Natural Mage (Magical Mayhem #2)(97)

I stared at my empty hands and thought about getting a drink, but then thought better of it when I remembered the excessively strong drinks Reagan would likely force on us.

Through the crappy phone speaker, in a slightly tinny, haunted voice, my mother said:

“Her path has been set. Her journey is in motion. He will complete the pyramid of power. The curse breaker will join the oath takers and forge a bond in blood. It is in this union that the way forward shall be writ. That they shall learn their highest level of power, and hold the kingdom from falling.”





40





I looked between Reagan and Emery. Emery studied me. Reagan cocked her head, staring at the phone.

“Right, but what is a curse breaker? I mean, besides it being me,” Reagan said. “No one seems to know.”

“Do you know what it means?” I asked her.

“No. That’s the thing with Seer types. They give you all these windy answers that could mean eight different things. Then some traumatic thing happens that you wish you could’ve gotten a heads up on, and the Seer says, ‘See? I told you that would happen.’ It’s annoying. Too bad your mom is no different.”

“I beg your pardon?” My mother’s voice was weak.

“While I don’t totally disagree,” Emery said softly, “Ms. Bristol is the genuine article. I imagine we are meant to be together—”

“Well la-dee-dah,” Reagan said, getting up and heading to the cabinet that held the whiskey. Something was clearly troubling her.

“—and that foretelling was hinting at future events.”

“What’d I say?” my mother asked. I could hear distinct clicking and figured she must’ve brought out the tape recorder, something she’d done in the past when she hadn’t had (or hadn’t trusted) her audience.

“I work alone,” Reagan said.

“I think we could tell that by the fix my daughter and her male friend got up to this evening, yes. So much for you sticking with Penny through thick and thin.” My mother’s voice sounded on the tape recorder and we heard the message again. “Huh.”

“See?” Reagan pointed at the phone.

“No, that doesn’t help you now. That bears some reflection. Important, though. Let me reduce my scope, see if it gets us more information.” My mother sighed. “Back to the grindstone.”

Reagan unscrewed the cap. “Penny? Drink?”

“Water. Without the tequila or lime.”

Reagan frowned at me. “I don’t carry that.”

“I’ll get it.” Emery rose from the chair.

“And by the way, we’re not in a kingdom right now.” Reagan pointed at the floor. “We’re in the Brink. There are two other kingdoms, and I won’t be helping you keep either of them from falling.”

Emery startled and stared pointedly at Reagan.

Once again, my mother’s haunted and distant voice came through the speaker. “The bonds of sisterhood have formed. Your unique circle has been set. Now you must harness the power of the underworld.”

“Come on.” Reagan braced against the counter and sagged, dropping her head. “Why did I have to get involved? Why?”

Emery was still studying her. “‘You need the boss of the boss. He’ll connect you to the highest level of power in the underworld.’” His eyes met mine. “Isn’t that the text your mother sent that one time? In Seattle? Remember, when we were trying to connect with Clyde in the hotel? We needed to get to Darius, instead. Clyde’s boss. Because Darius…is connected to Reagan.”

“Snitches get stitches,” Reagan said, wild-eyed. “I don’t care how old she is.”

“I’m old enough to ring your bell,” my mother said.

“Mother, would you relax?” I rolled my eyes.

“That boy has a dynamite memory, I’ll say that much,” my mother said. “He is still not moving in with you, Penelope Bristol.”

If only I could hang up on her.

“It can’t be,” Emery whispered. He leaned against the counter, bending a little to try and see Reagan’s face. “A few months back, I heard there was a disturbance of some kind in the underworld. There was a rumor of a mage and a vampire down there. Word is Lucifer himself plans to look into it. It wasn’t a mage at all, was it?”

“You should stop gossiping around the water cooler,” Reagan said, not looking at him.

“What did she say?” My mother’s voice was muffled.

“Those weren’t rumors.” Emery crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. Awe crossed his expression.

“What’s happening?” my mother asked.

“Mother, would you stop?”

“But what’s happening?”

“Emery is piecing together a secret that could get him killed in the next three seconds.” Reagan still didn’t straighten, but her body had gone a worrying sort of relaxed. Not resting relaxed, crouching-tiger-hidden-knife relaxed.

“Why does it matter, though?” I asked, completely dumbfounded. “We know she has a ton of power. What changes?”

“Yeah, Emery?” Reagan said in a dangerous voice. “What changes?”