by K. M. Shea
“Just slow down!”
“Very well,” Vlad sighed. “Where shall I drive you to? The train station?”
“Yes,” I said. “But we’re going to drop Fran off at her house first,” I said, glancing at my friend.
I was surprised when Fran did not protest. “Take a right up here,” Fran said, leaning forward to point out the intersection before she was thrown backwards when Vlad gunned it.
“Understood,” he said.
We reached Fran’s house in a much shorter span of time than we should have. Both Fran and I were a little knock kneed when we climbed out of the car.
“I’ll be right back. Put the car gear into park,” I said before I shut the car door and followed Fran up the sidewalk to her house.
“So Fran,” I said when Fran started rummaging around her coat pockets for her house keys.
“What?” Fran asked.
A fairy briefly flashed in my vision, appearing just long enough to give me an all clear sign. Fran’s house was safe.
I smiled my thanks at the fairy before I returned my attention to Fran. “About what happened today.”
“It has something to do with your job, right?”
My lips went numb. “What?”
Fran rolled her eyes. “Come on, Morgan. Give me some credit. I’ve known your job has to be something….weird since the year you started it.”
“Something weird?”
“Something that has to do outside the realm of the ordinary,” Fran said. “I don’t know what it is, and I know you’ve been trying to keep it from me, so frankly I’m probably better off not knowing,” she said, smiling when she finally found her keys.
“You’ve known?” I said, my mouth gaping.
“Well yeah, I’m not stupid,” Fran said, unlocking the front door.
Vlad honked on the horn. “The jovial sound is meant to communicate that we should leave post haste,” he said after rolling down the window.
I sighed. “We will talk about this later. I promise,” I said.
“Yeah we will. In the meantime I have to come to terms with the fact that my boyfriend—or ex-boyfriend I should say—is evil,” Fran said.
Recalling the way Ethan threw himself in front of Fran, I shook my head. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
Vlad honked the horn again.
“I’m coming!” I shouted.
“Go. I probably won’t see you for a few days. Will you be visiting your Aunt Erma in Toledo again?” Fran asked.
“Probably,” I said, a little disconcerted with my best friend’s vast memory and sharp intelligence.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” Fran said, hugging me.
“Thanks. I’ll see you soon!” I said before I hurried down the sidewalk. I waved to Fran before climbing into the front passenger’s seat.
“Where to, Miss Morgan?” Vlad asked.
“The Oakdale train station,” I said. “And step on it.”
12
Questioning a Dark Elf
“What’s the situation?” I asked Baobab, who was waiting for me at the employees only door in Union Station.
“The Shadow Shifters attempted to take all Fidem members at the compound captive. Two got away, everyone else was taken.”
“Was Ethan collected?” I asked as I pushed the door open.
“Ethan?” Baobab asked.
“The dark elf that kidnapped me. The leader,” I said, navigating my way through the boiler room.
“Yes. He was brought back to the MBRC and is being prepped for questioning.”
“What happened to my guards?”
“They were attacked enroute to your appointment with your friend.”
“Both Sink and Harrison?”
Baobab nodded. “As well as the additional goblin guards.”
“Where are they?” I asked.
“Waiting inside the MBRC to meet up with you again. They retrieved your belongings and have brought them here as well,” Baobab said.
“Great. Hi, Tiny,” I said, greeting a giant seated on a creaking wooden stool.
“Hello there, Morgan. I heard the news—I’m glad to see you’re well.”
“Thanks,” I said. “How’s your mother?”
“Couldn’t be better,” Tiny said as he pulled and pushed gears. “She caused a minor earthquake in California a few days ago with her snoring.”
“Please give her my regards,” I said.
“Of course. There you go! You two have a great evening,” Tiny said, opening the main portal to the MBRC for us.
“Thanks, Tiny,” I said before turning back to Baobab. “This is just a guess, but does Aysel want to talk to me?”
“Yes, Miss Fae,” Baobab said.
“Tell him he’s got to wait. And I need to borrow his spelled truth necklace. Like, now,” I said as we walked down a long, dim hallway.
“You wish for me to tell him to wait?” Baobab said, shock coloring her voice.
“Yeah. There’s something about Ethan that bothers me.”
“Who?”
“My kidnapper. Look, could you just tell Aysel and get me the necklace? The truth spell in my earring has run out by now,” I said as we reached the end of the tunnel.
“He will not like it,” Baobab said.
“Yeah? Well he’ll have to build a bridge and get over it,” I said, stepping into the central chamber of the MBRC—which was busy as usual.
Baobab blinked. “What?”
“Nothing. Thanks, Baobab. You’re worth your weight in pixie powder,” I said. “I’ll be wherever the MBRC is holding the captives.”
Baobab gave me a thin smile. “Yes, Miss Fae,” she said before squaring her shoulders and gliding off.
“Miss Fae.”
Recognizing the voice, I turned with a big smile. “Krusher, I’m so glad—what happened?” I said, aghast.
Harrison had an arm in a sling, and his suit was ripped and dirty. He wore his sunglasses, but it was obvious a huge bruiser was forming on his left cheek and eye.
“Are you okay? We should get a unicorn up here,” I said.
“I’m fine, Miss Fae.”
“No, you aren’t,” I said, my voice thickening as I crossed the distance to pick up my backpack, which was sitting at Harrison’s feet. “You are injured. Let me use my MM to call Westfall. He’ll be able to recommend a unicorn to me.”
“Miss Fae.”
“What?”
“I’m fine.”
I stopped fussing with my stuff long enough to look up at him. “There must have been a ton of them,” I said.
It took a few moments, but Harrison cracked what passed as a goblin smile. “Several dozen,” he said most humbly.
On an impulse, I reached out and hugged Harrison’s good shoulder. “I’m sorry. Thank you, Krusher,” I whispered.
Harrison patted me on the top of my head. “It’s Harrison, Miss Fae.”
“Is Sink okay?” I asked, releasing my bodyguard.
“She is recovering,” Harrison said.
I nodded and wiped my eyes.
“What are you going to do?” Harrison said, asking me a question for the first time in our entire acquaintance.
I half smiled at Harrison. “I’m going to bust a dark elf,” I said. “Where are our attackers being held?”
Harrison bowed at the waist before he started through the busy central chamber. I followed him as if I was glued to the sleeve of his good arm. Harrison led the way into a maze of hallways I had never been in. Judging by the zing of magic and the barred doors, it was probably some kind of holding/defense wing.
Harrison stopped next to a barred door and knocked.
A part of the door slid aside to reveal a female centaur’s face. “This room is not open to the public.”
“I need to talk to one of your captives,” I said.
The centaur’s gaze flickered to me. “Ahh, Miss Fae. If you seek answers you shall not find them in the darkest pits.”
“Are y
ou related to Orion?” I suspiciously asked.
“Who?”
“Nothing. Look, I have to talk to the dark elf that kidnapped me.”
“The danger is too encompassing. Those whose fate it is to question shall do so,” the centaur said.
I took this to mean they thought Ethan would strangle me, and they would have professionals take care of it.
“Look, I think I might be able to turn him,” I said.
The centaur cocked her head. “Turn him?”
“I think I can get him to cooperate with us and abandon Fidem.”
The centaur blinked, her mystical air gone. “That cannot be done.”
I smiled like a shark. “I think it can.”
“But how?”
“By using tools available only to me,” I said.
“Your humanity?”
“No, my best friend. Now let me in.”
The centaur flattened her lips for a moment before she shut the little window. There was a large thud behind the closed door, followed by the noise of an ancient crank being turned. Then the door swung open on well oiled hinges.
“We will bring him into an interrogation room for you,” the centaur said, swishing her flaxen horse tail.
“You guys have interrogation rooms?” I asked, following the centaur down a long, plain hallway with Harrison on my heels.
“The defense department’s chief watched many of your detective and crime shows before remodeling this wing for our use,” the centaur said.
“Huh. That’s actually pretty smart,” I said.
“Of course we made adjustments for the magical,” the centaur added.
“Naturally,” I agreed when we stopped outside a door.
“This is where you will be able to question him,” the centaur said. “I will have him brought inside through a different door. I will return when we are ready for you.”
“Thank you,” I said.
The centaur picked up one foreleg and bowed her head in a centaur bow before she left, her hooves clip-clopping on the flooring.
I took off my jacket and backpack and stretched my arms above my head. “Have you ever broken someone before, Krusher?”
“It’s Harrison, Miss Fae.”
“Not that kind of break. I mean mentally,” I said, turning to face the door.
Harrison shifted, a movement unusual for him.
“Yes, I’m angry with him, but more for lying to Fran than attacking me,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “You should have seen it. He totally freaked when Fran arrived.”
“Miss Fae?”
I twirled around, breaking into a smile when I saw Baobab. “Perfect timing—what’s wrong?” I said when I noticed her frown.
Baobab shook her head. “Aysel is unwilling to lend you his truth necklace.”
“He what? That little—,” I cut myself off with a scowl.
“He said—this is a direct quote—I was to ‘inform Morgan the MBRC does not pay her to play detective, and to stop bothering the professionals and get upstairs—the useless twit,’” Baobab said, nervously smoothing her black skirt.
“That-that—UUUGGGHHH,” I said meshing my hands together to keep myself from strangling someone—preferably Aysel. After a moment I managed to calm down. “Fine, okay. Krusher, I know you’ve got to be spent, but can you persuade Ethan to tell the truth?”
Krusher removed his sunglasses, confirming my guess that he would have a black eye soon. Already his left eye was swelled shut, and the skin was red and slightly discolored.
“Holy crap!” I said. “I’m sorry I asked,” I said, as Krusher slid his sunglasses back on.
“Alright. Do either of you know of magic—that we can use right now—that will let us know if someone is telling the truth?”
Both Krusher and Baobab nodded.
“Great,” I said, unclipping my protection bracelet. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
Five minutes later, after the centaur told me they were ready, I walked into the interrogation room, and I almost walked right back out. Clearly the defense department chief misunderstood something about the detective shows he watched.
The actual part of the room where the questioning took place was pretty standard. There was a wooden table and several chairs. Ethan sat in one of them, an iron collar encompassing his neck and two minotaur guards posted behind him. What was off was the supposed one-way mirror. Instead of installing the fancy looking glass, there was a giant window that let anyone in the interrogation room see into the observational room.
There were bleachers in the observational room, a popcorn machine, and what looked like a coffee and tea dispenser.
Apparently questioning was considered entertainment in the MBRC.
The bleachers were packed with various magical beings, and I could hear the popcorn popping and a lot of conversations through the glass window.
“I should have expected this,” I sighed, seating myself in the chair across from Ethan. “Hey there. We’ll get started in a minute. I’m just waiting on something,” I said as Krusher took up his position behind me.
Ethan, looking very much worse for the wear, stared at me.
“What?” I said.
Ethan made a derogatory noise in the back of his throat and looked away. I made a show of getting comfortable, and a few moments later the door I entered through opened again.
“I have brought it, Miss Fae,” Baobab said, walking into the room.
The audience in the observational room craned their necks to see what she carried.
“Thanks, Baobab,” I smiled, holding out my hand so Baobab could give me my braided protection charm. “I’m sure Aysel was a bear to wrestle this from, but I need another truth spell. Mine’s tapped out,” I sighed.
“My pleasure, Miss Fae,” Baobab said before she left the room.
Ethan shifted in his chair. “Take me back to my cell,” he said, his voice tight.
“But we haven’t even started talking,” I said, clipping my bracelet on.
“I have nothing to say.”
“I don’t believe that,” I said.
“I will not betray Fidem,” Ethan said, his forehead harrowed.
“You wanna know a secret?” I asked. I leaned forward to whisper, “You already have.”
“What?!” Ethan shouted, jumping to his feet. One of the minotaurs laid a meaty hand on his shoulder and tossed him back into the chair.
“Starting about a month ago, you went undercover as the charming human male, Ethan Gray,” I said. “Your mission was to ingratiate yourself with my best friend, Fran, so you would have a direct line of information about me,” I said. “Am I right?”
Ethan leaned back in his chair, his face scrunched up.
I laid out my arm that had the protection bracelet hanging from my wrist. “Am I right?”
“Yes,” Ethan blurted out.
The audience in the observation room cheered.
I glanced back at Krusher. Krusher nodded.
“So you took Fran out on a few dates—some very poorly planned dates might I add—and wooed her, milking her for information until you could arrange a meeting with me and try to kidnap me. Right?”
“Yes,” Ethan said, his brown eyes narrowed into angry slits.
“You were a very good operative. Except you totally screwed up in one place.”
“What? I did—,” Ethan cut himself off, glancing at my bracelet.
I smiled, encouraged that he was totally taken in by my ploy. “You screwed up and committed the worst sin possible for a dark elf in Fidem. You fell in love with your target, a human.”
The audience gasped and exploded into whispers.
“But—no!” Ethan said, standing up again.
The other minotaur made him sit down immediately. I was really starting to like those two—they were almost as cool as my female ninja guard goblins.
“You can’t lie to a truth spell, Ethan. Face it. You fell in love with Fran. In spite of a
ll your hatred and prejudice, one high school girl managed to wipe it all away, and make herself a place in your heart.”
Ethan opened and closed his mouth several times. “To play a role in a mission and be believable you have to take on emotions that aren’t really yours,” he said.
“Whatever,” I said. “You’re totally smitten with her. You were turning out to be Krad Temero’s golden boy as you were the only successful operative. Your comrades were jokes—they were turned back by goblins, beaten and bruised,” I said. “But you, you were making it! You were going to get me…except secretly your pristine image was ruined, smeared by your love for Fran,” I said.
Ethan tried to reject the idea but his mouth clicked shut and he scowled at my protection bracelet. He instead spoke a booming word and leaped for me, his hands glowing with black electricity.
Our observers shrieked and threw popcorn. Even I was hard pressed to remain stationary and appear unafraid by the display of magic.
The minotaurs, not at all shocked by this turn in events, each grabbed Ethan by his shoulders and hauled him back in the chair, his butt making an audible thump when he was seated.
Ethan muttered in his weird dark elf language and went back to glaring at me.
I smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Poor Ethan,” I said. “Your outburst proves I’m right.”
“How?” Ethan snarled.
“You just performed magic, and you’re wearing iron,” I said, my smile growing so wide I thought it might cut my face in half. “If you really hated humans, all humans, you wouldn’t be able to do that.”
Ethan froze. His brown eyes were wide, and his breathing was shaky. “Don’t tell Fidem!” he said, his words coming in a rush. “If you tell them what I’ve done they’ll kill her! You can do anything you want to me, beat me and imprison me for life, kill me, I don’t care. Just don’t tell them what happened!”
While the audience in the observational room kicked up a racket with their cheers, I glanced back at Krusher. My goblin guard gave me another nearly imperceptible nod.
“When did it start?” I asked.
“We went ice skating,” Ethan said.
“I remember,” I said, my voice wry. “Fran mentioned it.”
