by A. Blythe
“Since she still seems convinced that I have it, her delusion should buy us a little time to figure out where it really is.”
“What if Aladdin still has it, though?”
“Katrien’s locator spell shows the ring as being somewhere in the Philadelphia area. We know who the major players are, so we start there.”
Farah shushed me and nodded toward the closed door. “You don’t want the crime syndicate to get wind of this.”
“I know, but what if one of them has it? We need to know.” I shuddered at the thought of Solomon’s ring in the hands of a bastard like Vito Nocita, the crime syndicate’s organ trafficker. A black heart like his couldn’t be trusted.
Farah chewed her lip. “I’ll see what I can get out of Luciano tonight.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Of course I’m sure. I know Luciano, and he wouldn’t want a ring as powerful as this one in crime syndicate hands either. It’s bad news for everyone.”
I bounced off the bed. “Thanks, Farah. You’re the best.”
My phone began to sing We Got The Beat by The Go-Go’s.
“Whose ringtone is that?” Farah asked.
I had no idea. “I didn’t program it.” The screen said ‘Caller Unknown.’ “Hello?”
“So sorry. Did I catch you at a bad time?” Katrien’s voice oozed false sincerity.
“You secretly programmed a ringtone in my phone?”
She exhaled loudly. “That’s the secret you’re upset about?”
“I can be upset about more than one thing at a time, you know. It’s called multitasking.”
Farah eyed me curiously. I covered the phone and mouthed Katrien.
“Are you not interested to know why I am calling?” Katrien prompted.
“Because you missed my bubbly personality?”
“Because I have something of yours, which I would be happy to exchange for something of mine.”
“The only thing of yours I have are those ratty shoes you pretended to arrive in and they’re going straight into the garbage.”
“Alyse, are you not the least bit curious?”
By the gods, her tone suggested I’d better find out what was behind curtain number one. “What do you have of mine?”
I listened for a moment to quiet static until Pinky’s voice broke through the silence. “Don’t give her anything, Alyse. I’ll get away on my own.”
My gut twisted. Pinky. Nightshade had kidnapped Pinky.
Katrien returned to the phone. “Despite her brave words, she cannot get away on her own, I’m afraid. We have taken some liberties to insure that.”
“You’re a real bitch, you know that?”
“Your opinion of me is irrelevant,” Katrien said. “I have one purpose and I will not rest until I have achieved my goal.”
“What are the terms?” I asked.
“We will make the exchange at the zoo tomorrow at midnight. Come alone or it will end badly for both of you.”
Midnight tomorrow. How was I supposed to manage that when I didn’t have the ring? Holy gods, delusional people were the worst to negotiate with.
“Do not harm a hair on her body,” I ground out.
“Your little protégé will be in perfect condition, as long as you do as you are instructed.” She hesitated. “But we both know how prone you are to rebellion.”
“How ironic,” I said. “You’re telling me I can’t rebel so that you can.”
“Ours is for a greater purpose,” she replied. “Pinky is one person, and a magician at that. Her life means little in the face of Nightshade’s ultimate goals.”
“Like I said, you’re a real bitch.” I clicked off the phone and sat back on the bed, allowing my anger to simmer. Farah watched me with concern.
“She has Pinky?”
I nodded mutely.
“I’m here to help, Alyse. Just tell me what you want me to do.”
Luciano opened the door and poked his head inside. “Is the party in here, ladies? Because I’m only too happy to join in with whatever’s happening in the boudoir.”
Farah mustered a smile. “We’ve received some bad news, Lucky. I’m afraid I’m going to need to cancel our plans.”
Luciano’s face fell. “For serious?” He looked from Farah to me. “Can I help? I know I’m not Dragon-level powerful, but I have connections. Lots of them, in fact.”
I was touched that he would even offer. He seemed more like a giant Labrador puppy every time I saw him. A Labrador that wanted to hump my leg, but still. It was hard to believe he held such a position of power in the crime syndicate.
“I’m grateful for the offer,” I said, “but unfortunately I don’t think I can include you on this one. There’s information involved that I wouldn’t want to fall into the wrong hands.”
Luciano pounded his chest. “You can trust me, Ally. I know my business operations are arguably on the wrong side of the law, but I like you ladies. I don’t want anybody messing with you, especially not with Farah.”
Farah threw her arms around his torso and kissed him. “You’re so sweet.”
“Someone has kidnapped my business partner. Do you remember Pinky?”
“O’Leary’s blond mage,” he said.
“My business partner,” I stressed. “The woman who took her is an extremist. She wants to meet me at the zoo tomorrow at midnight.”
“And what does she want from you in return?” Luciano asked.
“A ring.”
Luciano’s brow creased. “I can give her a hundred rings. We’ve got plenty of guys in the jewelry business.”
“It’s a specific ring,” I said. I couldn’t bring myself to be one hundred percent honest. “The problem is, I don’t have it, but Katrien refuses to accept this.”
Luciano pressed his fist into his palm. “So it’s a rescue mission. We’ll go in and extract Pinky before Katrien realizes you don’t have her ring.”
“That’s kind of what I’m hoping to do.” I still needed to find the ring, of course, but there was no way I was handing it over to Nightshade.
Luciano raised his hand for a high five. “Totally helping on this one.”
Begrudgingly, I let him slap my hand. “Now for the hard part,” I said.
“What’s that?” Farah asked. “The rescue mission?”
I closed my eyes. “No. Now I need to call Pinky’s mother.”
14
Unsurprisingly, I was summoned to the Edwards’ estate and convinced Mix to accompany me. I figured she’d go easier on me if I shoved a friendly face in her line of vision, or at least a face that she’d recently kissed.
A white limousine pulled up in front of the apartment building to collect us.
“If Pinky weren’t in trouble, I might actually enjoy this ride,” I said.
“Good luck,” Farah called. “Luciano and I will hang out here in case you need us.”
Traffic was heavy heading out of the city, so I killed time by pouring drinks for us. Liquid courage. It wouldn’t calm Mix’s nerves, but it would help mine.
“Slow down, Alyse,” Mix warned. “You need to keep a clear head.”
He was right. I set down the glass and enjoyed the pleasant burning sensation in my chest.
“Finally, we’re here,” I said.
Mix couldn’t believe his eyes. “This is where she lives?”
“You haven’t been here before?” I assumed he’d visited her at home at least once.
His gaze remained fixed on the sprawling mansion. “No, she liked to come to my apartment. Seeing this place, I can’t imagine why. She must really enjoy slumming it.”
“Maybe while we’re here, you can convince her to add Annie to her menagerie.”
Mix shot me a quizzical look. “But I like having Annie. I’m not looking to get rid of her.”
Okay then. He liked the company of the pig. Moving on.
“Here goes nothing,” I said, and rang the bell.
Michael, the ab-tastic manser
vant, admitted us. “Mrs. Edwards is waiting for you in her office.”
With an ivory-handled revolver, no doubt.
Mix and I followed Michael down the hallway. I noticed Mix drinking in every sconce and chair rail.
“This place is incredible,” he whispered.
“You didn’t realize how much sugar your sugar mama had,” I said.
“We split the bill,” he said. “The only time she paid was when we all went to dinner together.” The first time we met Serena was at her request. I’d ended up needing to cut the meal short to deal with some Ghuls.
Michael stopped and gestured to the open door of the office. Serena sat behind her desk, typing on a laptop. She closed the lid when she saw us.
“Please tell me this is a hoax,” she said, coming out from behind the desk. Her blond hair was pulled in a tight braid down her back and she wore a white pantsuit.
“I’m sorry, Serena.”
Mix moved to embrace her. “Alyse is already working on a plan to rescue her.”
Serena squeezed him tightly before releasing him. “Why did they target Seraphina? Have they asked you for money to fund their terrorist activities?”
“No, they’re not asking for money.” I clenched my fists. This part was going to suck. “They are demanding a particular item they think I have in my possession. The problem is that I don’t have it and I don’t know where it is.”
Serena’s blue eyes widened. “Will they take money instead? Tell them to name a number and I’ll see that it happens.”
Mix reached for her hand. “They’re looking for a piece of jewelry that bestows certain powers.”
“A ring,” I added.
The realization seemed to sink in. Money was not going to be enough to save her daughter.
“A ring that bestows powers, you say?” She let go of Mix’s hand and walked to the window at the back of the office, peering into the darkness.
“It’s called Solomon’s ring,” I explained. “It affords the wearer certain abilities. Nightshade wants to use it to raise an army to achieve their political goals.”
“It’s always something,” Serena murmured.
I approached the desk, mindful to keep the large piece of furniture between us. In the back of my mind, I kept waiting for a slap across the face. “Serena, I swear to you. We will get Pinky back. I won’t let anyone hurt her.”
Serena turned away from the window and gave me an appraising look. “My daughter is very fond of you.”
“I know and I’m sorry this happened. I take full responsibility and I promise I will get her out of this situation.”
Serena pressed her pink lips together. “I must admit, I am not entirely blameless.”
A mother’s guilt knew no bounds. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “She’s eighteen and she makes her own choices. She knew I had a target on my back from the day we met. Anyone who gets involved with me is taking a risk.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Serena clasped her hands in front of her. “I have a confession to make. The ring is in my possession.”
My legs turned to jelly and I used Mix’s arm to keep myself upright.
“You have Solomon’s ring?” Mix repeated.
Serena nodded crisply. “It happens to be one of my many hobbies, tracking down valuable, one-of-a-kind items.”
Gods above. Why couldn’t she knit or play Bunko like other mothers?
“You bought the ring from Aladdin?” I asked, trying to untangle the web of thoughts cluttering my mind.
“Not exactly,” she said. “We reached an agreement through an intermediary. I don’t always know the identity of the sellers.”
Too. Many. Questions. “What do you plan to do with the ring? Display it like a museum piece?”
That sparked a laugh. “No, dear. I didn’t say that I collected these items. I said I tracked them down. I intend to sell it to the highest bidder.”
I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even speak.
“Why would you do such a thing?” Mix asked hotly. “That ring could cause mass destruction in the wrong hands.”
“Money makes the world go ‘round, darling.” She patted Mix’s cheek. “How do you think I can afford to save so many animals from cruelty? Or fund the arts? All of that requires massive cash injections, which I can easily provide thanks to my extracurricular activities.” Her smile reminded me so much of Pinky’s, it nearly broke my heart.
“Why was Aladdin willing to part with the ring?” I asked.
Serena waved me off. “According to my source, the seller wasn’t really interested in world domination. He’s simply a man who likes his toys.”
“And doesn’t it bother you that his toys include enslaved djinn?”
“Like I said, I don’t always know the identity of the seller. In any case, they really aren’t my concern.”
So she saved pigs from the slaughter but djinn were disposable. Good to know.
“Pinky would be horrified to hear you say that,” I told her. “Your husband—her father—was a djinni.”
“My daughter would be horrified by many things I say and do,” she said tartly. “That is why I don’t share everything with her. Boundaries are important in a family, you know?” She pressed a palm to her chest. “What was I thinking? Of course you don’t know. You don’t have a family, do you? Djinn are all orphans, expelled from the bosom of hell.”
“The Plasma Plane is not hell,” I said. “They are two entirely different things.”
“Is that what you really think of us?” Mix seemed more hurt than angry.
“I didn’t say I had a problem with hell.” She traced a nail down his throat until she reached the open collar of his shirt. “You’re a sweet young djinni, Jeremy, and I truly have enjoyed our time together.”
“Well, I think our time together is over,” Mix said. “Next time, find yourself a nice human male to accompany you to charity events. One who won’t be affected by Solomon’s ring.”
She shrugged. “If that’s the way you feel.”
I clucked my tongue at Mix. “First Paulette and now Serena? You’re quickly becoming the Xander of our group.”
“So are you going to give Katrien the ring in exchange for your daughter?” Mix asked.
“I’m certainly going to extend the offer,” she said vaguely.
Under no circumstances could I allow Katrien to take possession of the ring.
“We want to help,” I said.
“We do?” Mix queried.
I didn’t care about Serena’s shortsighted wheeling and dealing right now. My only concern was Pinky. “Yes, we do.”
Serena’s throaty laugh startled me. “Don’t flatter yourself, Alyse. You haven’t been useful since you got put down by those cuffs. You’ve been using my daughter as a crutch. She’s the only powerful one in your relationship.”
“That’s not true,” I protested loudly. “Pinky and I help each other because that’s what friends do.”
“Poppycock,” Serena declared. “Yours is a relationship of convenience, much like your other so-called friendships. You don’t have a genuine bone in your pretend body.”
“That’s enough, Serena,” Mix said, stepping between us. “You’ve shown your true colors. We don’t need to subject ourselves to your presence any longer.”
Her laugh was cruel and mocking. “Jeremy, my darling, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Let’s go, Alyse,” he said. “I’m getting Elsa vibes from the chill in this house.”
We marched out of the ridiculous mansion.
“It was nice knowing you, Mike,” I called as we passed him. He gave us a confused wave.
It wasn’t until we reached the front steps that we realized Serena’s limo had delivered us there.
“We’ll have to take the train,” I said.
“I can carry you,” Mix offered. He could still bend the light, even if I was…useless.
I weighed my options. Vomit or a painfully slow train ride.
I chose vomit.
“Beam me up, Jeremy,” I said.
He rubbed his hands together happily. “This should be fun.”
“Take me to the Office of the Protectorate,” I said.
His eyebrow quirked. “You don’t want to go to the armory?”
“I need Reed.” And as many Protectors as I could get on short notice. “He told me earlier he’s working the night shift.”
“We’re still going after Pinky, though, right?” he asked. “You meant that?”
I looped my arms around his neck and held on for dear life. “Absolutely.”
The Office of the Protectorate was running on a skeleton staff when we arrived. An hour later, the main conference room was packed with Protectors. Greer stood at the front of the room, ready to offer the intel he’d scraped together on short notice. Detective Thompson had offered her help, but I decided it was best to keep law enforcement out of this gray area. I didn’t want to place her in an uncomfortable position if the rescue mission spiraled out of control.
Mix summoned coffees and a few boxes of donuts, which I thought was very considerate and much appreciated by the sleepy Protectors.
“If everyone can quiet down,” I called. “I think we’re ready to begin.”
All available seats were taken. It was standing room only.
“Greer, what can you tell us about the members of Nightshade?” I asked.
“There are twenty-two active members that we know of,” he replied. “Katrien is a group leader, along with Wilhelm Bergstrom.”
“Another Marid?” I asked.
“He’s a Jann.”
“I’d bet good money the Ifrits that attacked us will be there.” I had no doubt Katrien had sent them on purpose to check whether my cuffs were a ruse and, of course, to bolster her own lie about Aladdin. In hindsight, the fight had been way too easy, even before Reed turned up to save the day.
“Anyone other than djinn in the group?” Reed asked.
Greer shook his head. “Seems to be a djinn-only organization.”
A thought occurred to me. “Anyone called Lily? A Jann?”
Greer consulted his screen. “No one called Lily.”
“Do a search on Lily in connection with Katrien and see what you turn up,” I said. “I have a feeling Lily is the driving force behind this whole operation.”
