Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series (8 page)

She closed her eyes, sinking into a meditative state. Opening them again, the world changed into a blur of colour, as she switched to her
Other Sight
. As the book hummed beneath her fingertips, Bethany’s magical signature glowed with a faint red energy.

Closing her eyes again, she flung her senses out into the world, as she followed the invisible link of Bethany’s magic back to the witch herself. Images started flashing, just before it felt as if she were being slammed against a brick wall. Cate winced, biting back a curse, just as Jason waved the phone at her to indicate it was ringing.

“It’s Ian.” He tossed it to her.

“Yeah?” she asked, rubbing her temples.

“Hi Sis, just to let you know we found three bodies down in the basement. They look fairly recent and from what I can tell they burned from the inside out.”

“The drug? Damn, I wish we knew what that thing was made of. Let me know if you get anything else.”

“There’s one more thing and you might want to go and see Gran about this.”

Cate frowned. “Why?”

“Because one of the victims is wearing a Denai pendant.”

As soon as Cate hung up and grabbed her weapons belt, she and Jason teleported back to the compound.

“Where’s the pendant?” she asked as soon as she laid eyes on her brother. “Do we know who she was?”

Enforcers dying were bad enough, but the death of a Denai was much more serious, given how their numbers were dwindling rapidly.

Why hadn’t they heard about a missing Denai? Seline would have screamed bloody murder as soon as she found out. Unless she didn’t know. Perhaps the witch had been a dark Denai, one that had forsaken clan and coven, and everything they stood for.

Ian pulled out the small evidence bag from his jacket; inside was a tiny, gold, star pendant. Only McCray’s wore silver ones.

“No ID, the bodies are too badly burned. Doubt we’ll get many answers, if any, from the remains. I’ll give Phelps one thing, she’s bloody good at covering her tracks.”

“I’d better go and see Gran. She’ll be livid if she hears the news from someone else. Hopefully she will know who the victim is.”

Cate received a round of bowing heads from the Guard as she passed through the long corridors lined with weapons, richly decorated tapestries depicting age-old battles, and especially those that included the coven. She headed to Seline’s private meeting chamber and was confronted by Elsie.

The Dwarf looked up from her desk as Cate barged in. “Is she expecting you?”

As if she needed an appointment to see her own grandmother! But apparently Elsie seemed to think she did. “Nope, but I’m going to see her now.” Cate took a step towards the double doors.

“Wait, Catherine, you can’t just…”

“Oh, can’t I? And who are you to call me Catherine?” She tapped her pendant. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

Elsie’s lips tightened. “Forgive me, my lady, but the Grand Mistress has told me not to allow anyone to disturb her.”

Cate quickly scanned the room with her senses, but only felt Seline’s presence inside. “Whatever. She can make time for me.”

Cate moved past Elsie to where Seline’s personal guard stood at the door. Olaf was a seven-foot giant, dark and imposing, who immediately opened the door when he saw her coming. It was strange how someone as scary as Olaf could be afraid of her, but she thought it had something to do with the fact that she’d once thrown him through a wall when she was a teenager – accidentally of course. Now, whenever she was around, he gave her a wide berth.

“Second Grand – Mistress – Catherine – McCray,” Olaf said in his gravelly voice as he announced her.

Inside, Seline was sitting at her large mahogany desk with a large pile of paperwork. She looked up as Cate came striding in.

“Gran, we found the body of a Denai at the Thorn’s compound. You never mentioned one was missing.”

“To my knowledge none are. Are you certain it was a Denai?”

Cate pulled out the evidence bag with the pendant inside. “This was found on one of the remains.”

Seline carefully removed the pendant and held it in her palm. “Have you used your powers on it?”

“No, I could do without the migraine.”

Seline closed her eyes for a moment and Cate felt her grandmother’s power rise, as she scanned the object with her mind.

“I sense nothing. There may not be enough of the witch’s energy left on it for me to detect.” She closed her eyes again and was silent for a few moments. “All of the coven are present and accounted for. Nor do I sense any danger to them. You could easily sense that for yourself, Catherine.”

“Jason has been nagging me to come and see you anyway,” she paused. “The migraines and nosebleeds have been getting worse and more frequent recently.”

Seline frowned. “Why haven’t you told me this before now?”

“I didn’t think…”

“Of course you didn’t, you’re just as stubborn as your mother at times. Have you been to your monthly examination?”

“Yeah – about three months ago.”

“Goddess give me strength!”

“Look, you know how much I hate those things and I don’t need to be hooked up to a bloody machine to know my powers are growing. I compelled a vamp last night named Colbane.”

“Colbane? Yes, I heard you brought him in. Well, this is wonderful news.”

“Wonderful? Gran, he’s a vampire and a bloody powerful one at that. I wouldn’t say that was wonderful,” she replied. “Denais either compel the living or the dead. I can do both and that scares me.”

“You’re not like the rest of us, you are the Goddess Marked. You’re special even among our kind.”

“Yeah, but my powers are too strong for my pathetic, mortal body and I’m not special.”

“Have you been meditating?”

“It doesn’t help. I’ve been having headaches after barely using a minimal amount of power,” she admitted and bit her lip nervously. “Gran, I don’t know what else to do. I’m afraid of what my powers are turning into, of what they’re going to do to me.”

“You wouldn’t have the power if you couldn’t control it. I will find something to help with the side-effects.”

“Like what? Potions and meditation only goes so far.”

Seline reached out and grabbed her hand, frowning. “You are in transition. The ascension is upon you.”

“Transition? I can’t be!” Cate felt a sudden panic.

“I thought you would be happy, you keep complaining how your powers are affecting you. Once you’ve ascended they won’t do so, but you will need to feed much more to help you through it.”

“I fed from Jason last night, but I don’t like to keep doing that.”

“Why not? It’s what he’s there for. It’s why we work with Elementals, so they can be used as an energy source when we need to feed.”

“Gran, Jason isn’t my personal battery pack, he’s my friend.”

“Then take a lover perhaps. Feeding through sex is perfectly natural and you can gain more energy that way.”

Cate grimaced. “Gran, I don’t have a lover nor do I want one.”

“You haven’t had a lover for months now, or are the tabloids correct when they say Talbot…”

“Goddess, no! I told you, you should never believe anything those vultures write about me. I don’t understand why everyone thinks Jason and I are a couple anyway.”

“Perhaps because you spend most of your time together, even outside of work and he lives under the same roof as you.”

“He has his own room. Jason is just a good friend and I sure as hell don’t plan on using him for sex. I just feed on him when I need to,” Cate sighed. “My lack of lovers isn’t your concern either.”

“Nothing about being a Denai involves celibacy, my dear.”

“Ha, I used Finn for sex and look where that got me. He fell in love with me and then threatened to go to the press with an exclusive,” she said angrily.

“That’s because Finn, demigod or not, is a pathetic little worm. You could do so much better.”

“Oh yeah? Do you have a list of guys who are immune to my powers then — other than Jason?”

“Jason is … unique, but I don’t encourage you to take him as your lover.”

Cate scowled; how the hell had they ended up discussing her love life or lack thereof?

“Why? What’s wrong with Jason?” she asked. “You said I should feed from him more often.”

“Yes indeed, but he’s not the man for you.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

“Jason is a complicated man and I worry you have grown far too close to him.”

“That’s ridiculous! He’s my partner and we work well together. I thought you would think that was a good thing, given how long it took me to find a partner I could actually work with.”

“Back to the case. Have you found anything that might lead to Bethany’s whereabouts?”

“I found her Book of Shadows, but didn’t have much luck using it to locate her.”

“Try again. If your powers are growing as much as you say then it shouldn’t be too difficult. She is far weaker than you,” Seline replied. “Find out who those Denai remains belong to and keep me up to date with the case’s progress. I, in turn, will do everything I can to find something to help with your … physical ailments. But by goddess, get your evaluation done as soon as possible!”

Cate groaned. “Fine.”

She turned to go, but Seline stopped her. “The coven is meeting for our circle three nights from now. Do you think you could make an appearance for once? As the Second, your presence is required.”

“Gran, you know how important this case is.”

“All of your cases are priorities, I understand that, but so is your coven.”

“You said I wouldn’t have to give up my Enforcer duties in favour of being the Second.”

“Nor do you have to, but I know you’re not always working when you fail to attend circles.”

Cate sighed. “How many times do I have to ask you not to spy on me?”

Seline smiled. “I’m the Grand Mistress, it’s my job to know everything that goes on in this city. I have spies everywhere.”

“Now
that
I believe,” she said, with a hint of annoyance.

“Oh, and go for your evaluation now. Your brother can make time for you.”

Goddess help!
Cate really did loathe the monthly evaluations and examinations which all Enforcers were required to take, to make sure they were physically, magically, and mentally in shape. Such were the strains and risks that came with the job. Blood tests were the worst part, at least for her, even if Ian was the one who usually did it

Jason waited outside while Ian checked her over. “Everything looks fine, as far as I can tell. Not like you to heal so fast after you were injured last night though,” Ian grinned. “Is the ascension coming on?”

“I think so. I fed on Jason and he sped up the healing.”

“I better run more tests.”

“No more tests! I’m wasting enough time here as it is.”

“I need to keep an eye on you and your powers through the transition.”

Cate waved her hand dismissively. “Save it! I’ve heard it all from Gran. You won’t believe what she suggested I do – she said I should take a lover to get more energy and use Jason more often.”

Ian’s mouth fell open, then widened into a grin. “Wow, you’re using Talbot? You lucky cow!”

Goddess give me strength!
“No, you idiot! I’m not using Jason in that way. She told me not to ever have sex with him and I don’t intend to feed more often than I have to.”

“Yeah, but you only use blokes for sex anyway, don’t you?”

Cate gritted her teeth. “Why the hell is my sex life such a hot topic of discussion today?” She got to her feet. “I’m going back to work.”

“You know we’re not finished here yet. Physical is done, but now you’ve got to be connected up to the scanner.”

Being hooked up to wires was almost as bad as being stabbed with needles. Whilst the machine took readings of her magic and vital signs, she sat and talked to Ian about the case as well as other things.

“Have you and Steve heard from Dad lately?”

She watched her brother wince. “Why would he talk to me?”

It was no secret that Ian and their father, Kal, had never gotten along, even Steve clashed with him at times, but Cate adored their father. Steve quarrelled with him because the two of them were very much alike whereas Ian disagreed with him as he was convinced Kal hated him because of his homosexuality.

“Dad still cares about you.”

“Dad
doesn’t
care about me — he thinks there’s something wrong with me.”

“I tried calling him last week, but I haven’t heard from him yet.”

Ian said, “He’s probably working in Elaris, lording it over everyone.”

Their dad wasn’t a witch, he was one of the Ashrali known as the Tempus, a being with power over time.

“I hope he’s okay, I worry about him sometimes,” she admitted.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up eventually.”

There was a tapping on the door and they looked up to see Marina Talbot come in. Marina was Jason’s mother, as well as being advisor to the Grand Mistress and counsellor to the Enforcers and the Guard. She was six foot with long, chestnut hair and green eyes. She was one of the oldest members of the coven; everyone looked to her as a mother figure.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Marina’s kind smile was enough to make anyone feel better. “Cate, Seline told me about your headaches. I brought you some recipes for potions that might help, they’re stronger than the ones you have already.”

“Thanks Marina,” Cate smiled gratefully.

“How are you feeling, dear? You know you can always come to me, even outside of work.”

“I know that, thanks Marina. But I’m okay – aside from the power problems.”

“I have a favour to ask you. Do you think you could drag that son of mine home this weekend? The two of you can come to Sunday dinner.”

Cate laughed. “Alright, I promise I’ll try.”

“Good, I feel like I haven’t seen him in weeks.”

“Mum, what are you on about?” Jason poked his head around the door. “You see me every day.”

“Yes, I see you passing through the Tower. I would like to spend some time with you away from here.”

“You know you’re always welcome at our place,” Cate said, feeling awkward. “I mean – my house. Ian, how much longer is this thing going to take? I’ll end up dying of old age before I have the chance to find Bethany.”

“Just a few more minutes, Sis,” Ian replied. “Marina, Cate’s in transition. Not long until the ascension now.”

“What wonderful news,” Marina smiled. “If you need any help, or just to talk, you know where I am.”

“Thanks, Marina,” Cate said gratefully and turned to Jason. “You don’t have to wait for me.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Marina said, “Jason, I thought you were chatting with Angie?”

“I was, but now I’m not. Mum, can I have a quick word?”

Jason led Marina into an empty office, pulling out a tiny device that looked like a pen, to stop anyone from overhearing them.