by B N Miles
“Sure,” Jared said. “What’s interesting about the research if it’s so dumb?”
“They want to sequence Meta genomes,” she said and rubbed at her temples with her fingers. “Splicing up DNA, messing around with CRISPR, that sort of insanity.”
“Doesn’t sound safe,” Jared said.
“Not really.” She dropped her hands on the bar top. “But it’s interesting anyway. I mean, take Vampires for example. They’re not actually immortal, you know that?”
Jared shrugged. “Sure. Really long lived, though.”
“Oldest Vamp we know about is around two thousand years old,” she said. “But the Elves? They don’t die, like, ever. Not of natural causes, anyway. So the differences in Meta physiology are fascinating, especially when you look at it through a longevity perspective. Like, why do Vamps die at all, being technically undead? And why do Elves never decay, but Goblins only live for thirty years at most?”
“Never really thought about it,” Jared said.
“Most Magi don’t, but it’s a good question.” She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again. “Too bad these dumb fucks are going to bumble around, searching for a fountain of youth, while the real interesting research languishes as soon as they sequence Elven DNA. Real pity. Sometimes I wonder why I ever stuck around these people to begin with.”
Jared grunted and held up his drink to that. For the past month, Lumi had been swimming around her old social circles, doing odd jobs for lesser Magi and the few Meta that associated with her old family. She was constantly looking for tips on what the Medlar were up to, searching for ways into their little scheme.
So far, nothing had turned up. They knew the Medlar were buying up land all over the world, land in particular places with a specific kind of energy right along ley lines. They knew the Medlar wanted Cassie for something, probably related to those land purchases, but beyond that, they had no clue. How power nexuses linked up with a Worldhopper was anyone’s guess, but Lumi was determined to unravel that particular secret.
Jared sipped his whisky as the door opened. He looked over his shoulder and watched as Nikki drifted into the room. She was radiant like always, dressed in a pair of tight black dress pants and a chic black jacket over a ruffled, hair-collared white shirt that still somehow managed to show off her lean but ample body. Her hair was pulled up in a tasteful bun, just like Lumi’s, but where Lumi looked awkward and uncomfortable in her business clothes, Nikki wore her outfit like a second skin.
“Hello, darlings,” she said, kissing them both on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re right on time,” Jared said.
Nikki took the stool next to him. The bartender came over and stared at Nikki, her jaw working like she wanted to ask a question but couldn’t find the words. Jared found that Nikki had that effect on Humans.
“Water, please,” Nikki said.
“Sure.” The bartender got a glass of water, plunked it down. She looked at them for a second then shook her head and walked to the other end of the bar.
Jared smiled a little then leaned toward Nikki. “How much did Lumi tell you?” he asked.
“Enough.” Nikki sipped her water. “You want help finding a Vampire.”
“Named Milton Darwin,” Jared said. “Apparently he—”
Nikki waved a hand. “I know what he did,” she said.
Jared laughed. “Of course you do.”
“Marshals on his case, huh?” She frowned, her face tense. “Milton’s been a loyal subject for years.”
“Milton’s a fugitive now,” Lumi said. “And we don’t give a damn about him.”
“You might not, but it’s my duty to protect my subjects,” Nikki said.
“You’ve worked with the Marshals in the past,” Jared said. “Handed over information that helped us catch more than a few wanted Vampires.”
“True,” she said. “But those were particular cases. For the most part, we don’t talk about our subjects to law enforcement.”
“We need this,” Lumi said, leaning over Jared. “Come on, Nikki, what do you care about this Milton Darwin guy? Give up the little fucking rat and let’s move on with our lives. We have bigger problems.”
Nikki’s eyebrows raised at Lumi’s harsh tone. Jared put a hand on Lumi’s shoulder and she leaned back, shaking her head.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Need,” she said. “Sorry. Worked a lot today. I’ll get it under control.”
He nodded and kissed her cheek then turned to Nikki.
“What can I do?” he asked.
Nikki took a breath and composed herself. Lumi could be a little terrifying when she was annoyed.
“I can help,” Nikki said. “But my name can’t be involved in this. If the others get word that I handed a loyal subject over to the Marshals for something as trivial as this, I’m going to lose a lot of face.”
“I understand,” Jared said.
Nikki stared at the water glass in front of her. “I’ll email you the details from a secure account,” she said. “Good enough?”
“Good enough.” Jared leaned over and kissed her neck. She smiled a little and tilted her head toward him. He kissed her lips and she seemed to relax. “Now, what do you say we get Lumi home and take care of her?”
“I wish I could,” she said with a sigh. “But work never ends. I only had a few minutes to meet with the two of you.”
“All right,” Jared said, surprised at the disappointment in his tone.
Nikki smiled and touched his cheek. “I’ll stop by soon,” she said then dropped her hand and stood.
“Soon as you can,” Jared said and looked at Lumi. “Right, Lum?”
Lumi nodded and glowered at the bar top. “Sorry I’m being a total dick,” she said.
“It’s okay.” Nikki grinned at them. “Have a wonderful night, and tell Jessa and Cassie I said hello.”
She swept from the bar without another word, moving unnaturally fast. She slipped out the door and up into the evening.
Jared looked back at Lumi. She finished her beer and put the glass down.
“I wish she’d stay more often,” Lumi said.
“I do too,” Jared said. “But you know how it goes.”
“Work, work, work,” Lumi said.
He laughed. “She’s important. We have to respect that.”
“I know.” Lumi gestured at the glass and Jared felt a little surge of power rush from her body. The glass shivered then turned opaque, and tendrils of steam rose into the air.
Jared reached out and touched it. The glass was frozen solid.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get home before Cassie gets worried and starts trying to break through the wards. Or before you start using fire instead.”
Lumi nodded, her face expressionless and blank. Jared offered her his hand and she took it. Together, they climbed out of the punk bar and headed down the sidewalk toward home.
9
Jared found Harold in the break room the next morning. He stood over the coffee machine, staring at it with that blank, faraway look of a man pondering his own mortality while the machine bubbled away and spat out a dark, black, pungent smelling brew.
“Morning, Harold,” Jared said.
Harold looked up. His eyes had bags under them, and Jared could have sworn his bald spot was marginally less shiny.
“Morning,” he said.
“Coffee smells good.” Jared lingered near an empty table a few feet away and leaned against the back of a thin plastic chair. “Can’t live without the stuff.”
“I’m not myself until I’ve had my coffee,” Harold said.
Jared gripped the chair hard for a second. Office small talk drove him insane, especially when everyone resorted to clichés, but he couldn’t rush this process.
“Just another day at the mill, right?” Jared grinned.
Harold grunted and looked back at the coffee. “Just another day,” he said.
“I spo
ke with Nikki last night.” Jared said it as casually as he could, like it was no big deal.
But Harold perked up. “Nikki?” he asked.
“Oh, I mean, Underlord Nikita,” Jared said and mentally kicked himself for the mistake. “She goes by Nikki sometimes.”
“Interesting.” Harold tilted his head. “And what did she say?”
“Things are a little complicated for her,” Jared said. “Politically speaking, you know. She can’t just give up one of her constituents, at least not without major repercussions.”
“The Vampire hierarchy works with the MetaDept all the time,” Harold said.
“But only on important cases, and this Darwin guy isn’t important.” Jared released the chair and crossed his arms. The coffee machine stopped bubbling, gurgled a few times, spit out one last gasp of steam and liquid, then went silent. The large white clock over the nondescript greenish door ticked away, echoed off the linoleum floor, bounced around the flat beige cabinets, and returned to tick again.
“So she can’t help?” Harold picked up his plain black mug and filled it to the brim.
“I didn’t say that.” Jared took a step closer. “She’s going to do what she can, but I can’t guarantee she’ll come through. Seriously, Harold, this is the best I can do.”
Harold nodded and sipped the stuff. He shut his eyes for a moment and let out a breath. Jared made a face and looked away like he’d just walked in on Harold in the shower.
“Okay,” he said. “I appreciate your trying anyway. I could really use a closed case this quarter, you know? Wyatt’s been down my neck and he’s talking about reassigning me somewhere else.”
“That might not be a bad thing,” Jared said.
“I’d take a pay cut if they put me into Documents,” Harold said. “And imagine all the paper cuts? All that filing and organizing, I think it’ll drive me insane.”
Jared held out his hands. “I hear you, and I want to help you on this. Like I said, Nikita’s going to try.”
“Fair enough,” Harold said with a sigh. He sipped his coffee again then walked toward the break room door. “Come on, let’s get you those files. I’ll shoot Wyatt an email telling him that it’s all yours.”
Jared let out a relieved breath and followed Harold back to his desk. He felt guilty and wanted to help more, but there wasn’t enough time in the world to do his own job and keep Harold for getting reassigned.
Harold was a terrible agent. He never brought anyone in, barely did any fieldwork, and spent half his time playing Minesweeper on his computer. Wyatt knew it, everyone knew it, and it was only a matter of time before they gave Harold’s desk to someone more deserving.
Even still, Harold was a nice enough guy, and Jared felt bad. One solved case wouldn’t change much for him, but it might help at least a little.
Harold sat down in his chair with a grunt. The chair squealed like he was putting it out of its misery as he rotated toward the desk, shuffled some folders around, tossed one aside, then picked up another.
The discarded folder caught Jared’s eye. He shouldn’t have noticed it, and probably wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the photograph that sat right at the top. It was a little fuzzy, in black and white, but the subject was centered and clear enough.
Jared felt a jolt of recognition.
“Harold,” he said, reaching out for the folder. “What’s this?”
“What, the dog thing?” Harold looked up and shook his head. “Just some unidentified Shifter. Local PD spotted it outside of a convenience store and snapped that picture. MetaDept sent it over, and of course Wyatt dumped it on my desk. I’m supposed to somehow find that thing and identify whoever’s been shifting in public, but like, that’s more or less impossible. There’s nothing in that folder.”
Jared leafed through it. Sure enough, there was some paperwork from the local PD with a vague story about spotting a strange, enormous dog-like creature outside of a 7-11. When they tried to approach it, the thing up and ran off, but not before one of the cops managed to snap a picture with his phone.
He flipped back and stared at the photo for a long moment. He could feel Harold watching him. His heart hammered so hard that he could hear it in his ears, the blood rushing along his throat and making his brain ache.
The dog-like creature looked exactly like Cassie.
“When was this taken?” he asked.
“Couple weeks ago,” Harold said. “I don’t know why it ended up with the Marshals. I think it’s just getting shuffled between departments. I plan on filing a complaint and seeing if I can’t get it off my desk.”
“I’ll take it,” Jared said quickly. “I’ll take it, if you don’t want it.”
Harold laughed. “So you’re going to take two impossible cases from me and help solve a third?”
“Pretty much,” Jared said. He shut the folder and tucked his under his arm. “How’s that sound?”
“Sounds good to me.” Harold handed Jared the file for Taavi. “You don’t have to do this, you know. If you don’t want to. I know I said something about Wyatt reassigning me, but I’ll be fine in Documents, you know? Maybe it’ll be for the best.”
Jared looked down at Harold, shabby old Harold with his brown ill-fitting suits, his greasy face, his bald spot, his wrinkles. Jared saw the future of every Marshal in him, the slow march of time, the grinding down of a man into something else, something he was never meant to be. One failed case after another, piling up into an ocean of regret and broken promises.
“You’ll be fine wherever you land,” Jared said.
Harold grinned. “Of course. Yeah, Documents wouldn’t be so bad.” He turned away, clicked his computer, and pulled up Minesweeper.
Jared shook his head and returned to his own cube. He could hear Harold clicking away, playing his game, wasting time until he was finally reassigned and sent somewhere else.
But Jared’s mind slipped away as he plopped Taavi’s thick file onto his desk and opened up the thin file instead. He stared at the picture, at the Aelurodon staring back at him.
It was about the size of a large wolf, with black markings on its muzzle and dark brownish red hair. The tail looked like a fox’s tail, and Jared could see how he’d mistaken it for a huge, weird, misshapen fox at first.
That was no fox, though. That was an extinct dog-like creature, an Aelurodon toxiodes, also more commonly known as a Bone Crunching Dog.
He pulled up his email and fired off a message to Wyatt, CC’ing Harold. He informed his Captain that he took two cases off Harold’s desk, Taavi’s case and the unidentified Shifter, and that he’d run lead on them from now on.
With that done, he got up, tucked the two new folders under his arm, grabbed his jacket, and walked toward the elevators as fast as he could.
10
Cassie stared at the picture for a long time.
Jessalene looked over her shoulder, a frown on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again when she saw the look on Cassie’s face.
It was pale and haunted.
Jared leaned against the wall a few feet away, his arms crossed. Jessalene came to him and stood close. She wore tight blue jeans and a green button-down, her hair swept up in a messy bun.
“Where’d you find this?” she asked, her voice pitched low and quiet.
“Harold,” he said. “The agent at the desk next to mine. Apparently, this was some shit case that’d been passed around the MetaDept for a few weeks and eventually landed on him.”
“Wow,” Jessalene said, shaking her head. “That’s kind of…” She trailed off.
“Kind of insanely lucky,” Jared said. “Yeah, I know. I couldn’t help but notice that too.”
“Think she’s okay?” Jessalene asked. “I mean, she’s been looking at it for a little while now.”
“I don’t know,” Jared said. “If that is what I think it is, then someone from her world followed her through The Miles. The implications of that are terrifying, to be totally hones
t. Cassie wasn’t supposed to be able to make it here herself, but someone intentionally following her through seems totally impossible.”
“But here we are,” Jessalene said.
“I know.” Jared put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Can you do me a favor? Call up Lumi and tell her what happened, but don’t tell her to come home. She’s working for some magic pharma startup, dropping wards all over their new property, and I think she’s trying to do a little spying.”
“Spying?” Jessalene snorted. “I can’t imagine Lumi spying on anything.”
“They’re distant Medlar relatives,” Jared said. “Minor family members. Probably don’t know much about her leaving the family, and probably don’t care. But might be willing to spill some gossip. That’s the feel I got, at least.”
“Okay,” Jessalene said. “I’ll give her a call.”
“Thanks.”
Jessalene slipped from his grasp, gave Cassie a long, concerned look, then shook her head and walked into the kitchen.
Jared watched Cassie for another minute. She didn’t move, just kept staring at the photograph. Her jaw started working, like she was chewing on something, the muscle in her cheeks and temples flexing, until she finally put the photograph down and leaned over the table.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Jared walked to her and put a hand on her back. She hung her head there, her red hair loose and drooping toward the table. The folder was open and the few meager documents were spread out in front of her, but she didn’t seem to notice them.
She was breathing fast and deep. Jared pulled her against him and held her for a brief second.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I think so,” she said. “I didn’t think… how is this even possible? How could he have made it through?”
“Who is that, Cassie?” Jared asked.
She didn’t seem to hear him. “The chances of me finding this world were astronomically tiny. The chances of him following, and ending up in the same city, it’s just… how is this possible, Jared?”
