Chapter 9 #2
I tensed, and Gareth's fingers flexed against my back. War peered down at me, eyes unsure, his hands balled at his sides. I nodded at Atlas. “Let me have it.” I was ready for anything at this point. What more could possibly go wrong in my life? Surely, it couldn’t be worse than getting arrested for a murder I didn’t commit.
Atlas looked to Bastian, and the warlock took a deep breath before saying, “As your lawyer, I’m privy to certain details of the investigation, and apparently, they have several surveillance recordings from the alleyway behind the bar where Savannah was killed.
” He glanced at Gareth, his eyes flickering away immediately.
Guiltily. “It’s not a pretty sight. But that’s not the worst of it. ”
“Just tell me,” I said, my entire body locking up, butterflies fluttering in my stomach with nauseating nerves.
“The video clearly shows you killing Savannah that night,” he said as a matter of fact.
I froze, sucking in a painfully sharp breath, feeling Gareth go still behind me.
But Bastian wasn’t finished, probably sensing the tension rolling off of the wolf behind me.
“I joined the forensics team dispatched to the crime scene and ran a few tests myself. The magic signature left behind was potent enough that it stuck to the area even after her body was removed.”
I didn’t understand what he was trying to say. Magical signature? I didn’t have a magical signature. Not to mention the fact that I wasn’t even in the damn alleyway to begin with.
“What he’s trying to say,” Serenity said, stepping closer, “is that someone used a glamor to make it look like you were the one who killed Savannah. They knew exactly where the cameras were and knew that if they used your face, there would be enough hard evidence for an open and shut case.”
I blinked at my cousin and Bastian. He nodded solemnly, saying, “I confirmed it myself. Glamour magic was used, and the residue was all over the crime scene. Whoever did it was incredibly skilled.”
“Someone set me up,” I grumbled. My heart was pounding, and my mind was swirling with theories. One stood out prominently above all the rest. “It’s Estelle; I know it.”
“But her magic was stripped,” Serenity said.
Bastian shook his head. “It was, but there are always loopholes. She’s one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever encountered, and she has friends who are just as strong. We can’t rule out the possibility that her magic has been unlocked.”
Just the thought of it made me want to throw up. We had her right where we needed her. In cuffs. On the stand, where she would confess her crimes and be judged. After a year of waiting, we were finally going to get the justice we deserved. But things never seemed to happen that way for us.
“So, what now?” I asked, feeling hopeless. “If she’s back to full power, then we’re fucked, right?”
“We’ll find her,” War said, a bit of violence in his voice. I looked up at him, noting the stiffness in his stance and the darkness of his eyes. He was pissed.
“Were you able to trace the magic?” Thane asked Bastian. “At least to a clan?”
Bastian nodded. “It was definitely someone from the Nightingale clan, but that’s all I could pick up. There are thousands of magic users in Nightingale, so pinpointing the exact signature could take weeks, if not months.”
“Could it have been Estelle herself?” Serenity asked.
Thane shook his head. “No. She wouldn’t do the dirty work herself. You saw what lengths she went to with Senator Harker. He was just a grunt who got his hands dirty on her behalf. That’s how she operates.”
“So, what? Do we just stay in hiding until she gets caught?” I asked, raking my fingers through my hair in frustration. “Ugh! I fucking hate this! Just when we were starting to feel normal again!”
Thane wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face into his chest, tears pricking at my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. They were more tears of frustration and anger than anything else.
“We’ll get that bitch, little wolf. I promise,” he whispered against my hair, his calm voice soothing something inside of me. My shoulders dropped, and I breathed out a long sigh. Thane placed a kiss on the top of my head before I pulled away.
Serenity was grinning at me, a spark of mischief in her eyes, and I rolled mine, trying not to grin. The anger I felt seconds ago was fading now that I’d gotten it out of my system.
It wasn’t until I turned around that I noticed War and Gareth exchanging a look, both of them silent and brooding. I didn’t want to think about what they were thinking about, but I had a good idea. They were considering Estelle's possible next moves.
“You guys okay?” Serenity asked.
War shrugged, and Gareth crossed his arms, his eyes trained on the others across the portal. It was impossible to read his expression.
“I just want to know where this is going,” Gareth said, his voice low. “I want to know if Trix is in any danger out here, and if we need to be taking extra precautions, or if we just wait it out until Estelle is caught.”
“Trix isn’t in any danger,” Atlas said. “We’re keeping a low profile, and we’re taking all the necessary steps to ensure that Estelle can’t get to her.
But we can’t let her know that we’re aware of her powers, either.
We can’t take unnecessary risks. We don’t want her to know that we’re on to her, not yet. ”
War growled, the sound reverberating through the air. “I’m getting tired of playing defense. Why can’t we go on offense for once? We can find her with real help. Let’s go to the city and ask questions. And by ask, I don’t mean ask.”
“We need to be careful,” I said quietly, looking around at my friends and lovers. “I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me.”
“Don't even go there,” Merrick said, his voice stern.
“We're in this together. You know that. We're not leaving you to face this on your own.
This all started because of a witch who planned this before either of you or Serenity were even born.
You didn't cause this; you're just stuck in the middle.”
I nodded, feeling a knot form in my throat. These were my people, my family, and I knew that they would do anything to protect me. But I couldn't help but feel like I was putting them in danger.
“We need to find out who Estelle is working with,” Faust said, his voice low, calculated, and thoughtful. “If we can cut off her allies, then she won't be able to outsmart us.”
“And how do we do that?” I asked, feeling a sense of hopelessness wash over me.
“We can start by pooling our resources,” Atlas said, his voice calm and steady. “We all have our own networks, our own connections. If we can find out who's helping Estelle, we can cut them off at the source. She'll be forced to show herself.”
There was a moment of silence as we all considered Atlas's words. It was a daunting task, but it seemed like the only option we had.
“Okay,” Thane said, breaking the silence. “Let's get to work then. Everyone, gather your information and report back here in two days. We'll go over what we've found and come up with a plan from there.”
"We'll portal in a few days," Bastian said.
We all nodded and said our goodbyes before the warlocks closed the portal. Thane collapsed on the couch, exhausted.
As I walked away, I felt War's hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. I turned to face him, and he pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Hey,” he murmured, his voice soft. “Don't worry too much, okay? We'll get through this. You're dealing with ancients here. It takes time. ”
I nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over me. War was my big bad protector, the one who made me feel safe and secure since we met.
As we pulled away, I caught Gareth's eye, and my heart skipped a beat. He was watching us, his expression unreadable. But as our eyes locked, I felt a spark of something pass between us—something electric and charged.
It was a feeling that was all too familiar, a feeling that had been building between us for a while now. But he eyed War carefully, and I knew the brand-new bond between us was causing an internal war inside him. Male wolves could be possessive, so we had to tread carefully.