Spirit Sorceress: Spirit Sorceress: Book 1 (10 page)

After getting back to the coven, I tracked down Eustice,
then Daniel, and finally Karen who was in accounts payable to learn how things
worked when dealing with the pack.  I was right about Eustice, since he
didn’t even question his good fortune at me taking over dealing with the mutts,
as he called them.  I also took the time to fill up my contacts on my
phone with all of them, and Lisa.

Then I fortified myself and went down the hall.  It was
time to have that talk with Ceara.  She’d given me a couple of days, and a
new home.  I hoped she wasn’t too disappointed I didn’t choose to be a guard.
 It was just something I couldn’t do.  I’d tried to find a way to
justify it, but I couldn’t.  The tenets were strict, I couldn’t stretch
coven into family, although it was very close it would still be sophistry to
try.

The world was the way it was, and I couldn’t bend it into
the shape I wished to see.  I wouldn’t become like my uncle, the Nogitsune
of legend, or what he was in truth, a rogue spirit sorcerer.

Lisa was outside the door and I smiled as I walked up.

“Hey, is now a good time?”

Lisa nodded and gave me a wink as she opened the door, and I
walked in.  Ceara was sitting on the same couch, and I went and joined her
on the same couch I sat at last time.  There was no one else in the room
except one other guard.  I knew she was trying to create a somewhat
relaxed atmosphere, but it was so intense.  The power just poured off the
ancient vampire.

Ceara asked, “What have you decided?”

“I think I’d like to work at one of the clubs, or the bar as
my main job.”

Ceara asked, “Main job?”

I nodded, “I also took over dealing with the pack when that
comes up for repairs?  I could also do… I don’t know.  Fill in where
needed?  Help if someone asks, or in an emergency?”

Ceara tilted her head, “Like you helped Vince?”

I blushed, “Not exactly, no.  That isn’t…” I took a
breath, “That would be breaking coven law, I wouldn’t do that.  Vince was
a special case, he gave up his will
and
I wanted to kill him because he
deserved it,
and
it didn’t violate the tenets because his soul was…
rotting in a body that couldn’t die.  He was also rogue at the time.”

Ceara nodded, “So a perfect storm of opportunity.  I
understand.  So what are you willing to do then?  Does information
violate free will?  What if I brought in a rogue that wouldn’t talk, would
it break the tenets if I asked you to extract the information from his soul?”

I shook my head, “I don’t think so.”

Ceara frowned, “Are you sure?  The rogue may die as a
result.  When I have what I want.”

“Indirectly.  It would be your free will that killed
him, I’d just be giving you information that you asked for, that wouldn’t
affect his free will directly.  I know that sounds a little strange, but
consider if I would be responsible for things like that.  I would be
completely frozen and unable to interact with anyone at all, about anything,
just in case it caused a death.”

Ceara nodded, “I think I understand, you settling in
okay?  Any problems?”

“Fine, really good actually.”

Not counting my murderous uncle, or the very attractive mate
I couldn’t have.  Damnit.  I was pretty sure she meant as far as the
coven went though.  That
was
going well.  Granted, it was only
day two since I was let out of the cell…

Ceara obviously wanted for me to contribute using my powers
of elemental spirit, something that would give her, and the coven, an edge most
didn’t have.  But she also seemed willing to let me draw the line I
couldn’t cross where my own conscience dictated.  I didn’t mind that, it
was her job actually, to utilize everyone in the coven to their potential.

We made small talk for a few more minutes, which was
disconcerting in a way, but I tried not to show it.  I wondered how lonely
she felt, stuck at the top, with everyone terrified of her power and
presence.  Maybe my life didn’t suck all that much after all.  A
short time later I was dismissed.

On my way out Lisa asked, “Any plans tonight?”

I shrugged, “I might be working, not sure yet.  I guess
I need to get with Ice and find out.  Why, what are you doing?”

She shook her head, “No plans yet.  Let me know.”

I nodded in agreement and walked off.  It made me
wonder, I was happy to have someone to hang out with, an actual friend. 
Counting Eustice, I was up to a whole two of them, and if I could get Daniel to
actually speak...  But I digress.  I wondered why she wasn’t
surrounded by other people.  I was the one raised in isolation in a forest
for a hundred years, she’d probably been in this coven the whole time.

I’d also noticed the coven definitely gathered in groups at
dinner time, and most of the rest of the guards besides Lisa were rather
standoffish.  I wondered why, and considered asking her about it later.

I pulled out my phone and texted Eustice when I couldn’t
find him with my power.  He wasn’t in the building, or even close by.

Do you need me to work tonight?  Ceara gave okay for
me to work at a club, or one of the bars.

His reply came back quickly, “
Legal is still working on
your identity and getting you on the books.  Tomorrow though, you can work
at Pulse, waitress.”

“K,”
I sent back.  I wondered about the waitress
part.  I’d have to deal with flirting drunk men with wandering
hands.  Okay, I wasn’t looking for anything, not even a fling, but that
actually sounded kind of fun.  Avoiding them I mean, while flirting back
for that tip, not letting them… whatever.  I was kind of clueless about
that and had to learn to act my age, or apparent age.  Still, I had Jared
stuck on the brain, and despite the stupidity of it, I wasn’t ready to give up
hope yet.

Pulse was the other night club, and perhaps more
appropriately named than echo for vampire owners, maybe Lisa and I could go
there tonight so I can get the lay of it.  I’d seen the outside of it and
knew where it was, but hadn’t been inside yet.  Not incidentally, it would
also be an opportunity to soul read a couple of the waitresses and not only
learn the ropes, but see what I was getting myself in to.

I was kind of at loose ends for an hour or two before dinner
and when Lisa got off shift.  Everyone else I knew well enough to track
down for a chat, was also working.  I went back upstairs, and practiced
putting on makeup as I tried to decide what I’d be wearing tonight.  My
first attempt was a disaster, subtle was harder than it looked…

It was later on at dinner that I learned a few things about
the coven, and had my questions about the coven, as well as my questions about
Lisa, answered.  I’d asked her about the cliques and my other thoughts.

Lisa looked thoughtful for a second, “The guards don’t just
guard.  We also police the coven.  If someone breaks a rule, we’re
the ones that apprehend them, drag them to trial, and even execute their
sentence.  I suppose the break is on both sides, no one wants to hang
around their potential killer, and for us… well we don’t usually make friends with
the others because it would make our job harder if it came down to that later
on.”

I nodded, “What about me then, I kind of think of you as a
friend already.”

She sighed faux sadly, “I’m afraid it’s too late.  You
already seduced me into bed, and now I couldn’t bear the thought of staying
away from your feminine wiles.”

I gave her the finger, which only made her giggle.  I
clearly needed to develop some verbal comebacks for this friendship. 
Giving the bird was funny now, but it was also a bit childish and would lose
steam soon.

“Seriously,” she said softly, “I was just going to show you
around and get back to my job.  You… are too easy to like.  Then
there’s the idea you’ll be working with us on occasion, so we get to claim you
anyway.”

That, kind of made sense.  If I read someone for them,
perhaps even be some kind of official interrogator.  I could probably be a
hell of a tracker as well, assuming the target was still in the city.

I sighed, “That means most will be scared of me too won’t
it?”

Lisa nodded, “Probably.  Not the older ones, like Ice,
and Daniel.  But yeah, the under one hundred crowd probably won’t be
comfortable around you.  So spill, what’s with you and volunteering to
talk to the mutts,” she shivered, “Their magic always puts me on edge, not to
mention their attitude.”

I shrugged and tried to play it off, I wasn’t ready to
advertise my latest personal tragedy, even to a friend.  It felt too
personal.

“Spirit magic shield.  I could feel their elemental
earth and fire magic, but it didn’t bother me.  Maybe because it couldn’t
reach the air magic and interact?  I felt no instincts of danger or enmity
either come to think of it.”

I’d been so focused on Jared and trying not to say or do
something stupid that I didn’t even notice.

She tilted her head, “Could they sense yours?”

I thought about it for a minute, stupid hope burgeoned up at
the idea he wouldn’t instinctually want to kill me.

“I don’t know, I doubt it.  But they still knew I was a
vampire right off, maybe scent?”

She agreed, “Probably.  As far as the rest of it, vamps
are just humans enhanced with magic, outside of the little blood issue. 
People gravitate toward like people, and form cliques, it’s normal human
behavior.  The wolves always look down on us for it, but the truth is it
makes us more human than they’ll ever be.

“That said, we’re all coven, all backstabbing is political,
but when the crap hits the fan, we come together.  Sure, there are
exceptions, but those usually wind up dead sooner or later.  Right now things
are very stable, we just had a house cleaning a couple of weeks ago.”

I nodded, “When Ceara took over the coven and city? 
What’s the deal with that?”

Lisa thought for a moment, no doubt editing for content,
“She’s not only the ruler of the city, but for all vampires everywhere. 
She’s the remnant of the council, and may try and form a new one.  That
basically means we’ll be targeted by rogues, most likely soon, and often.”

“Umm, isn’t it kind of stupid to attack the strongest and
oldest vampire?”

She snorted, “Sure, but look around at the vampires, what do
you see?”

I looked, and wasn’t sure what she was talking about.

She grinned, “They’re all above average in looks, if not
model material.  Including you sweetie.  Unfortunately, we don’t
recruit based on intelligence.  Then half of those turned were like you,
caught by a rogue and turned against their will.  Stupidity is everywhere,
it’s part of the human condition, and as I said earlier, vampires are just
humans with a little extra.”

For some reason that made me crack up laughing.

She added with a grin, “So is intelligence, it’s just a roll
of the dice, just like humans.  Anyway, a lot of vampires didn’t like the
council very much, or the laws.  Some want to rule the humans behind the
scenes with subtle compulsion, some want to run covens like organized crime to
control the cities underworld.  James was one of the latter, and had his
hands in multiple pies of organized crime.  He was also smart enough to
get away with it, at least, until she came to town in person and caught him.”

“I think I understand.  They see Ceara as the last
obstacle to doing whatever they want.  If she dies, it will turn into a
civil war of sorts, with no really big guns on either side.  That still
doesn’t explain why they think they can kill her.”

“Stupidity.  Truly though, all they need to do is catch
her by surprise.  She’s no more immune to a bullet in the head than you or
I.  The trick of course, is she’s faster than a bullet if she’s paying
attention, and she always is.  Plus, older vampires tend to turn arrogant
after they’ve survived half a millennium, and they get overly clever and
reckless.”

I changed the subject, “Pulse tonight?”

She nodded and her smile sparkled in her eyes, “Sure, why
not.”  She also looked a little relieved.  Had she been worried I’d
drop her as a friend?

I picked a red strapless dress that had a loose black sheer
material on the bottom part of it from the waist down.  I also put on a
pair of black high heels, and passed my makeup inspection when Lisa came by
before we left.  It didn’t cover any more than the last dress did, the red
dress stopped about mid-thigh and conformed to my legs, but the sheer black was
loose, flowing, and reached my knees.  I was also much more comfortable in
these clothes after last night.

I’d also decided I wasn’t drinking more than two drinks, and
Long Island Iced Tea was completely off the menu for me.  This morning was
mortifying, even if a little humorous.  I still hadn’t remembered last
night that well, but I’d decided to leave it as a learning experience and not
delve further into the mystery.

Pulse was laid out differently than Echo.  The bar was
more of a huge square in the center of the floor, and huge enough to have four
or five bartenders and sets of alcohol, though it was well lit like at
Echo.  There was a thin line of tables as a buffer zone of sorts, and then
the dance floor circled the bar and tables, though it was split into four dance
floors because of the need for aisles.

Around the outside were high tables and also some booths, as
well as a private VIP room with its own small bar and dedicated barmaid. 
Deciding to get it out of the way, so I could have fun tonight, I read a couple
of the waitresses.  I decided it shouldn’t be that hard, especially with
elemental spirit magic, to remember who ordered what and all that.

I even found with a little concentration I knew who needed
fresh drinks in the place.

I also took a look at the clothes, they were all in shorts
of different kinds, except one with jeans.  They all had different types
of shoes on too, some running, some short heeled sandals.  They all wore
collared shirts with the Pulse logo on them, which seemed to be the only
consistent part of the uniform.  Some had less buttons done than others,
showing various amounts of cleavage. 

I didn’t think I’d have any issues with any of it.  It
was obviously hard work… but vampire, and sorceress.  My learning curve
would be a lot smaller than the average person.

Lisa arrived out of nowhere with some mixed drinks and
handed me one.

I smirked and then looked at it faux suspiciously, “Trying
to get me drunk?”

She winked saucily and waggled her eyebrows, “You know it.”

Her eyes narrowed suddenly, all humor gone from her
expression, and she took a deep breath through her nose.

“Do you smell that?”

I took a deep breath through my nose and wrinkled it,
“Smoke?”

We both started to look around, and I spread my power out to
cover the entire club.  I didn’t sense any elemental fire magic, or witches. 
What I did sense was four extra vampires, of course that could just have been
others in the coven that didn’t work here having a night out.  Just like
the two of us.  I didn’t recognize their souls though, and even if I
hadn’t met everyone in the coven, I’d touched all their souls at least once by
now.  With the exception maybe, of Ceara, who was too well shielded.

Still, even in her case I could recognize her by her magic.

“There are four vampires here I don’t recognize,” I pointed
toward the back, “That way, by the back hallway.”

I was pretty sure the stock rooms and bathrooms were back
there, along with an office and fire exit.

Lisa frowned, “I’ll grab the bouncers and check it out, can
you try and find the fire and put it out?”

I nodded and moved as fast as I could move without looking
inhuman.  I grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and headed into the
back hallway.  I could tell the smoke was coming from the men’s
bathroom.  To verify that, there were a few human guys coughing their
brains out against the wall.  I kicked open the door, and the fire seemed
to be limited to the trash, and the wall right above the trashcan so far.

I pulled the pin and sprayed the flames while holding my
breath, the smoke was irritating my throat despite that.  I was trying to
keep track of everything with my power.  Lisa and the two bouncers who
were vampire guards I hadn’t met yet, were trying to corner the vamps without
exposing us to the humans in the club.  The four idiots ran in different
directions, one in my direction.

The fire was out, and I opened the small window to let the
smoke vent from the small room, and then went back into the hall.  I
didn’t get in the vampire’s way, and he was free to leave.  Except of
course, he picked me out and attacked me.  I have to admit I’d been hoping
he would.  He was fast, about seventy-five years turned, and a little more
powerful than I was as a vampire.

Except, he didn’t know what he was dealing with.  If he
had, he’d have just walked by me.

I couldn’t throw lightning in a human crowd though, which
limited my options.  He was faster than me, but he hadn’t been trained in
martial arts like I had and his body telegraphed his first lunging
attack.  I dodged his first strike and stomped on the side of his leg and
elbowed his face hard as he flew by.  He went down hard, but he was a
vampire, so was back up very quickly.  I reached out and easily threaded
his shield with a thread of spirit and started to wrap his soul tightly in my
power.

He attacked again, but was even more clumsy as I manipulated
his soul, and through that, his body.  He’d be asleep in a few
seconds.  Spirit lightning could have knocked him out right off, but that
wasn’t an option.  Even using direct skin to skin contact for it would
create visual sparks for the still coughing human men not even fifteen feet
away. 

He attacked again, this time moving more cautiously, so I
did the opposite.  I surprised him by moving in close, just an inch or two
separated us, and I struck him in the throat twice, once in the solar plexus,
and for good measure, I slammed my knee up between his legs.  He gasped in
pain and managed a strike at my head, but I spun away from it and around him
and returned the favor.  I hit him hard in the side of the head, and he
banged into the wall.

He went down at that point, and I wondered if my magic had
even been necessary.  Then I looked at the wall, crap, his head made a
hole…

Lisa and the bouncers had caught two more, one managed to
get away, he was a quarter mile away already and moving fast.

I heard one of the men behind me say, “Holy shit, that was
so hot.”

I turned my head around with a smile and winked.  My
dress wasn’t even wrinkled, though it smelled of smoke.  My cheek stung a
little as well, I had taken that partial hit, but I knew I’d heal in minutes
from that even as a young vampire.

It got a bit awkward though, since I couldn’t pick him up
and carry him out on my own, it wouldn’t have looked right to the humans, so I
had to wait for the others.  The guys behind me just kept staring.  I
wondered what they’d have thought if I’d had my sword, but it was safe in my
condo. 

Eventually, the two bouncers helped us load one of the cars
with the three comatose rogues.  So much for our night out.  I hadn’t
danced at all, or even gotten to drink.  I figured Ceara would ask me, so
I went ahead and found out all I could about them through soul reading as it
related to what they did and why.

What I found made me feel sick, and I couldn’t wait until
later to share.

“Lisa, they aren’t just hitting Pulse tonight.  Others
in their group went to Echo, and Legends.”

Legends was our sport’s bar.  For some reason they
weren’t going after the pool hall, probably because our guards spent a lot of
off time there.  It would be like trying to rob a Dunkin Donuts next to a
police station.

Lisa cursed and pulled out her phone, and sent out a text
message, and then dialed a number.  I could hear both sides of the
conversation.

Ceara answered, “What is it Lisa?”

Lisa replied, “Major rogue attack.  We were hit at
Pulse, Miku said they were hitting Legends and Echo as well.  No major
damage at Pulse, we stopped the fire before it could spread, and bagged three
out of four rogues, one escaped.  I just sent a text to all guards,
including the bouncers at the bar and club.  Hopefully…”

Ceara sighed, “Does she know why?”

I nodded reluctantly when Lisa looked over.

Lisa replied, “She does.  We should be in the garage in
five minutes, give us ten to jail these guys and we’ll come right up.”

Ceara agreed, “Alright, be careful.”

When we pulled into the garage a few minutes later, I
grabbed two of the rogues and threw them over my shoulders.  Lisa grabbed
the last one and I followed her through to the stairs, and then down to the
holding cells.  I wasn’t gentle when I dropped them on the bunks. 
After making sure the doors were locked, we ran upstairs to the third floor and
the large lounge room.

There was a change in the room.  That hideous throne
like chair was gone, in its place were some more couches.  We sat caddy
corner to Ceara and waited.

Ceara finally asked, “What happened.”

Lisa explained we smelled smoke, and split up.  After
she described her and the two bouncers taking down their two rogues, I went
through what happened to me.

Ceara turned to me and asked, “So what do you know?”

I took a deep breath, “The plan was to let the fire get out
of control.  They hoped no one would find out soon enough to put it out,
they knew they’d never sneak any accelerants past the bouncers, so they’d been counting
on the garbage, a lighter, and time for it to grow out of control in the
bathroom before being noticed.

“Once it was noticed, they counted on the humans panicking,
and running for the doors.  That’s when they would have killed as many
vampires as they could from the coven, and then escape in the panic.”

I paused a moment, “That was their plan.  The why…
because you’re here.  They all work for a twelve-hundred-year old vampire
named Mark.  His goals were many, some of them simply petty.  To turn
the coven against you, because you didn’t protect us from him.  To cut off
your revenue stream.  To cause the mortal authorities to poke
around.  He was also hoping you’d make a mistake in anger, allowing him to
kill you.  His end goal is to give each coven the ability to make its own
rules, instead of you ruling them all.  This was just the first step, but
his vampires don’t know the rest of his plan.”

Ceara asked, “What do you think of his plan?”

“Me?” I asked surprised, “He’s an idiot.  It would be
anarchy from city to city, they’d have covens running city governments, some
running criminal enterprises, and very little oversight means exposure would
happen sooner or later.”

Ceara asked, “And I?  What should I do?”

I shrugged, “Kill him, or put him on the new council. 
That’s all you really can do.”

Ceara blinked, “Put him on the council I’m building? 
Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know if it’s an option, it depends on why he’s
actually doing this.  Is he crazy, or just power hungry, or maybe he just
wants to make his own destiny?  The latter would be solved in that case
wouldn’t it?  Probably a bad thought, never mind.”

Ceara asked, “Do you know where he is?”

I nodded, “Maybe?  Portland, Oregon.  At the
Holiday Inn in a penthouse suite.  Not sure if he’s still there though,
that was where his rogue believed him to be.  If he’s smart though, I
imagine he believed at least one of his men would be caught.”

Ceara dismissed that with a hand wave, “Thanks.  Lisa,
get me some updates please and send them to my phone as you get them, I want
you to coordinate for me.”

Then she was just gone, before her last words faded. 
After about four seconds, I couldn’t feel her soul either, and I was reaching
out a half mile.  She just… went that fast.  I wondered if she was in
Portland already.

It was going to be a long night, “Coffee?”

Lisa nodded, “Sure.  I’m worried.  They caught the
four vampires at Echo, they didn’t even get the first started.  I haven’t
heard back from the guys at Legends yet.”

I frowned, “Don’t let my body slip off the couch.”

She frowned, “What?” as I stepped out of my body and went to
Legends with a thought.

There was a huge crowed outside, and fire engines.  I
spotted two vampires I recognized, they must have been the bar’s security
tonight.  They were talking to the firemen and two policemen.  I
walked into the building, it was kind of bad.  There was smoke and water
damage on all the walls, and the furniture, though nothing was burnt out here
in the main bar. 

The back hallway which led to the emergency exit was wet
too, it was also blackened.  I followed the damage back to the bathrooms
which were a total loss.  Worse, there were two vampire souls left in the
building.  I didn’t know them, hadn’t met them yet, but I’d felt them a
few times over the last few days.

One was a woman in jeans, a sports sweatshirt, and a green
apron with the Legends logo on it.  They weren’t real clothes, just what
her spirit believed she should have on.  Next to her was another soul, who
must have been the bartender.  The four who had done this must have
escaped.  I can only imagine it started here, and that pulse was second to
be hit, not first as I’d hoped.

I walked over to them.  They were confused about being
dead and didn’t seem to recognize me.  I was of course, invisible to
everyone else on a spirit walk, except to other disembodied spirits.

I reached out and read their souls, just the last
hour.  It happened pretty much to their plan, there was fire, panic, and
then death.  I reached in and released their memories, allowing them to
understand, see the past lives and the wheel.  They would know where to go
now, for their chance at another lifetime.