Outer Darkness by Audrey Brice

Author:Audrey Brice [Brice, Audrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Darkerwood Publishing Group
Published: 2010-08-10T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Saturday, March 20

I woke to a blood-curdling scream from somewhere below.

Then came the bustle of doors opening and footfalls going down the steps. I got up and followed, not bothering to put on my shoes or even straighten my clothes or hair.

The source of the commotion was the kitchen. I hurried in. The first thing I saw was Lynn with her hand to her mouth, staring at something on the floor. Smith was on the phone, looking at whatever it was on the ground. Mahoney and Fisher, who’d also stayed the night evidently, were crouched down next to it. Michael had his back to me and was standing in the way. “What’s wrong?”

They all turned to me and Michael immediately came toward me and began ushering me out of the room.

I shoved past him. “You don’t need to protect me,” I told him. I was getting tired of being the last one to know anything about something that involved me.

On the kitchen floor were the remains of a small animal. It looked like a squirrel. An inverted pentagram, drawn in animal blood was surrounded by four hexagrams with Tau at their center (also drawn in blood). A single red candle half burnt was sitting at the pentagram’s center. Below the pentagram on the floor was a piece of paper. I moved closer to read it.

It was a piece of parchment with burnt edges. Theatrical. On it was written a single line. You can’t hide from us, Lizzie.

Mahoney went over to the door and looked at it without touching anything. “Lock was jimmied. Probably with a screwdriver. That’s what it looks like anyway.”

I rolled my eyes and left the room, seeking out the first room with a comfortable chair to sit on. Michael was beside me. I let out a resigned sigh. “I told you they would know where I was.”

“How do they know?” He was bewildered by this. I wasn’t. A skilled magician or seer could find people by magical means. The problem was I knew the people involved, or who I thought was involved. The two that weren’t out on bail were both dabblers. Dabblers don’t make good magicians. This development meant either the people I suspected weren’t involved, or there was someone who was involved who didn’t share in their friends’ dabbling. Someone who was skilled enough to find me no matter where I was. Michael put his arm around me and pulled me into his chest, embracing me. There was nothing sexual about it. I needed that hug and it felt good to get it. I hugged him back.

Fischer came into the room. “Elizabeth, do you carry a cell phone?”

I pulled away from Michael, annoyed at being interrupted. Michael appeared to be annoyed as well. “Yeah, why? Who doesn’t own a cell phone these days?”

“Can I see it?” I recognized Fischer’s voice as belonging to the person who gave Michael crap about me the night before. He gave me a quick smile and shot Michael a knowing look.

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