Then I remembered a vampire history lesson from my first semester at Starfall. Professor Achilles, who’d taught back then, spoke of how the vampire royals had mansions in several major US cities, including Chicago.
When the bloodborne virus decimated the vamps, the mages tried to seize vampire-owned properties, only to discover there were powerful enchantments in place to keep trespassers out.
There had been several deaths, and in the end, my father had called a halt to the plan, unwilling to sacrifice any more of his minions.
Rasmus must have brought the others to the city so they could lie low in safety. My father wouldn’t expect them to be hiding in plain sight, right under his nose as he fought for his political life.
I almost laughed at the audacity of the plan.
Dad wouldn’t risk storming a vampire-owned and protected property. Sure, he could mount a siege, but that would be pointless. Zane would just teleport them all away to a new location.
Unless Dad’s mages caught Raven away from the house and its inbuilt protective wards, she was perfectly safe.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Now all I had to do was figure out where the property was located and then make my way there. Feeling energized, I jumped back off the bed and grabbed my bag, intending to dig out the last of my cash so I could order food. But when I reached inside the inner pocket, something sharp sliced my finger.
It wasn’t until I emptied the bag that I realized what I’d found: a fragment of Raven’s amulet.
The stone had broken apart after…after the events of that night. I’d scooped them up before I left the room, uncertain whether they were useful to my father.
Satanite was rare, and anything of that nature he usually coveted.
The fragments of satanite in my hand stole all the light when I examined them. Each broken edge was wickedly sharp. When I brushed my bleeding finger against one smooth facet, the stone absorbed the blood, warming in my palm.
It was kind of creepy, so I dropped it on the bed and frowned.
Then it occurred to me: this belonged to Raven, so I could use it to cast a location spell.
Such magic was relatively simple if the person was in the same area, unlike the spell we’d used to find the vampire. All it required was a few basic ingredients and a metal scrying bowl.
I grabbed my phone and searched online for a witch’s apothecary. As luck would have it, there was one five blocks away, and to my delight, it would be open for the next hour. I just hoped I had enough cash to cover the cost of what I needed to find my soulmate witch.
I peered into the apothecary store and frowned. It was supposed to be open, but from the looks of it, the owner had already shut up shop. Damn the witches to hell. What was the fucking point in posting business hours if you treated them as a suggestion?
Pulling my hood down to avoid showing my face, I cursed. It looked like my spell casting would have to wait until tomorrow. Not ideal, but a decent night’s sleep would probably do me good.
Raven was with her other mates. Nothing bad would happen to her on their watch.
I checked my phone to see if Adam had replied to my message. I’d tried calling him several times, but he hadn’t picked up. Just as I was about to head back to the motel, a news alert flashed up on the screen.
Tiberius Vane Calls Press Conference After Fugitive Witch Detained.
What the actual fuck?
When I scrolled down the report, I saw a photo of Raven in magic-blocking cuffs held by two masked mages, and my heart stuttered in my chest. If Dad had her back, he’d steal her magic and start a fucking war with the humans!
According to the article, the news conference was taking place at the Mage Council head office at ten p.m. this evening. That gave me precious little time to get there and rescue my witch.
Or die trying.
44
Kai
Aschool of fish scattered as I powered through the freezing water. The harder I swam, the looser my muscles became.
I’d missed swimming in the wild. Soaking in the tub helped my gills remain healthy, but it was a poor imitation for being in the open water.
