CHAPTER ONE
“Such a pretty dagger,” Dani said. The fire witch stood at the edge of my bed, admiring the shimmering vision of the missing dagger that I’d conjured. “I can see why it was stolen.”
“I doubt it was taken because of its looks,” Bryn said. She sat at her desk, paging through a grimoire.
Dani tossed her strawberry blond hair over her shoulder. “Attractive objects are often deemed more valuable. That’s just how it is. I don’t make the rules.”
Bryn swiveled in her chair to face us. “The jewels on the handle are what makes it valuable,” she argued. The handle was encrusted with five gleaming gemstones.
Cerys attempted to intervene. “Mia, did Nick and Gray tell you why the dagger was stolen?”
“No one’s sure,” I replied. Recovering the dagger was my latest assignment with my Warden of the West mentors. Werejaguar Nick and vampire Gray were two of the best wardens and I was grateful to be a member of their team, however temporary.
Cerys leaned her bottom against the windowsill and studied the image of the floating dagger. “A dagger like that must have a history.”
“The owner doesn’t know much about it, other than it belonged to her father,” I told them. “She kept the dagger in a secure display case in her study.”
“No plans to sell it?” Dani asked.
“She said she’d never even consider it.” Even though she clearly needed the money. Vera Ashdown lived alone in a rundown manor house. Her husband had squandered her fortune before he died and this was the only item of value she possessed in the world. Because of its connection to her father, however, she refused to part with it. Naturally, she’d been distraught to find it missing. The locked display case had been opened, not smashed, so we were on the hunt for a magic user. In the paranormal world, that didn’t exactly narrow down the list of suspects.
“I can’t imagine being that sentimental,” Bryn said.
Dani pretended to choke. “Says the witch with her evil father’s healing stone in her drawer.”
Bryn’s cheeks colored. “That’s different.”
Cerys folded her arms. “Is it?”
“It’s not there for sentimental reasons,” Bryn replied. “The guy was a psychopath.”
“Maybe Vera’s father was a psychopath, too,” Dani suggested. “Maybe the dagger had been used for nefarious purposes.”
“He didn’t have a criminal record.” I flicked my fingers and the image dispersed. “Robin is trying to trace the history of the dagger to see if it’s relevant.”
“Like maybe the original owner has decided to reclaim it?” Cerys asked.
“Maybe,” I said. “If it’s been in private hands since its creation, though, it will be hard to find a record of it.” Oftentimes, unless an object ended up catalogued as part of a private or museum collection, there was little written information on it.
“Sounds like a fun assignment,” Bryn said. “I’m meeting with my team later today. I hope it’s a little more exciting than a pretty keepsake.”
“Mia hardly needs more excitement,” Cerys said. She rotated the rune rocks on the windowsill until she was satisfied with their placement in the morning sun. “She did save the world during her last assignment, if you recall.”
Bryn rolled her eyes. “Oh, I recall. Hard to forget Hermes’ frat boys and their freakish interest in alchemy.”
“The Fraternal Order of Hermes,” Dani corrected her.
“I didn’t do it alone,” I said. “You all helped.” Thankfully, the past two months had been far more sedate. One assignment involved the recovery of a stolen magic mirror and the other involved a missing snake. Its skin possessed magical properties. That trail had been fairly easy to follow given the number of times the snake shed its skin. It was nearly impossible to erase all traces of it because even the slightest piece triggered our magic detectors.
“And Declan, of course,” Dani said. “Let’s give credit where credit is due.”
“Of course,” I replied. I tried to appear nonchalant at the mention of the deliciously handsome demigod of war. He’d been invaluable in helping me stop the trigger of an end-of-the-world prophecy.
“How is Brown Coat?” Bryn asked. “I haven’t seen him lurking in the shadows lately.” Declan had earned the nickname of Brown Coat thanks to the brown leather military-style coat he favored.
“He’s been trying to give me space to focus on my final year,” I said. Not that I minded his visits. The truth was that I looked forward to seeing him whenever possible.
“Have you discussed whether he’d consider a move to the Northern Quadrant?” Cerys asked.
“It’s much too soon for that conversation,” Dani interrupted.
“Is it?” Cerys asked. “I don’t know. Mia and Declan are both sensible individuals. If they decide to go for it, who are we to say it’s too soon?”
“I’ll remember you said that when one of your younger sisters decides to move in with her boyfriend after a couple months of dating,” Dani said with a smirk.
Cerys didn’t respond. She was too busy dodging the folded note that flew in through the open window. It screeched to a halt in front of me and hovered in the air, unfolding to reveal an image of Nick’s face.
“We need you, Holmes,” Nick’s paper face said.
I blinked at the magical paper. “Now?”
“Now,” he said. “We have a lead on the dagger. We’ll pick you up in front of the gateway in five minutes.”
Bryn rushed to my side. “Is Gray with you?”
Nick’s paper eyes rolled. “Yes, your boyfriend will be at the gateway. We’re taking my car, though. Otherwise, Mia would have to suffer the indignity of the sidecar.” Although I much preferred the wind in my hair, Gray’s motorcycle only fit two. Nick was right. The sidecar would make me feel like the team mascot.
“I’ll be ready,” I said.
The note burst into flames and quickly dissolved.
“A lead already,” Dani said. “Lucky you.”
I offered a nervous smile. “We’ll see about that.”
I didn’t waste any time pulling together my cloak and wand and hurrying to the gateway. My roommates kept me company while we waited for the wardens to show.
“They’re almost here,” Bryn said.
I jerked my head toward her. “Since when do you have a sixth sense?”
The water witch smiled. “I don’t. He just texted me.” She wiggled her phone.
Nick’s car came into view and I inhaled sharply. Cerys gave my arm an encouraging squeeze.
“You’ve been doing so well, Mia” the earth witch said. “Don’t doubt yourself.”
“Thanks.” I could always count on her maternal side to kick in when I needed it.
Nick’s car stopped alongside us. The passenger window rolled down and Gray’s head popped out. Bryn planted a kiss on his lips before anyone could say a word. The window rolled straight back up again. I opened the back door and slipped inside.
“Good luck!” my roommates called as we sped away.
“You do realize you don’t get your own cheering squad when you start work as an agent, right?” Nick said, vaguely amused by my entourage.
“I’ll cope.” Somehow. I stuck my head between the two front seats. “Where are we headed?”
“Put your seatbelt on,” Gray admonished me. “Safety first.”
I leaned back to buckle up as they gave me an update.
“We had Robin perform a locator spell,” Gray said. “Vera found a trace of filigree from the dagger’s handle left behind in the display case. We’ve been able to pinpoint its location.”
“It hasn’t left the spot in two hours, so it’s the perfect opportunity to strike,” Nick said.
“Maybe it’s being stored until it changes hands?” I suggested.
“Could be,” Gray said. “The location is rural, so it could easily be the thief’s hideout. Somewhere to lay low until the dust settles and the dagger can be moved.”
“Mind if I roll down the window?” I asked.
Nick grinned at me in the rearview window. “You know I’ll never object.” The werejaguar was empathetic to my desire for fresh air.
I hit the button and a light breeze blew through the vehicle. “Do we need to stop and cloak the car?”
“Once we get closer,” Nick said. “Then we’ll let you do your thing.”
“How would you conceal yourself when it was just you and Lucille?” I asked. Nick’s previous partner, Lucille, had been a vampire. I’d witnessed her horrible death—a victim of the Fraternal Order of Hermes’ efforts to bring about the end of the world. They’d released a homemade plague upon vampires and Lucille had suffered the consequences.
“Sometimes we have a witch or wizard mix a cloaking potion or charm an amulet before we leave headquarters,” Nick replied. “Depends on our needs.”
He pulled over a few miles later and I exited the car to perform the concealment spell. As an air witch, invisibility was one of my specialties. No one would see us coming.
“I recognize this place,” Nick said, once we continued on.
Tall, straight trees with reddish bark lined the unpaved road. There seemed to be nothing else as far as the eye could see.
Gray consulted the magic map. “The dagger’s still there, wherever there is. Turn right up ahead.”
“Right?” Nick queried. “I think the road only goes straight through here.”
“How do you know this area?” I asked.
“I’ve run through here in my jaguar form because it’s out of the way. I prefer unpopulated areas. No danger of running into a werewolf pack and fighting for territory.”
“Understandable,” I said. I was grateful to be a witch for many reasons, but not fighting over territory was definitely one of them.
“Turn here,” Gray said.
Nick slowed the car and peered to the right. There was no obvious road. “I guess cloaking the car was unnecessary. We’re going to have to travel the rest of the way on foot.” He pulled the car off to the side and parked.
“Well, at least the car is still hidden from view,” I said. “If anyone should come this way, they won’t know we’re here searching the area.”
“You should probably cloak all three of us,” Gray said. “It’s best if we catch him by surprise.”
I performed an invisibility spell that encompassed the three of us. “We’re in full Casper mode,” I announced.
Gray chuckled. “You’ve been hanging around Bryn too long.”
“I know. I’m going to miss her Terrene pop culture references.”
Nick led the way into the woods. As a shifter, he was a born tracker. He sniffed the air and immediately picked up a scent. “This way,” he said. We moved deeper into the woods until we reached the largest, widest tree in the forest. The werejaguar stopped in front of it. “The trail stops here.”
Gray knocked on the bark, checking for a hidden door. “Must be a magical entrance.”
I reached for the lowest branch and tugged downward. Tiny rectangles of bark slid aside to reveal an opening. The wardens gaped at me.
“How’d you know?” Nick asked.
I shrugged. “I didn’t. Just seemed like a logical option.”
Gray smacked his forehead. “Don’t tell Bryn. She’ll never let me live it down.”
Nick squinted into the dark interior of the tree. “There’s a staircase.” He started down without another word and I marveled at his fearlessness. I hoped I had his confidence by the time I became a full-fledged Keeper of the North.
Gray seemed to sense my hesitation. “Ready?”
I nodded and followed Nick down, with Gray behind me. I pulled out my wand to provide a little light, but Gray’s hand immediately stayed mine. The message was clear—no light. Nothing to alert a possible occupant to our arrival.
My heart thumped as I continued my descent. Finally, my feet touched solid ground. I had no idea exactly how far down we’d gone. Our only option now seemed to be a narrow passage that smelled of moss. I wondered whether this was some kind of dragon’s lair where we’d find a treasure trove of stolen goods. It was certainly an excellent hiding place that we wouldn’t have found without Robin’s locator spell. This year had taught me that I really enjoyed the collaborative nature of agency work. It suited my personality.
Nick was the first one to trip. I stumbled right after him, and the bony part of my knees slammed onto the ground. I swallowed a yelp of pain. We were invisible, not inaudible. I placed my hands on the ground to push myself back to my feet when Gray’s voice sliced through the darkness.
“Mia, an illumination spell would be appreciated right now,” the vampire said slowly. Something in the tone of his voice made my pulse race.
“Coming right up,” I whispered. I sat on my bottom and twirled my wand in the air, conjuring enough light to cast a soft glow. The wand clattered to the floor and I skittered backward when I saw the body.
All the bodies.
“Merciful Mother Nature,” Nick said. He stood between two corpses that were streaked with blood. All the bodies were naked, although there was no sign of discarded clothing. Not the treasure trove I’d been hoping for.
Gray stared in disbelief. “I think we know what the thief wanted with the dagger.”
I pulled myself to my feet and glanced away before my stomach betrayed me. “According to the locator spell, the dagger is still here,” I said. But why? Wouldn’t the thief-turned-killer have taken the murder weapon with him?
Nick crouched beside one of the bodies and sniffed. “They’ve been dead for a few hours.”
“Not just dead,” Gray said tersely. “This one’s been decimated.”
I forced myself to observe the carnage. I was going to be an agent for the Agency of Magical Forces, for goddess’s sake. I had to be able to confront the ugliness head on.
“It looks like his insides have been ripped out,” I said. Despite my best efforts to keep my emotions at bay, a lump formed in my throat.
Gray examined the body more closely. “He’s missing his kidneys.”
“This one’s missing a heart,” Nick said, tapping the closest body with his foot. “His chest has been cracked clean open.”
“A dagger did all this?” I asked. Dani wouldn’t see it as such a pretty trinket now.
Nick moved on to study the next body. “The cuts, yes. Looks like there was some brute strength involved as well.” He stopped and covered his mouth. “Great gods above, this one’s missing a brain.”
I increased the intensity of the light so that we could see the entire space clearly. “A sacred circle,” I said. It had been drawn on the floor in…blood.
Gray took a step outside the circle for a better view. “Anyone recognize the runes?”
I concentrated on the symbols and did my best to ignore the state of the bodies. “That’s the one for power.” I pointed to one near Nick’s feet. “Cerys would know them all.”
“Mia, can you find the dagger?” Nick asked. He carried on scrutinizing each body. “This one has the Mark of the Mage.”
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