The Ruby Circle Read online

  I sighed. “I just hope waiting to come here was the right course of action.”

  “While you were magically exhausted, just like she wanted you to be? No, Sydney. All you would’ve been doing is giving yourself to her. Even if we don’t find her today, at least you’ve had a chance to rest and prepare for what’s next.”

  I simply nodded, certainly not about to tell her that my last few days with Adrian had been anything but restful. Maybe I was no longer magically exhausted, but I was certainly mentally drained. Hopefully that wouldn’t hurt in the hunt for Alicia.

  Coven members I’d met at my initiation had all turned out, dropping whatever it was they’d had planned today in order to track down Alicia. Maude, Trina, Alison, and others whose names had slipped my mind in the last several months. Equally astonishing was that members of other covens had also come to join us, verifying Ms. Terwilliger’s insistence that this was indeed a problem for the entire magical community.

  “We’re certainly not going to leave a mess like this for a newcomer like you to deal with alone,” snapped Inez Garcia, coming up to me as I started to turn from Ms. Terwilliger. Inez was perhaps the most surprising addition of all today. She was a venerable old witch notable both for her powers and her refusal to join any coven. She was the witch Ms. Terwilliger had gone to about the wooden box. Her acerbic wit was also legendary, though she’d taken a mild liking to me (which was about as much as she liked anyone). Catching sight of Rose and Dimitri chatting near Trey, Inez gave a small snort of amusement. “No surprise you’ve got dhampirs with you. What happened to that Moroi boy you had in tow last time? The one with the nice cheekbones?”

  “Oh, he’s over there,” I said, flushing slightly. “I, uh, married him.”

  Inez’s pointed eyebrows rose. “Did you now? Well, good for you.”

  Maude, one of the senior witches in the Stelle, called everyone to attention. We gathered in a big circle as she cast a spell that created a miniature map of the Salton Sea on the ground in front of us. The plan was simple, for now, mostly because we didn’t know for sure what to expect. Between Ms. Terwilliger’s magical recruits and the “muscle” I’d provided with Trey and the dhampirs, we had nearly thirty people. We were going to divide into smaller groups to investigate as much of the shoreline as possible. Some parts were easier to get to than others, so today’s goal was checking out the public areas. Theoretically, Alicia would’ve had the same limitations. The groups were divided up based on those who had strong affinities to detect magic in general and those who were good at casting spells to detect hidden enchantments. The dhampirs were distributed among the groups, just in case physical force was needed. Ms. Terwilliger wanted Adrian and me to stay with her, and Eddie insisted on remaining with us as well. Although Jill was his main priority, he still felt responsible for us.

  It looked as though Ms. Terwilliger’s predictions were spot-on, that Alicia might very well have abandoned her plan when I didn’t immediately take the bait. If she had left a magical trap around, she’d also done a great job of eradicating all trace of it. Our search parties scoured all the public areas we could, checking some of them twice, without finding anything. Undaunted, we took a small break for lunch and then reconvened to explore the less accessible regions around the lake. Even getting into those areas required magic—mostly invisibility spells—and that took a fair bit of coordination. As evening rolled around, however, those clandestine searches proved as fruitless as the easier ones. No sign of Alicia or magical traps.

  Maude and Ms. Terwilliger thanked the other covens for their help and sent them home for the night. “Maude and I are going to run a few errands to gather some spell components that might be useful,” Ms. Terwilliger told me. “I’d like to lay some protective spells around where you’re staying, just to be safe—unless you and Adrian would like to stay at my place?”

  I smiled at that, thinking of Declan. “Things are a little complicated right now. I’d better stick to Clarence’s.”

  “Fair enough,” she said, “especially with those dhampirs of yours around. I like you having that extra protection, just in case Alicia attempts something we don’t expect. In fact . . . well, I have another suggestion to help you out. I’d like you to stop by Malachi’s home on your way back. You remember how to get there, of course?”

  “Malachi Wolfe?” I asked, as if she could be referring to any other Malachi.

  She nodded. “I’ve already spoken to him. He’ll lend you a weapon—just in case. I trust your magic but would feel better with something extra guarding your back.”

  I didn’t like the idea of a gun, but Ms. Terwilliger had a point. When it came to Alicia, we couldn’t take any chances. I glanced back at my gathered friends. “No need for all of us to go—especially since one of us should get home and check on your mom, Adrian.” I could tell from his expression that he understood my meaning perfectly—that it was actually Declan we needed to check up on.

  “Well, as much as I’d love to see Wolfe, it’s probably better you go to him, in case he demands another ‘skill test’ before letting you borrow a weapon,” said Adrian. “I’ll get back home to Mom. You guys . . .” He glanced at the dhampirs.

  “I’ll go with Sydney,” said Eddie. “I want to finally meet this guy.” He’d taken our lack of results today hard, so I was surprised to see him enthused about anything.

  Of course, Malachi Wolfe had become legendary among my friends—most of whom had never met him and were only going off of the stories Adrian and I had told about our time in the Wolfe School of Defense. In fact, it was clear from Trey and Neil’s faces that they wanted to come with Eddie and me, but Trey needed to pick up Angeline and had come out to the Salton Sea in Neil’s rental car. The two of them decided to get that straightened out while Rose and Dimitri went with Adrian. That left Eddie and me, and after telling our friends goodbye, we set out for Malachi’s compound on the outskirts of Palm Springs.

  “Are the Chihuahuas really trained to attack?” he asked.

  I couldn’t help but grin. “That’s what Wolfe claims. We’ve never seen them in action, though.”

  “I can’t wait to see his nunchucks.”

  “Do not touch them,” I warned. “Or any weapon, without permission. If he approves of you, he might lend you something too.”

  Some of Eddie’s humor faded. “I really hate that it’s come to you needing to borrow a weapon. I hate that it’s come to any of this.” He sighed in dismay. “I know Ms. Terwilliger warned us Alicia might have moved on, but I was really, really hoping we’d find some sign of her today.”

  “I know,” I said in dismay. “I wanted that too. But if she had to scramble and change her plans, the odds are good she got careless. We just need to take advantage of that and beat her before her next move.”

  “And each day we wait is another day of God-knows-what for Jill.”

  The despair in his voice made my heart ache. “I know,” I told him sadly. “I know.”

  Malachi’s compound was a series of stark, industrial-looking buildings on a large, grassless lot well off the highway. We pulled into the long gravel driveway, and I saw some of Eddie’s earlier enthusiasm return as every fantasy about Malachi’s bizarre lifestyle slowly unfolded. The sun was just touching the horizon, making everything even creepier as shadows fell. I smiled to myself, remembering the first time Adrian and I had visited, unsure if we were walking into a self-defense class or an abduction.

  I knocked at the door of the main house and wasn’t surprised to hear the frantic pitter-pattering of little Chihuahua feet, followed by a cacophony of frenzied yelping. “Oh, man,” breathed Eddie. “There really is a herd of them.” I’d seen Eddie fearlessly face down an attacking Strigoi, but he took an uneasy step back at the sound of the canine charge.

  I grinned and turned toward the door, waiting for Malachi Wolfe himself to answer. Slightly unstable and very unortho
dox, Wolfe had nonetheless been a good friend to Adrian and me—and more than a friend to Ms. Terwilliger. That last part still made me squirm a bit, but after everything Adrian and I had endured, I was more convinced than ever that everyone needed someone to love—even scattered sorceresses and eyepatch-wearing self-defense instructors.

  When no answer immediately came, I knocked again. This drove the dogs into a louder frenzy, but Wolfe still didn’t materialize. “Weird,” I said.

  “Didn’t you text him before we left?” asked Eddie.

  “Ms. Terwilliger did,” I replied. I glanced over at the other buildings, looking for movement. “He said he had some weapons in mind for me. Maybe he’s getting them out.” I stepped back to the ground and headed toward where I knew Wolfe kept a stockpile of weapons. “I hope he’s not going to try to pass off that blowgun again.”

  Eddie’s face lit up as he followed me across the sandy ground. “Blowgun? Are you seriously—”

  His words were lost as a mailbox suddenly exploded beside us. Without missing a beat, Eddie pushed me down and rolled us away from the worst of the heat and flames. Gravel and hard ground scraped at my skin, but it was certainly better than the alternative. Eddie kept himself positioned protectively over me as we both carefully lifted our heads and peered around, taking in the fiery wreckage.

  “What the hell?” he asked.

  Another explosion erupted from the ground beside us. No flames this time, but the rocks that flew up from it were as good as shrapnel, and I cried out as a particularly sharp one bit into my arm. I pointed at the closest building.

  “There!”

  Before he could stop me, I ran toward it, casting a spell of unseen force that shattered a window. An ear-piercing alarm blared out. No surprise Wolfe would have this place wired. The question was whether his paranoia would extend to having that alarm system monitored by the police or not.

  Eddie followed me through the window, and I found we were in the building that had served as a training area for my self-defense class. It was wide and open, lined with mirrors and cases of weapons. I sized up the room, looking for the safest position. Eddie, meanwhile, ran straight for one of the cases. After waffling between a bola and some brass knuckles, he went with the bola, swinging it around with practiced ease as he warily backed up and kept an eye on the window we’d broken. I called up my favorite spell, summoning a fireball to my palm.

  “Is it Alicia?” Eddie yelled, making his voice heard over the alarm.

  “I’d guess so,” I called back. I’d sensed a human magic in those explosions, and unless there was yet another witch after me, Alicia seemed like the logical choice. With my non-fireball hand, I managed to text the most recent contact in my phone: Ms. Terwilliger. I could only manage a short message and hoped it would convey the severity of the situation: help.

  I should’ve known Alicia wouldn’t settle for the opening we’d made into the building. The main door suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks and wood. A silhouette appeared in the doorway, and without verifying its identity, I hurled my fireball. The figure held up a hand, and the fireball smashed harmlessly against an invisible barrier. When it cleared, the figured moved forward, and I finally came face-to-face with Alicia. She gave me a cold smile.

  “Hello, Sydney, nice to see you again. Surprised to see me alive?”

  I called another fireball to my hand. “It was never my intent to kill you.” Even I realized how lame that sounded, considering all I’d done to her, and she gave a harsh laugh.

  “Really? What exactly was the point of stabbing me and leaving me in a burning house?”

  Before I could respond, Eddie charged her, swinging his bola in the air. With a flick of the wrist, she made a wall of mirrors beside him shatter. I saw it coming but wasn’t quite fast enough in dismissing my fireball in a favor of a shield for him. I deflected part of the damage, but some of the glass embedded itself in him, particularly his bare arm. I saw a brief flash of pain pass over his features, but he didn’t stop moving. Alicia shattered another mirror, and this time, I had an invisible shield squarely in place to protect him. He released the bola, but despite its perfect aim and fast speed, she anticipated it and blew it away with a wave of invisible force.

  “Where’s Jill?” I yelled at her.

  A cruel smile twisted over Alicia’s features. “You’d love to know that, wouldn’t you?”

  Eddie picked up a piece of broken glass and came running toward her, wielding it like a knife. “I swear, if you’ve hurt her—”

  “Oh, honestly. As if I’d waste my time hurting her.” Alicia took out a pinch of powder from her pocket, throwing it at Eddie and shouting an incantation I didn’t know. I wasn’t able to intercept this one in time, and the magic seized Eddie. Like that, he froze in place, midstride and holding the glass shard menacingly in his hand.

  “What have you done to him?” I cried.

  “Relax, Sydney,” Alicia said. “He’s still alive. Just like your little Moroi friend—for now.”

  “Take me to her!” I demanded.

  Alicia laughed. “Sorry, Sydney. You’ll never see her again. She’s going to have to suffer through a few more psalms . . . and you? You’re just going to suffer . . .”

  The floor under my feet rippled. I staggered and fell to my knees but was able to throw a fireball at Alicia before I completely lost my balance. My aim was spot-on, but she lifted her hands to cast what I suspected was another shielding spell. The incantation she spoke was Greek, one I hadn’t heard before either. The fireball hit another unseen wall, but rather than shatter, the flames rebounded and came back toward me in exactly the same path. I yelped and managed to get out of its way just in time. I was spared, but the fireball hit a cabinet instead, engulfing it in flames. The fire spread quickly, making me wonder what kind of varnish Wolfe used. At the same time, the alarm finally stopped blaring.

  “Mirroring spell,” Alicia said gleefully. “Very useful. Be careful what you cast.”

  She meant it as a taunt, but there was truth in it that made me hesitate before I planned my next course of action. It was too long a delay, as she soon cast what I recognized as the same spell that had frozen Eddie. That one was too complex for me to fully follow, but it gave me the opportunity to dodge and block it. I then opted for a different kind of freezing—a literal one, as I sent a wave of ice her way. It wasn’t nearly as lethal as a fireball, but it also wouldn’t add to the already-spreading fire. Alicia responded with the mirror spell, sending the ice back my way. I ducked, and the ice landed in part of the burning room beside me. Rather than diminish the fire, however, it simply made the smoke grow thicker.

  “You must be getting tired,” she teased.

  She was right. I still had plenty of magic in me, but this active combat was exhausting. Ms. Terwilliger’s words came back to me: She wants an easy fight. That’s what Alicia was doing, trying to wear me down with magic so she could cast the spell that finished me. With the stolen life and magic she had, this battle wouldn’t exhaust her as quickly.

  “Alicia, we don’t have to fight,” I said. “Please. Let’s stop this and get out of here before this place burns down. Tell me where Jill is, release Eddie, and we can be on our way.”

  “Stop this? After you tried to kill me?”

  “I only—”

  Not caring about making the flames worse, Alicia hurled another fireball at me. I was tempted to try the mirroring spell and send it back to her, but she was too close to Eddie for my comfort.

  “You’re too much of a threat, Sydney,” she said as I neutralized the fireball with a water spell. “I can’t allow you to leave. I’m going to let this building burn down around you, just like you left me to burn in that house.”

  The floor rippled beneath me again, causing me to fall once more. She began speaking a complicated incantation, one I recognized as the start of the spell that had froz
en Eddie in place. That was her plan. Make me into a living statue and leave me in this burning building, paralleling what I’d done to her. Desperately, I scrambled to my feet, needing to get out of the way of the spell. As she finished speaking, I saw something incredible: Malachi Wolfe, standing in the doorway to the burning room. His eye patch was on his right eye (it changed from day to day), and there were pieces of rope around his wrists and ankles as though he’d been bound.

  I couldn’t replicate the statue spell on my own, but I’d heard the mirroring spell enough to feel good about that. I spoke the words and felt the magic engage in me. Alicia’s eyes widened in alarm as she attempted to move out of the way of the rebounding spell. What she hadn’t seen, however, was the herd of Chihuahuas running into the room with Wolfe. He’d spoken a word to them and pointed at her, and they swarmed around her feet, causing her to stumble and preventing her from moving away quickly. The statue spell seized her, and suddenly, she was as frozen as Eddie, except far less graceful looking. He was like some noble warrior, ready to strike. She was mid-fall, staring in disbelief at the yipping pack of Chihuahuas swarming her frozen feet.

  “Would’ve been here sooner,” growled Wolfe, calling the pack off with a quick gesture. “But that bitch tied me up. Had to wait for the dogs to gnaw through my ropes.”

  “Quickly!” I said, running toward Eddie. “Help me get him out of here.” I coughed from the thickening smoke and glanced at Alicia, her pretty face frozen in a snarl of dismay. “Help me get both of them out of here.”

  Between Wolfe and me, we managed to drag the frozen forms out before the building came down. We got them to Wolfe’s main house as the fire department showed up, followed almost immediately by Adrian, Trey, Ms. Terwilliger, and a few of the witches from the lake. Adrian pulled me into an embrace.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “When Jackie called me, I didn’t know what to expect.”

  I rested my head against his chest, reassured by his touch. “Fine. I got lucky. Really lucky. But Eddie—”