by C C Sommerly
Sterling stopped at BAM, or Big Ass Mega Burger, one of my favorite places to eat. Just seeing the sign made my mouth water. This was my happy place and I hadn’t been here since I went with Lochlan. I frowned, thinking of the fae. Resisting him was proving difficult and he crept into my thoughts more and more.
“So, we’re doing lunch?” I asked.
“That’s usually why someone comes to a restaurant, unless you’d prefer watching everyone eat instead.”
“Nope, most definitely not. You’re buying.”
We ordered and brought our food to one of the few empty booths. BAM was always busy and it created a constant background noise, which was perfect for having conversations you didn’t want anyone to hear. That was probably why Sterling chose this place.
“So what do you want to talk about?” I asked, wanting to get to the point. Going out to lunch when we have so much going on was a waste of time even if it was for a BAM burger.
“To the point as always. When have I not taken care of you or had your best interests at heart?”
Where was he going with this?
“Never, you always look after those people who you consider are yours, which includes me.”
“Then, you understand that I am looking after you and the others when I make choices on our behalf?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I’d like you to lay off on Lochlan. We’ll use his office space at the Wolf Agency and stay in one of his houses in the Earthly Realm.”
“But –”
“I don’t expect you to marry him or even like him. I do expect you to stop fighting my decisions at every opportunity. Are you able to do this?”
Staying at Lochlan house and workplace put us under his control. He knew our secrets and we’d be completely reliant on him. I wasn’t okay with that level of vulnerability, so why was Sterling?
“This is a mistake. He shouldn’t be trusted.”
“Listen to me and listen to me well,” his eyes were now glowing yellow, a clear sign that his bear so close to the surface. Bears in BAM was a bad idea and would get us banned from here for life.
“This is not up for debate. Either you learn to accept our situation, one in which we don’t have a lot of options, actually any options, or you don’t. But, if you can’t, then you need to find somewhere else.”
“You’d force me to leave the Agency?”
“I won’t force you into anything. I’m giving you an option. The choice is yours.”
“This isn’t a choice at all.”
Some of the yellow bled from his eyes. “I’m not trying to force you. Not everyone is out to get you. With your dad after you, we need help. Elon will stay with us as well. And, we need help getting Zander back. This is the only way to have a place to live and work.”
He reached over and patted my hand, a comforting gesture from someone that shied away from physical contact. He was making an effort, but I was still pissed.
“Okay. I’ll play nice. But I need to talk to you about something else.”
“What is it?”
“I think my father came back.”
“You mean another time beside the last one?”
His eyes were once again turning yellow and he clenched his fists. I saw the faintest sprinkling of fur across his arms.
“When I came in from training today, Callie and Jennica were eating biscuits.”
“I did hear and see the aftermath of the biscuits. They do need to eat.”
“They came from my father.”
“How sure are you? I didn’t detect his scent when we left.”
“I’m completely sure. I don’t like to talk about this, but I need to, so you understand why I’m so certain it’s him.”
I took a deep breath, but couldn’t bring myself to keep eye contact with Sterling. My stomach was sour and unsettled. God, I hated talking about this crap.
“Don’t ask me to repeat this. I’m only telling this story once and I’m not getting into the details. When I was a kid, he imprisoned me if I didn’t please him with my fighting or magic. The only thing I was allowed to eat were biscuits, but no water. I’d get so hungry that I’d eat them even knowing they’d make my thirst worse and only dehydrate me more. He left those biscuits today to taunt me. It’s a way to show his displeasure and let us know he was still around.”
“If anyone else was telling me this story, I wouldn’t believe them, but your father’s shown that he can easily get into the Fae Realm and get past our wards. Moving to another location is the best thing we can do, especially if I can’t even detect his scent.”
“I hate that everything we are forced to do now is because I messed up. This isn’t even something I can fix.”
“We’ll get through this. Marty, let us help you. This is one battle you don’t have to fight alone.”
I stared down at my plate. He would help me and so would the others, but at what cost?
“We move into the new house and office tomorrow after your training session –not that we have much to move. And, that brings up another point. We need more supplies, clothing, and weapons. After tomorrow’s training, save the rest of your day for the move and to do some shopping.”
“I don’t suppose there’s room in the budget for a new pair of boots?”
“No, but I hope that will change soon.”
“Thanks for the burger.”
“You are welcome. It’s gonna be okay, Marty.”
I hope he’s right.
13
“Are you staging a takeover Lochlan?” asked Terrence, the hostile were tiger that I wasn’t happy to see again, especially in his office.
“That’s an interesting idea, but no, this isn’t a takeover,” said Lochlan
“Then, are these new agents?” asked a woman. It was the same stunning one that I’d met before. Her cat-like eyes and caramel skin made her beautiful and exotic. She pointed at me and added, “I actually recognize that one.”
The last time I was here wasn’t under the best of circumstances. I was with Frank, the bone man, and I was literally half dead. I’d barely kept them from killing Frank on the spot. Life debts are taking seriously among all supernatural creatures and the owed life debt between Frank and I saved him that day.
“No, they are independent agents operating out of our office. They are not ours, but they will not be treated as outsiders,” said Lochlan.
Lochlan looked around the room. Not a single person was doing anything, except for waiting to hear what he would say next.
“I expect everyone to treat them with respect,” he added.
“We’ll be happy to make them feel at home,” said a dark skinned, giant of a man. By the look on his face, his idea of a welcome meant the very opposite. He’d probably kill us and dump our body in the Demon Realm for the demons.
“See that you do, Darnell,” said Lochlan. “If Sterling and the rest of you follow me, I’ll show you to your offices.”
Darnell was someone to watch. Until I knew the Wolves, Lochlan’s coworkers, better, then I’d be wary around them.
We trailed behind Lochlan as he led us to a spacious room that looked like a conference room and not what I expected when he said there were extra offices here.
“I thought you said that there was extra space here. Why are you giving us your conference room?” I asked.
“This was a conference room. I wanted space for you all to be together and it has a separate phone line, so you can still operate as independent as possible from our agency,” said Lochlan.
“A conference room is fine. This is generous and appreciated,” said Sterling.
“If you’re okay with this space, then let’s get desks moved in. What else do you need to get started?”
“I’ll come with you and get the desks. I can tell you what we’ll need then,” said Sterling.
They left and I took that as my cue to leave. On my way out, Callie stopped me.
“Aren’t you going to help us get set up?”
“No. You have more than enough help. The best way I can help us is by working my cases.”
“You should wait –”
“I’m not waiting and I don’t need permission to do my job. Later, Callie.”
Muffin’s head hung out the window and Betty didn’t seem to mind the stream of drool defacing her. We were almost to my next destination.
The Hamm’s neighborhood, Tally Hill, teetered on the edge of Uptown, but was still part of the upper class divide that was Uptown. It hovered close enough to the Mid Line, that you could argue it was also part of that.
Tally Hill was an ugly, manufactured neighborhood that was once part of an industrial area. And, to make the name even more confusing, there wasn’t a single hill anywhere near it. All the buildings were converted to housing, but the outside of each house retained its original design. The result was a hodgepodge of houses in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
To cover up the distinct industrial feel of the place, there was a riotous display of flowers, greenery, and even trees around each of the buildings. It failed to pretty up the place and only highlighted just how ugly the buildings were.
Muffin trotted next to me as I went up to the Hamm residence. I knocked hard on the door and it opened within seconds. It was only open wide enough for the owner to peer out.
“Are you Norman Hamm?” I asked.
The door opened a bit more and I saw a handsome, middle-aged man. I thought over what the intake report said about his appearance. Absent was the white whiskers that Callie mentioned in that report. Way to be accurate Callie.
Getting an accurate description of a client was one of the more important parts of the intake report. Often, we worked cases that we hadn’t done the intake report for, so we didn’t know what our clients looked like.
“Yes, how can I help you?” he asked, while still hiding behind the door.
He didn’t need to use it as a shield. I wasn’t going to attack him and neither was Muffin. Maybe he worried that my being blue collar worker would somehow rub off on him. Some clients were snobby and elitist with private investigators, yet, they always came back when they needed our help.
“Hi, I’m Marty, with the Croft and Sterling Agency. I’m here about your case.”
“Shhh … not so loud. What do you need and why are you here? My neighbors might see you.”
“I apologize for the surprise. I need your wife’s work schedule and anywhere else she goes on a routine basis.”
“Leia works part-time at Something Sweet. She has the afternoon shift Wednesday through Sunday.”
“Do you need anything else?” he asked.
“I’d like –”
“Don’t come back here again. I’ll contact you for information.”
He shut the door firmly in my face. Friendly guy. Guess he didn’t want me dirtying his doorstep. What makes him think he’s better than me? Not a darn thing. Although, perhaps I should be glad that he didn’t see Muffin and freak out.
He treated me like an inconvenience, but he was the one needing my help. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision. What was that? It was gone as quickly as it came. I was seeing threats where there weren’t any. The biscuit situation made me fearful and paranoid.
As luck had it, his wife was working today. Luck like this, didn’t happen often. Surveillance time. Normally, I preferred to scope out an area before doing surveillance, but I felt on edge and desperately needed a distraction.
My magic moved around inside of me, pushing against my internal shields. Magic was tricky like that. It reacted to any strong emotion. That’s why mages worked so hard to practice their magic and gain control to avoid the unintended release of magic. And in my case, such an uncontrolled release of magic could be devastating.
The ridiculously small amount of training I’d had with Miles did little to give me better control over my magic, which worried me. Miles probably thought I couldn’t care less since I provoked him every chance I got, but that wasn’t true. I did want control over my magic. If I didn’t make progress, I whole-heartedly believe that Miles would turn me into the Mage Guild if I couldn’t get my magic under control.
Muffin leaned against me, offering comfort, and I couldn’t hold back a smile. Who would have thought a devil dog could be a pseudo emotional support animal?
14
Something Sweet, was a bakery located in the Mid Line and where I’d find Mrs. Leia Hamm. Although, there was only a fifty-fifty chance that she was actually there. As with any case, confirming facts from fiction was critical. Clients can’t be relied on to be truthful. They lied about the weirdest things – they lied about what they last ate, hobbies they indulged in and even what their job was.
Counter to what people might expect, Uptown wasn’t the hot spot for retail shops and restaurants, instead it was the Mid Line. Its location gave it the advantage of straddling both economic and social areas. If a business had low enough prices, they could tap into the Downtown residents’ pockets and the Uptown ones.
Going to Something Sweet would help me confirm whether Leia worked there. And, if she did, I’d verify whether her schedule matched what her husband said it was. And, it would also give me an idea if she was using her job as an excuse to meet her lover — assuming that she was cheating. Mr. Hamm’s accusation could be completely off. It happened often enough with other clients, that I rarely took infidelity claims at face value.
I stepped into the bakery and wanted to puke. It was decorated in enough pastels to rival a gender reveal party. Pinks, blues, yellows, purples, and even some soft greens created a motif of fluffy decadence. Water colored paintings of flowers filled the walls. Plush rugs, but the fake fur kind, were strewn about. Wooden tables with velvet chairs were scattered throughout. As if the chairs weren’t enough, under each window was an upholstered bench. It was a place that invited lingering.
A pretty woman, behind the counter, noticed me. “I’ll be with you in a moment, dearie,” she said.
Muffin tugged at his leash, doing his best to take off my arm. Since he wasn’t acting aggressive and we were the only ones in the shop, I let him go. He made his way to the rugs and snuggled up like we were here for an extended stay.
The woman emptied a tray of goodies into the glass displays which were already over-filled with all kinds of cavity-inducing desserts. Even an anti-sweets person like me, couldn’t help but admire the beauty and artistry needed to make each of these dainty delicacies. They looked like little works of art and were adorned with tiny swirls, roses and glittery sprinkles.
There were sprinkles on everything, which added a sparkle to them. I’m sure most customers loved that touch, but it just reminded me of the time a pixie vomited all over Betty. I’d never have thought a creature who flew could get motion sickness? I still found it baffling.
Once the pixie was done being sick, it looked like a glitter bomb went off and there wasn’t an inch of Betty that wasn’t covered in sparkles. Naturally, my car revolted and refused to run until she was cleaned up. It took nearly a week to get most the glitter out. A year later, I still found traces of it.
“Sorry about that. Can I help you with something?” she asked.
I had the description of Mr. Hamm’s wife from the case files. And while I was pretty sure this woman was her, I needed to be sure.
“I’m not sure what I want, Miss –”
“I’m Leia. I work here in the afternoons most days, so if you come back, you’ll see me.”
God, she was a sweet as what she sold. I really couldn’t picture her having a rendezvous with a lover. She seemed so wholesome and happy. Generally, happy people didn’t cheat.
“Do you have anything that isn’t a dessert?”
“Oh, how lovely. We sure do and most people forget that we don’t just make desserts.”
She brought out a thick sheet of paper from a drawer somewhere.
“This is our sandwich menu. We make some of the best ones here in the Mid Line. You won’t re
gret choosing one of these.”
I’d missed lunch and why waste an opportunity to stay here a bit and watch Leia work? I could observe her interactions with customers. I wanted to see if she or the customers behaved oddly or lingered beyond what was a reasonable amount of time.
It was then that she noticed Muffin. “Is that a Devil Dog? Why is he here?”
“That’s mine. His name is Muffin.”
“What a great name.” And just like that, she relaxed. Having a harmless name for a killer creature, like Muffin, put people at ease. As if a name had anything to do with how dangerous something was.
“As long as he behaves, he’s welcome. We’re a pet friendly place. Besides, how could we allow shifters in here, but not actual animals?”
“I appreciate that. What sandwich do you recommend?”
“The roast beef is a customer favorite, not that it gets ordered much, but when I do make a sandwich, it’s usually that one.”
“Give me one of those.”
A whiff of brimstone was my only warning of his impending visit. Leia gasped and I yanked my sword free. Muffin was growling. I felt for my magic, it was there and ready. It was more than ready to tackle a demon, but I’d only use it as a last resort. I didn’t want to hurt Leia or Muffin in the cross-fire.
“How lovely, the mutt of the underworld,” said Varnoc.
“Leave him alone. Why are you here when our bargain was fulfilled?”
“That’s rather unfriendly of you. And so disappointing. I thought we were friends,” he said.
“Could you leave the bakery with your friend and take your Muffin too?” asked Leia.
“We aren’t friends and I plan on keeping it that way,” I said to her, but the words were meant for him.
“You can’t talk to a demon that way,” said Leia.
“How are you here anyways?” I asked him.
“You aren’t the only foolish person to summon me without a circle. So, while I’m on a break from my pillaging, plundering and raping, I decided to see how my pal was doing.”
