Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Identity

  Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Identity

  The Lily Singer Adventures Book 6

  Lydia Sherrer

  Chenoweth Press

  To my Father—without Him

  I would have no story to tell or heart to tell it

  Contents

  Cast of Characters

  I. Episode 11: Ask Me For Anything But Time

  1. A Desperate Endeavor

  2. Grumpy McGrumperstein

  3. He That Seeketh

  4. The Italian Job

  5. Storming the Castle

  Epilogue

  Interlude: Trial By Fire

  II. Episode 12: Nothing Left To Lose

  1. Cause and Effect

  2. Spelunking and Other Exploits

  3. My Dark Queen

  4. What Defines Us

  Epilogue

  Dark Roads Trilogy Book 1: Accidental Witch

  Afterword

  Also by Lydia Sherrer:

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Cast of Characters

  Main:

  Lily Singer - introverted wizard, library archivist in Atlanta, GA

  Sebastian Blackwell - ne’er-do-well “professional” witch, Lily’s best friend

  Sir Edgar Allan Kipling - talking cat, Lily’s closest companion, Lily is “his” human

  Madam Ethel Barrington - wizard, Lily’s mentor/teacher, Sebastian’s great-great-aunt

  John Faust LeFay - wizard, Lily’s father, plots to revive wizard race and rule mundanes

  Lily’s Family:

  Allen LeFay - wizard, John Faust’s younger brother, Lily’s uncle

  Trista - mundane, John Faust’s daughter, Lily’s half sister, skilled fighter

  Caden - wizard, John Faust’s son, Lily’s half brother, deceased

  Freda LeFay - wizard, Lily’s mother, lives under the pseudonym Mary Singer

  Jamie Singer - wizard (untrained), Lily’s half brother by her mundane stepfather

  Sebastian’s Family:

  George Dee - wizard, Sebastian’s great-grandfather, lives in England

  Day Barrington Dee - mundane, George’s wife, Madam Barrington’s sister, deceased

  Elizabeth Dee Blackwell - mundane, George’s daughter, Sebastian’s grandmother

  Stephen Blackwell - wizard, Elizabeth’s husband, mysteriously disappeared

  Thomas & Alison Blackwell - wizards, Sebastian’s parents, deceased

  Frederick Blackwell - wizard (untrained), Sebastian’s older brother

  Other:

  Morgan le Fay - wizard, ancient and powerful, awoken from millennia of sleep by Lily

  Chief - mundane, armorer and gunsmith, sells anti-wizard weaponry to the highest bidder

  Richard Grant - mundane, FBI Agent, Lily’s former dating interest

  Agent Meyer - mundane, FBI Agent, Richard’s partner

  Anton Silvester - mundane, art dealer, “fixer” for the magical underworld

  Jacopo Romano - mundane, member of the powerful Romano wizard family of New York City

  Roger Darthe - witch, obsessed with power and control, allied to a greater demon

  Cassius - witch, Roger’s son

  Afnergu’alak - a.k.a. Nergal, one of the names given to the ancient Mesopotamian god of death, war, and destruction

  Fae:

  Kaliar/Kaliel - fae king and queen, the dualities of growth

  Thiriar/Thiriel - fae king and queen, a duality of decay

  Yuki - Thiriel’s messenger, a duality of the aspect of fox

  Pip - low fae of the aspect of plants, loves rum

  Jun - low fae of the aspect of plants, Pip’s friend and drinking buddy

  Grimmold - low fae of the aspect of decay, specifically mold, loves aged pizza

  Part I

  Episode 11: Ask Me For Anything But Time

  1

  A Desperate Endeavor

  Soft voices and the occasional ring of a phone made up the muted background noise in the FBI Atlanta Field Office lobby where Sebastian Blackwell sat, futilely trying to ignore the broken record of horrible thoughts cycling through his mind. Every fiber of his being vibrated with the need to act, and his instincts screamed at him that this was a waste of time.

  He stared at the clock on the wall in front of him, watching the second hand tick. Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine—three hours and twenty-eight minutes. That was how long it had been since Lily disappeared. Almost three and a half hours. Each minute of it was as excruciating as the very first, when he discovered the woman he loved had been kidnapped and the bottom had fallen out of his world.

  You are la’nitan: accursed one.

  The memory of Thiriel’s ice-cold voice echoed in his head, and Sebastian clenched his right hand, not looking at the twisting scars he knew stood out there, white against his pale skin. For nearly a decade they’d been hidden beneath the magical tattoo that had anchored his gifted fae magic to him.

  But no longer.

  Lily was in trouble, his fae magic was gone, and his honor had been left in a shredded heap on the frigid Pennsylvania ground. One man was responsible for it all: FBI Agent Richard Grant, or Agent Doofusface as Sebastian had often called him. Now, though, Sebastian realized that was too complimentary an epithet. Traitorous Slimy Bastard was more fitting. There was no telling if the agent had personally kidnapped Lily, or hired others to do it, but he wouldn’t have disappeared without a trace if he hadn’t been involved somehow.

  The idea that Richard might have been stringing them along the whole time, even as he’d fought with them to drive the witch, Roger, and his demons from the Hilprecht Museum, made Sebastian boil with fury. Lily had almost died defeating Roger, and Sebastian had indebted himself even more deeply to the fae, all so they would come help destroy the swarm of demons Roger had summoned. Then Lily had declared her love for him and he’d been riding on the top of the world, kicking demon-butt and saving the day—until Sir Kipling had alerted him that Lily was missing. Sebastian had found her charm bracelet broken on the ground next to the skid marks left by whatever vehicle had taken her away. He still shuddered with the agony of that moment when he’d been forced to choose between obeying Thiriel’s command to keep hunting the demons, or breaking his oath to the fae in order to rescue Lily.

  Lily.

  Sebastian had no idea how he was still conscious with fear constricting his chest so tightly he could barely breathe, even as fury blazed hot inside him. The tension coiled up in every limb fought for release, and he pushed back the urge to destroy something. Bruised ribs and a multitude of cuts and scrapes from the battle strained his self-control even further.

  Sebastian focused on the clock again. Three hours and twenty-nine minutes.

  He had been waiting for barely ten minutes, but it felt like ten hours. Was the wait even worth it? That slimy traitor of an FBI agent had sworn to keep his knowledge of wizards and their affairs secret from his partner, Agent Meyer, when Lily had asked for his help last summer, so it was highly unlikely the agent knew anything of her partner’s mysterious disappearance. Yet, if there was even the slightest chance she did, Sebastian might be able to ferret it out using the enchanted truth coin he had inherited from his wizard father. He had to at least try.

  Three hours and thirty minutes.

  Sebastian stared at his hands, remembering the feel of Lily’s warmth when he’d held her tight for that stolen kiss. It was better to remember that than think about the demon ichor that had stained his hands mere minutes later. He had swung by his apartment before coming here, to wipe off the worst of it with a towel and throw on a clean change of clothes—showing up at an FBI field office
covered in blood and gore would not have resulted in a warm reception. After cleaning up he’d only taken time to raid his kitchen and grab a few other supplies before rushing off to the FBI. And look where his hurry had gotten him: sitting on his butt and staring at a clock. To keep from strangling the welcome desk clerk, he promised himself that if nothing happened in the next five minutes, he’d go in search of Agent Meyer himself.

  Desperate to pass the time, he reached inside his pants pocket and pulled out his truth coin, intending to walk it along his fingers or perhaps practice some sleight of hand. But instead, he could only stare down at its tarnished silver surface, overwhelmed by memories so vivid he could almost taste their bittersweet tang: Lily, hands on her hips, adorably annoyed as he showed off by flipping the coin from hand to hand; Lily, aghast expression turning to righteous fury when he confessed what the coin really did; Lily, her hands divinely warm and soft as he held them in place around the coin while Richard swore he would never harm a hair on her head.

  What had Agent Grant done with her? How could he have been so sincere as to fool the coin’s magic, and yet still betray them less than a week later? Who was he working for? Roger? Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut as a shudder ran through him. He silently begged the heavens and whoever or whatever was in them to keep Lily safe from that monster. But then why would Richard save them from Roger and his goons—even shoot that demon in the face—if he were secretly working with the witches? No, there was a much more likely candidate, but it didn’t make things better. It made it all ten times worse—

  “Mr. Blackwell?”

  Sebastian jumped to his feet even as his eyes scanned the room. He spotted Agent Meyer at the entrance to the hall leading back to the FBI offices, and he raised a hand in acknowledgement.

  “Right this way, please,” the woman said.

  Long legs eating up the distance between them, Sebastian followed, coin clutched tightly in one hand as he tried to ignore the ache radiating from his chest. Agent Meyer led him to a small office at the very end of the corridor, its windows overlooking the parking lot and busy street beyond. The two desks squeezed into the room were both tidy despite the stacks of files and paperwork that covered their surfaces.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Blackwell?” Agent Meyer asked, her professional tone brisk as she took a seat at one of the desks and gestured to the single visitor’s chair. “You mentioned over the phone that it was urgent?”

  “Yes, it is,” Sebastian said. He perched his lanky frame on the edge of the chair and leaned forward, fixing Agent Meyer with a searching look. Then, with hands clasped in front of him and his truth coin sandwiched between his palms, he took a deep breath and spoke. “Do you know where Agent Grant is? I need to speak to him right away. We—we had planned to meet this morning, but he never showed and he isn’t answering his cell phone.”

  Agent Meyer’s forehead creased. “Are you two working together on something?”

  “We, uh—yeah, I guess you could say that. He promised he’d meet me, and I really need to talk to him. Do you know where he is?” Sebastian asked again.

  “It’s all right, Mr. Blackwell. I’m his partner, so anything to do with a case you can tell me.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “No. It needs to be Agent Grant. Do you know where he is?” he asked a third time, starting to feel desperate. He needed her to answer a direct question for the truth coin to tell him if she were lying or not.

  The woman’s lips turned down and she gave Sebastian a long, level look before finally responding. “Agent Grant had to take a few personal days. If you’ll leave him a voicemail, I’m sure he will get back to you as soon as he can.”

  Truth. At least, Agent Meyer believed she was telling the truth. Unfortunately, it didn’t do Sebastian any good. He needed more.

  “I already left him a voicemail,” he said. Several, actually, of the I’m-going-to-kill-you-with-my-bare-hands variety. “He’s not responding, and I really, really need to talk to him. It’s time sensitive, and...” He hesitated, wondering how far to go. “Well...lives are at stake, Agent Meyer. Is there any other way to get in contact with him?”

  By now, the FBI agent was truly frowning. “Mr. Blackwell, if you fear you’re in danger because of your involvement with Agent Grant on a case, we can protect you. But you have to explain to me what’s going on.”

  “It’s not me who’s in danger,” Sebastian ground out, frustration mounting. He stopped and took a deep breath—this was too important to let emotion sabotage his efforts. Then he looked directly at Agent Meyer, doing his best to lay aside the charming, cocky facade that was his mainstay and let sincerity show in his dark brown eyes. “This isn’t directly related to any case, but Agent Grant has vital information I need to keep someone safe. There’s no one else who can help, and getting the police involved could be disastrous. Please. Is there any other way I could contact Agent Grant?”

  Silence hovered in the room as Agent Meyer’s keen eyes searched Sebastian’s face. Then she let out a sigh and, picking up her cell phone, dialed and held it to her ear. They both waited as it rang, but it must have gone to voicemail because the agent made a face and hung up. She then took a moment—probably looking up a number—before dialing a second time. This call was answered on the second ring.

  “Yes, this is Agent Meyer with the FBI Atlanta Field Office. I was wondering if my partner Agent Grant is there at the moment? He said he needed to go home for a few days to visit Mrs. Grant, but I haven’t been able to reach him on his cell.”

  Shock ripped through Sebastian at the agent’s words and he realized his mouth was hanging open. He snapped it shut and quickly composed his expression, grateful the FBI agent was frowning at her desk while whoever it was on the other end of the line spoke. Sebastian strained to hear their words, desperate for any clue about this “Mrs. Grant,” but he couldn’t make anything out. If Pip or Jas had been with him, they could have easily eavesdropped and relayed the information while safely hidden by their fae glamour. But they weren’t with him, and he tried not to dwell on the fact that he would probably never see them—or any fae—ever again.

  “Hm, that’s odd. Well, thank you for letting me know. Could you please leave him a message to call me right away when he does arrive? Yes. Thank you.”

  Agent Meyer raised her eyes to Sebastian as she hung up, a troubled look on her face.

  “No luck?” Sebastian asked, his already leaden stomach sinking further.

  The FBI agent shook her head.

  Sebastian’s fists clenched involuntarily, making his fingernails dig into his palms as he tried to keep his breathing calm. He had expected this—well, not the “Mrs. Grant” part, but that hardly changed the situation beyond proving the depths of Agent Grant’s douchebaggery. This dead end was not a shock, and now was no time to panic, even if it felt like every passing second could be Lily’s last. “Do you have any idea where Agent Grant could be?” he asked one final time.

  “Perhaps his flight was delayed,” Agent Meyer said, shrugging. “He could simply be stuck in transit with a dead battery on his phone.”

  Right, Sebastian thought, knowing whatever Agent Grant had told his partner was likely just a smoke screen. He did wonder, though, why Mrs. Grant lived so far away that her husband needed a plane to reach her. Perhaps they were separated? That would explain the agent’s pretense of singlehood, that little piece of rat dung. But now was not the time to puzzle out the FBI agent’s marital status. Right now he needed to find the slimeball. Yet how could he probe deeper without casting suspicion on himself?

  “If he’s on a plane home, then why is his car in a parking lot on Agnes Scott campus?”

  “What?”

  “That’s where we were supposed to meet. His car is there, but he isn’t.” Sebastian was taking a chance saying even that much, but he needed to know how much Agent Grant had told his partner about the witch case he’d been working on.

  Agent Meyer’s brow furrowed. Sebastian could
see thoughts flashing behind her eyes, but he couldn’t get any sort of read off her and his coin was unhelpfully cool.

  “Perhaps he had to skip your meeting and take a taxi to the airport to catch an earlier flight,” she finally said. “Look, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, Mr. Blackwell, but we won’t know more until Agent Grant calls me back. I promise, as soon as I hear from him, I will let you know.”

  Sebastian nodded stiffly, afraid to make any other motion lest he slam his fist on the desk in front of him or kick the nearby trash can in frustration. He didn’t even bother asking Agent Meyer for a phone trace. Not only did she seem like the kind of rule-following paper-pusher to refuse such a break in protocol, but the chances were slim to none that it would do any good. Richard Slimeball Grant wasn’t stuck on a plane with a dead battery. He was hiding somewhere and had either turned his phone off or ditched it entirely. That meant Sebastian would have to do things the old-fashioned way: with magic, elbow grease, and a whole lot of luck.

  Except he didn’t have magic anymore.

  Sebastian gritted his teeth as despair stirred at the edge of his awareness, waiting for a moment of weakness to pounce. There was an odd ringing in his ears, and his mind felt clumsy as it tried to think over the buzz of panic in his head.

  Hurry.

  Do something.

  She’s going to die.

  Hurry.

  Do something.