Chapter 1
Lucifer
Power vibrated in my palm, and I took a moment to admire the craftsmanship of the complex ward. Invisible to the naked eye, it encompassed the entirety of Salem’s city limits. The last anchor point looked as solid as the rest, and I gave a satisfied nod.
“This must’ve taken a lot out of you,” I commented, dropping my hand.
Miranda chuckled and gestured in the general direction of the Mystic Kitten, the occult shop she owned in town. “A couple of members are still sleeping, but Chloe is certain they’ll wake up today. We did everything we possibly could to reduce the toll on our bodies, but even I was out for several hours after it went up.”
“And you believe it can be replicated in Boston?” I turned toward the witch, trying to keep the doubt out of my voice. Honestly, I hadn’t been sure her small coven could pull off a spell from the powerful grimoire I’d given her a few weeks ago. They’d sure as hell proven me wrong, and I was glad to see it.
She adjusted the forest green shawl around her shoulders as a cool wind rushed past us, whipping her loose, copper hair into her face. Her hazel eyes swept over the invisible barrier as she considered the question. Some of Lexi’s power had come from her mother, if only a tiny portion of it, so it wasn’t exactlyherskill I was questioning.
“Boston is significantly larger than Salem,” she finally admitted. “But, with proper planning and coordination, and perhaps a larger group to supply the magic to power it, it’s possible. Lexi’s magic would certainly go a long way.”
I nodded in agreement. “How many people are you thinking?”
Miranda blew out a heavy breath and pushed her hair from her face. “I’ll have to get back with you as soon as I work out the best anchor points, and how many we’ll need to make it sustainable, but I’ll need a lot more help.”
“There are two major covens in Boston,” I said. We turned north and headed toward her shop. “Lexi and Chloe can contact them for help when you’re ready.”
“They should probably know what’s happening in their city, regardless,” Miranda replied with a smile. “Have them make contact sooner rather than later. It’ll take a while for us to recharge after this one, and I don’t like the idea of my daughter left completely unprotected in the city until then.”
“She won’t be. I’ll see to that.”
Yellow and orange leaves rustled around us as if nature herself were laughing. Miranda patted my arm, and I cocked an eyebrow at her. “I learned the hard way that we can’t always protect her from everything, Lucifer.”
“If we’re going to be working together for a while, please just keep calling me Sam,” I insisted. “There are ears everywhere, and we haven’t yet had a chance to test the ward’s capabilities.”
She paused and turned back to stare at the spot we’d just left, a frown tugging her brow down. “Speaking of which, I got an odd sensation shortly after I woke up yesterday. I can’t be sure, but I think something, or someone,was testing the new ward.”
“What do you mean, you can’t be sure?” I asked.
After another moment, she lifted her eyes to meet mine. “I’ve never done a spell like this before, so the feeling was unfamiliar. Plus, there was nothing there when I went to check it out.”
I growled and rubbed my forehead. If Abaddon had people watching us, that would make any potential surprise attack null. There was also the small possibility it wasn’t an enemy, but a random someone who just wasn’t keyed to the ward. Miranda had been thorough with everyone who’d allied with us, ensuring they wouldn’t trip the magical alarm after it went up.
Boston was our home, but Salem had become the base of our ragtag alliance.
“Let me know if you get any more feelings like that.” I glanced behind us one more time before we kept moving. “If it happens that someone is already testing the ward, that means someone’s been watching us. And if someone’s watching us, then Boston won’t be safe until we complete the ward there, too.”
She squeezed my arm. “My daughter is every bit as capable as her father when she puts her mind to it, but I’d feel better if you were back there with her now.”
I poured charm into my grin. “Trying to get rid of me already?”
“Oh, go on, you.” She shooed me away with an exaggerated sigh, and I let her. “Tell Lexi to call me soon. I’d like to talk to her before she meets with the Boston covens.”
“Take care, Miranda.”
Lexi’s mother was something else, and I couldn’t help but like her. After so much exposure to Loki, it was no wonder she was desensitized to my presence. She was the only witch in our first alliance meeting to keep her composure when the other powers started showing up.
Picturing the office inSinsational Sweets, the air began to expand all around me before the space collapsed, and I materialized in front of my desk. I winced when my ears popped, envious of Loki’s ability to teleport without such an annoying side effect. Though I’d never tell him that. The last thing the god of mischief needed was another stroke of his ego, and I preferred not to stroke anything of his if I could help it.
I stepped out of my office and into the chaos that my kitchen had recently become. The figure blurring around the room stopped in front of me and saluted. It seemed like she was being facetious at first, but a quick brush of her mind proved she was serious, if a little overeager to please.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Rivers!” she shouted, her brown eyes wide.
“Hello, Izumi.”
