“So,” Jacob began, “what do we do? When Farley was mayor, he instituted this stupid registry. I can’t just nix it. We’ll need the City Council to help nullify it, or even put it to a vote.”

  Bruno chuckled. “Good luck with that.”

  “Are you sure you’re not here to sabotage me?”

  Jacob asked it half-jokingly, but sometimes the question did linger in the back of his mind. Before Bruno joined Jacob’s staff, he was his enemy. Bruno had been one of the leaders of the Watchers, dedicated to using intimidation, the government, and even mobs to rid the city of people with magical abilities. But after Jacob saved Margot’s life, Bruno changed his tune—well, mostly. Every now and then he’d let a bit of his old way of thinking creep through, but he could tell that Bruno was genuine in his desire to end the turmoil in the city and help restore order.

  “Oooh!” Margot grinned as she headed back over to her laptop and turned it around, pointing to the screen. “It looks like you can get a majority vote from the City Council members to overturn the Wizard Registry.”

  Bruno nodded. “Good. We should go with that. So, Mr. Mayor, how many members of the Council do we need to bribe?”

  Jacob scowled. “Really?”

  “Damn, lighten up, Wolfe. It was just a joke. Most of them are with us, but there are a few members that we’ll need to...smooth over.”

  “Okay,” Jacob said, ignoring the weight settling on his chest. “Let’s do it.”

  The phone rang, and Jacob hesitated. Usually, especially nowadays, Amanda would screen his calls. This was a direct call coming in; he’d only given this particular number to a few people. He picked up.

  “This is Jacob.”

  “Whatever you try to build up, we will tear down,” a deep, distorted voice said.

  Jacob put the call on speaker so Bruno and Margot could hear. He cleared his voice. “Is this the Watchers? Why don’t you come and face me yourself, instead of hiding behind fake voices on phone calls?”

  “Soon enough, Mr. Wolfe. Soon enough. And we’ll take down that traitor with you.”

  Bruno’s nostrils flared. “Go to hell. You hear me?”

  The caller hung up, and so did Jacob. “I can arrange a police escort for you and Margot…”

  “We need to take those bastards out before they do us, Jacob.”

  Jacob raised an eyebrow. Weirdly, he was glad Bruno had reacted in this way. “I agree. The way you feel now is the way hundreds of wizards in this city feel nearly every day. Remember that, Bruno.”

  Bruno nodded. “So...what do you want me to tell the press? The conference starts in ten minutes.”

  Jacob ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “We can’t quite make a move yet without the Council. Only wizards convicted of crimes will be entered into the registry for now, and only law enforcement or government officials will have access to the registry. Give them a compromise.”

  “All right then,” Bruno said, straightening his tie. “Wish me luck.”

  “Go get ‘em, Dad.” Margot hopped out of her seat and gave Bruno a peck on his cheek.

  When Bruno departed, Margot faced Jacob and gave him a pointed look. “Now, I do believe a certain BFF of mine is awaiting your phone call.”

  Jacob smirked. He had been thinking of Aria lately. But then he’d get upset that she had gone to Los Angeles with Harry Storm. “Really? She wants me to call?”

  Margot rolled her eyes as she grabbed her laptop and slipped it inside her messenger bag. “Duh. I’ve got to run a few things by Amanda, then I’m out. See you later?”

  “Yeah. Uh, do you need an escort?”

  “I’ve already got Officer Tanaka.” She winked.

  He chuckled. “Be safe. Call me if anything comes up.”

  “Bye.”

  He waited for her to leave before pulling out his cell phone and dialing Aria. She answered after a few rings. “Jacob, hi. I’ve been watching the news, how are you doing?”

  He shrugged, then felt silly for doing so, since she couldn’t see him. “A little stressed, but that comes with the job. Your best friend and her dad are helping me come up with a solution to the registry. Then, our next task is to break up the Watchers and the Guardians.”

  Although the Guardians had started with good intentions to protect wizards against the Watchers and violent sympathizers, the organization quickly became radicalized and just as harmful. Both of them had to go, and it would take regular people, from both sides, who cared about the city and living in peace, to make it work.

  Aria spoke up, her voice a little guarded. “Be careful, okay? I’ve been worried about you.”

  He grinned. “Same here. How’s it going with finding the other sin eaters and your evil sister?”

  “We have a lead, I’m hoping we can stop Mira before she harms the other sin eaters—or anyone else. It looks like we both have hard tasks ahead.”

  “All the more reason to enjoy the few moments of respite we can get. Don’t forget you owe me a date.”

  That elicited a chuckle from her. Her laugh was warm and infectious. “I haven’t forgotten. When?”

  “Umm...Saturday brunch? I’ll come to you. Maybe we can even bounce ideas off each other on how to smite our foes.”

  “Okay, sounds good. I’ll text you later?”

  “Sure. I hope the rest of your day goes well,” Jacob said.

  “Me too, Jacob. Bye.”

  He hung up and went over to the large window overlooking the city. He let out a low sigh when he saw that the crowds had dispersed. He felt a pang of guilt over letting Bruno go at it alone with a room full of ravenous reporters, but he just wasn’t in the mood to deal with them today, especially after that threatening phone call.

  He was just about to return to his desk when he caught sight of a man across the street staring right back at him. He wore a black jacket and pants, and a dark gray beanie pulled down low. Not uncommon, seeing as it was late November, but the piercing look in the guy’s eyes was what caught Jacob off guard. He unlocked his phone and raised it to take a picture of the mysterious man, but he had disappeared. He went over to his desk and dialed a number, anxiety building up in the back of his neck and making his shoulders hurt. The call went to voicemail.

  “Tanaka, when you’re available, come place another protective ward around City Hall. We may need it.”

  3

  Harry

  Hecate’s house was what some might call a den of sin—just the type of club Harry liked to find himself in. Though it probably didn’t matter, he chose to wear a nice, crisp shirt and black slacks along with his favorite cologne. He even ran a dollop of gel through his hair so he could look like one of these stuck-up L.A. types who liked to frequent the club.

  He sat at a table on the balcony level, overlooking the crowded dance floor. Men and women gyrated or swayed to the music, some of them under the influence of something. He nursed his rum and coke, trying to ignore the vibrations rising from the bottom floor and throbbing in his ears. It wasn’t the music that was too loud, it was the residual magic. He could feel it, almost taste it; it called to him, but he knew to dabble in it would cost him. Dearly.

  We’re almost to the finish line, he thought to himself. Don’t screw this up.

  Ten minutes must’ve passed before his brother Vernon finally showed up. The guy didn’t even bother trying to not look like a federal agent, with his suit and tie ensemble. Might as well have been wearing his Los Angeles Wizarding Task Force (LAWT) jacket. His hair was thinning and graying—something Harry would have to give him shit for later over a beer—but otherwise, he looked healthy...alert.

  Vernon sat across from him, gesturing to a nearby waitress to bring him a glass of whatever Harry was having. Harry hid a slight chuckle behind his hand, wondering if Vernon ever got drunk a day in his life. Probably didn’t even know what to order.

  Harry broke the silence between them. “I figured you’d ask me to meet you in a library or something, Vern. I didn’t take you for the type to hit up clubs, especially this one.”

  Vernon smirked. Harry hated when he did that. “Just because you have a curse hanging over your head doesn’t mean I have to hate magic users.”

  Harry sipped his drink. “Yeah?”

  Vernon thanked the waitress when she brought him his drink. He took a gulp before responding. “Believe it or not, Hecate’s House staff have been helping us identify and take down dangerous wizards. They don’t want what’s happening in Miracle Falls to make its way to Los Angeles. They’re just as invested as we are in rooting out the troublemakers.”

  Harry arched an eyebrow. “Good on them, I guess. Did they help you catch Cedric Astaroth?”

  Vernon nodded. “Vamps have been moving in on the nearby area, attacking people. We got a lead from the owner here and squashed Cedric and his nest. That’s when I decided to call you...because…” he gestured toward Harry.

  “Thanks. Where are you holding Cedric?” Harry asked.

  “In our LAWT facility downtown. I can get you in tomorrow to do whatever it is you need to do,” Vernon said.

  Freedom. A perfect description as to how it would feel to finally be released from the Imperare curse. “Uh, Vern, I have a friend who needs to see Cedric. Can she come, too?”

  His brother shook his head. “I’m already putting my neck out letting you go in. I had to tell my director the entire story just to get that much.”

  Harry’s cheeks burned. Vernon no doubt revealed to his boss why he had to throw Harry out of a window. “I understand. I have one more request. It’s gonna sound weird.”

  Vernon chuckled. “Okay…”

  “Can you arrange for a blood sample to be taken from Cedric? It’s needed.”

  Vernon finished his drink. “Fine, I’m not going to act like I understand that stuff. Just be careful, okay?”

  “I appreciate it.”

  Vernon rose to his feet and tossed a few bills onto the table. “I’ll text you the address.”

  Harry opened his mouth to say something else, to tell his brother that he was sorry for destroying half his apartment and killing his dog. But it wasn’t really him. Before he could utter an apology, Vernon had turned on his heel and headed downstairs to the first floor. Harry reclined in his seat with a grunt, trying to ignore the tingling of dark magic pulsing through his fingers. He wanted to take control of it, to taste it and wield it. But then he’d end up worse than when he started.

  Jonathan Larsson, adjusting his glasses and breaking into a half-smile, materialized across from him, where Vernon had been sitting. “You can do this, Harry.”

  The blonde waitress returned and collected the money, grinning at Harry. “So, you know Vernon?”

  Harry gave her a good look over. Damn, she was fine. “I’m his big brother.”

  Jonathan, still sitting across from Harry, poked at Vernon’s empty glass. His ghostly finger went straight through.

  The waitress winked at him. “Nice to meet you. I’m Cassie.”

  “Harry, are you listening to me?” Jonathan asked, his gaze darting between him and Cassie. He was the most tolerable of the ghosts that had possessed him, but sometimes Harry wanted to tell him to shut the hell up.

  “I’m Harry,” he managed to blurt out before she went on her way.

  The style and tempo of the music changed as if the DJ was telling the pumped-up revelers to get off the floor and let either slow-dancing couples or the lonely drunks to have their time. He guessed he was the latter.

  “You’re not alone,” Jonathan said. “You have Aria.”

  He shrugged. “Aria has stupid Jacob Wolfe drooling over her.”

  Jonathan shifted in his seat and gave Harry a pointed look. “We’re almost to the finish line, then you’ll have your life back. Just be thankful Vlad is gone.”

  When the vampire Cedric Astaroth hit Harry with an Imperare curse, it tore a hole in his mind that allowed three spirits to swoop in and take control of him. Jonathan wasn’t too bad, having been a geeky Loremaster when alive. However, the other two specters, Vlad and Sola, those were the assholes who made the curse unbearable. Sola was a witch who had drowned on the Titanic. She could’ve actually been helpful since she could detect lies and uncover truths—but did she put that to Harry’s use? No. She spent most of her time sabotaging him or trying to get him into skinny jeans. But even Sola wasn’t as bad as Vlad, the life-force of a dark wizard who had a penchant for murder. The sin eater, Edwin, had helped Harry destroy him, which left Sola and Jonathan still hanging around.

  Harry finished his drink and looked up. “So...uh, where do spirits like you go when the curse is lifted? Is there a Heaven?”

  Jonathan clasped his hands together. “People have called it many things. I think I caught a glimpse of it, but I ran away from the Light. I felt I wasn’t ready to leave this world. I’m a selfish prick, aren’t I?”

  Harry shook his head. “No, it’s human nature. Death is scary. Final.”

  “I’ve had my life, Harry. It’s time you had yours. Just watch out for Sola, she’s been sulking in the shadows. She’s not ready to let go of you.”

  “I know. Tell that bitch she’ll be dining in Hell by tomorrow evening.”

  The ghost chuckled, his form flickering and losing opacity. Right before Jonathan disappeared, Harry caught an eerie orange glow in his eyes. He instinctively looked down at his hands, and he noticed the swirling magical energy laced between his fingers was the same color. It was dark magic. His stomach tightened at the realization that the corruption from Vlad’s residual power was not only making its way through his own soul but even that of the Boy Scout Jonathan.

  Don’t worry, I’ll set you free. And then I’ll be free. Harry had a plan, and he had finally found the leverage he needed to get the curse lifted. Cedric would beg to do the honors.

  The only reason Harry was holding on to sanity was that, first, he never wanted to do anything to hurt or disappoint Aria, and second, he had somewhat of a spiritual moment and asked God or the Universe or whoever was in charge to help him and give him a sign. Because if he couldn’t hold on until he got the curse lifted by Cedric Astaroth, he’d be sitting in Hell right next to Sola and Vlad.

  4

  Aria

  “P atrin Boswell is old school, and he adheres strictly to tradition. If you don’t address him properly, he’ll cast you out.” Clare gathered her dark, silver-streaked hair into a bun. She smoothed her tunic dress and straightened her back before ringing the doorbell. She understandably wanted to do the talking.

  Aria looked askance at her mother when the door opened and a young man, who couldn’t have been older than thirty, stood there eyeing them up and down. His dark wavy hair grazed his shoulders, and his muscle shirt exposed several exotic tattoos that Aria was pretty sure had been enchanted. She could feel the magical energy emanating from them.

  Clare’s eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat.

  Aria decided to take over. “Hi, is this Patrin’s place? We need to speak with him.”

  The young man studied them with his dark brown eyes. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met.” He reached out for Aria’s right hand; she immediately knew what he wanted.

  She turned her hand, palm facing upward, and revealed her S-shaped birthmark. “I’m Aria, and this is my mother, Clare.”

  He brushed Aria’s birthmark with his thumb. It was electrical. He let go and held out his hand to Clare for a normal handshake. “I’m Vano. Patrin was my grandfather.”

  Clare stuttered. “I’m sorry...was?”

  “He passed away last year.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Aria said. She glanced at her mother, giving her a ―Now what do we do?― look. Patrin had been a long-standing member of the local wizarding community, and he had serviced the sin eaters. If anyone knew where or how to find Edwin Kovar or the others, it would’ve been Patrin.

  Clare’s eyes teared up. “My condolences, Vano. I was your grandfather’s friend from a long time ago, and I was hoping he could help us. We are sorry to have bothered you.”

  Vano’s eyebrows shot up. “No, it’s no bother, really. I’ve taken over the family business, so to speak.”

  Clare sniffed. Her eyes gleamed with hope. “You still transport for wizards...and the sin eaters?”

  Vano gave a warm smile. Or, was that a flirtatious one? “That’s right. Come in, want water? Coffee?”

  “Coffee sounds splendid, thank you.” Clare grinned and squeezed Aria’s hand as if telling her See? Things are working out.

  “Just water for me,” Aria said.

  They entered and sat down on a worn burgundy sofa in the living room. Some boxes were stacked in a corner, and other than a few clothing items and plastic bags lying around, the place looked well-kept. Vano left and returned, bringing coffee for Clare and ice water for Aria. They both accepted the drinks and thanked him.

  Vano sat directly across from Clare, his eyes roaming her body. It nearly made Aria choke on her water, and she had to hide it behind her hand and a faux cough. She wondered if Vano knew or magically sensed Clare’s true age, though the silver streaks in her hair often gave her away. Either way, the guy was clearly smitten with Clare. Perhaps they could use that to their advantage.

  Vano waited for Clare to enjoy a few quiet sips of coffee before breaking the silence. “What would you like transported? Or, like the Gypsies, do you have a relative you wish me to move about?”

  Clare set her cup down on the coffee table with a delicate hand and let out a low sigh. “We are looking for information, Vano. And we don’t mind paying. We want to find the sin eaters—” she nodded toward Aria, “my daughter wishes to visit with...her people.”

  There was a slight change in Clare’s tone of voice when she said those last couple of words. Heat rose through Aria’s cheeks, and she clasped her hands together. “I had a number for Edwin Kovar, but it doesn’t work anymore.”