Chapter 4

I followedJude at a discrete distance, hurrying through the halls of the Protectorate. I'd practiced moving silently, and it was paying off. She didn't look back once.

I couldn't see Maximus, however. Wherever he'd gone, he'd gotten there in a hurry.

Jude made quick work, cutting through the wide, stone hallways of the castle and across the lawn. I tucked myself into a nook in the exterior of the castle until she moved into the forest, then I darted across the lawn after her.

Despite the bright morning sun that hovered in the sky, the forest was dark. The gnarled old trees cut out the light until the only illumination was provided by the fairy lights that fluttered in the air.

By the time I reached the clearing where the portals were situated, Jude had already disappeared through the one leading to Edinburgh. There were three portals in the forest, or at least, there had been three. The one leading to the faerie realm was now dead and closed, a mere shadow of itself. The other two portals glowed healthily, though. The blue one led to Edinburgh, and the white to Magic's Bend, Oregon, a large supernatural city where a few of my friends lived.

I slipped through the portal, feeling the ether grab me and suck me through space. My head spun briefly, then I was spit out in the darkened alley in the Grassmarket.

I snuck out onto the street, keeping close to the buildings and hiding behind the crowd of people on the sidewalk. Murder drew a crowd, which was no surprise. The place was teeming with supernaturals who wanted a better look. It was easy to keep myself hidden amongst such a large group.

I slipped through the people, seeking the scene of the crime.

When I came upon it, my stomach turned.

Two men lay on the ground in front of the Whiskey and Warlock, my favorite pub. They were different men from last night, and not nearly as lucky. Their intestines were spilled on the ground around them. For all the fighting I'd done in my life, I couldn't quite remember seeing intestines outside of someone's body.

I swallowed hard and studied the scene, my skin chilling.

This was the work of that giant monster. It had to be. It might have even eaten part of the men, but it was hard to tell.

No weapon did damage like that. It was too rough, too aggressive. Swords could do serious damage. So could magic. But this really looked like a beast had gotten the men with its giant beak or claws.

Which meant that the demons had probably been here, too. What were they doing with this giant monster? Training it to kill?

My gaze scanned the crowd, hoping to find one, though I knew it was unlikely.

Jude was leading part of the investigative team in setting up the scene. Caro, the water mage, was stringing a rope around the site, her short platinum hair bright and messy. Ali and Haris, the djinn twins, were searching for clues, their eyes keen on the ground around the bodies. Their dark hair gleamed in the sunlight. Caro, Ali, and Haris were three of my favorite people at the Protectorate.

Bree and Ana were the last two members of the team, but Ana was off on a mission and Bree was probably still in the library, hunting for clues about my new problem and unaware of the murder.

Though I couldn't see the gladiator, I could feel him somewhere in the crowd. His magic was too strong to miss.

Near the bodies, Ali had picked up a feather off the ground and was studying it.

A clue, definitely. There was nothing else near the bodies.

I scanned the rest of the space, my gaze finally landing on a raccoon sitting on top of a dumpster. They weren't even native to Scotland, were they? He fiddled with something in his little hands.

Another feather?

My heart thudded.

A damned big feather, just like the one Ali held. Most of it was lying on top of the dumpster, but that was definitely a giant feather.

I sidled closer to the alley, cutting between a shifter and a witch, then behind a vampire whose fangs made me shiver. His eyes were bright and his fangs long—he clearly liked the sight of all this blood.

"Get a hold of yourself, dude," I muttered.

I didn't wait around for his response, slipping up beside the animal who was mostly hidden in shadow. No one had noticed him yet, since they were so focused on the crime scene, but they'd turn this way eventually. Ali was still studying his feather.

The raccoon's feather was identical, and I wanted it.

I eyed him, and he eyed me back, his dark eyes bright within his black mask. Little fingers continued to fiddle with his prize.

Slowly, I reached for it.

He yanked it away. What the hell do you think you're doing?

My jaw dropped. I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You can talk?"

Of course I can talk, nitwit.

I glanced around to see if anyone else was noticing, but no one paid me any mind. We were tucked out of the way in the alley, and no one over here was spilling their guts. Literally. That made us boring, despite the talking raccoon.

Ooookay then. "Well, can I have that feather?"

His eyes turned cunning. What will you give me for it?

"Trash? Raccoons love trash, right?"

I'd like to say that's a stereotype, but I do love trash.

"Then my trash is your trash."

Allll your trash?

"Sure."

You've got a deal.

Well, that was easy. I wasn't sure how he was going to collect on the promise of all my garbage, but that was their problem.

I held out my hand, and the raccoon handed over the feather.

My fingertips closed around it, and a shudder of discomfort raced up my arm. Not only did the feather have an uncomfortable physical signature, the stink of dark magic surrounded it, impossible to ignore.

I reached for my belt and slipped out a tiny vial of potion.

What's that?

"Psychometros potion. My pride and joy." I focused on twisting off the little top and pouring a single drop of the potion onto the feather. It glittered brightly, a silver hue that soaked into the feather.

What's it do?

"Helps me read this object's history." I raised the feather to my lips and touched my tongue to the silver sheen, wincing at the grossness of licking this random monster feather.

Ew. I eat trash, and even that is gross.

"I know." But it worked. The potion fizzed on my tongue, and a vision flashed in my mind, clear and bright. A golden temple, deep in the jungle. It sat at the edge of a huge river, overlooking the foliage.

The Amazon River.

Information flowed from the feather into my mind. Whoever had owned this feather had recently been at a temple in the Amazon jungle. El Dorado.

Holy fates, El Dorado?

But what did these murders have to do with El Dorado? And with me? If my new demon powers were tied up with El Dorado somehow, I needed to go there.

"You're going to have to give that up." The deep voice made a shiver race up my spine.

I looked up. Maximus the gladiator stood right next to me, his back pressed against the alley wall.

For such a huge man, he'd approached with complete silence. He positively towered over me, his dark gaze moving between the feather and my face. His scent wrapped around me, soap and cedar and man. I resisted sucking in a deep breath, but it was delightful.

He held out a big hand that looked like it could break trees in half. "Hand it over."

"No."

At my side, the raccoon watched closely.

I really shouldn't be arguing with the man who'd seen my dark magic, but I couldn't give up this feather, either. It was my only clue, and what gave him the right to take it from me?

"Why were you in The Vaults last night?" I demanded. "It seemed like you were waiting for the demons."

"Not waiting. Tracking."

"Tracking the demons and their monster?"

He nodded. "I was hired by the Order of the Magica to hunt these demons after one of their own was killed. A mage named Kevin Moreny. I liked him. Good kid."

I paled. Order of the Magica?

Oh crap. The very people I was afraid of. Perfect.

My mind raced as my skin chilled. I had to pretend I wasn't afraid of the Order. I focused on the dead person, which was terrible enough. "He really died?"

He nodded, the gesture sharp and his eyes dark. His harshly beautiful features were very slightly softened in grief. But only for a moment. A second later, they hardened. I felt like I'd seen beneath the mask, and I didn't hate the man under there.

This man, though? This man, I was wary of. He knew about the darkness in my soul.

"I'm sorry about Kevin." My mind raced. That meant these demons were serial killers…or at the very least working for one. And I was supposed to be like them, according to the demon I'd killed? That was almost worse than the soul-devouring part of this situation."Do you know why they targeted him? Was his death like…this?"

I didn't know how to delicately ask were his intestines also spilled all over the road?

"Exactly like this. And no, I don't know why. A week ago, he was attacked and left like them." He nodded toward the bodies, his eyes sharp. "The Order knows nothing, so they hired me for the job. And personally, I want answers."

The cold determination in his voice sent a shudder down my spine. "Yet you came to help Jude with training today?"

"I'm freelance. She hired me for this job before the Order got in touch about the murders. The deaths take precedence, but coming here had the added bonus of giving me access to the Protectorate records."

"Ah, so you traded with Jude. In exchange for access to our records on giant monsters, you would train the new recruits."

"You. I was brought in to train you, since you're supposed to have no magic. Jude thought some extra fighting skills would come in handy." His gaze turned thoughtful. "But that's not the case, is it? You do have magic."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. So, you don't know who is sending the birds?"

"Don't try to change the subject."

"We have bigger issues than my magic. Like these murderers. You've really found no clues?"

"None." His gaze dropped to the feather. "That's the first solid lead I've had in a week. I need you to hand it over. And we're not done discussing the issue of your strange magic."

I clutched it tighter. "It was the demon. His own magic backfired on him. And I'm not giving you this feather. I need answers, too."

There was more I could learn from the feather, more clues I could reveal with the psychometros potion. I might need it to find my way to El Dorado.

"Why would you need answers?"

What could I tell him? That some mysterious note had made this my business? Or that the dark magic would devour my soul if I didn't get answers from the murderous demons themselves?

Neither of those were good options, but one version of the truth probably wasn't so bad.

"With my psychometros potion, I can track this feather and find out exactly where it's been. So I don't want to give it up."

His gaze sharpened. "Really? Is that what the licking was about?"

I scowled, wishing I'd developed a less ridiculous way to interact with the psychometros potion. But I hadn't because that had been the easiest way, so I was going to have to try to play this one off.

"Exactly. I developed it." It was one of my proudest accomplishments, actually.

"A true psychometros potion? I thought those didn't exist."

"There's one now. And only I can use it. So I suggest you leave me alone and go get one of those other feathers." I hiked my thumb back toward the crime scene where members of the PITs were finding other feathers. "You don't need this one."

"But perhaps I need you."

My cheeks heated, and I hated myself for it. I really didn't want to think of him that way.

"And you need me to keep your strange dark magic a secret."

Oh, that went downhill fast. I barely resisted wincing. He saw straight to the heart of the matter, didn't he? "I don't, actually. I told you, that was just the demon. His magic went haywire. I've never seen anything like it."

He was too smart to believe that. I could see it in his eyes.

Which meant I needed to get the hell away from him. What exactly did he think was going on with me? And would he turn me in to the Order of the Magica? After my time in captivity with the Rebel Gods, no way I was going to any prison. I'd die first.

I looked around for an escape, and caught sight of Jude walking toward me, her eyes keen on the feather in my hand.

She stopped in front of us. "What are you doing with that?"

"I've created a psychometros potion." I held up the feather. "I can track where this has been. I saw a temple in the jungle. El Dorado."

Her eyes widened. "You really created a potion that can read information from objects?"

"I did." I was the only one who'd managed that. Sheer luck, or fate. Some skill, definitely. All three, probably. And it was going to help me find the answers I so desperately needed.

Hedy, the RD witch with lavender hair and an ever-changing array of flowy dresses, appeared out of nowhere. "Did I hear psychometros potion? Does it really work?"

I nodded, and her eyes brightened.

Jude and Hedy demanded a breakdown of the potion's abilities, how it reacted only with my saliva, and a full synopsis of what the feather had told me so far. Maybe I could convince them to let me get the heck out of Dodge for a while. Get away from Maximus and his damned training.

"So I was thinking that I could go hunt for the monster." I put on my most competent and serious expression. "I could find out where it's been by using my potion, and report back with information that might help us stop it." Even better, I could get away from Maximus.

Hedy looked torn, while Jude looked thoughtful.

I held up the feather. "Remember, I'm the only one who can track this using the potion. I'll go alone, and I don't need help. I'll travel light and fast and report back with anything I learn. There's nothing to lose, and I'm sure everyone else is really busy."

"They are," Jude said. "There have been reports of other attacks. They're tracking them down. We don't know if they are by these monsters or others, but hopefully we'll catch one in the act."

I nodded, feeling Maximus watching me keenly. "I can do it, Jude. I know it's rare to send out a trainee, but I promise to be careful. And you know I'm skilled. I can handle this."

It took a while, but eventually, Jude nodded. "You're like your sisters, Rowan. Perhaps you're slow to come into your powers"—I stifled a wince at the words—"but you're getting there. You have natural skill that most trainees don't. Consider this a test for the Academy."

"Thank you." Elation made me feel light as a balloon.

"But you'll go with Maximus." She looked at him for confirmation, and of course the bastard nodded.

My grin dropped. "I don't need help."

She turned to me. "You need backup. This will be dangerous. And he's hunting answers on behalf of the Order. If you team up, he can even help train you. Kill two birds with one stone. And it frees up the rest of the PITs to try to intercept new attacks."

Shit, shit, shit.

Everything she'd said made sense. There was no way for me to fight it. How could I make it work to my advantage?

I'd be able to keep an eye on him while getting answers, so maybe it wasn't all bad. I'd just keep the dark magic under control and prove to him that I was normal. I'd fix myself and solve a murder, and he'd realize that I'm not a threat.

This could actually be good. "Thanks, Jude. I promise to find answers."

"I know you will. You said you're headed to El Dorado?"

"The monsters were there according to the vision that the potion gave me. I've heard rumors that El Dorado is supposed to be somewhere on the Amazon River, and the vision confirmed that. There aren't many supernatural settlements down there. I can head down and ask around, maybe get a few more visions that can help pinpoint the location."

She nodded. "I've heard it's upriver from The Caipora's Den, a little village deep in the jungle. I don't have any contacts, but you can probably find a boat captain to take you."

"I have plenty of transport charms," Maximus said. "We can be there in minutes."

I shot him an impressed glance. Transport charms were notoriously hard to come by, but he had plenty?

"Just be careful," Jude said. "It's dangerous out there."

Dangerous? Oh yeah, I was aware. Well aware.

Jude and Hedy left, and I looked at Maximus. "I'll meet you at the front of the castle in twenty minutes, all right? I need to grab some things."

I had to stop by my place to get a bag of potion bombs. This was too dangerous, and my belt full of tiny potion vials wouldn't cut it.

He nodded and strode away, and I sagged.

Good luck with that.

I jumped, having forgotten the racoon. He'd been sitting on the dumpster all this time, watching us.

I turned to him. "Thanks."

Without another word, I left. Just before I departed the alley, I turned back, catching sight of the raccoon.

He gave me a look and made a V-shape with two tiny fingers that he pointed between us, going back and forth. I'm watching you. Your trash is ours.

Ours? I searched for other raccoons, and wondered if I'd invited a whole group of them to raid my trash bin.

Oh boy. My life was going off the rails.