“Going to interrogate that Meyers guy today?” she asked.

  Vern shook his head. “We’re going to see Astaroth.”

  Her eyes widened, and she blew a low whistle. “I hate that guy.”

  Harry sighed. “Join the club.”

  The brothers passed through and headed through the holding cell area. It reminded Harry of a jail with each cell secured with bars, though he could also see technology present that probably served to dampen magical powers. They went all the way to the end of the hall and stopped at an iron door.

  “He’s in here. Our most secure room.” Vern’s gaze met his. “So, how is this going to work?”

  Harry pulled out the empty glass vial. He’d bet Jacob Wolfe wouldn’t have been able to secure this for Aria. Hmph. “I need a sample of his blood in here. It’s to help with an important spell to catch someone dangerous. Someone I actually think would belong in here.”

  Vern nodded and took the vial. “And the curse?”

  “Let me talk to Cedric. I have leverage.”

  Vern pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the iron door. He stepped inside with Harry but hung back by the door. The room was spacious, about three times as large as the other cells in the area, and in the center sat Cedric Astaroth, with iron bars forming a perfect square around him. Behind those bars stood plexiglass to reinforce it. A subtle shimmer ran along the plexiglass, which probably helped weaken the vampire’s physical and magical strength. There were several slits open in the plexiglass, allowing Cedric to hear when spoken to and to be heard.

  Cedric’s dark hair nearly ran past his shoulders, and he wore a long, scruffy beard. He looked rather haggard, but when his blue eyes regarded Harry, he saw that old gleam of arrogance and cunning. Cedric closed the book he was reading and yawned and stretched on his futon. He watched Harry approach like a hawk.

  Harry felt sick to his stomach. He was finally face-to-face with the monster who had cursed him, ruined his brother, and even tried to frame Aria for murder. If he could, he’d strike the bastard down at that moment with a thousand fires. But he needed the blood, and he needed Cedric to lift the curse. And dead vampires don’t lift curses.

  Harry cleared his throat. “So…when you have to go take a piss, do you just go in that corner by your bookcase?”

  Cedric smirked. “Actually, they take me over to an adjacent room where I can…relieve myself. But, I’m sure you’re not here to inquire about my living arrangements—which, by the way, I feel are unconstitutional.”

  Vernon’s voice was cold, tight. “You’re a terrorist. One with powers. A normal facility doesn’t suit you. Civilization doesn’t suit you.”

  Cedric sat up and rose to his feet. “Agent Storm, don’t I even get a lawyer? Harry, no matter what I’ve done, I deserve my day in court, yes?”

  “Go to Hell.” Harry balled his fists in his pockets so he wouldn’t try to open Cedric’s cell. He wanted to throttle the vampire then drive a stake through his black heart.

  Cedric slowly approached, his voice carrying through the plexiglass slits. “But you’ve already been there, haven’t you? You want me to lift my Imperare curse. How many disembodied spirits poured into that little brain of yours that night? Five? Ten? A hundred?”

  Harry took in a deep breath. His heart pounded in his chest. “Three. One of them was destroyed by a sin eater.”

  Cedric’s eyebrows shot up. “Hmm. Interesting. But, what do you want me to do about it? Why would I want to help you? You can rot under the Imperare until you die.”

  “I found her.” Harry made sure to say his words loudly and clearly. “I found Jessica.”

  Cedric’s smug expression fell. “You lie.”

  “Not a hard thing to do when you’re an extremely motivated private investigator.”

  Cedric locked gazes with Vern. “Leave her out of this.”

  Vernon approached Harry from behind and asked in a low voice, “Who’s Jessica?”

  Now it was Harry’s turn to smirk. “His only child. Which means you can bring her in, Vern. Maybe you can give her a cell right next to Daddy.”

  Cedric slammed his fists against the shimmery plexiglass. A flash of light illuminated the room, and an invisible force sent the vampire flying backward. He jumped to his feet with a stunning amount of speed and approached the plexiglass again, close enough for his hot breath to make the glass cloudy, but far enough from it to avoid getting thrown backward again.

  “She’s innocent.”

  Harry shrugged. “Innocent like the people I hurt while under Vlad’s possession because of your curse?”

  The vampire bared his fangs and seethed. “If you go anywhere near her, you will regret it.”

  Harry felt the familiar trickle of dark magic rise from his chest and spread throughout his body. He removed his hands from his pockets. That orange-ish glow coated his hands.

  Vernon stepped in next to him. “Harry, you all right?”

  He felt more than all right. He felt a surge of energy and power that almost made him feel drunk. “Or maybe we won’t bring Jessica in. Maybe I’ll pay her a visit myself.”

  Cedric growled and stared at Vern. “Jessica is ten years old, Agent Storm.”

  Vernon’s jaw dropped. “Harry, what the hell?”

  Harry jabbed a thumb in Cedric’s direction. “Because of him, you lost your chance with Shana. I hurt her and others. He framed a close friend of mine for murder and killed people. Fuck him, he doesn’t get any privileges or mercy.”

  Vernon’s gaze went from Cedric to Harry. “I agree, he deserves to be in here, but really? A ten-year-old kid? Is this where we’re going?”

  Harry flexed his fingers, his hands lit up with the orange glow of the corrupt magic coursing through him. All he saw in his mind was his failures, his pain. Why shouldn’t Cedric experience that?

  No, wait…that was the dark magic making him feel that way. Or, was it? He couldn’t tell.

  Vernon placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a second?” He nodded toward the exit.

  Harry let out a low breath and complied. He stepped out into the hallway, and Vernon followed, closing the iron door behind them.

  Vern crossed his arms. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were on drugs. What the hell are you thinking, threatening a kid?”

  “Vern, I jus—”

  “Look at your hands! Your eyes. Harry, look at yourself.”

  The orange-ish glow vibrated in his palms. He had no doubt his eyes were lit up the same color as well. If he wanted, he could blast through Vern and beat the shit out of Cedric with his magic. That would get him to lift the curse.

  No…wait. He didn’t want to hurt Vern or a kid. He was bluffing, he just wanted Cedric spooked enough to lift the curse.

  “Vern, I wasn’t gonna do anything, I swear it. I wanted him to think I would.”

  “Brother, you’re starting to make me think you really will.” The disappointment was apparent in his eyes.

  “No, Vern…”

  “Look, maybe this was a bad idea.”

  “Don’t do this to me!”

  His brother flinched at the sharp turn in tone. “Go home, Harry. We’ll have to try again.”

  “We already have him scared. We just need to—”

  “Not while you’re jacked up on magic or whatever this is. This is freaking me out. You’re not yourself.” Vern pressed a button on his watch. It looked like a smartwatch, but Harry was certain it did more than count steps and heart rates.

  The door down the hallway opened, and Agent Karsten and three of the security guys came through, walking briskly and heading straight for Harry.

  “Vern, I’m so close…don’t do this to me.”

  “I’ll call you in the morning. I’ll need my director’s permission to let you in again. This was supposed to be a one-time visit.”

  Shit. Shit! Why do I have to mess things up?

  He wanted to shove everyone out of the way and make it back down there to Cedric. But, if he fought Vern on this now, he’d never make it back in. Then he’d be screwed. “Okay. Please, call me first thing in the morning.”

  Vernon gave him a firm nod. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.” He lifted the glass vial. Damn it, Harry was supposed to deliver the blood to Aria tonight, not tomorrow. She was going to be pissed.

  Karsten cleared her throat. “Mr. Storm, I need to escort you back to the lobby and see that you leave the building safely.”

  Harry nodded. At least Karsten was trying to be courteous about it. “Yeah. Okay.”

  As he began walking toward the exit, flanked by the agents, he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Vern, who stood in front of the iron door. Vern held up his hand, palm facing forward, and gave a quick wave.

  “I’ll take care of this, Harry. Don’t worry.”

  All he could do was nod. He then walked with the agents toward the elevator, hating himself for what he was becoming.

  7

  Aria

  “S o,” Clare said into Aria’s right ear, “this is what passes for music nowadays?”

  “It’s not that bad,” Aria smirked as they entered Hecate’s House, passing drunken revelers and dancers who crowded the dance floor, moving their bodies along with the beat of the fast-paced music pulsating throughout the club.

  The dimmed lights emphasized the bar, where an LED-brightened countertop changed from white to pale blue, then yellow. Men and women either sat or stood there, ordering drinks, laughing and mingling.

  Aria motioned toward the staircase that led to the second level. A door which led to a large room with darkened glass windows that looked like the manager’s office. That was where they’d find Susan Waters.

  As they mounted the steps, Aria could feel the vibration and low hum of magical energy present, mainly in the formidable protective wards running throughout the property. It was interesting when she picked up on at least four of them that had been placed in and around the building recently.

  Were they expecting trouble like the kind that had been plaguing Miracle Falls?

  With a sigh, Aria shook those thoughts from her mind and approached the bouncer standing at the door leading to the manager’s office. He was a rather short but very muscular man with olive skin and a goatee. He arched an eyebrow at Aria as she and Clare approached.

  “Hi!” Aria said over the loud music still blasting throughout the club. “We spoke on the phone? Susan’s expecting me. I’m Aria.”

  He nodded and stepped aside, but not before punching in a code at the door. “Susan’s waiting for you.”

  Clare inclined her head. “Thank you.”

  He nodded in acknowledgment and opened the door for them. They stepped through and entered what they thought would be a stereotypical nightclub office. Instead, they were met by an impressive mini-library, with bookshelves lining the walls and stuffed to capacity with tomes and manuscripts. Susan sat at an ebony wood desk, wearing a form-fitting black dress and glasses with thick black frames. Her jet-black bob stopped just above her shoulders, and she wore a mauve lipstick, perhaps to add a soft touch to the all-black ensemble. Susan smiled at them and spoke first.

  “Thanks for coming, Aria and Clare. It’s good to meet you.” She stood and motioned for them to take the two empty chairs across from her.

  Aria shook her hand and waited for Clare to do the same before taking her seat. She clasped her hands together in her lap so she wouldn’t show how nervous she was. “I should be thanking you, Susan. We could really use your help, and we know you’re busy.”

  Susan smirked. “True, but your request isn’t one I come across regularly. Why me? I assume you truly are a sin eater and so you’d know how to get in contact with your Shrivener.”

  Aria tensed when she saw Susan’s gaze go to her right hand. She wanted to see her birthmark. She cleared her throat and raised her right hand, displaying the faint red S-shaped mark on her palm.

  She cleared her throat. “Edwin Kovar is my Shrivener, but the number I have for him doesn’t work, and another wizard said you could help. I need to get in contact with him and the other sin eaters to warn them about someone dangerous hunting them.”

  If Susan was intrigued or shocked, she didn’t show it. She merely nodded and stared at her and Clare. “Don’t tell me those brain-dead Watchers are in L.A.”

  Clare shook her head. “No, not them, she’s one of us—or, something like us. Born with powers.”

  Susan leaned forward. “Ladies, I’ll be honest here. The reason why wizards come to me—not just to this club, but to me—is because I have a lot of useful information. But I don’t share it lightly.”

  Aria straightened in her seat and suppressed her urge to frown at the woman. Why couldn’t anything get done without making it some kind of transaction? “So, you want money?”

  Clare arched an eyebrow. “Or, do you want magic?”

  Aria crossed her arms. They definitely weren’t going down that road again. Stupid Vano Boswell and his tattoos.

  Susan grinned. “As much as I’d love to siphon magic from those walking in here, I actually have no use for it.” She waved her hand in the direction of the bookshelves. “I’m a human Loremaster. Well, by day, anyway. At night, I’m entertaining…observing…helping wizards.”

  God, if this woman asked her and Clare to go find some obscure book, she was going to puke all over her expensive ebony desk. “What will it take to get you to help us, Susan?”

  The Loremaster shifted in her seat and tapped her well-manicured nails against the desk’s surface. “My brother actually owns this club. He’s a brainless invalid due to an illegal magical duel, and now I’m stuck taking over the business. It behooves me to at least keep it afloat until the healer finishes his therapy.”

  “And?” Clare asked, pressing her lips into a thin line.

  “And, I can’t do that if my patrons are being attacked. Over the last couple of months, believe it or not, vampires have been assaulting club patrons when they leave the premises. One man was even drained of his blood, though the police are keeping it hush and people don’t want to believe there’s a vampire nest in L.A.”

  Aria shook her head. “Are you sure? I’ve only run into one vamp my entire life, and he’s in federal custody right now.”

  Susan stared directly into her eyes. “I’m damn sure. Which is why I need you, sin eater, to conjure a Hellhound and have it guard Hecate’s House and the alley behind us. It can leave once the vampire nest is extinguished.”

  Clare let out an incredulous laugh. “My dear, I’m afraid you don’t understand how hellhounds or sin eaters operate.”

  “Don’t I? Hellhounds make excellent supernatural enemies of vampires. Bonus, I don’t have to put them on my payroll.”

  Susan pulled out a deep red, leather-bound tome from a drawer in her desk and slammed it on the table. She opened it to a page with THE SUMMONING in bold, dark letters at the top. There was a drawing of a typical Hellhound, all black with red eyes and razor-sharp teeth. She jabbed her finger at a sub-section entitled, “For Sin Eaters.”

  “Three hundred years ago,” Susan said, “a sin eater managed to do it. A fantastic story, I actually wrote my Loremaster thesis on this one. I know you can do it.”

  Aria nearly gasped. She carefully turned the book around so she could read it. “I’ve seen a practiced sin eater control hellhounds before. Sort of. In fact, that’s what I’m learning—”

  “Aria,” Clare said in a warning voice. “Why didn’t this woman ask the other sin eaters for this? Why us?”

  Susan smirked, seemingly unbothered by Clare’s tone. “I did ask them. They told me to piss off. But something tells me the lovely Aria here won’t give me the same answer. Because you need my help, right?”

  Aria reluctantly nodded. She felt a little guilty at actually being excited about this. It was what she needed. However, Clare didn’t trust Susan, or even that she would hold up her end of the bargain. But what other choice did they have?

  “Okay,” she said, giving her mom an apologetic glance before holding her hand out to Susan. “I’ll do it.”

  Susan shook her hand. “As soon as I get my hellhound guarding the club against those bloodsuckers, you will get names, addresses, hell, even social security numbers of the sin eaters. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Clare rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, Aria. It seems we have work to do.”

  Aria spoke up. “Can…I get a copy of this section? It’ll help me with the Summoning spell.”

  “Of course.” Susan scooped up the book and took it over to her copying machine.

  Clare leaned in toward Aria and spoke in a hushed voice. “Just because she’s a Loremaster doesn’t mean she’s a good person. Some of the most sneaky and conniving people I’ve known have been those who think they are all-knowing.”

  She sighed, not wanting to have this discussion with her mom at that moment. “It will be okay. We’ll give her what she wants, and she’ll give us what we want—or, I’ll use those hellhounds to raise hell.”

  Clare smiled. “That’s my girl.”

  Susan returned with copies of the page. “Here you go, good luck, sweetie.”

  Clare looked like she wanted to deck the woman.

  “Thanks, Susan. We should go now.”

  Both she and Clare stood, but they paused when they heard a firm knock at the door. The bouncer from earlier stuck his head in. “Ms. Waters, the healer’s here. Says he has an update on your brother.”

  Susan grinned. “Good. Let him come in. Ladies, goodnight.”

  Aria and Clare said their goodbyes and turned and headed for the door. Just as they stepped out, Aria saw the healer approach, and she let out a happy gasp. “Ben?”

  Her former employer, Dr. Benjamin Volgens, returned her gaze with a nervous smile. He wore a sleek dark suit, different from the usual gray slacks and white shirts he wore while working at his clinic. The last time Aria saw him, he had helped her fight against Mira. However, he had gotten into a fair amount of trouble when his wife discovered he had joined the Guardians in a misguided attempt to protect his family against the Watchers. Both groups, however, only spread more violence across Miracle Falls. She hoped Benjamin was no longer associated with them.