Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Okay, I found a way to open a portal to banish the Shadow Man,” Penn said. She’d made a fresh batch of waffles while Dante and I were across the street. “I’m going to need your help, though, to protect me while I work the spell.”
“You’ve got it,” I said, shivering. I wasn’t sure what we could do, but we had to try. “What about the revenant?”
“I have a plan for the rest of you to keep it occupied. But I guarantee you, the moment I walk into that house, everything in there is going to notice me.” She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “I’m marked by Hecate, for one thing—and I’m an excellent conduit. They’ll be trying to jump me and use my magic against the rest of you.”
“How long do you need to get ready?”
“Ideally, I’d do this on the new moon,” Penn said. “But that’s not possible. Since the full moon is coming up in a few days, I want to get this done before then. I can be ready by tomorrow night.” She consulted her planner. “I think that will be the most advantageous time on an astrological level. I’m going to need every positive aspect I can think of.”
“Is there anything we can do?” I asked.
“Today, I’ll make up the spell components I need for this. I don’t have anything already made that will do the trick. I’ll be spending the time in my office, working. Any chance you two can vacate the house while I work? The cats won’t bother me, but I need quiet energy for this.”
“Sure, we’ll get out of your hair.” I glanced outside. “I suppose we can go into the office,” I said, looking at Dante. “What do you think? There’s always paperwork to do. I told Sophia and the others to skip today if they can’t make it.”
“Let’s go to my house instead. I can take a shower, and you can contact Jet and see if you can set up a meeting. That always seems the next step.”
“You’re right, I guess. I wish we could pinpoint where he’s hiding and go have a long talk with him,” I muttered.
“Maybe there’s a way to find him.” He turned to Penn. “Can you trace people magically?”
“Not while I’m making what I need in order to combat the spirits,” she said, side-eying him.
“Heard,” he said, laughing. “Okay, let’s eat and then we’ll get out of your hair.”
We finished breakfast, then I made lattes to go for Dante and me, and we headed out to my car. As I bumped over the built-up ice and snow, out onto the street, I thought about how we were going to manage tomorrow night at Michael’s house. Because if one thing went wrong, we would all be in danger.
The main streets were plowed, but still slick.
“I can hardly wait to get into a shower,” Dante said.
One thing both of us had learned about leather pants over the years, is they picked up scent quickly, and given he had slept in his, he was a little punk at this point.
There wasn’t much traffic, for which I was grateful. Driving on snow and ice was harrowing enough, but when you were hemmed in by a lot of cars, it made it more nerve-wracking. I was a good driver, but snow was a major Achilles heel.
As I turned into the lot where Dante’s apartment building stood, I was grateful for the below ground parking garage. It was ice and snow free, and I managed to find a visitor’s parking spot near the elevator.
We usually opted for the stairs, but given he lived on the fourteenth floor, we took for the elevator. As we stepped out onto the hallway, the carpet—a durable indoor-outdoor weave—softened our footsteps. Dante had moved several times since we first met, and I often wondered why he didn’t buy a house. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the money, but he always chose to rent.
The Tremont Arms Apartments were fancy enough to offer him the amenities of a gym and a swimming pool, but it was reasonably priced. But I couldn’t do it. I’d had my fill of living in other people’s houses all through my childhood. I wanted a secure place that I could call my own.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked. “I forget.”
“About eight years now. I like it, and they’re good about fixing things.” He pulled out his key and we stopped in front of apartment 1438. He unlocked the door and, as soon as he was inside, he turned off the security code.
I followed him into the sixteen-hundred square foot apartment. With two bedrooms, it was spacious, especially for Seattle, and had a fantastic view. I walked over to the window. The Tremont Arms building was at a higher elevation, and even though the view was slightly obscured, from here, we could see Puget Sound.
I gazed out, watching the flakes flutter down. “When do you suppose the storm will clear?”
Dante was already stripping off his shirt and unzipping his pants as he headed toward his bedroom. “It’s supposed to turn to rain by Sunday night. So, a few more days. I’m going to grab a quick shower. Watch TV or whatever you want,” he said, shutting the door behind him.
I settled down on the sofa, picking up the remote. As I turned on the television, there was a breaking news alert. A news anchor was standing in front of a gate, where smoke was billowing out of a large building. The sounds of sirens echoed in the background.
“I’m standing in front of the Gul du Ger Magical Academy, where an explosion took place ten minutes ago,” the reporter said. “Fire and police officials are on site, and from what we understand, the FBI and the SAD—Supernatural Affairs Division—have been called. Right now, we do not know what caused the explosion, nor do we know the extent of the damages or whether there are any casualties. There have been injuries, however, and injured students are being transported to local medical centers and hospitals.”
I straightened, glued to the screen. The Gul du Ger Academy was a prestigious magical school, both expensive and exclusive. The entrance requirements were legendarily difficult, and only wealthy students were allowed within those stone gates, or those with exceptional abilities who could earn scholarships.
“Crap,” I said, pulling out my phone to call Penn. But I stopped before putting through the call. She was working on the components she needed for tomorrow night. As far as I knew, she wasn’t friends with anybody at Gul du Ger, so waiting for a while before telling her shouldn’t be a problem.
I turned my attention back to the station. The reporter—now identified as Mandy Smythe—was moving back to show the heavy, black smoke that was billowing out of the building.
“Authorities are asking people to stay away from the area, unless you have children or family members attending the school. The air isn’t safe to breathe near the explosion, and a dangerous fire is burning. Firemen aren’t sure how to fight it at this point—it’s not responding to water. Rescuers are doing their best to clear the building. If you live near the school, authorities are urging you to keep your windows closed and, if you have air cleaners or purifiers, to please use them.”
She looked far more worried than she had before, and she paused while another member of the news-team darted up to her and handed her a mask. At that moment, the news report switched to someone sitting behind a desk in the station’s offices.
“Thank you, Mandy. We’re relocating her to a safer area, so we’ll return to her coverage in a few moments. Meanwhile, here’s what we know. At ten-forty this morning, an explosion rocked the administration building of Gul du Ger Magical Academy. A large section of the roof was blown out, as Halfyr began filling the hallways. Rescuers are working to clear the building, as well as the rest of the campus. Halfyr, for those unfamiliar with the term, is?—”
I gasped. Halfyr ?
“Mother fucking hell,” I whispered. Halfyr referred to any fire with magical origins that couldn’t be extinguished by normal means. It usually had a toxic base of chemicals and herbs used in its creation. The smoke from Halfyr could poison the lungs, causing lasting damage or even death. Witches seldom used Halfyr except in desperate circumstances.
I returned my attention to the television.
“Authorities confirm that anyone near the smoke who has trouble breathing should immediately call 9-1-1 for help. Halfyr can be deadly.” She paused, listening to her earpiece, then said, “I’ve been notified that there have been at least thirty-five injuries. There is no word on whether any fatalities have been reported. Now, we return you to Mandy Smythe.”
The reporter, now properly masked, reappeared on the screen. She was no longer standing in front of the gate, but now she was in a parking lot. In the background, we could see the gates of the school, and even more smoke was billowing out of the building behind the gate.
“Thank you, Jera. I’ve been asked to move away from the gate so that firefighters and rescue workers won’t have any impediments to doing their job. As you can see, I’m wearing a mask to protect my lungs, now. I have Cannon Arden with me, the principal of Gul de Ger. Principal Arden, if you would join me?”
A tall black man stepped into the scene, looking shaken. He appeared relatively young, but given he was a witch, that meant he could easily be in his sixties or seventies.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice shaking.
“Principal Arden, do you know what happened?”
“Unfortunately not,” he said. “I was in my office when a loud explosion shook the walls. I hurried into the hall to find out what was happening, but before I could reach the door, the fire had broken out. I told my staff to leave by the fire entrance in the administrative office, and then, I called 9-1-1 as I made sure they were all out.”
“Did everyone make it out?” Mandy asked.
He looked overwhelmed. “I’m not sure. I couldn’t find two of my clerks, and I searched for them, but they weren’t in the bathrooms or the breakroom. I couldn’t go into the hall—the fire was out of control by then—so I finally had to leave. What I don’t understand is why the sprinkler system didn’t come on line and start spraying the fire when the explosion first happened. It’s set up to battle Halfyr.”
At that moment, Dante appeared, a towel around his waist. “What are you watching?” he asked.
“There was an explosion at Gul du Ger a few minutes ago,” I said, shaking my head.
“The magical academy?” he asked, immediately joining me on the sofa. “Crap. That’s not too far from here.”
“See the faint black mist outside? It’s hard to see among the snow flakes but…”
He squinted, staring at the windows. “Faintly.”
“Halfyr. Somebody used Halfyr at the school.”
“Crap! That’s fucking nuts,” Dante said, jumping up so fast that his towel stayed on the sofa.
“Your bits are showing,” I said, pointing at his crotch. I had to admit, Dante was well-endowed, though I’d never been tempted to find out what his skillset in bed was.
“Oops,” he said, grabbing his towel. “Do they know who did it, or why?
“I don’t think so. They haven’t announced it, if they do.” I paused then added, “Okay, call me a conspiracy theorist, but first Letty Hargrove died at the Windchime Magical Academy—went right through the window in her office. We know what killed her. Now, someone set off an explosion at Gul du Ger Magical Academy? Could it be Brim Fire?”
“It could be, especially considering their agenda.” Dante headed toward his bedroom. “I’ll get dressed. Meanwhile, why don’t put in a call to Philip Groveletter and ask him if there have been any more incidents over there?”
“Good idea,” I said, pulling out my phone.
Philip Groveletter was the principal of Windchime Magical Academy and we had met when I went over to search Letty Hargrove’s office. We’d gotten along, and I had his private cell number in my contacts. I punched it, waiting.
He answered immediately. “Hey, Kyann. What’s up?”
“Are you watching the news right now?” I asked. “Have you seen what’s going on at Gul du Ger?”
“No,” he said. “Let me pull up a news site.”
I waited for a moment, until he let out a curse. “Yeah, I assume you’re seeing it now?”
“Hell and high water. Who did that?”
“I don’t know, and I have no clue if the police know or not. But Dante and I were wondering if everything is going okay over there, given Letty’s death. Has anything else happened since then?”
“A number of things that—taken separately—would seem like circumstances. But now, seeing this, I’m not sure. The fact that Halfyr is involved means that, they’re serious about it.” He sighed. “Can I call you back later? I’m going to order a campus wide curfew and institute lockdown rules.”
“Of course. Get back to me when you can. Go protect the kids and the campus,” I said. At least Philip cared. Some of the magical academies were so stuck in the old ways that they refused to take the hint when something was happening.
Philip said a distracted goodbye and hung up.
I stood and paced to the window. From Dante’s apartment, we could now see the smoke rolling over a section of Seattle, near the waterfront. I worried my lip, then turned back to the television.
Reports of injuries were now rolling in. So far, thirty-nine injuries and two confirmed deaths. Which turned this into a murder investigation. I turned on the subtitles and realized they were regurgitating what they had said earlier, with the addition of the number of injured. I began to flip channels, looking for any different take on the explosion, but most were repeating what we already knew.
At that moment, my phone rang. It was Carson.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Did you hear about the explosion?” he asked.
“Yeah. I called Philip over at Windchime Magical Academy to ask if they’ve had any concerning events. He said a few, but he had to go to make sure the school is locked down.”
Carson sighed. “Good. Because I had the weirdest sense when I saw the news about Gul du Ger. I decided to hop onto the Dark Web to poke around. Remember Brim Fire?”
Brim Fire was an organization devoted to breaking a hole between worlds to allow demons in. In fact, the entire group was dedicated to bringing about demonic rule over the world.
“Yeah, all too well. They crossed my mind, too. Did you see anything about the attack?”
He paused for a moment, then said, “I think so. In one of the forums there, I saw a cryptic message left by the forum leader: Stage 1, Hail-fire, accomplished.”
“That could be anything,” I said, though inside an alarm went off. There was a connection. I didn’t know what it was, but there was a connection. “Fuck. Now that you’ve said that, my mind won’t let it go. Do you think this is tied in to their goal?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Hail-fire… Halfyr ? The name’s way too similar. I knew they were up to something, so I’ve been keeping a close eye on them. I have no idea how attacking magical academies could play into this, though.”
“I wonder…do you think any of the students belong to Brim Fire?” I asked. “Or maybe their parents? If a student was brought up in the cult, then I’d kind of assume that the child believes it as well. I wonder…”
“That’s a good point. I always think of the members of Brim Fire as a bunch of lunatics, but even the most sedate and proper people can believe in the damnedest of things.”
“Do you think you can find out if any of the students are members of Brim Fire? Is there any way the schools might know?” I asked.
“I can try, but on the Dark Web, they never use their real names. They only use nicknames. That makes it hard to cross reference anything. I’ve tried, believe me.”
I thought for a moment. “Can you hack into the academies’ data servers?”
Carson hesitated for a moment. “I haven’t tried yet. I assume that’s not an official request?”
I understood the nuance. “Of course not. I would never ask you to do something illegal.”
“Understood,” he said. “Did you know that, although I can’t find the origins of the group, Brim Fire’s been around for decades?”
“No. How far back have you been able to trace them?”
“They helped the Nazis in World War 2. The Third Reich—well, Hitler in particular—believed that he could control the demons. But his cohorts screwed up their experiments. I don’t know how many demons they managed to unleash.”
I shivered. “Great gods. Did Brim Fire dip its hands into other wars?”
“I think so, but as I said, tracking their history is a tangled web. I have seen a few references stating that Brim Fire has been around since the before the revolutionary war, but none that can be proven.” Carson sighed.
“Say they are involved in the attacks at the magical academies. Why ? What’s their motivation? We do know that they were tied to Letty’s death.”
“That’s a good question,” Carson said. “Maybe because the majority of witches can learn how to banish a demon, so they’re considered adversaries?”
“But why now? Why would they start moving at this point?” I froze. “Unless…could there be other attacks that we don’t know about?”
Dante appeared in the archway, dressed in jeans and a sweater. “Well, what’s the news?”
“I’m talking to Carson,” I said, holding the phone away from my mouth. “Carson, see if you can find any other serious incidents at the academies.”
“Sure thing. Are we meeting tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I was going to call all of you. Meet us at the office at six tomorrow night. We’ll be heading over to Michael’s tomorrow evening. Penn’s going to attempt an exorcism and we need all hands on deck.”
“I’ll be there, for sure,” Carson said, sounding worried. “She’s going to be in danger, isn’t she?”
“Unfortunately, yes. That’s why we all need to be there.”
“I’ll be there, all right,” Carson said. “Now, I’ll get to work on this research. Call me if you need anything else.”
As I hung up, Dante turned up the sound on the TV. The injuries were up to forty-two, and the deaths were standing at six now. And still, they had no clue how the explosion had happened, or who was responsible.