Page 374 of Castings & Curses

MELINDA

The hour waslate and the rain was pelting down. I pulled my hood forward and hurried through the crowded Manhattan streets.

They were coming for me. They had to be. It didn't matter that I wasn't guilty. That I hadn't been the one to kill Misha Drake. I was the logical suspect, unless or until they had proof otherwise. How many supernatural beings in the city of New York had the power to destroy the soul of another, and how many had known the victim? I was guessing the number was close to one.

Only it wasn't one, because I wasn't the one who did it. There had to be someone else, but I had no idea who it could be.

I had to find Misha's murderer before the cavalry did, or let them find me, because I had to prove my innocence. As much as I trusted the angelic hierarchy to be thorough, I couldn't trust them to care as much about finding the truth and proving my innocence as I could. After all, my freedom was at stake. It was why I ran after finding his body, even though it made me look guilty. I was sure they'd have arrested me otherwise.

But poor Misha. I knew him well, and I cared about him. The bile rose in my throat at the thought of what they'd done to him. He was incredibly talented, and inspiring him with my muse magic had been an honor. I'd supported him financially as a patron as well — that was the part he knew about.

It was fascinating and rewarding watching his creations come to life, and Lucia — oh, she'd be heartbroken. She was a lovely young brunette with brown eyes. Misha had been dating her for a matter of months, and they were so in love, they'd talked about getting married. He'd told me all about her with a smile on his face. When they killed him and ripped away his soul, they broke more than Lucia’s heart — they also broke mine.

I dashed away tears as I entered a tall white building with grubby glass double doors. They really needed a good cleaning. Maybe the rain would help. This really wasn't one of the better hotels, but I was hoping not to be noticed, and just needed somewhere safe to escape to for a while. I couldn't risk going back to my home in the city, so I was making do with what I had on me, a magically-altered credit card, and several bags of shopping I'd picked up en route. I didn't have a vehicle, but in Manhattan, I didn't need one.

An older man with gray hair and a mustache looked up from the hotel desk as I approached.

"Good evening. Can I help you?"

I gave him a polite smile, and handed over my enchanted credit card. It wasn't just the name on the front that was altered, but the account the money would be drawn from. The less said about that, the better.

"Yes, I'd like a room please."

He nodded and began tapping on his keyboard. "Do you have any ID?"

I did, but not one that would match the name on my credit card. I hadn't planned this far ahead, so had nothing prepared.

"Uh, not really," I said. "Does my credit card count?"

Lucky for me, he didn't press the matter and handed me a key with a smile.

"Room number 14 — enjoy your stay."

He waved me on, as though he couldn't wait to be alone again in the foyer.

As soon as I was in my room, I closed the door behind me and glanced around. It was small and sparsely furnished, and it felt private — perfect for what I needed it to be: somewhere I could lay low for a while and figure out my next move.

I pulled off my hoodie, which was damp from the rain, and sat down on the bed with my shopping bags. One had food and bottles of drink, and I set that aside for later. The others contained magic supplies I would need if the angelic hierarchy wasn't going to find me. I lifted out a half dozen white pillar candles, along with essential oils including lavender and freesia, crystals of various colors — amethyst being predominant — plus herbs including white sage. Sage was typically used for cleansing an area, and it was always wise to do so before casting an enchantment of this sort to be safe.

Hotel rooms typically have a lot of guests staying in them on a daily basis, and people leave imprints on the areas where they've been, especially during emotional times. I didn't want those imprints or any spirits interfering with what I had in mind. I would typically use incense sticks too, but the sage would be smoky enough. I didn't want to trigger the fire alarms. I opened the window wide, and got to work smudging — or in other words, cleansing the area.

The ritual took almost twenty minutes, but soon the candles were lit and I began the chant. I'd chosen the words for their protective power, and also their ability to conceal me from any prying eyes or minds seeking out my location or identity.

When done correctly, they created a spiritual barrier that no beings could easily see through, and their senses should slide past me, as though there was nothing of interest in the area. There was no easy way to be sure it was working, but I trusted in the magic, as my worshippers had once used it — as few and far between as they might've been. That was back when I was still the Goddess of Mischief.

Those had been fun times. I smiled at my memories of all the crazy shit I got up to, though I still mourned the change in the status quo. It was a different world now, and I'd found my place in it… for a while. Now, I was having doubts because I was sure the angelic hierarchy wouldn't trust me. The old rift between the angels and the gods still hadn't mended, and doubts and rivalries were common.

Perhaps it was time I found a way to fall back on my old ways and indulge in some mischief once again. Hiding out in a dank hotel wouldn't be a lasting solution. I wanted some sleep, a meal and time to strategize. I needed to find out who was behind Misha's death, and the only way I could do that was to go out and investigate.

It might be possible to fashion a talisman to hide my presence after leaving the hotel. I would need to tinker with the resources at my disposal, but I was sure I could do it. It could be a portable version of the spell I'd cast on my hotel room.

* * *

Six hours later,I'd fashioned a simple safety pin I'd found in the corner of the room into a talisman decorated with dangling crystal shards. Crystals could be used to store, focus and amplify energies, and I'd managed to imbue these with enough power to hide my aura, so long as I wore the pin. My aura was not as simple to hide as a human's, but the talisman should work all the same.

I pinned on the talisman before leaving my hotel room, feeling a little better prepared for what I was about to do. I felt eyes on me as I walked. It was comforting in a way, as I didn't fear most people. I knew with the forces at work, it was unlikely any mortal, friendly or otherwise, would be in a position to tip the balance.

I had no idea what exactly I was looking for, but I knew I couldn't risk returning to Misha's home. I'd been in the city for long enough to have gained a number of acquaintances. There was a bar called Enchant that catered to a supernatural clientele, and I knew I could find help there, but it was too public to walk in the main door when my freedom was at stake. I had a better idea on how to approach it.

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