us.”

We had no warrant for him yet, we had no verification that he was the child in the picture. I couldn’t do anything but sit there with him and have coffee.

Fate hated me, that’s all I could think. “Why out so late, Devon?”

“I had some business to take care of.” He shrugged and sat in the chair across from me. “What about you? Rare to find a witch out this late.”

“Had a meeting with an old friend and some business to attend to.” I shrugged.

“She works for the state.” John piped up. “She’s been downtown working on something.”

Luckily for John he didn’t realize I was on the main case that was all over the news right now.

“You’re powerful, I’m surprise they don’t have you on the serial case.” Devon met my gaze and I felt like he was daring me to lie to him.

I smiled. “There’s a lot about my job that I can’t talk about.” It was the truth and one I delivered to people I didn’t trust.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” Devon still didn’t break away from my gaze.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the fire roar up out of nowhere. Suspicion rose in me, but I dared not question him at that moment. “Abigail Collins.”

His smile disappeared and the fire expanded in a loud pop. I didn’t move from my seat, though John jumped. Devon kept his eyes on mine.