Chapter 5
Jon
The hotel door rattled under my vicious attempts to force it open.
Fucking magic. I had never felt so goddamn useless in my life.
Cliff stepped in after me and grabbed the gold handle with both hands, attempting fruitlessly to pry it right out of the door.
He grit his teeth with effort, bracing one foot on the base of the pristine frame.
It was becoming increasingly obvious that Delilah’s invitation to talk was more of a thinly veiled order. Any of our attempts to storm past them and exit were thwarted. We were trapped here at their mercy.
Cono. This was like trying to break into the storage room all over again.
That fairy, Ben, had to be responsible for this impenetrable exit. I couldn’t see the runes traced into the walls—the usual indicator that a witch had warded a threshold. But the lines between witchcraft and fae magic had been blurred from the moment we ran into these people.
Sylvia watched us tensely, raking her hands through her hair and flinching in midair every time Cliff rattled the entryway doorframe with a powerful kick.
If things weren’t so dire, I could imagine her laughing at the ridiculous image of our futility—what’s the point of all those pushups if you can’t open a simple door?
“How much longer do we have to watch this?” Lee asked in an aside, like we were a goddamn pity case.
A bottle uncorked, followed by liquid pouring into glasses.
Jaw clenched, I stepped back from the door and turned to find Delilah peering at us over a glass of blood-red wine in the open space of the suite.
The three assholes who’d trapped us in here were seated around the polished dining table by the window, waiting like we were insolent dinner party guests.
“I’m enjoying the show, personally,” Delilah said. “Why don’t you try again? I’m sure you’ll get lucky this time.”
Ben groaned, shooting her a look from where he was perched on the back of a chair. “Do you have to antagonize them, Lilah?”
Cursing loudly, Cliff stepped back from the door in defeat with only calloused palms to show for his effort. He took a few threatening steps into the room.
“Alright, you’re fucking comedians. We’ve all had a great time with your demented little show and tell.
” His sardonic smile could have cut glass, every muscle taut with utter restraint.
“Now let us the hell out of here, or I swear to God you’re gonna find out why being locked in a room with me is a bad idea. ”
“Just sit for a second—have a drink.” Lee pushed one of the crystal glasses across the table. “If what Sylvia said is even half true, I’m willing to bet we have a common enemy right under this roof.”
“Nightcap with a witch?” I folded my arms over my chest. “Yeah, how could that be a bad idea? Pass.”
“Oh, hunters who hate witches.” Delilah pouted mockingly. “How original.”
I glared, letting her feel every ounce of my derision.
Her stunning exterior didn’t sway me in the slightest. Much like with sirens, allure was often just another weapon.
Witches were known for their unquenchable vanity, and for all I knew, she was a withered, hateful thing under that dewy skin.
Sylvia may have softened me on the use of magic, but her beauty radiated from within like sunlight, while there was something undeniably cold about Delilah.
Her spellwork was largely shrouded in mystery, but witch magic was fueled by blood—that part was universally known. Who knew how many had perished to make her this powerful?
“What enemy are we talking about?” Sylvia asked. Looking exhausted, she hovered too close to our unsavory hosts for my liking.
“You really have no clue, do you?” Lee tilted his head at her, a faint furrow between his eyes.
“It’s frankly impressive you made it here without an invitation.
The glamour shield around this place is like Fort Knox on crack, assembled by some of the most notorious warlocks and witches in the country.
Delilah excluded, of course.” He smiled at Sylvia, genuine and all too knowing.
“You must be something special to have gotten your friends here through the barrier.”
A shiver crawled down my spine at the memory of the voice coming from the GPS, the utter loss of control over my thoughts and actions. Sylvia was something special, and more than anything, I wanted her away from these damn people.
Lee produced a slip of cardstock from his pocket. Unfolding it, he pushed the paper across the table, between the two empty chairs.
“Consider this our white flag,” he said.
With little other choice than to play along, I cautiously took one of the seats and glared at the offering. The heavy parchment was oddly radiant, light glittering off in tiny prismatic spreads. Black and red ink was scrawled across the page in an elegant hand.
You are Cordially Invited
To an Evening of Curiosities and Acquisition
The Crimson Gala, hosted by selected patrons
On the Night of December 16
Reception to begin at 8, Auction to begin at 9
Thornhall Hotel
Strictly Formal Attire
Present this invitation upon arrival
Curiosities and acquisition. This had to be what Tammy was investigating before she got in over her head.
I glanced at my watch tensely. It had been less than five hours since we’d received her urgent text. Tammy had endured longer than that before, but my lungs still went tight at the thought of her. The sooner we found a way forward, the sooner we could get to her.
Cliff read the invitation over my shoulder and scoffed under his breath. “Thanks, but no thanks. We’re not in a partying mood, shockingly.”
He sauntered over to the French doors on the other side of the table that led to the balcony and pried at the curved handles—which didn’t budge, of course.
While Lee and Delilah scarcely bothered turning to watch Cliff’s struggle, Ben huffed and rubbed his temples like the constant pushback against his wards was a nuisance.
“This little party is bringing the world one giant leap closer to the end of days, but no big deal, right?” Lee drawled.
Sylvia finally got off her wings, landing delicately on the table in front of me to inspect the invitation.
“I’ve never sensed so much power in one place,” she admitted.
“I know,” Ben said, grimacing anew. “It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?”
“Maddening! All those people that were downstairs—they’re in on…whatever this is?”
“It’s an arms trade of magical objects and monsters.
Very likely fairies, too,” Delilah said.
“The things in the storage room appear to be the lowest caliber items and creatures on the premises. Just about every person you saw down in the lobby is either here for an extra dose of power or the money that comes from selling it.”
“If you three are so noble,” Sylvia said, “how did you get an invitation?”
“She’s right,” I said, raising my eyebrows at Delilah. “I’m willing to bet that over half of those people are witches and warlocks—and worse. Friends of yours?”
Delilah smiled around her sip of wine. “Is it a crime to be well-connected? Surely you’re not ones to judge.
Do you find every hunter to be entirely palatable?
” Her eyes flickered in Lee’s direction and softened.
“But if I’m being honest… A lifetime ago, I was less into the whole good girl thing.
If you’d told me all it took was a thief interfering with one of my most delicate plans to completely unravel my world, I’d say you were crazy. ”
Lee kissed the back of her hand. “Took you long enough to come around to me,” he said. “If I recall, I was only saved from a curse because you spotted Ben backing me.”
“And that’s how I knew what a delightful freak you were.
And unfortunately, very much my type.” Delilah let her fingers stay entwined with his as they rested their hands on the table.
Her severe beauty was still somewhat softened when she glanced back at us, one brow lifted.
“Consider yourselves lucky I’ve turned over a new leaf. ”
“Believe me, we’re eternally fucking grateful,” Cliff said dryly. He stalked across the room again in search of another exit, his movements quick and restless, brimming with anxious energy.
I glared at each of the three sitting across from Sylvia and me. “Can you get to the point of why you’re sharing this?”
Lee produced three more ethereal invitations and laid them on the table. “Like I said—common enemy. We’re looking to bring this thing down from the inside out.”
Delilah looked me up and down like she was appraising an object for sale. “Call it fate or whatever you will, but you turned up just in time. Our last muscle betrayed us shortly after we arrived. They tried to tip off our target in hopes of receiving a bigger payout from his side.”
The clinking of glass drew my attention away.
Cliff was pointedly raiding the minibar.
Those doors weren’t locked, at least. He returned to the table with an arm full of mini liquors and finally took a seat beside me.
“Now who would ever want to betray such normal and reasonable people like you?” He popped one bottle open and gulped.
Delilah proceeded to eye him with the same studious treatment she’d given me, though her nose crinkled slightly when Cliff slammed down the empty shooter a few swallows later. “With your track record, I think you two will be an adequate replacement.”
Cliff gave her a dirty look. “Adequate?”
“You want us to help you after you just had us bound and gagged in your closet?” I scoffed.
“Don’t be such a baby about it.” Delilah waved a hand. “Everyone wakes up in rope at some point in their lives.”
I ground my back teeth, prepared to tell her to fuck right back to the hole she crawled out of, but I hesitated and glanced down at Sylvia. My heart tugged at the sight of her tense shoulders, the urgent furrow of her eyebrows.
Monsters and fairies are being weaponized.