Crimson Truth (Onyx Assassins 4)

The yellowed map of Edgemont was rolled out in the center of the rug, a black candle burning atop each of the four corners. The once full and fresh candles had burned down to stubs, wax beaded on the map.

My grip tightened around the long gold chain I held in my hand, the black and white marbled astrophyllite crystal lobbing this way and that as I hovered it over the map. I held one of Avi’s favorite silk gloves in my other hand, my fingers aching from clenching it so hard, as if that strength alone would pinpoint her location.

Avi had every right to fight for her people, to play spy, but that didn’t mean I’d stop looking for her. If we knew where she was, then we’d at least be ready for her when she finished her self-appointed mission. And, if I was being honest, I would breathe easier knowing where she was, not only for her safety, but to prove I was every bit the witch I’d always claimed to be. I’d never had a spell go so wrong before, and I’d tried every kind of locator spell I knew in existence. This particular spell, using my astrophyllite necklace that had once belonged to my great-great-great-grandmother, should’ve been a sure thing. The sharpened tip of the crystal should’ve stopped swinging in lazy circles and pointed directly to where those two hunters were keeping Avi…

But it didn’t.

The damn thing kept going in circles, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, as if Avi herself was running in a hamster wheel with no end in sight.

“Jocelyn?” Benedict’s voice sounded through the closed door of my room, and everything in my body awakened to it.

“It’s open,” I all but growled.

The door behind me slowly creaked open, then shut, and I not only smelled him behind me, but felt him. As if drinking his blood had attuned my senses to every inch of his essence.

But I knew that was a lie.

My powers, my own essence, had been locked on his for far longer than I’d like to admit.

“You’ve been at it for hours,” he whispered, as if he feared he’d break the spell.

It was almost laughable, the notion, since I hadn’t made any fucking progress.

Which made me wonder…

“Give me your watch,” I demanded more than requested, I gently sat Avi’s glove down before thrusting my hand behind me without taking my eyes off the map.

He didn’t ask questions, merely dropped the watch into my fingers, the cool metal and hefty weight solid in my hand. I closed my eyes, turning inward to spiral down my power, feeling it crackle all over my skin like static.

That energy grew and coiled, tightening with each beat of my heart, the spell transforming into a pulsing beacon.

I snapped my eyes open, feeling the rush of satisfaction at breaking through some inner wall. There, hovering right over the undisclosed location of the vampire residence, the tip of my crystal necklace froze.

“That’s incredible,” Benedict said, and I shook my head.

I rose to my feet, my body sighing in relief at the adjust of position, and I turned to face him. He was standing so close, I had to tip my head back to meet his eyes. I jerked my necklace back over my head, then took his hand and refastened the watch around his wrist. My fingers lingered on the feel of his bare skin, something inside me humming to life with the touch. It was like the locator spell I’d just done for him had decided to stick around and remain in my blood, whispered found him, found him, found him.

“Not that incredible,” I said, finally dropping his wrist and meeting his eyes. “I was wondering if maybe I couldn’t find Avi because something was going on with my powers, but I found you in seconds.”

“Has this ever happened before?” he asked, his eyes tracking my every move as I collapsed on the bed. The same bed he’d shaken up my world on last night. If only I had the energy to tease him, taunt him, ask him to do it again.

But I didn’t.

The spell had wrenched everything from me, almost as much as failing had.

“No.”

“Could it be because Avianna is with the Hunters?”

“Do either of their powers have anything to do with counteracting supernatural abilities?” Could one of the Hunters be like me? Could they be preventing anyone from tracking her with magic?

“Not any that were of record,” he said, but his usually calm features were pinched.

“It wouldn’t be a power one would want others to know about,” I said, and swallowed hard. Why did every part of my being want to come clean with Benedict right now? Tell him exactly how deep my powers ran, tell him I could easily make him believe a lie if I wanted to? And that I worked hard to make sure I didn’t naturally do that when I was around him?