Chapter Ten
Rome
Ijoin Mara on the floor and hold my hands out.
She takes a deep breath and then places her palms on mine.
The magic flares, ready to connect to her.
The rush I get from the contact causes my eyes to droop.
Her spells make me hard. I’ve held back from showing her my desire to be with her in every way, knowing she needs time to trust our bond, but my need is growing rapidly.
I have to concentrate on the task at hand and ignore the effect she has on me and my magic.
I open my eyes fully, calling on the power within.
“Show me your memories,” I say. When I took her emotions this time, they left a bitter taste.
“It’s difficult to recall them,” she whispers.
“I know.” I felt the woman's pain tied to Mara’s, and I wanted to protect her from it.
“It’s necessary if we want to find him.” She nods and stares into my eyes.
Lace and Archer disappear, and it’s just us.
Her spells release and flow into me. I see the woman cowering in her room, a man's fist coming toward her face. I detach my emotions from seeing the event and focus on the man’s face.
He looks like every other middle-aged human man to me.
No one would know the sickness he hides behind a smiling face.
A light breeze blows through the room as I use more of my power to lock onto the man.
Finding him will be easier with my guidance.
We have to find him fast so Mara can rest easy.
Find him. Find him.
It’s difficult to explain how magic works.
I don’t question it, just push it where I want it to go.
The man is forty-five and is seen as a good guy.
It’s as if I am flying above him and watching his life.
Where he goes, works, and who he interacts with.
He has no idea what is coming to him. He doesn’t know I am watching his life unfold, hunting him.
They live in a decent neighborhood. His wife ignores his anger and the late nights out with his friends.
I see her hopeful smile when he comes home from work, eager to spend time with him.
It slips when he tells her his plans for the night without her.
She has been living a lie, ignoring her instincts and the daughter she thought he was good to.
As much as his actions disgust me, I have to set personal feelings aside.
I feed off the emotions of others, but the emotions usually don’t affect me.
He is a despicable human who thrives on the chaos and pain of those weaker than him.
He loves his wife's neediness and her hero worship. Watching her desperation gets him off. I fly forward, guiding him to show me where he goes. I know where he lives, but he’s rarely there.
I don’t think we will find him at his house.
He walks into a building. It’s in a deserted part of town.
The lights are dim, and the beat of the music vibrates in my head.
He greets a man who slaps him on the back, grinning.
The space is dark, and I watch him walking through it, excitement drums in his veins.
Entering another room, I see nine men sitting at tables, and women dancing around them.
A strip club. But no, it’s more than that.
I tilt my head and study the woman. They don’t want to be there.
Their faces are blank, either escaping into their heads, or they have been given something.
Mara’s hands jerk, seeing the same images.
I wish I could shield her from them, but our power is working together.
We may have stumbled onto something more than we expected.
The business is shady at best. Killing the man was the goal, but it’s changing.
He needs to die, and whatever is going on in that building needs to be shut down.
Mara will take care of him, and I will put the owner out of business.
The man sits at the bar, orders a drink, and beckons one of the women. She walks slowly, her eyes heavy, and her body exposed. My stomach rolls at the sick thoughts flashing through his head.
Mara whimpers, and I back out quickly. I memorize the name and location. I break our connection abruptly, hoping she didn’t see anything more. She rocks back, her palms hitting the floor, blinking.
“I haven’t felt anything like you,” Lace whispers, and I glance at her. Her hair is sticking up, her eyes wide. I look around and notice things are knocked over.
“It takes time to get used to it,” Archer says lightly, walking toward the couch. He’s not affected; his hair is still in place as he leans against the cushion.
“You’ve been holding back,” Mara says, staring intently, and I shrug.
“There hasn’t been a need to use it,” I say.
“The man is worse than I thought,” she mumbles.
“What did you see?” Lace asks.
“You don’t want to know.” I pull Mara forward and smooth her hair. “We have more to deal with. He visits a place. It’s open all night, and he’s there now.”
“Place?” Archer asks, narrowing his eyes.
“There are others there that we will encounter,” I explain. I look at Lace, unsure if I want to share with her.
“Don’t treat me like I’m fragile,” Lace says, guessing my intent. “My magic may be little, but I am aware of the horrors in the world.” I nod.
“Men were gathered in the building. The women who serve them are either drugged or desperate. He is a frequent visitor. If we go there and just kill him, there will be witnesses. We have to isolate him first.”
“Can you freeze them?” Mara asks.
“That’s a lot of bodies at once. The emotions are thick, so I shouldn’t run out of fuel to do it. I’ll need Archer to spell the women and get them out.” I look at him. “Are you up for it?” His magic doesn’t need emotions to work, but it still takes concentration and energy.
“Yes. Where are we taking them?” he asks.
“We don’t know anything about them,” Mara says. “Do they stay there? Are they under the control of whoever owns the place?”
“I couldn’t delve into their heads. The man was the target. He will leave at some point. We could catch him somewhere more private.” We didn’t plan on such a large undertaking.
“I know a place,” Lace says, and we look at her. “Well, I know someone who could help.”
“Are they trustworthy?” I ask.
“He is,” she says, running her hands through her hair. “It’s Gavin.”
“Gavin?” Mara frowns.
“He works with someone who helps women in trouble,” she says. “We spend time together, and he wanted me to know.”
“Who does he work for?” Archer asks.
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me details.” She shrugs.
“I don’t want him around when we use our spells,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I don’t know him or trust him.”
“But I do,” she states, lifting her chin. “He’s never done anything to hurt us. Our secrets are safe with him. Mara, what do you think?” Mara stares at her.
“She’s right. He hasn’t shared anything about us.” She looks at me. “Even though he is a good guy, I agree, I don’t want to do magic while he is present.” She glances at Archer. “Could you move the women to a secluded room?”
“Yes. I’m sure there is a place in the building to hold them. I can’t keep them under my spell for hours, but long enough,” Archer answers.
“Once they are isolated, we can spell the men. It shouldn’t be long, and when it’s done, Gavin can take them.” She touches my knee. “Is it possible? Will we have enough power between us to control the room?”
“I believe so,” I mumble, remembering the space and the people in it. “Can you call Gavin?” Lace nods and stands. “I need him to realize the seriousness of the situation. Make it clear that we are in charge. I don’t need him ruining our plan.”
“I understand,” she says and goes outside.
“I can talk to him if he has questions,” I say, annoyed already by the shifter.
“Don’t strain yourself,” Archer says dryly.
“If I must,” I mumble, and Mara shakes her head.
“You can trust him,” Mara insists, standing. She holds her hand down, and I slide mine in hers.
“We’ll see.” I get to my feet and pull her close.
“I don’t trust many people, and definitely not shifters.
” I’ve kept my circle small, and I won’t take chances with Mara’s safety.
I pull in the room’s energy. My magic has limits, but not many.
Emotions are thick everywhere in the world. Humans thrive on feeling everything.
“Can you take too many emotions?” Mara asks.
“I can do damage to a human if I take more than their bodies can take,” I explain, and avoid Archer’s eyes.
He knows what I have done, but it’s not something I want to discuss with Mara yet.
“It could cause someone’s death if I took all their emotions.
It’s dangerous to concentrate on one person.
In this case, there are plenty of people, and the room has residual energy. ”
“I can imagine how hard it was to regulate when you were younger,” she whispers, leaning into me. She is perceptive but isn’t going to push.
“It was,” I say softly. Lace opens the door, and I’m grateful.
“He’s in,” she announces. “He’s going to get things set up. I told him we’d call when it’s time.”
“Never thought I would work with a shifter.” I shake my head.
“Once we enter the building, I’ll control their bodies quickly.
Archer, work fast with the women. Lace, you can go with him.
I don’t know for certain how many will be there, but I’ll try to gauge the space when we arrive.
If anyone tries to hurt you, use whatever you have to.
” I stare at Lace, narrowing my eyes. “I’ll be pissed if something happens to you. ” Her face flushes.
“What about me?” Archer asks.