Grimoires and Where to Find Them by Raconteur, Honor (best affordable ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Against my better judgement, I answered. “Morning.”

“It is unfortunately that,” Sherard agreed in a dark growl. Bears coming prematurely out of hibernation sound like that. I guarantee it.

“That good of a morning, huh? Our young kingsmen are dead on their feet.”

“It’s about to get worse for them. Jamie, I need you, Henri, and your ducklings here immediately.”

“Where’s here and what’s happening?” Even as I asked, I was already jogging back to my desk.

“Wharf Section, specifically an apartment complex on Denton Street. Some fool stashed grimoires all together in one room—”

I’d reached my desk, and Foster’s head came up, tracking me, his ears swiveling to pinpoint Sherard’s voice coming out through the pad.

“—and without any of the correct precautions. It’s…I don’t even know how to properly describe what I’m seeing. The walls are melting.”

I blinked, then stared at the pad in confusion. “I don’t think I heard you right. Say again?”

“You heard me right. The walls are melting. It literally looks like a candle dripping wax. Only it’s brick, and…this is the most disturbing thing I’ve seen magic do in some time. I’ve had to evacuate the building and throw up a temporary ward to contain the magic. It’s seeping in every direction and affecting the buildings around it.”

That was seriously not good. “Denton Street, you said?”

“Correct. I’ve got it contained for now, but I can’t process all of this on my own. And I fear this case in front of me might have something to do with yours.”

“Either way, it’s in our district, so it’s our baby regardless. Give me fifteen minutes, I’ll meet you there.” I hung up and told Foster, “Get the other two, Colette, and as many of those containment bags as you can lay hands on.”

Foster, bless him, immediately lurched out of the chair and ran.

I owed them all a really nice dinner. I called Henri next, my mouth in a flat line and a wince on my face. Oh, this would go so poorly.

He answered, sounding distracted. “I’m sorry for the delay, I’ll be there in a moment. I’m in line to get us all coffee and breakfast.”

Awww. “I’d love that, but honey, you’re out of time.”

He could no doubt hear it in my voice. Once again, it had all hit the fan.

The next time he spoke, it sounded as if he were moving, and quickly. “What’s happened?”

“Sherard just called. Some idjut stashed grimoires in a room with no protection spells. It’s affected a whole apartment building on Denton Street. The walls are apparently melting.”

Henri made a pained noise. “Has Seaton managed to put any kind of containment around it?”

“Said he had to ward the building. It was leaking magic in all the wrong ways and impacting the neighbors. I think our missing grimoires have finally exploded. You better get down there immediately. He needs our help—it’s too much for one man to properly contain and process.”

“I’m five minutes away. See if Colette can help us. And call Jere.”

“Ooh, now there’s a good idea. I’ve got Foster collecting containment bags and the other two. We should be ready to roll by the time you get here.”

“Ever so efficient,” he said affectionately. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Yup.” I hung up and blew out a breath. Colette was right.

It was going to be one of those mornings.

One look at the apartment building in question and I understood precisely why Seaton had called us in. I’d thought it might solely be because of our missing grimoires. And I did expect the need for magical remediation, all things considered. But this…this far outstripped the scope of my expectations, and I wasn’t envisioning anything good to begin with.

In all my days as a practicing magician and a magical examiner, not once had I seen something even remotely like this. It truly looked as if the three-story brick apartment building was made of wax and was slowly melting from the top down. One corner in particular, the far-left side, was the worst off.

The sight was so dumbfounding I barely remembered to climb out of the car. Even after I was out of it, I stayed on the sidewalk, jaw agape. Was this an illusion? Surely, it had to be. How could brick even do that?

“Davenforth!” Seaton called to me. The words thank all magic were not said, but implied in his tone. “Oh, you brought Colette, too! My dear lady, you are more welcome than words can express.”

Colette’s expression, I felt, mirrored my own exactly. Her eyes were wide in her ebony skin, jaw dropped in an almost exaggerated manner. “Good gods, man, what in great magic is going on here? I thought it was just a grimoire not properly sealed!”

“No,” Seaton corrected grimly, his face dark with anger and perhaps a touch of fear. “No, it’s an entire room of them.”

Colette immediately did a superstitious sign in front of her chest to ward off bad luck.

Too late for that, I fear. Our bad luck seems to not only be active but strung together.

I questioned anxiously, “And what of the people who live in this area? I can’t imagine they’re not affected.”

“Badly so. I’ve been fielding reports of people who are violently ill, hallucinating, the works. One man turned violent, was waving a butcher’s knife and chasing people. The police had to help me chase him down and he’s in the hospital, now, being treated.”

Seaton ran a hand over his face, looking tired already, the makeup around his eyes smudging and aging him ten years.

“I’ve ferried more than a few to the hospital while waiting on you. The ward I have up now is only the first step to mitigating this disaster, I fear.”

A hand lightly touched my shoulder, and I turned my head to see Jamie leaning slightly into my side. She watched the building with a sort of grim resignation, as if mentally steeling herself to deal with it. I looked at her, this beautiful woman I loved more than anything, and it took every ounce