Page 54 of Equalizer
“Or his witch saw through the spells,” Owen remarked. The body part wasn’t fresh, and despite the cool day, it stank.
“Do you think Arabella could make anything from it?” Calvin asked.
“I’m not traveling with that.” Owen shivered and looked around at the thankfully empty section of platform. He found a metal trash can, which he used to scoop up the putrid hand. Owen carried the can to a different siding, stuffed newspapers on top of the contents, and dropped a lit match, sending it up in flames.
“Message received,” he said when he returned to Calvin. “Question is—who sent it?”
Since it came without packaging, Calvin’s touch magic couldn’t offer clues.
Winston bustled in after they had gotten settled in the parlor, and they told him about the severed hand.
“What did you make of the warehouse?” Owen asked. “I did pick up on some ghosts, and I know there was strong magic in play, but I’m sure you could sense more than I did.”
Winston nodded. “Very much so. The warehouse is heavily warded, with protection spells and distraction magic so people simply don’t notice it. That takes some high-level witchery, so Humphries has skilled practitioners helping him. We’ll need to consider that in any plan of attack.”
“I was afraid of that,” Calvin said. “What else did you sense?”
“I’m wondering how the electricity Humphries uses to awaken a body part vies with the magic that keeps the limb alive,” Winston said. “I’m guessing that’s where the technology witches come in, but there’s an inherent conflict between the magic and electricity that poses a big challenge.”
Owen went to check the telegraph tape that recorded any missed messages in Morse code on a long streamer of paper.
“Got a message from Louisa,” he told Calvin. “Said she’ll be by this evening.”
“Good. I still feel like we’re missing important pieces.”
A sudden, blinding pain stabbed through Owen’s head. He knew Calvin was calling his name, but all Owen could do was put his hands to his temples and slump to the floor.
The train car seemed to disappear, and in its place, Owen found himself back at the restaurant where they had met with Luca Conti. But instead of Conti, Owen only saw the black-cladstrega, and recognized the woman as Maria Bianchi, the Conti-Bianchi Family matriarch—and top witch.
“A war is coming. No good can come of it. I do not want my family dragged down. I can keep them from joining the conflict. I will try to rally the covens of the other families, but I can’t guarantee they will also abstain. Luca is doing what he can to dissuade the others.”The old woman’s raspy voice sounded as clearly in his mind as if she stood beside him.
“Why are you helping us?”
“What that man is doing is unholy. It defiles the dead and the living. Act soon. The longer this goes on, the more likely that other families will be persuaded to join in the abomination. I cannot hold the covens together for long.”
With that, the vision ended. Owen found himself lying on the floor, gasping for breath, held in Calvin’s arms.
“Owen? Thank God. Are you okay?” For all that Calvin was a seasoned agent, he sounded completely panicked.
Owen groaned. The vision left behind a splitting headache. Before he could say anything, Winston hurried in with a pot of tea and a mug.
“You’re awake and alive. Good to see. When you can sit up, I brought tea—and willow bark.”
“It was a vision,” Owen managed. “Sent by Maria Bianchi. A warning—and an offer to help.”
“You can tell us more once you drink the tea. Magic like that leaves a nasty headache,” Winston said.
“Magic? Calvin echoed. “I thought the Pullman car was spelled against any outside powers.”
“I hadn’t anticipated a witch of that strength sending a vision. Since she’s technically an ally, the warding may have permitted the intrusion. I assure you, I’ll find a way to close that loophole as soon as I can,” Winston replied.
Calvin helped Owen sit and held the teacup for him to drink. “Your hands are shaking too badly—you’ll have it all over you.”
Owen sipped the hot beverage, willing the jitters to stop. “Maria Bianchi had a business proposition.” The others listened as he relayed what thestregahad told him.
“That’s an alliance I didn’t anticipate, but I won’t turn it down,” Calvin replied when he ended his recap.
“I’m surprised but not shocked,” Winston said. “The Mobstregashave to be strategic. Mafia is their business, and their families are like rival companies.”
