by TR Cameron
Ruby figured the rumors she’d shared about the security company had inspired the other woman to share the information she had so far and expected the sheriff to dismiss her. If Alejo had planned to do so, perhaps she forgot in the shock of seeing a woman exit the driver side and open the back door of the SUV, followed by a three-foot troll jumping out of the vehicle, turning a perfect somersault in midair, and landing next to her. The woman shook her head, sending collar-length dark hair swishing, then slammed the door and turned in their direction. A smile graced a strong-boned face, and black tactical pants, matching boots, and a red blouse under a weathered leather jacket that was heading from pure black to a less decisive shade wrapped her body.
The newcomer walked with confidence, clearly an authority figure who expected cooperation. When she and her companion arrived, she stuck out a hand to the sheriff. “You must be Valentina Alejo. You look exactly like your description. I’m Diana Sheen.”
Alejo nodded. “You’re pretty much what they told me to expect, although no one mentioned you’d be bringing a friend.”
Three sets of eyes turned to look at the troll, who laughed happily. “I’m Rath. Pleased to meet you.”
Diana smiled down at him. “We’ve spent too much time on the base lately. When the opportunity for a road trip came along, I couldn’t pass it up. Plus, we took a helicopter from Vegas, and he loves helicopters.”
Rath clapped his hands gleefully. His spiky purple hair made her happy to look at, and the wide grin never seemed to leave his face.
The sheriff asked, “What’s your interest in the case?”
Diana held up a hand and tapped her ear with the other one. “Yes, we’re here. No, we haven’t gotten inside yet. Dammit, Glam, chill out.” She paused and shook her head. “I don’t care if there’s a Fortnite tournament today. I’m the boss, remember? You work with my schedule, not the other way around.” She tapped her ear again and shifted her attention back to them. “My team is demanding but amazing, so you have to let them get away with the attitude sometimes. To answer your question, the woman I just talked to is our head tech, and her computers pinged this event as having a potential connection to one of our investigations. So, here I am.”
Ruby decided to be bold and stepped forward while sticking out a hand. “I’m Ruby Achera.”
Diana shook it with a nod. “You were in my briefing materials, although I can’t remember exactly where. Something about a casino explosion, maybe?”
Ruby nodded. “Yeah, that’s me, right time in the wrong place.”
Rath said, clearly imitating a tough guy, “You’re the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time, McClane.”
All three women laughed, as did the troll, and Diana commented, “The more you get to know Rath the more you’ll discover that he loves movies. Especially action movies. I swear, at first, he only spoke in quotes.”
Ruby replied, “He’s not wrong, though. I didn’t expect my homecoming to involve a casino blowing up around me. Particularly the one owned by my family’s biggest competitors.”
Diana cocked her head to the side. “You’re related to casino owners?”
“The Acheras own Spirits casino. They, uh, adopted me a ways back. We live in Kemana MountHaven, although I also have a place with some friends up here on the surface.”
The agent nodded. “Perfect. I may need to ask you something about the kemana later since we have a task to complete down there, too. For now, let’s take a look at the crime scene, with your permission, Sheriff.”
Alejo gestured at the pawnshop. “It’s all yours, Agent Sheen.”
The other woman smiled. “Diana. Trust me; I’m not even slightly interested in taking control of your case. I’m only giving the scene a once-over to see if it can shed any light on my stuff. I have plenty on my plate already, believe me.”
She turned toward the building and reached under the back of her jacket, pulling a device that resembled a doubly thick cell phone from underneath. She tapped her earpiece with the other hand. “Okay, Glam, I’m ready to go. Do you have a connection with the scanner?”
Ruby moved up behind the woman, right next to the troll. Until someone told her to leave, she would get as much information as she could. She looked down. “So, you’re an agent too?”
He nodded. “Sometimes. Sometimes I patrol on my own or with Max.”
“Max?”
He laughed, seemingly joyful about pretty much everything. “Best dog ever. Best partner ever.”
Ruby’s brain tried to put together the image of the troll and the dog wandering the streets of Magic City looking for wrongdoing, but she couldn’t quite bring the picture into focus. She was distracted when the agent started speaking again. “Okay, I’ll walk forward slowly. Tell me what you want me to do.” A period of silence ensued as Diana moved into the building. She took a single step at a time and waved the device in her hand in each direction before moving on. When she got to the rear of the room, she turned back with a frown. “You’re sure? There’s nothing to see?” She paused for a minute and replied, “Hang on.” She looked around and spotted the sheriff. “Where’s the circuit panel for this place, do you know?”
Alejo pointed at an inset rectangle painted the same color as the wall, hidden in a shaded corner. Diana waved the device at it and scowled. “I’m not an electrician, Glam. I don’t know.” She sighed and put the tool on her belt with a small head shake and muttered something under her breath. Raising her voice, she announced, “Better stand back. This could get a little sparky.” She lifted a hand and flicked her fingers at the box, and lightning shot from her fingertips, causing the sparks she’d predicted.
Multiple lights blew out, and a snapping sound came from a portion of the floor. “Aha,” the agent said with a grin. “Reveal your secrets.” She knelt and felt around, eventually getting her nails under a small panel and pulling it open. She did something inside it, and another click came from the corner of the room. Ruby followed her over to the hatch, which revealed a set of steps descending into darkness. Diana stood and brushed her hands off on her trousers. She tapped her ear again. “Okay, we have a staircase. Let’s see where it goes.” She pulled the sensor back out and pointed down the stairs. “Rath, you’re standing guard. No one comes down until I give the all-clear.”
The troll replied, “Got it,” and turned to face them with a theatrical scowl and crossed arms as his boss started down the stairs.
Chapter Eight
After a moment, Diana called up, “Clear.” The troll bustled down the stairs. Ruby followed on the sheriff’s heels, hoping the two women didn’t kick her out. When they got into the basement, they discovered a much cleaner and more organized space than above, well lit, with a counter that ran around three walls at stomach height. Displayed there were a variety of magical items including mannequin heads with necklaces dangling from them, small racks with knives, and other arcane bric-à-brac.
Sheen seemed most interested in a trio of spots that stood empty and waved the scanner over them. Presumably replying to the voice in her ear, she said, “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Definitely traces of magic here. That spot there might have even contained a Rhazdon artifact, based on the readings. I doubt it, in a place like this, but anything’s possible.” She paused, listening, then nodded. “I agree there’s not much more we can accomplish here. I’ll get a good scan of it across all modes before we go, so you can take your time sorting through the data.”
Diana set the scanner in the center of the room and gestured for them to stand back. It emitted lights and sounds and generally appeared to be doing things, then felt silent. She retrieved the unit, returned it to her belt, and turned with a grin. “So, since your family lives in the kemana, I’m guessing you can tell me how to get there.”
Ruby nodded. “I can do better than that. I’ll escort you.”
“Much obliged. You folks here in Magic City are far nicer than those in Vegas or Reno.”
Alejo chuckled. “You’re just getting
to know us. Stick around for a while and see if you still feel that way.” The comment drew a laugh from the agent and the troll.
They ascended the stairs and exited the crime scene, then said their goodbyes to the sheriff, who looked equal parts bemused and resigned about not knowing what was going on. Ruby felt more or less the same way but hoped that the good deed of helping the agent and her sidekick get into the underground city might loosen up more information. They climbed into the car, and she was amused to see that the troll had a booster in the rear seat. He was simultaneously childlike but not; she was aware that trolls could become enormously strong and large creatures at will, although she’d never seen one do it. Somehow she couldn’t picture Rath that way, though. Imagining him doing it beside a dog was downright impossible. Maybe Max is a mastiff.
They drove the short distance to Spirits, not because it was the closest access point, but because she wanted to show off her family’s business. Something about the other woman made Ruby wish to impress her. Maybe it’s her no-nonsense demeanor or the obvious confidence and competence she projects. Or perhaps it plays into the dream we all have to become a fancy secret agent. She laughed at herself and filled the drive with small talk.
They handed the car off to the valet and headed up to the management floor. Ruby offered to introduce them around, but Diana declined, explaining, “We’re on a pretty tight schedule. I want to be sure to reserve the time we have to meet with our contact below.”
So, she took them to the shaft. The sudden surprise realization that she’d have to descend the staircase, which was going to be long and annoying, caused her to fumble her words a little. “You jump down and use force magic to cushion your fall. Indicators on the walls let you know when you’re getting close. I’ll take the stairs, naturally.”
Diana asked, “Is this a secure room?”
The question elicited a confused frown. “Secure enough. No cameras are watching or anything if that’s what you mean.”
The agent perched on the railing that protected the room’s occupants from stumbling into the shaft unexpectedly and said, “I can tell you’re using an illusion.”
Ruby blinked. “What?”
Diana lifted her left hand and pulled back her sleeve to show a silver bracelet. “This is an illusion detector, a useful tool. I wasn’t sure it was you at the crime scene since a lot of people were around, but as soon as we got in the car, it was obvious.”
Curiosity overcame the initial shock of being discovered. “That’s a very specific device. I haven’t heard of those before, and I study magic and technology interfaces.”
The other woman shrugged. “I work for a clandestine agency. Not much of what we do hits the papers.”
“Maybe I could get a schematic?”
Diana laughed. “I’ll hook you up with Glam. I’m sure the two of you will have all sorts of things to talk about. I guess the important question is whether your illusion is a tool or if you have magic instead. Or I guess it could be both.”
Ruby decided to trust the agent. Might as well, since she’s already figured most of it out, anyway. “I’m a Mist Elf. My parents insist on the disguise for safety reasons they choose not to explain.” She trusted the other woman enough to share that, but not enough to get into the details.
Diana clapped her hands. “Excellent. Rath, climb on.” With a jump up to the railing and another to her shoulders, the troll positioned himself on her back. It was clear the duo had done that before. The agent grinned. “See you at the bottom.” Then they jumped.
Once they’d sorted out their respective landings, Ruby escorted the pair down the tiers into the bowl of the cavern that held the shops, restaurants, and other commercial enterprises. She asked, “Okay, who are we looking for?”
Diana replied, “Shentia. She’s a Drow.”
Ruby frowned, reaching back into her memory. “That sounds familiar. If I remember right, she’s over to our left, most of the way across the bottom.” The name rang a bell as someone who did business in rare magical items. Makes sense, I guess, given why they’re here. “I think she’s only in town sometimes. Like, maybe she has shops in multiple locations?”
Diana nodded. “That would fit.”
“Is she part of your case?”
The other woman lifted a hand and waggled it from side to side. “She might have some useful information, but the real reason I need to visit is that a friend of mine asked me to. When this particular friend asks you to do a thing, you just do it because complaining would be both useless and exhausting.”
Ruby laughed. “I have one of those. She’s my mentor Keshalla, on Oriceran.”
Diana broke into a matching grin. “It’s about the same here. She’s a teacher, a trainer, and probably my biggest critic.”
“Sounds exactly the same.”
Diana shrugged. “Then you know how it is.”
A younger voice piped up from behind them, “You know how what is?” They stopped and turned, discovering Morrigan standing there. Rath said, “Woo, sneaky.”
Her sister laughed. “Mist Elves are good at veils and illusions. You all were pretty distracted, anyway.”
Ruby asked, “How did you know we were here?”
“I saw you head into the shaft room. I was upstairs in security.”
“Ah.” She looked at her companions. “Agent Diana Sheen, Agent Rath, this is my sister, Morrigan Achera.”
Diana smiled. “Pleased to meet you. Be careful sneaking up on us in the future, though. Rath can be pretty dangerous.”
The troll made a fierce face and growled, inspiring a round of laughter. Morrigan asked, “Did I hear you say Shentia?” Ruby nodded. “I think you’re going to where her shop used to be. She moved recently, a little bigger place ahead and to the right.”
Ruby replied, “Hey, you made yourself useful. I bet it’s been a while since that’s happened.”
Her sister stuck her tongue out at her, and Ruby returned the favor as they got moving again. Along the way, Ruby pointed out interesting things she knew about the shops and stores, and Morrigan did the same. Rath asked many questions and wound up deep in conversation with her sister while Ruby sped up to walk beside the agent. Diana said, “Is there a particular reason you were at the crime scene?”
She shrugged. “I had a piece of information I wanted to give to Sheriff Alejo, and I figured she’d be there.”
“Seems as if a phone call would’ve been sufficient.”
Ruby laughed, a little embarrassed. “I like to know what goes on in town. It’s important. For my family’s business, I mean.”
Diana shook her head. “I see more than that in your attitude. The business angle is probably a part of it, but not all of it. I won’t pry, though. For now.”
Thankfully, the conversation ended as they arrived at the door to the Drow’s shop. Diana led the way inside, introduced everyone, and exchanged some quiet words with the proprietor. She seemed older, not elderly but definitely in the second half of her years. Nonetheless, her eyes sparkled with interest and intelligence. Once they finished talking, the Drow waved at them all. “You are welcome in my shop. Please, follow me to the back.” What looked like decorative objects filled the front room, most of them magical in some way: glowing, moving, or emitting sound or scent. Ruby would’ve enjoyed getting a closer peek at all of them.
The back room turned out to hold far more interesting items. What they lacked in quantity, they more than made up for with their impressive quality. Each item looked as if it was older than she was and would likely still look that way long after she was dust. Their host walked over to a pair of bracelets, thick silver bands of an unidentifiable metal etched with symbols. She opened the cabinet and pulled out two fabric pieces, wrapping each of the objects carefully before handing them both to Diana. “These are what Nylotte needs. Plus, she hasn’t made it out here in person yet, so she probably wanted you to have a direct connection so you can portal in whenever she wants you to.”
; Diana laughed. “I’m sure that’s part of it, at least. The day that Nylotte is working only a single angle will never come.”
The Drow nodded. “She’s canny, that one.”
“And then some.” She lifted the bundle. “Thanks for this.”
The other woman waved a hand. “Think nothing of it.” She escorted them back out and said, “Ruby, I noticed you examining my inventory. Please feel free to return and take a look at any time. Several of them would make nice additions to the Achera residence, I’m sure.”
She nodded. “I definitely will.”
Diana said a quiet word to Rath once they were outside, and the troll grabbed her sister by the hand and dragged her off to show her something across the street. The agent shook her head. “He’s great, but he’s not exactly subtle. Look, it’s clear you have more than a passing interest in what’s going on in your city. If that gets you into trouble, or if you need anything to make life easier, I can probably help.”
The agent dipped a hand into her back pocket and came out with a slightly rumpled business card. “This is my number. You can call me anytime. If I’m not immediately available, it’ll connect you with someone in my organization, and they’ll know to help you out. Also, a warning. You should pay cash for anything you take from Shentia. If you owe a favor to one of Nylotte’s friends, well, you’ll probably wind up running errands for them.” She lifted the packet and laughed but locked a serious gaze on Ruby’s eyes. “Although sometimes the strangest assignments provide the most interesting and unexpected results.”
Ruby nodded. “It was great to meet you and Rath. I hope we get to see each other again.”
“Maybe I’ll come for vacation sometime.”
“We can give you the deluxe package at Spirits, on the house.”
Diana laughed. “Well, now I’m definitely coming. Although someone will need to entertain Rath.”
“That’s what little sisters are for.”
“Perfect.”
The agent opened a portal and strode through with her sidekick, who added a jump to his transit. All Ruby was able to see through the opening was a hallway that didn’t reveal nearly as much as she would’ve liked to know about where the duo headed. Her sister stepped up next to her as the rift closed and observed, “Interesting people.”
