HardJustice (4 page)

Curious but not willing to spend the time necessary to
explore the phenomenon, Layla shook her hands dry and picked up a handful of
the sea salt crystals. Whispering an incantation, she looked around the empty
carpet, mentally gauging what size circle she would need to cast.

Knowing she would not need much room to maneuver at all, she
took a few paces around in a tight circle, sprinkling the salt with reserve.
For years she’d learned what a pain it could be to get the crystals vacuumed
away if she used too lavish a hand at this point. Next she sat cross-legged
within the invisible circle and wrote out the known address for Brit.

A person made their home their own. No matter how fleeting
or temporary, when a person dwelled in any place for a time their energy, their
thoughts, hopes and dreams resided in that structure. It was where they rested
at night, let their defenses down and where they returned for peace,
companionship or even just to protect themselves from the madness of the world.

A home—regardless of how dirty, corrupted or neglected—held
small pieces of our soul and energy. It was a place of power.

When scrying, Layla far preferred to have an item of her
target, be it a piece of hair, a cherished possession or even a photo. A
physical address, however, could be just as powerful a tool. It took more
effort to scry this way as she had to project herself to the location first,
then follow what leads she could from there. It took a lot more energy and
power, was not as simple as other forms of scrying, but it was eminently
doable.

Clearing her mind out, Layla placed the paper with Brit’s
address directly in front of her so she could focus her attention on that as
she lit the sage. Letting her mind flitter over the many words from Brit’s own
emails hold the witch firmly in her thoughts, whispering her address over and
over, she focused all her attention and powers upon the witch.

Layla could feel her magic swirl and rise within her as her
power grew and gained focus. The faintly disorientating sensation of moving
through time and space came over her, familiar even as it was disconcerting.
The room around her receded in her consciousness and she focused all her
attention on Brit and finding her.

Lastly, she poured the water into the large glass bowl and
gazed her physical eyes upon it even as her spirit lifted from her and began to
roam the world at large. Instantly she became bombarded with a million other
thoughts, suggestions and details. All the millions of little things Mages
learned from their earliest years to shut out and ignore on a daily basis so
they weren’t overloaded and went crazy.

The world was filled with delights, wonders and horrors.
Sights, smells, thoughts, feelings, knowledge and powers those who were
sensitive could quickly lose themselves, their mind and their sense of reality
if they became too bogged down in it all. Layla opened herself to it all,
needing to work her way through it to trace the invisible power trail Brit had
left.

Layla found herself outside a small condo in a classy area.
Small spores of Miles’s essence clung to the footpath and doorway. A feminine
energy infused the whole structure, and like a bloodhound Layla could now
detect Brit’s essence. Farther down the street a sharp flare of masculine power
caught her attention. The energy was like a jolt of lightning, or caffeine.

Riley
, she decided. Having heard his tone over the
phone, she felt safe in assuming this was Ben’s wizard friend, a man her lover
evidently trusted.

The vision shimmered, waves rippling across the setting.
Layla had to struggle to keep it in focus. Following the meandering path Brit
had trekked, time and space became unreal to Layla. Scenes rushed forward and
then crawled to a halt. An ache formed in her spiritual essence as she
struggled to push herself, winding the twisting path Brit had cast.

The witch had power, Layla would grant her that. It had been
a long time since she’d had to use her magic to such an intense degree. A part
of her mind wondered if Brit had purposely used such a tactic to obfuscate her
essence trail, not just throw off anyone physically following her.

She couldn’t help but believe Brit felt threatened. No one
would act in this manner under ordinary circumstances.

Finally, either seconds or minutes later—it was impossible
for Layla to tell and she didn’t waste precious energy to think about it—she
followed Brit into a small cottage-like structure. For a moment Layla wondered
if she’d been fooled. Brit’s essence dwelled inside this structure, as did
another witch, remarkably similar.

Layla could tell this was not Brit’s proper home, the
possessive stamp of another witch upon every inch was clear. Yet there was a
link between Brit and this other witch. They were similar, but not.

Pain sliced into Layla’s head and with a strong push she
scanned the area, looking for landmarks she could identify. A park over the
street and a series of shops she recognized gave her direction, a street name
confirming her instinct.

One last glance to reassure herself Brit resided into the
small cottage used the last of her reserves. Layla slowly pulled herself away,
untangling her spirit as she removed her projected form up, up, up into the
gorgeously blue sky.

Feeling rather as if she were walking through glue, she
opened herself to her physical surroundings once again, gradually returning to
Ben’s living room. Pain shot through her head and she had to resist the inclination
to remain in her astral form. Her mouth was dry, her hands shaking slightly at
the mammoth expenditure of her energy.

Closing her eyes and rubbing her hands over her face, Layla
breathed deeply, feeling her lungs expand and contract as air filled her.
Collecting herself, she lowered her hands and looked around the room, her gaze
resting on Ben. Concern etched around the corners of his mouth, his gaze
holding hers as he seemed to reassure himself she was fine.

She smiled at him. She could feel the weakness in the
action, but what she mustered was genuine.

“She’s running scared,” Layla commented. “I haven’t had to
work so hard to scry for someone since my Grandmother was training me. She had
one of my cousins run a maze around the whole of the city. I nearly didn’t
succeed that time. This was almost as hard as that.”

“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself so hard,” Ben chided.

“We need to know where she is. I’ll be fine, I just need
something to eat before we leave,” Layla promised. She put the palm of her hand
on the carpet and broke the small circle she had cast. The power that had
hummed in the air shimmered then dissipated. Ben came forward and offered a
hand up.

“Will toast be enough, or do you want something more
substantial?”

“A couple of slices will be plenty,” she assured him. “I
think it’s more important we find her and try to get some information out of
her. Brit’s staying with another witch in a small cottage. There’s something
about this other witch, it’s like having a word on the tip of your tongue but
just not being able to quite say it. She’s a good friend of long standing, or a
sister, a cousin, her mom, something like that. There’s a similarity between
their magic that’s undeniable.”

They walked through to the kitchen where Ben placed some bread
into the toaster.

“Help yourself to some juice,” he indicated the fridge as he
switched on the kettle to boil and opened the cupboard to remove two travel
mugs.

They busied themselves with making toast and coffee. Layla
poured them both a small glass of juice, drinking hers quickly to get some
nourishment into her taxed system. The juice helped stem the worst of her
headache, though she knew she wouldn’t feel back to normal until after she’d
eaten and had a bit of a rest.

“Do you get the feeling there’s a lot more to this
conspiracy than just a network of data being leaked?” Ben asked. Layla nodded
as she spread butter on her toast.

“I do, yeah,” she agreed, glad they were thinking along the
same path. “They seem so organized it can’t be just a random collection of
people, I’ve been wondering if maybe they have an agenda we haven’t stumbled
across just yet. I’m hoping we can ask Brit about it.”

“I have a feeling we both have any number of questions for
Brit.” Ben poured strong coffee into both the traveling mugs. Layla took a bite
of her toast, chewing while she thought.

“You know what might be a good idea?” she suggested as Ben
quickly washed their glasses and cutlery. “Why don’t we watch the cottage for a
short time, say an hour or so. Brit’s so paranoid she probably has bunkered
down with her friend, especially if she feels safe there. If others are hanging
around we might be able to follow them also. The more we know about who is
involved the better we can understand their true purpose and the more
information we can gather from them.”

When Layla had finished her toast, she said, “Why don’t you
call Riley?” The food had given her some more energy. No longer feeling
drained, she thought she was more than up for some further investigating.

“It might be handy to have an extra set of eyes,” she
continued. “And I bet he’s hankering for a second shot at Brit. I can’t imagine
he’d be the sort of Tracker to lose the same target twice.”

“I’ll call him in the car,” Ben agreed. He took a sip of his
coffee and ate his toast in a few large bites. Layla picked his keys up off the
kitchen bench, tossing them into the air and caught them again.

“I’ll drive,” she grinned. Ben studied her for a moment,
then capitulated.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Thrilled, Layla followed him out to the car.

“My money is on them being related.” Layla glanced from
Riley to Ben then back to the small cottage. Riley stared intently at the small
home, his eyes sparkling and small crackles of energy shooting from his
fingertips as he used his power to sense the essence of the two witches inside.

“It’s hard to be certain, that talisman is screwing up my
ability to sense their signatures. There are definite similarities between
them. Hell, if I’m really lucky I might be able to Track her again, though I
wouldn’t bet the house on it, that talisman is a powerful one.”

“Between the three of us we shouldn’t lose her again.” Layla
felt confident. Riley stiffened suddenly.

“There’s someone around the back.” His eyes narrowed, the
pupils expanding as his power snapped on the air.

“Let’s move,” Ben replied instantly as he pulled his handgun
from its holster. The two wizards strode across the street. Layla found it
interesting how quickly they could snap to attention, their whole demeanor
changing in an instant. Gone was the relaxed, fun-loving attitudes and in their
place hardened warriors sprang forth.

She followed them both a pace behind, scanning their
surroundings. Their opponents had already proven to be well organized and
violent. She didn’t want them to be ambushed or taken by surprise.

They circled around the back of the cottage. Ben and Riley
both froze in place, Layla halting a moment later before she could run into
them. The air around them crackled, heat washing over her as they jacked up
their senses. Not sensing anyone behind them, Layla turned her attention to the
back of the cottage, noting the back door stood open a crack.

Impatient, she wondered why neither wizard made a move
toward the cottage. She bit down on her lip, not wanting to intrude on their
turf. Both men had more experience than she in such matters.

“Crystal alarm system,” Ben spoke softly. Layla stepped
closer so she could hear the exchange.

“Think it’s a coincidence?” Riley replied, his tone
indicating his skepticism. She’d heard of the new security devices. They were
expensive and still being tested as a home warning system. The presence of
one—which Layla could not detect—suggested whomever this witch was, she was
connected to powerful people. Layla had only heard of Council members and
Tribunal elders having them to date.

“Not likely,” Ben confirmed Layla’s own thoughts. “This
Investigation only gets more interesting.”

A crash sounded from inside, galvanizing them into action.
The two wizards surged forward, Layla only a step behind them.

“Take the left, Riley,” Ben commanded. Riley nodded as he
pulled a small handgun out from under his shirt.

Both men paused in the doorway, magic crackling on the air
as they sent their senses out. So close to the cottage, Layla could feel the
weight of a buzz on the air. Looking down, she saw a flicker of heat on the air
near the doorframe.

Riley entered the house first and swept left, Ben directly
behind him and angling to the right. Layla hovered in the center, looking to
the corner of the wall. A small arrangement of crystals was set up in a
multifaceted diamond formation. Despite the fact no sound emitted, staring at
the system, Layla could see the vibration on the air as it sounded the alarm.

The new systems were bound by a casting that alerted the
Enforcer headquarters when the circuit created by the crystals was broken. Held
together by a small charge of magic, they were personalized to specific Mages
and could only be recharged or turned off by those specific wizards. They were
still in the experimental stage and the presence of the security system showed
that whoever lived here was connected.

“Hey!” Riley shouted. Layla looked up as gunshots rang
through the air, followed quickly by a
whoosh
of fire raced through the
air. Layla ran toward the room, Ben pounding directly behind her in the
corridor.

Glass shattered as they raced in. Riley crouched on the
floor, his palms pressed onto the carpet as he struggled to get upright. Layla
saw two slaughtered women prone on the floor and a gaping hole in what had been
a window looking out onto the tiny front lawn. She barely glimpsed the back of
a retreating form.

“I’ll check the rest of the house, stay here with Riley,”
Ben snapped, his weapon still drawn. Without a further word, he turned out of
the room. Layla rushed over to Riley. Sweat beaded across his brow, strain
evident on his face as he clutched his thigh. A gaping wound had torn through
his jeans, the smell of singed flesh filling her nostrils as she leaned over
him.

Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Layla moved back to suck in
clean air. Repulsed but determined to help the wizard, she steeled her nerves
before she calmed herself and drew on her power. Her hands tingled with the
warmth of her energy. Channeling her fear and the adrenaline of the moment, she
murmured a simple healing incantation to speed the healing process.

Riley’s harsh breaths slowed. Layla watched as the worst of
his burn knitted together. He wiped at his temple, relief in his gaze.

“Thanks,” he panted. “Can’t believe that bastard got the
drop on me. Five minutes earlier and we’d have been either dead on the floor
with the witches or we could have saved them.”

Layla eyed the dead witches, unsure herself whether they
would have been similar casualties or not. She recognized Brit from the photos
she’d seen. The other witch was a middle-aged, older version of Brit. They
shared facial features and bone structure, the older witch’s countenance
slightly wrinkled and her hair a few shades lighter.

“Brit went to her mom,” Layla guessed. “She knew she was in
trouble and she turned to her mother for help. I wonder how she’s involved in
this. Clearly with the security system she has powerful connections.”

“The rest of the place is clean,” Ben returned. He held a
hand out to Riley, who took it and helped himself gingerly to his feet. Leaning
heavily on his unhurt side, the wizard appeared pale but recovering.

“The good news is I’ll be able to Track that bastard to
hell,” Riley panted. “The bad news is I missed him, my bullet is lodged in the
wall somewhere.”

“I knew there was a reason you never made it as a Shooter,”
Ben teased him. Riley chuckled and nodded to the two murdered witches.

“I don’t know about you, buddy, but I’m not keen to be here
when the cavalry arrives. There might be a few too many questions.”

“Especially considering most of our answers revolve around a
giant conspiracy most people don’t know anything about,” Ben agreed. He stepped
close to Riley, allowing the wizard to use him as a crutch.

“I know a discreet Healer,” Layla offered. “I can drive us
over there. He’ll see us straight away.”

“Sounds good to me. The last thing I want is to admit to my
own Healer some asshole got the drop on me. I’ll never live it down.”

Riley hissed as he tried to walk on his injured leg. The
rawness of the wound had calmed in response to Layla’s first aid. However, it
still looked painful and swollen, the skin around the burn pink, tender and not
fully formed. Ben assisted Riley out the back door the way they had arrived.
Layla paused on the edge of the backyard, hesitant to leave without searching
the house for anything that might be helpful in their Investigation.

Although it galled her curious nature, she knew leaving was
the sensible option. The Enforcers took a dim view of others being at the scene
of a crime. They didn’t have time to answer endless questions, nor try to
explain their actions. The paperwork alone that would be involved should they
become embroiled in an internal review made her head spin.

Ben and Riley had already made it halfway down the street
when her lover turned to glance over his shoulder at her.

“You coming, babe?”

“There might be something useful in Brit’s mom’s house,” she
suggested as she ran to catch up with the two wizards.

“I should be able to talk us into the cottage, depending on
who’s put in charge, once they’ve completed their initial review,” Ben assured
her.

“And I can probably get permission to enter Brit’s condo if
it comes to that,” Layla decided. “If not, Rob—or Grant Gower, certainly—can
pull some strings for us.”

Feeling relieved, she held out her hand for Ben’s keys. He
dug into his pocket and tossed them to her. She hurried ahead of the two men,
unlocked the doors and opened them so Riley could hobble inside with a minimum
of fuss. Ben climbed into the passenger seat as Layla slid behind the wheel.

She spent a moment adjusting the seat and rearview mirror,
enjoying the near-painful way Ben scrutinized her every move.

“I won’t ding your baby,” she cooed to him, teasing him
unmercifully.

“I’ve always believed any man who lets a witch drive his car
is a fool,” Ben grumbled, clearly uneasy.

“Obviously you’re in love,” Riley joined in on the teasing,
a twinkle in his eyes. Ben shot him a look, but Layla noticed her lover didn’t
disagree with Riley’s assessment, either.

Warmth suffused through her chest. In the best mood she’d
felt for months, she started the car and hummed along with the radio as she
pulled into traffic. As they turned out of the side street, she noticed an
unmarked sedan race around the corner, noticeably exceeding the speed limit.

Quirking her eyebrow, she checked her rearview mirror as
they moved out of sight.

“Just in the nick of time,” she murmured. Both wizards were
silent, clearly lost in their own thoughts.

* * * * *

“And here I thought your work was boring,” Damon said as he
stepped aside to let Layla into his apartment. Ben half carried, half assisted
Riley into the living room.

“I thought you said your Investigations were all computer
work and following paper trails?” Damon continued as he closed the front door
behind them. Layla grinned and spread her hands wide in an innocent gesture.

“I think I said my work
mostly
consisted of such
things,” she hedged. “This is obviously a rarity. Can you help us? Please?”

“I consult with the Enforcers from time to time,” Riley
interjected, strain evident in his tone. “So I can concoct some story to
appease them if you’re worried about any ramifications. I’d really appreciate
it if you don’t report this. I don’t need the grief or paperwork just yet. I
simply need to be able to walk properly as soon as possible.”

Damon glanced at Layla, his gaze serious.

“I’ll owe you,” she stipulated. “We’re not doing anything
illegal. We’re just…well, not completely official either.”

“Ah, well, that’s clear as mud,” Damon joked. He tilted his
head, indicating Ben should take Riley into the back. “Through there into the
spare room will be fine.”

Ben and Riley passed Damon and moved down the corridor.
Damon glanced at Layla, laughter in his eyes again.

“Well now, you always find the handsome wizards, don’t you?”

Layla flushed.

“Ben looks like he’s ready to swallow you whole. You have to
tell me all about it later, promise?”

She nodded. Damon left the room.

“I can take it from here, Ben, why don’t you go into the
living room with Layla?” she heard her friend say in a genial tone. Layla
chuckled. She heard the door close and a moment later Ben returned.

She sank down onto the couch, the tension of the last hour
or so finally seeping from her bones. Ben settled down next to her and heaved a
weary sigh.

“Thank you for bringing us here,” he said in a soft voice.
Layla shifted to her side so she could face Ben and watch the various emotions
play over his face. She leaned her elbow onto the back of the couch, propping
up her chin as she waited for him to explain.

He remained silent, deep in thought.

“Riley is obviously a good friend of yours,” she finally
said. “He was injured protecting us, on a mission for
us
. Not you, the
both of us. Riley’s obviously in pain and needs assistance. Of course I’d help
if possible.”

Ben still gazed at his folded hands, not meeting her eyes.
She could practically feel the weight of guilt upon his shoulders.

“Hey,” she said as she reached out her free hand to cup Ben’s
chin and tilt his face to hers. She stared deeply into those dark, soulful eyes
of his. “This isn’t your fault. Riley is a big boy, perfectly capable of
looking after himself. If the situation was reversed and you were in there
getting patched up by Damon, would you want him out here beating himself up?”

“I guess not,” Ben admitted reluctantly.

“I’m not saying you should feel blasé about this. Your
friend has been hurt. That’s something to get upset over. But instead of
getting angry or upset with yourself, you should channel that into being pissed
off with the wizard who is responsible for this,” she pointed out. “We should
focus on Tracking him down and finding out either who hired him, or how he’s
connected to these powerful people.”

“You’re right,” Ben agreed. “I know you’re right. Thank you.”

She grinned at him, pleased to see some of the fire return
to his eyes. Ben reached out and cupped her jaw. He closed the distance between
them and kissed her hungrily. Passion exploded, the always-present arousal she
felt for this wizard flaring up as the simple gesture sparked her need.

Lifting her leg, she straddled Ben on the couch, sitting in
his lap while they continued to kiss hungrily. Reaching a hand between them,
she stroked his thick, hard shaft through the denim of his jeans.

“Circe,” he moaned. “I just can’t get enough of you, Layla.
I feel like a randy teenager all over again.”

“Well, this situation resembles that of a randy teen,” she
teased with a playful laugh. She nipped a quick kiss to his lips and stroked
him harder through his pants. “After all, there are adults in the next room
just down the hall so we have to be quiet. We’ve been given a minimum of
privacy on the couch in the living room. It sure screams horny teenager to me.”