Grave Sacrifice by Russ Linton

Author:Russ Linton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: urban fantasy, hoodoo, magic, fantasy, American myth, gullah geechee, deep south, thriller, suspense, supernatural
Publisher: Russ Linton
Published: 2020-03-07T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I made a few calls. Police work, the mundane kind. Blood had been stolen from a donation center near downtown, that’s where Sykes had gotten his supply. Whether he did it himself or paid someone else, the trail ran cold.

Araceli had given up on intimidating Atofo. She sat in an armchair opposite him, her tough exterior not matching the perfect posture and crossed legs. I still hadn’t figured her out. Least of all why she’d risked her life and even her identity for me in the first place.

A while back, she’d said it was about her duty. I’d found my faith and she’d sworn an oath to give her life for those who had. But the faith she was talking about was tough to believe in. I thought it had to do with Kibaga, but he’d been a fickle protector ready to drag me into beatdowns and walk away when the pain came. He’d helped take down the Sunset King’s prison, sure. But since then, the whole world of magic had gone crazy. And in the square, Kibaga asked for vengeance then told me to face Death my damn self. Faith my ass.

“We’ve got to figure this out!” Caleb said, desperate. He was struggling to understand all the mojo in a rational way, always a lost cause. “If Sykes had this book, and he’s dead, how could he be responsible for this undead stuff? Atofo and the other soldiers showed up after you left his office, right?”

“You aren’t wrong,” Araceli said to Caleb with a heavy sigh. The threat to Araceli’s life had melted the ice between them. They sat together on the couch, poring over the files. “The world is veering faster toward Armageddon. Magic will become unpredictable.”

“This isn’t just the Sunset King and his prisons harnessing the energy of hallowed ground,” I said. “He’s got a whole crew helping bring about the End. Prisons for profit, preachers, those damn cameras all over the place, who else is involved?”

“The Chaldean?” Caleb offered, uncertain.

Brooding, Araceli nodded. “Not even I know how far down this cabal goes.”

“What are we talking?” I asked. “Necromancers are making a comeback?”

“They’re a secretive organization. They’ve always been small in number but well-to-do in society in general. They regularly cull their membership.”

I couldn’t resist. “Like your Alchemy crew?”

That got me the evil eye. “Nothing like them.”

We locked gazes, waiting to see who might blink first. I wanted to dig deeper, get her to confess. A come-to-Jesus right here in front of Caleb and Atofo wasn’t going to help matters. I gave up that fight and started to pace.

Caleb had scooted to the edge of the spindly couch and focused on the files. The possibility of losing two friends at once had hit him hard. I could tell he still hadn’t forgiven himself for missing the first clue about the book. He dove in again, tearing through pages, tugging at his hair.

The phone on the shop counter rang. I checked around to see if it was safe to leave the room.

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