Witch's Bell Book One

what' going on, and I don't have a clue.'
    'Whoever is working with the Grimshores, isn't necessarily working for them,' Nate nodded. 'The Grimshores were being set up, just as you were.'
    'Set up?'
    Nate closed his eyes for a brief second. 'Whatever is coming through the Portal, Ebony, it's big. And it needs power, a lot of power. Now, whoever is working with it – whatever witch or wizard is trying to pull it through the Portal – they'd know this. Their task would be to find it power. To find it magic, to find it opportunities.'
    Things began to click into place for Ebony, and she found herself staring into the Detective's never-deviating gaze. 'You mean they're feeding “it”? They're finding purposeless-magic, and throwing it to whatever beast waits at the other side of the Portal, like a keeper throwing meat to the lion?'
    Nate nodded. 'The more they can disrupt things, the more they can encourage magic with no purpose, the more they feed it. The Grimshores were probably meant as an offering, of sorts. Whoever has been planning this, has likely fattened the Grimshores up for years, just waiting to pull the rug from under their feet and let the lion descend.'
    'Years? The Grimshores have had their power for almost a century-'
    'Some magical-creatures can live for an aeon, you know that. And it takes time, lots of time, and lots of power to try and bring through a creature from the Other Side.'
    'You're suggesting someone has been planning this all for what, a hundred years? Isn't that a little farfetched?'
    Nate crossed his arms and stared at her. 'You are being rewritten by a spell you accidentally consummated when you carelessly let yourself get stabbed in a crypt, while you were trying to prevent a man from summoning Death. I think you have reason to suspend your disbelief for a time, don't you?' he shook his head. 'It's all speculation, Ebony, but that's all I have to go on now.'
    Ebony huffed. She was overwhelmed, she decided, just snowed-under by all this information. What was she meant to think, let alone do?
    She took a moment to blink. Not that blinking was going to help her, but that didn't matter.
    'Wait a second,' she looked back up at him, 'if you have the book.... If you have the book from the crypt, then we can end this spell,' she curled her hands up into tight fists.
    'Technically,' Nate conceded.
    'Technically?' Harry roared. 'Go and get the book, you rotter, and I'll blow the ruddy thing into a thousand pieces.'
    'I'd really rather you didn't,' Nate said evenly. 'I need that book, and I need the spell on Ebony, for now.'
    Ebony, despite the situation, laughed. 'Excuse me?'
    'I've come this far, can't hardly give up now.' He shrugged his shoulders.
    'You're going to let the spell complete itself,' her head ticked quickly to the side, 'let me be rewritten, let me die, just so you can catch your little criminal?'
    'I'm not going to let you die,' he rolled his eyes. 'But yeah, I need to find out who-'
    'You need to go and get that book right now,' Ebony hissed. 'Before I get Harry to redesign your house, and half the block.'
    'Be reasonable, Ebony. The safety of the whole planet it on the line. If a creature comes through that Portal, it will-'
    But before Nate could finish his sentence, there came a noise from the front door.
    A very specific noise. A bang.

Chapter Twenty-Two
    N ate didn't say anything, just ducked down, and grabbed the broadsword from the crumpled suit of armor.
    Ebony's heart began to race as the sounds from the front of the house only grew louder, and a lot more destructive.
    Nate carefully closed the door to the room they were in. He turned sharply, teeth set.
    'Ah,' Harry said carefully. 'We have company. Probably more nancy wizards. And they're probably after the Gold.'
    'What?' Nate hissed.
    'Never mind, no time to explain,' Harry shifted himself around on the ground. 'Now, unless you want those bearded-louts destroying your house, I suggest we get out of here.'
    'Nice plan,' Nate's teeth were still clenched. 'But I don't exactly have an escape route in here.'
    'No? You should always pack at least one escape plan when heading into trouble, I find it always helps.'
    Nate swallowed, but didn't answer. 'Ebony, you stay in here, I'll go out and-'
    'And what, get a fire-ball to the face? I'm sure it would improve your visage, Knight, but I wouldn't suggest it. No, I say we high-tail it out of here, and aim for the Grimshores.' Harry was rocketing around on the floor with