We talked for a few more minutes as we finished our coffee, and then Aiya got up, gave me a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.
“I have to run, going to be late for my shift. Thanks for… looking into that. Oh, and have fun tonight,” she added with a bright smile. The traitor.
I nodded, feeling conflicted about the first and dubious about the second as I replied, “I need to get to the office myself, just not sure why yet.”
She snickered at my seemingly nonsensical sentence, and headed for the door.
It was true, while I understood where my information came from better than I used to, that didn’t mean I could pull information on demand, or at least, more often than not I still just got what I got. I locked up on my way out and started walking toward my office which was just a few blocks away.
I called Diana on the way over and was relieved she could meet me for lunch. I wanted to run the file by her and see what she thought, it was something I figured the council would be all over, but on the other hand, my work with them never really involved werewolves except that first time. In short I didn’t want to mess up the politics of it too badly before approaching the local pack.
I hadn’t seen Sierra in months, but I remember how nervous she made me despite being polite in our conversations. I’d never figured out why that was, just one more thing to add to the list.
Chapter 3
Wednesday, May 18th, 2016, 10:45 AM
I caught up on my filing and first quarter taxes. I tended to put that stuff off until I was called into the office for another reason. Of all the people I may have guessed would show up, the person that knocked on my office door and walked in was a complete surprise. My cousin Amy walked in, she was just sixteen, was in the midst of a rebellious phase, and thought she knew everything.
“Amy what the hell…” the rest of my admonition died in my throat when I saw the tears in her eyes.
“What happened?” I asked in a much softer tone as she threw her arms around me and sobbed.
I was completely out of my element here, so I just held her until she was cried out.
Amy cleared her throat and her voice was unsteady, “Cindy disappeared, and no one will listen to me.”
I led her to a chair and grabbed a couple of waters out of the mini-fridge. She took hers gratefully and sipped at it.
“What happened?”
Amy sighed, “Cindy went to a party last night here in the city, some club. Mom wouldn’t let me go, anyway, Cindy was texting me all night. She sent one when she left the club, but then I didn’t get anymore. So I started to get nervous, but figured she was fine, until I woke up this morning and still couldn’t get in touch with her. I… called the cops. They wouldn’t do anything, said they couldn’t for forty-eight hours, and then when they found out I wasn’t eighteen they got mean about it, demanded to speak to mom or dad.
“They didn’t listen either. You know how wild Cindy is, mom has never been thrilled I was friends with her, they’re sure she’s fine, but I don’t… she would have told me if she was hooking up… you know? She said she was coming home. So… I jumped on the Metra, can you help?”
I blew out a breath not sure what to think. Cindy was almost eighteen, probably was a bad influence on my younger cousin, and was a little wild… but that didn’t mean nothing happened to her either.
“Do you have a picture?”
Amy nodded and pulled out her phone and started to flip through pictures. She handed me her phone and I studied the image trying to get a sense of her and where she was. That it wasn’t coming easily didn’t reassure me the girl was fine. Usually I’d get at least something, if she was alright, a sense of where she was if not the exact location.
Oh, I got information, Cindy Hall, seventeen, lived right down the block from my Aunt’s house in the suburbs, I could even tell she’d been alive last night at eleven fourteen PM, but after that nothing. It was almost like she fell out of reality, simply didn’t exist. Even if she was dead I should have gotten that, something. It was… frustrating, since usually I wasn’t blocked unless it was a supernatural thing. It was odd to say the least.
I texted the picture to my own phone and handed Amy’s back.
“I’m not sure, I don’t think she’s dead, but I can’t get a feel for where she is.”
Amy scowled, “But… you,” she trailed off.
I felt guilty, I’d always been there for Amy and hadn’t failed her yet. I didn’t plan to this time either, but right now I was kind of stuck and didn’t want to lie to her either.
“Amy, I’ll figure out what happened, and get her back if she’s still alive, but it may take some time. Go home, I’ll keep you updated.”
She looked up at me suspiciously, as if I was humoring her.
I shook my head and looked at her a little sternly, “I’ve never lied to you, and I believe something did happen to your friend. But I don’t know what yet. I’ll also get Mike and Aiya in on it, they won’t be able to do anything official yet, but they can poke around.”
Amy sighed, “No you haven’t. Call me when you know something, okay?”
I nodded wordlessly.
As I watched her leave, it occurred to me I may have to lie to her if this was related to my new world, she could never know about it. That thought bothered me a lot. I gathered what I knew and sent it to Mike and Aiya, but I knew they wouldn’t really be able to do much about it.
When Diana walked in the restaurant I only felt a twinge of pain in my chest as I took her in. She had long light blonde hair, and it didn’t take more than a second or two for her piercing gray eyes to pick me out of the crowd. She sent me a devastatingly brilliant wide smile as she took off the sunglasses in the dim lighting and headed my way. She wore a form fitting red blouse and a gray pencil skirt with two inch red heels.
I returned her smile as she sat down, I knew intellectually she wasn’t trying to torture me about the fact we couldn’t get together, but did she always have to look so damn good?
“Ben, I was surprised to hear from you without a case, is everything okay?”
She didn’t have to specify why we didn’t talk without business anymore, since it was painfully obvious. I also squashed the urge to compliment her, that wouldn’t help.
I nodded, “I needed some advice, and maybe some instruction about werewolves. There have been murders that are baffling the human police, I don’t know if the council…” I trailed off in question.
She held her reply as the waitress came up to the table. I ordered a New York strip and baked potato, and Diana asked for the same. When the waitress left to get our drinks we continued the conversation.
Diana looked thoughtful, “No, the council wouldn’t deal with that, unless it threatened to expose our world. Ironically, those kinds of things don’t, not in this day and age. The vampire council rules the supernatural world only in that it will crush any supernatural that exposes us. We’re also the only race outside of sorcerers that can mesmerize humans to forget. But outside of that, the supernatural races are too different, if the vampires tried to push their views and all their laws on everyone, it would cause a war.”
I frowned, “So the council doesn’t care if a wolf pack leaves a trail of dead bodies?”
She sighed, “It’s not that simple. That is werewolf pack politics. The council can’t afford to stick their nose in everything and take sides all the time. It’s enough that we stop our own rogues from killing humans and breaking our own laws, as well as keeping humanity in the dark about all the supernatural races.”
That sounded reasonable to me on the surface, but I couldn’t quite equate the deaths in the case folder as simple politics. We paused again as the waitress brought over our drinks.
Diana shrugged, easily reading my reactions, “I’m not happy about it either, but where do we draw the line? The council can’t control everyone and everything, and things would only be worse if we tried. Personally, I hope the local pack draws and quarters every one of thos
e sick bastards, but I can’t interfere. You could offer your help, being an independent agent, but you still need to be careful what you say and do.”
“What do you mean?”
She gathered her thoughts, “It is the werewolf culture, they don’t think like humans, and they don’t think like you, or even vampires. Don’t judge them on the same scale. Your motivation to go to them and offer help is to stop these murders, right?”
When I nodded she continued, “Well don’t push that same motivation onto the local pack, they will be going after the pack invading their territory, but not for the same reasons. Anyway, I would advise you contact Sierra, since at least you know each other.”
I wasn’t sure what to think about that. I was barely used to the idea of killing as a solution, because the supernatural simply couldn’t be locked up in a jail. It was a harsh world that was kept hidden from the humans.
I asked, “Any other advice?”
The food came out, and we waited again until the waitress had moved on. The steak looked delicious and I cut into it.
Diana shrugged, “The truth is I only know the very basics about werewolves, we generally don’t mix. I have the council and my work there, and outside of a few chance encounters with other races of supernatural I simply live and let live.”
I frowned, “Do you think I should just leave it to them?”
Diana smiled and tilted her head a little, “You are… kind of unique you know, and different rules apply. It wouldn’t hurt for you to have more allies here in Chicago. Just… be careful Ben. If things go south I can’t run in and save you, I’m forbidden from interfering in internal werewolf matters.”
“No promises, but I’ll do what I can,” I said returning her smile.
We started to eat then, and eventually the silence even felt comfortable. As the meal wound down we chatted a little before I paid the bill and we went our separate ways. She had some meetings and I needed to track down Sierra somehow. I had a number in my phone, but hadn’t talked to her in a long time and wasn’t sure if it was still good. I stared at it for a moment, strangely reluctant as if my abilities were telling me not to call, but it felt different, not quite the same as being warned from a known danger, it was more ethereal.
I believed my power never steered me wrong, but ever since becoming part of the supernatural world it behaved in ways I didn’t quite understand. I was fairly sure it had something to do with how fast and hard I’d fallen for Diana as well. Sierra was an attractive very confident woman, who never did anything threatening toward me, and the dulcet tones of her voice were if not always friendly, respectful. Yet there’d always been a part of me that felt nervous around her.
Not the nervous I felt when around a beautiful woman I didn’t know, or at least, not just that. This was the nervous like how I’d feel as prey in front of a predator, and I was almost sure my magic, my power, was responsible for that feeling. I knew Aitheria knew why that was, but she wouldn’t explain it, as it would violate some oath she’d given to her elemental… I didn’t even know. King? Boss?
I wasn’t sure if I should trust that feeling at all. I could always trust my feelings and my powers urging in the past because I knew it wouldn’t guide me to do something wrong, it would guide me to help others. But these feelings seemed to stem less from my ideals and how I’d want my power to be used to help others, but instead from my very nature, if that makes any sense. But it was just a feeling. I hadn’t really examined it too closely since I hadn’t had to deal with Sierra again, until now.
Aitheria snickered in my mind breaking my thoughts, “You have to hit the connect button dear.”
I couldn’t help but quirk a smile, “Thank you oh great Aitheria,” I intoned in my mind sarcastically, “What would I do without your endless wisdom and incomparable beauty at my side.”
I felt her mirth in my mind, “Find yourself hopelessly adrift I’d wager,” she thought back.
She asked a moment later, “Incomparable beauty?”
I grinned slyly, even elementals could be vain apparently, “Of course you are beautiful.”
Aitheria sighed softly in his mind, “I’m sorry, I can’t explain why you react that way, but I might be able to give you a hint from the other direction.”
I started to walk back to my office, intrigued, “What can you tell me?”
Aitheria sighed, “Nothing about your own nature, but I can tell you about theirs. Once you thought vampires may have a connection to air because of their speed and ability to mesmerize. You were right. Vampire abilities are of air and water, so they feel like natural allies to you, werewolves however, are of earth and fire.”
I shook my head at the obvious explanation, “So I was right then, my power doesn’t sense anything bad about Sierra, but because she’s of earth… she feels like a natural enemy? So it is more about my nature than any true threat.”
Aitheria didn’t comment on my conclusions either way, but I didn’t really expect her too. There was obviously something about my nature that wasn’t typical for a sorcerer of air. I was sure the ball of elemental power at the center of my being had a lot to do with it, but I had no way of knowing what it was.
I believed I’d be able to distinguish the difference between warning from gathered knowledge and one based on instinct alone though. I didn’t think an evil minded vampire could deceive my power to gather knowledge, even if my nature of air was allied with his nature. I hoped the reverse would be true as well, it was something I’d have to manage, even fight if I wanted to make Sierra and the local pack an ally.
When I got to my office I took my phone out and didn’t hesitate this time. She answered on the second ring, her voice was sweeter than I remembered, probably because she was intimidating. She asked me to meet her west of the city when I told her why I was calling. She wanted me to meet her alpha, and the pack’s mystic, whatever that was. So I closed up my office and headed for the Metra station.
Chapter 4
Wednesday, May 18th, 2016, 02:30 PM
I saw her as soon as I got off the train. She was hard to miss in the bright yellow sundress, and strappy sandals and she was looking right at me with a soft smile on her face. I’d never seen her look that relaxed before, but the other times we’d been on a hunt of sorts so I supposed it made sense. She had beautiful light brown skin, her dark brown hair framed her lovely face, while the rest of it was up in a ponytail that reached most of the way down her back. Her large brown eyes seemed to be glowing in the light of the afternoon sun.
I felt both attracted to, and skittish about getting any closer. It was hard to explain, the feelings were very conflicted, and then add to that the normal attraction and awkwardness I’d have around a beautiful woman my age, and I hardly knew how to act. I’d get over the latter part of course, once I spent enough time around her, a lot faster than I used to before my power was released even, but the rest of it?
To make things even more confusing, if she was earth and fire, perhaps a part of my attraction could be attributed to the latter. Just like air made her a natural enemy, wouldn’t my small ability with fire do the opposite? It was also the first time meeting her without Diana around, which meant I didn’t have Diana or the strong feelings she engendered in me back then as a distraction.
I shook my head, I was over thinking it, and I could feel Aitheria’s amusement though she kept any comments to herself.
I walked over with a tentative smile, not sure how to greet her at all, but she took it out of my hands and pulled me into a hug. Her athletic but femininely soft body felt good against mine, perhaps a little too good. I wasn’t sure what to make of the greeting, I hadn’t thought we were that close.
She moved her head back and smiled up at me, scrambling my brain for a moment before she stepped back.
“It was good to hear from you Ben, even under the current circumstances,” she took my hand and led me off the platform toward a car and added in a flirty voice, “You could have called me sooner t
hough.”
I was so confused at this point, that I didn’t know what to say. She released my hand when we got to the car and I got into the passenger seat.
“Umm, I was new back then, and didn’t understand myself, much less this world yet. To be honest I’m a little confused right now. I’d thought that it was just a temporary connection for the hunt, you thought I’d call?” I finished in a confused voice.
I winced, that hadn’t been very smooth, not for dealing with a werewolf, or a woman for that matter. But if I didn’t ask questions, I’d never understand.
She laughed lightly which sent a surge of relief through my mind.
“I think I understand. I owe you Ben, for what you did for me. My pack is already in your debt, and I had other reasons to hope you’d call? I felt you tense earlier, so just know that werewolves are physically demonstrative, touching is an important part of building a bond with our pack mates and allies,” she looked like she was going to add something else, but seemed to change her mind as she started to car and drove off.
I had the impression she had also wanted me to call her for her, or was that just wishful thinking on my part?
I asked curiously, “Why do you owe me anything, you helped us remember?”
She smiled and shook her head, “Let me tell you what happened from my perspective. You found me naked in a cage, and immediately looked away and found a woman to help me. You also kept your distance until I could recover from that, allowing me that dignity despite your obvious attraction to look upon me. Then when I demanded revenge, you talked a reluctant Diana into allowing me to join you. You took my side and trusted me to have your back in our hunt without question.”
Sorcerer: Trouble with Werewolves: Power of Air Book 2 Page 2
