As the guards hoisted him into a chair, I quickly dug in my pocket and grabbed my phone, then spoke a quick command. “Call Max.”
Max picked up on the first ring. I didn’t give her a chance to speak before I was already barking into the phone. “Get everyone you can to the music room now. We have shit to discuss.”
“We’re on our way, your highness,” Max said, before hanging up.
Oberi, get here fast!I snapped through the bond.
I’m a little busy, Oberi insisted before slamming our bond shut. I didn’t know what she was being snippy about, but I didn’t have time to convince her to give up whatever she was doing.
I stepped forward to check Takahashi’s pulse and found it still beating. I’d hit him with a hard blow, but only enough to knock him out. I quickly conjured handcuffs with my illusion magic and slapped them over his wrists.
A barrage of footsteps pounded into the room. Marcus let out a gasp. “Dear Goddess, what the hell is going onnow?”
“What happened here?” Max demanded.
Several others were with them— four Elves and a vampire. The vampire’s magic rolled off him in waves, an energy signature I’d become used to during our demigod training sessions.
I really wished Danny wouldn’t have come. I didn’t have the time or energy for his shit.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Danny asked in that cocky tone he always used. “Charlie got his ass kicked by this old man.”
I didn’t know what gave him that impression, considering I wasn’t the one tied up, until I touched my forehead and noticed I had a lump the size of a goose egg. I bet the bruise looked pretty damn nice, too.
Marcus pushed past Danny and hurried to kneel in front of Takahashi. “He’s not an old man. He’s our counselor, one of the Demigod Guardians. Charlie, he looks like he’s been tortured.”
I let out a gruff laugh, but it hurt to even talk. “Not exactly. He tried to kill me, and I fought back. He’s stronger than he looks.”
“I don’t understand,” Max said. “It goes against everything the Demigod Guardians stand for to hurt one of you. If he was any threat, he’d never make it past our borders. I don’t know how he got in.”
“There was some enchantment cast over him when he got here,” I explained. “It was a fae illusion that must’ve concealed his features. I broke the spell that disguised him, but he’s still bewitched. I can’t seem to break whatever’s got him brainwashed.”
“He’s wearing Elvish armor,” Marcus noted. “Someone must’ve put an enchantment on him to make him look like a guard. That’s how he slipped past security.”
Danny paced around Takahashi’s chair, boxing both Marcus and me in. He clicked his tongue. “Something else ain’t right about this. The smell of his blood. It’s…”
Danny paused to assess the blood splattered across the floor. He moved toward Takahashi, and I heard the old professor let out a groan.
“Ew!” Marcus cried. “You licked blood off hisface?”
“I put it on my hand first,” Danny said defensively. “How do you want me to figure out what’s wrong with him?”
“This isn’t time for a snack,” I growled. Vampires were so gross.
“Relax,” he said nonchalantly. “Fuck, I’m notdrinkinghis blood. I’m searching for traces of magic, and I can tell it’s vampiric. Your friend here is being compelled through blood magic. Strong stuff, that is. Judging by the power I’m feeling, he’s being controlled by a demigod. That’s why you couldn’t break it.”
“That’s impossible,” I stated. “The Warden gave up on creating more demigods, and the only one we knew who could do this kind of thing was Mad Dog. He perished in the fire at the Warden’s manor in Celestial City.”
“You sure about that?” Danny asked skeptically.
My stomach dropped. IthoughtI’d been sure, but now I was starting to question it.
Takahashi groaned. He was starting to wake.
“How do we break the spell?” I asked Danny.
Danny paced around to my other side— taking his sweet time answering the question, I might add. He clapped me on the shoulder. “Your guy Mad Dog might be a vampire demigod, but so am I. I’ve got you, boo.”
“Don’t ever call me that again,” I warned, but Danny was already getting to work. I heard him kneel down next to Takahashi.
