Influential_Magic

chapter 24





“I’ll drive.” David guided me toward the door. “We need to stop and see Eadric first.”

I planted my feet. “No. Phoebe’s going to do some recon and then track him down.”

“Willow,” David warned. “I need to talk to him about Nicola.”

“Fine. Call him from the car. But I’m going to the Arcane.”

“Why?”

“Because even though we think Nicola’s been hit by a truth blocker, we can’t know for sure. Allcot could have force-fed her Influence. I think it’s unlikely, but her information is suspect at best. And no matter what your father says, I’m not going to be able to trust his word. I need evidence.”

“You think you’re going to find it at the office?” He raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Maybe. Look, Eadric wants information about who’s working with Maude. And the Arcane is the first place to look for it. If we find out why she’s investigating him, the information might lead us to answers. Or at least lead us to the right questions.”

He jammed his hands in his jeans pockets. “Father’s going to want to see me in person.”

“Tell him we’ll meet him later tonight, after the benefit.” I brushed past him toward Phoebe’s bedroom to let her know we were leaving. While staying at Allcot’s mansion, Phoebe had managed to snag a copy of his schedule. Goddess only knows where she lifted it from. But, like the highly trained Void agent she was, she didn’t take anyone’s word at face value. And having an agreement with Allcot meant keeping careful tabs on him.

Once back in the living room, I noticed my destroyed recipe journal peeking out from under a throw pillow. I kicked the pillow aside and grabbed the book. To the right, the Orange Influence wedge lay exposed, ready for anyone to use. I grabbed it and shoved the chocolate in my front pocket. It wasn’t an ideal spot. The chocolate would probably melt, but I couldn’t just leave it lying around. The last time I did that, Phoebe’d almost used it.

“Phoebs,” I called from her open door.

“In here,” came a muffled voice from her closet.

Talisen sat on a chair near the bed. I gave him a halfhearted wave but avoided looking him in the eye. Phoebe was knee-deep in a pile of clothes, searching through pockets. “What are you looking for?”

She held up a silver beetle. “The other bug. I want to be able to hear what’s going on. Especially if, for some reason, you can’t get out again.”

“It won’t work once I go through security.” What was she thinking? She knew as well as I did all her charms would be neutralized by the disarming machine.

“Ahh, that’s what I never got around to telling you.” She grabbed a faded pair of jeans, and as she pulled them toward her, something landed with a thud at her feet. “There you are!” She snatched up the other beetle, turned it over, and flicked a tiny switch. Its mate gave off a faint buzz. “Perfect.” She handed me the one that wasn’t buzzing and made an adjustment to stop the noise on the other one. She pinned the beetle to her dress and flashed me a satisfied smile. “There.”

I glanced at the bug in my hand. “And the thing you forgot to tell me is…?”

“Oh. Right. You know how the neutralizer doesn’t affect Link as much as it does us?”

“Yeah.” I eyed her suspiciously.

“Well, while you were in California, I did a lot of experimenting. One of the things I worked on was smuggling magic into the Arcane building, just to see if I could. You know, testing limits.” A satisfied smile lit her face.

“And Link is the secret?” Please tell me she wasn’t going to make him eat something. I was not going to fish the bug out of his waste. Not in a million years.

“One of them. If he carries it in his body, the magic is so insignificant compared to his wolf abilities, the machine doesn’t pick up on it. Voilà. Problem solved.”

“Ugh, Phoebe! That’s disgusting.” I glanced down at Link. He tilted his head to the side in a quizzical glance. “Not on your life, buddy. No way. I’m never doing that.” I grimaced at Phoebe. “Besides, I don’t plan on being there that long.”

She jumped over the pile of clothes and landed back in the bedroom. “What are you talking about? All he has to do is put it in his mouth and when you get somewhere private, he drops it. Get a grip, Wil.” She pulled a white cloth out of her chest of drawers. “Wrap it in this if you’re so slobber adverse.”

“In his mouth? That’s all?” I clutched the handkerchief.

“Yeah. What did you think I meant?”

A low chuckle came from Talisen across the room. “She thought you wanted Link to swallow it. Then wait for it to work its way through his system.”

I shot Talisen a dirty look.

“Gross.” Phoebe wrinkled her nose. “God, no. Can you see me digging—”

I held my hand up. “Stop. Just stop. I got it now. Link will carry the bug in his mouth. Great. Then what?”

She tapped her beetle. “I’ll be able to listen in. If there’s any trouble, I’ll form a plan. We can’t have you locked up in there again. Breaking you out a second time will be virtually impossible. Maude will leave nothing to chance.”

“David will be with me,” I countered. “Even if they lose their minds and decide to incarcerate Eadric’s son, he’ll be hard to overpower.”

“He’s not your savior,” Talisen said, contempt clear in his tone.

Phoebe cast him a sidelong glance.

I clamped my mouth shut, refusing to get into it with him. We needed to have a serious conversation, but now wasn’t the time.

“I think she means her chances are better with an important vampire around,” Phoebe reasoned, then narrowed her eyes. “Willow doesn’t wait around for anyone to ‘save’ her.”

Thank you, I mouthed. Talisen’s shitty attitude was really starting to piss me off. He could be mad at me all he wanted, but he didn’t have to be an ass.

Phoebe grabbed her silver bag and shrugged as if to say her support was no big deal. “I’m off to the fundraiser. Remember to turn on your bug as soon as you get to the Arcane.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“Aren’t I always?” She cast me a wicked smile. There was no doubt Phoebe had phenomenal undercover skills, but this was different. She was headed to a high-end fundraiser attended by the right hands of all the important supernaturals in New Orleans. It would be a fantastic place to pick up hints of the truth about whatever was going down with the upper class. The only problem was no matter what Phoebe looked like or how convincing she was, she was still an outsider. They’d regard her with suspicion no matter what. And that meant she needed to be a hundred times more careful. Blending in wasn’t easy in that tight-knit crowd.

I sighed. “Just don’t get locked in a vampire’s dungeon, all right?”

“No dungeons. Got it.” She saluted me with two fingers and walked out.

I turned to find Talisen watching me. “You’ll stay with her?” I nodded to Nicola.

He leaned back against the headboard. “Where else would I go? Fae aren’t welcome at Phoebe’s function and you have Link and the vampire.”

The vampire. Damn him. When this was all over, we were going to have words. I swallowed a snarky reply and glanced at the unconscious witch next to him. Phoebe was convinced she’d been spelled into silence when she’d given us information we weren’t supposed to have. Her vitals were stable though, so instead of rushing her off to a hospital and bringing unwanted attention, Talisen was keeping a careful eye on her. “Can you text if there’s any change in her condition?”

His eyebrows rose as he looked me up and down. “Do you have your phone?” His tone implied he doubted it.

“It’s right here.” I pulled the iPhone from my back pocket and waved it at him. “Look, fully charged.”

He shook his head. “A lot of firsts happening around here today.”

Anger shot straight to my fingertips, and I squeezed the phone until my hand hurt. Smug son of a bitch. Was this really about keeping me safe or his pride? He could choke on his righteous indignation for all I cared.

I didn’t respond as I stalked to the door.

“Wil?” he said.

I stopped in the threshold but didn’t look back. “Yeah.”

“Take care of yourself.” His tone was soft, all accusations and resentment gone.

Some tension drained from my shoulders. Grateful for the temporary truce, I glanced back. “You, too. If Nicola wakes up, don’t let her spell you into becoming some sort of witch’s slave.”

His lips curled into the first smile I’d seen all day. “Not against my will, anyway.”

That was the Talisen I knew and loved. My heart eased a tiny bit. “Keep it clean, Tal. Keep it clean.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

***

David, Link, and I stood on the street in front of the Arcane. The afternoon sun beat down, burning my exposed arms. Link panted, and I lifted the hair off my neck, fanning myself. David stood to the side, his pristine, button-down shirt wrinkle free and not a bead of sweat anywhere. That was one perk to being a vamp. Their internal temperature never rose.

I crouched down, petting Link. “Ready, boy?”

He snuggled close to my leg, and when I scratched his chin, he licked my hand, slyly taking the beetle into his mouth.

“Don’t swallow,” I whispered as I leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

He gave me another puzzled look.

“He thinks you’re crazy.” David rolled a cigarette between his fingers. He’d lit it, but had taken only the initial puff, letting the rest burn to ash. If anyone was watching, they’d assume we were waiting for David to finish before we went in.

“No, he doesn’t. He thinks Phoebe’s crazy.” I glanced at the cigarette. “Put that out. I’m too hot to stand here any longer.” Besides, if I had to inhale one more lungful of rancid smoke, I was going to vomit on his pristine Italian leather shoes.

His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. “Pandora’s on her way to your house as soon as the sun goes down.”

“That’s good.” I took out my own phone and sent the message to Talisen. On the way to the Arcane, David had called Eadric, but he’d been unavailable. Instead, he’d spoken with Pandora. Judging by the hysterical cries coming out of his phone, she hadn’t taken the news well. David soothed her as best he could, but she’d hung up before they could discuss a plan of action. “Hopefully Nicola will be awake by then.”

David pressed his lips together in a thin line. “If not, we’re going to have a homicidal vampire on our hands.”

“I think that ship has already sunk.” I snapped my fingers, and Link trotted to my side. “Let’s go.”

David followed me through the parking garage to the side entrance. Surprise flickered over the face of the usual guard. After last night, I guess he wasn’t expecting to see me so soon.

“Records,” I said as I tossed my phone into my purse and placed it on the conveyor belt to be screened. The guard nodded and waved me through. Link pressed against my leg as we stood in the neutralizer chamber.

The green lights flashed, and I gritted my teeth. Tiny electrodes stole the magic simmering beneath my skin. Link growled. Moments later we stumbled out into the hallway. I flexed my wings and rose a few inches in the air. At least I had one defense.

David took his turn in the chamber. He stood there appearing unfazed, waiting for the green lights to go off. The machine couldn’t affect him—vampirism wasn’t a magical ability. It was a chemical change. No, the guards were making sure he wasn’t carrying any magical objects. Like the one still hidden in Link’s mouth.

The lights went out, and David was waved forward.

“ID and purpose?” the guard asked him.

“Records.” David pulled out his Arcane badge. “I’m her partner.”

The guard checked his list, scowled, and made a note on his computer screen. “Nowhere in here does it say you’re a vampire.” He peered out the window and then eyed David. “It’s still light out.”

I shrugged. “We parked in the garage.” No doubt this guard hadn’t ever seen a vamp during the day before. Last time we’d come during business hours, Maude’s assistant had taken us through security. Apparently she hadn’t been ready for the rest of the building to know about David’s situation. “Trust me. He’s vamp. Maude appointed him herself.”

“Damn this place. How do they expect me to do my job if they don’t do theirs?” The guard glanced at me, skepticism broadcasting loud and clear on his lined face. “With the sloppy reporting around here, I doubt you’ll find anything useful, but good luck.”

I gave him a nod, picked up Link, and strode off down the hall. As soon as we rounded the corner, he spit the beetle into my hand. Dog slobber and everything. Gross. Better than the alternative. I stuffed it into my back pocket and wiped my wet hand on my jeans.

“Here.” David handed me the handkerchief I thought I’d left back at the house.

“Thanks.” I put Link down and wiped the remaining dog spit from my hand. Then we took off. Our boots and Link’s nails clicked on the tile floors.

Arcane agents and workers cast us curious glances but no one stopped us. When we rounded the next corner, anxiety flooded my brain, and my wings started to tremble. The basement door loomed in front of me. The place they’d tried to hold me before Phoebe had stopped them last time. What was down there? Cages? Electrodes? Influence? Oh Goddess. Don’t think about it.

I kept moving until we reached the room we needed. With one swipe of my ID card, the door swooshed open. “This is it.” I waved Link and David in, then hit the button from the inside. The room fell into darkness as the door shut. “Lights,” I said.

A soft glow flickered to life around the vast file cabinets.

“Neat trick,” David said.

“All I did was say the word. The spell is an old one designed to keep electricity costs down. Or so I’m told. Let’s get started.” I moved to the two large file cabinets that housed current Arcane employees’ records. “I’ll take this row.” I pointed to the section on my right. “You start on the left.”

“Sure. What exactly are we looking for?” David pulled the top drawer open and ran a hand over the manila folders.

“Any name that looks familiar to you. My goal is to find out who’s working for Maude to spy on Cryrique.” I opened my purse and pulled out a list of New Orleans Cryrique employees I’d asked Allcot’s secretary to fax over an hour earlier.

After searching four drawers, I threw the latest file back into the cabinet and flopped down on the floor. “Ouch!” Something sharp poked into my left butt cheek. Rolling to the side, I fished out the bent silver beetle. “Oh shit. Phoebs is going to kill me.”

David glanced at me. “Does it still work?”

I shrugged, inspecting it. “No idea. It’s only supposed to transmit information to her.” I turned it over and flicked the tiny switch a few times. “Testing. Phoebe, can you hear me?” I pressed it to my ear. “No sound. I think it’s dead.”

“It doesn’t make sound anyway, does it?” David shoved a stack of files back into the drawer and pulled out another handful.

“When Phoebe flipped the switch it did.” I pressed the button again. Nothing.

“It doesn’t matter. No one seems to care we’re here anyway.” The papers rustled as he opened a file.

I stared at the bug for a minute, then shoved it in my purse. David was right. No one had bothered us. Link nudged my leg with his nose and sneezed. I patted his belly. “Nothing at all?” I asked David.

He flipped another page and peered at a photo ID. “Nobody looks familiar.”

This was useless. I stretched my legs out in front of me, and glanced at the clock. A quarter to six. She might be gone for the day. It wouldn’t hurt to check.

“David? I think we need to go to the source.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Maude? And do what, just ask her who’s on her payroll?”

“No. We’ll go through her private files.” I gestured to Link, and he followed me to the door.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” David joined us and placed a hand on the doorknob, preventing me from leaving.

“Sure. She’s usually gone by five thirty. It won’t take long. There’s only one file cabinet in her office.”

He didn’t budge.

“Five minutes, tops. I promise. Come on, David. We need to find a clue of some sort. I feel like I’m flying blind here.”

He studied me as if he were contemplating my request. Reluctantly, he nodded. “Let me take the lead.”

Fine with me. We left the records room and took the stairs to the second floor. David opened the stairwell door, scanned the hallway, and waved me and Link to follow. All the other offices appeared to be empty. Only two hall lights lit the area. Maude’s door was shut and locked for the evening. “Good. That means she’s gone.”

“The guards will probably be making their rounds on the hour. That gives us ten minutes.” David jiggled the door handle and pulled out two thin metal files.

“Lockpicks?” I whispered. They looked exactly like the ones Phoebe carried.

He brought his finger to his lips and quickly popped the lock on the door.

Handy. I brushed past him, heading straight for the file cabinet behind her desk, Link on my heels. Locked. Of course. David closed the door behind him and strode over, a smile in place as he once again put his tools to good use.

“Thank you,” I said as he slid the drawer open. Inside was a thick file labeled Rhoswen and five smaller ones: Thompson, Daniels, Allcot, Laveaux, Kilsen. My fingers itched to snag my file, but the clock was ticking. It was two minutes to six. We didn’t have time. I grabbed Thompson and Daniels and flipped them both open on Maude’s desk. They each had a signed contract and a picture. My mouth dropped. Thompson was Clea Thompson, the vampire, and Daniels was her college-student boyfriend. They’d both signed on a month ago to work undercover for Maude.

“Shit.” David slammed a fist down on the desk. “That’s why she sought me out. She was spying on me.”

“The Cherry Bomb,” I said tightly. “Maude contracted her to kill me and Phoebe.” My chest tightened. The low-down, double-crossing bitch. We had to get out of here. Hastily, I stuffed the files back in the drawer and turned to flee.

The doorknob squeaked, and I froze. Link stayed by my side, his hackles raised. There was nowhere to hide. David jumped in front of me, knocking my purse to the ground. My phone and the little silver beetle spilled out. Shit.

I peered over David’s shoulder and found Maude standing with her arms crossed. Two guards flanked her on either side. She pressed her lips together in an angry sneer. “Agent Rhoswen.”

I tensed, ready for a fight. “Director.”

“Care to explain your actions?”

“We were looking for you,” I lied.

“In my locked office?” Her skepticism rang through loud and clear.

I shrugged. “It was unlocked. We assumed you’d be back.”

“Director,” David said pleasantly. “We spent the last hour in the records department going through employee files. It was our hope we might spot any suspicious employees that might be leaking information about Willow and her abilities. We were hoping to find a lead. But so far, no luck. If you can think of anyone, please let us know.”

“You think someone’s feeding information from the inside?” Maude asked.

I wasn’t sure if the contempt in her voice was for anyone who would betray the Arcane or the fact we thought anyone she’d hired would go off the reservation. Considering Maude crossed lines all the time, I had to assume the latter.

She gave each of us a hard look. “You’ll need to be debriefed. Come with me.” She stalked toward the door, obviously expecting us to follow.

“I don’t think so,” David said. “We have someplace else to be. But we can make an appointment for later.”

She froze and slowly turned back to face us, her mouth open. She shut it and raised one menacing eyebrow. “You will make time. Now.”

David grabbed my hand and pushed past her. “We’ll be in touch.”

Maude started to say something again, but a loud buzzing started from behind her desk, cutting her off. Then it stopped and clear as day, Phoebe’s voice sounded from the darkened corner. “Can’t you make a tiny exception? I won’t cause any trouble. Promise.” Her tone was sugar sweet, almost nausea inducing. “There’s someone I’m supposed to meet here.”

“Sorry, Kilsen,” a man replied. “The boss warned me you might show up. I can’t let you in.”

“I know all about David’s arrangement with the Arcane and how he’s really working for Allcot. What do you think Maude will do once she finds out? Just let me sneak on in, and I’ll make sure that stays under wraps. Hmm?”

Oh shit! The beetle. It was transmitting Phoebe’s conversation with the doorman at the fundraiser. I met David’s eyes for a split second, then we both took off running down the hall.

“Seize them!” Maude yelled, and to my horror, a dozen guards rounded the corner, heading straight for us.