Page 90 of The Paranormal Investigation Bureau
Lunch was fun. After Nyx dropped the bomb about the death omen, Madame Lucinda had her say, then spent the rest of the time trying to get our minds off it. She eventually succeeded. Even Nyx perked up. Madame Lucinda had so many entertaining stories. Yeah, she worked her ass off to earn her stardom, but she had a bit of a wild streak that’d definitely helped. I think she must have gotten up to way more shit back in the day than all of us combined, and that was saying a lot.
Our mood instantly soured when we had to leave. We were all almost certain Santiago wouldn’t show up and start killing us in the street, but we were acutely aware that someone was going to die, and soon. Even if it wasn’t Santiago, it was going to be someone we knew. We knew we couldn’t change it, but we could try.
None of us were going to go near the windows at rehearsal. Nyxhateddancing in the corps, but she was kind of their queen. I hadn’t told her what Marsden told me about why he kept her there, because I thought it would piss her off, but everyone at lunch confirmed the entire corps listened to and watched Nyx.
Madame Lucinda was handling the corps rehearsals, and she promised that, between her and Nyx, they could keep everyone away from the windows. It was a plan, and it was the best we could do.
Marsden was already there, chatting with the accompanist, and Bellatrix was warming up. She ignored us when we walked in, so I ignored her right back. That was when I noticed there was someone I didn’t know, over by the piano with Marsden.
“Ah, good. You’re all here. Warriors, come over here and get measured for your costumes.”
Marsden seemed pretty sure this ballet would go off without a hitch, since he was already commissioning costumes. It seemed like a waste of money to me until he produced Santiago, and I actually got a little help.
The guys left to get measured, while I stayed in the center to get warmed up. Then, something silver flashed in the mirror and briefly blinded me. I looked up, and Bellatrix was standing there, aiming a gun at my back.
First of all, who brought a gun to a witch fight? Supernaturals didn’t use guns. Second, I was in the human world long enough to know they gave regular cops bulletproof vests. They didn’t give those out in the bureau, because supernatural criminals used their gifts, not fucking firearms.
Still, a bullet would definitely kill me. Just because no one used them didn’t mean guns wouldn’t kill us if they tore through us just right. I didn’t intend to die or take a bullet today.
I whirled around before she could fire and cast a basic de-arming spell. Unfortunately, I forgot about her necklace. Or maybe I didn’t, and just didn’t care. The bitch intended to shoot me in the back like a coward.
My spell did what I intended it to, and the gun flew out of her hand before she could pull the trigger… but it also had a completely unintended effect. She was a succubus, wearing an evil eye, and trying to murder a witch. The evil eye had opinions about that.
There was this massive explosion of magic. I was temporarily blinded, and I stumbled backward. When I could see again, one of the windows was broken, and Bellatrix was nowhere to be found.
We all rushed to the window, but I already knew what I was going to find. Bellatrix had fallen fifteen stories and lay crumpled on the sidewalk below. Tourists were surrounding her body, looking up at us.
I couldn’t even process what'd happened. I stepped away from the window and vomited on the floor. Merlin pulled me up and into a hug. I came here to prevent people from dying, and I’d just taken someone’s life. I’d never killed anyone before. Kaine warned me it was bound to happen if I went into his line of work, and it felt terrible, but this was worse than I'd ever imagined.
All the guys surrounded me and pulled me into a hug. They’d only noticed the gun when they saw my magic pluck it out of her hand. Marsden stepped away from the window and picked up the gun. He stared down at it for a minute, then looked at all of us.
“No one in this room speaks to anyone about what happened here, understood? If anyone asks, refer them to me. I’ll control the narrative on this. It was self-defense, Beyla. She should never have brought a gun in here.”
Nowhe thought she’d gone too far? When she was dead on the sidewalk? This didn’t have to happen, and Marsden conveniently seemed to forget I didn’t answer to him.
“I have to call this in, Marsden. You know that.”
“I’m aware. You do what you need to do to get back in this studio. You’re my Damita now, and I think you’re going to do an amazing job.”
Marsden had this look in his eyes. Hewantedthis. I think he always wanted me to dance Damita. He had this sickeningly smitten look on his face, like he’d just gotten everything he wanted.
They needed me to get Bellatrix out of the way first. They had manipulated me just as much as they had her. I didn’t like Bellatrix, but she didn’t deserve that. I was taking that gun for evidence and having it traced.
I didn’t care how famous he was, or that I was only here because of him. I didn’t care that Damita was an amazing role I clicked with.
If I found out Marsden purchased that gun for Bellatrix, I was having him arrested. I was done playing by their rules. It was time to play by mine.
