Trace of Magic: 1 (The Diamond City Magic Novels)

by Diana Pharaoh Francis

  “How do you propose we do that?” Sounded about as easy as getting into the White House.

  “I know a dreamer. She’ll get us by the guards. We’ll use nulls to kill any security. We get in and out before anyone realizes we were ever there.”

  A simple plan. It could even work, though it depended on a whole lot of ifs. Neither of us had any real idea what the magical security was like. Getting past could easily be more than we could handle. “Can you trust this dreamer? Is she any good?”

  “One of the best I’ve ever met. Once bought, she stays bought.”

  “So she’s a freelancer?” I asked doubtfully, envy spiraling through me. “If she’s so good, how come she doesn’t belong to the Tyet?”

  “Cass isn’t—” He smiled a crocodile smile. “You don’t want to mess with a dreamer like her. She can send you to hell in your mind. She’s very, very inventive.”

  And here I thought I was the only unicorn in the city. “I’m surprised they didn’t kill her, since they couldn’t control her.”

  He shook his head. “She’s too good. And like I said, she can be bought. Not everybody is owned by the Tyet. It doesn’t hurt she can protect herself. Plus she has powerful friends.”

  Could I do the same thing? I tucked the impossible notion away to consider later.

  “How will she make a connection to the guards? She’ll have to touch them. There’s no way she can get close enough. She’ll get shot first.”

  “She’ll have you.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He gave me an intent look. “You can give her their trace. That’s all she needs to get us in safely.”

  I crossed my arms, shielding myself from what I knew he was asking. “A dreamer can’t touch trace.”

  “No, but she doesn’t have to. You just let her into your mind, then after you pick up the trace, she’ll do the rest.”

  Haunters were a lot like dreamers, the way they could mess with your head. The difference was that they had to touch you while they were twisting your mind around, and mostly you were aware of what they were doing the whole time. It made it possible to resist. Not dreamers. They had a lot more finesse. They could go right into your mind and make you think anything they wanted. They didn’t need to touch you. All they really had to do was connect to your soul through a piece of you—toenails, blood, shed hair. Letting her touch me would be giving her the keys to my sanity.

  “No way. She’s not getting into my mind.”

  “I thought you wanted to rescue Josh.”

  “I do,” I snapped, starting to feel cornered. I pushed up off the bed and went to stand by the wall, as far away from him as I could get.

  “Then we need to know what Shana Darlington knows. We can’t wait.”

  We. I wondered if his we included Touray and the rest of his Tyet buddies. “We have the baggies. Seven names.”

  He shook his head. “We don’t know if and how any of those are actually involved.”

  “I don’t want a dreamer in my head.”

  “What sane person would? Hell, I don’t want to go into the place at all. I like to keep my skin in one piece. But we don’t have a lot of choices. Unless you’ve got another plan. I’m all ears. Spit it out.”

  I would have given anything to wipe that look off his face with a brilliant plan that wouldn’t put us in any danger and yet would give us all the answers, rescue Josh, and save us from the Tyet. Unfortunately, I had nothing.

  “Damn you,” I said at last.

  He didn’t smile like I thought he might. If he had, I would have had to knee him in the balls.

  “When do we go?”

  “Soon as we can. We don’t want to get caught in the dark. But first you need dry clothes and a hot meal.”

  “I also need a couple bottles of Xanax and a one-way ticket to Timbuktu. I don’t see them happening either.”

  I grabbed my still-damp pants and underwear and went back into the bathroom to relieve myself and put them on. They were cold and clammy, and I had to wrestle the jeans up over my ass. Instantly I felt chilled again. I opened the door, looking over my shoulder at the sink for an elastic band or clip to put up my hair with, and ran right into Price’s chest. He grabbed my arms when I started to fall backward, and pulled me close against him. Heat instantly enveloped me and I forgot how uncomfortable my pants were.

  I looked up at him. His sapphire eyes were hard as marbles.

  “If you start getting into trouble again, I want to hear about it, understand?” he said. “I don’t care what it is—cold, tired, hungry, or something worse. You aren’t Wonder Woman.”

  “I never claimed to be.” I pulled out of his grip and pushed past him into the room. I hadn’t been trying to be Wonder Woman. I was just trying to keep up with him.

  He gave an exasperated sigh. “Look, if you really don’t want to do this, we’ll find another way.”

  Part of me jumped at the notion, but unfortunately for me, another way would take too much time and that was one thing Josh didn’t have. Who knew what they were doing to him.

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Good. Then the next thing I need to know is where you live.”

  I stiffened and faced him, the words coming out before I even thought about it. “That’s none of your business.”

  “Jesus Christ, Riley. I’m not your enemy. I’m just trying to help you. You need dry clothes. There are some at your house. To get them, I need to drive you there. It is, therefore, my business.”

  “Tell me something. How come you do the cop thing? Why not just be strictly Tyet?”

  His eyes narrowed in confusion at my sudden shift in topic. “What does that matter right now?”

  “Humor me.”

  “Fine. I always wanted to be a cop, but things got complicated. Touray and I go way back. He came to me and I couldn’t turn him down.”

  I nodded. “And if—when—he says you have to choose between him and me?” I wasn’t looking for declarations of love and undying commitment. In fact, I was expecting exactly the opposite.

  “I’m not going to betray you, Riley.”

  I think he believed it. “Sometimes you don’t get to choose,” I said. “Just because you don’t want to, doesn’t mean you won’t. It doesn’t mean they won’t force you. Touray has access to the best dreamers there are, if he’s feeling kind. If not—there’s torture.”

  Price held my gaze a moment, then something shifted in his eyes, and he nodded. “If that’s what you want. You know you risk dying of pneumonia, going out in those damp clothes.”

  I snorted. “Not before someone kills me, I’m sure.”

  FIFTEEN MINUTES later we were back on the snowmobile. Our hideout was a little motel in Downtown not far from the diner and Price’s precinct house. There were more signs of life now. The sounds of truck motors and snowblowers rumbled through the air, and lights gleamed from windows. I was surprised when Price pulled up on the sidewalk outside the diner.

  He got off the snowmobile. I didn’t move. “What are we doing here?”

  “You use this place as an office. Stands to reason you’ve got clothes stashed here. Plus we need to eat.” He held up two fingers and folded one down. “Two birds, one stone.”

  I shook my head, even as my stomach growled. I would die for one of Ben’s bacon fire cheeseburgers. “I don’t want them involved in this mess. If we’re being traced, that will put them in danger.”

  “Not if we eat fast and get out. As far as the Tyet knows, it’s just a place for us to eat. Besides, you didn’t leave me with another choice, so get off your ass and move it.”

  I hid my smile. Fucking know-it-all. As a matter of fact, I did keep clothes here, plus some other supplies that might come in handy.

  He pulled me in
side, where the scents of burgers, fries, and apple pie embraced me. The bell over the door rang a warning that someone had entered. A few booths were full and four people sat at the counter. Ben looked up as we came in. He waved his spatula at me, a grin of relief and welcome splitting his ruddy cheeks wide before he scowled past me at Price. Patti was pouring coffee with her back to us.

  Price guided me down to a booth in the corner by the window and pushed me down onto the seat. He sat down opposite, facing the door. About a second later, Patti came stomping down the aisle. It’s hard to stomp in platform heels. Patti has talent.

  She tossed a couple of menus down on the table and slid into the booth beside me, pulling me into a tight hug.

  “Are you okay? I’ve been trying to call you. Taylor is a hot mess. Called me hollering about a text you sent telling the family to clear out of town. I thought she was going pop out a hedgehog the way she was going on.” She flicked an accusing glance across the table at Price, then looked back at me. “What’s going on?”

  “Riley needs some food,” he said before I could answer. “We’re in a hurry, so make it sooner rather than later. And some dry clothes. She won’t let me take her home. She’s got some here, right?”

  “I don’t take orders from you,” she said with a sniff and raised painted black brows at me. “Riley?”

  “I’ll tell you everything,” I said. “But Price is right.” She and I both smirked at that. “We need food, I need clothes, and we have to get going quick.” I looked at him. “When and where are we meeting this friend of yours?”

  “I called her. She’ll meet us in an hour.”

  Patti glared at him and then me, then stood up. “I’ll put your order in.” She clip-clopped away.

  “She didn’t ask what we wanted.”

  “She doesn’t really care,” I said. “You’ll get what you get and you’ll be happy. Or else. But go ahead and argue with her. Free entertainment.”

  A minute later, Patti returned with a pot of coffee and three mugs. She set them down on the table, making it clear she’d be joining us. “Ben will have your food up in a couple minutes. Let’s go upstairs and get you some clothes, Riley. You can stay here,” she told Price, sloshing coffee into his cup.

  Price started to get up. “I’m coming with you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. I want to find Josh, remember? Besides, even if I was going to run, you have me tabbed.”

  He closed his hand around mine again. His eyes glittered. “First of all, you and I both know you can snap that tab any moment. Second, have you ever stopped to think that maybe I’m worried something might happen to you?”

  I made a face. “I doubt Patti is going to stab me with one of her shoes.”

  He scowled. “You’ve come to the attention of some bad people. Hell, the FBI isn’t even a good guy in this. You have to watch your back constantly. You don’t know when or where someone will come for you. Even here.”

  Which meant if they were upstairs, Patti was in danger. I yanked free and hustled after her, taking the stairs three at a time. She was just opening the door to her apartment. I grabbed the door and went inside first. I’m not sure what I intended to do. She was far more prepared to stop an attacker than I was. I suppose I figured if a bomb was going to go off, I’d take the blast. I should have just dragged her back downstairs. I try not to be stupid, but sometimes I’m just overcome with the urge.

  “What the hell is going on?” Patti demanded, coming inside and shutting the door.

  A booted foot stopped it from closing. Price pushed inside. Patti whirled on him.

  “Get out. You are not welcome in my home. I may have to let you waltz into the diner and manhandle my best girl, but I don’t have to let you in here. So take it outside or I swear I will drop you like a sack of potatoes.”

  She was serious. Patti’s a tiny little thing, but she’s got two surprises for anyone who thinks she’s helpless. First, she’s a black belt in about four or five different kinds of martial arts. Second, she’s a binder. She didn’t have a lot of power, but if you were smart, you could make a lot out of a little. Patti’s brilliant.

  Price shut the door and leaned on it. “I’m not going anywhere without Riley.”

  “I think you are, even if I have to drag you out unconscious.”

  It’s amazing how fast and light she can move in those shoes. She went at him in a blur. She kicked him in the thighs and ribs, jabbing him in the chest, every move fast as lightning. He raised his arms to protect himself, but didn’t return the attack. He grunted as she struck. I had to snicker. No one ever expected Patti to have that kind of impact. I’ve let her hit me a couple of times. Even with her pulling punches, it hurt like hell. I don’t recommend it for anyone.

  She stood back. “How do you like me now, asshole?” Her eyes gleamed with feral light.

  Price tried to move. He was stuck like a mosquito in amber. Like I said, Patti’s not that great a binder, but if she can touch you, she can put you in a world of hurt. She’d hit him in a half-dozen or more spots, each one pinning him in place. They weren’t strong ties. They’d wear off in five minutes, but by then she’d have no trouble turning him into pulp. When she said she was going to drag him out unconscious, she wasn’t joking.

  Time to rescue him.

  “Enough, Patti. Believe it or not, he’s on my side. At least for now.”

  That last earned me a cutting look from him.

  “For what?” Patti demanded. “Just what the hell is going on?”

  “Josh has been kidnapped by the Tyet.” As if it were all one entity. Maybe like a thousand-headed hydra. “Detective Price is helping me to get him back.”

  She goggled. “You have got to be kidding me. Did you fall off a turnip truck today and get brain damaged? You know as well as I do that he’s an enforcer for the god-damned Tyet! He’s not going to help you; he’s leading you to the slaughter.”

  “Probably,” I agreed. “But right now, he’s all the help I’ve got and I can’t do it by myself.”

  She started to say something, and I held up my hand to cut her off. “You’re not getting involved in this. If I get myself killed, that’s my fault. I’d never get over it if anything happened to you.”

  “That’s the dumbest crock of horseshit I’ve ever heard in my life,” she retorted. “I am already involved. I’m your friend. That pretty much puts me right in the middle of it as far as I’m concerned.”

  God, I love her.

  “I’m not arguing about it,” she said. “I’m in and that’s that. Now let’s get you the clothes you came for.”

  She ignored Price and went into the spare bedroom where I slept about as often as not.

  “Uh, Patti? You want to let him go?” I asked, following her.

  “He can wait.”

  I looked back at him with a little shrug. “Sorry. You pissed her off.”

  In the bedroom, I pulled clothes out of the battered dresser in the corner and changed, all the while explaining what had happened since I’d left the diner with Price. I kept the details to a minimum to speed things up, but I couldn’t leave out everything. Patti’s my best friend, after all.

  “Wait! Wait! Wait! You did what? You slept with Price?”

  I flushed and nodded. “Yeah.”

  Her eyes rounded, and she let out a low whistle. “He’s the enemy, but he is definitely very hot. Was he good?”

  “What do you think?” I buttoned my jeans and pulled on a fresh bra, followed by a tank and a long-sleeved shirt. I sat on the bed and pulled on a double layer of socks.

  “I think you are playing with fire.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “I mean, working with him to find Josh—I get it. But screwing him. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head? Maybe
getting shot short-circuited your brain.” She shifted mood fast as a hummingbird. “You got shot, Riley. This is way past serious. You’re going up against the Tyet with a Tyet enforcer. It’s crazy.”

  “Got any better suggestions?”

  I slid off the bed and reached under it for the plastic box I kept there. Inside was a bunch of what appeared to be mostly junk. All of them were nulls of one kind or another. A lot of them were marbles. Glass holds magic well. So do rocks. I like polished rocks best, for the smooth feel of them in my hands, but really any old rock will do. Metal does well, too. Textiles like cloth, yarn, and leather have to be renewed every time they get wet, so I tend to avoid them. Paper and wood don’t hold magic at all. I like using objects that people overlook as too silly to be valuable. I have Lego nulls in the tub, along with bottle caps, matchcars, and some plastic jewelry I’d experimented with. Plastic holds magic for a while, but you can’t reinforce it to make it stronger the way you can metal, glass, and stone. It’s kind of a one-hit wonder in that respect.

  I picked out what I wanted: four blood nulls, a dozen trace nulls, and one stupidly powerful magic null. That one would suck the magic out of anyone and everything in a fifty-foot radius. I thought so, anyhow. I hadn’t really had a chance to try it out. I’d experimented with weaker versions, but trying out one this strong would have put the Tyet on my tail faster than I could blink.

  I put the lid back on the tub and shoved it back under the bed, just as Price thundered into the room.

  “Oh, look, King Kong got loose,” Patti said. “Be still my beating heart.”

  Price ignored her. “Are you ready?” he demanded, looking at me.

  I shoved nulls into my pockets and tucked the solid silver quarter that was the magic null into the shallow watch pocket inside the right front pocket of my jeans. I didn’t usually use money for nulls, but if I was captured, chances were that no one would think to take it away from me.

  Downstairs our food was waiting for us. Ben had known exactly what I wanted. Deep fried jalapenos covered a thick hamburger with pepper jack cheese, chipotle sauce, and a side of beer-battered onion rings. Price got the same thing. Patti had a BLT with fries.