Witch Hunter Olivia (17 page)

“What can I do to gain your trust again?” she asks, parting her hands and leaning toward us when she speaks. “Would you like me to help your little friend on the couch over there?”

“Yeah. If you help Tara, I’ll do what you want in exchange for the info you have,” I reply.

“Fine. Just so you know, this is highly unorthodox for me. You’re lucky I like you, Olivia. If it would have been anyone else … well, let’s just keep it at that,” she replies with an upturned eyebrow.

As Jack moves over to Tara, I notice Tara’s body start to glow white like before, and Jack hesitates to get any closer. “What’s happening to her?” I ask, causing Jack to turn and look at me.

“Very curious,” she responds. “What spell did you use to revive your friend here?” She directs her question to Heath.

“A standard resurrection spell. I didn’t know there were other ones,” he answers.

“Where’s the tattoo?” she asks.

“On her wrist. I have the same one here,” I reply, flashing the one on mine.

Jack flips over Tara’s hand to see her wrist and runs her fingers along the infinity tattoo. A breathy laugh parts her lips as she turns to look at us. “It would seem your friend here wasn’t completely dead when you performed your little ritual.”

“You got that from just touching the tattoo?” Heath asks.

“A Jinn can see souls. Until I touched her tattoo, I wasn’t able to see hers. Then it revealed itself to me. Only persons who are alive have a soul, my dear.”

“This doesn’t make any sense. Tara was dead when I found her. She didn’t seem to be breathing, and she was most definitely not moving,” I say.

“The key words there are ‘seem to be.’ When you performed the ritual, she may have been on the brink of death, but she wasn’t dead. The spell pulled her away from death’s door, but since she was still alive, her body went into a shocked state. Her body’s now in a struggle with itself to allow her powers to come through. She will be in a zombie state until her powers fully return, and then she can die again like anyone else. In all my years in this world, I’ve only ever seen this happen once before.”

“That must be why she bled when we pricked her finger earlier,” Heath chimes in.

“Yes. Her body is currently in a heightened state … a mortal state, where she can be harmed. This flux and flow will end, but then she will become a half-witch again and lose the benefits of being a member of the undead.”

Tara’s body begins to pulse with a faint white glow. “Is there anything we can do for her?” I ask, my worried eyes focused on Tara.

Jack shakes her head. “Her body’s been through a lot lately, and it’s just reacting. I’m sorry, but all you can do is wait it out until she wakes up.”

“That’s just wonderful,” I murmur under my breath. “Will she be okay?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “That all depends.”

“Why is she just now reacting?”

“Magic is never predictable, and it always carries a price. I guess this is the price your friend is paying,” Jack mentions, returning to her chair.

“Okay. If you watch over Tara while we go visit Angelica’s mom, we’ll bring back the ring you want, and then you’ll tell me everything you know. Deal?”

“You drive a hard bargain, but you’ve got yourself a deal,” Jack replies with a grin.

Finding Angelica’s mom is not going to be an easy task. For one thing, it’s past midnight, and most people have retired to their homes and are sleeping by now. For another, we have no idea where she lives.

I decide to make our first stop the Alpha Nu Gamma house to ask Hattie how to locate the High Priestess. It seems like the only logical first step, so I’m rolling with it. On the drive over, I remind myself it’s imperative I keep Angelica’s kidnapping off the table of discussion topics, since revealing that nugget of information will only result in a massive search party. The extra help would be nice, but they’d ultimately just get in the way or cause a war, neither scenario being ideal.

I’m surprised when I only have to knock a few times before the door’s answered. Hattie stands there in her pajamas and a silk robe, looking like she’s had no sleep and is pumped full of caffeine. I know the look well.

“Olivia, what are you doing here? Where’s Angelica?” she asks, and I step inside without being invited in.

“Angelica’s fine. Safe at the dorm with Tara,” I lie. I feel terrible about it, but I need to get to the real reason I’m here. “I need to visit with the High Priestess. It’s urgent.”

“What’s this about? Did you find any leads?”

“Maybe, but I need to speak with Constance. Please tell me how to get in contact with her.”

“Okay, follow me,” she says in a hushed tone before moving toward her double office doors. She slides them open to either side and we enter before she shuts them behind us.

Hattie proceeds to close all the blinds and curtains lining the room and then clicks on the lamp that sits at the corner of her desk. It provides just enough light to see everything clearly.

“If you want to talk with the High Priestess, there’s no need to go to her residence. All you have to do is look into this,” she says, moving over to an antique-looking armoire near the corner of the office. She cracks open the doors carefully, pushing them to the side to reveal a full-length mirror inside. It’s trimmed in an ornate gold frame and seems plucked straight from the story of Snow White. “Here it is. Your direct line to the High Priestess.”

I’ve heard rumors about these kinds of mirrors back at the academy, but never thought they really existed. If the stories are true, there are only as many mirrors as there are High Priestesses. It would make sense that Hattie would have the one Constance is tied to, since she’s her daughter’s keeper.

“Do we just talk into it?” I ask, staring at our reflection in the large oval mirror.

“One moment,” Hattie responds and begins to trace a symbol on the glass followed by another until she finishes inputting a sequence or code.

Our reflections disappear as the mirror turns pitch black. The High Priestess’s image flashes up in front of us moments later. Her surroundings slowly come into view, and it appears we’re looking into her private quarters with her giant four-poster bed behind her. Even at bedtime, she looks immaculately put together with not even a single red hair on her head out of place.

“Hattie, are there any further developments?” she asks right away. “Oh, Olivia … I didn’t see you there. How is my daughter?”

“First of all, I want to adjust to the fact that I’m talking to you through a mirror,” I reply in a bit of awe. “Second, she’s doing fine.” I again feel horrible for lying, but I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.

“Good to hear. The girl never calls me, nor does she answer any of my phone calls, so I usually have to find out how she’s doing from Hattie here. Is there something I can do for you?”

“Well, since you asked, I need to use one of the favors you owe me.”

“Oh, really? And what would that favor be?” she asks, her eyes narrowing. “Hopefully it’s something that can be dealt with at this time of night without much of an inconvenience.”

“I hope so too. I need something that you have. A ring. I was told it’s a plain gold band with a large red ruby at the center of it. It once belonged to a Jinn.” When I finish speaking, her lips purse and eyebrows rise. “I guess from the look on your face that you know what I’m talking about?”

“And what will you do with the ring once I give it to you?”

“I thought this was a no-questions-asked kind of thing with the favors.”

“I said within reason,” she replies, her facial features hardening into a scowl.

“Just let me know where you live so I can come pick up the ring. I’m pretty sure a ring fits into your ‘within reason’ guidelines,” I reply with a huff.

“There will be no need to leave the room you’re in for me to give you the ring, silly girl.” Her response has me confused. “One moment,” she says before disappearing from in front of the mirror off to the side.

“What’s she talking about?” I ask Hattie, who’s standing next to me.

Before she can answer, the High Priestess reappears in front of the mirror. My eyes grow wide with shock when I see her reach right through the mirror, causing a ripple to cascade across the glass like when you dip your hand into a puddle of water. They definitely left this part out of the rumor mill at the academy. A ring matching the exact description I was given by Jack rests in her palm.

“Wait,” she says, drawing her hand back through the mirror. “Why do you want this ring? What do you plan on doing with it?”

I contemplate telling a fib, but then wonder what the big deal is with this ring. “I don’t plan on doing anything with it. I’m going to use it in exchange for some information.”

“Do you realize what this ring does?” she probes, looking like she’s having second thoughts about giving it to me now.

“Look, this is the only thing standing between me and getting valuable information about who’s after your Angelica. Not to mention that I’m asking as one of the favors you owe me for saving your daughter, not once, but twice. My sole focus is protecting Angelica, and to be honest, I couldn’t care less what that ring does,” I explain matter-of-factly, even though my brother is also a main focus, but I can’t really mention that part.

A sneer appears on her face. “Consider one of your favors used,” she says before reaching her hand through the mirror once more to hand over the ring.

I take the piece of jewelry from her outstretched palm before tucking it into my front jeans pocket for safekeeping.

Constance’s face falters and she shows vulnerability for the first time during this whole conversation. “Please find out who’s doing this, Olivia. My poor Angelica has been through enough.”

I sigh, bringing down my emotional guard. “I’m trying. I really am.” I feel even worse about the fact that neither she nor Hattie knows Angelica’s been taken. It eats at me, but I steel my reserve and build up my emotional wall. “Thank you for this,” I say while patting the front left pocket on my jeans. “It’s going to be a big help.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she replies before the mirror fades to black and her image dissipates.

Hattie draws a few symbols on the mirror and our reflections reappear. She swings the doors of the armoire closed before turning to face me.

“Please tell me Angelica’s wearing the bangle I gave her.”

“Every day,” I lie once more.

“Good. I feel like this is a good time to explain its importance,” she says while placing her hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, I’d say so.”

“It was a gift from Tobias to Constance when they were secretly together.”

“Wait, Constance and Tobias were together? You only said they had past ties. You never mentioned they were an item.” I’m having a hard time controlling the shock in my voice.

“Oh. I guess I glossed over that little item, huh?”

“Yeah, you kind of did.”

“Well, they were, and when Constance left him, he sent a package to her containing the bangle he had bought for their upcoming anniversary. Inside was also a letter detailing that the bracelet was for her protection, just in case anyone found out about their forbidden relationship and decided to do something radical. The High Priestess was more worried about what would happen to her daughter than herself if their union ever came out, which is why she gave me the bracelet to give to Angelica,” she explains and then pauses after letting out a sigh. “That bangle’s probably the only thing standing between this assailant and Angelica, so please don’t let her take it off.”

“No worries. When she’s under my watch, she’ll always have it on.”

I feel like utter shit right now for all the lies I’ve piled on top of each other. Oh, the lengths I’ll go to for the greater good.

*****

The whole trip back to Jack’s, I find myself wondering if I’m doing the right thing. The ring in my pocket seemed to be an iffy subject with Constance, and Jack was very specific with the fact she wanted it. But for what purpose? Am I just a pawn in all this? And what does Jack want with it?

“Crazy night, huh?” Heath’s deep voice breaks into my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I answer with a heavy sigh.

There’s a brief pause before he begins to speak again. “Is this technically date three or four for us?”

“Really?” I reply with a hollow laugh.

“I was thinking about the base rules.”

“The base rules?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, you know, first base on the first date, second base on the second date, and so on.”

I can’t help but let out a snicker before I snap out of it. “With everything going on right now, you decide to bring up the base rules?”

“That’s twice. I’m going for a record,” he says, and it confuses me.

“What?”

“That’s the second time you’ve laughed in probably, oh, I don’t know, several hours.” He makes me smile, but I try to conceal it. “I know shit’s bad right now, but laughing is usually how I cope with things, so I thought I’d give it a try on you.”

“I appreciate the thought, Heath, but there’s a lot going on, and laughing is the last thing I want to do right now. I don’t have much to laugh about,” I reply, feeling the weight of every issue bearing down on my shoulders.

He releases a sigh while stopping the car and throwing it into park in front of the gate leading up to Jack’s place. “What you’re telling me is that we aren’t going to have sex tonight?” he asks deadpan, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t fight back the laugh that’s coming. “That’s three.”

I smack him on the shoulder and his mouth stretches into a wide grin. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”

“I’m not even sure I can spell it,” he replies, getting yet another laugh out of me. “Four. I could do this all night.”

“Okay, you’ve had your fun, but we have serious matters to deal with, and the sooner they’re dealt with, the sooner we can go back to our very boring existences.”

“I never want you to forget that it’s okay to laugh. Besides, you’re cute when you laugh,” he replies, his grin somehow getting wider.

“All right, Casanova, let’s get to steppin’. Jack’s waiting on us,” I say, cracking open the car door before moving outside.

Heath produces his little ball of light again to show our way. He uses the protection stone Jack lent us for safe travels in order to imbue the glowing ball with a barrier spell to keep anything that might try to attack us at bay. This is how we made it back to his car earlier without incident. Wherever the light touches, nothing can pass through.

“Why do you suppose Jack wants the ring?” Heath asks.

“I have no idea, but if it gets me information that I can use to catch whoever’s behind all this, I need to take that chance,” I reply, but deep down I’m having second thoughts.

“Do you trust Jack?” he pries.

“Don’t you? I mean, your dad works with her, so she can’t be all that bad, right?”

“True, but my dad thinks she’s a he, so there’s that,” he answers.

“I’m hoping the ring’s just something else for her to add to her collection.”

“It probably is,” he says, but his tone doesn’t wholeheartedly convince me.

We make quick work of the hike up to Jack’s, and after performing the little blood ritual, her winter log cabin appears in front of us. This time, she’s waiting for us when the front door opens.

“Did you get it?” are the first words out of her mouth.