Aria opened up her senses, her aura, and waited. A chill entered the air, spiced with an inviting, warm energy that wasn’t in the room before. Aria smiled.

  “She’s here.” She glanced at Jacob, who stood with his mouth hanging open in shock and his eyes glassy.

  He looked like he wanted to say something, but then simply nodded and rubbed the palms of his hands over his knees.

  She pulled out a piece of chalk, and wrote an inscription in the old sin eater language above the head and below the feet. She then drew magical symbols at the left and right sides of the dress, which was for the soul instead of the body. She pulled out her cup and ritual wine, filling the glass with a trembling hand. She placed the glass to the right of the dress. Next, she pulled a chunk of salt, placing it approximately in the center of the forehead, at least, where the forehead would be. Lastly, she placed a piece of bread, much like the ones used during sin eating, over the wedding band.

  A breeze swept through the room. Energy spiked. The dress rose and took on shape as it filled with the ghost of Jacob’s wife.

  Jacob muttered something under his breath as the lights in the room flickered. Aria didn’t spend time trying to figure out what he said. Her focus needed to be on the ritual.

  She knelt to the right of Jacob’s wife, muttering an incantation. She spoke his wife’s name. She didn’t have time to tell him that she had just come from a sin eating ritual and still had heightened senses, but she could hear his heartbeat drumming in her ears as if it were her own. She could feel the goosebumps dimpling his skin and the hair lifting at the back of his neck. She turned and gazed at him and saw tears streaming down his cheeks, dripping from his chin, and soaking his shirt.

  Aria consumed the salt, bread, and wine. She said in a soft, dreamlike voice, “Karina, I’m sorry it has taken so long for this. The sin eater, Edwin Kovar, knew that you lingered here as a spirit, and if you are ready, I will complete what he started, and help you cross over. I am merely the messenger and guide holding the candlelight so that you may go on your way. Your soul has confessed. Your sins have been forgiven. Go now, and be at peace.”

  A loud sigh filled the house, and the energy filling the room grew even more powerful. The dress finally went flat and the ring made a small thump against the hardwood floor, rolling from the dress toward Jacob. He stared as the ring spun until it went still at his feet. The tears that stained his cheeks and shirt slowed to a trickle as he bent over and reached for the band with a shaky hand.

  Aria remained quiet, giving Jacob the time he needed to process what just happened. When his eyes met hers, she stood up straight and gave a soft smile. Jacob also got on his feet, quickly crossing the room and pulling her to him, squeezing her tightly. He sobbed into her hair, thanking her repeatedly.

  “I felt her go, and she went in peace. This was all I ever wanted.”

  “I’m glad I could help.” She clasped her hands around Jacob’s waist and breathed in his scent. She didn’t want to let him go, or for him to release her, but she knew that it was too soon to expect anything from him. She had to give him time.

  “Am I interrupting a tender moment?” Harry asked.

  Aria and Jacob released each other. Part of Aria was grateful. She felt guilty enjoying her embrace with Jacob the way she did.

  “We just finished the ritual. Karina’s at peace now,” Aria said.

  “Hugging is part of the ritual?” Harry didn’t bother to hide the touch of jealousy in his tone.

  Aria nodded. “When it is a particularly special someone, or a powerful ritual, it’s permissible to hug.”

  Harry shifted his gaze between the two, searching for anything more behind the hug. Finally, he shrugged and said, “Well, have I got some information for you. I just found out that in addition to Ars Magicka selling illegal spells and magic, the place also hosts some underground wizarding group.”

  Jacob excused himself to put his living room back in order.

  Aria crossed her arms over her chest. “They’re called the Guardians. And, Harry, what happened to waiting for me? I thought we were going in together tomorrow morning?”

  “Sorry, but I’m impulsive. They have pills for it, I’m told, but I haven’t had the desire to get put on them. How do you know the name of the group?”

  “Zarek told me about them. Ellie said there’s a faculty member named Paul Young who keeps his mental guard up. Even she can’t penetrate the walls he’s constructed. Although I can’t say for sure he’s the one that attacked the mayor, my money says he knows something about it. We also need to visit Ars Magicka to see if the Guardians really do meet there. But not until we come back from Blythe Meadows.”

  Harry shrugged. “When are we leaving?”

  “In the morning,” Aria said. “You can stay at my place. We’ll stop and pick up Margot on the way out. I need her emotional support on this one.”

  “Wait,” Jacob said, inserting himself between Aria and Harry. “When did you two start dating?”

  Aria grinned. “Don’t worry, Jacob. There’s plenty of me to go around.”

  Jacob’s eyes widened and Harry scoffed.

  “For goodness sake, you two. It was a joke. Really, it’s not like that. We’re just friends. Harry’s helping me follow a lead on my mother.”

  Jacob seemed relieved, which Aria didn’t want to read too much into, and Harry adjusted his shirt and ran a hand through his hair.

  “Yeah, so, are we ready?” Harry motioned for the door.

  Aria said, “Just a minute, I want to finish gathering my things and say goodbye.”

  “Time’s a tickin’.” Harry turned his back to stare at the artwork hanging on the wall. He used his finger to adjust the position of one. Once he heard Aria say good bye, he turned around quickly, probably just to see if they were hugging again.

  Jacob led Aria to the front door. He held the door open as she stepped over the threshold.

  “Good night, and good luck with your mother,” Jacob said to her.

  “Thanks.” Aria flashed him a smile and then made her way back to her car. Harry wasn’t far behind. Now, all she had to do was kidnap her best friend Margot in the morning, and then she’d be able to do what she had always thought impossible. She would confront Clare Knight, meet with her, and find out more about who she was, and where she came from.

  7

  Harry

  Sleeping became a problem for Harry .

  It had only been an hour after falling asleep on Aria’s couch, and he awoke, sweating, restless, and pulsating with magical power. A dark power. It threatened to seep even further into his spirit, and when he had confronted Raya, it nearly overtook him. At this rate, he would need to take something hardcore in order to get more sleep. But he didn’t want to go that route; some potions and elixirs were worse than drugs. Instead, he’d settle for a temporary fix, something he could wear to dampen his powers.

  Harry frowned. Mayra Taliki, the woman who had run the only licensed apothecary in Miracle Falls, recently passed in the fire that took the shop, set off by the vampire, Cedric Astaroth and his minions. Harry had gone to her regularly for the elixir to subdue the spirits inhabiting him. Mayra would’ve known how to help him. As much as he missed her, he wasn’t without other options.

  “Ars Magicka,” he muttered to himself.

  He felt like a hypocrite for even entertaining the thought of going there, but when the choice was between purchasing black market talismans and having a magical meltdown that would take innocent people with him, then he would buy as many talismans it took to not turn into a Monstru, as Raya had put it. He hoped she would cooperate. He’d pull out cash from an ATM and make it worth her time.

  He got up and grabbed a quick glass of water, careful not to make too much noise and disturb Aria, who slept down the hall in her room. She would be pissed if she knew what he was doing. She’d also hate the fact that he didn’t tell her about the problem he’s been having with Vlad-The-Evil-Spirit’s magic coursing through his veins. That is, if she found out. She probably had secrets of her own. Everyone did.

  He checked the time on his watch. Bright green, glowing numbers flashed 12:02. That gave him enough time to sneak out, get what he needed, and then return before dawn, and hopefully before Aria woke up. She would be none the wiser.

  Without further thought, he slipped on his shoes and jacket, and headed out the door with little sound other than the soft creaking of the floor and click of the door handle. He was barely aware of his surroundings as he drove through the late night streets of Miracle Falls to the nightclub. He parked his Maverick in the same lot he had used earlier, then came around to the front entrance. About forty people waited in line, half of them were couples making out. With amusement, he noted the mix of wizards and non-wizards. Despite the club harboring illegal magic and possibly militants, he had to give them credit for keeping the exterior atmosphere pretty damn chill.

  He cut in line, in front of a man and woman who were too busy thrusting their tongues into each other’s mouths to notice. He was second in line, behind a hot blonde, but his stomach tightened as one of the bouncers, a tall African-American man, looked him up and down, giving him a disapproving gaze. What if Raya had given his description to them?

  “Oh, Harry, don’t worry, I’ll help you get through.” Jonathan Larsson, the second ghost who still inhabited him, had materialized next to him like Sola did. The ghost wore thick-rimmed glasses and dressed like he was on his way to teach a physics course. The guy probably would’ve liked that, Harry supposed.

  “Look, if I want to get into a secret geek meeting, I’ll call you up buddy. Shut up, and don’t cloud my head right now.”

  “I’m sorry my potion didn’t work as well as we wanted it to,” he said, lowering his head. “Perhaps we can check out a few books from Albertus Magnus’s library and…”

  “I never hated reading, but ever since I got stuck with you, now I do. Thanks a lot, Loremaster. Now, be quiet.” Harry now stood first in line.

  The bouncer who eyed him, gave him another lookover and sniffed. The guy stood about six feet tall, a few inches taller than Harry, and the guy looked like he lived in a gym when he wasn’t working at the club. Neon lights from the club’s sign up above reflected off his bald head. The bouncer’s smooth, dark brown skin contrasted with the pale white t-shirt he wore.

  “Haven’t seen you around here before,” the bouncer said.

  Harry flashed a grin. “I’m just here to have some fun, man.”

  The bouncer crossed his arms. “Raya said a man with dark hair and a beard assaulted her. A warlock, with black magic.”

  Harry shrugged. “Sucks, but I don’t know anything about that.”

  Jonathan rolled his eyes. “He’s going to read your aura and see the horrendous magic you’re harboring. Did you even cloak yourself?”

  Shit, Harry thought. I told Sola I wouldn’t remember to do that every day.

  Geek ghost nudged him. “Harry, look at the tattoo on his left bicep. Geez, that’s a huge bicep.”

  And? Harry thought in response. He knew better not to communicate with Jonathan verbally, as he didn’t want to look batshit crazy in front of the bouncer.

  “The flaming symbol with the star, that’s the sign of the Brothers of Flamel. They’re an order of alchemists dedicated to the teachings of Nicholas Flamel, who—”

  Okay, get to the fucking point.

  Harry opened his mouth and spoke the words Jonathan instructed him to. “Good evening…brother.”

  The bouncer arched an eyebrow. “Brother? You want to get your ass kicked?”

  Harry shifted and stuttered. “I see you also wear the symbol of the Brothers of Flamel. May immortality find you and keep you. How are Ephraim? And Talon?”

  The other man still looked a bit skeptical, but at least his expression relaxed and he nodded in recognition. “Ephraim’s still an old crazy bastard, but I love the man. Talon’s off in Spain trying to find the Philosopher’s Stone. I think this is about his tenth trip to Europe. How come I’ve never seen you, man?”

  Harry shrugged. “I trained on the East Coast, with William’s people.”

  The bouncer snorted a laugh. “Okay, cool. They’re unorthodox, but they know what they’re doing. I’m Joe.”

  Harry shook Joe’s hand when he extended it.

  Jonathan whispered in Harry’s ear. “I’ve just activated your cloaking and placed about twenty deflections around you so he can’t detect Vlad’s magic inside.”

  Joe finally nodded in approval. He had apparently used the handshake to read Harry. “Enjoy, bro, and be safe. We’ve got some crazy ass Watchers running the streets at night looking to start trouble with wizards.”

  “I will, man. Thanks.” And thank you, Jonathan.

  “Wow. You’re welcome, Harry.” Jonathan smiled and faded away, but Harry could still feel his presence.

  Harry slipped through and entered the nightclub. Music that he didn’t particularly care for boomed throughout the crowded dance floor, and he immediately spotted the doorway leading to the back area where he could access the basement. Two more bouncers—wizards—stood guard.

  Harry approached with confidence and flashed them the mini-tarot card from Raya. After another cursory check of his aura, they let him through. The dimmed hallway had several rooms on both the right and left. Some people waited outside some of the rooms in small lines, while other folk entered other rooms freely. He saw thick smoke, laced with incense and magic, billow from under a door on the left, and all around, he could taste and feel the magical energy produced and traveling freely throughout the area. He smirked when he passed one room in particular where all he heard were sensuous moans.

  “If you wanted sex, Harry, all you had to do was ask, and I would’ve taken the lead,” Sola said, voice purring. She materialized at his side, which was fitting, since she was a constant annoying thorn to him.

  Harry rolled his eyes. He would never let her touch him in that way. “Sola, are you going to be of use to me tonight? So far, I think Jonathan’s my favorite.”

  “Statistically,” Jonathan said, reappearing, “you have a better chance with Aria than Jacob.”

  Harry decided to ignore them, though he liked Jonathan’s statistical analysis. Eat that, Jacob Wolfe. Pretty Boy could go be in a Calvin Klein underwear ad and leave Harry to show Aria a good time. He could be boyfriend material. Sort of.

  Harry quickened his step and continued down the hallway, passing more doors, some open, some closed. He caught view of a few people with cash or other valuable items, waiting for a chance to go into the last door on the right. He took in the scent of Raya’s magic, and even her perfume. This must’ve been her usual place to do business. The only reason she must’ve invited him into her private room was because she didn’t want the owner, Romi, finding out she took side jobs. He got into line and waited his turn.

  Once he stepped in, all his feelings of guilt and disgust with himself flooded in. Raya sat in a chair in the center of the room. She didn’t bother to look at him, but uttered a short, “Be with you in a moment.”

  He cleared his throat. “Raya, we need to talk.”

  Her eyes raised to his, then widened. He knew she wouldn’t like seeing him again, but the absolute look of terror on her face made him wonder if he had made a mistake coming in here tonight.

  “You…are you here to kill me too?” Her entire body trembled, and she looked ready to cry.

  “What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t killed anyone. And I’m not here to hurt you, I swear.”

  “My sister is dead. Her soul is gone and not even the sin eater could find it. It was you, I know it was a curse from you, Monstru.”

  “I told you not to call me that. I didn’t even know you had a sister. The sin eater, Aria, is my friend. You know her?”

  “Stay away from me,” she hissed. “Damn you both.”

  “Look, I’m sorry about your sister, but I didn’t do anything to her, okay?”

  Sola ran a finger down Harry’s right arm. “I think we need to make her cooperate, Harry.”

  Jonathan shook his head. “Stop it, Sola. That’s not how Harry works. Besides, are you guys missing the part about the dead sister not having a soul? The only way something like that could happen is when a sin eater—”

  “Can you lift your curse? Please?” Raya dropped to her knees in supplication. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

  Sola snorted. “Remember how she attacked you? Are you going to let her get away with that?”

  Harry ignored the ghost’s chattering. He had always believed Sola to be the most grounded of the spirits, but now it seemed she had this dark edge that wasn’t there before. Damn, what if the corrupting magic also seeped into Sola and Jonathan? They were, after all, stuck inside him. Now he definitely needed to get something to dampen these powers, and even if he had to shake down the gates of Hell itself, he needed to find Cedric Astaroth and have the vampire free him completely of the Imprerare curse.

  “I never cursed you, but, I will give you protection. Got it?”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. Harry approached and lightly framed her face with his hands.

  Jonathan sighed. “There’s an ancient blessing to impart protection. Do you know Latin?”

  Harry glared at him and shot back in his mind, Does it look like I sit around and read Latin?

  “Nevermind, I’ll tell you the words. Pronounce them exactly as I do.”

  After invoking the magical blessing, Harry’s hands slipped to his sides. Raya opened her eyes and rose to her feet. She still looked sad, but she did seem to respond to the blessing.

  “Now,” Harry said, stepping back, “I just wanted a talisman, or amulet…something to dampen my powers. I’ve got cash in my pocket, I’ll pay you for it, and you’ll never see me again.”

  She went over to a small cabinet hanging on the wall to the left. “I have just the thing.”