I nodded as I linked my fingers with Lucas’. “I need to go to San Jose. Hotel Jesus de la Luz.”
Gobble whistled. “That’s a far trip. It will cost you.”
“What are your terms?”
“I will need a favor from you one day soon.” His pale blue eyes glinted. “That’s when you will have to pay.”
I wanted to say yes right then, but had Cosette warned me. That was too vague. I had to be more specific. “I won’t do anything bad or evil. I won’t kill or hurt anyone. You can’t hurt or kill me. Or anyone that I love. You cannot steal my magic or bind me to anyone.”
Lucas cleared his throat.
“And where I go, Lucas goes. Whatever you ask me to do can’t go against the pact you have with the wolves.” Not that I knew what the pact entailed, but I was pretty sure it would cover the worst Gobble could think of. I took a breath. Anything else? I asked Lucas through our bond.
No. That’s about all we have time for.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked Gobble. I held my breath.
Gobble disappeared and I nearly cried out. But then I heard his voice behind my ear. “You’ve got a deal.” It was his deeper voice. He was full-sized again. “Close your eyes, tasty and her wolf.”
I did what I was told. A loud pop sounded in my ears, and then the quiet forest was replaced by the sounds and smells of the city.
I blinked open my eyes, and looked up at the sign on the building.
In big red letters. Hotel Jesus de la Luz.
We were here. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thanked Gobble. I would’ve offered him anything he wanted. Because I was here.
I just hoped I was in time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Let’s go.” I raced inside the hotel. Adrian’s text said they were in room 304. I wasn’t paying attention to the gaudy gold, hot pink, and black decor. I didn’t answer the lady at the front desk as she called out to me. All I wanted was my brother.
I saw a sign that pointed to the stairs and started running. Lucas kept pace beside me as I took the steps two at a time.
When we hit the third landing, I raced into the hallway.
Lucas grabbed my arm. “This way.”
We sprinted down the hall in the other direction.
I pounded on the door with a gold plate that read 304.
Adrian gaped. “How in the hell did you get here so fast?”
I pushed past him, not answering. There were four doors. It was a suite. “Which way? Where is he?”
“Here.” Adrian led the way, hurrying through the room.
I froze in the doorway.
What was on the bed wasn’t my brother.
His rattling breath had gotten much louder. And the smell. I covered my nose. “Raphael?”
He cackled. “Hey little sis. Come on over here. Give your big brother a kiss.”
My stomach rolled. His voice… What he said… That wasn’t him. That wasn’t my brother.
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I swept it away. I couldn’t let myself think that I was too late, but the closer I got, the worse the smell was.
“We’ve tried everything,” Shane said. I turned to see him standing in the corner across the room. He crossed his tattooed arms as he looked away from Raphael. “The healing chant helped for a little bit, but…”
“I knew it wouldn’t last forever.” I walked to the bed. Adrian hadn’t been lying. Raphael’s skin was gray, and a few patches looked gangrenous. What caught me off guard were his eyes. They were solid black. Not even a speck of white was visible.
But he was still breathing. Which meant I wasn’t too late. I had to hang on to that, because looking at my twin right now made me want to sob.
I reached into my purse, for what felt like the millionth time in the last few hours, and placed everything on the bedside table.
“What do you have?” Beth said, as she came up behind me.
I blew out a breath. “I have the hair and hand of a sainted mage. I also have his ring and an athame. And a small, white-magic infused crystal—but it’s burnt out.” There wasn’t even a tiny glow from it anymore. It looked gray instead of white. “What to do with it all… I don’t have the time—not to mention the supplies—to do any real potions with the hair. But…” I untangled the tiny braids, and pulled one free. “I guess I’m going to wing it.”
I turned to Raphael. His arms and legs were tied down, so he couldn’t do anything to me, but he started hissing and cussing as I came at him with the braid. I wrapped it around his wrist four times before I tied it off. As I wound it, I said the Lord’s prayer. The white aura cut through the muddy color of my brother’s aura, revealing a little sliver of his normal bright blue and purple.
Raphael started screaming. “You stupid fucking bitch. How dare you try to bind me.”
I ignored him. This wasn’t my brother. Not really.
The mage had been wearing the ring, which probably meant that it had some protection abilities. I was glad I was wearing it. I was going to have to touch my brother, and I didn’t want the demon to jump into me.