by Ally Shields
“Don’t be silly, Sis. I’m sure this is nothing, and you’d be bored to death watching us interview people. You and Rhyden go have fun.”
“You’re not a member of the Guard, honey,” their mother hastened to add.
“Neither is Seth.” Esty’s lower lip popped out in a pout.
Oh no, this was just the argument Kam had wanted to avoid. “Actually his temporary position with the Guard has never been revoked.”
“Then Rhyden must still be a guard too,” Esty persisted.
“Yes, but Mother’s right—you’re not.” Kam stood. “I really have to go. Thanks for the biscuits, Mother. Always the best.” She kissed them both on the cheek. “And Esty, have a great time tonight. If you get a chance, try the creole deviled eggs. They’re a scrumptious appetizer.”
Having successfully diverted her sister with food, Kam made good her escape and set out on a brisk walk toward the palace. Once she was out of the trees, the rolling fields of Elvenrude’s pastoral lands stretched out for miles until they reached the distant mountains where the mining for precious metals was done. The landscape was dotted here and there with the grass and peat huts preferred by many of the working class. The blond-haired workers in the fields waved at her. Kam smiled cheerfully and waved back. They seemed happy, but she sometimes wondered if they dreamed of living different lives with more luxuries beyond the basics.
When the darkkin fled from the world of man thousands of years ago, they’d built a magical world based on what they considered the ideal. They’d made it beautiful and self-sustaining—temperate but seasonal for growing crops and supporting the plant life and the live oak trees they’d brought with them. Having endured an inferior position and subjugation to their pale-haired kin, they set up their own hierarchy. The few blond elves who escaped with them now found themselves the working class and the dark elves took over the government, establishing a benevolent monarchy that had endured and flourished.
The sight of the palace grounds broke off her musing. Nestled in another grove of live oaks, the magnificent structure towered above the tallest branches. It was surrounded on the ground level by the homes of those who worked at the palace. The tree-level homes were owned mostly by the Lormarc clan. Spurning the vine walkways, she approached the ground level entrance closest to Captain Brunic’s office.
“Come in, Kam.” The sixtyish captain rose when she appeared in his doorway. His bright blue eyes—revealing their clan connection—crinkled at the corners, and his roughened features curved into a smile. “I assumed you’d be in today. Rimee stopped by earlier.” Brunic watched her take a seat. “He seemed anxious to convince me the attack amounted to nothing important.”
“That’s because he doesn’t want his girlfriend questioned.” She gave him the details of the incident. “Seth and I will be checking around tonight. And we’ll eventually interview this human woman, if necessary.” She hesitated. “I’m more concerned his partner, Hayne, didn’t see anything.”
“How so?” Brunic’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so unusual?”
“Maybe not, except there wasn’t an image of the attackers on camera either. Not so much as a shadow.”
“That is odd. Could it have been a simple camera malfunction?”
“We checked. I might be imagining things, but I wondered if his assailants had been cloaked with invisibility magic.” She shrugged off her comment. “I suppose I’m just suspicious of everything after Jermon Lormarc’s betrayal. I’d never considered other elves as a source of real violence and treachery before then.”
Brunic sighed. “We weren’t always so peaceful. That’s why our rulers limited our exposure to other worlds and kept Elvenrude self-sufficient—to avoid a contamination that might bring out our worst traits.”
“You mean greedy ambition? Thanks to Jermon’s actions, our world is not as safe as it used to be.” Kam’s voice held an edge. Last fall and winter Seth’s uncle had fostered a rebellion to take over the Lormarc clan and the monarchy of Elvenrude by force. As part of his plot, he’d smuggled humans through the portal. That act had broken the ancient enchantment that kept the portals hidden from anyone except Elvenrude’s inhabitants. As long as humans didn’t understand the significance of the portal tattoos or figure out how to use them, the risk of invasion was small—but it was there.
“At least we got rid of the guns,” Brunic said with a scowl. “If he’d spread those around, confining him to a dungeon wouldn’t have solved the problem.”
Kam raised a brow. Elvenrude’s problem wasn’t solved. Jermon had only fanned the flames of a silent resentment when he’d gathered the dissidents around him. The rebellion had been a wake-up call for the aristocracy to improve its relationship with the working classes, especially the crossbreeds, shunned by both the blond and dark-haired classes. Small but significant steps had been taken to integrate the crossbreeds into the guilds, and two of the pale-haired elves had been given supervisory positions. It was a start. Elvenrude was slowly changing. But far from done.
Kam gave a wry smile. In a way, she and Esty were part of breaking down barriers within her own race of dark elves. After all, bias was bias wherever you found it. Just a year ago, it was unheard of for a member of the blue-eyed Ryndel clan to be dating a green-eyed Lormarc.
She started, realizing Brunic had asked her a question. “Sorry. I didn’t catch that.”
“I asked if you really thought it was an elf who attacked Rimee.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t seem likely. They’d have to go Cityside through one of the two portals, and all transports are recorded. Our guards are thorough. No one is going to slip by them. And the portals haven’t logged any unauthorized transports. Unless it’s a guild worker or another guard, it had to be someone from the human world.”
Brunic leaned back. “I assume you’ve already checked your staff.” He didn’t even wait for her nod. “I don’t like unanswered questions, Kam. Get this cleared up as quickly as you can.”
“No problem, Captain.”
CHAPTER THREE
Promptly at eight o’clock, the personal portal in Kam’s apartment dinged, indicating a transport from another Cityside location. Seth had arrived. She opened the security door into the spare bedroom that served as her portal room.
He shot her his devastating grin.
The dark-green cargo pants and matching hooded jacket gave him an intriguing bad boy look. A small backpack held his mini-crossbow and arrows. His eyes swept her up and down. “I do like you in black.”
Kam glanced down at her attire. She’d changed into her night-duty clothes: a black, form-fitting outfit with a hood that could hide her crossbow, the black multi-purpose neck scarf, and black boots. She’d blend into the shadows.
In the apartment light, the outfit revealed every curve, and his scrutiny felt a little too intimate under the circumstances. They’d made up over the recent fight, but they hadn’t resolved the issues. Putting on her work clothes brought to mind their strong differences regarding the CIA missions.
She turned away. “I’m almost ready. Let me get my weapons.” She hurried to her bedroom and picked up the soft backpack that held her crossbow, knife, her new Sig Sauer, the invisibility amulet, and other magical items.
The silver band that enhanced her speed and agility was already on her right wrist. She wore it most of the time along with the ring on her middle finger that allowed Elvenrude to page her at any time. She took out the amulet and dropped the chain over her head. Better to be prepared than caught wishing she had it. Then she slung the backpack over her shoulder.
As she entered the living room, the sparkle of an emerald ring drew her attention to Seth’s right hand. “I see you also visited Elvenrude.”
He followed her gaze. “I have the family crest on loan again. Earthborn magic doesn’t do Father or Grandfather much good in Elvenrude. Besides, how else am I to keep up with you?” He pulled a silver object the size of a coin from his pocket. “I have the seeker charm too
in case we identify someone to track.”
“I think we’re set.” She led the way down the stairs from her apartment, and they exited the back door into the night heat. The building service area, with a single large garbage bin, was deserted. She paused, listening to the traffic sounds from nearby streets. Other than a cricket or cicada, there was no one to observe their actions. She leaped to the top of the next building. Seth levitated up beside her.
She loved it here at the top of the city with the twinkling lights spread out around her. And the freedom of having the world all to herself…well, except for him. The awkwardness she’d felt in her apartment faded away as they ran side by side, leaping from building to building.
Seth grabbed her arm and pulled them both to a stop, dropping into a crouch. “Did you see that? A flash of shadowy light down that side street. One moment it was there and then it wasn’t.”
“I missed it, but let’s check it out.” Kam sprang over the side of the roof and landed on the street below. When Seth appeared a few feet away, they searched in both directions for a couple of blocks without turning up anyone.
“Whatever it was is probably far away by now,” Seth said. “It seemed to be moving fast.”
“It wouldn’t be the first report of a ghostly sighting in New Orleans,” Kam said.
“You think I imagined it?”
“Oh no. Centuries of paranormal reports have to have some basis.” She grinned. “Us, for example. There are all kinds of unexplained things in this town. Haven’t you noticed the vibes before tonight?”
“Yes, but this felt different.”
She gave him a sharp look. “What do you mean by different?”
“Familiar.” He hesitated and finally said, “Elven.”
“How’s that’s possible? No one has crossed into New Orleans carrying any of the ancient magics…except us. The portal would have recorded it.”
“Not if an amulet was hidden here before the king closed the other portals.”
“Why would someone do that? It’s no crime to possess family relics. And no one knew the portals were going to be restricted until it happened.” She frowned. “I suppose it could be a new find they didn’t turn in to the museum. We know many magical items were left on this side of the portal thousands of years ago. Our spotters have turned up one or two over the years.”
Seth shrugged. “That would make your spotters the likeliest suspects. Items so old would be in archeology digs or museums by now.”
“Suspects?” Kam was troubled by the suggestion. Deni? Reya? Could one of the young elves who searched the earth for museum pieces be involved in something unethical, even criminal?
She shook her head. “No. There isn’t one of them who’s dishonest. They’re proud of what they do and of seeing their names on the museum plaques. They report every find. Besides, none of them have the ability to wield the ancient magics.” When he didn’t say anything, she added reluctantly, “I’ll do some quiet checking, but you’ll see.”
“In the meantime, let’s follow up on the local gossip. I’m still curious about the sightings Marty mentioned.” He motioned toward the pub across the street. “Since we haven’t made it to The Wharf, how about grabbing something now?”
Le Petit Pub was a neighborhood bar crammed into a corner space between two buildings and had seating for no more than twenty. It was off the beaten track, east of Esplanade Avenue. No music, few tourists. No racks of postcards or cheap beads. It smelled of beer rather than bourbon. A single bartender nodded when they entered, and the patrons looked at Seth and Kam for a moment. Conversations resumed as they slid onto stools at the bar.
They ordered beers and po’boys. “Quiet night,” Seth commented when the bartender set their foods and drinks in front of them.
“It’s been steady. I like it this way. Pays the bills but doesn’t run me off my feet. You new around here?”
“I’ve been in town about five years. Long enough to prefer the non-tourist areas.” Seth’s tone remained casual.
The barkeep grinned. “If you’re looking for quiet, this is the place. Nothing much happens around here.”
“Except the hauntings,” a man in a blue and white T-shirt piped up from two seats away.
“You have ghosts around here?” Kam asked, swiveling her bar chair to look at him.
“Now you see what you’ve done?” The bartender frowned at the patron and shook his head, but there was humor in his eyes. “You keep talking about these alleged sightings and we’ll have tourists flooding into the neighborhood.”
“They aren’t alleged,” the man declared. “Wasn’t Billy tossed on his butt by one of them things? Something’s happening around here. Mark my words.”
“Billy drinks too much.” The barkeep wiped the counter. “Ghosts don’t knock you down. More likely he tied one on and fell.”
“That wasn’t the way I heard it,” the man grumbled.
“Tell us.” Kam picked up her sandwich and encouraged the patron with a bright, disingenuous smile. “I love ghost stories.”
“Not much to tell. Billy’s a regular here…when he has the cash. The other day he left about closing time, headed for home. Now I admit he was drunk—but drunk or sober, a man knows when something runs into him. It was just down the street.” He pointed toward the door. “He saw these flashes of light, and then something he couldn’t see knocked him clean off his feet.”
“It’s nonsense,” the barkeep said.
“Yeah, well, he ain’t the first one to see them strange lights.” The patron leaned toward Kam and lowered his voice. “It’s voodoo, I think. Them witches are at work.”
“Or vampires or werewolves.” The bartender smirked.
“Ooh, good story,” Kam said keeping to the role she’d chosen. “I’d love to meet Billy and hear the details.”
Seth shrugged, set down his beer, and handed business cards to the bartender and the patron. “Next time you see Billy, ask him to call me. Tell him we’d like to buy him a drink.”
* * *
Late the following afternoon Kam was ready to leave her office when Seth called. Billy had contacted him and would meet them at the pub at nine o’clock. When he hung up, Kam stared thoughtfully at the phone. A quick, matter-of-fact call. The slight distance between them was still there. It wasn’t anything he’d said. It was what he didn’t say…or maybe how he said it, the lack of warmth. They still needed to talk it over. Soon.
She dressed casually for the meeting—jeans and a tailored white shirt. Her black outfit had been a little conspicuous last night. Good for hiding on rooftops, not quite so much for pub-crawling.
When she walked into the bar, Seth was already there and sporting a similar informality with jeans and a light gray T-shirt. He stood and gave her that slow smile.
Maybe things weren’t as bad as she’d thought.
They exchanged a quick kiss, and she slid into the booth across from him.
“Are you ready for a good ghost story?” he asked.
“You bet. Billy sounds like quite a character. But I’m glad you’re here early. I wanted to tell you about the checks I’ve done on the spotters and the portal logs.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“I have. Other than those cleared for work here, only three Elite elves were in New Orleans last night. One of them was visiting the Ryndel Guild and never left the premises. The other two are frequent visitors to New Orleans, so it wasn’t surprising they were both here the night of the attack on Rimee. We might eliminate one or both by pinpointing the dates of other sightings.” She looked up and waited until the barkeep had delivered her beer and left. “And I’m happy to report that none of my spotters have acted the least bit suspicious or were in New Orleans when Rimee was assaulted.”
“It was a long shot,” Seth admitted. “But it’s good to consider every possibility. That includes the ex-boyfriend of Rimee’s girl. I promised him we’d play it down and not upset her, so I think you should talk with her al
one.”
Kam grinned. “You mean woman to woman? The, um, gentle touch?”
“Something like that.”
“Sure. Why not? I’ll do it first thing in the morning. All we really need from her is James’s address and—”
“I think this is Billy,” Seth interrupted. He rose, offered his seat to the ruddy-complexioned older man who’d approached them, and Seth sat back down next to Kam.
The newcomer gave them a cagey look but took the far side of the booth. Introductions were made, and a round of drinks was ordered. Billy rubbed his bristled chin and squinted at them. “I guess you want to hear about the ghosts. Some folks don’t believe me, but it happened.”
“We’ll believe you,” Kam said. “Tell us about it.”
He hunched forward and lowered his voice. “It was late. I was going home. Something bumped into me. Hard. Hard enough to knocked me down.” He paused and looked around furtively.
Maybe he’d been the butt of too many jokes.
“I didn’t see no one, but I swear I heard a low laugh,” he whispered. “Scared the bejesus right out of me.”
“This ghost was solid?” she asked.
“Sho was, only as I said I couldn’t see nothing. I think there was more than one of them spectral things. They were invisible.”
“Any ghostly chills?” Kam leaned forward conspiratorially. “Like your skin was touched by icy fingers?” If he was making this up, he should grab that suggestion.
Billy shook his head. “Nope. Just like when anybody runs into you. Although the laugh was sure spooky.”
“I can imagine. What night did this happen?” Kam asked.
“And where?” Seth added.
“A couple of blocks from here. I can show you, if you like. Let’s see…” He paused to take a sip of his whiskey. “That must have been two nights ago. Yep. That’s when it was. I’ve taken a different street home since then.”
Just hours before the early morning attack on Rimee. Kam leaned forward again. “The laugh you heard…male or female?”
