Finding Magic
The Downside Ghosts series is “dark, sexy urban fantasy at its finest.” Now, in this breathtakingly suspenseful eBook novella, Kane has written a prequel to her thrilling series. Perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison.Before Chess Putnam was a magic-wielding Churchwitch, she was a student in the Church of Real Truth—with a keen sensitivity to magic, a strong rebellious streak, and a penchant for self-destruction. And in Finding Magic, a grisly ghost murder becomes Chess’s baptism of fire.When eighteen-year-old Chess Putnam is offered the chance to train with a special team of investigators known as the Black Squad, she feels torn. She’s never been a team player and hates how one male Inquisitor condescends to “the new kid.” But at her first bloody crime scene, she gets a taste for investigation—and is hooked on the high. Though the seasoned Inquisitors consider the series of ghost murders random events, Chess starts to detect a pattern. Is a psycho killer summoning ghosts from the City of Eternity and using them as murder weapons? As Chess gets closer to the dark truth, she puts herself in grave danger and risks losing everything she’s fought so hard for.Includes a special preview of Stacia Kane’s upcoming urban fantasy thriller, Chasing Magic!
Читать Finding Magic онлайн беплатно
Finding Magic
Stacia Kane
Contents
Chess was sitting in the Church library, studying Psychopomps: Their Uses and History, when Elder Marks appeared on the other side of the table. As usual, his blue suit looked dusty and the cuffs were frayed; as usual, the black Church makeup ringing his eyes had smudged halfway down his cheeks, making him look less like a ghost and more like a drunken clown.
âThou are wanted in Elder Griffinâs office, Miss Putnam,â he said, and left almost before heâd finished the sentence, like giving her the message had been only a stop before the many important errands he had to run.
Chess already knew that was bullshit. Three years of Church training had taught her a lot; a lifetime of shit had arguably taught her more, and she knewâalong with everyone else, to be fairâthat Elder Marks did little more than fill space at that point, that he was just waiting for the retirement shoe to drop.
Not that she blamed him. How could she? Heâd been with the Church all his life, had started back when it was nothing more than an underground magical group, before the ghosts rose from their graves during Haunted Week in 1997 and changed the world forever. Before the Church sent those ghosts into the City of Eternity under the surface of the earth and took control of the world above it.
Elder Griffin ⦠the name conjured up a flash of blond hair and a friendly smile, but not much else. Sheâd never really spoken to him before; hell, she didnât think he even knew her name. And why would he? He wasnât a teaching Elder. He oversaw the Department of Spectral Fraud: the Debunkers, the Church employees who investigated reports of hauntings to determine their truth.
Those reports were usually fake. Not hard to believe, considering how much money the Church paid as reparations if a house was really haunted. Not hard to believe, considering what greedy sacks of shit most people were.
She closed the book and stood up, brushing her hair off her shoulders. Just seeing the stupid dirty blondish color of it annoyed her. As soon as she graduated from training she was going to start dyeing it again. Maybe not dark blue like it had been when sheâd arrived at Church to start classes there, but something.
The book went into the big army-green bag sheâd found at a thrift store a few weeks before, along with her notebook and pen. Or ⦠maybe she should keep those out? So she looked serious, so he could see she was prepared. After all, he wasnât a teaching Elder. He was administrative, he reported directly to the Elder Triumvirate, to the Grand Elder himself.
So what did he want with her?
No way to ask Elder Marks; heâd already drifted out of the library. No time to think about it, either. The last thing she wanted to do was delay, make herself look irresponsible or like she didnât care.
The Church headquarters were always busy, but especially on Thursdays, when the Liaisings took place. People crowded the low dark-wood bench against the wall opposite Elder Griffinâs office, waiting their turn to visit with the spirits of their dead family members. Above them a frieze of ghosts and magic symbols lined the wall near the ceiling. Still hard to believe she was a student here, that if she passed her training she would actually work here. She could live the rest of her life here, safe under the Churchâs watchful eye. It could be her home ⦠her real home.
Shit, she was lucky.
Elder Griffinâs door opened under her careful tap. Heâd been waiting for her, she guessed, since he stood only a few feet back, smiling that smile sheâd remembered. Friendly. Open. âWelcome, Miss Putnam. Are thee well?â
She dropped into her well-practiced curtsy, trying to smile while her insides froze. Elder Griffin wasnât alone in his office. Elder Hancock and Elder Charles sat in rounded wooden chairs in front of a deskâElder Griffinâs deskâand Goody Evers stood by the tall built-in bookcases near them. At her side were two people Chess couldnât identify.
All those people. Six of them. Her breath froze in her chest. They were kicking her out. Oh shit, they were going to kick her out, she knew it, sheâd been waiting for it ⦠sheâd known it was too good to be true.
âMiss Putnam? Are thee well?â Elder Griffin took a step toward her, his gentle brow furrowed beneath his wide-brimmed hat.
Right. They were watching her, they could see her. If they wanted to kick her out, fine. They could kick her out. She couldnât do anything about that. But she sure as hell could do something about her reaction to it. She could make sure they didnât know theyâd hurt her.
She was good at that.
Her bright smile hurt. Too bad. âIâm fine, sir, very well, thank you. And you?â
