Chapter 2

Two

Festivities were in full effect on the other side of the portal. The holiday was a massive draw for the City of Salem and lined their pockets—it was the Witch City, after all. Blocked off to traffic, Essex Street was packed with revelers, shoulder-to-shoulder amid the street vendors and costumed entertainers. Most were dressed as witches—or rather what humans thought witches looked like. Gideon glanced down at his outfit, realizing he somewhat played into the stereotype, but he loved the looks he got with his oft-worn pointy hats, witchy platform boots, short skirts, and halter tops. The rest of the coven appeared relatively ‘normal' compared to him.

With that crowd, it was going to take a massive amount of magic to hide them from the throng, magic they all barely had left. Gideon coiled what power he did have into his hands, stepping between Oz and Oracio on the edge of the portal. Together, they slowly pushed back the tide of humans, step by step, and made room. The humans around them were oblivious, not noticing the growing ten-foot by ten-foot empty space they were creating amid the madness. Once they had a gap, Gideon switched to an invisibility spell, twining more magic into his palms. Oz and Oracio followed suit, walking through as the truck slowly inched behind them.

Once the truck was parked in front of their building, they made quick work of unloading the demons with the help of the entire coven, who'd been lying in wait inside. It took only minutes to get the beasts behind bars in the underground cavern. And none too soon. One of them opened its eyes as the bars clicked closed. It rushed them, grasping metal instead of escape.

It screamed in pain, smoke wisps rising into the air, before it released the bars, hands singed.

"Iron,"Cassius said, grinning. "With that and the wards… there's no way out."

The beast growled. Without his horns and claws, wearing a human suit, he was much less terrifying than he probably should've been.

"Raynd, Alexi… can you take the first shift? I don't want these guys left to their own devices before we can banish them."

The two young shop apprentices nodded.

"Banish?" the demon said, chuckling. "You can't banish us." He pulled a switchblade from his pocket and brought it to his throat. "I can just one way myself back to Hell right now."

Gideon stepped forward, gasping. "Didn't anyone check them for weapons?"

"Try it," Cassius said, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Gideon's gaze flipped to Cassius. Try it? What the fuck?

The demon slit his throat, and a sliver of blood appeared… but then vanished as if nothing happened, the skin resealing itself. Gideon's eyes widened. An anti-unaliving spell? Interesting.

Cassius chuckled as the demon attempted three more times. "We expected self-harm in an attempted escape, so we made sure you couldn't when we built this cell. You can't harm anyone inside the cell, not even the human bodies you're now trapped inside, so stick that knife wherever it gets you off. I don't kink-shame."

The demon roared, flinging the knife through the bars at Cassius. It hit an invisible barrier at the outer edge of the cell before clattering to the floor.

"Can't harm anyone outside the cell, either," Cassius added. He turned to the coven. "Get out of here and recharge. You've all used up a lot of magic today. I need you ready for whatever comes next."

"Get ready for Hell!" another awakened demon screamed from behind the bars. "They'll be coming for us, motherfuckers!"

"Let them," Cassius murmured.

Let them?Gideon frowned. He wasn't into welcoming Hell to their front door. Hopefully Cassius was just talking shit, but he wasn't so sure.

Gideon followed the pack through the tunnels, paying closer attention the second time around—when he wasn't helping cart a ten-ton demon into the chasm and too preoccupied to have a look-see. The rough-hewn walls looked hundreds of years old. He paused, angry that he hadn't known of their existence sooner. He spun, returning to the cages where Cassius was instructing Alexi and Raynd.

"Cas? Why are we just now learning this place exists?" Gideon asked.

"We sealed the tunnels off before the section under our building and cursed them decades ago. When I first opened the shop in the eighties. I barely think of the underground these days. It was Quilliam who reminded me."

"It's still a security risk," Gideon murmured, sensing Cassius was hiding something from him. "We should've been informed it was down here."

Cassius sighed. "You're right. It was an oversight, and I apologize." He leaned on the stone surface. "I know you're not happy they're here, but… are we good?"

Gideon eyed the cage. "I have no idea where else we'd put them. Even so, I don't have to like it."

"No, you do not." Cassius smiled wanly. "They're not going anywhere. That cell is near impenetrable."

"What's in the cell is less concern than what's going to be searching for it," Gideon said. "Our runes are strong, but strong enough against a legion? I don't know. And you just tempted fate telling them to bring it."

"A legion? Here? Doubtful. But that doesn't mean they won't send out smaller hordes to find the missing. Lucifer doesn't like losing what's his, but hopefully we can manage this before he notices." Cassius rose to his full height. "You need rest. Between the fight and getting them here, you've got to be tapped out."

"I am. We all are. You included."

Cassius smiled. "I'm coming up in a while. I want to scan again for potential weak spots before I leave our young watchers alone down here."

Gideon headed out, once again eyeing the newly found space under the Enchanted Ink building. He was curious what other surprises lay under the city, as the tunnels clearly went farther. He'd have to do some exploring sometime in the near future, checking for dangers. Maybe Luca and Ash would want to come along.

He tensed, realizing there was no longer just a Luca and Ash. They were a Luca, Ash, and Colby. They'd met their human mate and were in the process of bonding, aka fucking like bunnies, as often as possible. Not that he wouldn't do the same had he been in their shoes, but he, Luca, and Ash had been compatriots.

Suddenly, he was the fourth wheel.

Or the babysitter.

He blanched. He wasn't a babysitter, and Colby's older brother, Daniel, would be devastated for even suggesting he was. As he exited the door to the underground chamber, he found Luca waiting for him.

"I was starting to get worried you weren't coming back up," Luca said.

"I had questions for Cas."

"Like, why we didn't know about this place?" Luca asked, sliding his hand over the surface of a door no one had seen before that day.

"Yeah."

"And his answer?"

"It's been sealed and cursed for decades. He forgot to share."

"Hmm." Luca frowned, allowing his hand to fall at his side. "Ready to go up? My bed is calling my name."

"Mind if I follow you home?" Gideon asked.

"You want to join Ms. Karen for a nap?" Luca asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Fucknut, I want to hang out with Daniel. Not you." While Daniel hadn't heard what he'd just thought, he felt the need to make amends anyway.

Luca grinned. "You two get along well. I'm glad. He needs people to protect him."

"Protect him? He's an asskicker. I can't beat him at any video game I've attempted."

Luca smirked. "You know what I mean."

Daniel had Down syndrome. Where some saw disability, Gideon saw a man who had not an ounce of hate in his heart, well, unless someone was evil. Daniel, who they believed had witch blood in his veins, was an aurist, someone who could see the spectral light encasing a human or entity, and he instantly knew if that being was good or evil. He could also see through the human a demon had possessed and witnessed the true monster inside.

If Daniel liked someone, Gideon knew they were good people.

That was a superpower.

"I do know what you mean." Gideon kicked his toe on the floor, the rubber squeaking. "Daniel's pure light, Luc. After the day we've had, a little light and love is exactly what the doctor ordered."

"True," Luca said, a wide grin on his lips, clearly proud of his new little family. Full matehood looked good on him. Luca seemed more… balanced. He was stronger, thanks to the completed mate-bond forming a full triad, and happier than Gideon could ever remember. The bossy streak could go, though. "His hugs are always welcome, but especially welcome on a bad day."

As they crossed the lobby, a promise whispered through his mind. He paused, drawing Luca to the side. "Mind if we make a pitstop before we go up?"

Luca frowned. "I'm beat, Gid."

Gideon gave him the look. The one when he was willing to fight to get his way. Luca had seen it more than once in the last fifteen years they'd been there.

Luca sighed, shoulders sagging. "Where?"

"The old woman. She's alone, has little family…" He dug deep and found the piece of gold he'd pocketed on his way out to the fight. He showed it to Luca, the chunk between thumb and forefinger. "Maybe you can use those healing powers of yours on her eyes and ears? She's a near recluse because of them."

"Tomorrow?"

"We have a cellar full of demons. Who knows what tomorrow brings." He lifted the gold toward Luca. "Please. For me."

"I seriously doubt an old woman is going to agree to a stranger tattooing her."

"We'll convince her… and I can take the memory of the pain away as you do it." Gideon pressed the gold nugget into Luca's palm. "I know we're both drained, but I can't leave her out there alone with no senses to protect herself. Especially given the fact demons will be coming to have a peek at that house once they realize the others are MIA."

Luca stared, silent a few seconds. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"See if there's anything else about that company buying up the land and houses in her memory. I doubt that one lawyer was her only brush with them. If she was holding out selling, they probably came around a few times. My gut is telling me it's tied."

"I can do that."

Luca tightened his fingers over the gold. "Okay. Let's go."

After Luca grabbed his gear, Gideon linked one arm through his on the way out into the crowded Salem street. Less than an hour later, they sat in Beverly's parlor as Luca tattooed a small healing enchantment on the back of the woman's shoulder, Gideon wiping the memory of pain away as his tattoo gun moved. He also dipped into her mind, searching for other memories of the company buying properties, but saw little else.

A few registered letters. A couple of other lawyers coming to her door, giving her the same exact spiel. They were all slick and glossy… and he felt a hint of evil. But then, they were lawyers.

When the tattoo was complete, Luca swiped some of his special healing gel over it. Within the hour, she'd feel nothing at all.

"How's that?" Gideon yelled.

"You don't have to yell at me," Beverly snapped, her cataracts gone and her eyes a lovely shade of sly blue. "I can hear perfectly well. I might be old, but I'm not deaf."

Gideon chuckled. He rose along with Luca.

She shuffled closer to the mirror above the fireplace. Gideon noticed her steps were faster and more confident than before. He turned to eye Luca's handiwork. "I'm still not exactly sure why I needed this mark. It's pretty, though. I always wanted one, but ladies didn't get tattoos in my day."

"As I told you," Gideon said. "It will turn green if there's another gas leak. You'll know to get away from the neighborhood."

He hated lying to her, but what else could he say?

"Ah," she murmured, pulling her shirt up around her collar and affixing the button. "Maybe I should sell and get out of this old mausoleum. I've always wanted to travel and the amount they're offering could let me see the world." She shrugged. "You only live once, right?"

"Sounds like a wonderful plan," Gideon said. Anything to get her out of the path of evil. "Go see Paris first." He sighed. "Oh, I adore Paris. The sights. The history. The food. It's amazing. You'll love it."

She grinned. "I think I just might."

"Maybe that grandniece of yours might want to tag along," Gideon said. "She could take a few semesters off school to travel and see the world with you."

"Oh, did I mention Lily?" Beverly asked, grinning softly.

"You did," Gideon murmured, fibbing a bit. He'd seen Lily had been the only member of the family who'd visited on a regular basis, but school kept her too busy to do it often. "She seems very sweet."

"Oh, she is."

"Well, we should be getting home." Luca rose, and Gideon followed suit.

"Oh, you're not going already, are you? You just got here. I've got a fresh-baked lemon bundt cake in the kitchen, and I never got you that cup of tea."

Luca fought a yawn as he packed his tools away behind her, and Gideon had to fight one of his own. Damned contagious things.

"Next time. I promise." Gideon drew his hand into his pocket and lifted a blank business card from it, handing it over. While it was blank to everyone else, she would see the gas company's logo along with his name and telephone number. "If that off smell returns to the neighborhood before your trip, you call me, okay? Immediately… and then you go to your daughter's house."

"Oh, her husband doesn't want me there."

"You tell him to go suck it. You can tell him I said so," Gideon replied. "He just doesn't want you seeing how much he drinks."

The woman's head cocked to the side, and Gideon realized he'd said too much.

"You mentioned he was a drinker."

Beverly frowned. "I did?"

"I think you did," Gideon said, smiling. "Maybe not. It's been a very long day, and I've talked to so many folks."

"Right, right," she said, glancing at the card. "Thank you, Gideon."

"You're quite welcome, Beverly," Gideon said. He eyed Luca and cocked his head slightly before they ambled toward the door.

After their goodbyes, Luca and Gideon exited out onto the quiet street.

"See anything else?" Luca asked.

"Nothing much." Gideon eyed Luca a moment before turning to scan the dark, empty houses. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell folks about this. Beverly, that is."

"What's to hide?"

"I don't need anyone calling me soft." They already underestimated him because of his size.

"As if we all don't know you're one big softy," Luca said, grinning.

"I am not."

"Uhhh, I've seen you with Daniel. You are, too."

"Okay, Mrs. Stephenson."

Luca winced, grabbing his chest. "Too soon."

"Sorry," Gideon said. Luca had recently attended his beloved teacher's funeral after he'd spent years trying to beat back her cancer. "I only meant that you have a soft spot in there, too. The fact you came and did this when you were dog tired only adds more credence to that theory."

"So? We have soft spots. Who doesn't? They're nothing to be ashamed of."

"When you're nearly seven feet tall and packed with muscles, sure. No biggie. When you're only five-foot-two and tiny, people tend to assume you're nothing but one big soft spot. I've worked hard to show my hard edges. Don't ruin it for me."

"Your secret is safe with me," Luca said as they walked the darkened street.

"Thank you."

They trudged along in silence a few minutes before Luca spoke again.

"You know we don't see you like that in the coven, right?" Luca asked. "One big soft spot. You're—and I quote Daniel on this—a badass."

Gideon scoffed but inwardly smiled at Daniel's favorite word.

"Ash told me how you took that demon down with a swipe of your hand."

"I didn't take him down. I just replayed his worst memory on loop to incapacitate him for a while."

"How do you not see how awesomely terrifying that is? You could do that to any one of us at any second. We don't think you're soft. We're scared of you."

Gideon smiled to himself.

"You don't have to look so satisfied at being terrifying," Luca muttered.

"Don't backtalk me, Karen, or I'll replay the memory of that really bad haircut you had when you first came to Enchanted Ink."

"It wasn't that bad."

"It was,"Gideon said. "I showed an old picture to Ash, and he said he wasn't sure he would've looked twice if you'd still had it when he met you."

"Lies," Luca called out, the sound echoing around the empty neighborhood. "Shit, this place is creepy."

"It is." Gideon rubbed his arms.

A portal opened a few feet in front of them, and Cassius walked out. "If you're all done with Beverly, you two need to get some rest." Cassius beckoned them forward and slipped through the portal.

"How does he know everything?" Luca asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Hey, I appreciate him watching out for us," Gideon said, beelining it to the portal before it vanished. "Especially on a night like this and when I don't feel like walking miles home. Let's go see what Daniel's up to."

The following afternoon

Cassius openedthe door to Quills and Parchment, the bell over the door tingling its melodic sound. Outside, the sun was falling, sending shards of light through the plate-glass window out front. Dust motes danced in the air, falling onto the ancient covers of the books Pierre had likely arranged in a holiday display. Samhain was barely over, and the store was already prepared for Yule.

Quilliam stood behind the front counter, nose deep in Hammer of the Witches. Just seeing the book made Cassius' skin crawl. It belonged under lock and spell, and it would hopefully soon be there again, as soon as Quilliam found what they needed.

Lifting his gaze, Quilliam closed the cover and eyed Cassius. "I didn't see the spell Atlas claimed he'd found. I've read through it twice now and it's… not here."

Cassius shook his head. "Maybe he saw it elsewhere. I'll ask him—after Delilah's done with his cleansing."

"I don't know that a cleansing will be enough. This book," Quilliam sighed, running a reverent hand over the cover. "It's not like any I've seen before. I'm immune to the evil seeped into pages of most dark spellbooks, but this one? I feel a glimmer of it trying to break through. It needs to go back under lock and spell, far from everyone."

"Have you figured out who sent it to you?"

"It wasn't on the manifest for that shipment, but then, books often appear without notice, so that's not necessarily unusual."

"Should we get rid of it?"

"While I'm loath to have it here," Quilliam said. "Sending it out into the world doesn't give me the warm fuzzies, either. At least here, we know where it is, can keep it locked away, and know the danger is contained."

"Perhaps it can reside in the cage once the demons are bound to Hell." Cassius sighed. "Although, I don't know if we're binding anything without that spell."

"The cage would be fine, if we boobytrap it and curse the whole vault to prevent anyone from getting inside." Quilliam sniffed, rubbing the tip of his nose with his knuckle. "If I can feel its call, I can't imagine what Atlas is feeling right now."

Worry mounted. The last thing they needed was losing Atlas to dark magic. "Will a cleansing alone be enough? I can sense its evil from across the room, and I've never touched it."

"The cleansing may be fine." From the look on Quilliam's face, the man didn't believe his own words. He fiddled with his bowtie, a sure sign he was worried. "If the cleansing isn't enough, perhaps Eli can use his crystals. From what I hear, his ancestral magic is something beyond impressive?"

"I've seen nothing like it before. It was incredibly potent… as if he held every generation's power in his hands all at once. Though brief, it did the job." It had been like a nuclear event, magically. While they needed it, he worried about the aftereffects of releasing that kind of magic.

The Council would likely investigate again, as if they needed that.

Quilliam smiled. "In the right moment, his family saved him. I wish I'd been there to witness it." Quilliam tapped the top of the book, smile fading. "Perhaps they could be asked again to help Eli's coven family. Atlas is his brother, of sorts."

"True. Either way, we'll do whatever we need in order to protect him." Cassius leaned both elbows on the counter. "We'll see how Delilah does and go from there. Her magic is nothing to sniff at, either."

"No, no. She's quite powerful, herself," Quilliam said, a worried little smile on his lips. He adjusted his checkerboard tie, which clashed with his blue and green striped button-down. The man was clearly color and pattern blind. He turned his attention to Cassius. "Intervening too soon would be disrespectful to Dee. An assumption her magic would be ineffective before giving her a chance. We will watch and call on Eli, if and when needed."

"Good plan," Cassius said. "In the meantime, I'll have Atlas start digging, looking for that spell of his in his library. Perhaps he's misremembering where he read it. If not, it will give him something to focus on while we watch and see how he fares, so it wouldn't be for naught." Cassius rose to his full height. "Night, Quilliam."

He turned to leave, but as he placed his hand on the knob, Quilliam cleared his throat. He paused, turning to see Quilliam nearly bouncing on his toes, still fidgeting with his tie. "What is it?"

"I don't know if I should say," he said, running one hand through the shock of silver hair atop his head.

"Is it important?"

Quilliam frowned, then smiled, then frowned again. "I don't want to leave you… conflicted."

"Conflicted?"

Quilliam took several steps closer, looking like a five-year-old holding a terrible secret that couldn't be contained. "Well… I probably shouldn't tell you this… but…"

"But what,Quill?"

"Quill," he smiled broadly, as if his other concerns were forgotten. "You've never called me a nickname before. Quill. I rather like you calling me that. We have been friends for many years now, so it's well past time, don't you think? You should come by and have a cup of tea with me every now and again. I've asked before but you've always been too busy, and I say, we should discuss coven matters more often, you and I. I have much more I could contribute to the team."

Cassius laughed to himself. "I don't doubt you have more to contribute, but for now… What shouldn't you tell me?"

The worried look returned, as well as the tie fidgeting. "Well. I… I didn't see the… the other spell in the book, either."

"Other spell?"

"The one Atlas used to break Colby's curse."

Cassius froze. He wasn't sure what to make of that.

"I scanned every single page thoroughly, but there was nothing there."

It had to have been in there. Colby's curse was broken, so they had proof the spell existed. Where else would it have come from? Atlas was a talented witch, but he wasn't a spellweaver. There hadn't been a witch with the ability to weave spells in centuries. "So… how did Atlas break the curse?"

Quilliam inhaled deeply before words spilled from his lips. "My guess is either the book whispered it to him… or the book… changes… depending on the reader. My guess is the latter. Most of the spells inside seem rather innocuous in the grand scheme of things, and I daresay that me, being a simple bookmonger, perhaps I'm not the type of individual it exposes its secrets to." He smiled feebly. "Or it might be my resistance to evil tomes. I can't be sure."

Cassius frowned. "What you're saying is—Atlas could potentially find the spell we need if he were given the book again."

"Precisely."

"He's already struggling from his last encounter with it."

"Which is why I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want you conflicted, as I said. Do you give Atlas the book, allow him to find the spell, banish the demons, all while knowing there's a chance he might be drawn into its evil web? Or do you do nothing, and hope we find an alternative before Hell comes knocking on our door? I wouldn't want to make that decision."

"Isthere an alternative? Another spell like the one he spoke of?"

Quilliam's shoulders fell. "Not to my knowledge. And without a powerful spellweaver, we can't create one."

Cassius clenched his jaw. Quilliam was a virtual card catalog of spells. If he wasn't familiar with one, he had a good idea where to look. He was Atlas' go-to for answers and the spellbooks to find them. If Quilliam didn't know an incantation, he typically knew where to look—that was his gift. His magic wasn't necessarily strong, but his memory was powerful.

"Other than… you know… the one that cannot be used and should not be named, I don't know another means to prevent those demons from returning to this plane after being ejected."

Evanesce.Once again, it was brought to his attention. Cassius shook his head. "I won't toy with that and tempt more darkness to our door. The Council is already breathing down our necks. There has to be another way."

"I don't claim I know every spell that's ever existed. Even with the mountains of books I've read in my very long lifetime, I've perhaps only touched the tip of the iceberg. There are mountains of forgotten spells, lost to time. The perfect spell might be out there, waiting to be pulled from the depths of oblivion. So, we shall search." Quilliam lifted his chin, appearing more confident than Cassius felt. "And we will find it. We've never failed to find our path forward."

Cassius sighed. "I hope you're right. But where would you even begin? You're the one who usually has the answers when it comes to obscure spells."

"I can reach out to my fellow booksellers. We're all quite close, swapping books, as needed. I'll see what I can ferret out."

"I would appreciate it, Quill."

Quilliam's broad smile returned. "Does this mean I can call you Cas?"

"Sure," Cassius replied with a smirk. "Before I go, are there any other bits you're withholding?"

"Nothing pertinent," Quilliam said with a sly smile.

Nothing pertinent, meaning he has other secrets.Cassius chuckled, shaking his head. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight… Cas." Quilliam giggled under his breath.

Cassius exited the store, the little bell over the door jingling overhead. He scanned the small crowd outside the store, the thick mob of humans still celebrating the holiday into November first. In a matter of days, the streets would be lighter and the city returned to its residents.

Through the thinning crowd, he sensed a presence. Lifting his gaze, he saw a familiar set of eyes staring back at him through the pack. He took a step forward, hopeful, but as soon as he moved, the man disappeared amongst the throng.

Cassius leaned back against the building, scanning the faces for the one he desperately wanted, but came up empty.

Damn it.

When will he stop running?