Chapter 19: Disaster

SERAPHINA

“You still look green,” Evelyn noted, her eyes scanning over me curiously.

“The room is still spinning,” I admitted, taking a small sip of ice water as I looked out the window in the kitchen. I was glad to be away from the smell of vomit.

“Makes me glad I’m not a maid. Listen. I have news about the Umbra Aurorae. Now that Jack’s gone, Elis doesn’t have any power. He’s been dodging you to try and get him and his wife out of town.”

This had my hair standing on edge, my full attention on her as I froze. “You talked to him? You got to him before Damien?”

“Cornered him like prey,” she replied, her smile curled like a satisfied cat. “Rather tricky, but I certainly have experience with magical diversions in a way Damien is unfamiliar with. Only to find out what’s left are palor tricks. The entire coven disbanded and Elis has been collecting the money weekly to pay off Cynthia’s medical debts and flee the area now that she’s healthy.”

“So, Jack and them did finish the spell.” I had suspected as much, but the more Elis began to dodge me instead of communicate with me, the more I started to believe he was a suspect instead of someone helping with the investigation. That or he had been trying to spend his last moments with his dying wife.

“Impressive magic,” Evelyn stated, a small speck of pride in her voice. “He’s telling the truth that the coven left Jack at the club, but he failed to mention who he left him with.”

I felt like I already knew the answer. My lips went numb and a ringing certainly hit my ears as it was confirmed.

“Vasiliev wanted to have a word.”

“Aleksandr,” I growled, gritting my teeth. I felt dirty and nauseous all over again as I hovered near the sink. A burning in my gut grew through my body. “I knew it.”

“Maybe,” Evelyn said softly. “I’ll be honest, something feels wrong about it. I went to the crime scene, Seraphina. It looked like coven work, but it wasn’t something I’ve seen from Cunnings or Chen’s men. The closest I’ve come to seeing something this…gruesome, were by worshippers of Dionysus over in Switzerland before I came to work for your husband.”

I glanced out the window across the frozen yard as my mind ran with the information. My rage was building as I glared at a cat appearing from behind one of the frosty trees. Its heavy black fur was stark against the snow as I wondered what the hell Aleksandr had gotten into. Let alone what he had done to my husband in this or the afterlife.

“Has there been anything else like that in the area?”

“Only where the Witch Bitch rules. It’s the only thing keeping her at bay from expanding territory. Other species seem to collectively be coming together in a few different factions of the world. It’s starting to get really interesting.”

“By interesting, you mean it’s time for me to get out?” I could hear the concern in her voice, and the certainty.

“Seraphina, the magical community is only becoming more and more dangerous. That genetic program Jack has is going to make you a target.”

“So you’re saying I just turn around and kill them all!?” I yelled, slamming my hands on the counter. I was angry.

Angry at Aleksandr. Angry at my situation. The lives of thirteen innocent victims on my hands if I ended the program. Already feeling disgusted at myself for ending the lives of three others.

No matter how many lives I had freed by ending Jack’s deals with the flesh trade. Even after betraying everyone in the North to the Witch Queen. Nothing could atone for the lives of innocent people that had done nothing wrong.

Innocent lives that were created by Jack. Painful as their lives had been, I had tried to make their deaths easier.

Evelyn and Damien were the only ones who knew about the program, but Evelyn was the only one who understood how I felt.

“Seraphina, you’re not strong enough for all this. As much as I usually like to see things crumble and chaos; you’re someone I’ve grown to care about. So I’m giving you my advice.”

“Thanks, I don’t want it.” I waved my bracelet over one of the cabinets near the sink, unlocking it to my ID to grab my gun. I took care to load it properly and turn on the safety before tucking it into the band of my jeans.

“What are you doing?” Evelyn said with a heavy sigh, folding her arms.

“Giving Aleksandr a visit.”

“Fuck me, Seraphina, that’s stupid. You won’t even get through the front gates.”

“He fucked me the other day. He’ll let me in.”

“He—what?” Evelyn’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean you two fucked?”

“I was at the club in the storeroom, and there was vodka,” I replied dismissively, rolling my eyes. I spied the fur ball outside once again sniffing the air. This made me decide to go about one last act of kindness before my demise at Aleksandr’s home.

At least then, the genetic facility wouldn’t be my issue any longer.

“It’s a long story. The point is, he’s going to let me in.”

“What’s the tuna for?”

“My bleeding heart,” I responded blandly as I opened the back door to place the tuna outside. I figured if the cat was smart enough to survive outside in weather conditions like this, it would hopefully not be dumb enough to pass up on a can of the good stuff.

As the door slammed closed behind me, Evelyn shook her head at me with a look that spelled disappointment.

“You seriously have no sense of self-preservation, do you?” she said.

I ignored the comment. “I’m tired. Doing all this isn’t easy. Being Jack’s widow isn’t easy.” I could feel my voice rising, each word starting to come out like a bite. “I appreciate the information, but what I do with it is my business. I get everyone is looking out for me and telling me to get out of this life or whatever—but it’s my life. Walking out of it isn’t like snapping my fingers, and any guilty conscience disappears. I’m not Jack. I’ll never be Jack. He’s gone, and he left me with this bullshit!”

“No one said you had to play Jack’s widow anymore, Seraphina. Damien and I are both just asking you to use the money you have to restart. You’d be surprised how easy it is to forget about the past when you’re in an entirely new location.”

I waved a hand, shaking my head. “You two are different from me. That’s fine. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m really not cut out for this life.”

“Seraphina,” Evelyn said softly.

“No,” I replied, grabbing a jacket near the back door. I was already shrugging it on and preparing myself to face Aleksandr.

To face my husband’s killer.

“Seraphina!”

“I’m going!” I shouted, not wanting to hear her protests. “I’m not going to let him think he won. That he got some prize out of all of this. This is bullshit. I’m done. I’m absolutely done.”

“What about the program?”

“Fuck the program. If I’m dead, you can figure it out, or someone else in my will. I’m out,” I said with a wave, grabbing the first pair of keys with a garage opener.

“Seraphina! Seraphina, wait!”

I had the advantage of shoes and a jacket that Evelyn didn’t as she attempted to follow me outside. Her slippers did little to keep her warm as she tried to run behind me, doing her best not to slip.

“Seraphina, get back here!”

“I’m going!”

“What good is it going to do? You already shot him once. Look where it got you.”

“A dead husband. You’re right. I’ll aim better this time,” I said casually, clicking open the garage door.

“Seraphina, be reasonable! They’re going to search you before you even get inside his mansion. Then what? You’ll be unarmed and—“

“I’ll figure it out,” I growled, spotting the car my pair of keys belonged to.

I was surprised Evelyn wasn’t turning black and blue as she tried to stop the car by standing her body in front of it. Her face was a mask of pure anger.

“Get out of my way. That’s an order.”

“No.”

“Move.”

“No.”

“If I don’t go now, I’ll just go later. So get out of the way, Evelyn.”

“You’re going to die.”

“So be it,” I replied, opening the door. “Tell you what, since we’re on recording. Feed the cat, you can have everything. Legally binding. I die and don’t come back, you get it all. Happy now?”

Evelyn’s face was stone, a sadness in her eyes I hadn’t ever seen before as she read my body language. She knew I wouldn’t be dissuaded. My mind was made up.

“I don’t want it. Just…try to come back alive. I’m going to try and track down this coven.”

“You do that,” I said. My voice was tart, and part of me felt bad for it being my last words as I slammed my car door closed and fired up the car.

Acting on any type of remorse was difficult. Especially with the intent to murder Aleksandr Vasiliev at the forefront of my mind.