Chapter 5 #3
Tia ignored the woman’s teasing. “It brought me to New York. Naturally, I assumed he might have returned to visit you,” she grudgingly admitted, once again feeling a pang of emotion that was definitely, absolutely not jealousy.
“I haven’t seen him.”
Tia glanced toward the front window, futilely hoping to catch a glimpse of Joe, looking like a harmless drifter as he leaned against the lamppost. There was nothing.
With a shake of her head she returned her attention to Maya. “Has anything happened in the area that would have attracted his attention?”
“Not really. I...” Maya’s gaze narrowed. “Wait. You said there was some sort of interference?”
“Yes. Does that mean something to you?”
“It might. There’s been a series of burglaries up and down the East Coast.”
Tia made a sound of disappointment. She wasn’t going to waste her time chasing a petty criminal.
“I doubt Joe would be interested in a thief. He has more important worries.”
“This wasn’t a regular thief,” Maya insisted.
There was no missing the edge in Maya’s voice. Tia arched a brow. “It sounds personal.”
Maya pinched her lip, confirming Tia’s suspicion she held a personal grudge against the burglar.
“She hit Witch’s Brew last night. I had a trap set for her but she managed to walk through my magical locks and shield as if they weren’t there.”
Tia blinked in surprise, recalling the painful bonds of air that had wrapped around her just moments ago.
“The same one you set for me tonight?”
“Well, it wasn’t intended for you, but it was the same spell.” Maya deliberately paused. “Along with help from Peri.”
Tia’s attention was fully captured. Peri’s wild magic could hold a feral vampire captive. If there was a creature out there who could bust through both Maya’s and Peri’s combined strength, then she needed to know about it.
“What did the mystery thief steal?”
“Junk.” Maya waved her hand toward the open door that led to her private lair. “I have a hundred powerful charms, potions, and spell books in the vault but she grabbed the least valuable objects. I think it was on purpose.”
“Why would she do that? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Yeah, well, it makes even less sense that I tracked her to a nearby alley where her trail disappeared.”
“Did she leave anything behind?”
Maya reached into the pocket of her slacks to pull out a small plastic bag. “A strand of hair. I tried a locating spell but there’s an annoying buzz that blocked me. It might be the same interference you’re experiencing.”
Tia held out her hand, watching as a silvery-blond strand floated out of the plastic bag to land in the center of her palm. It looked human, but there was no way to tell for sure. Not without using her magic. Right now, however, she was more interested in whether or not it could lead her to Joe.
Closing her eyes, Tia tapped into the tumultuous power that flowed through her blood.
The magic sizzled and snarled, demanding to be released even as she grimly wrestled for control.
Every mage was different when they spoke of their magic.
For some it was a sweet, gentle surge. For others it was a bubbling pool.
For Tia it was a crushing avalanche that cascaded through her, threatening to explode the moment she was distracted.
It was a dangerous, intoxicating sensation, but it demanded her full concentration to avoid disaster.
With care not to destroy the strand of hair, Tia released a trickle of power, forging a mental connection.
Almost immediately the image of a woman with pale hair pulled into a braid and startling lavender eyes formed in her mind.
Tia had never seen her before, and even with her magic blasting through her it was impossible to determine if she was a demon or a mage.
Locking on the image, Tia called up her memories of Joe. His long, coppery hair and elegantly sculpted features with eyes that burned with an emerald fire. And his tall, muscular body that was too perfect to be human.
The image of the unknown woman blurred before re-forming to reveal her standing in the center of an apartment.
“There she is.”
“You found her?”
With an effort, Tia widened the vision to take in a filthy room that was stuffed with boxes. In the background was a male goblin with long hair and a pale red aura.
“I can see her standing next to Joe,” Tia said, unable to determine if she was witnessing an image or a memory. “There’s a demon there. It looks like he has something tattooed on his face. Flames?”
“Hexx.” Maya spit out the name like a curse. “You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s like the plague. He just keeps coming back no matter how many times I try to scrub the streets of his annoying presence.”
“You know where to find him?” Tia demanded.
“Unfortunately. I’ll grab my satchel.”
Tia didn’t bother to respond, heading outside to where her car was waiting. Lynch, a large goblin who’d been her personal bodyguard for years, was behind the steering wheel, showing no surprise when Maya quickly joined Tia and they slid into the back seat.
Maya gave Lynch the address before leaning back against the plush leather seat, content to allow the silence settle between them.
It was nice, Tia decided with a pang of surprise.
She’d been so angry with this woman for so long.
For decades she blamed Maya for walking away when they could have combined their powers to make themselves invincible.
But in truth, she’d been angry that her friend had abandoned her when she needed her the most.
A half hour later, the car swerved toward the curb and stopped in front of a single-story brick building mashed between a liquor store and a pet grooming salon. There was a blinking neon sign that promised easy credit loans although the large front window was dark and empty.
“This is it.”
Tia tilted back her head, opening her mind. This time she didn’t try to connect with anyone. She simply absorbed the thoughts and emotions that drifted toward her.
She brushed away the nearby humans walking down the sidewalk arm in arm. And the handful of fairies stumbling out of a nearby bar. Impatience blasted through her, and it was only years of training that kept her from leaping from the car and charging into the building.
There was no point in alerting anyone that she was searching for Joe until she knew his exact location. Surprise might very well be her only advantage.
At last she felt a familiar mental pattern, easing the icy fear that had somehow wrapped around her heart.
“He’s here,” she announced, opening her eyes. “But his power is muted.”
“Maybe he’s trying to stay incognito,” Maya suggested. “I assumed he was a homeless man for years.”
“Maybe.” Tia had been around Joe when he was in one of his human disguises, but there’d never been this strange static that continued to buzz in her head like an angry wasp. “But this feels different.” Reaching out, she shoved open the door, glancing toward her companion. “Ready?”
A smile of anticipation curved Maya’s lips. “Always.”
Tia returned her smile as they climbed out of the vehicle. This was the Maya Rosen she’d known and loved when they’d been imprisoned together in Batu’s lair. The woman who always had her back and never retreated from any challenge, no matter what the risk.
Moving in silence, Maya led Tia around the side of the building and up a narrow flight of stairs to an upper-story apartment. The younger mage paused to pull a glass vial from her satchel, pouring it over the door to reveal any hidden snares.
Tia ground her teeth. It was smart to make sure they weren’t charging into a trap. But she wasn’t in the mood to be smart. She wanted to bust through the door and kick the ass of whoever was hurting Joe.
As if sensing her seething impatience, Maya sent her a warning glance before opening the door and stepping over the threshold.
Once again, she halted, this time to bend down and create a web of magic that spread over the floor.
It would reveal anyone who might be inside, even if they’d created an illusion to hide their presence.
“Empty,” Maya at last announced, straightening to switch on the overhead light.
A bare bulb hanging from an overhead wire sparked to life, spilling out a dull yellowish glow.
“But you’re right the thief was here.” Maya reached out to grab the crystals that had been left on top of a plastic tote, her expression suddenly grim. “These were stolen from my vault.”
Tia couldn’t sense the thief, which was weird, but she did feel something. A power signature hummed through the air, as if it was so powerful that it’d engraved itself in the very fabric of the building, continuing to vibrate long after the creature had disappeared.
“Something else too. A dangerous power,” she breathed, reluctantly squeezing between the stacks of boxes to search the disgusting apartment. Whatever had been there might very well be responsible for...
Her thoughts were shattered as she caught sight of the crumpled form lying motionless on the floor. Even with the ridiculous pajamas and a towel thrown over his head, she knew exactly who it was.
“Joe!”
“Tia, no.” Maya grasped her arm, trying to keep her from rushing forward. “We don’t know what happened to him.”
“He’s in trouble.” Jerking her arm free, Tia moved to kneel next to the unconscious male, shoving aside the towel as she laid her hand on his chest.
“Dammit, Tia,” Maya muttered.
Tia ignored her friend, concentrating on the steady beat of Joe’s heart. He was alive, thank the goddess. And seemingly uninjured. At least physically.
Which meant that the attack was on a psychic level.
Tia didn’t hesitate as she opened her mental connection with the unconscious male. Whatever was attacking Joe had to be incredibly strong. Far stronger than a mere mage, but she was a dream teller. This place was her specialty.
On cue, Tia found herself standing in the middle of a swirling mist, the coppery scent of Joe settling around her.
She sucked in a deep breath, allowing his presence to ease the fear that had scrubbed her nerves raw.
Only when her emotions were tightly under control did she use his scent to lead her through the mist to discover him bound from head to foot in thick tentacles that glowed with a sickly green light.
The same green sludge bubbled in a large pool near his feet.
Tia halted, her fear returning with a blast of urgency. What the hell was that? It looked like a malignant goo, but she sensed a cunning awareness in the foamy depths. Whatever the thing was, it was alive and aware of what it was doing.
“Joe, can you hear me?” she rasped.
There was no answer. Hardly a surprise. The male was hidden from head to toe by the tentacles. It was only the epic crash of powers that battled against one another, rattling the ground beneath her feet and thickening the air, that reassured her that he was holding his own against the evil slime.
So what could she do? Right now it felt as if they were at a stalemate, but the balance was so fragile any distraction might cause a disaster.
Paralyzed by a sense of helplessness, Tia abruptly froze as an unexpected heat brushed against her back.
It wasn’t a physical touch, but someone had passed by with an enormous amount of magic.
Spinning around, she studied the mist. She couldn’t see anything, but she wasn’t fooled.
There’d been a presence behind her. A powerful creature who’d been close enough to set off her instinctive warning bells.
“Who’s there? Show yourself,” she commanded, her voice echoing eerily through the vast emptiness.
The mist continued to swirl, stubbornly hiding whoever was lurking just out of sight.
A shiver raced through her even as she straightened her spine.
She’d wondered how she could help Joe. Now she knew.
Remaining in the mist, she reached out to her companion. “Maya.”
A second later Maya appeared, glancing around in confusion. “You rang?”
“I need to remain here and protect the Watcher.”
Maya’s gaze at last landed on the green pile of slime, her eyes widening as she realized that it was Joe being smothered under the thick tenacles.
“Dear goddess,” she muttered. “What is that?”
“I’m not sure, but we don’t want it getting loose.”
“No shit.” Maya shuddered. “What do you want from me?”
“It’s too dangerous to try and interfere in Joe’s battle, but I’ve sensed a presence in the mist.”
Maya arched a brow. “Now?”
“It’s able to stay hidden from view, but I felt a pulse of their power just moments ago.
The fact that they’re lurking out of sight means that they aren’t here to do anything good.
” Tia moved to stand as close to Joe as she dared, slowly lowering herself to sit on the ground.
“I need to stay here, but that leaves me vulnerable.”
Maya nodded. “I’ll weave a layer of protection around the building. Nothing’s going to get in or out without me knowing.”
Tia held her friend’s gaze. “It will be stronger if we weave the spell together.”
“You’re right,” Maya agreed without hesitation. “I’ll start outside and weave it toward the roof before adding another layer around the apartment.” She paused, her brows pulling together. “Be careful.”
Breaking their mental connection, Maya disappeared, and Tia impatiently waited for the younger mage to tap into her magic.
Once she felt the familiar tingles, Tia released a burst of power to join with Maya, working together with an ease that only came from years of practice.
Patiently they weaved the delicate strands of magic to form a shield that should be able to keep out any enemy.
Then, with one last burst, they sealed the barrier in place.
Once she was done, Tia released her magical link to Maya and heaved a harsh sigh. It hadn’t been that difficult, but she was more frustrated than she wanted to admit that she could do nothing to stop the violent magic that was crushing Joe. What if he didn’t survive? What if...
“Tia.”
Clearly sensing her rising panic, Joe’s voice whispered through the air, easing the knots that had formed in the pit of her stomach. With an effort, she squared her shoulders and scooted so she was facing the mist.
She was Tia. The most feared mage in the entire world. She didn’t give in to hysterics. Joe was going to defeat the nasty, slimy evil. And she was going to make sure nothing happened to him while he did his thing.
“I’m here, you annoying pest. I’ve got your back,” she assured him. “Just take care of your business so we can go home.”