Circle of Blood (12 page)

Samantha made her way back to the house. Knowing what she did now, there was no way she could stay there anymore. Nala could have told every witch in the coven where she lived. She quickly changed clothes, packed up her stuff, and grabbed Freaky.

“Come on, we’re going,” she told the little kitten.

She got back in the car and ten minutes after she had gotten there, she was leaving again.

She abandoned the car several miles from the hotel where Anthony and Ed were staying and walked the rest of the way. She could have called Anthony for a ride, but she needed the time to clear her head and think. Freaky rode on her shoulder for most of the distance, his tiny claws digging into her shoulder and helping keep her mind off everything that had just happened.

Right before arriving at the hotel, she dropped Freaky inside her bag, not wanting to deal with trying to hide him magically or argue about whether or not they accepted pets in their establishment.

She walked up to the front desk, booked a room, and convinced them to take cash and no name for it. Then she made her way upstairs, dumped all her stuff next to the bed, freed Freaky from the bag, and headed for the restroom.

She had to take three showers before she got the smell of smoke out of her hair. She lay down on the bed, intending to do so only for a moment.

She woke up a couple of hours later, groggy and disoriented.

She glanced at the clock. She was late for her brunch with Ed and Anthony, but since the restaurant was just downstairs she didn’t bother to call. She threw on some clothes, picked up Freaky, and headed downstairs, battling sleep and starvation.

Once inside the restaurant, she spotted them at the same table they’d been at the night before. She walked up.

“You’re late,” Anthony noted. “I . . . we . . . were getting worried.”

“Sorry,” she muttered as she slid into the booth and dropped Freaky onto the table.

“And you look like hell,” Ed noted.

“Yeah, well, it’s been that kind of a night, morning, whatever,” she said.

The waitress came by, glanced at Freaky, and turned visibly pale but didn’t say anything.

“Coffee, black, and the sirloin,” Samantha said.

The woman nodded and scurried off.

“I think Freaky’s reputation is preceding him,” Ed noted with a smirk.

“So, what happened to you?” Anthony asked.

“Well, Ed was certainly right about one thing. There are definitely people in town who know Lilith. In fact, I had the great displeasure of dealing with two of her coven.”

“She’s formed a coven?” Anthony asked, turning notably paler. “Somehow I had the feeling she was working alone.”

“So did I. What her coven mates are too stupid to realize is that they’re all expendable, and will be just as soon as she’s finished with everyone else,” Samantha said.

The waitress brought the coffee and Samantha drained the cup in one gulp, despite how it scalded on its way down. The woman looked shocked but refilled the mug and left the pot on the table.

“Good call,” Samantha muttered as she took her time sipping the next cup.

“How many do you think there are?” Ed asked.

“Two fewer now than there were,” Samantha said grimly.

Anthony reached over and squeezed her hand. She appreciated the show of support.

“Honestly, I wish I knew,” she said at last. “Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get that or any names or where Lilith might be hiding out.”

“Well, at least we know that there are others out there,” Ed said.

“What about you two, anything?” Samantha asked.

“The police are completely baffled about the whole theme park massacre. They’re working to keep it quiet, which explains why we haven’t heard anything about it. They’re afraid it’s some sort of serial killer, even though they have no explanation for how the victims were killed.”

“So, no help there,” Samantha said.

“There was one older cop who I suspect knows more than he’s saying, but he’s not assigned to the case as far as I could tell. Would love to have had you there so you could have told me if he was like you.”

Samantha nodded. “Maybe you can arrange a little visit later. Anthony, what about you?”

“Well, the day’s still young yet, but I did get a chance to call on a couple of people I know. They’re both Wiccan and they’re both running scared. They know what’s been happening but haven’t the first clue who or why or how to protect themselves against it. Apparently they’ve tried on three separate occasions to get out of the city and it’s like they hit a barrier and can’t physically leave. They can’t even tell if there is an actual energy barrier up or if it’s just a mental block that they can’t break.”

“They haven’t heard any rumors concerning witches?”

“Just that there are witches, but nothing more substantial than that.”

“Are they willing to help us?” Samantha asked.

Anthony shook his head. “No way, they’re just hoping to keep their heads down and go unnoticed. They’re too scared to act and they’re hiding behind the whole ‘do no harm’ thing to make themselves feel better.”

Samantha shrugged. “It’s part of their religion. Can’t really blame them for that.”

“No, but I’d be interested to see what they’ll do when Lilith comes for them.”

“Well, at least we’re clear not to expect help from that direction. Is there anyone else you can talk to?”

“Yeah, I’ve got three other people I plan to talk to this afternoon, although, frankly, I expected if anyone would know anything it’d be those ladies. They’re fairly plugged into the whole network.”

“Well, we can’t afford to leave any stone unturned, especially when we need both information and help,” Samantha said with a sigh.

She finished her second cup of coffee and poured her third.

Food arrived shortly and Samantha dug into her steak gratefully. She was in desperate need of the protein at this point. She was still upset about having to kill Nala, but even more upset with herself for having let the girl fool her the way she had done. Truly, Ed and Anthony were the only two she could trust.

They continued to talk while they ate. They were just beginning to leave when a ripple flashed through the air. There was someone outside, more than one by the feel of it.

“Stay here,” she warned Anthony and Ed.

“What’s wrong?” Anthony asked.

“Is it that Thomas guy again?” Ed asked.

She shook her head. “No, there’re some people outside. I don’t know who they are, but there’re quite a few of them from the feel of it. I don’t want them to see you. Keep your heads down. This could get ugly.”

“Bring it on,” Ed said, unholstering his gun.

“I’m hoping it won’t come to that,” she said. “They came here to see me and I’d like to keep anyone from finding out about you two as long as I possibly can.”

“We’ll stay here unless you need us,” Anthony said.

“Thanks.”

Samantha turned and walked to the front door. She took a deep breath. She could handle this. She didn’t need Desdemona. They were one and the same—that’s what Five kept trying to tell her. She was scary, terrifying, and she didn’t need to put on an act for anyone for that to be true.

She opened the door and stepped outside.

Fifteen people, men and women, all dressed in dark suits, stood in a loose half circle in front of the building. One of them, a man with gray hair, stepped forward. “Desdemona Castor, we’ve come for you.”

Samantha lifted her head. “My name is Samantha Ryan, but nevertheless, I’m the witch you want. Identify yourselves.”

“Connor O’Donnell, FBI” the man with gray hair said, holding up a badge. “You’re coming with us.”

Her eyes swept the line of people until they fell on one woman with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Trina?”

Trina was one of the members of an elite FBI team made up of people with powers who had been fighting witches all over the country. They had met while Samantha was in San Francisco, although thanks to the events that happened there, Trina remembered very little of their encounter.

Trina nodded.

Samantha let herself smile. “It’s good to see you guys. We’re all on the same team.”

“Are we?” Connor asked. “Frankly, your actions the last several days have led us to believe otherwise.”

“I can understand that, and I can explain.”

She could sense that they were not inclined to believe her. She couldn’t blame them. If they had witnessed even half the things she had done in the past week, they had every right to want to put her down.

“I’m here looking for a particular witch. Her name is Lilith Black.”

One or two of the group shifted slightly. They had heard of the name.

“I have reason to believe she is the mastermind behind the recent events in Salem and San Francisco,” Samantha said. “What she’s planning here will make those other two seem like walks in the park by comparison.”

She heard the door open behind her and all the agents in front of her tensed. She could see fireballs forming in a few closed fists. Regular agents would have gone for their guns. These agents went straight for the magic.

“Detective Ed Hofferman, Boston PD.”

She glanced behind her and saw Ed exiting the restaurant, badge held high. “You’ve got a problem with my partner, you’ve got a problem with me.”

Connor frowned. “We were under the impression that she and the Boston PD parted ways months ago.”

“You’re supposed to be. Little hard to work undercover otherwise, isn’t it?” Ed growled. “We knew there was someone else behind the events in Boston and we’ve been trying to find out who. Now, do you want to stand around risking all our necks or move this to someplace more private?”

Connor seemed to make a decision. He lifted his hand and up and down the line the fireballs were snuffed out. “We have a place we can go and talk.”

“Lead the way,” Ed said. “Sam, go do something about your energy kitten first.”

Samantha nodded and popped back into the restaurant. She found Anthony crouched under their table. “Ed wanted me to stay out of it in case you need backup later,” he whispered. “Could Freaky track you if he had to?”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

“I’ll keep him with me.”

She didn’t say anything else, just waved her hand through some empty air on one of the benches and then turned to go.

She rejoined Ed and the others outside. “Taken care of,” she said.

She was grateful that Ed was beside her, and if there had been any lingering doubts that he’d have her back, they were long gone now.

“So, where to?” Ed said.

Connor turned and led the way to three black cars.

“Not conspicuous at all,” Ed quipped.

“Get in,” Connor said.

She and Ed got in the backseat of one of them. Trina slid in next to her.

A few minutes later they were headed out of the city. No one seemed to want to say anything, and that was just fine with Samantha, who leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

This was the group that Randy had told her about as he was dying in Salem. The FBI group made up of people with power who were hunting witches and trying to stop whoever had been behind the group in Salem. It made perfect sense that they were here now.

The fact that they had called her by her birth name meant that they were probably aware of at least part of what had happened to her. They would be suspicious of her now, and with good cause. Fortunately Ed was by her side and hopefully he could help convince them that everything was okay. She owed him for that.

She was still surprised he was even here, but she was incredibly grateful. The hope of being able to go back home and pick up the pieces of her life was the greatest gift he could have given her. She’d be forever in his and Anthony’s debt, and if they all made it through this she’d spend a lifetime making up for it. She just hoped that the FBI agents present turned out to be more of a help than a hindrance.

A sudden thought occurred to her and she opened her eyes and turned to Trina. “The Lightfoots, from San Francisco, are they okay?”

Trina frowned. “As far as I know.”

“It’s just that people with power are being called here and I suddenly realized that Robin Lightfoot might have felt the call, too, and tried to come here.”

Trina shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything, but I hope she stays put.”

“Me, too,” Samantha said, wishing there was someone she could call in San Francisco who could help who would actually remember her. There wasn’t, though.

“Do you have anyone you could call who could just check?”

“This is really worrying you?” Trina asked.

Samantha nodded.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” Trina reassured her.

“I’d appreciate that,” Samantha said.

Her thoughts turned to the other people besides Claudia that she had spared in Salem, and she couldn’t help wondering how many of them had also made their way here. The whole thing was turning into a huge mess.

She leaned her head back again and tried to figure out exactly where it was they were going. The farther away from the city they got, the more agitated she felt. She could feel the call now, too, the same one that was drawing everyone with power to New Orleans. Just one more thing she’d have to be sure to thank Lilith for when she saw her next. One of so very many.

After about half an hour the car slowed and turned down a long, winding drive. A plantation came into view. It was lovely and under other circumstances Samantha might have looked forward to exploring it. Now, though, she just wanted to get through whatever she had to in order to return to the city and hunt down Lilith.

One of the first things she noticed as they pulled up outside was the number of guards in dark suits patrolling the perimeter. They appeared to be agents as well. Also, she couldn’t sense any more people with power until they had literally stopped right in front of the main entrance.

“You’ve done some work to shield this place, to keep the energy from being felt unless you’re right on top of it,” she marveled. “How did you do that?”

“A combination of magic and technology,” Trina said. “What we sense when we come near each other is a disruption in the normal flow of energy. Yet the flow of energy can also be manipulated by us and by other forces such as magnetism.”

“That’s enough,” Connor said from the front seat, clearly not pleased that she was starting to reveal some of their secrets.

“Clever,” Ed piped up from beside her. “Next you’ll be telling me the Batcave’s underneath this place, and Bruce Wayne is a personal friend.”

Samantha bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. She really had missed Ed’s sense of humor more than she would have imagined. She regretted now that she hadn’t taken the time to laugh more back when they worked together.

If they made it through this, that would be one of the things she’d have to change. Of course, somewhere in the back of her mind she was slightly shocked that she was even worried about something so trivial as laughing more. If the last few months had taught her anything, though, it was that the little things mattered far more than people thought they did. She’d spent so many years wrapped up in her own anxiety and guilt that she’d never taken the time to truly live.

She could see that now with such a sudden sense of clarity that it was overwhelming. It was the kind of self-revelation she wished she had time to just sit and quietly contemplate, but who had time for such things when a war was brewing and she was about to have a devil of a time convincing the good guys that she was indeed on their side?

The doors opened and they slid out. From the way four agents immediately closed ranks around her, Samantha was under no delusions that what was coming next was going to be anything less than a full interrogation. And with so much at stake and magic users involved, this was going to get ugly fast.

She glanced at Ed, her first instinct to try to protect him. Then she forced herself to take a deep breath. He had walked into this willingly. They knew he was a cop and one without powers, so they weren’t about to harm him. Besides, she had tried in the past to protect him and it had only driven a wedge between them. As she was sure Anthony could attest to, shared danger often built a stronger bond than anything else.

Ed reached through the agents that had closed ranks around Samantha and briefly touched her right shoulder blade. The message he was trying to send came through loud and clear.
I’ve got your back.

She nodded and put her thoughts inside his mind.
And I’ve got yours.

In that moment she remembered what it had been like when she was at the theme park and tripped the booby trap in the one kid’s head when looking for information about Lilith. It occurred to her that she could do something similar with Ed so that anyone but her who tried to walk around inside his mind would get a nasty shock and she would simultaneously be warned.

She moved quick, using the brief touch they had shared and the knowledge she had of his mind from her other times planting thoughts in it. What she accomplished was quick and sloppy, but it should work.

They walked inside the mansion and the agents immediately herded Samantha to the right. Ed had started to move that way when Connor put a hand on his chest. “We need to talk to her alone.”

“Whatever you have to say to my partner you can say to me,” Ed growled.

She found herself smiling. He sounded like the old protective Ed she had trusted with her life.

“It will be okay,” she heard Trina murmuring. “They just need to check her out, make sure that everything is as she says, that she’s . . . okay.”

“Of course she’s okay. What’s wrong with you people? We are all on the same side,” Ed said, sounding more belligerent.

“It will just be for a few minutes,” Connor said.

“To hell with this,” Ed said. “I might not have any freaky tiki powers like the rest of you, but I can sure as shooting put a bullet in someone.”

Things were going to escalate. She could tell that and she was pretty sure the others could as well from the amount of tension she suddenly felt around her.

“I have nothing to hide from my partner,” she said, stopping abruptly enough that the two agents behind her both bumped into her.

She turned and made eye contact with Connor. “You might as well let him come along, at least until he’s satisfied that you’re not going to do anything . . . barbaric.”

Connor looked furious. Of course he was. As a member of the FBI he had certain standards and guidelines he had to live up to, and Ed would make sure he adhered to them. As one with powers, though, he had planned on doing things a little bit more old school with her, figuring none would be the wiser. She respected where he was coming from and might well have made a similar choice had she been in his position.

They marched into a room that had guards stationed all around the inside. There was a chair in the very center and Samantha willingly walked over and sat in it, knowing it was expected. In the corner she saw a pile of chains that were clearly meant for her.

Connor glanced at her and then at Ed and she saw the frustration in his face.

“We have to be sure you are who you say you are,” he said, clearly trying to figure out how he could justify the use of the restraints to Ed.

“I understand, and I’m here to prove to you that I am Samantha Ryan,” she said, not giving him an opening.

She noticed that Trina wasn’t in the room. It actually made her feel a little better, given that they had a bit of a relationship even though she was the only one who remembered it. She would have had a hard time getting over being interrogated by her. Sometimes it was impossible to separate the business from the personal. Clearly Trina understood or she would have been present. After all, it seemed as though nearly every other available agent was.

Connor waved his hand and two chairs that were lined against one wall slid across the floor toward him and Ed.

Ed jumped but struggled hard to control it. She could feel Connor’s disdain for him, and it made her furious. Ed was still new to this world and hadn’t been in a position to witness too much personally. It was a lot for anyone to take in, and if you hadn’t been born into the world, it would naturally take time to adjust.

Connor and Ed sat down and she noticed that Ed moved his chair before doing so in order to be facing more toward Connor than her. Connor was putting her on trial, but Ed was making the statement that he’d be watching him like a hawk for any impropriety. That fact was clearly not lost on Connor, who stared with burning anger at Samantha.

“Since you left Salem you’ve been using the name Desdemona Castor; why?”

There was the real reason, which there was no way she was giving him. Then there was a plausible one. “Lilith called Desdemona Castor out by leaving something for me in the empty grave with that name on it. Since there was no longer any need to hide my birth name, I stopped going by Samantha and chose to use the name that Lilith was trying to connect with. At the time I didn’t know who it was that was taunting me, who had been behind the events in Salem and San Francisco. I just knew that they had a vendetta against Desdemona Castor and that they knew that was who I had been as a kid.”

It sounded plausible and completely logical. She just hoped he thought so.

“And since you made it here you’ve threatened people and acted with a wanton disregard for human life.”

Before she could say anything, Ed shot back at Connor, “You ever been undercover, you personally?”

Connor glared at him. “No, but I handle all the agents—”