Blood Magic: Witch’s Bite Series Book Three Page 3

  Elise snorts and pulls her phone out of her pocket. It’s the same as mine. “They’re cheap as hell.”

  “We’re paying for the coffee ourselves, aren’t we?” I ask.

  “You’re a fast learner,” Elise says with a toothy smile. “I tried to expense it my first week here and the damn accounting department went on about how coffee is a privilege, not a necessity.”

  She rolls her eyes dramatically, then punches on the accelerator to make it through a yellow light.

  “Coffee is absolutely a necessity, especially when you keep the random hours we do,” she says with a sharp nod of her head.

  My stomach growls. “Breakfast is also going to be a necessity.”

  “Oh don’t worry, I never forget breakfast either,” she says with a toothy grin.

  She turns into a packed parking lot. We have to wait for a car that is backing out, but it snags us a spot right in front of the door to the coffee shop. The amazing scent of sausage and peppers wafts through the air as soon as I open the car door. Right next door to the coffee shop is a Mexican restaurant selling breakfast tacos.

  “This place is great, and the tacos are only a dollar, as tacos should be,” Elise says as we climb out. “Let’s get the food first so we have something to eat while we wait for them to make this huge list of coffee.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I say as I follow her inside.

  Elise orders four tacos just for herself. I order two, my mouth already watering. I’m glad they’re cheap because I realize that I have no idea how much money I have. It’s been a while since I checked my bank account, and I don’t exactly have a job anymore. I swipe my card with a little sigh. So much for my savings goals.

  We don’t have to wait long for our orders to be ready. Elise grabs two little white bags from the counter and hands me the smaller one.

  It’s a brief, but chilly walk next door to the coffee shop. I snag us a table while Elise goes to submit our coffee order.

  I get out my chorizo and egg taco first and lay out a couple of napkins. The first bite is heaven. It’s barely on the right side of greasy, as chorizo tends to be.

  Elise plops down in the chair across from me and devours her first taco in three bites. I swallow my second bite and raise a brow at her.

  “What? I’m hungry,” She says around another mouthful.

  I chuckle and shove the last of my taco into my mouth. It takes two napkins to mop up the grease from my knuckles. I’m glad the other taco I got is just potato and egg.

  We chew in silence for a bit, but I can see her looking at me, working up to some kind of question. I avoid her gaze as best I can, focusing on my food instead, which I finish far too quickly.

  "So, you're working with the vampires," Elise says before taking a big bite of her last taco. She chews slowly, watching my face the whole time. "I was surprised. You and Reilly didn't seem to get along that well."

  I shrug, but I wish I could get her to drop this line of questioning.

  "Nobody really gets along with their boss. It's no big deal as long as they keep paying me,” I lie. If only I was getting paid for this.

  The barista calls our name. I drop my crumpled, greasy napkin on the table and hurry over to the counter. Nine cups of coffee in two trays looks right. One of them is just wedged in the center of a tray between the other cups.

  Elise wolfs down the rest of her taco then gathers our trash off the table. We meet at the door and she leads me back to the car.

  Nerves are churning in my stomach. Or perhaps it's just the grease. Either way, I'm not looking forward to sitting at a table of JHAPI agents. The fact that they'll be finding out what I can do, if not what I am, makes it that much worse. I hate being exposed like this. It’s been a secret for so long, and I’ve never considered what it would be like to tell people the truth.

  I tap my foot against the floorboard the entire drive to the local headquarters. The building isn't much to look at. It's not even the tallest building on the block. It is square and beige with JHAPI in big black letters over the main entrance. Hawking drives past that and around to the back and parks in the employee parking area.

  I hand her one of the coffee carriers and we head inside. The inside is just as dingy as the outside. Beige linoleum and plain white walls. The ceilings are dotted with fluorescent lights that throw a harsh glow over everything.

  A few people nod as we walk down the hall, apparently recognizing Elise. She leads me to the desk near the front entrance.

  "Sorry, I forgot you need an ID card," Elise says before turning to the young man peering at us from the desk in a crisp blue uniform. "I need a visitor pass for Olivia Carter. She should be on Agent Stocke's list."

  "Yes ma'am," the man says, his fingers flying over the keyboard. He scans his screen for a moment before nodding. "I'll get that printed immediately."

  He taps a few more keys and slips a blank card into a little machine on his left.

  "Please stand on that X for your picture," he says pointing at a black X on the floor to my right.

  I grimace but step on it and face him. He doesn't wait for me to be ready or give me a countdown, he just snaps the picture.

  "Alright, that will work," he says clicking on his computer screen again. The printer whirs, then he pulls the card out and slips it onto a lanyard.

  "Please wear this at all times while you're in the building. And try to keep the picture facing out," he says, handing it to me with a smile.

  "Sure thing," I say looking at the ID. The picture is awful. I'm squinting and I have bags under my eyes.

  Elise leans over to look at it and laughs.

  “Oh, that is perfect,” she says, clapping a hand on my shoulder and pushing me in the direction we need to go.

  4

  The meeting room is on the top floor. The far wall is taken up by a large window that overlooks a decent portion of the city. Of course, there’s not much to see right now since it’s now completely dark outside. The lights of the city aren’t as bright as the one I grew up in, but overall, I think I like this place. It’s not so different.

  Elise takes a seat on the side of the table that faces the door. I turn away from the window reluctantly and sit down on her right side.

  “I’m surprised we’re the first ones here,” I comment.

  Elise shrugs. “I thought it’d be better to do it this way. Didn’t want you to have to walk into a room full of agents.”

  “That would have been a little intimidating I guess,” I say, pulling the stopper out of my coffee and taking a sip. I grimace and suck at my lip, it’s still too hot. “Where is Brunson?”

  “Doing something for Stocke. He’ll be here in a bit.” Elise takes a long drink of coffee, then turns to face me. “By the way, I don’t think he hates you anymore.”

  “That’s, uh, nice, I guess?” I say hesitantly.

  The door swings open without a knock and a woman with dark skin and a short tapered haircut walks in. She's wearing a crisp black suit that looks both trendy and professional. The suit and the white shirt underneath are completely free of wrinkles and fit perfectly.

  Walking close behind her is a woman with wavy, reddish-brown hair that drapes over her shoulders. She's wearing a suit as well, but the jacket is unbuttoned and the shirt underneath is silk. She has a long necklace with an amber stone around her neck. She smells like magic.

  Something hungry shifts inside of me. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to distract myself. The craving startles me. I’ve always wanted other people’s magic, but never like this. Damn vampire magic is making everything more intense.

  "Agent Ivy Andreas," the first woman says stepping forward with her hand outstretched. I stand and shake it.

  "Olivia Carter." Her grip is firm, but not overbearing.

  "Corinne Davidson," her partner says with a gentle smile. She takes my hand gently and covers it with her other as we shake.

  Elise pushes a pair of coffees across the table toward them, which
they take gratefully. The two women take the seats across from Elise and me.

  Corinne leans back in her chair, a pleasant smile on her face while Ivy sits with perfect posture. She seems to be the one that takes the lead in their partnership even though she is the human.

  "You’re the witch the vampire council has brought in, correct?" Ivy asks.

  "Yep," I say before taking a long drink of coffee. I didn't sleep well with Reilly so close to me. Elise seems to be in the same boat I'm in judging by the way she's also sucking down her coffee. Adjusting to a night schedule isn't easy for anyone. I'm surprised the team was willing to do it just to work with the vampires.

  “I’ve never heard of a witch working with the vampire council before,” Ivy comments. Her dark brown eyes scan my face for answers.

  I shrug. “First for everything I guess.”

  The door opens again and a tall man with light brown hair walks in. He looks like a clean cut, all-American jock. Skin tanned from spending all his free time outdoors, muscles, and a sharp jawline. I groan internally, guys like this always seem to have a mean streak.

  "Dude, I'm serious, football is really nuanced once you start paying attention,” the jock says, looking back over his shoulder.

  I wonder if he realizes how much of a stereotype he is.

  The man behind him chuckles. "I'm still not watching it."

  "Andreas, Davidson," the jock says with a big grin. "I had no idea you two were in on this."

  An Asian man with a stocky build walks up beside him. His black hair is short on the sides and slightly longer on the top. It’s styled neatly, nothing flashy, but the red and orange flash of tattoos that peek out of his collar make it look like fire is crawling up his neck.

  "You know I'd never pass up an assignment like this, Cook. Who'd you have to bribe to get something this good?" Ivy asks, leaning back in her chair as she turns toward the two men.

  "Bribe? You wound me," Cook says, playfully clutching at his chest. "Brunson requested me and Hu personally."

  Ivy snorts. "Of course he did. Good ol' boys club hard at work."

  "We're not all that bad to work with," the Asian man objects.

  "You're great, Peter," Ivy says with a snort. "This idiot is going to drive me insane before we're done though."

  Cook just grins at her insult, unaffected. The two men seem to finally notice me.

  "Who do we have here?" Cook asks, sauntering toward the table.

  "Olivia Carter," I say without getting up.

  The smile falls off his face and he looks me up and down, appearing unimpressed.

  "The one and only Olivia," he says with a sneer. “Brunson didn’t mention that you were going to be on the team.”

  I raise a brow at him but don't ask. It sounds like he knows Brunson well. I have no interest in knowing what Zachary might have told him about me, or why he didn’t tell him I was going to be here.

  "Peter Hu," his partner says, leaning across the table to shake my hand.

  "Nice to meet you, Peter,” I say as I stand and shake his hand.

  Cook crosses his arms and continues glaring at me until Ivy kicks a chair into his leg.

  “Sit down and stop making us look bad,” she says sternly.

  Cook and Peter sit down next to each other. Peter seems perfectly at ease, obviously not affected by his partner’s dislike of me.

  "Where is Brunson?" Peter asks Elise.

  "He's with Stocke. They should be here soon," she says with a yawn.

  The door opens again and a woman walks in. She has mousy brown hair pulled back into a bun and thick-framed black glasses that are too big for her face. She's wearing a black skirt and a blazer over a white blouse. Her thick heels clunk against the floor as she walks to the head of the table and sets down the stack of files she is carrying.

  "Good evening, everyone," she says with a stiff smile. A chorus of responses goes around the table, but no one seems overjoyed to see her.

  She walks toward me and stretches out her hand.

  "Olivia Carter, I am Agent Staci Young. I'm Agent Stocke's partner."

  I stand and shake her hand, already tired of the up and down.

  "Nice to meet you," I say with a nod before plopping back down in my chair. She straightens her jacket with a sharp tug on the hem and walks back to the seat next to the head of the table. She sits down and folds her hands in front of her.

  "Agent Stocke will be here in a few minutes,” she says quietly.

  "Thank you, Staci," Corinne says with a warm smile. Staci straightens a little, seeming pleased that someone actually responded.

  Cook turns back to Ivy and everyone chats about unimportant things as we wait. I tilt my head back and stare at the ceiling. I feel out of place here. I've never been on this side of the law before. The thought makes me smile. If only Detective Brunson could see me now. He would have wanted me to join something like this. He loved the idea of humans and paranormals working together to protect both sides. He always said that ignorance breeds fear, and cooperation kills ignorance.

  The door opens again and I hear a familiar voice, Zachary has arrived. The person that walks in first though is a slender woman in her forties with curly blonde hair that is pulled back into a barely contained ponytail. She has a no-nonsense air about her. She walks to the head of the table while Zachary heads to his seat on the other side of Elise with a brief nod in my direction.

  "Where is Mr. Walsh?" The woman asks me.

  I glance at the empty chair to my right and shrug. "I have no idea. He asked Elise to bring me here and said he would join us later."

  She sighs and checks her watch.

  "I'm not waiting for him," she decides. She grabs the top file from the stack and flips it open.

  “Earlier this month, there was an attack in a small town in Texas where the NWR attempted to frame the local vampire clan for the murders of several humans. The clan and a pack in the area cooperated to take out this cell since the local police department refused to offer support. It was later discovered this was because the department had been infiltrated by the NWR."

  She taps a button on the table that I hadn't noticed before and a screen lowers from the ceiling. A face appears on it, one that I despise. His smug, handsome features bring back the memory of sitting across from him at the diner. The flirting makes me sick to think about now. He’s not so handsome anymore though. There's no way to heal the kind of burns I left him with without magic, which he'd never resort to using.

  “Jason Martinez has used a number of aliases over the years, which are listed in his file. He is most likely using another identity at this point, but we are looking for him under all of these names.”

  Stocke grabs a small black remote control and clicks to the next picture. A map with several red points dotted across the country is displayed.

  "This map shows all NWR attacks carried out in the last year."

  She clicks the remote again and the map changes. A large number of the red points turn blue.

  "The points marked in blue are all the attacks that Martinez is believed to have been involved with on some level. He appears to be an idea man," Stocke says spreading her hands. "He has been personally involved with only a quarter of these attacks due to his limited ability to travel previously. Now that he is no longer tied to one location, it is likely that he will become more aggressive with his attacks, and also risk himself in more situations."

  She turns back to face her team and crosses her arms, tapping the remote against her bicep.

  "We believe the attack in Texas was a test run. They wanted to see if they could manipulate law enforcement and local opinion against the vampire clan. They were mostly successful. The local coven believed the vampires were involved and attempted to help speed along the investigation through unethical and illegal means. If Ms. Carter had not discovered the plot and persuaded the clan to act, it would have succeeded. It was just bad luck for the NWR, and good luck for us, that it turned out how it did."
>
  Agent Stocke nods at the Staci, who stands and passes around the remaining files. One is handed to me as well. I tug the thick file a little closer. The folder is dark brown and JHAPI's seal is stamped on the front, along with CONFIDENTIAL in bold, red letters.

  "Ms. Carter wounded Martinez's pride when she undid his plot. More importantly, however, she took away one of his tools. His face."

  Stocke clicks the remote again and his face appears on the screen again. This picture is blurry and he appears to be from a security camera in some kind of veterinary office. The left side of his face is blistered and red from the burns I inflicted on him. I can't help the smirk that curls on my lips. I'm glad I left my mark even if I would prefer him dead.

  "Martinez had been charming his way around the country. He's going to stand out now. We are working with local police departments and the media to distribute this picture, as well as others. We're going to make him America's most wanted criminal."

  Stocke uncrosses her arms and turns the screen off, then sits down. She steeples her fingers and looks around the table. The door opens just as she moves to speak again and Reilly strolls in.

  He is wearing his usual suit. He looks like any other JHAPI agent except for the predatory glint in his eyes and the unnatural grace of his steps. He walks without hurry to the seat next to me.

  Cook watches him with narrowed eyes. Even Ivy looks uncomfortable at his entrance. Her shoulders are tense and she keeps her eyes glued to him.

  "Meredith," he says, inclining his head in Agent Stocke's direction.

  "Mr. Walsh," Stocke says drily. She turns back to the group, ignoring the interruption. "Martinez is an important target. However, he is not our only target. JHAPI, with the support of the vampire council, intends on taking down NWR once and for all. Whatever resources we need will be provided to us."

  Staci sits up and leans forward, an eager look in her eyes.

  "Yes, Agent Young, that does mean you can have that cauldron you've been asking for,” Stocke says.

  I knit my brows together and reassess her. I hadn't even considered that she might be a witch, much less a hedgewitch. I had assumed Agent Stocke was the paranormal in that partnership.