Shadows Fall Read online

  Waiting was the hardest part, especially with that sick fuck Jarvis in charge of the investigation. He would have her in his clutches, and he had a thing for breaking sirens and nymphs.

  If Carl had known, he would have found another way. Then again, she would probably need his support after the terrifying ordeal. It may just work to his advantage.

  Chapter 2

  The doors of the Van slammed shut, and a deep rough voice ordered, “Sit down now.”

  Amethyst didn’t argue, just put her butt on the seat and wrapped her arms tight around herself.

  The van roared to life, and she braced herself. She felt the brush of magic still the inside of the van.

  “So quiet. Not going to try to use your lame little powers?” He sneered.

  Everything clicked into place. Defeated, she dropped her head, letting her hair hide her face. Carl had gone to the council and lied. She couldn’t stop trembling. Jarvis, just that name was enough to scare the daylights out of her, but Carl put her there.

  Mom was right. I should have slept with him.

  “I asked you a question,” but his tone had softened. And then she heard the rustle of clothing, and then the seat dipped next to her. There was just a hint of concern. “You didn’t. Did you? You could look me in the eyes right now and make me believe, but you won’t. Will you?”

  She shook her head, refusing to look. Under no circumstance would she give them anything to use against her.

  “Hey, you’re Opal’s girl. Right?”

  Amethyst turned away from the mage. Her mother would have used her power right then. Would have turned to him with her perfect acting skills as she gazed into his eyes, giving him what he wanted. Amethyst wanted nothing to do with half of her magic.

  He leaned closer and she tried to shift away, but he didn’t touch her. Another spell brushed past her senses and he breathed the words. “I’ll call Preston. Maybe he can stop Jarvis.”

  Tears burned her eyes. He was probably lying, but without meeting his gaze she couldn’t be sure. She knew that if she looked at him, she would use her magic to calm him. Then they could claim that she used her magic against them, breaking their laws.

  There was another rustle of clothes and then the quiet beeping of a cell phone before she heard the faint ring. She couldn’t quite make out the voice, but it could almost be Preston. The one mage she trusted. Mages weren’t known for their compassion. It was probably a trick.

  “You need to get to the San Francisco headquarters, and you need to do it now. We’re bringing Opal’s girl in, and it’s Jarvis’ case. You don’t have long.”

  There was a beep and more rustling as the spell faded.

  Another voice drifted from the front. “Don’t play too much with the little nymph. Jarvis wants her to himself.”

  A new wave of terror drifted over her. Please let this guy have a shred of decency, and please let him have called Preston.

  * * * *

  The elevator doors closed. Amethyst closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly. It wasn’t helping. Her hands trembled, and she was sweating even though she shivered against the cold.

  The mage’s magic enclosed them and his whisper was barely audible. “Preston is on his way. I’ll try to stall until he gets here.”

  She finally found her voice, but it was quiet and shaky. “Why are you helping?”

  “Nothing about you says you would purposefully do what you’re accused of. You won’t even look at me.”

  Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Carl is obsessed with me. He’s been stalking me.”

  “And you wouldn’t even use your magic to protect yourself against him?”

  She shook her head. There wasn’t a good answer for that.

  He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m Jason. I’ll do what I can to keep you safe. I just hope Preston gets here before Jarvis finds out you’re here.” He pulled his hand away.

  She snuck a glance under her lashes. He had a baby face, warm brown eyes, and military short, brown hair. Jason seemed young and not fully grown into his frame.

  “I’ll do what I can,” he whispered one more time. His concern only compounded her worries.

  The doors opened and he gently took her arm to lead her down the hall and through big security doors. She could feel the buzz of magical energy from the wards placed there. The hallway had glass walls that looked into bland little white rooms with the bare essentials. Many of the cells were empty, but there was a variety of people and creatures.

  It seemed as if they had been walking forever when he stopped to open a door. There was a toilet in the corner, a pedestal sink, a cot, and one small table between the bed and the slot in the wall that was probably only big enough for a tray of food.

  He took his time opening the door, and gave her a slight nod before she stepped inside. She swallowed hard and took a seat on the corner of the bed. Her stomach dropped as silence closed in and doubt crept up on her.

  Jason was still standing there when she looked up. His arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned against the door without a sound.

  Time seemed to stand still and stretch out forever. It felt like an eon had passed.

  “She’s here?” A deep voice drawled as he stepped into sight. He looked older than any mage she could remember, which was supposed to be a sign of weakness. Most mages had enough power that they never seemed to age. This man had salt and pepper hair, and crowsfeet around his eyes. His voice was rough. “You didn’t see fit to tell me you brought in the Lakes girl?”

  “I was told to watch her,” Jason answered automatically.

  “By whom?” The tone was even colder, making her skin crawl. Amethyst curled into a ball in the far corner of her bed, instinctually putting as much room as she could between her and who she assumed was Jarvis.

  “Magister Draecen.”

  “Now why don’t I believe that statement?”

  “It’s the truth, Jarvis.”

  “You will move, or you will suffer my wrath.”

  Please, Jason, she begged silently. Don’t get yourself hurt over me.

  Amethyst peered through her hair at Jason. His chin lifted in defiance, and there was steel in his words. “You’ll have to take that up with the Magister. I’m following my orders.”

  A wave of pain hit her as Jason was knocked away with a sweep of the other man’s hand. The spell threw Jason down the hall and into a wall. Amethyst watched in horror as the young mage slid down the glass, clearly unconscious as he slumped onto the floor.

  She squeezed her eyes shut as the door wooshed open. The sting of magic licked at her skin, but she held back her yelp.

  “Get up.” Jarvis’ voice was harsh

  She sat there, too stunned to moved. The shock of the whole situation had caught up with her. Her mother had recounted so many stories from Jarvis’s victims, and now Amethyst was about to join that list.

  “Get. Up. Now.” Each word held a compulsion that slid right past her. Her own gifts were stronger, making her immune to his forced persuasion. If she wasn’t so terrified she would have listened, but she couldn’t make her body respond.

  He made a tsking sound as all the air seemed to be sucked out of the room. Then he grabbed her arms roughly and dragged her off the bed and shoved her back against the wall. “Now look at me.”

  She shook her head as her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest.

  Jarvis breathed against her ear. “You will do as I say.”

  She tried to cringe away.

  The temperature dropped a good twenty degrees in a split second. Jarvis was frozen to his spot, his fingers digging into Amethyst’s arms too tightly. He wasn’t even breathing.

  “No, Jarvis. She won’t do as you ask because you’ve been reassigned,” Preston snarled.

  Amethyst sighed in relief, but didn’t dare move as Preston pried Jarvis’ icy fingers from her. Then Preston dragged Jarvis out by his hair and left him in the hall.

  She finally looked up to see the
anger seething through Preston’s icy blue eyes.

  He spoke the words to another spell. The air charged and her breath caught as she felt the buffer surround the room. He spread his hands out, and bright lights traced symbols into each of the four walls and the door.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Jarvis rush for the door. An unseen force flung him into the opposite wall, making the glass shudder but she didn’t hear a thing.

  Amethyst clutched her hand over her mouth.

  “Shh, quiet now. It’s all right, Amethyst,” Preston promised. His pale blue eyes searched her face carefully, and then the rest of her. He winced, and she glanced down to see angry red marks where Jarvis had held her too tightly. “That piece of shit,” he snarled. “Are you all right? Did he touch you?”

  Words still failed her but she shook her head no.

  “He can’t get in. No one can but me. I’ll be here every day to check on you. You tell me if anything happens,” he insisted.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  “I’ll have to interrogate you later.” His eyes closed and his jaw cracked he clenched it so hard. “I know you didn’t do this, but I’ll still have to question you.”

  “I know.”

  “Just sit down. Let me deal with Jarvis and Magister Draecen.”

  She sank onto the bed, and pulled her legs to her chest.

  The room seemed to expand, and the pressure dissipated as Preston turned to step into the hallway. Another man had joined them. He had long dark hair tied back and a sinister goatee, but kind eyes as he glanced into the room.

  “I take it Jarvis didn’t believe that I put you in charge?”

  “No, Draecen. I had to force him out of the room. No one will be able to enter that cell but me.” Preston left no room for argument, but she knew that Draecen could order him to remove the spell.

  Draecen glanced into the room and a frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. “See that she is unharmed. Jason assures me she doesn’t seem the type to enthrall anyone. She wouldn’t even use her gift to protect herself from three mages when they barged in on her.”

  “Sir, I was told this was my case,” Jarvis snapped.

  Draecen’s cold gaze snapped to him. “And I’m telling you it is no longer your concern.”

  “I insist that you let me do my job.”

  “This is not part of your job. You are needed in the Appalachians at the present time. You’ll find your current case on your desk. You’re dismissed.”

  If Jarvis’ face got any redder, his head might just explode. “As you command.” He stormed down the hall and out of sight.

  Draecen turned to her. “I trust Preston will get to the bottom of this. Unfortunately a complaint was made and we have to investigate.” He turned away without waiting for a response and left.

  Preston turned back with a hint of a smile and a wink before he followed Draecen. She still didn’t know how long she would be stuck in the mages’ prison.

  * * * *

  “What’s your name?” The siren in the cell across from her asked. She smoothed a hand down her long straight pale hair. Her turquoise eyes held her gaze.

  “Amethyst.”

  “I’m Lillian.” A smirk twisted her lips. “And what are you in for?”

  “My ex accused me of….” She sighed and looked away. She couldn’t believe Carl could do that. “Of making him fairy struck.”

  “I take it he’s bitter that you gave him up?” She snorted. “Men are such pigs.”

  Amethyst shrugged, but didn’t bother arguing with the other woman. There were a few good men.

  “I saw what Preston did for you. How did you manage that? Are you two lovers?”

  She felt her blood rush to her face and knew she blushed furiously. “No. Definitely not. I’m too young.” Amethyst sighed, remembering her embarrassment when he told her that a decade before. “Besides, he was involved with my mother years before she had me. So that would be awkward.” At least that was what he said, but she had been fifteen with a totally inappropriate crush.

  “Ah. Opal Lakes. Yeah, she was always a wild one. At least until she settled down with that druid, Gabriel Sharpclaw. Is she still with him?”

  A smile graced her lips. “She is. He raised me.” Opal was still pregnant with Amethyst when they met and fell in love.

  Another mage marched down the hall and Amethyst dropped her gaze. She heard the glass window slide open and then the scrape of metal on metal before heavy footfalls moving away.

  “Dig in,” the other woman told her.

  Amethyst glanced at the food, and then over the siren as she took a bite of the fried chicken. Her stomach growled, but something told her not to touch the food.

  “Eat up.” The siren said. “The mages may not be the friendliest bunch, but their chef is excellent.”

  Amethyst gave her a weak smile. “Not hungry.”

  “Still need to eat” Lillian slurred as the drumstick slipped from her hand. Her eyelids dropped and in seconds she slumped to the floor in a heap.

  Amethyst gasped and moved further away from the food. There was no way she was eating anything. Wards or no, she wasn’t sure if Preston’s spell could be broken.

  Two mages calmly walked to her cell and glanced at her, then her food before turning to the siren’s room. Amethyst watched in mute horror as they dragged Lillian away.

  Chapter 3

  Two weeks in the same cell, and still no word when she would be leaving. Amethyst was losing hope. Preston had questioned her the day after she arrived, and Magister Draecen had been there. Both men believed her, but as Draecen explained, procedure called for them to keep her in the cell until they could prove she wasn’t at fault.

  She was curled up in the corner of her cot, hugging her legs tight to her chest. Her face was hidden by her knees. She just wanted out.

  At least Preston made it bearable with his daily visits. Thankfully he brought her a little treat whenever he came by, and she did trust him. Jarvis hadn’t been back down, but the siren had been taken four times in total. The first time was Amethyst’s first night in the cell. The last three were in the last few days.

  She was starving and so beyond tired. Those little snacks didn’t go far, and she was afraid to sleep. Okay, she knew she was paranoid. No one had so much as stepped into the cell besides Preston, but she couldn’t help worrying.

  The door opened. She didn’t bother to look up until the bed dipped. She peeked through the fall of her hair and saw Preston’s pale blue eyes staring back at her. There was a lopsided grin on his face.

  “Hey, Ame. Everyone still leaving you alone?”

  She nodded, and even though she didn’t dare hope, she asked, “Do I get to leave yet?”

  “Sure do. I’m taking you home, but we need to talk.”

  Her head snapped up, but a frown pulled at the edges of her mouth. “Oh. About?”

  Preston ran his hand through his hair before he took a look around. “Come on. We’ll talk on the way.”

  He stood and held his hand out for her, which she gladly took. A wave of dizziness hit her when he pulled her to standing, and she swayed on her feet.

  Preston’s jaw clenched as he picked her up. She felt his magic buffer his voice from prying ears. “Did they feed you?”

  “Yes, but...,” she swallowed hard and looked up at him, “what if it was poisoned, or drugged?” Her eyes swept to the cell where Lillian was still asleep on her bed from that morning’s breakfast. “I just… I couldn’t.”

  Anger darkened his eyes. “I’ll find out what I can.” When he looked down, his expression softened. “You’re okay though? Nothing happened that shouldn’t have?”

  She shook her head. “No one managed to get into my room. They left the food at the window and left.”

  “Why didn’t you mention it?” he asked softly.

  “Wasn’t sure what you could do about it.”

  “Well, let’s get you a real meal, and then we can talk.”

/>   * * * *

  Carl sat in his shitty little Passat, watching the Silver Council’s front doors. He sat there glaring as that bastard mage strolled inside with a purpose. Thirty minutes crept by as he waited, chewing his nails.

  They would have to release her. It had been two weeks which was more than long enough for the Council to realize he had lied.

  Then he saw her. She’d lost a little weight, her hair was limp and dull, and there were dark circles under her eyes. His hands cranked into fists, his uncut nails cutting past skin. Why the hell was she leaning into him? Why was his arm wrapped around her?

  Amethyst is mine.

  Preston took her to some fancy sports car that had to have some asinine price tag and opened the door for her. She disappeared behind the tinted windows, and Carl flipped around in his seat to follow.

  Preston sped past his car, and before Carl could punch the gas, his windows were covered by black sludge.

  “Fucking mage,” he screamed as he turned the wipers on.

  * * * *

  Lunch had been awkward. Preston hardly said a word while they both ate an impressive amount of sushi. He was obviously brooding over something he was reluctant to tell her. They were in his car, finally heading back to her apartment.

  “Nothing happened to you?” Preston asked again, more urgently than he had at Sushi Lane.

  “No. Whatever protection you put up kept everyone out. No one even tried to open the door.” She sighed and looked back out the window.

  “That siren, do you know what happened to her?”

  Amethyst shook her head. “No, but it couldn’t have been good.” She glanced back at Preston. “So, now that you’re taking me home, tell me what’s on your mind.”

  His hands tightened around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “Carl was waiting for you to be released from the council. He’s been sitting outside the damned building every day or at your apartment, just waiting. He was going to follow until I created a diversion.”