Aria could see Harry in the background voicing the words “kinky sex” to her. She glared at him, then turned her attention back to Katie. “So, this is all underground potion sales, black market magic items, things they wouldn’t want the authorities to know about?”

  Katie nodded. “I’m so sorry about all this. At first I thought I was getting what I wanted, but when Joey’s behavior got out of hand, I freaked out and couldn’t take it anymore.”

  Aria handed the card back to Harry. They’d probably need to use it later to gain admittance and visit Mistress Raya. She turned and met Katie’s gaze. “Well, I hope you remember this experience, and that magic is not to be played with.”

  “Am I under arrest or something?” Katie wrung her hands.

  Harry rose from his seat as well. He pocketed the little tarot card. “Lucky for you, we’re not cops. And, I still have your credit card info, so I’m going to have to add a surcharge for this.”

  “We’ll be in touch, Katie.” Aria motioned toward the exit. “Let’s go, Harry. I think she’s learned her lesson about dabbling in magic.”

  Katie made a sweeping gesture with her hand, indicating it was all behind her. “I have, I promise.”

  Aria gave her a firm nod in acknowledgement. She wondered if Harry suspected the trouble likely headed their way if the authorities, and even the media, got wind of the secretive dealings at Ars Magicka. She didn’t fancy waking up to reporters banging on her door trying to get a quote about what it’s like being one of the few sin eaters in the U.S. She left Katie’s apartment along with Harry, walking in silence toward the elevator down the hall. When they reached the doors, Aria punched the down button and turned to face Harry.

  “I feel a little sorry for her.”

  “Why?” Harry asked.

  She shrugged. “She’s pretty, has a nice apartment, good job...but that wasn’t enough. She wanted the one guy that didn’t quite feel the same way about her.”

  After dodging student loan calls and mostly giving up on the idea that she was dating material, Aria wouldn’t have minded trading places with Katie Benson. Well, in some ways.

  Harry rolled his eyes. “Boo-freaking-hoo. If she goes anywhere near Ars Magicka again, I’m calling the cops.”

  They stepped into the elevator when the doors opened. “Harry, I’m not condoning what she did, I just...feel sorry for her.”

  Harry let out a low whistle as he rubbed his bearded chin. “See, that’s why I couldn’t be a sin eater. I’d tell half the world to go to hell. Literally.”

  The elevator jolted to a stop and the doors opened. The scent of his citrus and sandalwood cologne wafted toward her. She wondered if he splashed any in his beard. It actually made Harry look more mature, handsome even. She averted her gaze when he turned to face her, pretending to look at her watch.

  “Harry, I’ve gotta go.” She stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby; he followed and fell into step with her.

  “You’re not coming to check out Mistress Raya’s stash of goods? Maybe swipe a few things before we call the police?”

  “I’ve got to pick up the Volgens kids from school. Don’t confront her without me.”

  They passed an elderly woman and a preschooler on their way out. Aria shielded her eyes from the sun as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Her stomach tightened at the large group of people across the street wearing sapphire bands and chanting in unison.

  “Protect our city, support the registry. Protect our families, identify the Magics!”

  With an indignant swallow, she hopped into the passenger seat of Harry’s Maverick.

  Harry slid in on his side and shut the door. He started the car. “I’ll drop you off so you can pick up your car.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “And…?”

  “Meet up with you after you’re done with your nanny gig so we can go to Ars Magicka. God, you’re boring sometimes.”

  She snorted a laugh He had no idea how she wished that was true. “Tonight’s a full moon. I promised Jacob I’d do the ritual.”

  His lips pressed into a thin line. “Yeah, forgot about that. How long is that going to take?”

  “I’m not going to help his dead wife’s ghost pass over to the other side then come crash a wizarding nightclub with you. We’ll take care of Mistress Raya tomorrow. Together.”

  “Okay, fine.”

  “Harry…”

  “I’ll wait for you.”

  He wore a smug expression, as if telling her he’d go whenever he wanted. Before she could utter an objection, he sped off west toward Lincoln Avenue, leaving the shrill chanting of the Watchers and their sapphire-banded followers behind. After he dropped her off, she took a quick shower, then dressed and headed out to pick up Ellie and Zarek Volgens from their wizarding school.

  2

  Harry

  “Y ou know what this is?” Harry squeezed the red ampoule between his forefinger and thumb. He was tempted to crush it until its contents bled out, but he knew he needed to save it for himself .

  “It’s poison, Mr. Storm.” The woman sitting in the passenger seat of his Maverick eyed the pill with apprehension.

  “They called these L-tablets...lethal pills, back in World War II. A spy would chomp down on this, break it, and die within seconds.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Harry.” The woman’s voice was a little too strained and didn’t carry the weight of command.

  Harry slipped the L-tablet into his mouth, lodging it toward the back between his molar and the inside of his jaw. “Why are you still here, Sola? What the hell do you want from me?”

  “Aria’s potion doesn’t quite work the way you want it to, and you’re denying the power growing inside you.”

  He ignored her, grabbing a silver flask from his glove compartment and taking a swig. Shit tasted like dirty underwear and garlic, but at least it kept Sola from trying to overtake his mind and control his body.

  “I’d rather bite down on this pill and be found in an alley than let you or any other spirit dominate me again.”

  For over a year he had fought against the Imperare curse cast on him by the vampire Cedric Astaroth, who had also masqueraded under the name of Warren Bright. The curse tore Harry’s mind open, leaving it vulnerable for three spirits to swoop in and take up residence: Sola Brunson, a dead witch who didn’t like the fact that she sank on the Titanic, Jonathan Larsson, a Loremaster who probably never got laid before he died, and that psychotic son of a bitch he simply called “Vlad.” He had managed to control the curse’s effects for a while with alchemical potions, but when the sin eater, Edwin Kovar, ripped Vlad from his mind and exorcised the spirit, it left Vlad’s dark powers, and the other two spirits, still lingering within him. He still drank Aria’s potions to avoid relapsing and falling victim again to possession, but Sola was right, it was like placing a bandaid on a gaping wound.

  Jonathan, the nerdy spirit, was less of a nuisance. He’d pop in every now and then to see what was happening or to ask Harry to read a book at 2 a.m., but Sola? She nagged him about everything, sabotaged him a few times so that he’d slip up and forget to take his potion, and instead of being just a voice in his head, she now manifested in front of him. Harry knew her intention was to lie in wait until he made a mistake or had a weak moment, especially with Vlad’s dark magic pulsing through his veins. Truth be told, the constant vigilance was exhausting, and he didn’t know how much more he could handle; hence, the L-tablet. He’d rather end things on his own terms.

  “Don’t think like that, Harry. I can be of use to you.”

  “What can you do for me, Sola?”

  She leaned toward him with an air of seduction as her wavy brown hair fell past her shoulders. Her thin eyebrows accentuated her heart-shaped face, and her full lips were a perfect pink. She looked like she could’ve been a starlet on a black and white screen a hundred years ago. Too bad she was a conniving bitch.

  “Screw you, Harry. I was going to lead you to that witch, Mistress Raya.”

  “I can do that myself.” He had parked the Maverick in the half-full parking lot across from Ars Magicka’s back entrance. He wanted to scope out the place, maybe even find a way in. There’d be less security around this time of day, and he’d be more likely to catch Raya off-guard. He’d have a tougher time going in at nightfall.

  “But do you know how to cloak your powers, so that Vlad’s foul stench doesn’t roll off you? Will you be able to even speak with them before they react in disgust and turn you away? Or worse?” Her pink, pouty lips curled into a smile when she saw his reaction. “I can teach you to cloak yourself. And, I can read their minds for you. Separating truth from lie...that’s my gift.”

  He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze toward the back door of the club. A woman who looked to be in her early twenties stepped out to throw a bulky bag and some boxes into the nearby dumpster. “If my aura is all whacked, then why hasn’t Aria noticed?”

  “Oh, she will, soon enough. I know what’s happening because I’m stuck inside you.”

  He cursed under his breath. Aria was the first person in a long time who actually liked him for who he was and never judged him. Sure, she was all googly-eyed over Jacob Wolfe, but he’d still have her as a friend and business partner. He didn’t want to lose that, or her.

  “Okay, how do I cloak myself?”

  Sola leaned in closer, her breath tickling his ear. He refused to face her. “Quiet your mind, block out the traffic, the people walking around, and draw on your magical energy. Take hold of it, and command it to enclose around you, like a cocoon.”

  Harry took in a deep breath and did as Sola instructed. His heart palpitated when he felt the invisible veil surround him, shutting in the corruption attached to his borrowed magic. For a moment, his ears clogged as if he were under water. His tongue grew rough and dry, and he swallowed.

  “There, I did it. How long does this last?”

  “A day.”

  “I’m not gonna do this shit every day.” He could already tell that he needed to mentally maintain the veil. It would be constantly in the back of his mind, and the moment he let it slip, then he’d better not be hanging around a gang of wizards, or Aria.

  Sola arched an eyebrow. “You can always get the curse completely lifted. Oh, that’s right, Cedric Astaroth fled Miracle Falls and you’ll never see him again.”

  “Shut the hell up, Sola.”

  She ignored him and nodded toward the lady who had been throwing out trash. “That woman in the white shawl and black dress is Mistress Raya.”

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  “When have I ever lied to you?”

  Never, though he refused to let the word cross his lips. He hopped out of the Maverick and headed through the parking lot and across the street. The woman in the shawl made eye contact with him just as she threw her last trash bag into the dumpster.

  “Hey, you’re Mistress Raya, right? I’m Harry.” Harry gave her his warmest smile. He noted three different rings on her right hand, all real gold and diamonds. Looked like business was booming for Raya, and she liked nice things.

  She wrapped the shawl around her waifish frame and shivered, although mid-November afternoons in California could still be sunny and mild. For a moment, he thought perhaps he hadn’t cloaked himself well enough, and Mistress Raya had a front seat to the shitstorm going on in his magical aura. He thought of what he could say next to try and win her trust, but she spoke up first.

  “I don’t give refunds, if that’s what you’re here for.” She looked him up and down, probably trying to figure out how long ago he’d been a customer of hers.

  “No, actually, I’m a new client. At least, I hope to be. Do you take cash?” He pulled out the card from Katie Benson and showed it to her.

  She finally returned a smile, though it didn’t reach her deep brown eyes. “Yes, are you available to come tonight?”

  “I’m a little pressed for time, so I thought I’d try and catch you during the day. I’m willing to pay extra for your trouble.”

  Her chest rose and fell as she sighed. She glanced over her shoulder and eyed the doorway leading back into the club. “Romi doesn’t like us taking clients before midnight…”

  “I will pay whatever you want.”

  She looked him over. “Okay, but we’ll make it quick, yeah?”

  “Of course.”

  She ushered him through the doorway and inside the club. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the dark hallway. The scent of liquor and incense wafted toward him as he he made a right turn behind her and then stopped in front of a large metal door at the end. Raya pressed her right hand against the door and then looked over her shoulder to face Harry.

  “Five hundred. Cash. And I’ll let you get a reading and an item. Is that okay?”

  He wondered if that was her usual price or if she was hoping that he’d cop out and ask to go find an ATM. “Yeah, I’m good for it. I appreciate this.”

  She faced the door again and uttered a few words in Romani. Harry didn’t know if it was just the nature of the place, or his newfound magical powers, but he could see the incantation escape her lips in a shimmery swirl and fly toward the door. It made contact and revealed a glimmering script, written in a language unknown to him, scrawled across the top of the metal door. It unlocked on its own, and she pulled the handle.

  “My room is this way.”

  Raya’s kitten heels clacked against the stone staircase as they descended. A few rickety lights kept shuddering, as if they’d go out at any second, but they allowed Harry to keep his pace and footing without pressing his hand against the wall for support. Raya’s room was the second on the left. She unlocked the door with a key dangling from a necklace chain around her neck.

  “Nice…” Harry tried to shrug off the goosebumps running down his arms and even down his legs. A rush of energy hit him, coaxing him as it brushed against him. He didn’t know if it was Vlad’s dirty magic inside him making him feel this way, but he wanted to drink all the mystical power in the room; it would’ve been like a tall glass of cold water to a man who’d just crawled through the desert.

  Raya loosened her bun, letting her raven hair fall to her shoulders. She gestured toward some of the artwork hanging on the wall across from them. “Thank you. I’m a collector of sorts.”

  Harry went and sat in a plush white armchair at her behest. He spotted a large table in the far left corner of the room, where bottled potions, talismans, crystals, and other items sat, neatly organized. He cleared his throat when Raya sat in the chair across from him.

  “A tarot reading, for you.” She waved at the stack of cards sitting on the small table between them.

  For a moment, curiousity did toy with him about getting one. He could ask about the vampire Cedric Astaroth’s whereabouts, or what tonight’s lottery numbers were. But, opening himself up like that meant that Raya would also see the curse and the corruption eating away at him. She’d drop him in a hot second. Maybe he’d ask about Cedric and the lottery after he talked with her about her love potions.

  “Raya, you seem like a nice witch, so, I’m going to be honest...I’m not here to buy anything, I’m here to talk about Katie Benson and that love potion you gave her.”

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I said no refunds. Did she send you for that?”

  “No, she used too much of that potion and the guy she wanted ended up going full-on stalker on her. I’m a private investigator that she hired.”

  Her nostrils flared and her back stiffened. “Police?”

  He shook his head. “No, no police involved. But, I’m willing to bet you’re not eager to sign up for that wizard registry the city’s just instituted.”

  She glared at him. “Never. Anyone who puts their name on that list is a fool.”

  “Well, my request is simple: stop peddling dangerous magic, or I’ll put your name on that list. I’m sure you, Romi, and the other underground wizards wouldn’t like that, now would you?”

  “You’re threatening me?” Raya’s sweet voice turned hollow, icy.

  The tasty magic Harry wanted to drink earlier suddenly turned prickly. His head throbbed. “You almost killed a man, and Katie could’ve gotten into trouble, or worse. Stop selling love potions and your black market shit, or else I’ll shut it all down.”

  He didn’t know how he’d do that, but it sounded better than saying he’d find someone to shut it down.

  Raya’s eyes shone red. “Get out of here, and don’t come back. This is your only warning.”

  The prickly magic burned him, permeating his eyes, head, and hands. He pushed back against it in a show of strength, drawing on the magic deep inside, but in doing so, he felt his cloak slip off as well. Damn Sola. The ghost didn’t tell him that could happen.

  Raya jumped out of her seat so quickly that she overturned the little table with the tarot cards and fell on her ass. She crawled backward, away from him, eyeing him as if he had two heads.

  “Monstru! Monstru!”

  “What the…? What are you talking about?”

  She uttered a string of words in Romani, raising her left hand which glowed a deep blue. The light emitted from her hand, and an invisible force crashed against him, sending him flying backward. He landed on the floor with a thud. He curled into a fetal position, gritting his teeth in response to having his breath knocked out of him. Raya rose to her feet, hand still glowing, as her voice rose and fell with her incantations.

  Harry raised his right arm in a defensive pose, expecting her attack to knock him senseless, but to his surprise, he repelled her magic. It went flying back toward her, like a storm suddenly switching directions, and though she crossed her arms in an “X” to try and stop it, it was too late. The magical energy she had unleashed upon him came back at her, crashing against her and shoving her back down to the floor. If she hadn’t hastily constructed a protective shield, her legs probably would’ve been broken.