“Of course,” he said with a firm nod. “You can count on me to keep a secret.”
Samuel and I exchanged a glance.
“Are you familiar with the Thornwicks?” I asked.
Arthur stilled. His expression sharpened with interest. “I am. What is this about?”
Samuel gave him a brief account of our investigation into the Lincoln sisters’ mysterious disappearance.
“Ancient magic?” Arthur repeated.
I nodded. “Barney told us the book the Thornwicks used all those years ago could show someone how to merge witch magic with vampire powers to create something more potent. Something that would have allowed them to overthrow the Lincolns and rule over the Amberford covens.”
“Dark Confluences,” Arthur muttered absentmindedly.
The hairs lifted on my nape. Bo slinked quietly behind my chair.
“Is that the name of the book the Thornwicks used?” Samuel asked stiffly.
Arthur dipped his chin, his expression turning grave. “Yes. Even though the covens tried to erase all information pertaining to that incident, those in the occult world knew enough to connect the dots. Several occultists even wrote up their own version of events.” Lines wrinkled his brow. “Most of those documents were tracked and confiscated by the covens, but by then, the story had become the stuff of legends.”
My pulse quickened. “Can you tell us more about what was in that book?”
“Dark Confluences: Merging Witch and Vampire Magicwas written by a seventeenth-century witch named Isolda Walden.” Arthur frowned. “She was, how shall I put it, rather… unconventional in her approach.”
“Unconventional how?” I asked warily.
“She believed that the boundaries between supernatural species were artificial constructs.” Arthur put his cup down and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands laced. “Her work explored methods for combining supernatural abilities across those boundaries.”
My stomach tightened. “That sounds pretty unnatural.”
Arthur shrugged. “Many things about the supernatural world are.” His face clouded over. “There were several magical systems described inDark Confluences. The one that stood out the most to me was the BlackChalice Rite.”
Goosebumps broke out across my skin. My wolf let out a low growl inside my head.
“What’s the Black Chalice Rite?” Samuel asked quietly.
Arthur faltered.
“It’s a ritual Isolda developed that involved mixing the blood of a pureblood vampire with the magic of a powerful witch to create a potion that would grant the user immeasurable abilities,” he explained in a strained voice.
Bo whined softly. Goosebumps broke out across my skin.
I saw my growing unease reflected in Samuel’s darkening eyes.
“What kind of abilities are we talking about?” I asked stiffly.
“Mind control. Supernatural strength. Subjugation. Assuming the form of another supernatural species or animal.” Arthur paused, apprehension etching deep lines in his face. “And the ability to consume the power of another and make it their own.”
My belly churned as I absorbed this alarming information.
Samuel’s consternation danced through the mate bond. He recovered his composure. “Barney says the book was destroyed by the covens. Could another copy exist?”
Arthur opened his mouth and closed it.
My wolf pricked her ears at what we sensed from him.
Disquiet laced with doubt.
