by B N Miles
Malcolm inclined his head. “I will keep that in mind, Marshal.”
“I have one more request. I’d like permission to look around the area. I’ll always have Jessalene with me as an escort, and I won’t search any buildings.”
“I don’t have an issue with that.” Malcolm looked around. Nobody spoke up. “Just be careful, Marshal. Our clan is peaceful, but there are those within our group that truly despise Magi. They aren’t as enlightened as we are.” He smiled, but Jared saw some of the others scowl.
“Thank you.” Jared stood, nodded at the group, and walked off. He heard Cassie, Jessalene, and Elise follow him.
Cassie reached him first. She slipped a hand through his arm. “What was that back there?” she asked.
He shook his head. “They’re hiding something.”
“Yeah, that’s obvious.”
“But I don’t know what or why.” They reached the edge of the path and stopped in the cover of the trees. Elise and Jessalene were conferring a few feet away as Cassie leaned her head on his shoulder.
“They really hate you,” she said. “I could practically smell it.”
He smiled. “You don’t need a Shifter’s nose to smell that.”
“Has your family ever… you know.”
“Violently oppressed Meta races?” He shrugged. “Probably in the past. Not in recent generations. My family’s been more interested in staving off madness than getting involved with Metas.”
“Dryads are long lived,” she mused. “So they might remember.”
“Yep. Who knows what they blame me for. Something my great-great-great-great-grandfather did, I’d guess.”
“It seems unfair. You’re just trying to help them.”
He sighed. “I’m not sure they see it that way. To them, sending Jessalene was their solution. But getting the Meta Department involved in their business is probably the last thing they want to do.”
“Seems silly. You could help them avoid starting a war they can’t win.”
“I agree. But it doesn’t matter.”
Elise and Jessalene walked over toward them. Elise looked serious and Jessalene was frowning.
“Hey,” Jared said. “You two okay?”
“We’re okay,” Jessalene said. “But we have to talk.”
“Okay.” Jared tilted his head.
Jessalene gestured for him to follow.
They walked along the paths, taking a long and circuitous route that ended in front of a house similar to Jessa’s, but just slightly different. They stepped into a clean and orderly living room with little ornamentation. Elise walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and took out some iced tea, offering everyone a glass.
Jessalene sat at the table and crossed her arms. She looked angry and worried. Elise offered Jared a glass and he took it. The iced tea was sweet but delicious with just a hint of mint. He smiled at Elise.
“Thank you,” he said. “This is really good.”
“I pride myself on that stuff,” she said and handed Cassie a glass, who gulped it down and sighed with pleasure. “Go on and sit.”
He hesitated, then pulled Cassie along. They joined Jessalene at the table. She looked outright annoyed and sullen.
“What’s going on?” Cassie whispered.
Jessalene shook her head.
Elise came over and looked at the three of them. She crossed her arms, uncrossed them, and then leaned forward with her palms flat on the table.
“I think I know where Ferric hid the artifact.”
Jared blinked, surprised. Cassie stiffened. And Jessalene let out an annoyed grunt.
“Okay,” Jared said slowly. “That would be helpful. But why make us go through that whole thing with the council if you know already?”
“Because I wanted to see what they’d give you,” she said. “And it wasn’t much.”
“No. I got the sense they were holding back.”
“They were honest about what they said, more or less. But they didn’t tell you the whole truth, either.”
“They’re a bunch of bigots,” Jessalene snapped. Jared looked at her and frowned, but she glared at him. “They won’t help you because you’re a Magi. They’re no better than the families themselves.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jared said, “but I see your point.”
“Yes, they’re prejudiced,” Elise said. “If you all lived through what they’ve lived through, you’d distrust any Magi, too. Jared, I’m not sure you appreciate just how much power the families have over Meta kind.”
He inclined his head. “You’re probably right. My own family was never much interested in Metas, if I’m honest.”
“The nine meddle,” she said. “They’re always meddling, always involved. We have as little to do with them as we can, but the entire Meta Department is lousy with family influence.”
“I can see why someone like Ferric might avoid going through official channels then.”
“That’s the thing,” Elise said. “The council is going through official channels to combat the Medlar. Despite everything, we still believe that’s the only way this can be solved peacefully. If we can prove that the land purchases are illegal, or coerced, or otherwise falsified, we can negate them entirely.”
“I see. But Ferric won’t wait for that.”
“No, he won’t.” Elise stood up straight. “Which is why I’ll tell you where I think he’s hiding the artifact.”
“She didn’t want to,” Jessalene snapped. “I pushed her.”
Jared looked at her and frowned. He wasn’t sure if the anger she felt was because the pact had forced her to act against her mother, or if she was annoyed with her mother for keeping secrets from them.
“And I still don’t trust you, Jared. But I can see that you’re all we have, at least for now.”
Jared nodded and didn’t argue. That was more or less a ringing endorsement. “Where should we look?” he asked.
“Are you familiar with the Schuylkill River?” she asked.
Jared laughed. “Of course. It runs right through Philadelphia, splits West Philly off from the rest of the city.”
“I believe the artifact is hiding at the bottom of that river. It’s the only thing with power enough to dampen and hide it from scrying.”
“That’s a big river,” he said. “Can you be more specific?”
Elise shrugged. “I can make some guesses. Jessa can fill you in. But that’s the best I can do for you right now.”
“Thank you,” Jared said. “I appreciate your help.”
“And another thing before you go. Be careful of the council. They won’t do anything directly against you, but they might make your job harder.”
“I’ll be careful.” Jared stood. Cassie stood with him, and Jessalene hesitated. He could tell she needed a second, so he took Cassie’s hand and steered her away.
“Thanks for the iced tea,” she said. “It was really amazing.”
“You’re welcome.” Elise smiled at Cassie as Jared dragged her outside. They stood just off the stoop, waiting for Jessalene to come out.
“What do you think?” he asked, his voice soft.
“I think we started a fight between Jessa and her mom.”
“Yeah. But about the case.”
She tilted her head. “How big is this river again?”
“Big,” he said and laughed. “Really big.”
“Well, okay. He could’ve stashed it anywhere, right? But he’d have to choose a place that’s not super populated.”
“True,” Jared said, frowning. “If Metas can sense the artifacts power, then he wouldn’t have gone into the city.”
“That narrows it down a lot, right?”
“Not really.”
She laughed. “Well, it has to be somewhere accessible. And somewhere close by. He wouldn’t have left it alone in the middle of nowhere for some random person to pick up.”
“Okay, that’s reasonable.” He was going to say more, but the door
opened and Jessalene came out. She walked down the steps toward them, a frown on her face.
“Are you okay?” Cassie asked, walking over.
She shook her head. Cassie hugged her and held her tight for a long moment. Jared wasn’t sure what to do, so he just hung there and waited for them to finish having their moment.
The girls broke apart and Cassie looked at him. “Come comfort her, you idiot,” she said.
He stepped closer. “Jessa,” he said.
“It’s fine.” She looked away.
“I know this is because of me,” he said.
“It’s not all your fault,” she admitted. “The pact doesn’t help. It’s making me push my mom harder than I normally would, but that’s a good thing. This is just…” She trailed off.
“How well do you know Ferric?” I asked.
She winced. “There’s a reason they sent me,” she said. “We grew up together. We were close, at least we used to be, back before he turned to radical politics. I never got into that Meta Rights stuff. I get where he’s coming from, but the violence and all that hate, it just…”
Jared nodded. “I get it.”
“They thought he might listen to me, but he’s too far gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. Me too.” She forced a smile as Cassie took her hand and held it. “Anyway, let’s go back to my house. We have a lot of planning to do.”
“Right. We need to start narrowing down some spots.”
That made her perk up. “Oh, I think I know where he put it.”
Jared laughed. “Really?”
“I have a couple guesses, at least.” She walked back to her house. Cassie kept up, holding her hand, and Jared walked on Jessa’s other side. “We used to go fishing in the river all the time when we were younger.”
“Dryads go fishing?” he asked.
“Of course. I mean, we’re plant gods, not animal gods. Our ancestors had to eat, right? We threw everything back though.”
“You think he stashed it in one of your fishing spots.”
“Maybe,” she said. “I can’t be sure. But it would make sense.”
“Accessible but not crowded,” Cassie added.
“Right. Exactly.”
“Okay, then.” Jared shrugged a little. “I guess we have a place to start.”
“We’ll start looking this afternoon.”
“Fine with me. But let’s get something to eat first. I’m starving.” He grinned at the girls. “All that hate has made me hungry.”
Jessalene laughed but it was bitter and sharp. Cassie smiled at him and nodded her approval.
They walked back to Jessalene’s house together, had some lunch, and began to plan.
26
While the girls were inside talking about their upcoming field trip, Jared stepped out and called Wyatt.
“Been wondering when you’d show up,” his Captain said.
“Sorry, sir. It’s been hectic.”
“I heard. You got yourself a third wheel, huh?”
“Yes, sir. Jessalene Dorvahn has been very helpful so far. I believe we’re close to the artifact.”
“Your primary goal is to bring in Ferric. But if you find the artifact, more’s the better.”
“That’s what I’m thinking. If I can find the artifact, we’ll find Ferric sooner or later.” Jared hesitated. “But sir, something is bothering me.”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“The artifact. What exactly… is it?”
“We went over this. It magnifies Dryad magic.”
“No, I mean… what shape does it take?”
“Ah,” Wyatt said and laughed. “Nobody’s told you that yet, huh?”
“No, sir. Hasn’t come up.”
“It’s a glove.”
Jared frowned and kicked a stone. “A glove,” he repeated.
“An old brown leather riding glove with sigils sewn along its length. Just one glove for the right hand. It’ll look very old.”
“I was expecting something more…”
“Cool? Exciting?”
“Yeah. Like a dagger. Or a sword.”
“No, sorry Jared. Not every ancient, powerful artifact is a sword. This one’s just a glove.”
“And I assume whoever wears it can use the power?”
“You assume right,” he said. “We need to keep Ferric from using the artifact. Hell, we need to keep anyone from using it, but that’s above my pay grade.”
“Yes, sir,” Jared said. Cassie came out of the house and looked at him. “I have to go. We have a lead that I’m tracking down.”
“Update me soon.”
The line cut off and Jared slipped his phone into his pocket.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded. “Ready.” She hopped down the steps. “Was that Wyatt?”
“Yeah,” he said, tilting his head. “Did you know that we’re looking for a glove?”
“Sure,” she said. “I asked Jessa earlier.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
She shrugged. “I thought you knew.”
“I didn’t,” he grumbled. “I thought it was something cooler.”
“Like a sword?” she asked. “Oh man, a powerful sword would be pretty cool.”
“But kind of cliché,” he admitted.
“True.” She grinned. “But still cool.”
He laughed and they headed back inside. Jessalene was sitting at the table looking miserable. Jared knew he had to do something to get her in a better mood, but that might be impossible right now. She was in a strange position, working both for and against her own people, and it must’ve been hard for her.
He walked over and sat down next to her. He reached out and put a hand on her leg. She looked over, surprised, and he felt her aura flex again. “Listen,” he said. “I just wanted to say… if you want out of the pact, I’ll release you right now.”
She bit her lip. “Really?”
“Really.” He didn’t move his hand and she didn’t pull away. “I’m not trying to make your life harder. I just didn’t trust you at first.”
“You trust me now?”
He grinned. “A little bit.”
She smiled in return and put her hand on top of his and laced her fingers through. “You don’t have to,” she said. “Not yet at least. I think… I think it’s a good thing. I’d probably make this harder than it needs to be.”
He frowned and held her hand there against her leg. It felt good and comfortable, sitting close to her, feeling her breathe. She was so pretty and he could see how she was hurting. He wanted to make it stop if he could.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I’d hold back. I wouldn’t push as hard. I’d be more worried about what my clan thought than about catching Ferric. But with the pact, I’m just… I’m single-minded. It’s helping. I don’t have to worry about anything else.”
“I see what you mean,” he said. He squeezed her hand. “The offer still stands. I’ll release you whenever you want.”
“I appreciate that, I really do.” She slipped her hand away and stood up. “But let’s keep things as they are for now. No need to complicate stuff, right?”
He almost laughed. If she didn’t want complicated, she was in the wrong place. Everything about their set up was complex, from the mission itself right on down to whatever was going on between them.
“Okay. Whenever you change your mind, just say so.” He stood up. “Should we get going?”
She nodded. “Might as well check the first spot. I’m not sure it’ll be there, but…” She trailed off and shrugged.
“How many spots are there, anyway?” he asked.
“Four,” she said.
“Ah.” He took a breath. “I had an idea, but four might be harder.”
“You wanted to split up and watch each spot.”
He laughed. “How’d you know?”
“You’re too obvious, Jared Bechtold.”
“What can I
say. I’m just a simple man.”
She grinned at him and he put an arm around her shoulder. She pressed herself against him and he loved the simple gesture of it.
“Oh perfect,” Cassie said, coming into the main hall again. “I knew you two were into each other.”
Jared dropped his arm and looked at her. She was grinning like crazy and skipped over. She threw her arms around Jessalene and hugged her tight. Jessa looked embarrassed but hugged Cassie back.
“I don’t know about that,” Jessalene said, giving Jared a look he couldn’t quite interpret. “But he’s okay.”
“Oh he’s more than okay, but you’ll come around.” Cassie purred. “This is going to be perfect.”
“We really should get moving,” Jared said before the conversation went way too far. “Jessalene and I were just talking about splitting up.”
“That’s not a terrible idea.” Cassie released Jessalene but still held her hand.
“But there are four spots I’m thinking of,” Jessalene said. “We could split up and watch three. I think one of them isn’t likely, but…” She trailed off.
“Or we can ask your mother to watch it.”
Jessalene shook her head. “No, I think my mother’s all tapped out.”
“Let’s scout each spot first then split up,” Jared said. “Come on, let’s get going before it gets too late.”
The three of them headed outside. Jared got behind the wheel with Jessalene up front with him, and Cassie sat in the back.
For the rest of the day, they drove from spot to spot, staying as close to the water as they could. Jessalene talked about life with Ferric growing up, about how he was a nice kid when they were younger but fell in with a hard crowd.
“It’s all that Meta Rights stuff,” she said, throwing a stick into the water at their third stop. It was a small park area and mostly deserted, except for a mom with her two young kids playing on a nearby swing set. “I don’t even know how he found out about it. The clan doesn’t tolerate that kind of thinking.”
“What even is Meta Rights?” Cassie asked.
Jared sighed. “It’s amazing how much you don’t know.”
“Humor me,” she said.
“It’s a school of thought that believes Metas should be free to do whatever they want, whenever they want,” Jessalene said.
