AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to concentrate on. Just that some sort of magic had entered the bar and presumably wiped the memories of over a dozen humans. And that during the magical blackout they’d been infected with a lethal urge to commit violence.
They still didn’t know how the magic was moving from place to place. Or why it would be in such a remote location.
Honestly, they didn’t even know if itwasmagic. She was assuming that they were chasing the miasma released by her mother, but so far they had no concrete proof. Not unless you counted twelve dead witches and a human massacre…
She shook away the images of corpses that lingered in her mind. Nothing could bring them back. All she could do was try to prevent any future killings.
They reached the bar and Valen halted, his head tilting back as if he was absorbing the sights and smells that surrounded them.
“There’s no scent of a vampire. Or a mage. Just humans,” he at last pronounced.
Peri frowned. She trusted his assurance that there hadn’t been a leech or mage in the area. A vampire’s senses were exquisitely precise. It was rumored they could locate every demon in their Gyre by following their scent. Even if they’d disguised themselves with magic. And Valen claimed to have uber senses.
So, if there hadn’t been a vampire or mage in the area, who or what else could have attracted the attention of the miasma? There was only one way to find out.
“Let’s go inside,” she said, brushing aside the police tape to step through the open door. Valen was swiftly at her side, his arm lifting as if he intended to press the switch on the wall. She didn’t have his ability to see in the dark, but she didn’t need light for her spell. “No.” Peri touched his hand. “Leave the lights off.”
He stilled, as if caught off guard by her touch. A burst of his raw power spilled over her, sparking shivers of excitement. Peri jerked her fingers away from the cool satin of his skin, forcing herself to cross to the center of the bar.
Valen was a distraction she didn’t want. Her lips twisted into a wry smile. Okay, that wasn’t true. She’d have to be dead not towantthe gorgeous male. And even then she might climb out of her grave if it meant quenching her hunger. But she wasn’t stupid enough to give into her desire.
Vampires were trouble.
And Valen was the biggest, baddest vampire around. Trouble with a capitalT.
Kneeling on the floor, Peri pretended she didn’t notice Valen move to stand next to her. Instead, she pressed her hand flat on the cement and closed her eyes. Then, clearing her mind, she touched the magic that flowed through her. She sucked in a deep breath as she felt it pulsing in her blood. It was different for every mage. Some claimed the magic was a whisper in the back of their mind. Others said it was like the flutter of a butterfly wing that gently moved through their body. For Peri, the magic was a bubbling cauldron of power. It flowed and churned, demanding to be released.
The power was a blessing. It gave her the ability to create spells and potions that were beyond the capabilities of most othermages. But it wasn’t without cost. The magic could be difficult to leash once she released it.
Whispering soft words that would bind the magic to her will, Peri released a tiny tendril of power. The magic shimmered from her fingers, a spiderweb of glittering strands that would be invisible to anyone but another mage. Once the strands covered the entire floor, Peri spoke another word. This time, the magic sank into the surface to reveal the footprints of a hundred different customers.
The outlines of many feet crisscrossed the room in a confusing tangle that made it impossible to follow any one trail, but Peri wasn’t interested in where the customers were going. She was focused on the various colors of the footprints.
The lingering auras would tell her exactly who’d visited the Jackalope Station over the past few days.
“What do you see?” Valen demanded, revealing he’d worked with a mage before.
Peri straightened, her stomach twisting into a knot as she continued to study the floor.
“A witch,” she breathed.
“The bartender?”
“I don’t think so. I see a paler version there. That’s the aura of a Wiccan.” Peri pointed toward the back of the room where the bartender would have spent most of the night working. Then she moved her finger toward the table that had been toppled during the gunfight. “There was a full-fledged witch standing there. Recently.”
Valen was silent a long moment, his tense expression revealing that he understood exactly what Peri was telling him.
“A witch who’s connected to the toxic magic your mother released. That can’t be a coincidence. Not in this remote area.”
His jaw was clenched with anger, but Peri knew it wasn’t directed at her. Valen was angry with himself. They’d both missed the most obvious clue.
“Destiny,” Peri muttered, glancing around in hopes that the familiar witch would suddenly appear. She didn’t, of course. The building was empty beyond the crickets singing in the shadows. Peri shook her head. “I don’t understand. Is she hunting the miasma? Or is the miasma hunting her?”
“Or has it already caught her?”
Peri thought back to their brief encounter with Destiny. The witch had been terrified, but that was understandable considering she’d just witnessed her entire coven being sucked dry by some mysterious power. She’d also been anxious to get away from the ranch. Again, understandable.
But Peri hadn’t sensed she was trying to deceive them.
