by Jayne Faith
I arrived home to an empty house. Roxanne was still babysitting, and Deb had gone off somewhere, maybe home. I quickly made my way around the living room, straightening pillows and clearing away a couple of glasses. I stood in the middle of the room, giving it one last assessing glance, and glanced through the front bay window as a small foreign car pulled to the curb. I wasn’t sure what make the car was, but would have bet my paycheck it was one of those new ultra-environmental European vehicles that ran solely on a magic-enhanced battery. It probably cost more than I made in a year.
I went to let Raf in, realizing too late that I probably should have folded up Roxanne’s bed. He greeted me, and I could tell by the intensity in his pale green eyes that his mind was already jumping ahead to what we needed to accomplish. The hide-a-bed caught his eye, though.
“Houseguest,” I said by way of explanation. “Let’s go in the kitchen, we can use the table in there.”
Remembering that he drank coffee at all hours of the day, I went to the electric brewer to start a new pot.
When I slid into the chair across from his, he’d already spread three tablets over the table. For the next hour or so, he sipped coffee and schooled me on the ins and outs of working with the two organizations he’d enlisted for our cause.
“So we’ll have the GSHO agent,” he said, pronouncing the acronym “gee-show.” He sat back in the chair and gave me a penetrating look. “She’s allowed two assistants, so we need people to do that, as well as two local proxies for Human Protection. Ideally, I’d like someone experienced with supernatural species as one of the assistants. And, one or two higher-level crafters would be good. Any ideas who to send in?”
I thought for a moment, my mind spinning. “Yeah. Actually, I think I can fill all four of those positions.”
“How soon can you get them here?”
“Within two hours,” I said automatically. I’d find a way.
He nodded with satisfaction and then glanced at his tablet to check the time. “Okay, I’m going to let my people know. Everyone will meet here at seven, if that’s all right?”
“Let’s do it.” Purpose and anticipation charged through me.
I walked Raf to the door, my phone already in my hand. I sent a quick text to Damien and then dialed Johnny.
“Hey,” I said when he answered. “You know that exorcist you called the night we went to Roxanne’s?”
“Yeah, Lynnette.”
“We’re gonna need her to get Nathan out of Gregori’s clutches. Any way you could sweet talk her into coming to my place at seven? We really, really need someone with her skills.”
He chuckled. “Johnny’s got your back, sugar.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help a grin. “I need you to come too. I’ve got a job for you, if you’re up for it.”
“You know I am. Especially if it’ll help Roxanne.”
I let out a little breath of relief. Two down, now I just had to get Damien on board. “Awesome, thank you Johnny. See you soon.”
By the time I ended the call, I had a response from Damien. I was surprised to see him hedging at my request that he act as one of the Human Protection proxies, but he agreed to come to the meeting. I’d have to wait until we were face-to-face to find out more about his reservations.
The next hour and a half passed in a blur as Roxanne arrived home from babysitting and Deb showed up too. We ate a hurried dinner and then cleaned up the place more thoroughly than I’d managed for Raf.
We had about twenty minutes before everyone would start arriving.
I watched Roxanne for a moment out of the corners of my eyes. She was curled up on the leather chair a few feet away from where Deb and I sat on the sofa. Deb had been checking her phone every few minutes, keeping tabs on social media, and found that Raf’s press people were already making noise—posting articles and updates to draw eyes to our cause.
Roxanne’s attention was glued to the TV, and her face had that slack look kids get when they’re really absorbed in something. She was focused on some teenage reality show she’d found that I’d never heard of. She would see the online shit storm soon enough, it wasn’t like I could hide that stuff from someone her age, but for some reason I wanted to give her just a few more minutes of peace. I’d considered sending her somewhere else while everyone gathered at my house but decided she deserved to know what was happening. And I wanted everyone involved to meet the girl who would be devastated if things went to hell, so there would be no abstraction in the events that followed.
I took one last look around, drawing a slow breath as I imagined my living room crowded with bodies. Things were about to get interesting.
Chapter 20
DAMIEN ARRIVED FIRST, followed by Johnny. I took both of them aside while Deb assumed my post at the door to greet people.
I led the guys back to the kitchen and gave them the very short version of what Raf had explained to me earlier.
“Because of the skills you each bring to the table, and your personal investment in Roxanne up to this point, I was hoping the two of you would act as the proxies for the Human Protection Federation,” I said.
Johnny gave me a crisp nod. “I’m in.”
I shot him a quick, grateful smile. We both turned to look at Damien.
“I truly want to help,” he said slowly. “I just prefer to avoid anything that’s going to put my name in lights.” He shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable.
I wasn’t exactly sure why he was holding back, but suspected it had something to do with his family back East.
I chewed my lower lip for a second. “What if you went in as one of GSHO’s agent assistants instead? It doesn’t require the same paperwork as the other position. Oh, and maybe a low-level obfuscation spell to disguise your appearance a little?”
I really wanted Damien to be part of the party that would enter the Gregori grounds. He was the most powerful crafter I knew, and his presence would be extra insurance.
“Okay,” Damien said, but I could tell he was still not completely at ease with the idea.
“Thank you, both of you,” I said. “We’re gonna get some more info from Raf soon. I should get back out there.”
I caught Johnny’s arm, holding him back as Damien turned to the living room.
“Did you bring your toys?” I asked Johnny.
“Yeah.”
“Could you scan something for me later?”
Curiosity lit in his dark eyes. “Of course.”
I nodded my thanks.
A steady stream of people trickled in, with Raf arriving somewhere in the middle. I recognized some of his regular crew, but there was no sign of the willowy girl who’d been with him at the coffee shop. Maybe she was just arm candy.
As more people came through, I did my best to keep track of names. At ten after seven, I went to the door to find a young woman around my age with black hair and glinting blue eyes. In spite of the temperature, she was dressed in imitation leather pants. The edge of one ear was lined with three little hoop earrings, and there was a tiny diamond stud on one side of her nose. She wore shiny black Doc Martens that laced partway up her shins. When she lifted her hand in greeting, her finger flashed with a silver sculpted ring that featured a tiny skull with pink crystals in the eye sockets. She gave me a smile that I could only describe as smoldering.
“Lynnette Leblanc. Are you Ella?” Magic hung around her like a sensuous perfume, and the strength of it indicated she was probably a mid-Level III, second only to Damien among the people gathered. I stood several inches taller than her, but the power she exuded gave her the presence of a much larger stature.
“Yeah, Ella Grey.” I swung the door wider. “Please, come on in.”
Her eyes flicked down once, passing over me as she walked in, and somehow that one split-second look seemed to take in everything. She was the exorcist Johnny had mentioned that first night at Roxanne’s apartment. The shadows swirled a little in my periphery, as if interested in Lynette’s
arrival.
She waited for me to close the door. When her black-lined eyes met mine she still seemed to be evaluating me, but I thought I saw a flash of approval. “Johnny has mentioned you several times. It’s good to finally meet you.”
“You, too,” I said, still a little dazed by her appearance. Her alt-goth getup might have looked overdone on someone else, but she gave it a surprising and unmistakable elegance. “Thank you for coming. I know this is really short notice and probably an odd request from someone you just met, but would you be willing to go onto the Gregori campus to perform an exorcism?” I shot a glance over my shoulder and then lowered my voice. “They’re going to make this sound like a humanitarian inspection, but I intend to make it a rescue mission.”
I hadn’t actually told anyone that I wasn’t planning to leave Gregori without Nathan. Raf’s setup was for humanitarian purposes, and he was hoping that with the media exposure and public pressure Gregori would release Nathan and the gargoyle. I wanted to take it a step further.
Her eyes lit with interest. “Johnny told me about the boy stuck in the gargoyle. A three species tangle, interesting case.” She paused and gave me a long considering look. “All right. I’ll do the exorcism on site. I usually charge for this sort of thing, but we can work out some sort of trade instead.”
“Yeah, absolutely,” I said, relief tingling through me. I had no idea what I could offer her, but I’d figure it out later. “That’s really generous of you.”
My phone was buzzing and chirping furiously in my pocket, and she glanced down at it, lifting one brow.
I pulled it out. “Uh, excuse me, I’d better check that.”
There were a bunch of messages from Deb.
YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU KNEW LYNNETTE LEBLANC!!!
The next text was a row of surprised-looking emojis.
How could you not tell me?
More emojis, including an angry face.
You have to put in a good word! PLEASE.
Another smattering of emojis.
I looked up and caught Deb’s eyes on me. Her brows were halfway up her forehead, and she was giving me a look that seemed to alternate between excitement and agitation. I made my way through the little knots of people, the largest crowd my apartment had ever seen, to where she stood. She grabbed one of my upper arms and squeezed it, making a little squeaking noise in the back of her throat.
“I don’t know her,” I said, keeping my voice low. “We’ve never met before. I swear.”
“It’s her coven,” Deb said.
I gave her a sidelong, confused look.
She rolled her eyes and huffed with impatience. “Lynnette owns the charter for the coven I’m trying to get into. She’s the one of the most powerful witches in the Northwest, and the youngest ever to be granted a charter.”
“Well, now’s your chance,” I said. I gave her a little push toward where Lynnette and Johnny stood. “Go talk her up!”
“You’re right,” she said, her eyes narrowing with determination. She squared her shoulders and beelined for Lynnette.
I trailed after, catching Johnny’s eye when Deb began to monopolize Lynnette’s attention.
He broke away from Deb and the exorcist witch and joined me near the wall.
“Hey, thank you for being here,” I said.
His teeth flashed in a smile, and I felt his fingertips brush the small of my back, which sent a ripple through me. “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “What is it you want me to check out?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raf had separated himself from the group, and the room was starting to quiet down.
“After,” I whispered. I went to join him.
Everyone found a place to sit—several on the floor—except Johnny who remained standing against the wall.
Raf grinned and looked around the room, seeming to give every person a brief moment of eye contact. He rubbed his hands together briskly.
“Let’s get down to business,” he said. “First, I want to acknowledge Ella Grey, our host for the evening, and the woman who contacted me and alerted me to a gargoyle and a young man who desperately need our help.”
He nodded at me, and heads swiveled my way. A few people clapped, and one of Raf’s beanie-wearing guys whooped. I lifted my hand in acknowledgment.
“Next, Roxanne Harrington, the sister of the young man Gregori is holding.”
Wedged between Deb and Damien on the floor, Roxanne sat cross-legged, twirling a strand of her pale blond hair around her finger. She smiled shyly up at Raf.
“Okay.” Raf’s face turned serious, his pale green eyes intent. “I’m in touch with the Global Supernatural Humanitarian Organization. As most of you probably know, their inspectors typically get involved in humanitarian missions involving vampires to help shed light on violations of their rights. But their activities extend to other species as well, you just don’t hear about those as often. If the organization’s governing body decides there’s a threat against or possibility of mistreatment of any intelligent, supernatural being or group, by international law GSHO inspectors must be allowed entry to investigate. That means Jacob Gregori will be required to let our inspector in to see the gargoyle.”
An excited murmur swept through the room, and I felt myself getting caught up in the anticipation. For once, Gregori would have to submit to an outside authority.
“The other half of the equation is Nathan Harrington, who is presumably demon possessed and trapped inside the gargoyle. For Nathan we’re also bringing in the World Human Protection Federation. GSHO protects supernaturals from abuse by humans, and WHP Fed gets involved when a human gets unduly caught up with a supernatural.” He pronounced the abbreviated form of the organization’s name as “whip-fed,” with an ease that indicated it was probably commonly known as such. “So, we’ve got it covered both ways. Human Protection doesn’t have the sway that GSHO has, but GSHO has agreed to take on WHP Fed’s proxies as part of their party that will enter Gregori Industries. And we’ll make sure there’s plenty of media coverage.”
A devious grin spread over Raf’s face, and a few people gave low appreciative laughs.
“The inspector will arrive early tomorrow morning, and we’re going to move in on Gregori immediately after,” Raf continued. “We’ll have the GSHO agent plus four others appointed by Ella who will enter the Gregori campus.”
I took half a step forward, my eyes flicking to Lynnette. I hadn’t had a chance to fully explain everything to her. She’d already agreed to do the exorcism, but now that she had more details, I hoped she was still on board. Her impassive, sultry expression didn’t give me much to go on.
“Damien Stein, Johnny Beemer, and Lynnette Leblanc have generously agreed to do this,” I said, pointing out each of them. “And I’ll round out the group myself. Among us we’ll have a variety of special skills that I think perfectly meet the needs of the mission.”
I avoided looking at Raf, not wanting him to read anything in my face that might indicate I had my own plan for the expedition to Gregori Industries. To my relief, when I flicked him a glance, he gave me a look of approval and then returned his attention to the group.
“Can they film it?” one of the women sitting on the floor asked.
“That’ll be up to Gregori’s discretion, and as such I’m guessing the answer will be no,” Raf said. “There’s nothing in the international accords that gives the GSHO the right to take live video during inspections.”
I had no doubt he knew the international supernatural protection and humanitarian law backward and forward. He cast another look around the room, and I got the sense he was about to wrap things up.
“Those of you who’ve worked with me before know what to do,” he said. “Social media, news stations, your journalist contacts, just do what you do best. If you have questions, Anthony is the primary contact on this and should be able to help you.” Raf pointed at the beanie guy sitting closest to the door. “We’re one step closer to expos
ing Gregori’s mistreatment of gargoyles and bringing Nathan Harrington home.”
He nodded firmly, winked at Roxanne, and then moved off to the side. Everyone took his cue and stood, and the din of conversation soon filled the room. Raising his chin to see over heads, Raf caught my eye and pointed at the back of the room, indicating he wanted me to meet him in the kitchen.
“I’ll wait, find me later,” Johnny said as I passed by him. He touched my hip with a light brush of his fingertips and then melted into the crowd.
“Thanks,” I said.
Even though there was an open doorway between the kitchen and living room, it was substantially quieter away from where everyone was gathered. Raf entered and then turned and beckoned me off to the side near the stove where we were out of sight.
“This is incredible,” I said. The way he’d mobilized the whole thing with such rapid efficiency left a deep impression. “Thank you again for taking on the cause.”
“It’s what we do,” he said, with a brief smile that crinkled the outer corners of his eyes. He flipped a glance toward the open doorway. “How well do you know Lynnette Leblanc?”
“I don’t. She’s a friend of a friend, and tonight is the first time we’ve met. Why?”
“She’s extremely powerful. She can also be quite persuasive. Be careful what you agree to, she has a way of using phrasing and subtle magic to bind people in conversation. Her magical talent is partly centered in spoken words, more so than the usual witch.” He lifted a hand to push a lock of dark hair off his forehead. “Not that I think you really have cause to worry. She’ll be focused on the task at hand, and she’s a valuable ally to have.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I said, recalling that she’d asked for a trade instead of payment and I’d agreed without a second of thought. I’d felt an odd tingle at the time. She must have used a power word or two, and I just hadn’t recognized them in the moment. I had no idea what she’d ask of me later, but I couldn’t waste time worrying about it now.
The sound of Deb’s laughter carried over the conversation in the living room, and suddenly I felt a ping of apprehension at her obsession with joining Lynnette’s coven. I wished I’d paid more attention and asked some questions when Deb had talked about the exorcist witch. I needed to understand what Deb was seeking and why it was so important to her to be associated with Lynnette.
