by Lil Hamilton
“That was not the definition of subtle.”
“Bite me.”
“I already did. I do believe it is against human law to release your shields in front of others. You did mention that.”
“When avoidable. When I need to spin out a spell it is rather hard to do when my aura is as solid as a wall.”
“We are taking this human with us?”
“Of course we are. Witches, especially half-breed ones, sell great on the black market. We don’t know what has gone down with your girl. Vampire rogues, maybe, or since there has been other activity going down in the city it could be something else. I have a missing nymph as well as faelings and maybe that has nothing to do with your witch but it means a great deal to me. This man is a huge lead in regards to that. We will see what he knows because trust me, he knows about my missing fae. After all, he knows all the dealings in that area. Either way, I have to deal with him. If he is in business again he’ll have to be dealt with. I‘ll pass him on to Inter and they can check that out and I’ll help them when it becomes a fae issue.”
“You want it to be a fae issue.”
“Hell yeah. Then I can mess with him with all the legit power. I can legally wrap his mind in spells that will ensure he doesn’t even know how to cast a spell. Or every time he does he is consumed with blinding pain. Or piss his pants every time he even thinks of Haven. I’m just spit balling here. Give me time and I will get some real creative ideas. But I‘m not giving him up till I know what I want.”
“You could just kill him. Simple. Easily done. And effective.” He was not even joking really. High Demons were not feeders, so they did not need humanity to satiate any fundamental hungers. They were therefore rather indifferent to them.
I laughed. “Oh yeah. That would go over real well with Inter. Suppose I could always get you to do it. You could do the ‘oops, I did not mean to kill the fragile human‘.”
He gave me an odd look. “I find your concern for what humans think peculiar.”
I nearly snapped at him. What he was saying was peculiar for fae. Demons pretty much had little care for human concerns, which meant when someone was in their way, they were dealt with, but when they were not, demons could not care less. They didn’t manipulate humans to make a place for themselves. They did not involve themselves with politics.
“You do not think Lily was taken by rogue vampires, do you?”
I shook my head. “Unfortunately, no. Vincent runs a tight ship around here and we don’t see rogues often. He takes care of business and any that slip through the cracks Viv takes down fast. If some sort of vampire element was in town that witch had stumbled upon she would be drained. Simple as that. My cousin would know it and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. If Vincent was interested in her for the turn, which is still possible, I think Viv would have heard about it by now. But we will know more once we know who she is. Right now we are simply speculating, but rogues kill. So either she is vampire bait or she has fallen foul by her own kind, a coven conflict of some sort, or she is involved in the missing people we have. Clearly someone is keeping her alive and they must be doing so for some reason.”
When my cell rang I exhaled, welcoming the distraction. Looking at the call display I was even more pleased. I flipped it open and adjusted the weight of Warren. “Ah, darling, I’m so happy to hear from you. What do you have for me?”
When I got a sort of crackling static I gave Lan a scowl and stepped back a few paces.
‘…itches at the Crone definitely know our mark. Lily is known for her skilled charms, all white mojo as well,’ Chera said. ‘She is unique in skills so she stands out in the masses.’
“Well done!” I exclaimed. I dropped Warren abruptly so I could do a fist pump into the air. “I should have known you would get the Whites and Greys to talk. Damn you are brilliant and awesome.”
‘Well, it’s odd, since we all know witches work both sides of the karma fence and end up with a sort of sooty aura no matter what. Some of the witches I spoke with were actually, like, intimidated by her skills, but the girl has shown no ambition to join a Coven or even a small coven. So definitely no coven conflict to speak of. They left her be, but there have been recruiters trying to pull her in. And she just appeared in the city about ten years ago. Like any witch, she is mercenary, and works spells on demand. So the incident with the rogue, well that could have been just another job that went to shit. After all, they’re better working their magic from afar. You remember Melissa?’
“Not really,” I said, giving Warren a little kick.
‘Well she said Lily pulled a charm without the actual charm. That’s skill. Just drew a symbol in the air.’
“Not so much with fae blood,” I said, but now I was wondering. Unseelie fae didn’t usually have magic, they were magic, but they didn’t do spell magic. Of course, they did have the innate magical skills associated with whatever breed they were. That meant half-breeds had special abilities and immunities, not advanced spell craft.
On the other hand, a Seelie half-breed would have no trouble throwing a spell without any implements. If there was an unregistered Seelie half breed in existence the Queen would be very pissed. I’d been created without her permission and certainly there was no love between us. The fact I’d survived the sin of my birth had a great deal more to do with tormenting my father than any compassion on the bitch Queen’s part. There was a very good reason so few of us were around. The Queen had killed off most of us.
In my damn city too. What the hell had Lily been doing in my city? Running under the fae radar was prudent but as I worked for the Queen and Haven was the largest jurisdiction for fae land rights, given the city had been built by the fae. We had a greater fae population than the rest of the country. She would have been way safer in the fae allocated areas in the Rocky Mountains. “I swear this better be a job gone foul. I swear when I find this witch she best be covered in vamp bites.”
Lan frowned at the remark. If she was Seelie born the parent could be out to get her because that was how fond Seelie parents were of their mortal progeny. If they feared the Queen would find out, yeah, they would rather kill off the child than face the consequences. I definitely had not heard of any High Court Fae strolling around Haven. The Accords was very strict regarding that and the energy flow from it would be very apparent to me. It didn’t rule out thugs or assassins and whatnot. Still, clearly, she had survived infancy, so maybe she hid herself well. It could still be a case of her being just really yummy vampire bait, or alluring prey for slavers. I still had to rule out some options.
‘It is possible the vamp attack was an attempt to claim her,’ Chera said. And the girl would know. I’d rescued her from a vamp camp when she was sixteen. Someone with higher quality blood would draw in such predators.
I tried not to think about a half fae human turned into a vamp servant and mate bound to a young demon. In such a situation too many people would have a claim on her and it would make everything very awkward. In that case I would politely back down and simply point Lan in the vamps direction. “Very possible. She must have had glamour charms to make her less noticeable. Especially since no one at Relations knows of her. Or so the buggers say. Maybe the club is not her scene though, since she was without a coven.”
‘I’ve have no word on her history. No one knows anything. But Melissa worked with her a few times and I do have a current address.’
“Thank the Everlasting Darkness for that. You saved me going to more clubs with Dill. You know he dances like a human. Maybe Viv can answer the question about the vamps. If they had been eying her up as a potential Viv can find out. I’ll check out the house and you meet us back there. And get Viv in as well. We will regroup with the demons and see what we have, or don’t have, at this point.”
Chera gave me the address and said she would check out the last coven hangout before meeting me at my place. I texted Viv, using my superior texting short hand, by the time I clicked my phone shut Sebastian
had materialized beside Lan. Demon’s were so tech useless, but when Lan could just call out to Sebastian who needed a phone? Whereas I rarely used mental contact with my staff, except to piss Dill off. I also rarely asked permission for implementing spells on people, but what fae did? So the first time I’d mentally communed with Dill he almost had a heart attack. It had so been worth it.
-Hey cat boy, we have a hit on an address. Meet you outside,- I sent to Dill as I picked up Warren and flung him over my shoulder again.
“Bas, we are just checking out the girl’s home. We don’t need demon back up,” I said.
“Official business, little sister,” he said. He was staring at my shoulder and I felt the tingle in the healed bite. He gave Lan a nod and I knew my father would know Lan had marked me. I refused to acknowledge the look. The sooner I found their stray mate the sooner I could get the demons off my turf and figure out a spell to purge whatever mark Lan had made on me.
“Bas, just wait at my house. You’re totally going to mark up the place with your essence and then I won’t able to sense anything.”
Sebastian shrugged. “For you, I will wait in your home, unless needed. However, your mate will go with you. He hasn’t completed the bond and while Lan is a so very in control Demon Hunter, he will be insufferable until he feels you are safe.”
“You are insufferable,” I said. I was thinking of being very contrary on this matter. The more people openly commenting on this whole mating thing the less I wanted to have sex, ever. And most definitely not with Lan. “He may have put this possessive marking on me, but he doesn’t know he’s my mate.”
“Yet,” Lan said with a grin.
“Father will be pleased you are capable of it. If it is not Lan it will be someone.”
I groaned. You would think the Hells were desperate for fresh breeding material. And yet, I suspected it was only partly due to their need to bond before mating. I couldn’t help but think my father was adding flavor to the mix to establish connections to the border realm. It’s what the fae did and maybe he was picking up that bad habit.
“Is it customary to knock out humans and lug them around like a sack of potatoes?” Sebastian asked.
“Finally. I thought you were going to just overlook the fact. He is just a warlock I have to question. Nothing to be concerned over.”
“I am hardly concerned. Slightly amused and maybe confused, but not concerned. You might want to shroud him in illusions so that you are not charged with kidnapping.”
“Rather moot at this point given all the witnesses. Thankfully, none in this crowd is going to talk to Inter or call the cops.”
“As you wish. Now that you have been marked you must know that you have to return.”
I laughed. “Sometimes you’re so funny. I am fickle. I don’t have to do anything. Why do you think so?”
“Because you’re capable of a bonding and when you’re bonded to a demon you must return to the Hells. You will not be separated from him.”
For the moment ignoring the fact I most certainly didn’t have a mate, I wasn’t about to debate or discuss my sex life with my brother. And I was sure as hells not going to give up my way of life. “I live here.”
“It’s not a concern,” Lan said. “I hunt in this realm. I’ll not make her move.”
“I would like to see you make me,” I said. One point for me. Yah.
“But I must protect my claim until I’m assured she is mine or not,” he said. “I cannot help it, Raylien. My very being demands I keep you safe until we are united.”
So many euphemisms for sex; bonded, united, mated. He should just come out a say it, for all the talking around it.
“You can come then, but keep your aura bound tightly,” I said grudgingly.
“I didn’t ask,” Lan said. He had assumed. Unfortunately, it was not worth the argument with him.
***
Chapter 8
Just cause a witch has a shiny white aura, does not mean she’s a Good Girl
Lily Storm lived above a book store, which she owned and ran by herself. Quaint. It was one of those front book stores, where in front was filled with all the new age and metaphysic books people enjoyed, but didn’t have any real information. The back room held many witch implements, books and herbs. The covens preferred to work this way, because stores that sold witchcraft and pagan things, tended to be geared to flakey college students, the sort of pagan new age-ish fad type. Might as well milk the mundanes, but make sure they didn’t get themselves into too much trouble. Havencraft University was the university of choice for flakes, philosophy majors and budding witches. Her bookstore was only a couple blocks off the university, in an area full of college friendly pubs and cafes.
I’d never been to the place, as Chera tended to be my in with the witch community. Just touching base with the contacts I needed to and discussed situations with the witch Accords reps. Witches hated demons, because they claimed dealing with them was on the black side of the spectrum. So some of them, mostly on the whiter end of the spectrum, wouldn’t tolerate me enough to be of any use. I’ll say in demon kinds’ defence, demons were not on any spectrum a human could relate to and a great deal of witches had sooty auras to show they leaned that way anyway. Of course, demons had a dislike for witches as well, with the diluted fae blood and the rituals capable of calling them to the border realm. Those were the witches I usually took down with Inter.
I did note that the store had some interesting wards on it, not for keeping out fae or demons, but to warn of intrusion. That said Lily knew what she was doing and she knew as an unaffiliated witch she needed good security. It was common for business owner to be chased out of town if they refused to become affiliated with a coven.
As we walked up the back way to get to the apartment Lan moved ahead. “Eadon was here, I feel his lingering aura mark.”
“With the were-shifters always sneering at the scent of magic on me, it is good to know demons have a stink too,” I said. “Too bad my cousin was too young to know how to read the human tongue and give us a damn address.”
I’d shaken off my booze buzz quickly with a Sobriety spell, which meant I was right at the hangover stage. All it was really was a return to normal state spell. Mind over body was how fae healed; I just had to will myself into my natural state, which was incredibly easy in my Faerie plot and not quite so on the border realm. There was always that sort of slap back of static that was this world’s way of saying it did not like to be mucked around with.
“Your cousin has never been in this realm before. It was disorientating,” Lan said. “And, he is not in his right mind at this time.”
No doubt. He killed a few vampires, saved the girl, seduced the girl and then mated her all within a couple of weeks. Impressive really. He obviously had game. Except he also misplaced the girl.
As we walked up the stairs there was a lingering scent of burnt energy. As in someone had broken through whatever security this witch had. That meant witches right there. If it had been someone who had activated her protective ward or broken through her shields, it would not have been fried. The door was locked, but I spelled it open. “Stand by the door Lan, your scent will mar our scene.”
He obliged and leaned against the door frame, looking immovable. Ever the good soldier. This wasn’t his sort of gig anyway. Tracking down a person to save them, was a little different than hunting down crazed demons. For this part of the witch hunt, his only function was to shadow me. And shadow me he would because he was so ordered to do so by Bas. “I’m a tracker, Ray, and can be helpful. In this situation the energy trails are dissipated.”
“So not so helpful in this situation,” I said with a grin.
He laughed. “No, but if not for my orders, I wouldn’t be your lackey. Even if I like the view. If not for the situation and your desire to keep it quiet, I would be of much greater use. Until then, I’ll do as I was ordered.”
“Good boy.”
“That boy has got to be off his
rocker,” Dill muttered. “If he thinks you’re just gonna let your papa ride all over you. Surprised you’re not sick of this shit already. Doesn’t the Demon Lord know by doing this he will aggravate your position with the Queen? Does he like the idea of tormenting you?”
“What does he mean by that, Ray?” Lan asked.
“Never mind him. He gets all snarly when someone else is on guard duty rather than him.”
I gave Dill a warning look which he shrugged off. Dill was not comfortable with the fact I was the Queen’s punching bag for whenever she was peeved at my parents. He could do no more about that than I could, but that frustrated his overgrown shape shifter protective instincts.
“I made a deal, Dill. I made an oath to tolerate him for the duration. When that is done, then I am all game for pissing daddy off.”
What I hated about my parents was that they were not parents at all. I met my father when he had kidnaped me and that bonding experience had been very tiresome, but brief and he had not been there for my childhood or adulthood. Nor had my mother except for brief durations permitted by the Queen. Not their fault of course, but nonetheless I loathed how my father thought he had the right to dictate a damned thing now. It was damned awkward for one thing and I didn’t see the point to it all, except of course the political advantages.
While Dill began to explore the interior I looked around the perimeter. I placed my hands on the wall, wincing slightly at the twinge of burnt magic. Someone had torn right through the wards and expended a great deal of energy to do so. I ran my hands along the wall, moving farther from the tear until I could get a sense of the residue. I began to filter through the energy signatures to note their original purpose.
“You’re frowning. What is it?” Lan asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “Well, its peculiar, is what it is. She had some serious wards going on here. Mostly for distraction, so people wouldn’t be able to see her through a srcy. Or wouldn’t be able to find the place unless she explicitly told them. Most people would see the bookstore but not even know there was a floor above it. All very paranoid. Also, surprisingly strong. A coven can mask its presence from most people, but one witch? That shows some skills.” I ran my hand in a slow sweeping gesture, getting a feel for the layers of her spell work. “The last though is odd. Some heavy shield wards to protect her home from fae invasion. They are not strong shields that would prevent someone from entering or throw an aggressive spell, but very specifically designed ward shields to do everything outside of the obvious to deter someone one from entering. Some witches have such wards; a slight one to ward of demons, witches, vamps and shifters. Like the all in one insurance package. Those don’t need much energy to maintain and only warn of someone breaching the ward. But this one is strong and peculiarly focused on the fae. I would’ve had trouble entering her home if they were active.”
