CHAPTER SIX
It was just after nine o’clock on a Friday night and traffic in New York City didn’t seem to have eased up while they were in Ada’s apartment. Nate studied the traffic and pedestrians milling around as they came out of the building, ever alert and ready to take on and defeat whatever came at him. He also enjoyed the sights, smells, and sounds around him. He liked the activity and crowds of New York.
There was no sight enjoyment tonight though, not with a warlock on the loose snatching imps and threatening his brownie. There could be Revmiras lurking around corners looking for targets to make their point with the High Council and endangering creatures’ way of life. It was a dangerous time, and they all needed to stay alert.
Steering Ada around the corner of the building to the narrow dead end alley where he’d parked the car, Nate considered the best route to get to Brooklyn, where the witch lived. Traffic was going to be a bitch. Bridge or tunnel, it wouldn’t matter, the trip would be slow going. That old werewolf instinct of his was giving him gut ache, making him think they should be getting to the witch as quickly as possible. It may be a good idea to call for a magical lift, either from a demon or immortal.
A meter from the car, Nate stopped and drew in deeply. For once the brownie didn’t tell him off. Instead, she tensed and looked around cautiously. She might just be starting to trust him a little.
“What is it?”
“A scent—fuck!”
There was a very faint click, the noise around them nearly drowning it out. If it weren’t for his paranormal hearing, Nate wouldn’t have picked up on it. But he did and grabbed Ada around the waist just in time and leaped back toward the front of the building, shielding his mate with his body as an explosion blasted through the alley.
Heat scorched his back and singed his hair, skin, and clothes, and they were thrown by the intensity of the blast. They landed on the pavement at the entrance to the alley. Nate had managed to tuck Ada securely beneath him, protecting her from most of the blast and fall. He kept them both flat to the ground as debris rained down around them like deadly, smoldering missiles.
“Y-you’re squashing m-me.” The brownie gasped.
Casting a quick look around, he spotted what remained of his car and the Dumpster, which were little more than a few pieces of twisted metal. He eased himself a little from her body, though not enough that she could actually do more than wiggle a fraction and breathe easier. As yet, he wasn’t convinced the danger was over and didn’t want Ada moving until he’d made sure they were relatively safe.
While she dragged in a few lungfuls of smoky air, he studied their surroundings more thoroughly, even looking up at the roofs of surrounding buildings. Satisfied, he shifted and quickly turned her over to check for damage.
“Ouch! Be careful, you brute—”
“Hold still,” Nate growled, running a hand and his eyes over her length, ignoring the immediate response in his groin and the way his blood heated up.
“Excuse me. Hold still?” Little, white teeth snapped at him, and irritation flashed in her eyes. She winced when he touched her ribs.
Again, he growled, this time annoyed that his mate was hurt. He slowed his touch, gentled it as he spread his fingers across her side, feeling for broken ribs. Thankfully none were broken, though they were obviously very painful, Ada trying valiantly to contain her gasps of pain with each gentle touch. All the while he kept an eye on the few people now gathering at the entrance to the narrow alley.
“Bruised.” He moved on to her waist, then slid his hands down her hips and finally those shapely legs and slender feet.
“I’m fine.” She snapped, pulling away, only to grip her side.
“Stay still.” He ordered.
Her white slacks were torn on both knees and one thigh, blood from scraps staining the material and one arm of her sweater was ripped and burned. He had probably bruised her ribs by holding so tight and pressing her to the ground, which made him feel like shit but also relieved there was no more serious damage.
The annoyance faded away, leaving Ada pale and a little shaky, which she tried to control. She met his eyes and attempted to smooth that glorious silken raven hair back into its perfect bun.
“Are you OK?” She asked quietly.
“I’ve been worse. You?”
The ice princess was melting; he actually saw concern in her eyes.
“Aside from my ribs hurting like a bitch, I’m fine.” She reached out and touched his cheek with long pearl colored fingernails. “You’re already healing.”
Werewolves and most immortal creatures healed quickly, Nate glad to see Ada’s cuts smoothing and repairing just as fast as his. Turning his head slightly, he brushed his lips against the tips of her fingers, smiling at the sharp intake of breath his brownie quickly tried to cover up with a cough. Unsettled, she removed her fingers and looked around at the mess.
“We better get out of here. I don’t think anyone will be able to identify the car, or even trace it back to you, so we should be able to leave it for the police to clean up.”
“Afraid not.” He pulled out his phone and punched a few numbers. “With all the concern over terrorists these days, that bomb will draw a lot of attention.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. Do you think it was the warlock who set the bomb?”
“Nope. It was an old friend turned Revmiras. I caught a whiff of his scent just before the bomb went off.”
“Revmiras.” She said with utter disdain.
“Wolf.” A deep, calmly soothing voice greeted him over the phone.
“Finally. I need a cleanup crew and a ride.”
“The cleanup incident?” Divij Alto got straight to the point, something Nate always liked about the powerful immortal sorcerer.
“Car bomb in the alley beside Ada Gerritsen’s apartment building. Myles Byrnes. I need a ride.”
“My cousin, Penelope, is at the vampire building. I will call her to take you where you need to go. I’ll send a cleanup crew to remove the car and bomb.”
“Appreciated.”
“Take care of my cousin, Nate, and accept her offer of assistance. She has the power and skill to help in finding the imp. Though I would prefer she not take on the warlock.”
“No problem.” Nate smirked and stood, helping Ada up and steadying her. He ended the call and slipped the phone into the pocket of his torn and burned jeans. “Our ride should be here in a few moments.”
“My suitcase sustained a little damage.” She pointed behind him. “I will need to come back and get some things after we see the witch.”
Nate studied the charred remains of an expensive suitcase and its contents. “Not a good idea, not with the warlock knowing where you live—and probably where you work, also—and issuing a threat. And I don’t much believe in coincidence. Instinct’s telling me someone tipped Byrnes off to plant that bomb here. I’ll get you whatever you need—”
“Thank you, no.” She all but snorted and stuck her nose in the air. “I take care of myself, and only a fool indebted themselves to a werewolf. Your kind is renowned for playing chivalrous then taking advantage—”
“Lady, what is it with you and that boulder-size chip on your shoulder? Brownies are always whining and bitching about—”
“We do not whine and bitch!” She leaned close, eyes blazing. “If it weren’t for you thieving mongrels—”
Penny Galindo appeared beside them in the alley. “Hi! Sorry to interrupt, but Div said it was important I move you two on as soon as possible to avoid attracting too much attention and having to wipe minds.”
Nate grinned and tugged the tall, slender toffee haired woman into a hug, giving her a quick, affectionate kiss on the forehead.
“That’d be good, honey. You right to carry two passengers?”
“Well able, handsome.” Penny batted long lashes at him. “Shall we go? I’d ask for an introduction, but with people beginning to come this way, I think it best we put pleasantries aside for now.”
Nate nodded, attention moving toward the people starting toward them. He snapped his fingers at Ada, still annoyed about her dissing him and his kind, and basically freezing him out again. Damn difficult woman.
“The witch’s address, brownie.”
Ada glared at him, reminding Nate she wouldn’t put up with his brusqueness and would probably tear his balls off if he ever really thought to order her around. Umm, they were in for some interesting times. Certainly wouldn’t ever be dull between them. With a flick of long slender fingers and a look of disdain directed solely at him, she produced the address and held it out to Penny.
“Have you ever been shifted before, Ada?” Penny memorized the address with a quick glance and handed the sheet back.
“No, immortal, I have not.” Pure ice.
“Unfortunately we don’t have time right this minute to explain and prepare you. Just hold on tight to your wolf.” Penny winked at him.
Grinning, Nate caught Ada to him. He lifted her off her feet and held her tight against him. She didn’t protest, though was stiff as he nuzzled her neck. Man, he wanted to mark her. Hard. He wanted everyone to know she was his, especially the brownie herself. He needed to do that real damn soon.
“He is not my wolf.”
“Oh yeah, lufu, that I am.”
Nate gripped Penny’s arm and holding Ada securely to him, they shifted smoothly from the alley. Div was sending a cleanup crew to deal with the removal of the bomb evidence and any humans who witnessed their departure would have to have their memories changed. That might be invasive, but protecting the secrecy of creature existence was more important for everyone.
A moment later, that is all the time shifting took to reach anywhere in the world, they were in the front entrance of a house. While keeping hold of Ada, Nate breathed in deep, scenting the air for dangers and anyone around them.
“Smoke. Blood. Magic.” He cocked his head. “Death.”
“Fates!” Penny placed a hand on the wall beside her, ice-blue eyes wide. “This fire was started by magic, though not warlock magic. Could the witch have other enemies?”
“No time to investigate. We have to get out of here, the fire is spreading—”
“The witch, werewolf. You smelled blood and death. Is it her, or Remi?” Ada met his eyes with the strength of will of a warrior. “We have to see to be certain.”
Shit. He smelled death, a brutal, painful death of a magic-using creature. With the smoke and dirty magic, the blood, his sensitive sense of smell was thrown off, stopping him knowing if the dead creature a few rooms away was witch, imp or something else entirely. He didn’t want Ada to have the memory of her friend’s brutally killed body, or anyone for that matter.
As though she read his mind, or just sensed his hesitation and reluctance, his brownie touched his arm and squeezed gently, like a friend would. Every moment they spent together was teaching him more and more about his mate, and showing him a substance and strength Nate hadn’t thought she held. The depth, determination, and caring nature that were hidden behind her coolness and distance only fascinated him more. Every moment they spent together had his feelings growing and drew him closer to her.
“It’s OK. I’ve seen dead creatures and humans before.”
He frowned, not overly pleased. The gruffness in his voice attesting to this. “Yeah? Why?”
“My parents were killed in the riot fifty years past. I was a witness. I am also a criminal lawyer and have to attend crime scenes on occasion.” The brownie said all this without emotion, her tone even and unaffected.
Something shifted inside Nate as he studied his mate. He saw past the cool exterior to what Ada kept solely to herself, and those she chose to let in. Just a touch of sadness. She didn’t linger over, didn’t dwell, but it was there, accepted and probably only shared with a very few. Dignified, he felt, accepting. But what rose from the pain she suffered was not as healthy. Ada had become distant from her kind and other creatures and had an attitude over paranormals’ behavior and natures. He could understand; her parents had died when a creature had turned on others and started a riot, and ever since, Ada distrusted and avoided others. But it wasn’t helpful, and it stopped her from healing.
This was the first real problem he had found that she didn’t meet head on. His brownie wasn’t one to not face problems, meeting everything with strength, smarts, and a formidable attitude that could freeze most. But in this, she buried the pain and allowed it to become a festering wound. He couldn’t let that go on. There were big plans in their future, and a lot of them involved dealings with creatures and Galdorcwide.
Nate always appreciated a good challenge, but this one was going to have to be handled with gentle paws and a lot of petting. And, considering what he was learning of his mate, a lot of keeping his wits about him.
Penny’s eyes widened in shock. “You witnessed their deaths? Oh, I am sorry, brownie—”
“Thank you. It was a long time ago. Shall we—”
“Is that why you became a lawyer?” Penny asked.
Lady Penelope Galindo was a gossiper, or more realistically, she had a deeply embedded need to know absolutely everything. Other creatures, their moods, natures, and attitudes fascinated the immortal sorceress. Nate had known Penny since she was a babe; he was very close to her elder cousin, Grand Duke Divij Alto, who was an unfathomably powerful creature. Nate was also very close to Penny’s brother, the severe Severo, who was companion to Nate’s cousin Blaine. He knew if he let the conversation continue, they’d all end up charcoal—or Penny might wind up with frostbite from his brownie.
Later, he would find out more about Ada Gerritsen and what exactly made her tick. But for now, he’d best get on with why they were here.
“Chat later.” He interrupted. “I want you two to stay here while I find the body—”
A window beside them cracked and splintered, covering them in a minor explosion of glass.
“We’ll come with you.” Penny dusted herself off. “Besides, this place gives me the creeps with the bat wings hanging across the windows and the off magic. I think it best we stay together.”
He couldn’t very well leave them here with the windows exploding from heat and flames, so he gave in huffily, ordering Ada to keep her hands on his belt and Penny to do the same behind Ada.
“Stay close.” he ordered.
With the amount of smoke and heat, he wasn’t sure how far they would be able to get or what condition the body would be in by now. Whoever had been here and killed the witch would probably have started the fire in the room where the body was. This would stop identification, or at least slow it down, as well as remove evidence that might implicate him or her.
The smoke in the hall was thick enough they had to cover their mouths and noses yet were still affected, coughing as they slowly made their way further into the house. With his eyes watering and hindering his ability to see properly, he followed his phenomenal sense of smell. That was difficult with the smoke, and he had to work overtime filtering out everything but the smell of blood and death to focus in on where the body lay. It was slow going, they may as well have been moving through swampy marshes infested with alligators. He couldn’t tell how far they’d gotten when the distinct smell of death got stronger, Nate’s head whipping in that direction. Putting out a hand he felt along the hot wall that would produce some blisters and found a door.
“In here. Fires probably out of control, we may not get in.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Penny practically pushed Ada into Nate’s arms as she shuffled forward. “How about some rain?”
Penny could be a bit pushy when matchmaking. He’d have to thank her later.
“Now you’re talking. Make it torrential, honey.” Nate lifted Ada so she was behind him again and kept her there when she wriggled by turning his arm and wrapping it around her and planting a big paw on her back.
“Wait, put up a shield—” Ada was cut off.
“Ooh, I do like the way you think, hot stuff.” Penny waved her hands up and down then leaned close to the door. “There. Unfortunately we may lose some evidence, but we’ll be able to get in—”
“Smoke.” Ada snapped. “Aside from destroying evidence, water gushing over flames will produce mountains of smoke, which will filter out here and choke us.”
“Hells.” Nate coughed as smoke billowed from around the door frame, covering them. He could barely open his eyes. “We’ll back away and stay low.”
“A little late for that.” The brownie said whipishly. “Immortal, put a shield around us, one we can move in and will protect us from the heat and smoke. We need to get into that room before the water destroys anything that may lead me to Remi.”
“Us,” Nate growled. Damn the woman was testy. “We will find the imp.”
“At the rate we’re going we’ll either be blown up by a car bomb, as you seem to have some unscrupulous enemies, or die of smoke inhalation! It seems both you and the immortal don’t bother to stop and listen.” She snapped right back at him.
She was infuriating, driving him crazy, and mad with the need to get his paws on her. “Listen up, brownie—”
“As entertaining as you two are, shouldn’t we check out the dead creature and see if we can track down the warlock’s name?” Penny interrupted. “By the way, that was a good idea about the shield, Ada. Too bad you didn’t mention it before.”
Ada shot the immortal a glare and received one of Penny’s fun little teasing smiles, which did nothing to lessen the brownie’s annoyance.
“Sheesh, loosen up, brownie! You see, this is why your kind have such a bad reputation. If you learned to take a joke and relax a little, not take life so seriously, other creatures may actually feel inclined to listen to you lot.”
“Thank you so much for your unwanted advice, immortal. Perhaps if you have finished, we could proceed. I would like to find Remika sometime this century.”
With a little shove, Ada pushed passed Nate and reached for the door handle. Nate lurched forward, but Penny beat him there, slapping Ada’s hand away gently.
“The doorknob will still be hot, brownie.” Penny donned a welding glove with the aid of magic. “Remind me to send this back to Sev. He gets shitty whenever someone touches his stuff, let alone takes it without permission. Though to be honest, I doubt he’d give permission. Sometimes I think he should have been born a vamp, they detest anyone touching their belongings nearly as much as my dear brother.” She opened the door and stepped back as smoke poured out. “Did you know he has actually booby-trapped his entire work room now?”
“Doesn’t surprise me in the least.” Nate, keeping the brownie and Penny back, peered into the room, eyes going to infrared mode to penetrate through the smoke and darkness to see the condition and layout of the room. “And that would explain why my cousin Blaine was limping yesterday. Stay behind me and be careful where you step.”
The room, from what he could make out, had once been a witch’s workroom. Here she would have stored ingredients for spells, made potions and tonics and kept a detailed log of clients, spells, and stock. Now the workroom was laid to waste, as was the body five steps away near a work bench. He studied the area around the witch then signaled the two women, letting them know to stay behind him as he carefully made his way to the body.
Once across the room, he crouched and studied the remains to gain identification, if it were possible. Unfortunately, the body was charred and impossible to tell who it once may have been. All he could make out was it had been a female.
“Not Remi.” Penny knelt on the other side. “Too tall, and she has blonde hair. This must be the witch.”
“Hair?”
“There is a patch on this side beneath her head. Looks to be black or dark brown.”
“You know Remi?” Ada asked quietly, tone detached, as were her eyes that took in every single detail of the room which was now mostly cleared of smoke.
“I do. She probably mentioned me, Penny Galindo.”
Ada studied Penny. She gave a sharp nod after a moment. “She is very fond of you.” The brownie smiled very briefly. “She declared you to be the best source of knowledge and understanding of psychological and emotional nature of both creature and human. You are a psychologist.”
“Yes, but that is more a hobby. I am a world liaison for my cousin Divij’s company. I love Remi too, Ada, and will do everything I can to find her and bring her safely home.” Penny stood and looked around. “Well, I guess the computer is toast, but the filing cabinets should have been safe from the fire. I’ll check in there for the warlock’s name. Would the receipt for the spell Remi requested be in your name, or hers, Ada?”
“Remi’s. The witch kept a very accurate and detailed filing system, both paper and computer. Her death is a great loss. I will personally speak to the witch superior and explain. Is that the fire brigade?”
With their supernatural hearing, they were able to just pick up the very faint siren of the fire brigade. They had to search fast and get out.
“Yep. Search the filing cabinets; I need to destroy anything that could make humans suspicious.”
Penny hurried to the filing cabinets while Nate began looking for anything that may alert humans to the very real existence of paranormals. A creature clean-up crew would have to be sent, and as this was murder, definitely murder, the evidence was all around, the Witch Council in New York would have to work with the Galdorcwide High Council. There was tension between the two councils because witches and wizards weren’t really creatures. Witches and warlocks resided in the human world, not in Galdorcwide, and had to apply for permission to enter. The basic fact was, witches and warlocks were human, born with the touch of magic. They had the same biological makeup as humans but held some magic talents and lived up to a hundred and fifty years, only aging in the last decade. Because of this, they were included in some things and excluded in others by Galdorcwide.
Life could be tough, but that’s the way it was. Nate had no control over that, so he did his best to make everything go easier, smoother.
“The witch has a client card in her hand.” Ada leaned over the body, not touching. “It doesn’t appear to be badly burned.”
“Let me see.” Nate moved so he was beside her. He could just see a burned corner of a piece of paper in the witch’s hand. “Strange that it didn’t burn up.”
“Ada’s right, this witch kept very precise records. She even covers them in a protective spell.” Penny was going through the filing cabinet. “Each file is protected from damage, and from a negative spirit.”
“What do you mean?” Ada asked.
After closing the cabinet, Penny joined them at the body. “Witches have a great many valuable spells, and it looks like this witch had some important clients. She took extra care to keep their privacy and to protect her business by ensuring each client and spell record was covered in a magical protection. This fire was magically enhanced, and as I said, it doesn’t feel like the kind a warlock is capable of. This magic is stronger, another creature type, but again, it’s covered to conceal its origin. I cannot quite put my finger on… Familiar.”
Penny frowned, shaking her head. “Not in a good way though. I’m thinking whoever lit the fire and killed the witch did it because of the protection spell over her records. Because of the ill intent spell, whoever killed the witch wouldn’t have been able to touch a spell or client record; their hand was probably burning or the card returned itself to the cabinet. Nor would a normal fire burn and destroy them, as they were protected from damage, but a fire that is magically lit, and one of this caliber, could.”
“This bastard is too smart.”
Nate snapped open the body’s curled fingers, and Ada couldn’t hide the grimace. It had to be done; it was necessary if they were to discover anything about the creature who had done so much destruction. Carefully he opened the stiff, badly burned hand and removed an index card that had been crumbled in the palm. It was surprisingly untouched by damage, he found, as he smoothed it out. He read the details on the card, and his blood ran cold.
This rescue mission just got a whole lot more deadly.
“Does the card give us the warlock’s name?” Ada demanded.
“You said a warlock took the imp.” He growled.
Fates damnation! If this was right, if the name on this card was the creature who snatched the imp, Nate couldn’t offer much hope of the imp’s chances of survival to his brownie. And it got even worse, for if the imp was taken by this creature, it was for a purpose that had all his instinctual alarms blaring.
“When Remi called me, frantic that someone was breaking into her apartment and she was unable to stop them, she said the intruder was the warlock,” Ada said firmly. “We acquired a spell from the witch to stop a warlock stalking her. Apparently the spell did not work. Tell me why you ask this.”
“The spell didn’t work because it was designed to stop a warlock, and we ain’t looking for a warlock.” With hackles raised, mouth set in a snarl, Nate handed the note to Penny. “I’m guessing the witch was confronted and tried to save something to identify who is really behind all this.”
Penny stumbled back, eyes wide with horror. “Grydern…the Gods help Remi, and us.”