by Karen Lynch
Translation: they were looking for someone or something, and they had hit a dead end, so they were calling in the cavalry.
The agent cleared his throat. “Six months ago, a sacred religious artifact was stolen from a temple in Faerie and brought to our realm. The faeries asked for our help in locating it, but our investigation has turned up nothing substantial so far. The disappearance has been kept under wraps, but the artifact is part of an important Fae religious ceremony that will take place this spring. This makes its retrieval one of our top priorities.”
Quiet murmurs spread throughout the room in the short pause before he continued. I held my breath as I waited to hear what he would say next.
“The artifact is called the ke’tain, and it’s a small stone roughly the size of a walnut,” he said.
My hand automatically went to the small stone hidden in my hair.
Ben Stewart continued. “The stone is round and closely resembles blue labradorite. The difference is that the ke’tain will glow when you touch it. It also has a distinct energy signature that can be detected by Fae magic. We’ll be issuing sensors tuned to pick up the ke’tain’s signature. There are no photographs of the ke’tain, but we have an artist rendering we will be sending to each of you. You should receive it in the next thirty minutes.”
“What the heck is labradorite?” Trey whispered, but neither Bruce nor I answered him. I’d never heard of it or the ke’tain.
A dozen hands shot up, and Ben Stewart pointed at one of the hunters. “Go ahead.”
“Is this thing dangerous to humans? Do we need to take special precautions with it?”
“The ke’tain is harmless to us.” The agent answered before he pointed at someone else.
“Does the Agency think there is a connection between this and the death of Jackson Chase?” another man asked.
“No. The ke’tain’s power is lethal to faeries. If Princess Nerissa had used the ke’tain, she would be dead.”
Kim, one of the few female hunters I knew, raised her hand. “Have you called us in because you think the ke’tain is in New York?”
Ben Stewart shook his head. “All we know is that the ke’tain is no longer in Faerie, which means it could be anywhere in our realm. Bounty hunters all over the US and the world are getting the same information I’m giving you now. That said, New York is one of the top five locations in the world for travel to and from Faerie, so it’s highly likely the ke’tain was brought here.”
“Can you tell us more about the artifact?” Kim called over the voices firing questions at Stewart. “Any reason why someone would want it? That might give us an idea about where to look.”
The agent seemed to think about how to answer her. “Faeries say the ke’tain contains actual breath from their goddess, and the word ke’tain translates to goddess breath. It’s one of several religious objects used in a celebration to Aedhna, and it’s never been removed from the temple until now.
“The ke’tain would have no meaning to a human, unless they were a collector of Fae antiquities. We’ve been focusing one of our investigations on known collectors and black market sellers.”
Something niggled at my mind, but there was no time to dwell on it because Ben Stewart was still speaking.
“We’ve also been watching several Court faeries of interest, but that has been tricky because of the treaties protecting them. Unless we have solid evidence proving they have committed a crime, we are limited in what we can do.”
I scowled. Here was another glaring example of how unfair the laws were that governed faeries in our realm. The authorities wouldn’t think twice about entering the home of a lower faerie, but Court faeries were held to a completely different standard. They didn’t have total immunity like their royals, but it was the next best thing. This was why I planned to study law. I wanted to fight for the rights of all faeries, not just the privileged.
“What is the bounty for this?” asked a gruff voice that belonged to Kim’s brother and hunting partner, Ambrose. Leave it to him to get right down to business.
Trey leaned over to speak in my ear. “I bet it’s a level Five.”
A level Five? A thrill went through me at the possibility. I’d learned that the bounty for a Five was an insane fifty thousand dollars, and not even Mom and Dad had ever brought in one of those.
Ben Stewart cleared his throat. “The ke’tain is irreplaceable, and it’s imperative that it is returned to Faerie as soon as possible. Therefore, the job has been classified as a level Six with a bounty of one hundred thousand dollars.”
My jaw fell as the room erupted in a clamor of voices. Next to me, Trey whooped so loudly it made my ears ring.
Rubbing my ear, I turned to Bruce, who looked as dumbstruck as I was. “I’ve never heard of a Six.”
He scratched his chin. “Because there’s never been a Six until now.”
“Are you going to join the search?” I asked him as I watched people talking excitedly among themselves while the agents tried in vain to restore order to the room.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that bounty. One hundred thousand dollars would support my family until my parents were able to come back to work, and it would help pay for the repairs needed on our building. But that much money made people crazy. If bounty hunters were competitive over level Three and Four jobs, what would they be like for a one-hundred-thousand-dollar payout?
Trey snorted. “Of course, we’re going after it. Aren’t you?” He quieted and gave me the side-eye. “You don’t have any ideas about where it is, do you?”
I shot him an incredulous look. “I heard about it five minutes ago. How would I know anything about it?”
“Because you’re super brainy and read all those books,” he said in a tone that was almost accusatory. He still hadn’t gotten over that whole bunnek incident.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but none of the books I’ve read mentioned the ke’tain or any Fae artifacts.”
Trey looked only slightly mollified. “But you are going after the bounty?”
“I don’t know yet. I could probably pick up a ton of other jobs while everyone else is focused on this one.” The competition for the ke’tain job was going to be fierce, and I’d take guaranteed income over the slim chance of a big payout.
Bruce nodded approvingly. “That’s smart thinking. We might do the same.”
Trey spun to face his father. “You can’t be serious.”
“We’ll discuss it when we know more about this,” Bruce replied.
“Jesse,” called a male voice.
I turned my head to see two young men shouldering their way through the crowd toward us. Aaron and Adrian Mercer were identical twins with blond, curly hair and hazel eyes, and they were both built like linebackers. They had been in Trey’s class, and we’d always gotten along, although we’d never hung out outside of school. Like me, their mother and father were bounty hunters, and for as long as I could remember, they’d talked about following in their parents’ footsteps.
“Crazy stuff, huh?” Aaron grinned at me. I knew it was him because of the tiny bump in his nose where it had been broken in high school. Before the break, no one had been able to tell them apart.
Adrian stood beside his twin, the two of them forming a wall between me and the rest of the room. “We wanted to get to you before anyone else.”
“Get to me?”
They nodded in perfect unison, making them look comically robotic.
“To ask you to partner with us for the job,” Aaron said as if it should be obvious. “Everyone knows how smart you are, and they’ll all want you on their team.”
Adrian flexed his impressive biceps. “The three of us would make a killer team. You’ll be the brains, and we’ll be the brawn.”
Trey stepped closer, crowding me. “Jesse isn’t going after the ke’tain, so you’re wasting your time.”
“I didn’t say that.” I elbowed him in the ribs.
He rubbed his side. “Well, if yo
u do, it makes the most sense for you to work with Dad and me.”
“We asked her first, Fowler.” Aaron scowled at Trey, reminding me they hadn’t been the best of friends in school. I couldn’t remember the particulars, but I was pretty sure it had to do with a girl they’d both liked.
“Boys,” Bruce called sharply. “Back off, and give Jesse room to breathe. She can speak for herself, and if she wants to partner with any of you, she’ll let you know.”
I shot Bruce a grateful look as the Mercer twins backed up a step.
“Sorry, Jesse,” Adrian mumbled. “Got carried away.”
I smiled at them. “I’m flattered you asked, but I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do.”
Aaron pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. “This has our numbers if you decide to join us.”
“Thanks.” I took the card and stuck it in my back pocket. I could hear other hunters around us talking about forming teams to go after the ke’tain, and it felt like the day of the kelpie hunt all over again. Only this time, the bounty was much higher. The air in the room practically crackled with energy, and this was only the beginning.
No one else approached me to be on their team, but I did catch a few sizing me up. Whether they were viewing me as a collaborator or as competition, I had no idea.
It took a good twenty minutes for Ben Stewart to take command of the room again, and his first order of business was to remind us we were forbidden to share anything we’d learned here with the general public. Then he informed us the ke’tain sensors could be signed out at the Agency headquarters in Manhattan starting tomorrow.
The second he told us we were free to go, every phone in the room dinged or buzzed with an incoming message. I looked down at my phone and saw a drawing of a smooth, blue stone that appeared to glow from within. The image looked so real that I touched the screen before I realized what I was doing. Feeling foolish, I stuck my phone in my pocket.
Aaron and Adrian had wandered away, so I said my goodbyes to Trey and Bruce and headed for the exit. I had a bunch of errands to run this afternoon, but I might be able to squeeze in some research on the ke’tain before Finch and I went to the hospital this evening. It was a lot quieter there at night, and there was less of a chance of someone walking into the room and seeing him.
“James, wait.”
I stopped at the sound of Levi Solomon’s raspy voice and turned to watch the obese man lumber toward me. He was sweating and panting by the time he reached me, and I wondered how he hadn’t keeled over from a heart attack.
He waved his phone. “I know you’re probably running off to get a head start on the ke’tain job, but a level Two came in that needs to be handled as soon as possible and with some delicacy. I think you’d be perfect for it.”
“What kind of level Two?” I asked.
“A banti.”
“Oh.” My pulse leapt. I’d never seen a banti in real life, and it was on my list of jobs I wanted to do. Levi knew that, which was why he wore a devious little smile.
“Why would a banti job require delicacy?” I asked him.
He coughed wetly. “It’s at the Ralston, and they don’t exactly like bounty hunters hanging around. But you –”
“– don’t look like a bounty hunter,” I finished for him.
“Exactly.”
I sighed, mentally ticking off the errands I could postpone until tomorrow. “I’ll do it.”
“I thought so. I’ll email you the details as soon as I get to my office.”
* * *
“Thanks for helping me out on this,” I said to Violet as we entered the lobby of the Ralston two hours later.
“Are you kidding? I’m psyched to help you on an actual job.” She bounced on her toes as she looked around the elegantly-furnished white marble lobby. “Do you think we’ll see someone famous?”
“Maybe.” I smirked and immediately sobered when I remembered seeing Lukas here on my first visit to the hotel. He was the absolute last person I wanted to run into.
We approached the front desk, and I recognized the receptionist I’d talked to when I’d come looking for my parents. He hadn’t been too happy to assist me then, and he looked down his nose at me now.
“May I help you?” he asked in a haughty tone that suggested he’d rather do anything but.
I held up my ID. “Agency business. I was told to ask for the manager.”
His nose wrinkled as if he smelled something bad. “Ah, yes. One minute.”
He called someone, and I looked at Violet, who was taking in the grandeur around us. Her family was well off, but even their lifestyle was modest compared to this. The massive chandelier in the lobby was rumored to have cost more than one hundred thousand dollars, and I’d read there was an even bigger one in the ballroom.
“Jesse James?”
I turned to find a woman in her early thirties with short brown hair and wearing a dark blue suit walking toward us.
“Yes.”
“I’m Marjorie Cooke, the day manager.” Her steps slowed, and she frowned when her eyes took in my black jeans, boots, and the short gray peacoat I’d borrowed from Mom’s closet. “You’re the bounty hunter?”
I smiled and held out my hand. “Yes.”
She shook my hand and looked past me at Violet. “And you?”
“I’m her apprentice.”
The manager gave a bemused nod as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of us. “Please, come into the office.”
We followed her to the manager’s office. Once we’d shut the door, she sat behind the desk and invited us to take seats.
I spoke first. “I wasn’t given much information other than that you have a banti problem. What can you tell us about it?”
“It started two days ago that we know of. Some of the human guests were overheard complaining about having strange dreams. Last night, a family staying on the fifth floor reported an attack on their fourteen-year-old daughter. The father swears he saw a banti on her bed. They checked out immediately after the incident.”
Violet shuddered, and I barely hid my own revulsion. Banti would go after any sleeping human, but they loved tormenting teenagers the most. As if puberty wasn’t bad enough, we had to worry about some pint-sized Freddy Krueger wannabe giving us nightmares.
Marjorie clasped her hands on the desk. “The owner wants this taken care of as quickly and quietly as possible. We were assured you would be discreet.”
She didn’t need to tell us why the owner wanted this kept under wraps. Hotels used special wards to keep banti out, and the wards had to be redone every year. It looked like someone had dropped the ball on keeping theirs updated. The Ralston would lose their five-star rating and a lot of high-profile guests if word got out that they had a banti problem.
“We’re the soul of discretion,” Violet piped in.
I stood. “If you could give us access to the room where the incident occurred, we’ll get to work.”
The manager got up and took a card key from the desk. “It’s room 5017. I’ll show you to the stairs.”
“Can’t we use the elevator?” Violet asked as we left the office.
“We’d prefer that you were seen by as few guests as possible.” Marjorie led us down a hallway to a smaller, but no less elegant, lobby at the rear of the building where a huge, muscled security guard was stationed. I knew without asking that this was the entrance used by celebrities who didn’t want to deal with the paparazzi out front.
She handed the card key to me. “Call the front desk and let them know when you’re done. You can give Amos the key and leave by this exit.”
She turned to go back the way we’d come, and I headed for the door to the stairs on the right side of the lobby. Violet followed me, not speaking until we were alone in the stairwell.
“Do you always get treated like that when you go out on a job?”
“Like what?”
She huffed behind me. “Like you’re some dirty little secret.
”
A laugh slipped from me at her indignation. “Most people are happy to see us, but it makes sense for the staff here to want to keep us out of sight.”
We emerged on the fifth floor and located 5017. I unlocked the door and pushed it open, and we gawked at the lavish suite before us. The main living area was decorated in warm cream and blue with velvet couches, white marble tables, and delicate crystal lamps I was afraid to touch. The room boasted its own glittering chandelier, and the drapes were drawn on large windows, giving us a wide view of the buildings lining the other side of the street.
I entered the suite, taking a moment to wipe my feet on the entry rug before stepping onto the polished wood floor. Setting down my duffle bag, I went to check out the bedrooms on either end of the main room. The rooms were identically furnished except for a king bed in one and a queen bed in the other.
“This must be the room the girl slept in,” I said as I ran a hand over the soft white duvet covering the queen bed.
Violet flopped down on the bed with a dreamy sigh. “I can’t wait to be famous and stay in places like this.”
I smiled at her unwavering conviction that she would make it in Hollywood someday.
She lifted her head to look at me. “So, what now?”
“Now we catch a banti.” I went back to the main room to get my bag and carried it to the bedroom, closing the door behind me.
“And how exactly do we do that? You never explained that part to me.”
“We bait a trap and lure it in.” Unzipping the bag, I pulled out a rolled-up pair of my pajamas and tossed them at her. “Put these on.”
“Why?”
I grinned as I took off my coat and laid it on a chair. “Because you’re the bait.”
Banti were most active at night, but they could be lured out during the day with the right enticement. Technically, Violet was still a teenager, and she was in the same bed the banti had visited last night. I was banking on him not being able to resist coming back for seconds.
“What? No way!” She leaped off the bed like it was on fire. “Why can’t you be the bait?”
