To Spell With It Read online

  My mouth dropped open. “How do you remember all that?”

  “It was ingrained in my head as a child.” He pinned his mother with a dark look. “Valentine was a big deal because, while he was proselytizing about Jesus Christ, he was also spreading the word about the splitting of the elementals. Not everyone was for it at the start. People wanted reunification for centuries ... but that was ultimately ended by a strong contingent of people.”

  “And rightly so.” Judy shifted on her chair. “The split was the best thing that ever happened to our people. We’re much better than the sea-dwellers ... and the ground people.” Her gaze was dark when it landed on me.

  “Am I supposed to be one of the ground people?” I asked, confused.

  “I told you. Witches were the earth elementals,” Galen reminded me. “Technically, you’re Judy’s sworn enemy.” He almost looked amused at the prospect. “As fascinating as that whole story is, why would you be looking for this St. Valentine Seal here ... and why is it important?”

  “That’s none of your concern,” Judy sniffed, averting her eyes. “It’s a relic of our people — our people!” She emphatically gestured toward her chest. “We’re the top tier of elementals from the split. That seal belongs to us.”

  I remained confused. “I think she might be crazy,” I offered after a beat. “Maybe she has religious euphoria or something. I read that’s really a thing.”

  “No, she’s just playing with you.” Booker looked disgusted as he stared down his mother. “That seal was thought lost at the time Valentine was martyred. You probably don’t know this — mostly because the cupids have purposely kept it secret — but the air elementals got the upper hand in the split because of the seal. No one knows how it was created, but it was present the day they decided to split the factions, and there was a power struggle over it. Air elementals weren’t called cupids back then. That came about later, thanks to Valentine’s sacrifice. The seal was thought lost with him.”

  “You said the seal could open a door between worlds,” Galen pressed. “How does that work?”

  Booker shrugged. “Nobody knows. People think they know, but they’re all talk. Nobody alive has ever seen the seal ... at least nobody who knows what it can do. Plus, back then, nobody understood that we had millions of planes stacked on top of each other. It was believed there was one reality, so this seal was supposed to be especially powerful.

  “Now we know that traveling between planes isn’t as difficult as originally thought,” he continued. “Pixies open doors all the times. Dwarves made their own keys. There are other creatures, too, although they choose to remain on their sides of the doors ... and I can’t blame them.”

  His gaze was thoughtful as he focused on his mother. “I have a serious question for you.” He hunkered down and rested his hands on his knees so he was at eye level with her. “Do you have anything to do with the incubus that’s been running around?”

  Judy was scandalized … or at least she put on a good show. “How can you ask me that? I’m your mother.”

  “That’s why I’m asking. I’m familiar with your work.”

  “You are the worst son ever,” she spat, fury emanating from her. “The fact that you would say anything of the sort to me just proves that you’re worthless as a son.”

  The harsh words propelled me to step forward. “Don’t say that to him.”

  “It’s fine, Hadley.” Booker waved off my concern. “I’m used to her crap.”

  “That doesn’t matter.” I was firm. “Booker is a good man. He’s saved me several times. He’s saved other people. He puts his neck on the line to help others ... and he’s a valued part of our community ... and he’s a really loyal guy. You raised a tremendous human being. You should be happy about that.”

  Judy smirked. “Oh, please. I want a son who is loyal to the cause, who falls in line. He’s my first born. That means he’s supposed to take on a leadership position with the council. He won’t even visit the conferences any longer. Why do you think I had to insist on the conference being held here?”

  I was glad to hear there was a reason for the decision. It still didn’t make much sense to me, though. “Why can’t you just be happy that he’s a good person? He doesn’t want to play your cupid games. I think that makes him a better person than you and your brethren.”

  Judy shot back, “He’s my son. I’m the top person in the cupid world now that Hank has died. That means everyone bows to me. As my son, they should bow to him, too. He refuses to play the game correctly. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?”

  Pity stirred, and not just for Booker. I felt it for Judy, too. “It’s too bad you’re wrapped up in this status stuff above all else,” I noted, making a tsking sound as I shook my head. “I can see that you won’t change. It’s a waste of time to try to get you to see what’s right in front of you.”

  “It certainly is,” Judy agreed. “Now that we’re agreed on that, I’ll be on my way.” She stood again, but Booker immediately pressed her back into the chair.

  “No, you’re not going anywhere.” His tone was no-nonsense as he folded his arms over his chest. “I want to know why you think the St. Valentine Seal is here. You must have a reason.”

  “I was just playing a hunch.”

  She wasn’t convincing with this particular lie. “A hunch?” I moved closer to her, something occurring to me. “I guess I could try looking in her head to see if she’s telling the truth.”

  Galen slid me a sidelong look. “I thought you weren’t comfortable with that.”

  “I’m not, but we need answers.”

  Judy squirmed in her chair. “Don’t even think of trying to invade my mind. I’ll kill you if you try.”

  “If you hurt her in any way I’ll rip your head off,” Galen warned. It was obvious he was serious, because the heat blasting off him was enough to wilt the snottiest woman.

  Judy shrank from him. “Booker won’t allow you to hurt me.”

  “I wouldn’t put your faith in that,” Booker shot back. “I’ve had it with you. Besides, I’m just a waste of space, right, Mother? Why would I want to help you?”

  I felt bad for him and stroked his arm. “I think you’re great,” I enthused, causing Judy to sneer. “As for invading her mind, I think I should at least try. We need answers and she won’t give them. That means we have to take them.”

  “Then give it a try.” Galen jutted his chin in Judy’s direction. The woman was getting smaller and smaller in her chair as we continued to talk. “This is a good idea.”

  I wasn’t sure I agreed, but I didn’t see where we had much choice. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot.” I moved closer to Judy, who pulled back as far as she could manage without tipping over the chair.

  “Stop. Stop. Stop!” Her voice was unusually high. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll tell you why I think the seal is here.”

  Galen and I exchanged smug looks.

  “Then tell us,” he ordered. “Your story had better be convincing.”

  “I tracked it here,” Judy explained. “I found a story in one of the records of the time. St. Valentine was allowed a visit with what he thought was a priest right before his death. He was able to turn over all his worldly possessions. The thing is, it wasn’t a priest. It was a wizard in disguise.”

  The story did nothing to clear my confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  “I tracked the man.” Judy licked her lips as she gave in to the story. She was clearly relishing her part in all of this. “He changed his name, but I found him in a village in northern Italy. Then I tracked his family tree through the ages. It led to May.”

  Oh, well, that explained everything. Or not. “That doesn’t mean May has the seal,” I argued. “She might not even know what it is ... or where it is.”

  “If May had the seal, I’ll bet she recognized it,” Booker countered. “She loved history books. We talked about St. Valentine several times.”

  “Okay, but that doesn
’t mean the seal wasn’t sold or given to someone else at some point during the centuries. I mean … we’re talking 1,750 years here.”

  “We are.” Booker turned thoughtful. “But it can’t hurt to look.”

  Judy looked hopeful. “I agree with my son. Perhaps he’s a genius after all. We must look.”

  I wasn’t feeling as upbeat as they were, but I saw no reason not to try. “Okay, but I want someone with Judy at all times. I don’t trust her.”

  “I’ll handle that.” Booker’s glare was pronounced. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t touch a thing.”

  “You really are a thankless child, Booker,” she spat. “I don’t know where I went wrong with you.”

  “Oh, let me count the ways,” he lamented.

  “We’ll break into teams,” Galen insisted. “Hadley’s with me. Booker has his mother. Lilac, you’re with Aurora. If the seal is here, you guys are probably as interested in it as we are.”

  “I’ll say.” Lilac rubbed her hands together. “Where should we start?”

  There was only one answer to that question. “The third floor. I doubt May would’ve stashed the seal anywhere else.”

  27

  Twenty-Seven

  Looking for the talisman turned into a fruitless endeavor until Galen suggested calling Wesley. I wanted to smack myself for being so daft. While waiting for my grandfather to show up, I found a message in my email from Cillian. He’d identified the compound as complex pheromones. That’s the most he could give me, and explained that pheromones this dense could be used in a number of ways, including to seduce someone.

  “Cupids,” Booker supplied. “We exude pheromones. That’s how we do what we do. I’m betting an incubus has a double dose. This just keeps circling. The compound is a dead end. It’s not telling us something we don’t already know.”

  I was frustrated but agreed. The compound ultimately reinforced the theory we’d already landed on. Ah, well, at least I got to talk to Aisling. That was worth chasing our tails.

  When Wesley showed up, he was confused about why we were ripping the lighthouse apart. After we told him what we were looking for, I expected him to laugh. His reaction was something else entirely.

  “What does it look like?” He directed the question to Judy, who was busy pouting because Booker had been watching her every move.

  “Are you talking to me?” She raised her eyebrows.

  “Yes, Robert DeNiro, I’m talking to you.”

  “I only know from the descriptions I’ve read,” she replied. “It would be a flat disc, copper in color. It is engraved with depictions of the original four elementals.”

  I tilted my head. “And what would those engravings look like?”

  “The creatures the elementals shifted into,” Galen supplied. “All of the original elementals could shift. I told you how the air elementals look like freaky hyenas, right?”

  “Not hyenas.” Booker made a horrified face. “Griffins. They have the bodies and tails of lions and the heads of eagles.”

  I wasn’t sure that was better.

  Booker narrowed his eyes. “I know what you’re thinking and no, I won’t show you.”

  “We’ll talk about that later.” I closeted off my curiosity and reminded myself we had a specific task to accomplish. “What about the others? What about the earth, fire and water elementals?”

  “Water would be a hydra,” Wesley volunteered. “It’s like a serpentine creature with multiple arms.”

  I made a face and turned my eyes to Aurora. “Lovely.”

  “I don’t turn into that,” she protested. “I’m a siren. The lore doesn’t apply to me.”

  I had no idea if she realized Booker could shift like his elemental ancestors, but I decided to let it go for now. It wasn’t my secret to tell. “What about the others?”

  “Earth would be a harpy,” Booker explained. “I’ve never fully understood that, but that’s how it ended up. The fire elementals would be represented by a phoenix ... at least if the talisman is true to the history we’ve been taught.”

  I made a mental note to research harpies later and turned my eyes to Wesley. “Does that item sound familiar to you?”

  “Actually, it does.”

  His answer surprised me. “Are you serious?”

  “I’m pretty sure I saw it a time or two. May used it as a candle holder for one of those big pillar candles up in the library. Did you look under the candles?”

  “She used it as a candle holder?” Judy was horrified. “What was she thinking?”

  “Probably that it looked nice with a candle on it,” Wesley replied, shrugging. “I never asked her about it. I just remember commenting that it was ugly a time or two.”

  “Well, that’s ... interesting.” Galen dragged a hand through his hair. “We went through everything on the tables and shelves up there. There were no candles.”

  “Then it might be in her secret hiding spot.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “She had a secret hiding spot?”

  “She did.”

  “Where is it?” Judy barked, her voice cracking. “Tell us where it is right now.”

  I shot her a quelling look. “You need to calm down.”

  “Yes, Mother,” Booker drawled. “Calm down.”

  I kept a speculative eye on her while grabbing Wesley’s hand and dragging him far enough away that she couldn’t overhear our conversation. Galen followed, but he looked more conflicted than anything else.

  “Where is the secret hiding space?” I asked quietly. “Can you tell me? This talisman seems important.”

  “Yeah, and if Judy knows it’s here ... maybe someone else does, too,” Galen added, his expression unreadable. “I’m starting to wonder if the incubus was sent because someone believed it could get information on the talisman from you. Maybe you weren’t targeted for your magic at all.”

  For some reason, that made me feel better. “Where is the secret hiding spot?”

  “Upstairs,” Wesley replied. “In the bedroom. There’s a secret closet behind the dresser.”

  Galen furrowed his brow, surprised. “How can that be? I think I would’ve seen that before. I sleep in that room every night.”

  Wesley made a face. “Do you want me to help or smack you around?”

  I chuckled at the banter before turning serious again. “We really do need to know.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you.” He spread out his hands and shrugged. “There’s a closet behind the dresser. It’s small ... and magically cloaked. It was her private area.”

  “Maybe we should call her,” Galen suggested.

  “I haven’t seen her all day,” Wesley replied. “I think she’s recharging. She usually pops up when she’s done. She’s not as strong as she would like to be yet. She’s still getting used to her new reality.”

  “Then we’ll have to find it ourselves.” I was grim. “We should keep Judy out of the room when we do it. She won’t like that, but ... I don’t trust her.”

  Galen nodded as he stroked his hand down my back. “I agree. We’ll put Lilac and Aurora on her. They’ll keep her out of trouble.”

  I wasn’t sure they were powerful enough for that – Judy seemed to be a determined old bird – but we had other things to worry about. “Then let’s do this.”

  GALEN, WESLEY, BOOKER AND I ventured into my room. Aurora and Lilac were more than happy to play babysitter to Judy. Aurora almost looked giddy at the prospect. Judy, however, was not happy about the turn of events, and the fit she pitched was something I hadn’t witnessed since I was hanging around with toddlers, back when I was one myself.

  “I don’t know how you deal with your mother, Booker,” I announced as Galen and Booker went to work moving the dresser. It was heavy, so they both had to put their backs into it. “I always dreamed of meeting my mother. After meeting yours, I’m wondering if I’m not better off.”

  “Bite your tongue,” Wesley admonished me. “Emma was nothing like that woman. I know sh
e never got a chance to raise you, but I believe she would’ve made an outstanding mother ... and I’m not just saying that because she was my daughter.”

  I shot him a grateful smile. “Thanks. Do you think she would’ve been disappointed in me?”

  Booker spoke before Wesley could answer. “Are you asking that because my mother is obviously disappointed in me? If so, let it go. Everything I’ve heard about your mother makes me think she was the exact opposite of my mother. That’s why my mother hated her.”

  “Emma was sweet but fierce,” Wesley offered. “You’re a lot like her. She would’ve loved you.”

  “I don’t think I’m all that sweet.”

  “Nonsense,” Galen grunted as he and Booker finally slid the dresser to the side. “You’re very sweet ... when you’re not pouting to get your way, that is.”

  “Ha, ha.” I frowned when the wall came into view. “There’s no closet.”

  “Nope,” Galen agreed.

  “It’s magically cloaked,” Booker reminded us, his eyes sparking as he ran his hand over the wall. “I can feel the magic pooling here. She put a lot of effort into this charm.”

  “She did,” Wesley agreed, folding his arms over his chest. “She wanted to make sure she was the only one who could access it.”

  “If she’s the only one who can access it, how are we going to get inside?” I asked.

  “You’re going to do it.” Wesley’s tone was no-nonsense. “May left the lighthouse to you. That means she left its contents to you.”

  I wasn’t convinced. “Maybe she never wanted me to find this thing. That could explain why she never told me about it.”

  “Or there’s something else in there she wanted you to discover at a later date.” Wesley fixed me with an expectant look. “You have to be the one to enter.”