Legal Rites Book Three: Legal Rites, #3

By Odette C. Bell

It's time to find out who Ellery is and to stop her before it's too late. But therein lies the problem, because Ellery has other plans.

When Madeleine is forced to undergo reversion to fill in the gaps of her past, it just creates more questions. Questions, it seems, Valstein already knows the answers to.

Something's about to become abundantly clear – Valstein hides much more than he shows.

….

Legal Rites follows a wisecracking witch detective and a vampire with dangerous secrets fighting a shadowy magical council. If you love your urban fantasies with action, humor, and a splash of romance, grab Legal Rites Book Three today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Aug 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386867845

Book preview

1

I’m still sitting at my desk, and he’s still sitting across from me.

The fight with the three vamps is still raw in my mind, but nowhere near as raw as my injuries.

Though they’ve been seen to with magical bandages, they’re… deeper than usual. The kind of injuries that are going to need a lot more than time to heal.

Because every time my mind goes to them, a memory of Ellery slams back into me stronger than before.

Valstein isn’t making eye contact. But that shouldn’t be any surprise, should it? I may have only known this guy for a little over a month, but one thing has become abundantly clear – he only looks at me when he has to.

And now I know why – because I’m technically possessed by his ex-wife, Ellery.

I take a deep breath, but when he doesn’t suddenly launch into a much-needed explanation of what the hell is going on with me, I lean forward.

He seems primed to pick up any movement I make, and his pupils widen. But not nearly as much as when I take a deep breath and his gaze locks on my throat with all the precision and focus only a vampire noble can manage.

Just tell me everything I need to know, already. Stop keeping the truth from me, I say, and though I tell myself that I’ll keep my voice even, even it is not. Twisted and all complicated and broken with emotion? Oh, you betcha.

Valstein looks away sharply at the view. He seems to get lost in the sight of the clouds racing over the city horizon line, framed through the beautiful old stained-glass windows.

Then, finally, he opens his stiff, white lips. She feasted on your emotions to produce power. That’s what angels do. For angels are just a form of vampire, he explains softly.

I blink hard, a powerful muscular twitch traveling deep into my jaw and face. It’s like I’m hearing the news for the first time – even though I’m not. I’ve already figured out as much from my terrible ordeal at the hands of Ellery. From the way she kept begging me to give her my strong emotions, to the way she literally squeezed them out of my heart, to the way she kept wanting to purify people – I’ve already figured out she’s just some glorified version of a vampire.

But still, the news affects me. For again it drives home just how damn dire this situation is.

The sun is bright behind me, and as it slices through the half open window behind my desk and strikes my back, I should be reveling in its warmth. So why do I feel so damn cold?

Because it’s going to take a heck of a lot more than mere sunshine to get you back on your feet, kid. That was some serious horror shit you went through at the hands of this guy’s ex-vamp bride. And I personally am not going to relax until Ellery is stripped from your mind and remanded to the Hell prisons, Calista says.

It’s the first time she’s spoken since my conversation with Valstein began. And it’s not because my light guardian has somehow forgotten how to think up inane commentary. It’s because she’s still getting on her feet. Though, ostensibly, she should be fine, considering she wasn’t present for my ordeal with Ellery, that would be ignoring just how much damage Ellery did to my aura.

A hole as large as a whale – that’s how the medics put it. I now have a permanent gap in my aura, and if it weren’t for the aura blocker, I’d be unconscious.

Even with the aura blocker, I now have to take counter measures every single time I lose consciousness – either deliberately or by accident. The Chief himself has taught me some powerful techniques to center my mind and consciousness so neither can be infiltrated.

None of that puts my mind at ease, Calista points out, a bit of her usual bluster infiltrating her tone, but nowhere near the usual punch I’m used to. According to the med techs, it’s going to take Calista a week or two to get back to normal, and even then, she’ll still be susceptible to every time Ellery attacks.

… I just hate this situation. Hate it with everything I have. And yeah – I know that sounds stupid. Like I’m a goddamn kid who doesn’t know how to change the world, so all they can do is get angry at it. But that’s wrong, isn’t it? Because I can never forget the lesson that Ellery taught me.

Strong emotions can change everything. For with her help, strong emotions can produce the strongest magic of all.

A hard muscular twitch suddenly passes up my brow and stabs hard into the center of my head. I bring up a hand and clasp it over my brow, twisting my fingers in until my short stubs of nails drag and dig into the skin.

This move finally gets Valstein’s attention, and he sits forward on his seat, the move so quick, I hear the legs of his chair creak. Are you okay? If you feel her in your mind, just fight it, he says, and his words are some of the quickest and most desperate I’ve ever heard.

I let my hand drop, and I stare at him. Tell me something, Valstein. Why do you want to help me? I ask out of the blue, the question simply slipping from my lips as I let my gaze dart across his face. Is it to… save her?

He twitches back, shoulders striking the back of his chair with almost enough force to make it break.

I watch him intently as he brings up a hand, locks it on his brow, and hides behind it. I want to stop her. Before she can do more damage, he answers.

I am watching him as intently as I possibly can. I don’t think I’ve ever assessed somebody as hard and directly and obviously as I’m doing now. But there’s no way I’m going to let up on my intensity. Because I have to know if Valstein is lying.

You see, the rest of my life will depend on it.

He maintains even eye contact for all of about five seconds until he jerks his head down, brings a hand up, pinches the bridge of his nose, and breathes heavily. I suppose you want to know what happens next? he asks out of the blue.

Among other things, I manage. But what I really want to know is how to stop her. How to pull her from my dream soul, stop up the gap in my aura, and ensure she never comes back, I say, my words hard as I spit them through clenched teeth.

Though I know from experience that Valstein can get kind of angry when I talk about his ex-wife, he holds his emotions in check.

I know you don’t want to hear this, but the answer is I don’t know.

Sorry?

I don’t know if there’s a way to pull Ellery out of your dream soul without… killing you, he says, voice dropping down low on the word killing.

Suffice to say, that is not what I want to hear, and I clutch the edge of my desk, curling my fingers against the green leather insert as my nails dig into the brass buttons.

Hold it together, kid, Calista chimes in my mind, but as I’ve already pointed out, her voice is weak. God, she sounds like nothing more than a shadow of her past self. And that, more than anything, drives home to me how serious the situation is. You’d think I wouldn’t need any more reminders about how much I’ve gone through and how much my life has gone to hell over the past month. But Calista is it. I’ll grant you one thing – she’s always been annoying. And yes, there have been times where I’ve wanted to get rid of her. But hearing her weakened and feeling her injured? It’s not fair.

None of this is fair.

I don’t know if Valstein is skimming the top off my thoughts, or, as a noble, he’s just tied into my emotions, but he suddenly sits even further forward in his chair. I don’t suggest you become overcome.

Great suggestion, I snarl back through clenched teeth. But I don’t really need your suggestions right now, I say, voice cracking with emotion. What I need is a solution. How the hell do I get Ellery out of my mind?

He opens his mouth, but he looks away.

So I stand up. A tidal wave of emotion slams into me, contracts my muscles, and pulls me up as if somebody has an arm around my throat. And hey, that’s a sensation I find it easy to describe, because for the past month, plenty of vampires have hauled me up by the throat.

Valstein follows my move. But he’s slower. Rather than jump up from his chair like a loaded spring, he simply gracefully extends himself until he’s standing on the opposite side of the desk.

The windows in this room run behind me and along the two connecting walls. And the light comes in from the west to my side. So why is it when Valstein stands that he somehow occludes the light, casting a shadow over me?

Because he is one mysterious bastard, Calista chimes.

Yes, yes he is.

I clench my teeth. What are you doing? I ask him.

For the first time since the conversation began, he’s looking at me as steadily as he possibly can. I swear his eyes are the equivalent of a spirit level. And that is a far more apt explanation than it sounds.

He turns on his expensive Armani shoes, twisting toward the door, his gaze still locked on me. Come, he says simply, voice pitching down low.

I can’t leave the police station. You know that. God knows how many other vampires are out there at this very moment plotting to get hold of Ellery, I spit.

He simply maintains that even, steady eye contact, as if he’s trying to be the only stable thing in my life right now. You weakened Ellery. She won’t be back anytime soon. And as for the other vampires, his voice drops, but his gaze doesn’t, even though I can tell he wants to retreat into his shell like he always does when he starts discussing things close to his chest, they will think twice before messing with you again. You proved you are willing to go to any length to keep yourself free.

Yeah, but have I proven to you that I’m willing to go to any length to find out what the hell is happening to me? My voice shoots up high as I continue to clutch the desk, now with both hands, my fingers curling so hard against the wood, it’s like I’m trying to tear it to shreds.

He nods. It’s slow. There’s also a certain regality about the move. Yes, Madeleine Macy. Now, please accompany me, he says.

He turns away and heads for the door.

You know what he doesn’t do? Pat his hand at his side as if I’m a dog he’s commanding to heel.

I narrow my eyes. Should I follow him, Calista?

God, I don’t know. There would’ve been a time I would’ve told you to do anything lover boy suggests. Now? she trails off. She sounds so damn tired.

I manage to pry my fingers off the desk, but I instantly curl them into tight fists, my nails snagging against the skin. I don’t know what’s going on, I think to her in a feeble voice.

Neither do I, kid. So there’s only one piece of advice I can give you.

What?

The sun continues to stream in from behind me, striking my back. And though it’s bright and glorious, it just can’t warm me up. For it feels as if I’ve swallowed something dark and cold, the kind of dark and cold substance that will absorb any light you throw at it and suck up any warmth anyone can give.

Follow your heart, Calista suddenly reveals.

"Sorry? You’re not going pathetic on me here, are you, Calista?"

She snorts. It’s weak – it sure is – but I still catch a glimmer of Calista’s usual kickass personality. On any other day, yeah, I’d say following your heart is pathetic. You know I hate that hippie mumbo-jumbo. But today? Your heart is all you’ve got left, kid. This isn’t a situation you can think through. And this isn’t a situation I can throw my power against. The only way out—

Is to follow my instincts, I think back as I dart my head up and lock my gaze on Valstein as he walks out of the door to my office.

He pauses on the landing outside, his back still turned to me, his shoulders and neck stiff as he stares at his shoes.

Heart, instincts – they’re the same thing. Now follow them, kid. Because we need answers.

Yes. It’s finally time for answers.

2

I don’t get it, where exactly are we going? You told me you were finally ready to give me some answers, I harangue Valstein as he takes the lift down through the police station.

Though the station is a large Art Deco building, and it has several subterranean basements, for some reason, it’s taking ages for the lift to arrive at its destination.

Valstein is standing several steps in front of me, his back still to me, his shoulders still stiff and rounded as his head drops down several inches.

He has his hands in his pockets, and though I can’t see his fingers, I can bet from the tension running through his muscles that his hands are clamped into some hard fists, indeed.

"You know how I once said that I love this guy’s emotion?" Calista suddenly thinks in my head. Yeah, now it’s kind of tiring. I just wish the little prick would tell us what was going on with him already.

I know better than to snort. Valstein does so hate it whenever I talk to Calista in his presence.

I clench my teeth and run my tongue over the back of them as I wait for Valstein to answer. At the same time, I lock my gaze on the electronic display above the door that tells us what floor we’re at. It’s been stuck on the third level basement for half a minute now, and a sudden pang of fear chases through my gut as I wonder if the lift’s broken.

It’s not broken, Valstein explains, obviously skimming my thoughts. It’s just navigating some tricky magical terrain.

Sorry?

I would’ve thought with your growing magical skills that you could feel it, Valstein, apparently, can’t pass up the opportunity to rub my nose in the fact he’s stronger than me.

I just lift an eyebrow. What exactly is going on here?

His shoulders cave a little. I’m taking you to the vampire catacombs, he answers.

I honestly swear there’s tumbleweed in my brain as I process that thought – or don’t. Because it doesn’t make any freaking sense.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard of the vampire catacombs. Any ordinary citizen, let alone magical enforcement officer, in Knight City knows about the vampire catacombs. You see, Knight City is an old vampire city. It’s not just that a bunch of vampires moved in after the Treaty – vamps and other magical creatures have been living here for centuries. And they’ve been influencing the infrastructure for centuries, too. So it’s a well-known fact that underneath the city are catacombs controlled by the vampires that, ostensibly, run underneath every single building and house. And yeah, that’s just as scary as it sounds. It pretty much means that vampire nobles can pop up in anyone’s basement and root