Page 21 of Midnight Witch

Valentina looked on uneasily while Brimstone and the weapon wolfed down six burgers each in the blink of an eye.

“I still don’t understand why Mendes and his coven didn’t attack those creatures,” Nikolai muttered.

It had become clear to everyone in the aftermath of the battle that the Rio de Janeiro sorcerers and witches had done nothing to aid their side.

The Caracas High Priestess furrowed her brow. “I must admit, he was like another man tonight. One I didn’t recognize.” The witch clocked Mae’s surprised stare. “Don’t get me wrong, Sergio is strong and he likes to show off his wealth, but his behavior and that of that harpy eagle were out of character.” She paused, concern darkening her eyes. “In fact, I don’t recall his familiar being a harpy eagle. I’m pretty sure it was a black hare.”

Unease coiled through Mae. She chewed the mouthful of burger she’d just taken and swallowed.

What the hell is Vedran trying to do this time?

A low growl left Brimstone.That I do not know, my witch.The fox licked his chops.But Barquiel is playing with fire. The Council of Hell will not look kindly upon him if he keeps bringing hellbeasts to Earth without their permission.

Mae didn’t realize she’d voiced her concerns out loud until Valentina addressed her.

“You believe this to be the work of the Sorcerer King?”

“There was a similar attack a few days ago, where Mae lives,” Bryony explained at the Caracas High Priestess’s guarded expression. “It was on a smaller scale than this one. But we still don’t know what they’re after.”

“Well, if they were trying to rattle our cage, they’ve succeeded,” Alicia said bitterly.

“Could Mendes be working for the Dark Council?” Mae asked Valentina.

Valentina hesitated. “I can’t speak for the other South American covens, but I have never known Sergio or anyone in his entourage to show any inclination toward black magic.”

Frustration churned Mae’s stomach. She’d castNullifywhen the first portal had appeared. She was pretty confident there had been no black magic cores amidst the guests attending the reception or inside the hotel. Still, the more she relived what had taken place in the ballroom, the more certain she grew that Mendes had known about tonight’s attack.

Though they were yet to see any evidence that the Sorcerer King was behind these latest incidents, there was no doubt in her mind that it was the work of the Vedran and the demon archduke who worked for him. Whatever was happening was too intentional to be coincidence. And she could not get rid of the seed of suspicion that had taken root inside her tonight.

That she and Nikolai had been the intended targets.

Movement at the opposite end of the corridor distracted her from her dark thoughts. Abraham appeared from the direction of the main reception.

“I’ve managed to pacify the hotel manager for now,” he told Bryony glumly. “The good news is this little stunt hasn’t made the late-night headlines yet. The bad news is the mayor wants to see us tomorrow morning at eight thirty sharp.”

Bryony groaned.

“Want me to come with you?” Mae volunteered.

Bryony and Abraham looked at her like she’d offered to parade naked in front of the mayor.

“You, the fox, and Hellreaver at City Hall?” Bryony grumbled. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Besides, all we need is for one of those damn portals to open there and we might as well kiss our coven headquarters goodbye.”

Abraham pursed his lips, his gaze swinging between Mae and Nikolai. “Besides, aren’t you two going to Marblehead tomorrow to look at that church?”

“What church?” Jared asked, nonplussed.

“The Boston coven asked Bryony for help investigating a haunted church,” Nikolai explained with all the excitement of a man about to face death row.

Valentina raised an eyebrow. “There’s no such thing as ghosts.”

“That’s what I said,” Alicia muttered.

Valentina studied Jared and the FBI agent with a cautious stare.

She leaned toward Bryony. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while, but who are they?”

“That’s Thod, the Queen of Soul Reapers.” Bryony indicated Jared dismissively. “And he’s an Immortal.”

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