A Handful of Skulls (Here Witchy Witchy Book 9) Read online

  He made an mmhmm noise. “Such is life.”

  “Yes.” I sighed. “I’m just going to sit here and snuggle you while I drink my coffee, and then I’ll get up to go pack.”

  Simon laid his head on mine. “I’m okay with that. I have to head up to pack lands after I get showered and dressed. We get to bring the pups into town today. They’re excited to start returning to a fairly normal life.”

  I smiled at that. Simon prided himself on how they had changed the integration of pups a little bit. Six months isolation, six months under the mentor of a pack member in the city, and then they could integrate back into typical life. Some of them returned to the life they had before, and others simply chose to start a new life. “That’s great to hear.”

  “Yeah, it’ll also be nice not to have pups at the cabin to supervise all the time.” He chuckled. “I’ll get to spend some time at home.”

  “And I get to go visit my past.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have fun at your old stomping grounds.” Simon nudged me a little bit. “I bet you were just as impressive in school as you are now.”

  I shook my head, taking another sip of my coffee. “I had to study hard. The only thing I was good at was the magical aspect and marksmanship. And even the magic was questionable because of my control.”

  He faked shock. “The great Abigail Collins had to actually work at something?”

  “Shut up.” I playfully elbowed him. I finished my coffee and sighed. “I should go pack, and you need to shower. Where’s Merick?”

  “I haven’t seen him all morning, not in cat form or human.”

  “He must have had business to attend to.”

  Simon stretched. “Probably, and since I’m here, you’re not alone.”

  “I’m more than capable of being on my own.”

  “Yes, but we all prefer you to have back up.” He kissed me. “Now, go pack, I’m going to shower.” He got off the couch and took his cup to the kitchen before he went upstairs.

  I sat on the couch for just another moment. I needed to make some phone calls to let people know that I was going out of town.

  I texted Merick first. ‘Have to leave town for work. Where are you?’

  I didn’t get a reply right away, but it wasn’t a pressing issue. I called Levi next. In theory, he was sleeping, and I’d get his voicemail, but it was only a couple hours after sunrise, so there was a chance he was still awake dealing with paperwork or something.

  “Abigail, is everything alright?” His voice had a hint of an old accent that I could never place. It was soothing when he spoke, but kind of off-putting when you first met him.

  “I’m fine. I wanted to let you know that I’m going to be spending some time at the Academy.”

  He paused. “Who’s going with you?”

  “Liz and I are working the case together. I’m going to be on campus with a bunch of PIB in training.” I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I know he was trying to make sure that I was protected.

  He hesitated for a moment. “I would like to send Mario with you.”

  “I don’t think so.” I rubbed my eyes. “It’s a PIB case, not a joy trip. Mario will only cause suspicion.”

  “Will you check in every night? You’re still in my territory, but not close to me. Samuel might try something.”

  Samuel hadn’t shown his face since I killed Ira, but I wasn’t sure if Levi wanted a reminder of that or not. After Samuel tried to drive a wedge in our relationship, Levi and I had both agreed to try and keep each other more in the loop. “I will check in, and if there’s something odd, then I’ll come home,” I promised. “Liz is with me. She has my back.”

  “I know she does. She’s a good agent and a good ally to have. Stay safe and check in with me tonight.” He disconnected the call, and I wondered what he was dealing with now.

  I debated on calling my uncle or just texting him. In the end, I didn’t do either, because he had a tracker on my phone. Chances were he had it bugged as well, and he didn’t need me to inform him.

  My phone dinged, and I looked down to see a text message from Merick.

  ‘Setting you up a meeting with Geb. I’ll be back soon.’

  Geb was the first name of a retired priest. The man had refused to take my calls over the last few months, so Merick said he would set up a meeting for me.

  I wanted information on my mother’s murder that only Geb and a couple others could give me.

  ‘Thank you’ was my response before I walked upstairs to pack.

  I pulled my suitcase out and threw in a few days’ worth of PIB uniforms, black pants, black shirts, and an extra holster for my firearms. I’d wear my boots, but I threw a pair of sandals in just in case. Socks, undergarments. I’d get my toothbrush and such out of the bathroom when Simon was done.

  I turned back to the closet to find my dress blacks.

  The last time I’d worn them was for graduation. There was a sense of pride and accomplishment that came along with the memory, but I was hit with a wave of grief as I remember turning around and not seeing Levi in the stands because graduation had been held during the day. No parent there to look at me proudly. Clarissa had been there, and she’d cheered the loudest over the applause when my name was called.

  That memory warmed my heart. She might have been gone, but her memory still filled me with joy.

  Luckily for me, the dress blacks would probably still fit. I put them in the suitcase and sighed. They’d need to be dry cleaned if I actually needed them, but at least I had them.

  Simon came out of the bathroom, fully dressed, luckily, or we would have become distracted. He smiled at me. “All packed?”

  “And everyone has been informed that I’m leaving for a bit.” I walked into the bathroom to get my toiletries. “If Levi asks, I asked you to take care of my cat.”

  Simon laughed. “Okay, Merick’s still keeping up that facade?”

  “Until we figure out the best time to tell Levi. Levi knows I have a warlock watching me, but he doesn’t know who he is or what he is.”

  Simon nodded. “Probably best. We don’t want him trying to kill Merick. He’s been a lot of help.”

  I had to agree with that.

  The person in question appeared at the front of the bedroom door. “I like to think that I’ve been extremely helpful.” His black hair was slicked away from his face, and his skin tone was a dark tan that was found in genetics and not from a massive amount of time in the sun.

  “Good morning, Merick.” I smiled. “Have a good time with Geb?”

  “Geb has agreed to meet with you, but you won’t like the arrangements.”

  I looked at Simon, who shrugged. “Do I ever like any arrangements when it comes to the Cult?”

  “That is a good point. Geb would like to meet you at a coven gathering. He will only speak with you in the presence of witnesses and the high priest of the cult. He requested that your magic be temporarily bound—”

  “No. I can’t go into a cult situation without my magic.”

  “I told him that you would say such, so I was able to negotiate out of that part. Anything else?”

  I pressed my lips together. “I want the high priest to promise my safety, and then I’ll agree to his terms.”

  “I’ll let him know and arrange the meeting. Until then, work on your case.” Merick walked back into the hall and down the stairs.

  Simon looked at me. “Geb?”

  “Someone who has information on my parents’ murder.”

  Simon wasn’t in on the secret about Levi being my biological father. That was something that needed to be on a need to know basis only, and the more people who had that information, the more danger my life was going to be in.

  “That’s a slippery slope.”

  “I know, but it’s one I need to go down.” I zipped up my suitcase and then kissed his cheek. “You have wolves to attend to. Liz will be here to pick me up soon.”

  “Carpooling?”

&
nbsp; “Liz doesn’t trust me to drive because of my history with cars.” I shrugged. “I can’t really blame her.”

  Simon nodded and grabbed my suitcase. “I can’t either. I’ll head out here in a minute. Let me know when you’re safe?”

  “Of course. I have to check in with Levi while I’m gone too.”

  He sighed. “Levi seems distant lately.”

  “Well, he’s been cleaning up Ira’s mess since Ira was killed.” We hadn’t completely filled in Simon about that either.

  “He’s preparing for war.”

  That hit me. “What?”

  “He’s been asking the wolves to prepare to defend the territory. He won’t tell us why.”

  I sighed. “He’s worried that Ira’s maker is going to come after him. That’s all I can say.” It wasn’t even really the truth.

  Simon eyed me for a moment and then shook his head. “You’re hiding something.”

  “Yes, but I need you to respect that I’m keeping secrets for a reason.”

  He put the suitcase by the door and pulled me in for a long, deep kiss. “I will always respect you. I trust you.”

  He smiled at me and then walked out the door. “I’ll see you in a few days. Stay safe. Don’t kill anyone.”

  I wish he had been joking about that last part, but there was always a chance that I was going to end up shooting someone.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Liz pulled up to the gates of the academy. It hadn’t changed much since I graduated. There were armed guards at the concrete pillars and a red and white bar that blocked us from going in. The academy itself was a few scattered concrete buildings with small windows and two larger apartment looking buildings. Behind those, I knew there was a track; Further back, there was a shooting range as well.

  I handed Liz my PIB badge, and she showed both our badges to the guard. He made a note on a clipboard and then hit the switch to lift the gate. As we drove in, I found myself watching the activity on the grounds.

  PIB cadets ran in groups led by a PIB agent. As we got closer to the buildings, clusters of cadets sat around hovering over their books, talking, and studying. Occasionally a professor would walk by and stop for a moment.

  Liz pulled the car into a parking lot and got out. “This academy is smaller than mine was.”

  “I think we’re the smallest in the nation.” I shut the door after I got out. “My graduating class was maybe thirty?”

  She snorted. “Mine was two hundred, but that was in Tampa.” She shrugged. “Let’s go check in with the director and figure out what to do next.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Do we know who the director is right now?”

  “Um, a Captain Archy Ridgway was what the notes said.”

  I put a hand over my face. “This is going to be fun.”

  “I feel like some school stories are coming out of this,” Liz joked and started walking toward the administration building. PIB was a bit different from police academies. It was more like a full university specializing in paranormal creatures, magic, shifting, or anything that might be needed on the job, ss well as the physical training and procedural classes.

  I’d spent four years on this campus learning, and Captain Ridgway hated me. “I’m sure some will come up,” I promised. “We’ll have to swap stories later. Let’s go.” I pulled open the door for her, and she walked in.

  The outside of the PIB buildings seemed cold, colorless concrete with small windows, but the insides were painted with warm colors with tasteful lighting that wasn’t the typical fluorescents. The doors that lined the hall were all frosted glass with walls of windows.

  It was a change from the PIB offices. We came to the end of the hall where a sign hung on the door, Captain Ridgway, Director of Academy Twenty.

  Liz knocked on the door, and I tried not to bounce between my feet. I felt like a student in trouble being sent to the principal’s office. My stomach churned with anxiety as Ridgway got up from his seat and came to the door.

  The frosted effect of the glass had blocked most of his appearance, but when he opened the door, I saw that he also hadn’t changed much.

  His wide frame was mostly muscle and his skin seemed paler than it had been, but maybe it was just all the black he was wearing. He smiled at Liz and then turned to me. His eyebrows shot up, and he laughed.

  “Abigail Collins. I never thought I’d see you at the Academy again.”

  I tried to keep my sass in place. “It’s actually Special Agent Collins now. This is Special Agent Jefferson. We’re here to investigate the disappearance of Cornelius Davenport.”

  “Of course, come in.” He stepped aside so Liz and I could walk in. Liz automatically went to the front of the desk and sat in one of the chairs.

  I hesitated for a moment. Last time I had sat in the chair was after I had lost control of my magic during a test. Ridgway had lectured me up and down about trying to show off and not be reserved in my magic use. I took a deep breath and sat down.

  “So what can I help you agents with? Agent Thompson called me saying he was going to send two agents here, but he didn’t explain why. I told him what I knew. Agent Davenport came to visit and teach a specialty class. He left, came back for a meeting with one of the professors, and then left again. Nothing strange happened, nothing seemed out of place. I think I would know if something went wrong at the Academy.”

  I would hope so too. “Thompson sent us here to look for clues and observe. He seems to think that there is something here that might point us to Cornelius’ location.”

  “And you follow Thompson blindly? Does he think that I’m lying about the events?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t follow anyone blindly. I gather my evidence, I follow the clues, and I close the case. This is a case that was handed to Agent Jefferson and me, and we are simply following protocol.”

  Liz nodded. “We’re not here to critique how you run the Academy, Captain, we’re simply here to see if we can find a trail to our missing boss. Agent Collins and I are part of the Black Magic Task Force, we specialize in magic others may not be able to sense or see.”

  Ridgway nodded. “Fine, take a look around, observe, whatever. I’ll call housing and get you two a dorm room for your stay.”

  During my time at the academy, I never stayed in the dorms. I was a local and stayed a home the entire time. I had friends in the dorms, though, and I remember them not being impressive. But it would work for a few nights’ stay. “Thank you.” I stood up and Liz followed.

  “I’ll give you a call when your dorm is ready. Until then, feel free to walk around campus. My only request is that you don’t stir up trouble while you’re here.”

  “We’ll do our best.” Was what Liz gave him, which was more than I was going to say.

  We walked back out to the parking lot, and Liz snorted. “He’s a charmer.”

  “Oh, he’s mellowed a little bit. He’s a no-bullshit kind of guy. He runs a tight ship here, and he doesn’t like anything to mess with it or bring too much attention.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  I nodded. “I lost control of my magic. He threatened to send me packing home.”

  “What happened?”

  I locked my jaw. “I was working on a tracking spell to find someone in the woods. And, well, it went wrong, and it kind of located the entire family. Not just the person in the woods who had volunteered. I was still young, I didn’t know control yet.” Most witches hit their prime magic in late teens early twenties. I came into my magic as a teenager, but it came in like a storm instead of a trickle. “Well, that explains why you’re so damn good at tracking spells.” Liz paused at the end of the hall and looked at an office.

  I didn’t understand why until I stepped next to her, and then I felt it. Magic marched up my arms, raising the hairs there. I glanced at Liz. Magic on campus wasn’t unusual, so I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to go and investigate or just let it be.

  She shook her head and continued walking. I
followed, and we both stepped out into the sun and sighed.

  “The teacher he met with was an Agent Kris Bittman. Let’s start there.”

  The name didn’t sound familiar, and I was glad it wasn’t one of my old professors. “Shooting range? I think it said they were a weapons specialist.”

  “Yeah, let’s head that way.” Liz started towards the path that would lead down there, but Ridgway came out of the building. “Agent Jefferson, may I speak with you?”

  She looked at me, and I nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll head down to the shooting range and see if Agent Bittman is there.”

  She took me at my word and jogged back to the building. I headed to the shooting range in search of a lead.

  The shooting range was set up with long counters and an overhang that looked over a spread of dirt with targets at the front. There was a woman in PIB black standing next to a student. They both had blonde hair tied tight into a bun on the back of their heads and wore ear protection. The student held a handgun, and the teacher seemed to be correcting her grip on it.

  The professor backed up, and the girl took aim. Two shots fired, and the target at the end of the range jerked as she hit her mark. She lowered the gun and gave a little fist pump to the air. The student sat the gun on the counter in front of her and turned around. She paused when she saw me, pulled off her ear protection, and tapped the teacher on the shoulder.

  The woman turned around and spotted me. I gave a small wave as she pulled off her ear protection. “It’s clear,” she called to me.

  I walked down the hill that led to the range and held my hand out to her. “I’m Agent Abigail Collins, do you happen to be Agent Bittman?”

  She shook my hand. “I am. What can I do for you?”

  “You had a meeting with an agent by the name of Cornelius Davenport, correct?”

  She glanced at her student. “Paige, head back. That’s all for today.”

  The cadet nodded and ran back up the hill. Agent Bittman checked the safety on the gun they had been using. “Cornelius and I went to dinner a few nights ago. He picked me up from here. I didn’t want people to know that I was going out with him, so I told them we had a meeting.”