Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel by Becca Blake (english novels to improve english .txt) 📕

“So, we came back for nothing.”

We were no closer to learning more about Raxael or coming up with a plan to defeat him. And if everything that happened in Omaha had been a set up to take down Orion, then coming back played into their hands.

“Maybe not,” Jacob said. “We know Raxael can shift through planes instantly, without having to open a portal. We saw him do it.”

“What about it?”

“So, what if we figure out a way to stop him from doing that?”

“That could work,” I said slowly, considering it.

There was only one person in Haygrove who might know whether that was even possible. I glanced at the clock beneath my TV. It was still early afternoon, which meant I had plenty of time.

“I have to get to the alchemy lab,” I said.

Jacob caught my wrist to stop me from leaving. “Go tomorrow. You need rest.”

His voice was so much softer than usual, and though I wanted to rush off, I found myself falling back onto the couch beside him. Somehow, we’d moved closer to each other as the conversation had gone on, and my shoulder now pressed against his. He was so warm, and his tan skin carried that same earthy scent, like the ground after fresh rain.

The muscles of his arm tensed, and a moment later, he was on his feet. His absence left the space beside me cold and empty, and though I wanted him to return, I stopped myself from asking.

“I should let you get that rest,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m going out to get some air.”

The front door closed behind him as he left me alone in my family’s achingly empty house, just as I’d wanted to be.

***

When Orion stopped by to check on me the next day, he agreed it would be safe to ask Ed for his opinion. The alchemist’s only loyalty was to his craft, so if we brought him an interesting enough question or a new project to research, he’d be thrilled to work with us and keep it a secret.

I hoped he was right.

As I jogged down Market Street with my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, my gaze drifted to the town hall, and the window on the third floor that I now knew belonged to Marcus Thorne. The glare of the sun reflected on the glass windows, blocking the view of the room within.

How often did he stand at that window, watching over Haygrove? Could he see me now, making my way toward the alchemy lab?

He must have had more important things to do than spend his day staring out the window, but the thought still made me uneasy.

I arrived at the lab at the same time the alchemist did. He paused in front of the door, fumbling with his keys.

“Dr. Moran?” I called out.

As soon as he saw me, he groaned. “Not today.”

“Wait,” I said, blocking the door’s handle. “I need your help.”

“I don’t have time for another favor today. Too much to do.”

“Please—this is important. Commander Orion sent me.”

“Orion is perfectly capable of planning ahead and following the lab’s schedule,” he said. “Whatever it is, the answer is no.”

“This isn’t a simple enchantment request,” I said, lowering my voice. “I promise it’s worth your time.”

He considered me, then shrugged. “Alright. You’ve got me curious enough to hear you out.”

This time, he led me into the study across the hall from where he’d enchanted my weapon. While the enchanting room had been neat and organized, with everything labeled and left in its proper place, the study looked like a hurricane had torn through it. The shelves contained an eccentric combination of books, supplies, and old pizza boxes. The journals on the shelves weren’t kept in chronological order, though the dates seemed to go back at least thirty years.

Ed moved behind the table in the center of the room, which took up most of the floor space. He found a small corner that was cleared off enough to rest his arms on. He leaned forward, waiting for my explanation.

I hesitated, unsure where to begin. Orion assured me we could trust Ed, but I’d only met the alchemist once before. What if he was wrong?

“Well?”

“I need your help with something. It’s very important this stays between us.”

He tapped his finger on the table. “Get to the point.”

“Is it possible to make an enchantment that would lock a being onto our plane of existence?”

Ed’s bushy eyebrows raised, and an expression of pure delight spread across his face. He shoved an old journal off the table and replaced it with a fresh one, then scribbled notes in chicken scratch writing I could hardly read. “That is an interesting request. Why?”

“We…” I was sure my hesitation would only annoy him more, but I had no idea what else to say.

“So, this is a top secret request to keep something on our plane? Don’t tell me—I’ll figure it out.” Ed tucked the pen behind his ear and clapped his hands in delight. He paced around the room, mumbling to himself unintelligibly for a few minutes before looking back at me. “Oh, that’s risky.”

“What?” I asked.

“Raxael is much too powerful. I can’t condone this.” He turned his back to me as he looked over his notes.

“But—”

He spun back around to face me. “Ah, but now I have to know if I can do it. How to keep a demon lord on our plane… that’s a challenge that is far too enticing to pass up.”

My mouth hung open as I watched him scurry around the small office, searching for something. I supposed it wasn’t all that shocking to learn he knew about the demon lords, given that the infernal plane was his specialty. But I was definitely impressed by how quickly he figured out what I planned to do with the enchantment.

“I’ll need an artifact with demonic power.”

“A demonic artifact?”

He nodded. “Nothing I have here is powerful enough for an enchantment