vampires mage 02 - witch hunter by c n crawford Read Free Book Online Page B

in.”
    He stopped walking, fixing his glacial gaze on her. “And what did the note say?”
    “It said you’d locked me in there for my own safety. Orcus wasn’t allowed to tamper with the spell.”
    “You should probably be locked up for your own safety, but I didn’t do it. I need you to help me, and I’m pretty sure I’d never hear the end of your complaints about being imprisoned.”
    “But the note said that you took Tammi—” Oh, gods. If he didn’t take Tammi… “You didn’t take Tammi to a safe house, did you?”
    “Abduxiel Mansion was the safe house.”
    “Shit.” Panic sank into her chest. “She hasn’t been there in weeks.” If anyone hurts her I will hunt them down and make them suffer.
    “Who would bother abducting an ordinary, pedestrian human?”
    “The Brotherhood would. They want her dead for escaping one of their prisons. And they want me dead. They could use her to lure me in.”
    “That’s a fair point. They’ll use your loyalty against you. It’s an unfortunate vulnerability.”
    She shot him a sharp look. “They probably want to stage a big PR coup and lure me into the light. But their entire reason for being is to stamp out the existence of magic. And whoever took Tammi put up a magical ward to keep me in the house. So basically, I have no idea who took her.”
    “What about your little boyfriend Drew? I don’t trust him.”
    “It could be…” She shook her head. “But he’s the one who gave me a clue to getting free from the ward. Find a sigil, he said. Is that right?”
    “I suppose.”
    “A lot of mages came to Abduxiel Mansion while I was there. Not just Drew. Orcus had me selling mushrooms, herbs, and potions the whole time.” Tammi had been kidnapped, and Rosalind felt like she wanted to throw up. “And I’m certain Miranda was there briefly. I felt her watery aura wash over my skin, tasted the salt of her magic. I have no idea what she was doing around the mansion. Her mind has been warped, as far as I can tell. She might have taken Tammi.” She took a long breath. “You didn’t have any luck finding my sister?”
    “I’ve been searching for her, using scrying spells. But the images are clouded.”
    Rosalind’s forehead wrinkled. “Like she’s shielded herself?”
    “Either that, or she’s flitting between dimensions.”
    Dread snaked up Rosalind’s spine. “Do you think she took Tammi to another dimension? Like Maremount?”
    “Perhaps. But I’m not going back into that city unless it’s absolutely necessary, and I know exactly where I’m going.” Steel underscored his voice.
    “Right. You’ve got a bit of a history there, with all the regicide.”
    They approached the towering, arched portcullis, its silver bars gleaming like metal teeth. Menacing stone gargoyles leered above, and Rosalind was almost certain she saw one of them blink. No guards stood before the gates. A fortress this forbidding hardly needed extra fortification.
    Tammi… Her throat tightened. If Miranda had taken her friend, there was no telling what she might do. Hard to predict the actions of a complete lunatic.
    At the fortress’s entrance, Caine whispered a spell, and his magic rush over her skin. As the gate rose, it revealing a steep-peaked, blood-red hall. Bileth’s enormous painted image hung at one end. The high demon had tried to kill her more than once, and his image only reminded her that this was enemy territory.
    Caine’s gaze slid to her. “Why, exactly, was Drew so certain I was behind the attacks?”
    “He saw you there, and he thinks you’re a monster.” She hugged herself. Maybe Drew did have something to do with all this. She wasn’t ruling anything out, nor was she taking anything at face value anymore.
    Caine’s footsteps echoed from the flagstones. “And who, exactly, is Drew?”
    “Just a mage from Maremount, as far as I know.” She shot a glance at Caine’s perfect profile—his straight nose, strong jaw, icy eyes, and sharp black