Ancient Magic

  By Alexandra Ivy

  LYRICAL PRESS

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  Contents

  Ancient Magic

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  LYRICAL PRESS BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2024 by Debbie Raleigh

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

  Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

  Lyrical Press Books and Lyrical Press eBooks logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  First Electronic Edition: August 2024

  ISBN: 978-1-5161-1139-8 (ebook)

  First Print Edition: August 2024

  ISBN: 978-1-5161-1142-8

  Printed in the United States of America

  Chapter 1

  Skye Claremont studied the brick building in front of her. Once upon a time, the Green House Theater must have been an impressive sight. Consuming most of the city block, it had high arched windows on the upper floor and a massive marquee outlined with lights that jutted over the sidewalk. In the center of the building was a glassed-in box office framed by two sets of double doors with ornate handles. Even the roof was decorated with bronzed statues that peered down as if waiting for an invisible crowd to enter.

  Now, it was less impressive and more depressing. Even at a distance she could see that the bricks were crumbling and the windows were covered by sheets of plywood that had been spray-painted by vandals. And not even good vandals.

  Just crappy initials and gang symbols.

  Skye heaved a sigh. The Green House Theater looked...depressed, she decided. As if it were feeling abandoned by the audiences who’d turned their attention to other entertainments.

  Maybe it was the gray October weather that was making it look sad, she acknowledged. It wasn’t raining, but the clouds hung low in the sky, blocking out the afternoon sun and casting a shadow over New York City. Or maybe it was the empty lots that surrounded the building that emphasized an air of neglect.

  Whatever the case, this place had obviously seen better days.

  Turning her head, Skye glanced at the woman standing next to her.

  Maya Rosen appeared to be in her early thirties with elegant features that were highlighted rather than marred by the spidery web of scars that ran from her left ear down her jawline. Her eyes were a bright green and her silky-smooth black hair was chopped at her shoulders.

  Most people first meeting Maya assumed she was a successful businesswoman. And they would be partially right. She did own a wildly popular coffee shop called the Witch’s Brew in Linden, New Jersey. But she’d passed her thirtieth birthday several decades ago. Like all mages, she’d stopped aging after her powers had fully matured. It was one of many bonuses to possessing the wild magic that flowed in their blood.

  Not that Skye had ever been concerned about aging. At the age of twenty-seven she still looked like a teenager with her mane of pale, corkscrew curls that bounced around her heart-shaped face and deep dimples. It didn’t help that she chose her clothes for comfort, not style. Today she’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a fuzzy sweater with the Cookie Monster on the front to combat the chilly air.

  It was only her black eyes that were framed with long lashes that warned she wasn’t as young and innocent as she appeared. Her gaze had unnerved some of the most powerful demons. As well as a vampire or two. Maya had once told her that people could sense the mystic powers that bubbled inside her.

  “You’re sure this is the place?” Skye asked her companion, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Despite the fact they were in Upper Manhattan, the sounds of traffic and pedestrians were muffled, as if this neighborhood was shrouded from the city that hummed with an electric excitement just a few blocks away.

  Maya grimaced before touching her temple. “According to the voice in my head.”

  Skye wasn’t reassured. She’d been taken in by Maya almost five years ago when she’d wandered into the Witch’s Brew in search of a job. The older woman was not only one of the most powerful mages that Skye had ever encountered, but she was also one of the rare few who wasn’t under the rule of a vampire.

  Vampires were rare—only the leeches knew the exact number—but they owned the Gyres, where the last of the magic in the world lingered. It was rumored that the hotspots were the ancient lairs of dragons who’d left this world eons ago. Not that it mattered. However the Gyres had been created, they offered demons the ability to touch their primeval powers. And since the vampires controlled the Gyres, they controlled the demons.

  Thankfully for Skye, mages didn’t depend on the Gyres for their magic. It flowed through their blood. And while her magic might be amped by the power that hummed in the air and thundered beneath her feet, she had no desire to be the slave of a vampire. Or a demon.

  Not again.

  But as Maya had warned her, independence had a price. For Maya it was the mysterious Benefactor. Skye didn’t know much about the elusive creature. It never visited the Witch’s Brew or contacted Maya by traditional means. Instead, it spoke directly into the older woman’s mind. And while the Benefactor surrounded them in an aura that somehow kept away the leeches, it occasionally demanded they perform small tasks.

  Like today.

  “So what you’re saying is that the Benefactor placed an invisible GPS in your head,” Skye teased, trying to ease the tension that had been building since they entered the city.

  “Something like that.”

  “And I thought I was weird.”

  “You are,” Maya assured her.

  “True,” Skye agreed. Unlike her companion, or Peri Sanguis, another mage that Maya had taken in, Skye didn’t have enormous magic. She couldn’t brew potions like Maya or call on long-lost powers like Peri, but she was the most unique of all mages. A seer. A rare gift that did nothing to help in their current circumstances, she acknowledged as she glanced back at the theater. “The place looks empty. What now?”

  “I guess we go inside.” Maya squared her shoulders before crossing the road and heading toward the empty lot next to the building.

  Skye struggled to match her friend’s long strides. Just one of many problems for a short girl.

  “Maybe we should give Peri a call,” she suggested.

  “It’s her day off.”

  It was Sunday and the coffee shop was closed, meaning Peri would be spending the day with her mate, Valen, the Cabal leader of the East Coast, in his lair near Central Park. A short taxi ride away.

  “Yeah, but she’s the muscle of our crew,” Skye muttered.

  Maya arched a brow. “What am I?”

  “The brains.”

  “Debatable.” Maya halted in front of a rusty side door propped open a few inches by a broken brick. She turned her head to send Skye a wry smile. “You, however, are most certainly the heart.”

  Skye leaned forward to peer through the narrow crack. “Very nice, but right now I’d prefer some muscle.”

  Maya paused, as if communicating with the voice in her head. Then she grimaced.

  “We can’t wait. It has to be now.”

  “Okay, then.” Skye grabbed the handle and pulled the door wide enough for them to enter. “Are you ready?”

  “No,” Maya muttered even as she squeezed through the opening.

  Skye quickly followed, glancing around the narrow hallway. Directly ahead of them an arched opening led to the main auditorium that was lined with rows of seats. To the left the hallway disappeared into the shadowed wings of the stage, and to the right a wide staircase curved up to the mezzani
ne.

  Skye moved to peer into the auditorium, only to be halted as Maya grabbed her arm in a tight grip.

  “We’re not alone.”

  Skye instantly froze. One of Maya’s many talents was the ability to sense the presence of demons.

  “How many?” Skye whispered.

  “Five. Three goblins and two fairies.”

  In ancient times the demons openly roamed the world. But as the magic had faded, they’d been forced to hide among the humans, usually gathering in the Gyres, where they could still access their diluted powers even if it did mean bending the knee to a vampire.

  “Where?” Skye asked.

  Before Maya could answer they heard the crunch of footsteps just outside the door. With a startled glance, they scurried forward, jogging up the staircase to disappear in the gloom.

  Once on the mezzanine, Maya took the lead, bending over as she headed toward the low wall at the front of the overhang. Skye crab walked behind her, pressing her side against the wall before she cautiously peeked over the edge.

  Below her the auditorium fanned upward in a half-circle facing toward the wide stage. The chairs remained intact, but the wallpaper was peeling and the ornate cornices and molding had long ago lost their gilding. Overhead there was a large chandelier that someone had tried to yank out, cracking the plaster and leaving it at a drunken angle, but it didn’t look as if it was going to collapse on her head in the next few minutes.

  The only good news since Maya had announced they were traveling to the city.

  She turned her attention to the demons seated in the front rows, as if waiting for a show to start. The three goblins looked remarkably alike. All were broad and bald and bulging with muscles. All were wearing jeans with gray hoodies. And of course, all of them were surrounded by a red glow that marked them as demons. At least to those who possessed the magic to see the aura. The two fairies, on the other hand, were slender with long reddish hair and delicate features. They wore the same hoodies as if it was a group thing, but the glow around them was green instead of red.

  Even from a distance Skye could tell that none of them had particularly strong auras, revealing their blood had been diluted with humans’ over the centuries and that they were low on the demon social scale. It didn’t mean, however, they weren’t dangerous.

  As if to emphasize the point, the group of demons turned toward the stage as a large form suddenly appeared from the wings. He was a goblin with the usual muscular body, and like the others, he’d shaved his head and was casually attired. But his aura was twice as bright as the others, warning Skye that he came from a family with considerable power.

  “You’re late,” one of the goblins from below groused.

  “Fuck off, Gunther,” the man on stage retorted. “I’m here now.”

  Skye blinked. Someone was grouchy.

  One of the goblins, presumably Gunther, rose to his feet, his hands on his hips. “Then let’s get this over with. Why are we here?”

  The man on stage, who was the obvious leader, glared down at him. “Did you do a sweep of the building?”

  “Course we did. We’re a professional crew.”

  “So you keep saying.”

  “We weren’t the ones who were an hour late,” Gunther snapped, glancing around the empty theater. “I don’t like being out in the daylight. Too many eyes watching.”

  The leader scowled, as if he wasn’t used to being chided. “You’ll be out when I tell you to be out. I’m the one paying the bills.”

  “But you aren’t, are you?”

  The scowl deepened. “Aren’t what?”

  “Paying the bills,” Gunther groused. “You keep promising that we’re going to be living large, but so far we’re out there risking our asses with nothing to show for it.”

  “You’ll get what’s coming to you.” An ugly smile curved the male’s lips.

  Gunther snorted. “When?”

  “Soon.”

  “The bill is adding up. Are you sure you’re going to have enough money to cover it?”

  “I told you. You’ll get paid.”

  “Yeah, well, it’d better be in the next couple of days.” The demon cupped his hand between his legs. “My bitch needs some new bling or her pretty mouth isn’t going to be wrapped around my cock. And then I’m going to get real fussy real quick.”

  Maya and Skye shared a glance of pure disgust as the demons obediently laughed at Gunther’s crude joke. The man on stage, however, appeared less amused.

  “If you’re unhappy with the situation, I can find another crew.” The leader deliberately paused, flicking his hard gaze toward the gathered demons. “Better yet, I could ask your buddies if they want to choose a new leader. I’m betting they’ll decide to get rid of you. It’s a better option than walking away with nothing after all their hard work. What would you bet?”

  Gunther shuffled his feet, smart enough to back down from the threat. “Chillax, dude,” he grumbled. “If we’re not going to get paid, then why did you call us here?”

  The leader folded his arms over his chest. “I need someone who isn’t a member of your crew to perform a separate task.”

  “What’s my cut of the pay?”

  “That’s between you and whoever you hire, but I have rules.”

  “What rules?”

  “If he gets caught or squeals about our extracurricular activity, you all die.”

  There was a sudden burst of chatter between the gathered crew. Gunther ignored them. “Caught by who?”

  “Anyone.”

  “That’s a little vague.”

  “Make sure they don’t get caught.”

  Gunther hesitated. Was he debating whether or not to accept the responsibility for an outside contractor? Maybe, but he wasn’t going to back down.

  “Okay, but it’s going to cost more,” he abruptly warned. “Say...double our normal rate.”

  “Whatever.” The leader shrugged. “Put it on my bill.”

  Gunther visibly jerked, caught off guard by the male’s ready agreement to his demands. Skye wasn’t. The demon on the stage possessed a cold brutality she’d sensed before. He would kill the entire crew once they’d completed the job. And he would kill them without remorse. Like a snake striking an enemy and slithering past the corpse.

  “Fine.” He forced out the word. “Anything else?”

  The leader stepped forward, running a dismissive glance over the demons sprawled in the front seats.

  “Is this your entire crew?”

  “No. I have four others. They’re on a job.”

  The male clicked his tongue, as if disappointed with the answer. “Next time I call for a meeting, I want them all here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I said so. That’s the only explanation you need.”

  Gunther cleared his throat, as if he was beginning to wonder why the male would want them all gathered in one spot. Skye could have told him it was so it would be easier to kill them.

  “About that money you owe us—”

  “Shut up.” The leader abruptly tilted back his head, sucking in a deep breath. “There’s someone here. Humans.” He released a feral growl, glaring at Gunther. “You said you searched the place.”

  “I did. If there’s someone here they must have snuck in while we were waiting for you.”

  “Find them,” the leader snapped. “No one gets out of here.”

  Maya grasped Skye’s arm, dragging her toward the back of the mezzanine. Below them the bellows of angry demons echoed through the air, reverberating against the domed ceiling as they charged in pursuit.

  “Stay close,” Maya commanded as she released her grip on Skye and reached into the purse slung over one shoulder.

  Skye knew that her friend would have at least a few bottles of potions stashed in the leather satchel. A good mage never left home without them. Skye, on the other hand, touched the silver bracelet that encircled her wrist. The various charms that dangled from the delicate chain weren’t for decoration. She used them to store extra doses of magic.

  Extra doses that were going to be handy dandy in the next few minutes.

  Reaching the stairs, they headed downward only to halt as one of the goblins appeared at the bottom.