Mismatched Pair

by J. L. Ray

  She shook her head at him. “I don’t suppose you mentioned the connection to the second riddle to the Lieutenant?”

  “Calvin sent in his report when we arrived, I know, but Azeem may not have seen it yet.”

  “He has already agreed to bring them over, so we’re golden for that, I think,” she told him. She turned away then and walked to the far side of the room, signaling the lieutenant and putting it on audio and video. When he answered, obviously and uncharacteristically still half-asleep and in bed, she quickly reset it to audio only, but not before she saw something in the background that looked suspiciously like another person, also in his bed. “Sorry to wake you, sir,” she said, her voice low. “I thought you’d be in your office.”

  “Blood and Bones! Is that the time? I should be there. I’m on my way there. I’ll be there soon!”

  Tony raised one eyebrow and looked at her f-light, thinking, “Way to go Lieutenant!” Out loud, she said, “Sir, something has occurred that you need to know. O’Toole just received a message through his mother’s temporary portal. The Witches Council is about to move on Pernella Packlead and Bogart. Sir, despite their illegal activities, I believe the two to be potential assets to the community, to SCIB. We promised O’Toole assistance in moving them. Also, if you check with Cal’s report, one of the riddles from the Visions seemed to involve both them and my sister. I think you know the Seer they contacted, right? Naamah?”

  She thought she heard a giggle, but couldn’t be certain.

  “Yes, I…uh, know her well.”

  This time Tony was sure she heard a giggle. “Great. So I’m sure you know her Visions are pretty solid. I think the Packleads are gonna be integral to solving this case and maybe even saving my sister. Since the sting isn’t until tonight, can we have a ‘go’ to get them across the Divide and into protection?”

  “Do it. Use a sanctioned portal, not that hoodoo one that O’Toole uses!”

  “Will you call in the order to allow their travel visas?”

  “Doing it as we speak. I want Phil to go with O’Toole to bring those two over.”

  “What about me?”

  “I need you and Cal to set up for tonight. Since the operation has to be coordinated with representatives from the PTB, one of their agents came over last night”—his voice hitched a bit at that—“and I have been working with her on the logistics for the Fairie side of the op.”

  “Yes, sir.” Only her great respect for the lieutenant kept her from mentioning that she had noticed he’d pulled an all-nighter. Oh, it was gonna be hard to keep this one to herself...maybe she could tell Phil. She glanced over at him and in return got a smile so devilish it made her knees weak, but her resolve strong. She probably shouldn’t tell Phil after all. He might tease the lieutenant, and she couldn’t have that.

  “Anything else?” Azeem asked.

  “Well, we do have that little problem with the contract made for Berry. Daddy’s looking into it, but right now, we’re wondering if we’ll get a warning before we all die.”

  “I don’t think it works like that, Detective, but have your father contact Quintus Kepplewhite. He’s an expert on blood contracts. He may be able to help your father track down a loophole faster.”

  “Isn’t he the, uhm…”

  “Yes, he’s a unicorn, and yes, he’s a bit of a loner. So many were killed before the Great Change that they tend to avoid Naturals. But he’s quite serious about contract law. If anyone can find a way out for all of you, this Being can.”

  “Thank you, sir.” As she ended the signal, she heard the giggle again, and it was strangely familiar. It sounded like...it couldn’t be Naamah with the lieutenant, could it?

  “Daddy, Lieutenant Azeem suggests you contact Quintus Kepplewhite for an assist on the contract.” Her father nodded thoughtfully and went off to the far side of the dining room to do just that. “O’Toole, Phil, let’s go, let’s go. Head for the car. You two are heading to Fairie to pick up Pernella and Bogey. The lieutenant will have visas waiting.” She turned to her mother. “Sorry, Mama. If you’d met Bogart, you’d understand.”

  “Sweetheart, I already do understand. Maybe we can have him over sometime,” her mother said.

  Her mother handed her a bag with breakfast biscuits she’d put together while Tony was on the phone, and Tony gave her a thankful hug. Then Tony looked over at O’Toole and they smiled at her mother’s comment. “Mama, we’ll need a bigger house for that!”

  O’Toole added, “My little brother is already fifteen feet high, and he hasn’t reached his full growth yet.”

  “Oh my word! He’s a giant! How fun! It’ll have to be a garden party, then.” Amanda patted O’Toole and also handed him a bag, which he took, so surprised that he didn’t think to say thank you.

  Amanda handed Phil a bag, too. “You boys be careful out there. Come back when we can actually finish a meal.”

  Anthony, who had just finished his call to Kepplewhite, snorted. Boys. The demon was older than everyone in the room several times over. He managed not to say it but it was a near thing.

  “I want to come with you.”

  They all looked at Berry.

  “You’ll just be sitting around the station, waiting,” Tony told her, unsure of what to do.

  “Why not stay here? We can take you out shopping for some new clothes?” Amanda said hesitantly, unsure if that would be a welcome suggestion.

  Anthony surprised her by saying, “I think Berry will be more comfortable if she can be where she wants to be for right now. Go on with your sister and, and, and O’Toole.” He had a hard time with that part, but if that paltry fellow made her feel safe, then perhaps he had his uses, for now. In the meantime, he wanted his daughter in a safe place. Where safer than an SCIB station?

  Tooley took her hand. “Come on, then. Let’s go get my family to safety.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Melly and Fred sat down and finished breakfast before leaving for school. Once they were gone, Amanda and Anthony went to the study, where Anthony had been pulling out past decisions in contract law cases, attempting to find some comparable precedent. They knew that it was only a matter of time before Caridwen invoked the contract. That the spell hadn’t already killed the members of Amanda’s family in line to be affected meant that the contract had to be formally invoked through legal proceedings, and that in itself was reassuring. It meant the original spell couldn’t work independently of outside judgment. They might yet survive this and keep their daughter, too, as long as they could convince a Supernatural Contract Judge to rule in their favor.

  Anthony had tried to cancel this morning’s client meeting the night before, but had not been able to reach the woman. However, when he had called Quintus Kepplewhite, it took only a quick outline of the situation to interest the unicorn, who was in town and available for a consultation. He arrived soon after the last of their children had left. Anthony and Amanda greeted him at their door, more than a bit anxious and hoping for good news. The Super stepped carefully over the threshold, his dainty, cloven hooves barely making a sound on the Aubusson carpet in the foyer. He ducked his head in greeting.

  “I have brought a few records with me of recent cases in Mundania that may be of help,” he told them, his voice deeper than Amanda had expected, never having encountered him before. Anthony had heard Kepplwhite speak in court years ago when he was just getting into the field of Supernatural contract law. The unicorn was a brilliant speaker, his deep, lilting voice incredibly soothing. His speaking voice aside, the unicorn’s magic, unlike almost all Fairie creatures, worked almost unimpaired in Mundania. A unicorn’s magic came from goodness and purity, not sexual innocence, as had been promulgated by medieval Western Mundanian society. And despite themselves, plenty of Natties still managed to maintain some goodness and purity. Those who fit that description could never decide against Kepplewhite. It made jury selection in his cases more like tabloid interviews. It was one of the reasons he had retired from t
he practice of law, except to consult. Any case he worked in court became an instant media magnet, and Kepplewhite hated the attention.

  “Thank you so much for coming over,” Anthony said, leading the way to the study. The three immediately got to work, the two experts exchanging their notes and searching for more cases, while Amanda, who had worked at one time as a law clerk, checked their work and collated their ideas.

  After an hour, Kepplewhite broke the grim silence in the room.

  “Hmmmmm.”

  The two desperate parents looked up at him, then at each other, hope stealing over their faces as he spoke.

  “I have found an interesting case, very recent indeed. It might do. A trow, on one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, stole a baby from parents who were musicians. I suppose it thought it was getting a musician in the making. It turned out that the trow, Ruad by name, had actually set up a contract with grandparents, before the Great Change. The parents had not been informed of it,” he nodded to Amanda, “as you obviously were.”

  “Then will it be useful?” Amanda sighed.

  “Oh yes, prior knowledge isn’t the point. The point is, the contract was made before the Great Change. The judge who oversaw the case called it null and void because Ruad tried to collect its debt from the descendants after the Geas enacted.”

  The energy in the room shifted as the two realized that Quintus Kepplewhite had found their loophole.

  “I hadn’t even thought of that,” Anthony murmured in amazement. “I don’t know that I would have ever looked into that aspect.”

  The stern Being replied, “That is why two or more heads are better than one, especially if some of the heads are too close emotionally to the potential ruling. You should have immediately contacted me, or someone else.”

  Amanda gave a sad shrug. “It never occurred to me that there was a way out. I assumed it was my burden to bear. When the issue was forced, I still couldn’t see past it.”

  “Well, once we can get this to a court and get it settled, you’ll have a new worry. How to help the snatched child adjust to life here.” The unicorn shook his head in concern, his silvery mane throwing sparkles of light around the room. “She will need time to adjust. I have seen it in other cases of kidnapped children.”

  They were interrupted by the doorbell. Amanda went to answer it, assuming this would be Anthony’s morning appointment. It was too early in the spring for the flocks of Mormon missionaries who still insisted on biking around the country to witness, and too far from any upcoming elections to be political pollsters trying to work on statistics for some politician’s latest sound bite.

  She looked through the peephole in the front door and saw a woman on her doorstep, the woman’s back turned to her. As if sensing her there, the vibrant red head turned, and Amanda gazed into dark eyes that caused her to give an involuntary squeal and step back from the peephole.

  Anthony and Kepplewhite were quickly by her side.

  “What is it?”

  “I…she…looks almost like Caridwen. It can’t be. She doesn’t really look like her, but I could swear...” She turned to them, her hands clenched. “She’s here already! I don’t remember that face, but the expression...” Amanda shuddered, more correct than she knew in her identification of the visitor on the doorstep.

  “Amanda, my dear,” Anthony shot a worried look at Kepplewhite, “this is probably the client I couldn’t reach to cancel today’s appointment.”

  Kepplewhite dipped his head. “Whichever it might be, let her in. If it is your appointment, you can reschedule. If it is Caridwen, well, she cannot enforce the contract on her own—we know that now. It must go through the courts. And when it gets to the courts, I don’t think it will take long for the case to be decided in your favor. Frankly, I am surprised she’s even trying to collect.”

  Bolstered by his confidence, Amanda opened the door. The woman waiting had turned to one side to look at the street, one of the many in Georgetown that were lined with older homes surrounded by tall trees. When the door opened, she turned back and saw the Newmans and the visiting unicorn. She reacted the most to the sight of the unicorn, whose nostrils flared when he scented her. Unicorn magic came from good, but it was drawn out by bad—bad acts, bad thought, bad humor.

  To Kepplewhite, this woman carried a miasma of bad that surrounded her and enshrouded her, making it difficult for the unicorn to see her clearly through the fog. He tried to look closer, sensing something decidedly off about this creature. Was it Caridwen after all? Before he could get a clearer look, she pulled back from the trio.

  “My name is Crystal Winkowski. I have an appointment with Anthony Newman.” She tried not to look too surprised to find him available. She had assumed that O’Toole would fulfill the compulsion she had set on him, but perhaps Newman had yet to anger the witch-boy enough to trigger her spell.

  The three Beings in front of Caridwen almost relaxed at her words until she began to speak again. “I come in good faith as a representative in Mundania of Caridwen to discuss with the Newmans the contract for the release of Euphemia from her responsibilities to her clan sisters in return for the payment of one twin, second-born daughter, first in the family line.” She pointed imperiously at Quintus Kepplewhite. “What is that doing here?”

  Amanda had had enough. “That is a very rude thing to say to our guest. We do need to talk to you, but I’ll thank you to keep a civil tongue in my house.” Her tone was pleasant, but her husband of thirty years heard enough in it to know that the creature at their door had better watch herself. Amanda, like Tony, rarely lost her temper. When she did, well, best to find a place to hide, that was all he knew.

  Caridwen, in Crystal’s body, smiled knowingly and sashayed across the threshold, running a suggestive hand along the unicorn’s back as she walked past him. “My tongue can be civil, among other things,” she purred as she walked toward the kitchen.

  “Stop!” Amanda told her, and she stopped, amazed that a mere Natty, albeit one with a bit of Super blood, would try to control her actions. Of course, the Natty didn’t know who she really was.

  “Go to the right and into the study.” Amanda couldn’t bear to have any memory of this creature in her kitchen. It was the heart of their home and she just wouldn’t have it.

  Crystal shrugged, the gesture showing off her attributes, which almost overflowed the tight, corset-style top she wore over a pair of equally tight jeans. She turned to the study and the others followed, a bit subdued. Now the fight would begin.

  Azeem, as good as his word, was waiting for Tony, Phil and Tooley at the station, and Berry’s appearance, though a surprise to the lieutenant, was no cause for his concern. They all headed down to the sanctioned portal so that Tooley and Phil could go pick up Tooley’s family. The SCIB magical practitioner met them as they headed to the elevator and ran a quick check on Tooley, announcing that his compulsion seemed to be nullified.

  Phil looked unsurprised until Tooley shocked him with a heartfelt “Thank you.” Really, that boy had been in Mundania for too long.

  “Here are the visas.” Azeem handed them magic pebbles. “Your mother and brother will need to put these in the soles of their shoes to cross over safely.”

  Tooley grimaced as he turned to Azeem, still walking down the hallway to the portal’s guardroom. “Bogey keeps outgrowing his shoes! It may not work. I’m not sure if Mother has—”

  Tony interrupted. “Hey, Phil, can you do your...y’know, clothes thing? With Bogey?”

  “Of course,” he said, raising one eyebrow. “I give people what they want, though in the past, it was always for a price.” He looked at Tooley. “I do have to charge something to invoke the magic to change other’s lives, even if it is just a fashion change. What should I take in exchange?”

  Tooley shifted from grateful to pissed off. “Take my life, if you wish. Just do it fast.”

  Berry grabbed his arm. “No! Take mine!”

  They all stopped and Phil put a hand to hi
s brow and rubbed as if a tension headache was coming on. “I feel as if I am in one of these modern young adult movies.” He put out both hands in supplication. “Children, please, there is no need for such melodrama. I am giving your brother a pair of shoes, not a staring role in the most recent young adult novel film adaptation. I believe offering your own lives in exchange would be literal overkill for a pair of shoes, even given my usual fee levels before the Great Change.”

  “What, not even for giant shoes?” Tony couldn’t resist. But when she saw her sister’s face, she realized that along with different taste in hairstyles, Berry might also have a very different sense of humor. “Just kidding, sis, just kidding. How about you make Tooley promise to take care of Berry in exchange.”

  Phil grimaced. “It has to be something for me, specifically.”

  Tony grinned. “They have to go on a double-date with us? Then Daddy won’t know which of you to attack and maybe it’ll cancel him out.”

  “Done!” Phil said. “Are you agreeable?”

  “Of course! Seven Fairie Hells, you people all talk too much.” Tooley had muttered the last bit, and shot an embarrassed and hopeful look at Berry, whose face had turned as pink as her hair. “Let’s go,” he growled impatiently at Phil, who smiled a bit evilly in return.

  As the two Supers went into the portal, the last sight they saw was the twins, standing side by side, one frowning in worry, the other waving, certain of a positive outcome. Then the pain hit and they were on the other side.

  The portal dumped them in the little village near Pernella’s hide out. Tooley recognized the open-air market on the other side of the tent behind which they had manifested.

  “This isn’t the optimum spot of entry and exit,” Tooley told Phil tersely, looking around the corner at the activity in front of them. It was market day, and there were veritable hordes of witches in the village. That some would either be on the council or informers for the council was a given. That none of them would let Tooley live if they knew he existed was a truth with which he had lived his entire life.