Cat Adams - The Isis Collar

“The thing is, magic is part of the user; it’s … tuned to the individual.”

“But mages can share magic. I saw you guys do it with the others at the rift.”

“Yes,” John agreed. “But that was willingly, and it was a real effort to make it work. Taking it by force, raw and unfiltered…”

“Could drive someone insane?” I suggested.

His eyes were haunted. “Oh, yes.”

Dottie wasn’t listening; her whole attention was focused on the images playing out in the bowl. She was in control, but it was taking everything she had. I’d seen her do this before. She could do it, but she’d be tired for days after.

The image skipped then until what was apparently the next morning … this morning. Glinda was removing the collar from John’s neck one more time as he moaned in pain. “That should be enough. Kill him.”

The three guards, who were having coffee and donuts at a table in the corner, raised their brows. “You didn’t pay us to kill him. That’s fifty grand extra. You got that kinda money?”

Glinda shrugged and put the collar back around her neck with a small smile and wiggle of her hips. “Not at the moment. The amount I had to put out to get rid of the half siren bitch was simply ridiculous!” She pouted. “Fine, I’ll wait to kill him. I have to get ready to ship the rest of the antibiotic out of the country so nobody can say I was hoarding it. And the group who bought the rest of the bombs will be at the docks tonight to collect them. Then I’ll have all the money I need and the best part is that it’ll be loony religious zealots who take the blame for the whole mess. Then I’ll just buy Miller and Creede at auction after he’s been dead for a few years.”

Fuck a duck. The prisoner at the FBI had been right. There would be more bombs. Worse, she was shipping the drugs away. Who knows how many would die?

The small goon in the image got a worried look on his face. “But we get the shots now, right? Before they’re gone?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Of course. Of course. Go to the lab. Tell them I sent you. There’s still a few hundred doses I haven’t moved to the warehouse. But be careful not to get spotted by anyone on the first floor. One woman’s unusually nosy. Maybe she needs to be the first person with a full-blown case.” She smiled again. “In fact, why don’t you collect her? I think she needs to be late tomorrow. And then I’ll need to start looking for a replacement.”

Wow. Wasn’t she a sweetheart?

“That’ll cost you extra,” said the big guy.

She let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve only got a few thousand left and I’ve got to live on that until the wire hits the Swiss account.” She looked at John’s limp form and sighed. “Fine. Take him back, but not to his house. Dump him at that crappy office he leased here in the city. I’ll give you the address. He won’t remember anything anyway, so we can always pick him off later. And if the siren is still hanging around there, see if you can put her in the hospital.”

As they moved through the swinging doors, I got another chill to my blood. “Oh, and once I get the money, there’s another mage I want to you find.…”

Dottie came to with a start. She shook her head and took a deep breath. “My. That was draining. I believe some tea is in order. Celia, would you mind?”

She’s really good at breaking the tension in a room with grace and poise. And I had to admit I was happy to escape.

By the time I got back with the tea, John and Bruno had gone. I was surprised I didn’t hear them go, but I was sort of preoccupied. “Did they go to the hospital?”

“I believe so, dear.” She patted the couch next to her. “Come sit down so we can talk.”

I set down a cup of tea in front of her but really had no time to talk. I had a ton of things to do, the first of which was to call Rizzoli. He needed to find some way to locate the remaining bombs and find and arrest Glinda. Glinda the wicked witch. “No time, I’m afraid. But thanks for this. And for the call yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” She blinked, her eyes still a little glazed. “Did I call you?”

Yeah, I wondered if that might be the case. “You called me during a trance to give me information I needed. It helped and everybody got out safe.”

“Oh my goodness! That must be when I found myself in the kitchen holding the phone. But there was a dial tone, so I’d presumed I hadn’t made a call. I’m so glad it helped. It’s important to be a good prophet if I’m going to be one at all.”

Prophet? I looked at her warily. One of the things the siren queen, Lopaka, told me was that true sirens have spirits who attend them and prophets to guide their future, that ghosts and seers seek them out to offer their aid. I’d always considered it coincidence that Vicki was a clairvoyant and Ivy haunted me. And Dottie was just a nice old lady who needed a job. “Why do you say that?”

She tipped her head. “Because I am, of course. Before she died, the queen’s prophet, Pili, called me and explained how it worked.” She smiled at me and I frowned in return. “Don’t be so fearful, dear. It doesn’t change anything. I merely allow myself to be … receptive to your life. Just like I used to with dear Karl. It helped him do his job and made me feel useful. I do like to feel useful.”

Karl Gibson had been the cop who’d introduced me to her. He’d died in the line of fire when a demon attacked at the World Series. “I don’t want to be a burden to you.” I was serious and it probably showed on my face. “I don’t need a prophet, or a clairvoyant. I do okay on my own.”

She nodded patiently but gave the mark from the death curse on my palm a pointed look. “If you say so.”

23

I calledRizzoli on my way to see Dr. Jean-Baptiste. I wanted to know how Mikey was doing, and Julie, and all the other kids who had been infected. I thought of all those doses of medicine hidden somewhere while Glinda waited for the price to go up and I wanted to hurt somebody—preferably a certain platinum blonde.

Rizzoli didn’t pick up the line, but he called me back as I turned into the doctor’s parking lot. I could hear exhaustion and strain in his voice the minute he said hello.

“How’s Mikey?”

“Better. They aren’t making any promises, but he’s improving. Julie’s still hanging in there, too. But…” He paused, and I steeled myself for bad news. “Willow Harris didn’t make it. The hospital crematorium’s getting quite a workout today.”

I couldn’t help but remember that feisty little girl with the big brown eyes. Tears blurred my vision and I slammed my fist against the steering wheel. Damn it!

“The drug company says they’re running out of the antibiotic, and that they’ll have to scramble for the immunizations as well.”

One death is bad enough, but I was seething that they were willing to let others die, too. “They’re lying. I was calling to tell you about a vision a powerful psychic I know had. Glinda and the drugs are hiding in the same place. But the worst part is, she’s getting ready to ship them out of the country. I swear I’ve been to that warehouse before, but I just can’t remember where or when. I’m walking into the doctor’s office right now to get the memory corruption spell removed. I’ll call you the second I know.”

There was a long silence. When he finally spoke it was very quietly, his voice intense, but controlled. “We need those drugs, now. You do whatever it takes to make that happen. Whatever it takes. And when you find the bitch responsible for this…”

“Hey, why tell me? I’m turning the whole mess over to you guys, Rizzoli. I don’t plan on running into her at all.”