.”

  “Liar.” Sola held the door open for Aria and ushered

  her

  in

  .

  “What was that about?” She went over to the elevator and punched the up-arrow button.

  Sola slipped the keys back into her pocket. “Walt’s diabetic. I’m just waiting to hear of his death by Twinkies.”

  Aria raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me Harry’s been spying on that

  old

  man

  .”

  Sola shook her head. “When I was alive, I was an Elenchus witch.”

  “

  A

  what

  ?”

  The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. Sola pressed the button for the third floor. “Elenchus. I’m able to discern truth and uncover lies…a living lie detector.”

  “Well, that’s a handy skill to have.” The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. They stepped out and headed down the hallway.

  “That’s probably the only thing you appreciate about me. If it were up to you, you’d cast me out and have your

  Hairy

  back

  .”

  “I think

  you’re

  okay

  .”

  Sola scowled at her with Harry’s face. “No you don’t.”

  Aria cleared her throat and decided not to argue about it. She waited for Sola to unlock Harry’s office door. The small office space had a makeshift waiting area with a mud-brown loveseat pushed against the wall, and his desk sat at the opposite end. No artwork or framed certificates decorated the walls, but Harry did keep a tall book case filled with a mix of hardcover books and even some beautiful lore books that probably cost him a good deal of money. Aria was surprised the office was so organized; she half-expected a room full of scattered papers, empty Chinese takeout boxes, and an overflowing

  trash

  bin

  .

  “Sola, where’s the pen?” At least they wouldn’t have to wade through mounds of garbage to

  find

  it

  .

  “It’s right here.” Sola rounded Harry’s desk and pulled open the bottom drawer. She held up a black pen case and shook it. Then, she bent down to unlock what sounded like

  a

  safe

  .

  “What are you doing?”

  Sola pulled out a wad of cash, a pistol, and a bottle of whiskey. “Provisions.”

  She glared at Sola. She began wondering again how committed the witch was to helping them. As far as Sola was concerned, this wasn’t her problem and she could just take Harry’s body out of the city, or the state, for that matter. Subtly, Aria reached out with her senses toward Harry’s body, searching for even a sliver of his mind among the dominating forces of the three spirits.

  The taste of the spirits’ presence to her was prickly and slightly electrifying. She felt the pulling swirl of power, of a latent struggle and tension between the other two spirits who contended for their next turn to take over. Aria’s “S” shaped birthmark throbbed. She used the magical energy in her mark to form a tendril of spiritual connection to Harry.

  Are you there? Can you hear me in there? If it was possible to get him back in control, now was the time. She didn’t

  trust

  Sola

  .

  The whiskey bottle crashed to the floor and Sola aimed the pistol at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Aria slowly raised her hands, though the birthmark still ached and she kept hold of the tether. Just faintly, she felt Harry’s essence, heard his solitary voice among the spirits.

  “Sola, I appreciate that you’re trying to help, but I need Harry now. I’m sorry. I just want to make sure he’s

  not

  hurt

  .”

  “Liar. You don’t trust me. You really are a stuck up little bitch,

  aren’t

  you

  ?”

  “Harry? Can you

  hear

  me

  ?”

  “No!” Sola’s eyes flashed a bright yellow as she dropped the gun. She pressed her face into her hands and trembled.

  “Harry, if you can hear me, please come back. I

  need

  you

  .”

  The lore books and manuals came flying off the shelves. Aria ducked to avoid getting hit in the head. Harry doubled over and squinted his eyes. His nose flared as he breathed heavily.

  Aria stood and slowly approached him. “Harry?”

  He stood and stared at her, eyes as wide as a kid on Christmas morning. He let out a throaty laugh. “I did it. I actually beat them. I’m in control!”

  He may have spoken with Harry’s voice, but the shrill tone told Aria that this wasn’t him. “Who, exactly, is in control?”

  “I’m Jonathan Larsson, pleased to meet you.” He extended

  his

  hand

  .

  Aria crossed her arms. “I wanted Harry.”

  His expression fell. “I’m sorry, but there’s a war going on in there and I barely managed to come out on top. If you’d like, I can help with the tracking spell for Belagio.”

  “Are you a wizard too?” Maybe if she created another tether, she could get Harry this time. She reached down inside herself, ignoring the burning sensation in her birthmark, and formed another connection to Harry’s body

  and

  mind

  .

  “No, no. I’m just a Loremaster. But, I assure you, I can be quite useful.”

  “Okay…”

  He raised his hand and waved a finger at her. “And don’t do to me what you just did to Sola. It’s for your safety.”

  She

  halted

  . “

  Why

  ?”

  “Because the third spirit inhabiting Mr. Storm’s mind is a powerful wizard who enjoys impaling people. Would you like to be impaled? I didn’t think so. So

  stop

  it

  .”

  Aria felt ill to her stomach as she relinquished the tethers. The connection faded, and she felt even worse when the last message from Harry himself was a plea for her to help. Perhaps Jacob Wolfe could help them with this. The faster they got to him, the better.

  “Okay, I won’t try to force my way to Harry, but please…don’t

  hurt

  him

  .”

  Jonathan approached and swooped up a few lore books from the ground. “I abhor violence. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind the Imperare curse being lifted. Sola, Vlad, and I, we all had our lives. It’s time to let poor Harry Storm

  have

  his

  .”

  “But you have to find the wizard that cursed Harry, right?”

  “Warren

  Bright

  .

  Yes

  .”

  “Harry was pretty certain Warren Bright is with Dominic Belagio, so if you help me with that tracking spell, we can find

  them

  both

  .”

  He blinked at her, then smiled. “Yes, I’d like that. Then the curse can be lifted.”

  Well, at least this one wasn’t going to be primping in the mirror and stealing her clothes. “Then let’s get to Jacob Wolfe’s house and take care

  of

  this

  .”

  15

  Jacob

  Ineed you to

  let

  go

  …

  The hairs on the back of Jacob’s neck rose. His hot cup of coffee almost slipped from his grasp, but he tightened his grip and stood still. Her voice had always been low, soft, almost drowned out by white noise from around the house or by his own thoughts. But today, he heard her. It was Karina, but what did she mean

  by

  that

  ?

  With a slight tremor in his hand, Jacob set his coffee on the white tile counter top. “Karina, is that you? Baby, tell me you’re okay. What do you need me to do?” He missed her so damn much that

  it

  hurt

  .

  The

  doorbell

  rang

  .

  He shuddered and took a quick sip of his coffee. A pang of hunger hit his belly, but he could put off eating until later. He checked his watch as he went to open the front door. It was a little before 7 a.m., but it was better for Harry to be early

  than

  late

  .

  He reached out with his senses, as easily as flipping through the pages of a book he’s read a hundred times. When he was satisfied his magical wards still surrounded the house, he unlocked and opened the front door. His hand twitched when he saw Harry—who wore a goofy grin—and a woman standing next

  to

  him

  .

  “You brought the sin eater?” Jacob crossed his arms and blocked the entrance when Harry stepped forward.

  “Y-yes.” Harry’s voice was way more high-pitched than what he remembered. Was the guy on something? “Well, Mr. Wolfe, we have what you asked for. I can vouch for Aria, she is an ally. By the way, you can call me Jonathan.”

  He didn’t have time for name changes, and he certainly didn’t have time to entertain a damn sin eater. Jacob glared at him. “I said talk to her, not bring her to my house.”

  “Hey,” Aria said, “I’m right here, you know.” Her dark curly hair fell past her shoulders, and some of it framed her heart-shaped face. Though she gave him the Evil Eye, she still managed to look striking. For a sin eater.

  Jacob shook his head. “Do you have the object, Harry? Or, Jonathan? Is that your middle name or something?”

  Harry patted his coat pocket in response, indicating where he had placed it. He also made a gesture toward a couple of lore books tucked under his arm. “I’m ready.”

  Jacob jerked his head in the direction of the living room. “Then get in there, so we can do the spell.”

  He stepped aside to let Harry pass. When the woman, Aria tried to cross the threshold, he blocked her. The action took her by surprise, and she bumped right into him. She gasped and tilted her chin upward to look at him with a

  defiant

  gaze

  .

  “

  Jacob

  —

  ”

  “Mr. Wolfe.”

  “Whatever. I know it’s hard to trust people right now, especially with everything that’s been going on in the city, but you can trust me. And, besides, you might need my help with Harry.”

  “Why

  is

  that

  ?”

  She placed her hands on her hips and studied him for a second. If he weren’t being such an ass and if she weren’t being so stubborn, he would’ve sworn she was checking him out. “Don’t you notice something’s off about him? That he seems like a completely different person?”

  Jacob threw his hands up in the air. “I just met the guy. He’s always been weird to me.” Although, he had to admit, even this was odd for Harry.

  “Listen, I don’t know what your problem is, if it’s with me, or because of the Perkins murder, but I swear I had nothing to do with it. I want to find Belagio as much as

  you

  do

  .”

  For a split second, her armor cracked. Her eyes betrayed her hurt and fear. His stomach knotted, and he told himself that he wasn’t mad at all sin eaters—just Edwin Kovar. “Come in…Aria,

  is

  it

  ?”

  She nodded. “

  Thank

  you

  .”

  He stepped aside and let her in. After leading her to the living room and half-heartedly offering her a drink, he sighed inwardly with relief when she declined and sat quietly on the sofa. Her demeanor was the opposite of the old sin eater, Edwin. The old man had stepped across the threshold that terrible night with a stone face and impenetrable heart.

  The bastard didn’t even bother to go see Karina, or their dead baby boy; he wondered why Edwin even bothered to arrive that night if his answer to a sin eating ritual was “No.” And Jacob didn’t want it, didn’t care about it, but Karina did. She had asked for a sin eater with her dying breath. And ever since that evening, Jacob lived in torment, wondering if she had been burdened by some secret or sin that she needed lifted from her beautiful spirit.

  He forced himself to focus on the situation at hand. Harry had already cleared the coffee table in the center and placed a black pen in the middle. Jacob gritted his teeth as Harry drew several symbols around the pen lying on the table with white chalk. The images stood out clear against the dark cherry wood. Harry then connected the symbols with straight lines, which made Jacob’s blood pressure rise. But, considering the circumstances, he’d have to deal with wiping down the table later.

  Harry looked up at him and gave a thumbs-up. “Almost done. Then you can infuse the symbols with your magical energy and get it going.”

  He didn’t remember whether or not Harry was adept at laying down foundations for spells, but the man seemed to work with efficiency, and the symbol alignment was impressive. Jacob extended his right hand. He immediately felt magical vibrations emanating from the symbols on the table. Jacob used his own innate magic to make a connection with the vibrations. It felt like the pull of an ocean tide. A swift but hefty flow of magic went from him to the symbols, and they gleamed.

  “Good job, Harry…er, Jonathan. We should be able to track within minutes—maybe less, depending on how close

  Belagio

  is

  .”

  Harry was so mesmerized by the spell that this time he only responded with a firm nod without even looking up. He gently placed a map of Miracle Falls onto the table and waited. Jacob took advantage of the fact that Harry-Not-Harry was occupied and gestured for Aria to

  follow

  him

  .

  He led her toward the right, where closed double doors opened into his study. Shelves built into the walls held books, tomes handed down from his parents and grandparents, and framed artwork from Karina hung on the far left wall. A large oak desk that had belonged to his father stood to the right in front of the large window. The early morning sunlight brought in a comforting brightness.

  He closed the double doors and cleared his throat, meeting Aria’s gaze. “So…what’s wrong with Harry? He just laid down a perfect tracking spell, something that took me months to do under the guidance of experienced wizards.”

  Aria drew in a deep breath. A touch of concern was present in her expression at the mention of Harry. “A wizard named Warren Bright hit him with an Imperare curse about a

  year

  ago

  .”

  “Damn, that’s a nasty one.” Jacob shook his head. “At least that Jonathan guy is stable, and a bit docile. The spirit must’ve been a Loremaster when he was alive.”

  Loremasters were nothing to sneeze at. They collected and studied entire bodies of magical knowledge and were highly respected in the wizarding community. They were historians, record keepers, and sages all rolled into one. Add to that, some Loremasters were skilled enough to cast spells, they could be extremely helpful to wizards. Some wizarding families even went out of their way to hire and retain “Family Loremasters.”

  Aria bit her lower lip. “Umm…about Jonathan. He’s in control right now, but two other spirits made their way into Harry’s mind when he was cursed.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “The other, Sola, I met this morning. But the third, Vlad, is the one we should watch out for. Jonathan said he’s a powerful wizard and a murderer.”

  And he was worried about a sin eater coming into his home. “And let me guess, you’re hoping I can help lift the curse?”

  Aria pulled out a hair tie and gathered up her curly, dark hair. She placed it into a high ponytail and sighed. “Please tell me you can help. I don’t want to meet Vlad, and we’re so close to catching Belagio, and Warren Bright.”

  “I think we may be dealing with more than

  just

  them

  .”

  “What do

  you

  mean

  ?”

  “That boy who was killed, Ethan Campbell…I think it’s part of a conspiracy. And what happened to Perkins and how they tried to pin it on you. Why? Do you have any enemies?”

  She frowned. “Not that I know of, though for some reason you’ve treated me like one the moment I showed up. Are you going to

  explain

  that

  ?”

  He felt a knot in his stomach at her challenge. “I don’t like sin eaters.”

  “Really?” she asked in a

  dubious

  tone

  .

  “Yes, just because I’m a wizard doesn’t mean I have to like every other wizard.”

  “Why don’t you like sin eaters?” Her steely gaze softened, but her body language gave him the impression that she was still willing to stand her ground.

  He walked past her toward the large oak desk. He lifted a silver-framed picture and showed it to her. It was an image of him hugged up with Karina. Her straight, dark hair stopped right at her shoulders as she had hated fussing with long hair. They both smiled in the picture, joyful and unaware of the tragedy that would

  befall

  them

  .

  Aria gasped. At least she looked genuinely concerned. “I’m sorry for your loss. Was she

  your

  wife

  ?”

  He gave an affirmative nod. “She died in childbirth, so I lost her and my son that night.” Did someone slip a truth potion into his coffee this morning? He felt angry at exposing himself like this, but at the same time, he wanted a sin eater to know how he felt, to know how damaged it left him. Above all, he wanted to ask the question that plagued him the last five years.

  “Why?” He returned the picture back to its spot on the desk, but he never took his eyes off the sin eater.