Read Online Dark Magic (Harbinger P.I. Book 3) by Adam J Wright - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Adam J Wright
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want, another favor? I’ll owe you two, how about that?”
She looked at me closely. “No, I don’t think so. Something more immediate would be preferable.”
I sighed, wondering if coming here had been a mistake. The last time I’d been here, I’d agreed to exchange a favor for the sisters casting a werewolf locator spell. I’d needed to find the werewolf in town so I could save lives. But now, being checked out magically by the sisters wasn’t imperative. I could live without it. “Never mind,” I said. “I changed my mind.” I turned to the door.
Victoria said, “No need to be like that, Alec. Come on, we’ll find Devon and check you over.”
“What about the payment?” I asked.
She waved a slender hand in the air dismissively. “We’ll forego the payment on this occasion. We don’t want to fall out with the town’s preternatural investigator, do we? Come on.” She disappeared behind a stack of books.
What she’d said about falling out with the town’s P.I. made me run after her. “Hey, did you ever work with the P.I. who was in town before me?”
“Sherry Westlake?” she asked, leading me through the maze of bookshelves to the back of the shop. “Yes, of course.”
“What kind of things did you do for her?”
“Oh, the usual. Minor magics, locator spells, enchanting items, that sort of thing.”
“Did she ever mention a church in Clara?”
Victoria stopped and turned to face me. “You mean the church where thirteen people died.” It wasn’t a question, and the lightness in her voice was gone to be replaced by a somber tone.
I nodded. “Yeah, that place.”
“That place is evil,” she said quietly.
“I know. Did Sherry ever mention it to you?”
“No,” she said simply, turning around again and continuing toward the rear of the shop.
I followed, wondering if she knew anything else about the church. As a witch, she probably got a bad vibe in her magical senses every time the place was mentioned so maybe it was nothing more than that. Or maybe she knew more about the church and the Fairweather family who owned it than she was letting on.
“Alec, how nice to see you,” came a voice from behind me. I turned to see Devon Blackwell, Victoria’s younger and more psychic sister. She wore a Victorian-style dress as well, only hers was of dark red velvet. Like Victoria, Devon wore her black hair long and untethered.
“I’m sure you knew I was coming,” I said.
“Well, I didn’t say it was a surprise, did I?”
“No, but your sister did earlier. Maybe she doubts your power of prophecy.”
Devon smiled and waggled a finger at me as if I were a naughty child. “Now there’s no need for that. Come into the back room and we’ll see if that door in your mind is still closed.”
I followed them into the small room from which they ran the mail-order side of their business. Stacks of boxes flanked a metal desk with a computer sitting on it. An old sofa and wooden coffee table were the main features of the room. A pungent smell of herbs came from a kitchenette area where the sisters made their tea.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Victoria asked when she saw me looking at the kitchenette.
“No, thank you,” I said quickly.
“All right, take a seat,” she said, indicating the sofa.
I sat and Devon joined me, taking my hands in hers and closing her eyes. Her hands were warm, her grip loose. After a couple of seconds, she whispered, “The door that was inside your mind is gone. You must have used powerful magic to remove it.”
“Ancient Egyptian,” I said.
Victoria shot me a glance, telling me to be quiet.
Devon began to tremble slightly and a look of fear settled on her face. “Thirteen times thirteen,” she whispered.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Victoria held up a hand. She’d told me before not to interrupt Devon when she was in one of her trances but I needed details, not vague prophecies.
Devon’s eyes flew open. She looked around the room
She looked at me closely. “No, I don’t think so. Something more immediate would be preferable.”
I sighed, wondering if coming here had been a mistake. The last time I’d been here, I’d agreed to exchange a favor for the sisters casting a werewolf locator spell. I’d needed to find the werewolf in town so I could save lives. But now, being checked out magically by the sisters wasn’t imperative. I could live without it. “Never mind,” I said. “I changed my mind.” I turned to the door.
Victoria said, “No need to be like that, Alec. Come on, we’ll find Devon and check you over.”
“What about the payment?” I asked.
She waved a slender hand in the air dismissively. “We’ll forego the payment on this occasion. We don’t want to fall out with the town’s preternatural investigator, do we? Come on.” She disappeared behind a stack of books.
What she’d said about falling out with the town’s P.I. made me run after her. “Hey, did you ever work with the P.I. who was in town before me?”
“Sherry Westlake?” she asked, leading me through the maze of bookshelves to the back of the shop. “Yes, of course.”
“What kind of things did you do for her?”
“Oh, the usual. Minor magics, locator spells, enchanting items, that sort of thing.”
“Did she ever mention a church in Clara?”
Victoria stopped and turned to face me. “You mean the church where thirteen people died.” It wasn’t a question, and the lightness in her voice was gone to be replaced by a somber tone.
I nodded. “Yeah, that place.”
“That place is evil,” she said quietly.
“I know. Did Sherry ever mention it to you?”
“No,” she said simply, turning around again and continuing toward the rear of the shop.
I followed, wondering if she knew anything else about the church. As a witch, she probably got a bad vibe in her magical senses every time the place was mentioned so maybe it was nothing more than that. Or maybe she knew more about the church and the Fairweather family who owned it than she was letting on.
“Alec, how nice to see you,” came a voice from behind me. I turned to see Devon Blackwell, Victoria’s younger and more psychic sister. She wore a Victorian-style dress as well, only hers was of dark red velvet. Like Victoria, Devon wore her black hair long and untethered.
“I’m sure you knew I was coming,” I said.
“Well, I didn’t say it was a surprise, did I?”
“No, but your sister did earlier. Maybe she doubts your power of prophecy.”
Devon smiled and waggled a finger at me as if I were a naughty child. “Now there’s no need for that. Come into the back room and we’ll see if that door in your mind is still closed.”
I followed them into the small room from which they ran the mail-order side of their business. Stacks of boxes flanked a metal desk with a computer sitting on it. An old sofa and wooden coffee table were the main features of the room. A pungent smell of herbs came from a kitchenette area where the sisters made their tea.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Victoria asked when she saw me looking at the kitchenette.
“No, thank you,” I said quickly.
“All right, take a seat,” she said, indicating the sofa.
I sat and Devon joined me, taking my hands in hers and closing her eyes. Her hands were warm, her grip loose. After a couple of seconds, she whispered, “The door that was inside your mind is gone. You must have used powerful magic to remove it.”
“Ancient Egyptian,” I said.
Victoria shot me a glance, telling me to be quiet.
Devon began to tremble slightly and a look of fear settled on her face. “Thirteen times thirteen,” she whispered.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Victoria held up a hand. She’d told me before not to interrupt Devon when she was in one of her trances but I needed details, not vague prophecies.
Devon’s eyes flew open. She looked around the room
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