by CC Dragon
Heading inside, I found Indigo subject to gravity and barely conscious. I knelt down and touched his neck.
“What are you doing?” Mason asked.
“Sucking his powers out of him. Then he’ll be much less dangerous when we lock him up. Bind him with gravity to keep him from escaping, but he’s powerful, so we have to make sure he stays weak.” I began to feel a bit dizzy from the power high.
“You can really do that?” Mason asked.
I nodded. “I might be reaching my limit because of the Fae lines. Let me burn some off.”
I took Mason’s hand and touched Indigo. In a blink, we were all back in the motel room.
That sucked good dose of power, and I resumed draining Indigo.
“Want a dose?” I offered Mason.
He shook his head. “You might want to stop.”
I felt like I was glowing. “For now. I don’t want him to use the other guy or call for assistance from his evil magical cronies.”
Mason chuckled and put Indigo in the closet with the other man.
My head started swimming. I reached out, and Mason caught me. I tried to transfer some power to him. He carried me to the bed, and I held onto him. I touched his neck and let some powerful warlock magic flow.
I shivered at the jolt of connecting with Mason magically—he didn’t flinch.
“What are you?” Mason asked.
Chapter Twenty-One
An incessant beeping woke me up. I sat slowly in a stiff beige recliner, and it was clear I wasn’t up north any longer.
It smelled like a hospital. When I turned away from the closed window, I found Mitch in a hospital bed—pale and thin. He had IVs and monitors galore.
Mason napped in an even less comfortable looking chair.
“Mason. Wake up,” I said softly to try and not disturb Mitch.
Mason didn’t budge.
My skin tingled with the magic I’d stolen.
I waved my hand in Mason’s direction and shot a spark of magic at him that startled him awake.
“What?” Mason asked.
“What are we doing here?” I demanded in a hushed voice. “Where is Indigo? What the hell happened?”
Mason stood up and rubbed his eyes. “Relax. The raid happened. They rounded up a bunch of people. Indigo and the other guy in the closet among them. I got us out before we were caught in the crossfire or blame.”
“I don’t understand. We’re on the FBI’s side. What blame?” I shrugged.
Mason yawned. “You were drunk on magic. You’d have gotten us in trouble.”
“Us not being there will do the same thing,” I said.
“I advised Green that you were worried about Mitch, and we were heading to check on him. We need to do this before something else weird happens.” Mason walked up to the hospital bed.
“What else? What’s weird?” I asked.
“Being able to drain someone’s power by touch. That is weird. You can just steal powers?” Mason put a hand on Mitch’s arm.
“You can’t?” I asked.
“It’s not normal. Not for Fae or anything I’ve heard of,” Mason admitted.
“It’s the best way I’ve found to disarm para beings. If I can get close enough to touch them, it works.”
Mason frowned. “The Fae lines gave you a boost too. You were high on power.”
“No wonder the Fae don’t want to ever claim me. I get my best powers by stealing them. Where else will I fit in? Humans.” I sighed.
“You don’t fit there either,” Mason replied.
“Heal Mitch. Please try at least. Don’t waste the power,” I said.
Mason reached his hand out, and I took it. Slowly, he siphoned off the extra power from me to Mitch. It took a few minutes, but my overwhelming fog of a headache lifted.
“Stealing powers is creating a link. They might be able to track you or track their own powers,” he warned.
“Maybe I can track them back?” I suggested.
“Don’t flash this weird power around too much.” Mason released my hand.
I sat back. “I’m using it for good—if that matters.”
“You could try and heal him directly,” Mason suggested.
“He looks better.” I walked over to Mitch and studied him. “I’m not much of a healer, and he’s my friend. Emotions can get in the way.”
“Or make it stronger,” Mason challenged.
Mitch’s eyelids fluttered.
“Hey, Mitch,” I said.
The monitors started beeping.
“We should go,” Mason said.
I shrugged. “Why?”
Seconds later, Mitch’s wife rushed in with a couple of the medical staff.
“What are you doing here?” his wife asked.
“Just visiting. I think he’s doing a bit better,” I said.
Green walked in. “Here you two are.”
“How did the raid go?” I asked.
“You look sick. Are you hurt?” Green asked.
“Haven’t slept in a day or so. I hit the wall.” It was a convincing lie. My legs wobbled, but I felt like I could fly if I needed to. Where I stored the stolen magic, I had no logical idea, but it seemed like a camel storing water. Where was my hump?
“You both used very questionable practices up there, if the reports are true. What do you have to say for yourself?” Green asked.
“Do you need to have this meeting here?” Mitch’s wife demanded.
We moved into the hallway and closed the door behind us.
“We did the best we could,” I said.
“You were investigating and reporting back, not going undercover and offering things. They could claim entrapment. You are suspended pending the investigation. The case is out of your hands now. You’ll give your statements in the morning. Go home, get some rest and food,” he said.
“You can’t do this. You’re basically shutting down the case and handing it over to people who want it to fail. They’ll fold it back into your case,” I said. “Maybe that’s what’s best. You’re going after the low-level guys while Indigo and the higher ups are just restarting another trafficking ring. Plenty of vulnerable women and plenty of men willing to pay. They just hire lawyers and start fresh. I’m amazed they didn’t hop over to Canada or Russia for that matter.”
The magic buzz was getting to me. I really shouldn’t have fed off of the stolen magic before an argument. My magic wanted to burn Green. To blow him up.
Mason grabbed my arm and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s get you some rest.”
“You’re done. If she’s suspended, we don’t need you anymore,” Green said to Mason.
Mason handed over his badge and ID. “I’ve been carrying my own gun.”
“You’re off this case. Out of the FBI,” Green said.
“You don’t want his statement then?” I asked.
“Oh no. Tomorrow, we need the statement, but we can’t keep paying him. You’ll probably be suspended until Mitch is back and we’re all sure you’re back in line.” Green shot me a look.
I got in Green’s face, but Mason gripped my waist.
“Walk away,” Mason whispered.
“You want to be fired too?” Green asked.
I wasn’t sure. Part of me really did want to walk away from the human crap. But who else would watch out for humans? Could I make it in a magical world? That whisper of insecurity had kept me playing nicely with humans for so long, but I told myself that I was helping people. The human system was making me feel ill.
We walked down the hall into the elevator, and I closed my eyes. “Suspended?”
“Relax. I’m fired.” Mason smiled but tried to hide it.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You’re fighting to keep this job that you hate deep down. You’re hiding among the humans,” he said.
“To protect some of the humans. I never thought I could survive among paras. The magical worlds are set up specifically. They all have their rules, and I d
on’t fit into any of them. I told you, part Fae means nothing.” I rubbed my neck, but the ache and frustration ran throughout my body. “I’m starving.”
“Fine. We’ll get some dinner to go. Steak?” he suggested.
“We’re both unemployed,” I pointed out.
“You’re thinking like a human.” Mason shook his head. “You could make it in a magical town, if you wanted to. If you choose carefully—you can make friends and create a family of your own. But you would have to be careful about stealing magic from people.”
I rolled my eyes. “I only really steal magic from bad guys.”
“I want to think about that for a bit. Let’s get food, and we’ll talk,” he said.
After a couple of moose steaks and veggies, I felt better, but the stolen magic hummed in me somewhere.
“You need to be careful about stealing magic,” he said.
I sighed. “You’re a broken record. I’ve used it to disable warlocks and witches more than to steal powers. Indigo has a lot.”
“He does, but why didn’t he fight you taking it?” Mason asked.
“First time, he was kind of knocked out.”
“Maybe he let you. He might be able to track you since you have his powers. Indigo might’ve been watching you.” Mason cleared the dishes.
I stared at my little kitchen. The role of human was easy to play for me, but was I fooling myself? Dabbling in magic without really paying attention could make me more vulnerable.
“Dot,” Mason said.
“Yeah, I heard. I just can’t believe it. I didn’t feel anything weird. He could’ve been following me or us. Messing with us. Sending us on wild chases after kids and getting no real evidence. Just more threads to pull at.” I went to the freezer and pulled out a tub of ice cream.
“Very possible.” He grabbed two spoons from the drawer.
How did he know where everything in my kitchen was? Magic? Was he that at home here? He’d just been fired. I couldn’t get too used to him being around, but I wanted him to stay. The idea of being alone in all of this made it hard to breath. I’d always felt alone in a sense, and I hated it. Clinging to the FBI made it okay somehow, but the fear crept in and strangled me.
Fear or not, I could function like I always had. We ate ice cream right from the tub.
“I had a thought about a spell that would light up where magical groups hunt or use humans or seek out kids with magical powers. But there are so many—it’d probably be more dead ends as well,” I said.
“Or we could start with a spell to track Indigo’s travel spots. But I’m fired, and you’re suspended.” Mason sat back and studied me.
“What? You’re going home after you give your statement?” I asked.
Mason frowned. “I don’t know. We’ll see if the powers let me go for real. Green might change his mind. Or I might be a witness, and they want me to stick around for a bit. We could be stuck with desk duty. Green was throwing his weight around.”
My phone beeped, and I expected it to be Zel. Maybe I could get more information from her about what the heck was up with Green.
It was Lily. I flipped my phone over. “We could try that spell, but we need to be free to go after the leads. We’re not right now.”
“Was that Zel?” Mason asked.
“No, nothing important.” I went for more ice cream.
Mason frowned. “Green?”
“No. It’s nothing.” I had a fan in his little sister, but I’d been managing to keep it away from Mason. A few pics of scenic Alaska and her brother here and there, and Lily was happy. Now she was asking about the case again.
“You realize now we’re both sharing Indigo’s magic. I can feel you better. Sense your stuff.” Mason tapped his spoon on the wooden table.
“Your sister is texting me. It’s nothing,” I said.
“What?” Mason asked. “She’s always asking about you. She liked you, but she shouldn’t be bugging you.”
“It’s not bugging. But the last few texts have been about the case, not just chitchat. Is she interested in law enforcement?” I asked.
Mason shook his head. “I’ll call her.”
“No, she’s a kid. Don’t embarrass her. I’m not giving her any info on the case. I’m not chatting with her on the phone. I wouldn’t put her in danger at all. I’m sure life in a small village gets a bit dull. She’s looking for some excitement.” I shrugged it off.
“She’s a kid. School is exciting. Boys can be a new interest. She’s young, but I can handle that. A hunting or fishing expedition is fun. Canning food for the winter, okay it’s not fun, but it’s necessary. That’s life. Necessary not adventurous,” he said.
I smiled. “How does she use her magic?”
He shook his head. “She’s not exceptionally magical yet. It’s just part of life, natural. We’re not like some clan of warlocks and witches.”
“Or the Fae. Maybe Lily wants more than a village life. Like you, to explore,” I suggested.
“I went back,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
“The rest of the world has their priorities wrong. Everyone wants to be the victim. To be entertained. No one wants to do the work.” He grabbed my phone and reviewed our texts.
I nodded. “But you left the FBI to work in a village. Some non-paras are real victims of magical crime. I’m trying to do that work. Maybe she admires me for that.”
Mason shot me a scolding look. “I want her safe in the village. She doesn’t need to leave.”
“You did.” I shrugged. “Is her dad around? Native magical or what?”
“None of your business.” He went for another spoonful of ice cream, but it was melting and dripped all over his dress shirt.
“Damn.” He stood and tossed the spoon in the sink.
“Relax. Your mom has Lily in hand, I’m sure. She just wants to hear about our adventures for a bit. When you go home, you can give her the full story and all the cautionary tales.” I watched him remove his shirt and take it to the laundry room off the kitchen.
“You sent her pics of me,” he said.
I shrugged. “She wanted to know you were safe. It’s not like I’m taking a picture of you now. No one wants to see their brother shirtless in a woman’s kitchen.”
“Ha.” He tossed the shirt in the washer.
The view wasn’t bad at all. He was lean muscle and attractive, but right now, he was so annoyed with me that we needed to walk away from each other for a bit.
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell her you don’t want us texting.” I picked my phone up off the table. “We both need to sleep, and we can figure out Green and spells tomorrow.”
“No, don’t stop texting her. She’ll tell you things she’d never tell me or mom.” Mason put the ice cream away. “You’re right about the sleep though. I’ll lock up.”
“Thanks, and thanks for helping with Mitch. Your healing gifts are impressive.” I fought the impulse to hug him, but the impulse won.
Hugging a shirtless hot guy in my kitchen under the influence of evil stolen warlock magic might not have been the smartest thing I’d ever done. I wanted him to stay and not just to keep the fear away. He understood me on a level few even tried to.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What were you thinking?” Green demanded as he paced his office.
I’d given my statement, and it apparently wasn’t what Green wanted to hear. Of course, I’d had to leave out considerable chunks of magical info.
“We didn’t know Indigo was even out on bail. We were pursuing leads about kids. You know how things are up North. Not enough women. A lot of the men who work up there have records. Who wants to work up in a frozen isolated tundra? The money is good, so they’ll pay whatever if they’re into hookers, drugs, animals, or kids. Sick but true.” It was simple supply and demand.
Green sat back behind his desk and scowled at me. “You and Mason rehearsed your stories well.”
“They’re not stories. It’s the trut
h. Don’t tell me that the raid yielded nothing,” I replied.
“It was fine. But the public doesn’t like to hear about kids being missing, abducted, or abused.” He shoved a file away.
I looked him dead in the eye. “You’re more worried about the news reports?”
“No, but women being trafficked is bad enough.”
“Catching the bad guys makes us look good. We didn’t do any of the bad stuff. It’s easy to hide in Alaska,” I reminded him.
“People don’t care about that when there are dead kids involved. Or kids being exploited. Missing kids, people pray and know there is some hope. They can blame the parents for not watching them. But when they have the info of what some bad guy did to them—that gives people pause. It gives parents nightmares.” Green shook his head. “People start doubting that we’re doing our jobs when it all hits at once.”
“We take every tip seriously. We follow every lead. What else can we do?” I asked.
“That’s all the official lines. You’re good at it. But all of this uncertainty is hard on publicity right now. We don’t have the smoking gun. We have a lot of low-level worker bees. None of them flipping on the big bosses,” Green said.
“You refused to let me interrogate Indigo,” I shot back.
Green sighed. “You are taking this all personally. It’s your tip, and you needed it to be true.”
“No, I’d have been happy to be wrong. It is true, and it’s a huge network to be taken seriously.” I hopped up.
“Sit down,” he ordered.
“Is Mason really out? Am I still suspended?” I shot back, being nice to humans wasn’t getting me far, and I wanted to unleash some rage at Green so badly, my skin itched.
“Yes, Mason is out. We don’t need the added expense. Until Mitch is back fit to keep an eye on you, yes, you’re suspended.” Green nodded.
“That could be months.” I needed to get Mason into the hospital room again so we could do another round of healing magic.
“The legal stuff takes time. You’ll end up testifying, I’m sure. You need a break. The stress of your partner being shot and the severity of the case are behind your suspension. I’m not putting down insubordination or anything punitive,” Green informed me.
