Black Magic Shadows (Discord Jones Book 5)

by Drummond, Gayla

  I answered while hurrying out of the room, and walked down the hallway to make sure I would have some privacy. "Hi, sorry to have bothered you."

  "You haven't," Derrick replied. "I have an obligation this evening. Would seven tomorrow evening be convenient for you?"

  "That would be great." I'd called from my car earlier, and hadn't expected such a quick meeting. "I mean, if you're sure it's not..."

  "It's no trouble, and if you like, you're welcome to join us for dinner." He paused. "Stone, that is."

  "Ah, sure. Thank you."

  "We'll see you at seven then."

  "Thanks, bye." I ended the call and hoped I wasn't making a big mistake. Trusting a vampire had never been on any of my To Do lists. Of course, Lord Derrick and his son, Stone, weren't just any vampires. Stone wasn't even a vampire, or at least not the type that died and rose from the dead. He was a dhampyr, and alive. They'd both given their all to help find my mom, when Merriven had kidnapped her. Upon my return to the security office, I found Dane and the guards already watching the video. "Anything?"

  "Not yet." My partner rested his hands on the back of the chair as I sat down." Ernie says it was between two and two-thirty."

  "Weirdest thing," the guard said, tapping the mouse. "Here we go."

  The camera was in the corner opposite the one Tanisha had said the mirror was in. The video moved as the camera slowly swept side to side. Dane pointed. "There's the mirror."

  "This next sweep, look at the bottom of the door," Ernie said. "We didn't notice the first few times through, because we were fast-forwarding."

  I had to squint, because the video quality wasn't the best. Something dark curled under the door. There hadn't been any fire damage, and I couldn't remember smelling smoke. "What is that? Smoke?"

  "Beats me," Ernie said. "None of the alarms went off."

  Several minutes passed; the dark stuff filled the room. Once the camera was picking up nothing but grainy black, the screen flashed white static lines, and then cleared. The room reappeared, and the mirror was simply gone, the dust cloth left crumpled on the floor. Ernie tapped, stopping the video. "See? Weird."

  "Yeah. Can we get a copy of it?"

  "Sure. It'll take me a few minutes to go grab a disc, oh." He took the USB drive Dane held out. "Handy."

  I twisted around to look at my partner. He grinned. "Easier to carry."

  "Cool. Did you smell anything in that room?"

  "Magic, but it is full of elven artifacts."

  Damn, but then again, he'd have mentioned it if he had smelled smoke or something else. I'd learned the only thing that could side-track Dane was a particular brand of ale, and maybe pizza. "We'll take it back to the office. Maybe the boss has seen something like it before."

  "Good plan," he agreed.

  THREE

  Mr. Whitehaven wasn't in the office.

  "He was called away," Tabitha said. We'd interrupted her while she was texting, and she kept checking her screen, so it must be a serious conversation keeping her so distracted. "He said he wouldn't be back today."

  "Oh."

  "Anything I can help with?"

  I resisted the urge to grin. It'd taken her long enough to reach the point of trying to get involved in a case. Mr. Whitehaven didn't hire useless people. "I don't know. We have some video you're welcome to take a look at. Maybe you can figure out what it is."

  Tabitha's eyes actually sparkled as she set her phone aside, and pushed it out of easy reach. "I'll try."

  Dane offered his USB stick, and she quickly plugged it into her computer. We moved around to her side of the desk, and I noticed her phone's screen, or rather, Damien's name on it. So he'd finally begun talking to her. I wondered if he'd asked her out yet while Tabitha started the video.

  "Fast forward to about one-fifty-nine AM," Dane said. She did, and we watched the dark stuff. "We don't think it's smoke. Didn't smell anything."

  "No, those are shadows.

  "Shadows?"

  Tabitha nodded, pausing the video. Her short, neatly manicured, sea green-painted nails clicked on the screen as she outlined the darkness. "See how solid the edges are? Smoke or fog would be more diffuse. This is a large concentration of shadows."

  Living shadows? "What, or who, can make shadows like this? Or what kind of person is made of shadows?"

  She leaned back. "Any type of magic users with the right skills. There are some beings who travel via shadows too, or can control them. There are gods who can manipulate them. I don't know of any species made of shadows though."

  Great, a big suspect pool. "That's quite a list. Any chance of narrowing it down?"

  "Maybe. Was the door opened?"

  "No. No alarms were triggered and these shadows took that. It's the mirror." I pointed to the shrouded shape.

  Tabitha hit the play button to watch the rest of the video. "Okay, so nothing physical was interfered with except the mirror, and it wasn't physically carried out."

  "Right."

  "Not just someone who can control shadows, but someone who can magically transport large objects. Hm." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't think any human magic users could do something like this yet."

  "Why not?" I asked.

  "It's only been eight years since they gained magic. Shadow magic requires a lot of power and time to learn," she replied. "Most supe species are only able to do limited magic. For example, my people can only change shape and create small magic related to water."

  I glanced at Dane, who smiled. "Tab is a Selkie."

  "Oh. Cool."

  Tabitha giggled. "You don't know what a Selkie is, do you?"

  "I know it has something to do with water."

  "Yes. We can change from human to seal by putting on our sealskins."

  She was a shifter, kind of. Also pretty far from any large bodies of water. "That's pretty nifty. Where do you swim around here? Santo Trueno's not exactly beachfront property."

  "There are a few suitable places."

  I was being too nosy. "So what kinds of supes can do a lot of magic? I know elves can."

  "Aside from them, you're looking at either gods or demons," Dane sighed. "Let's hope it's another elf. I've kind of had enough of gods, and would rather not mess with demons."

  That echoed my sentiments exactly. "Elf would be good. Besides, why would a god wait until now to steal the mirror? Wouldn't one be able to nab it whenever?"

  Tabitha shrugged. "Guess it would depend on the god. They're notoriously capricious."

  Ugh. "I didn't want to hear that."

  "Sorry."

  "It's okay." I patted her shoulder, and a vision flashed across my mind, of deep green water and furry bodies swimming. It was neat to already know what those furry bodies were. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome." She smiled. "I can help a bit more, do some research into gods that are mentioned to have used shadows, if you like?"

  "That would be awesome." I checked the time, which was nearly five o' clock. "Please do that, and I think we should pay a visit to Thorandryll."

  "Ah, I kind of have a date." Dane straightened up from leaning on Tabitha's desk. "Remember Sheila?"

  "Red glasses cutie from the college?"

  He nodded. "Yeah. I'm supposed to meet her at six."

  "Okay. I can handle talking to Thorandryll myself. Go have fun, and I'll fill you in tomorrow. How about my house around nine in the morning?"

  "Sound good, and thanks. Say hello to Kethyrdryll if you see him."

  "I will." And hoped I would. Kethyrdryll was the nicest elf I'd met so far, even compared to Alleryn. Thorandryll's brother wasn't an ass to shifters. "See you later."

  "Bye, ladies." Dane took off, pulling out his truck keys before he hit the door. I had to grin at his obvious eagerness.

  "Do you want me to email the list when I'm done, or print it out?"

  "Email's fine, and if you don't mind, send it to us both. But," I gestured at her phone, which had dinged a few times since she'd put it down. "Don't let
it interfere with any plans this evening. Thanks again."

  "You're welcome."

  I waved and left the office, waiting until I was in my car to call ahead. The stereo Logan had put in my car allowed me to use my phone hands-free.

  "Miss Jones," Thorandryll answered. "I was just thinking of you."

  Sure he was. Then again, with my luck, he probably really had been. "Hello."

  "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

  "I have a client, an elf, and have some questions you may be able to answer. If you have time."

  "Of course. When will you arrive?"

  "Maybe a half hour or so from now." Thorandryll's sidhe was on the northeastern-most edge of the city.

  "I look forward to seeing you." He ended the call, without saying good-bye.

  Hm, maybe I should drive home and teleport from there. It'd give me the chance to feed my dogs. My house lay beyond the north edge of the city, on the west of the highway. Yeah, I'd do that. Wouldn't have to deal with evening traffic that way. Hurray for teleportation, the quickest, greenest way to travel from point A to point B.

  FOUR

  I teleported to the gates of Thorandryll's sidhe, where two elves stood guard. One was the same elf I'd taken dinner to, when we'd camped in the entrance of the Unseelie castle a couple of weeks before.

  He greeted me with a smile and brief inclination of his head. "Welcome, Lady Discord."

  "Hi. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name last time."

  "Edrel, my lady."

  "Nice to see you again, Edrel. I have an appointment with..."

  "The prince, yes. Lord Kethyrdryll will be here momentarily to escort you."

  "Cool, thanks." He opened the gate to let me in. The drive wasn't straight, but a thing of curves lined with tall, thick hedges. The better to ambush unwelcome visitors, I guessed. Kethyrdryll came into sight from around the closest curve, and waved. "There he is. Laters."

  When I reached Kethyrdryll, he smiled. "It's pleasant to see you again."

  "Same here. Are you settling in okay?" Thorandryll's twin had missed the Melding, trapped on his way to visit the Unseelie.

  "Well, I think it's all so fascinating, what humans have become, and the things they've created." His smile brightened. "Their story-telling has morphed beyond belief. Television, movies, the Internet...all the new media. That's the correct phrase, isn't it?"

  "Yes." I was smiling too; his enthusiasm was amusing. Then again, maybe I took all the conveniences of modern life for granted, having grown up with them.

  He glanced back at the gates. "I didn't see a vehicle. Do you have one? I rather like motor vehicles, in spite of their bewildering variety."

  "I teleported, but yeah, I have a car. I'll bring it over when I have the chance."

  "I plan to learn to operate them in the future."

  "Cool." I had to take off my jacket. Thorandryll preferred summer, so it was way warmer inside the sidhe. "It's fun to drive."

  We chatted about nothing in particular the rest of the walk, and Kethyrdryll took me inside, straight to his brother's office.

  The elven Prince of Santo Trueno sat behind his desk, reading a sheaf of papers. He wore a dark blue poet's shirt, the lacing loose, and if not for his intent frown, he could've graced the cover of a romance novel. His golden hair was long and straight, not a touch of frizz to be seen. Humidity wouldn't dare wreak havoc on an elf's hair.

  "Lady Discordia is here," Kethyrdryll said when his brother kept reading.

  "Yes, thank you. Please, have a seat."

  There was one chair in front of his desk, but this time, I'd called ahead. Which made me wonder if there'd only been the one chair before I called. There'd always been just the right number of chairs on my prior visits, whether with Nick or with Logan and Dane.

  I sat, and he kept reading. Two seconds, and boredom set in, along with irritation. A minute later, he was still reading. After debating my options for another minute, I stood up and headed for the door.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Home. You're obviously busy." I gave myself a point for not sounding huffy.

  "My apologies. Please come back."

  I turned and he set the papers down, a faint smile on his face. Recalling the time I'd kicked him in the family jewels, I smiled back, probably showing too many teeth, and returned to my seat.

  "Before we delve into the matter that brought you here, I must inform you that your debt is due."

  "What debt?" What the... "Oh, that. The dinner date for turning me back to normal."

  "Yes, I'm hosting a dinner ball on New Year's Eve, and require your presence as my companion for it."

  "A dinner ball."

  He gave a nod. "Formal dress."

  I seriously considered protesting, but I had agreed to the deal, and getting it over with sounded good. "Fine. What time?"

  "I'll pick you up at seven."

  Ugh, that made it more date than I liked, but hey, I could always teleport home the second we finished eating. "No magic tricks. That was part of the deal."

  "No magic tricks," Thorandryll agreed, and changed the subject. "I've been informed you're not seeing anyone."

  Instant suspicion. "My dating habits aren't any of your business."

  "They are if I plan to request the pleasure of your company in the future.

  I shook my head. "Nope. This is a one-time-only deal. You're not my type."

  "And why is that, Miss Jones?"

  Well, looked like the time for the "Come to Jesus" meeting had arrived, ready or not. "How about a little plain talk? Like the fact I'm twenty-three, which is basically a fetus compared to you."

  Thorandryll waved that away with a languid gesture. "Age matters little to my people."

  "It matters to me. I have rules about dating: No guys more than two years younger or ten years older. You're a lot more than ten years older."

  "What if it would prove highly advantageous for you?"

  "I'm not a gold digger, dude. I date somebody because I like him, not because it's 'highly advantageous' to."

  He sighed. "I wasn't talking about financial interest, Miss Jones. It would be politically advantageous."

  The sound that erupted from me wasn't remotely lady-like, being a snorting laugh. "I have all the politics I can handle right now, so no thanks."

  "I don't think you comprehend the state our community's currently in." Thorandryll leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk. "Things are unsettled."

  "Uh-huh, and us dating would make them settle? I find that really hard to believe, but thanks for confirming my suspicion."

  Up went his eyebrows. "What suspicion?"

  "See, I may be young, but I'm not as dense as you think I am." I smiled. "I knew there wasn't any way you were actually interested in me. Not romantically."

  "I do find you attractive. You're a lovely woman."

  "Pretty sure you'd be just as interested if I had a face full of hairy moles, because I'm a psychic. Come on." I scowled. "You're an elf prince with loads of gorgeous elf women around."

  "And you don't believe I would choose you over any of them?" He tilted his head. "The lack of self-confidence that implies flies into the face of all I know about you."

  "I'm self-confident, not stupid. I'm human, I'll age. You won't."

  "Debatable," he muttered.

  Had I heard him right? "What?"

  "Fine, if you don't wish to believe my interest in you is anything beyond," he paused. "I'm not certain how to finish that."

  "Greed for power?" I suggested.

  He actually rolled his icy blue eyes. “That, I suppose. You don't think very highly of me."

  "Gee, wonder why? There's been lies, trouble, oh and you totally took advantage of me while I was having a vision that time, in your library." I hadn't forgotten him macking on me. "I owe you a slap for that, but we'll call it even because I got to kick you."

  "Normally, when a woman has the look that you did, she wants to be kissed
."

  "Vision, jerk. Seriously, who makes with the sexing in a library?" I waved my hand before he could answer. "Doesn't matter. Unless I say 'kiss me', you don't."

  Thorandryll raised his eyebrow. "Do you plan to?"

  "Hell to the no. I told you, you're not my type. Too old." Too arrogant and conniving, as well.

  Thorandryll nodded. "I see. Even though I can give you every luxury imaginable?"

  "I'm not really a fan of luxury. Comfortable, now yeah, I like being comfortable. But I don't need a man to make that happen. I can do it myself." I was doing it myself, even though buying the house and adopting five furry kids was costing more than I felt okay with.

  "Everyone enjoys a bit of luxury, Miss Jones."

  I grinned. "Keyword's a bit. Drowning in it? Not me."

  Thorandryll nodded and smiled back. "Very well. Straight talk now, I believe the saying is."

  "Okay." Holy crap, had I really convinced him to lay off?

  "I am a power in this city. I have a duty to my people, and to those who name Santo Trueno home." He paused, watching my face. "I wish to see this city prosper, and that requires making alliances."

  How refreshing was this? He was talking straight.

  "As you noted, you are a power in this city as well. A growing power; one that discomfits certain groups."

  "Okay."

  "It would be beneficial to us both to be allied."

  Like I didn't already have enough alliances to keep straight. "In what way?"

  "Marriage would be the first option."

  I blinked. Did he seriously just...not understand I wanted him to back off? "Option two?"

  "Less optimal would be a declared alliance."

  I felt my forehead wrinkling. I had declared alliance with the tigers, but was now an adopted clan member. Which meant I was a declared ally of the lions, because the clan was. For all intents, I was an ally of the vampires' Council now too, and possibly the gargoyles as well. "Why is that less optimal?"

  "You've chosen allies that aren't acceptable to some of my people. They will wonder where your loyalty truly lies."