by C C Sommerly
“I’m fine, don’t appreciate the concern.” I stared right at Varnoc, so he’d know what I said next was serious, “And why haven’t you left yet?”
“Ah, and that right there is why I needed to visit. You always know how to break up the monotony.”
“I doubt many people find pillaging and plundering monotonous.”
“You forgot the raping. But it gets rather dull. How is your father?”
“Are you trying to get us killed?” hissed Leia, who was standing behind a towering barrier of baguettes. “He knows your father?” she asked.
“How did you know he wasn’t dead? You said something about him when we first met and I dismissed it. How exactly do you know him?”
“Tsk, tsk. Can’t be sharing all my secrets. Tell dear daddy that I said ‘hi,’ when you see him next.”
“Why don’t we take this somewhere else?” I suggested. My magic was feeling testy and some of it was spilling out from my barrier.
“Worried about witnesses? I can easily take care of that.”
Leia was suddenly thrust against the wall. Her face turned red and panic filled her eyes. She kicked her feet and made gagging noises, but Varnoc kept her pinned against the wall with his magic.
“Let her down. She’s my client. You can’t go around killing my clients.”
“So true. It is not the best business practice to engage in.”
Leia’s eyes were filling with tears and her kicks were slowing down.
“Let her down.”
I raised my arm out and concentrated on my magic. If Varnoc didn’t let Leia go, then using my magic might be the only thing I could do to get him away from her and gone from here. At this rate, I didn’t care what got him out of here as long as he left and Leia was safe.
“Oh, are you going to use your magic on me? That will be lovely.”
Varnoc released Leia, who wheezed and held her throat. She’d have a ring of bruises around her neck tomorrow.
I faced off against Varnoc, loosening the hold on my magic. It roared forward, anxious and ready to be used. It was disgusting. It felt more and more like a living thing. And, I couldn’t help but worry if there’d reach a point, like Miles feared, where I couldn’t control it.
Varnoc smiled and it was a scary sight. Anything that made a demon happy was sure to be a very, very bad thing. My arm shook from the force of magic racing through it.
Suddenly, Varnoc slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap. Leia stood over him holding a baguette like a club and a gloating expression on her face.
“I don’t care how tough someone or something is. A stale baguette to the head will lay you out no matter who you are,” she said
I just stood there, mouth agape. She just knocked Varnoc out with bread.
“What? Just because I don’t look tough, doesn’t mean I’m defenseless. And, seeing how I just saved you, the least you can do is tell me your name.”
“Marty,” I said and extended my hand to shake hers.
She dropped the bread and gave my hand a decent squeeze. After this, I’d never look at bakery items in the same way.
I tightened my hold and forced my magic down, it fought me. I control you, not the other way around. It slunk behind my barrier, but why was it fighting me?
Muffin circled the downed demon and stopped suddenly. He leaned over the demon’s chest and started gagging. Before I could get to the dog to see if he was okay, he threw up what looked like a liquidy hair ball. Gross. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he turned and peed on Varnoc’s leg. I’m starting to suspect that this is his signature move. I chuckled nervously. The demon wouldn’t be happy about this.
Quicker than I’d have liked, Varnoc roused. He blinked his eyes groggily and looked at me in confusion. Yeah, being assaulted by bread would do that to me as well. I hope he didn’t think I was the one who did that.
Without a single word or action, Varnoc disappeared just as suddenly as he appeared. It was so anti-climactic. I’m not foolish enough to think this is the last I’ll see of him. Maybe he was summoned? Whatever the case, I was just glad he was gone.
“Why aren’t we dead?” asked Leia.
“Luck and your heavy hand with bread.”
“Baguette, there’s a difference. Well, I did promise you a sandwich. Let me get that finished up for you. Wait, you’re still hungry, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
As she worked on my sandwich, a corporate man came. He wore a starched suit and walked stiffly toward Leia and me. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air.
“Did you burn something?” he asked. “It doesn’t smell normal in here.”
“Sorry about that. Can’t believe I did so much damage to some bread. That’s probably what you’re noticing,” said Leia.
The man smelled the air again and I tried really hard not to laugh. Brimstone has such a distinct scent and he was trying to rationalize away what his nose was trying to tell him.
“Still doing that promotion?”
“The business card one?” Leia asked.
He nodded.
“Yes we are. It’s for a dozen pastries. Each week, we pick a winner.”
“May The True One give me luck. My office would love it if I brought in a dozen pastries.”
“The True One is good and if he deems you worthy, then you shall win. Put your card in and I’ll get your standard order for you.”
“Much appreciated.”
To me she said, “Do you mind if I get his order and then finish your sandwich?”
“No problem at all.”
And it wasn’t. This was providing to be more helpful than I’d have imagined.
The man dropped in his card and even from several feet away, it was impossible to miss the logo of the Rare Herbs and Medicinals Company. It featured a halu, a crude depiction of a healing temple. The company believed that the herbs and medicinals they produced possessed unique healing properties. Seeing how it was a world-renowned company, there was some truth to that.
He took his order and left.
“What did you mean by ‘The True One’?” I asked.
“He is everything and nothing, while being everywhere and nowhere. He is a part of all of us, yet separate.”
“I’m not sure I understand. Is this a god?”
“Not in the sense that you think. He is all of us, a part of the collective. Through cleansing and purifying that we can bask in his glory. Only then can we truly understand our true self and our place in the universe.”
She glowed talking about her belief and was truly enamored with The True One.
“You and that man both follow The True One?”
“Oh yes, Jonathan is one of the elders.”
I made it a point to stare at her wedding ring. “Does your husband also follow The True One?” I asked.
The brightness bled from her face and was replaced with sorrow.
“I found a higher calling, one that my husband couldn’t even begin to understand. He has blinders on and cannot see the light. He’s content living in blissful ignorance and never knowing the greatness of The True One.”
This religious group more than likely accounted for the missing time, which explained her refusal to speak about what she did with her time. She was happier, another thing that her husband attributed to an affair. I mentally sighed. This was going to be a bit dicey. If this was truly the case, then I’d reassure her husband. Leia’s pursuit of this religious path might be a hard pill for him to swallow. It sounded pretty extreme and she’d believed in this religion’s practices and beliefs to an almost obsessive degree.
“You seem open minded,” she said suddenly.
If she knew me at all, open minded was never something anyone would accuse me of. More like death-inducing banshee, vicious warrior, or as stubborn and unmovable as an ox.
“Do you want to attend a meeting? Our next meeting features art as expression. Emma Lynn is amazing at showing you how to open up to the power of The True On
e.”
It can’t be this easy. Is this the same Emma Lynn? It could be a coincidence, but as I always believe that nothing is merely coincidence?
We made plans to meet up later tonight for the art expression/religious thing.
I ate my sandwich as I walked away from Something Sweet. Leia wasn’t joking, this was one hell of a sandwich. It may even rival my beloved BAM burgers.
Since I had free time, I went to the thrift store to replace my wardrobe. I was beyond tired of alternating between the same two outfits. And, with training, I got much dirtier than normal. And I sorely missed my boots. As much as I’d like something new, our budget didn’t allow for anything except used clothes, which meant boots were definitely out of my budget.
With my clothes purchased, I pulled a resisting Muffin onto the sidewalk. If I wasn’t so amused by my shopping experience, I be pissed by his bratty behavior. It’s amazing how fast I could try on and buy clothes when the majority of the store’s customers ran out at the sight of your pet. I patted Muffin.
“Wearing someone’s cast offs? You are much better than that. Why haven’t you spent the money I left you,” said my father. He stared at me through the shadows.
I froze, but no one else was affected. People parted around my father like he wasn’t there. He wore a cowl and while he wasn’t solid, he wasn’t ghost-like transparent either. The shadows slithered over his body in sync with the odd runes on his arms. Even though I didn’t sense any menace or hostility from him, I didn’t trust him.
“I don’t want anything of yours.”
“But you took the biscuits I left. Did you like them? Did they remind you of our tea parties? Or when you weren’t the good little girl you were supposed to be?”
I puked a little in my mouth.
“I threw them away. I want nothing of yours, not now or ever.”
“Now, now, we had such lovely times.”
“You beat me and tortured me,” I spat out.
A flash of anger crossed his face and was quickly gone.
“That’s no way to talk to your father, come, give me a hug.”
Muffin started growling in earnest, his body shaking from the ferocity of it. His fur was standing on edge like a faux-hawk. He was pulling at his leash and jumped towards my father. I should let him eat Daddy Dearest? I just needed to let go. Spittle flew from Muffin’s mouth.
My father cocked his head to the side, studying Muffin. He showed no concern or any other discernable emotion at the dog’s aggression.
“How precious, you have a pet.”
My father extended a hand towards Muffin. There was sure to be a nasty and probably lethal spell he was about to cast on Muffin.
“You must learn to better control it.”
I didn’t dare wait for him to launch a spell at Muffin. It may very well be a lethal one. I reached for my magic block without a second thought. It happily leaped forward, eager as a puppy to be used to its full destructive potential.
I launched a spell at my father, putting all of my hate and anger into it. It hit him full on in the chest and he staggered back. He disappeared, but I wasn’t naïve enough to think I’d killed him or done him any real harm. Amazing how the right motivation could help me control my magic.
Someone on the sidewalk bumped into me and another person grumbled about dumb women standing in everyone’s way. I tugged on Muffin’s leash and we headed back to the office.
15
The walk back to the Wolf Agency was a blur. I walked through the door and hurried by the receptionist. Before I could get past her, she stopped me.
“Why are you stopping me? I was just here?”
“Can I see your badge?” she asked.
“Seriously?”
“Your badge, or no entry.”
I flashed her my Croft and Sterling Agency badge, but she frowned.
“That’s not our badge.”
“No, it’s not. Listen, we’re renting your office space. Lochlan brought me and my coworkers here. You probably saw me leave. Can you let me through?”
“I’m afraid I can’t. It’s protocol, so I’ll need to call someone for authorization.”
“For f*** sake. This is ridiculous.”
I marched past her desk and stomped my way into the hallway. I’m being childish, but I don’t care. On the threshold of the main office area, I bounced off a shield. I landed heavily on the ground. That freaking hurt. Muffin whined and circled me protectively. No wonder the receptionist didn’t bother stopping me, the office would do it for her. After dealing with my father and Varnoc my patience was shot and my magic was ready.
My magic lingered just out of reach, but it could easily eat through this shield.
“Tell me you’re not about to do what I think you are?” asked Lochlan.
Heat raced over my face as a guilty flush spread across my face. What could I say? He was right, I was about to unleash my magic in an office full of people that could be hurt or killed by it. What was wrong with me?
“Agnes, Marty is one of the Croft and Sterling Agency employees. If you had asked to see her badge, she’d have shown you her credentials.”
The smug and satisfied look fell off the receptionist’s face. Busted. At least I wasn’t the only one in trouble.
It wouldn’t do to make enemies and there was no need for me to call attention to her dictator-like approach to office access. It was her way or no way.
“I’ll make sure to show my badge next time. Sorry about that Agnes.”
She looked surprised, but recovered quickly.
“Make sure that you do. I must follow the protocols we’ve established.”
“Now Marty, if you’ll follow me,” said Lochlan.
He didn’t wait for my answer and instead grabbed my arm in his hard grip, steering me away from the front desk and Margie.
“Please tell me you weren’t about to do what I think you were going to do. Even you wouldn’t be so foolish to risk unleashing your magic. I was wrong and overreacted is what you’re about to say.”
He stopped walking when I didn’t answer.
“For god’s sake, Marty. I get that seeing your father and having your magic released is a shock, but you need to get yourself together. For our sake and your own.”
“Who says I was about to do anything?
“The stench of your magic said all I needed to know. Even a non-shifter could detect it.”
I seethed as he dragged me deeper into the office. Who did he think he was? He wasn’t my boss and he had no right to tell me what I could and couldn’t do. And, my magic didn’t stink. Being hot didn’t give him carte blanche to act like a jerk.
Back in a drastically revamped conference room, I found Callie, Sterling, and Jennica.
“Glad to see you could join us,” said Sterling. “We’re about to head home.”
“You mean, his home,” I said.
Sterling gave me a warning look.
“It’s also your home for as long as you all are staying there,” said Lochlan.
“What do you want me to say? Sorry?” I asked.
“That is obviously too much to ask since you’re in the middle of a tantrum. You act like more of a child than Zander,” shouted Sterling.
“And this is exactly why Zander left. He’s not a child and you treat him like one,” said Jennica.
“What’s with you and Lochlan tag teaming me on my behavior?” I asked. “Are spankings next?”
“If you insist,” said Lochlan, with a lusty gleam in his eyes.
“No one is trying to team up on you. We’re worried. You haven’t been the same since your magic was released and you recently learned your lost-deceased father is alive,” said Sterling.
“I don’t know what’s up with me. I need to work on my cases and stay busy. Running into my father a second time didn’t help.”
“When were you going to tell us you saw him a second time?” asked Sterling.
“When I finally sat down.”
> “We should have this discussion somewhere more private,” said Lochlan. “It’s about time you all see your new home.”
Turns out that Lochlan’s house was in the same area as Julia Huntington’s country cabin. Betty followed Lochlan’s sleek and expensive sports car. Muffin’s ears perked up and he seemed to recognize the area. Until now, I didn’t realize devil dogs were that smart to remember a place. Hmmmm … I’d ask Julia Huntington about that. I really was pretty ignorant about devil dogs.
“As much as I’d like to give you all a tour and get everyone settled, Marty needs to catch us up,” said Lochlan.
I quickly ran through the events with the demon and my father. When I got to the part about the biscuits, both Callie and Jennica looked nauseous. At least that teaches them not to eat random food left for them.
“The visit to the Sisterhood needs to happen as soon as we can manage it. I can’t do it because I’ve secured an audience with the King Kazar,” said Lochlan. “I’m also hoping to see Zander while I’m there to verify his safety and condition, if nothing else.”
“That’s better news than mine,” I said.
“It’s also concerning that you have a demon stalker,” said Sterling.
“Marty, no offense, but I won’t be going out to lunch with you any time soon. I don’t want to deal with any demons,” said Callie.
“Keep the devil dog with you. And, you might want to see Livinia at the Dark Side about a charm or something to repel a demon,” said Sterling.
“The Dark Side?” questioned Lochlan.
“Yep, I got friends in low places,” I said.
Sterling snickered, but Lochlan looked confused and slightly concerned.
“It’s not the safest of places,” said Lochlan.
I’m perfectly fine on my own. Besides, I’ve been going there for years and can manage,” I said.
Lochlan looked at me like I just kicked a puppy. It wasn’t that I didn’t care what he thought. I probably cared too much about what the gorgeous fae thought of me. I just couldn’t let him think that he controlled me.
