Midnight Starling: An Urban Fantasy Romance Series

by Rhiannon Lee

  “I need you to locate someone,” he explained.

  “I assumed we would be called shifters or something like that,” I said, ignoring him. I was still fixated on his initial comment.

  “Shifter? Miss Voronin, this is not a TV show or film, its actual life. The term is Mimic, I assure you. Now, can you please focus? I need you to find someone for me,” he said again.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he serious? “And you needed to kidnap me to tell me that?”

  “That was a misunderstanding. Victor was merely supposed to escort you so I could speak to you in person. Once you arrived, my assistant didn’t know what to do with a… well, a bird.”

  “How was a wolf supposed to tell me anything?” I retorted.

  “I never imagined in a million years that you wouldn’t know one of your own, Bea. When you changed, Victor panicked and captured you. The whole situation has gotten out of hand. Again, you have my deepest apologies. Tea?”

  It took my brain some time to catch up when he switched gears. “Yes, please, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still mad.”

  His lips curled upward. “Of course. Franklin, if you’d please?” He gestured to my grumpy escort. I briefly shifted my eyes downward to mask my surprise. I was expecting something more ominous than the name of a cartoon turtle.

  “So, you want to hire me? I need details.” I genuinely didn’t give two shits about what he wanted, but I’d entertain him if it meant getting the heck out of here.

  Thain opened a side drawer and drew out a manila envelope. He flipped it open and set it down in front of me. “I understand you’ve already spoken to his wife.”

  “His wife? I don’t have any recent cases…” I trailed off, suddenly recalling the whole reason I was outside in the parking lot to begin with. “You mean the lady who called me this morning?”

  Thain nodded as Franklin stepped back into the room carrying a tray. I welcomed the interruption, because things were still unclear in my mind. How had Thain learned about it and sent Victor to wait on me that quickly?

  As if he could sense my nervousness, he leaned forward and added, “We were already coming to hire you. We only learned of the phone call after you were asleep. Vincent’s wife, Margorie, came to me in a fit asking for my help after you refused to assist her.”

  Franklin appeared next to me and passed me a delicate teacup.

  Poppy had warned me this field of employment would end up being trouble. I should have listened. “Then how did you know he was missing if she only told you after I was here?”

  Thain took the second cup that Franklin retrieved from the tray and took a shallow sip. “Because he is an employee of mine and I was already suspicious that something was wrong. When he didn’t report to work on time, I dispatched a few men to investigate the matter under an explicit order to not inform his wife just yet, in case she had something to do with it. When they came back empty-handed, they confirmed my fears. That’s when I sent Victor to fetch you, since this sort of thing is your area of expertise.”

  I didn’t trust a word he was saying. “I have questions, but first you’re going to have to let me leave.”

  “Of course. You are free to go now if you wish,” he replied too easily.

  More lies. “What if I said I didn’t want to be involved with any of this, or whatever it is you do here?” I asked, trying to confirm my theory.

  He shrewdly picked up on my doubts and lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, Miss Voronin, some of what I do here is shielded from the eyes of the law, but please be assured that there is good reason. Mr. Saunders is important to me and my business, which is why I hired you to locate him.”

  I noticed how he said hired, as if it was a done deal. I probably had little choice unless I wanted to leave the country. But I wouldn’t leave Poppy or Isaac behind for anything in the world, so that option was out. Before I could finish debating it with myself, he ripped a sheet of paper from a notepad and jotted something down.

  “This is my offer. Half up front, and half when you find him or proof of what happened to him,” he offered, giving it to me.

  I nearly dropped my tea when I read the amount he had written.

  “Will that be adequate?”

  I continued to gawk at the paper. It took fewer than four seconds to decide that I was going to trade my soul to this golden-haired devil for the five-figure payout staring me in the face. I would have tracked down Santa Claus for what he was offering me. With this much money, I could do the job, and move myself, Poppy and Isaac far enough away that these creeps could ever find me again. There was no way you kidnapped someone and then just let them go with no strings attached. It was too risky, and this guy didn’t come across as stupid or careless to me at all.

  Looking him in the eye, I asked, “When do I start?”

  Chapter 6

  Poppy

  When Bea walked in the door, I flung my arms around her without even thinking. “Where have you been?” I questioned. I originally planned to pretend nothing was amiss, but that did not turn out like I planned.

  She squeezed me once and backed away, then stared. Eye to eye, one eyebrow raised. I didn’t want to create an impasse, so I spoke first.

  “I was worried something happened to you,” I started.

  She lifted her other eyebrow.

  My shoulders slumped and as I turned to the couch. Plopping down, I peered back at her with a muted plea, hoping she wouldn’t despise me.

  “I turned into a bird and was scooped out of the sky by a wolf who kidnapped me and took me to a building outside of town where I was given a job by some crime lord,” she blurted out. “Then they let me go.”

  Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. “That’s ridiculous,” I lied with a shaky laugh.

  She crossed her arms over her chest, which cut my laugh short.

  Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. “Alright, fine. I guess we should get this discussion over with now. There is no point in keeping secrets anymore, not after what you went through tonight.”

  She found a spot beside me on the couch and curled one leg under her so she could twist and face me.

  “So, we’ve known for a long while that you turn into a bird,” I admitted.

  “How long?”

  “Um, since you were little,” I answered, squirming in my seat.

  “Did my parents know? Is that why…”

  “Oh Bea, no. You weren’t abandoned because of this. I promise you that.”

  Her hard exterior was cracking, and I could see the vulnerability in her saddened eyes.

  “Did they know, though? About my being not human?” she asked.

  I took another breath. I wasn’t ready to explain everything to her just yet. Even though her guise seemed to be unaffected by everything she had already learned, that didn’t mean it wouldn’t keep trying to take her memories. There was still a chance that it would ultimately succeed.

  “No, I don’t think so,” I lied.

  Bea looked away. “So, they just didn’t want me. Period.”

  “I genuinely know nothing about them, I’m sorry.” It was the truth because they didn’t exist.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “When you were little, I would find you as a bird sleeping in your room, and occasionally I knew you’d still be awake and see me checking in on you. I waited a long time for you to talk to me about it, but you never did, so I left it alone. What started out as me not wishing to make you uncomfortable turned into this awful silence between us,” I replied.

  She sat for a moment, considering my words. “I didn’t want to worry you guys. That’s why I never brought it up. I don’t remember that, though. How old was I?

  “Gosh, you couldn’t have been older than three or four. And worry us? Oh, Bea, that’s what we’re here for. We love you; we will always worry about you, whether you turn into a bird or are just a regular old human,” I assured, putting a hand on her arm.

  “I suppose it was stupid not
to say something.” Bea set her other hand over mine. “I’m sorry.”

  I shifted to face her more directly. “You have nothing to apologize for. If anybody should be apologetic, it’s me. I have always known you would have abilities, but I didn’t talk to you about any of that either. I wanted you to have an ordinary childhood. It was something I never had.”

  Her forehead scrunched. “What do you mean? I feel like there is more you’re not telling me.”

  I reclined into the couch. “There is. I’m not human either, and my childhood was… challenging.”

  “Is that why you never talk about that part of your life?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “So, what are we then if we’re not human?”

  “Well, the wolf you mentioned is a Mimic. They can change their forms and occasionally do other magical things.”

  “Like what?” she pressed.

  “I used to know one who could open any lock he happened across, and another I met could control heat. It was a neat power to have because she was also a baker and could whip up a batch of cupcakes in record time,” I said with a chortle.

  Bea looked astonished. “That would be outstanding. Do they live around here?”

  “No, I knew them when I lived the life I had before you came into it.”

  “What happened to you back then?” she asked. When I turned away, she added, “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to talk about it.”

  “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. I was raised in an orphanage from the time I was born until I was old enough to be on my own, and it just wasn’t the best place for a kid to be,” I explained.

  I shifted back in her direction. Her eyes were full of sadness for me and it stirred my heart. As much as I hated recalling those bleak moments, Bea deserved to know about my life.

  “Did they beat you?” she asked.

  “You know how we’ve spoken about the way some people have careers they are not suited to, and it usually ends up making them miserable? Which is why, even though I worry about you being a PI, I’ve never tried to talk you out of it. I never want you to end up being miserable somewhere else, performing a job that sucks out your spirit every day.”

  She grinned. “Yeah, like the time we got held up by that grocery clerk who was talking about how much she despised people.”

  “Exactly. I just think that the people who oversaw the home I grew up in were in the wrong line of work. I don’t think they enjoyed children very much. We were fed and kept clean, but that was about. And yes, when we misbehaved, they were stern and tried to make certain it never happened again.”

  I consciously ran a hand over the top of my thigh.

  “Is that where you got that scar?” she asked.

  My thoughts turned to Thain. He was the only person I ever told that story to. One night I was caught with food in my room and the woman working the night shift dragged me out of bed by my hair and towed me outside. Tears had cascaded down my face as I fought back, screaming at being lashed with a belt across the front of my legs. When she was done, she forced me to stagger back to bed. The next day, the man in charge came to check on me, but once he saw I would recover, verbally abused me again and told me it was my fault. No one ever spoke of it again, including me. I eventually healed, but I never snuck food into my room again. Thain and I had been so close once, which is why he had come across the scars during an intimate moment.

  I hesitated. “There’s something else I need to confess to you, too.”

  “Okay,” she said, waiting for me to continue.

  “The man who took you–Thain. I know him.”

  She sat up straight, her eyes opening wide. “You knew they kidnapped me? How?”

  “Isaac saw you get taken. I worked a spell to track you and we charged in to rescue you, only to find Thain.”

  “Poppy, I don’t understand. Why did you leave me there if you knew all of this and were there?”

  “Thain and I used to be together a long time ago. I knew he wouldn’t harm you, even though I didn’t like the situation. I also made him vow to let you go as soon as he spoke to you.”

  Anger flashed across her face. “Did you know this was going to happen? That he was going to kidnap me?”

  “No! Of course not! I would never willingly allow anything like that to happen to you.”

  “And what do you mean you were together?”

  “He was my lover and best friend for many years, but our lives grew in different directions. I didn’t want the same things he did, and he wasn’t happy leading a modest life out of the public eye. It broke what we had. That’s about the time I moved to America and met Isaac. We’ve been best friends ever since. Honestly, my life is better off for it. I never would have been happy following him around, with his vast ambitions and lavish lifestyle needs. It’s just not who I am,” I explained.

  “I can’t believe you were ever with that man. He seems so… dishonest, and everything you are not.”

  Her words stabbed me to my core. What did that say about me, that I was with someone who she thought those things about? But I truly believed that Thain wasn’t actually evil. I could see her point, though. I was thoroughly livid at him for mishandling Bea. There certainly was no excuse for kidnapping people. Because of that, I wasn’t about to defend him now.

  “I don’t know if he’s the same person I used to know. And there is no excuse for what he did to you, I’m just glad that stupid, clumsy wolf didn’t harm you. Thain explained that Victor was supposed to petition for you to meet with him. I realize you’re still mad, but I believe him.”

  Bea sighed heavily and drooped onto the couch. “Yeah, he told me that too. I don’t know if I believe it or not.”

  “I can’t say I blame you. I probably wouldn’t either after all that,” I acknowledged with a half-smile.

  “So back to the magic bit. Do you have powers?” she asked as she perked back up.

  My grin expanded. “Yes! I have a few. My magic happens when I whistle,” I explained.

  Bea’s eyes grew round, and I could see she was putting things together that had not occurred to her before. “You mean…?”

  “When I whistle in my room? Yep.”

  “Is your magic like the baker woman’s? What can you do?”

  “Well, let’s see. I can teleport, which is the neatest thing in my opinion. I can also track people, like I mentioned before, and a few other minor things,” I said, leaving several talents out. I didn’t wish to overwhelm her.

  “Teleport? You mean you take the bus on purpose when you don’t have to? That’s just weird,” she voiced.

  I chuckled. “It’s not a great idea to just pop up into the middle of a group of humans. They tend to overreact.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s probably true. But even so, it must suck not being able to use it all the time.”

  Truth be told, I didn’t mind riding the bus. I loved interacting and encountering new people when I wasn’t stressed or and trying to get away from the mundane. Even though being a Godkin limited how close I could be with a human because of the risk of exposure, I could still be friendly and try to cheer someone’s day up with a show of kindness here and there. I cherished those moments most of all.

  “Eh, you get used to it,” I said.

  “Does Isaac know about all of this?” Bea asked lowly.

  I chuckled again. “Isaac is a Mimic, too.”

  “I’ve spent my entire life feeling like a freak when you guys were different too, I just didn’t know it because you never said. I get that you were trying to protect me, I really do, and half of me loves you for that. But the other half just thinks it was bull.”

  I wanted to explain her guise and be finished with it, but my gut told me that this had been ample for one night.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Bea rose. “I know, and I don’t hate you for keeping it from me,” she said, but then her face took on a harder edge. “But I was kidnapped, and I found out tha
t you and Isaac had been lying to me my entire life in one day. It’s a lot to process.”

  “It is. You’re right. Take your time. I’m here if you have more questions or just want to chat about anything.”

  “I’m sure I’ll have more questions. I’m going to crash, I’m exhausted,” she said as she walked off.

  I wasn’t sure what else there was to say, tonight anyway. It relieved me that the truth was coming out, but I didn’t delight in the fact that it was a lot for her to work through.

  I stood up and headed to my bed. I was also ready to be done with this day.

  Chapter 7

  Bea

  “Are you seriously still working on that man’s case?” Poppy asked. She strode by me, clutching a muffin, and sat down in the chair in front of me.

  “I–we need the money,” I replied in a clipped tone. She raised an eyebrow and took a bite of her breakfast. Crumbs tumbled down her shirt. I returned her smug half smile.

  “You don’t need money that badly. I have plenty to cover the rent if you need it. You know that.”

  I huffed and snatched the muffin she placed on the table and took a nibble. “I loathe asking you for money. Besides, it’s not fair for you to have to cover my half of the bills every time I’m low on cash.”

  She yanked the half-eaten muffin out of my fingers and set it back down in front of her. “There are better alternatives to earn money that don’t involve that man. Besides, you’ve been running yourself ragged all over town, and I know you must be exhausted.”

  As it turned out, Vincent—my current case objective—was Thain’s only accountant. Which made matters worse. It meant that Thain was perhaps less concerned with Vincent’s wellbeing and more distressed about his books. The whole setup was shady, and I made sure Poppy understood I knew it too.

  “I’ve worked for worse people. And besides, I’ve made almost no progress because no one will talk to me once I say Thain’s name. I’m frustrated, and I’m not going to rest until I find something helpful.”