The Mage in Black
Page 4

His expression became closed. “Just an aunt. My parents died when I was young.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
He shrugged. “No need. It’s old news. Aunt Rhea raised me. She and Ameritat were close friends, so Maisie and I spent a lot of time together.”
“So does that mean we’re the same age?”
Adam smiled. “Nope. Maisie came along when I was six.”
My mouth fell open. Damn. He looked good for sixty. His magic must have been even stronger than I thought. Mages aren’t immortal like vampires. Their magic allows them to live extremely long lives, though. Adam had told me in California that Ameritat, my father’s mother, lived to be one thousand. Still, I’d figured Adam for midthirties at most. I guess I had a lot more to learn about mages—this one in particular—than I thought.
I opened my mouth to ask more, but Giguhl interrupted. “Hold the phone. Isn’t this where they filmed that romantic comedy?”
Adam squinted at the demon through the rearview. “No, the Hekate Council has never allowed cameras inside.”
Giguhl nudged my shoulder. “You know, the one with Mia Farrow? I saw it in L.A. one night.”
I turned to look at the demon. “Wait, are you talking about Rosemary’s Baby?”
Giguhl snapped his fingers. “That’s it! I loved that movie.”
Adam and I exchanged a look. “G, I think that was filmed down the street at the Dakota,” Adam said. “This is Prytania Place.”
Giguhl frowned. “Hmm, I could have sworn it’s the same building.”
“Common mistake.” Adam shrugged. “Anyway, we’re here. You ready to meet your sister?”
I looked around the interior of the courtyard. Even inside the car, I could feel the magic buzzing around like static electricity. But under that hum, I could feel something else, something stronger that I recognized instantly. Like the pull of a magnet in my diaphragm, Maisie’s blood called out to me. I took a deep breath. It was time.
“Giguhl, change into cat form,” I said over my shoulder. A puff of smoke signaled the demon’s transformation. Angry feline cursing echoed from the back seat. I glanced back, and my eyes widened. Back in California, my first attempt at magic had ended in Giguhl’s cat form going bald. I’d thought Adam had fixed that mistake, but I hadn’t seen Giguhl in cat form since I summoned him from Irkalla and asked him if he wanted to come with me to New York. Now his pale, naked skin glistened in the car’s dim light. Without fur, his ears resembled a bat’s, and his wrinkled skin and grumpy face made him resemble a shriveled old man.
“Nice,” he said, looking down at his skin. “Remind me to piss on your clothes later.”
I ignored the demon’s whining and turned to Adam. “Take me to your leader.”
In the elevator, Adam used a retinal scanner and voice recognition program to gain access to Maisie’s penthouse apartment.
On the way up, he told me Prytania Place served as headquarters for the mages in the city. In addition to holding apartments for all the council members and other high-ranking mages, it was the seat of their government, with meeting rooms and offices throughout.
“There’s also an estate up north, near Sleepy Hollow. It’s used for all the important magic rites and festivals. I’m sure you’ll see it soon enough.”
I nodded, only half listening. Instead, my eyes watched the rapid display of floor numbers. Too soon and not soon enough, the elevator dumped us into a foyer outside Maisie’s front door. Adam had a key and let himself in without knocking.
Given the old-world, old-money feel of the building, I’d expected the decor to be sedate and snooty. But the apartment we entered was an eclectic mix of colors and textures. From the worn wooden floors to the eggplant paint on the walls to the rainbow of sheer fabrics fluttering around the windows, the place had a definite bohemian feel.
“Maisie?” Adam called.
My stomach dipped in both anticipation and anxiety. It’s not every day a girl is introduced to her twin. But this reunion had the added complexity of two sisters being raised by opposing races. Even Giguhl seemed to sense the weight of this moment, as he remained uncharacteristically silent in my arms.
We continued into the apartment when no one responded to Adam’s greeting. Sandalwood permeated the air. Just as humans smell like dirt and vampires smell of copper, all mages smell like sandalwood. But in addition to the sandalwood, the sharp tang of turpentine and the oily aroma of paint scented the air.
Heading down a hall, we passed an altar of sorts covered in fertility goddess statues clustered around a lit white candle. Just beyond it, a door painted apple green was covered with symbols written in gold paint. I wasn’t sure what they meant, but I assumed they were protection spells of some sort.
Adam paused before knocking and shot me a reassuring smile. But before he could apply knuckles to wood, the sound of a woman singing drifted through the door. The hair on my arms rose.
That’s my sister.
Adam knocked twice but, hearing no response other than more singing, pushed the door open after a moment. She stood with her back to the door in front of a large canvas set on an easel. She didn’t stop singing when we entered. Instead, she slapped red paint on the canvas in time to music we couldn’t hear. I was too shocked to see her at first to register the words. But slowly they became clear: “Could you be looooved, and be lo-oved?”
Her Bob Marley impression was lacking, but I had to give her points for enthusiasm.
I choked on a laugh, too shocked to hold it in. Just as she belted out, “Don’t let them change ya, oh!” Adam touched her shoulder.
She yelped and spun around. “Dammit, Adam. You scared the shit out of me!”
“Yep, they’re definitely related,” Giguhl said.
Maisie pulled the headphones off her ears when she saw me. A slow flush crept up her neck and pinkened her cheeks. “Sabina?” she whispered.
I started to nod, but suddenly a blur of pink rushed toward me. I had just enough time to brace myself before she slammed into me and wrapped her arms around me in a fierce hug. Giguhl hissed and jumped from between us. Maisie didn’t seem to notice the pissed-off cat. My hair muffled her voice, but I made out the words, “Excited… sister… here.”
I looked at Adam for help, but he shrugged and grinned. She pulled back with a beatific smile. Her features were all the same as mine, except, like Adam had said, her hair was shorter and layered so it fell softly around her face.
But there were other differences, too—ones that might not register with the casual observer. Looking at Maisie was like looking through a mirror at an alternate version of me, a happier version. It wasn’t just her smile. She seemed completely comfortable in her skin, and warm, earthy energy radiated from every pore.
An odd feeling of déjà vu washed over me. Something told me this warm, happy person was who I might have been if things had been different. If I’d been raised among the mages instead of given to the Dominae. Out of nowhere, resentment rose like bile, and I tried to pull away.
She let me go reluctantly. Her eyes glistened prettily with tears. My own felt dry and brittle. The defensive shields I’d carefully cultivated over the years locked back into place. I knew this was a significant moment in both of our lives, but I felt removed from it, an observer instead of a participant.
Knowing I needed to say something, I waved and said, “Hey.” Lame.
“Hi there.” She laughed and went in for another hug. “Thanks be to the Goddess for bringing you home, sister.”
Adam, who’d obviously understood my discomfort at her easy affection, cleared his throat. “Give her a chance to breathe, Maze.”
She pulled away and looked at me. A flush spread up on her cheeks. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just so”—she took a deep breath and exhaled it—“excited.”
“You mentioned that,” Adam said. Affection and humor laced his tone.
“Ahem! Can I change back now?”
Maisie’s eyes widened at the bald cat sitting at Adam’s feet. I sighed. One of these days, I needed to teach Giguhl about manners. I glanced at Adam, not sure how much he’d told Maisie about the Giguhl situation. But Maisie answered the unspoken question by approaching the cat.
“And this must be Giguhl. Adam told me all about your unusual familiar. May I pick him up?” She shot me a hesitant look.
“Why don’t you ask him?” Giguhl said.
Maisie drew back, looking worried she’d offended him.
“Ignore him. He’s always a bit surly when he’s in cat form,” I said. “Behave yourself, Mr. Giggles.”
“You try behaving with your bald balls exposed to the world, trampire.”
Maisie laughed, a musical sound that inspired images of fairy-tale princesses. She squatted down to look the cat in the eyes. Giguhl, recognizing a potential ally, widened his eyes to give her the saccharine-sweet kitty look. She rubbed him behind his bat-like ears. “He’s just precious.”
The cat cocked his head and purred. Still petting him, she lifted him and cradled him against her chest. Maisie looked at me with a smile. “You’re so lucky. I wish I had such a sweet familiar.”
Giguhl shot me a smug look. “Can we keep her?”
I rolled my eyes. But the truth was, a spark of jealousy went through me. He was my minion, dammit. “Whatever you do, don’t give him your credit card number.”
Maisie frowned. “Huh?”
“Never mind her,” Giguhl said quickly. “If you like me in cat form, wait till you get a load of me in my demon form.”
Maisie’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’d like that.”
An image of Giguhl naked popped into my head. “Trust me, you wouldn’t. At least not until we have some clothes handy for him to put on.”
Adam cleared his throat. “Speaking of, I better get our things so we can freshen up before Sabina meets the council.”