“What now?” he said, glancing at me.
“Could you please open the door and then step back?”
He hesitated, obviously not happy with what he saw as an invasion of privacy, but nevertheless obeyed. Once the door was unlocked, I pressed my fingers against it and pushed it all the way open. The room beyond was a vast open space that consisted of three main areas—living, dining, and a surprisingly large kitchen. There were four doors leading off this room, two of them closed. The other two looked to be the main bedroom and a bathroom big enough to hold a party in. The wall directly opposite us was all glass, with a brilliant view that stretched past the river and Brisbane to the mountains beyond. There was no sound coming from any of the rooms, and no indication there was anything wrong. And yet... something felt off.
I glanced at the manager, motioned him to remain where he was, then cautiously stepped inside. No one jumped out at me. The silence was thick and heavy, the air still, and yet the sense of wrongness deepened. I wasn’t about to ignore it. Not after what had happened earlier.
After another glance around the room, I quickly cast a protection spell. While most royal witches would be able to breach its barrier with little effort, it would nevertheless give me enough time tophysicallyreact. If there was one thing I’d learned over my four years with the Society, it was that witches were generally better prepared for a magical response rather than a physical one, and that made it far easier to restrain them if you were fast enough.
I was.
Mostly, anyway.
As my protective spell formed around me, magic stirred in the bedroom to my right. It had the same dark feel as the stuff I’d sensed in the lane before the shit had hit the fan and led to one vital question—were Francesca and Marnee in there with it? Or had they gone home with the men in the BMW, and whoever lurked in that bedroom now was preparing a little welcome home surprise?
I walked on warily, making my way around the dining table and cautiously approaching the door. The caress of energy grew, and while I had no idea what spells were being cast, it felt strange.Verystrange.
Which did seem to be the theme of the night.
As I reached for the door handle, the magic surged again, its force now so strong, reddish sparks danced across my skin and made my soul shiver. I hesitated, fingers inches away from the handle, and leaned closer, listening for any sound, any movement that might give some clue as to what was happening in the room beyond the heavy wooden door.
Silence reigned supreme. If not for that fierce, foul wave, I would have thought the room empty.
Then the magic cut out and the sparks dancing across my skin died.
I waited, my ear still close to the door, listening for any sign of movement or life.
There was no sound, no steps, and no warning as the door was flung open and a hazy figure barreled into me, sending me flying. I hit the carpet several yards away, my protective curtain flaring brightly as it took the brunt of the fall. I rolled onto my hands and knees but was grabbed from behind, lifted high into the air, and thrown away like rubbish. I hit the wall of glass hard enough to force a grunt, then slithered to the floor, my curtain pulsing under the stress of it all and my heart racing. Who the hell was the hazy figure?Whatthe hell was it? Human, or something else?
I had no idea, and no time to find out.
It was coming at me again.
I scrambled to my feet and flung a repelling spell at the figure. It raised a hand to bat my spell away with one of his own, the movement briefly shredding the concealing shadows to reveal a tattoo-covered forearm and chunky knuckles. Man. It was definitely a man.
And if I didn’t fucking move, he’d be on me again.
I dove to my left, hitting the carpet and coming back up onto my feet in one smooth motion. As I reached for a containment spell, movement near the front door caught my eye—the manager, coming into the room just as the door to the third bedroom opened.
There were two hazy figures here, not one.
“Run,” I yelled. “Now.”
As the manager obeyed, I flung the half-formed containment spell at the second figure. It wouldn’t stop him, but it would at least distract him long enough for the manager to get away. As my spell tumbled through the air, shedding spell threads left and right, I spun and ran straight at the first man. He laughed—the sound harsh and disbelieving—then raised a fist and slammed it at my face. He was fast; I was faster. I jumped out of its path, grabbed his arm, then opened those inner gates and let my darkness free. She rose hard and fast, surging into his flesh, diving deep into his body, feasting on the energy few could see or feel. It was cold and dark, but it wasn’t demonic in nature; this man, whatever else he might be, was human.
He screamed then, a sound filled with rage and fear combined, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t react, because my darkness had him in her thrall and she wasn’t letting go. His life force flowed through me, a rich and vibrant river of power that was both energizing and healing; it was also very dangerous, because it was thick with corruption and violence, and that could stain my being if I wasn’t very careful. To avoid that happening, I needed to channel his life into something else, just as I’d been trained, otherwise?—
The thought cut off as someone wrapped an arm around my waist and yanked me away from the stranger. I yelped, but before I could react in any other way, he flung me away with such force that once again I was tumbling through the air; this time I hit the table leg hard enough for it to splinter and break. I dropped to the floor amidst its remains, a gasp burning up my throat even as pain ripped down my spine, but I rolled onto hands and knees and scrambled out from under the table.
The shadow I’d attacked was now being supported by the other as the two of them ran for the front door. I cast another repelling spell and threw it; it hit the shadows that hid their forms but did little more than ripple their surface. It certainly didn’t slow the men or stop them leaving the apartment.
I pushed to my feet and ran after them. They’d gone left rather than straight ahead toward the lift, suggesting they had another means of escape. A heartbeat later, a door slammed. The stairs.... I swore and hit the earwig.
“Jack, get me help ASAP. Society, cops, High Council investigators, I don’t care. Just get them here fast.”
“Priority assistance call now going out. What’s happened?”
“Intruders in the apartment. Condition and whereabouts of the two women currently unknown. I’m going after the men.”
