Gray Witch (Black Hat Bureau 5)

The brother appeared to be the instigator, so I wanted more people on him.

“Clay, you and Asa go after Markus.” I jerked my chin at the girl. “I’ll go after Trinity.”

The guys weren’t happy with their assignments, but oh well.

“This only ends one way,” I shouted to her. “Surrender, and you can save your brother.”

“You’re a black witch,” she panted. “You just want my heart.”

The oddities of my heritage and powers urged me to embrace my new truth. “I’m a gray witch.”

“You must really think I’m dumb. There’s no such thing.” Her voice rose to a fever pitch, a spell falling from her lips that trailed to me. “Malcom, I summon thee.”

“Crap.” I put on a fresh burst of speed, determined to seize her before he caught me. “Trinity, stop.”

Two thirds of the eldest Holmstrom brother materialized before me, and I smacked right into him.

“Oh, hello.” He shoved me back while I was off balance, then swiped my leg out from under me. “I was hoping we’d meet again.”

“You’re starting to sound like a broken record.”

“Well,” he said, chuckling, his hand going to the absent portion of his head, “I am missing half my brain.”

“I can’t tell much difference, to be honest.”

Back on my feet, I kicked his hip, spun him, then thrust my wand up toward his chin. He leapt aside, dodging the strike, then rolled under my defenses to pop up in my face. His eyes were wild with exhilaration, and his chest pumped despite the fact his heart had long ceased its beating.

“This is going to be fun.” He punched up, catching me in the gut. “Never killed a gray witch before.”

A sharp hurt radiated through me from the point of impact, and that was when I understood.

“You stabbed me. That’s so…” I pulled the ectoplasmic blade from my gut, and it turned to goop in my hand, “…disgusting.” I brought my knee up between his legs, and he doubled over panting. “If I get ghost cooties from this, I’m going to carve your bones into beads and pass them out to witch covens as souvenirs.”

“You bitch.” He squinted up at me. “That fucking hurt.”

“Use your brain.” Awkward. “The half you have left.” I barreled on. “You’re dead. Your heart doesn’t have to beat. Your lungs don’t have to fill. You don’t have to experience pain. You’re dead, capiche?”

His reactions were based on responses he would have had while he was alive, not stimuli he felt now.

“Hey.” He straightened to his full height. “You’re right.” He laughed. “Mind over matter.”

When his fist plowed into my face—once, twice, three times without flinching—I realized the enormity of my mistake. Now that he knew he didn’t have to feel pain, he was choosing not to, and Trinity was getting away.

“I probably deserved that,” I admitted, ducking his next strike. “But, as much fun as this has been, I’ve got a summoner to catch.”

Before he could get in close again, I stabbed him through with my wand and lit him up until he exploded. A permanent solution it was not, but I was running low on options. And the bigger problem was sprinting away at breakneck speed.

Once he was scattered, I ran in the direction I last saw Trinity. About the time I started to fear I had chosen wrong, I found her clutching her side and panting through a cramp. She spotted me and forced herself to run, but it was clear she wasn’t used to the exercise.

Foam armor doesn’t make you work for it like wearing the real thing.

“Last chance.” I was closing in fast. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t.” She began to limp. “Leave us alone.”

“I can’t do that.” I extended my arm and brushed her shoulder with the tip of my wand. Magic turned her muscles soft, and she collapsed in a heap I almost tripped over. “Sorry, kid, but you’ve got hard choices ahead of you.” I wanted her to decide before she saw her brother. “You need to answer some questions for me, and then we’re going to talk about your options.”

Exhaustion paired with the spell left her too weak to do more than mumble an affirmative.