by Tom Keller
"We want to fit in. Unless you'd rather be in wolf form the entire time. Didn’t your mother ever talk to you about to the Fae lands?"
"No," she replied. "She was Rougarou. Always said the more traditional grounds near our home turf were as good as anywhere. There were plenty of swamps and forestlands to run around near New Orleans and she never talked much about my father's side of the family before she died. As for my father… well, other than the basics, we haven’t had a lot of time to talk about issues outside the pack."
"Well, don’t take offense if I say you're in for a treat then," I said, respectfully ignoring the reference to her mother's passing. She seldom talked about her mother. I did know that she was killed by group of zealots that had been targeting Weres. Jazzy, then only 16 years old, had tracked them down on her own and taken vengeance, as tradition demanded. I was guessing that had been the catalyst that brought her to the attention of the agency. Jazzy's tracking skills were nothing short of amazing, and the EAB was always on the lookout for talent of that kind.
"There is nothing to fear," Aeva said, addressing Jazzy and reaching out her hand. "Come."
"Who said I was afraid?" she asked, grinning. She took the Faerie's hand and stepped into the light. Jesse glanced over at me and shook his head before following her in.
We appeared in the middle of a forest in Fae. It was a place I knew well, not too far from the main road. The trees were some of the largest outside of the city proper, with trunks wider than one could encircle with their arms. Unlike other dense forests, here, the spacing allowed the sun to shine through, making it bright and cheery. Jazzy stood a few paces in front of us, smelling the air, a look of pure bliss on her face. As I walked closer to her, she turned to face me.
"What is this?" she asked, dreamily. She stretched out her arms toward the trees.
"These lands were the home of your forefathers, as well as the Dryad," a voice behind her said. "Their call is as strong today as it was then."
She turned to see a medium size border collie, all black except for tufts of white on her neck and hind paws.
"I am Sophie," the dog said, placing a leather bag down on the ground in front of her. "Come. Let us run together for a moment. It will ease the transition."
"You're right. I feel the need to shift," she said, taking another deep breath of the forest air. With a nod from me, she reached for her zipper. Within seconds, she had stripped off her clothes and shifted into wolf form. She took off, following Sophie through the forest.
"Didn't take her long," Jesse said with a laugh, watching as she ran through the trees.
"First time here will do that to her kind," I replied, picking up her clothes. I turned back to the Hamadryad. "Thank you, Aeva."
"You are welcome, Protector," she replied, then disappeared back into the oak we had come through.
"So why didn't you tell me we were going to get transferred?" I asked Jesse, picking up the leather bag Sophie had dropped. I rummaged through it a moment and then tossed him some woodland clothes, before grabbing a set of my own.
"You know, I wasn't exactly built for this look," he said as he caught them.
"Those are Fae make," I replied with a chuckle. "Even you'll look good in them." The clothing in question was light Fae armor, and although it did remind me a bit of the clothes in old movies… Robin Hood always came immediately to mind… they'd fit proper, even on a guy like Jesse. He was shorter than both of us, maybe 5' 7", and built a bit like a fireplug, but it was all muscle. "I can probably find you a blue cloak and pointy hat, if that’s your preference."
"I don’t think so," he said with a smirk. We both got dressed before he spoke again. "And to answer your question, I only found out a few minutes before you did."
"Found out what?" Jazzy asked, landing beside us. She shifted back to human form, her dark skin shining in the in the sunlight, glistening with sweat from her run. She bent down and hugged Sophie, who'd landed beside her. "By the Gods, that was awesome! Thank you."
"But too short, " Sophie replied. "There will be time for more. Come, let me lead you to Handion's. Your table awaits. I took the liberty of providing an offering, as is custom."
"Thank you, Sophie," I said, before turning back to Jazzy and handing her similar Fae clothing. "Jesse was just saying that he heard about our transfer from his father about the same time I was in the SAC's office."
"I guess it pays to have your father running one of the most important branches of the agency, doesn't it?" she said, winking at the Wizard.
"Yeah, right," he mumbled, turning his head as she slipped on her blouse. "Like that's always a good thing."
"Hey… no peeking," Jazzy said with a chuckle, then pulled on her pants. It was a joke. Nudity wasn't an issue with Werewolves. Especially in front of team members who carried her clothes. Which is not to say that Jazzy didn't have fun with it now and then. I had to admit, it did seem to make Jesse a tad uncomfortable at times.
"Don’t we look the merry band," Jazzy said, admiring her clothes. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on? And what's this Handion place we're going to?"
"It's not a place, it's a he," I replied. "Handion is an Elf. He runs the inn nearby. It's called The Wayward Elf, and it's the perfect place to sit and chat. I'll fill you in when we get there. In the meantime, let me tell you about my home."
I told them about Fae as Sophie took the lead. We followed her onto the path that led to the main road. Once there, we continued until we reached the stone archway in front of the Inn. Inlaid in silver on polished wood above the arch, was its name, The Wayward Elf. We walked through the opening and into the courtyard before entering through the wooden doors.
We stepped into a large room, with walls of brick and wood. A fireplace with a stone mantle took up one entire wall. Here a warm blaze burned in the fireplace. It was enchanted, of course, no reason to burn wood here when magic works just as well. The bar ran the length of another wall and hand crafted wooden tables and chairs were placed throughout the room. Several of the Fae that were already here waved as we entered, then went back to their business. A tall blonde Elf was wiping the counter as we came in. He looked up as we approached the bar.
"What have we here?" the blonde Elf asked. "A Wizard, a wolf, and the Lord Protector himself. Will wonders never cease."
Sophie, still at the doorway, gave a bark at his greeting.
"My apologies, my lass. I meant no disrespect," the Elf said as he prepared something behind the bar.
"You are forgiven," she replied with a high-pitched bark that was her version of a laugh. There were more than just Dryad living in Fae; as was evidenced by Handion and Sophie herself. Many creatures made this their home, and Sophie was one of the guardians; defending the border and keeping the land safe. She trotted up to the bar as Handion stepped through an opening and placed a large bowl on the floor.
"Welcome, friends," the Elf continued, walking up and hugging me before turning to my companions. He went up to Jesse and Jazzy and clasped each of their hands as he introduced himself. Then he pointed to a door at the far side of the room and started toward it. "Come, I have a table prepared for you. Sophie tells me you have much to discuss. We can talk again when your business is concluded."
Handion led us to the room and closed the door behind us as we sat down at the wooden table. It was laid out with a variety of foods; wild game, plates of vegetables, and assorted fruits and breads. There were pitchers of fresh water, and of course, Elf ale.
"Quite a spread," Jazzy said, pouring herself an ale. "Makes me almost afraid to ask what's going on." She speared some meat and moved it to her plate. "But not quite. Spill, Jay. What the hell are we doing here?"
"Gimme a minute," I said, standing and walking to the door. The room was built of wood, and like most places in Fae, the wood was alive. I whispered a few words and the walls pulsed. Now, nothing we said would leave the room. Not that there was anyone here that would eavesdrop. Handion would have made sure of that.
But it was best to follow protocol, nonetheless.
"What'd you do?" Jazzy asked.
"He made the room secure," Jesse said, reaching for a pitcher. "Nice work, by the way."
"Comes with the territory," I said with a smile. I sat back down and reached into a pouch on my belt, drawing out two badge cases. I tossed one to each of them. As they caught them, the letters LV blazed momentarily on the cover. "Welcome to the 55."
"The 55!" Jazzy exclaimed, watching as the letters faded. They would now only appear if the bearer wanted them seen. "Get the f…. I thought it was General Assignment! That's not the way they do things. What's going on here?"
"I only know what they told me," I replied, glancing over at Jesse. "You know how the 55 works. Hell, they don’t exist outside the agency, so it's General Assignment to anyone that asks. Care to add more?"
Like I said, as a rule, the EAB worked hand in hand with the magical world to keep things in order. But when things turned to shit, they sent in the 55. I wouldn't say they worked entirely in the shadows, but liaison wasn't part of their operational plan. Their objectives and member status were classified, and publicly, members were just field agents. They were investigative and strike teams that gathered intelligence and information about targets that were a danger to humans, then took them down. They were still accountable for their actions, and had a control officer that kept them in check. But unlike regular units that coordinated everything with the office, they didn't need to ask for permission before doing their job.
Although seldom called by it, the unit's name dates back to ancient Rome. The numbers were a reference to their Roman numeral equivalent, LV, which were the first letters of the words, and their mission, Lamia Venator. When translated, it means Vampire, or Witch hunter. It goes back to the days when they hunted the Lilin, the creatures the Vampire legend stems from, the offspring of the Demon, Lilith.
Once, they were ancient enemies of humans, as well as the Fae. These days the Lilin live among us in peace, for the most part. But the name's still on the books, even if you can't find it anywhere. The EAB never did go in for political correctness, something we had to keep in mind. Today's Lilin and Witches still feared them, if for no other reason than their reputation.
"Why don’t you give us the official version first," he said.
"Theno said the EAB is going offensive," I replied. "They weren't very happy to find out that multiple groups had banded together to bring weapons into the human world, not to mention targeting several high-ranking beings. Then he gave me a line about how upstairs liked our work on that last raid. Apparently, they're creating several new 55 groups due to the recent activity and wanted to give us a team. We've got a control agent and we start tomorrow. Tomorrow, that is, in the human world. Time works differently here, so if we need a day or two to get into the groove, now's our chance. Oh, and there's one more thing."
"There always is," Jazzy said. "Give us the bad news."
"We're too close to it," I replied to her. "You and me, I mean. Your dad is the Pack Master of the local Weres, and mine is a high-ranking Fae. They don't want us in the middle if a conflict comes up with what the agency's doing so we're supposed to stay away from our usual Fae contacts; at least officially. That's why we're not liaison officers anymore. I got the feeling that this was their way of getting us out of the way, without offending anyone or making it look like that's what they're doing. Not necessarily the way I wanted to get promoted, but it beats getting transferred to some out of the way place. There you have it. Although, I'm still not sure why Jesse's here." I turned to face him. "Care to elaborate?"
"Don’t sell yourselves short," Jesse said. "You're both more than qualified for the 55. But Jay's right. The agency feels that you're too close. Samson though this would remove you from the constant contact, but at the same time make the best use of our abilities. That doesn’t mean we can't talk to friends or familia, but our investigations need to focus on the dark side of the world."
"But what about you?" I asked. "Why are you here? You don’t have any local ties to deal with."
"You wound me, Jovencito," he replied, using my old nickname among gangs from my days at Homeland Security before I came to the EAB. It was a reference to my age, or at least my young looks. My partner had been considerably older and they'd called him El Viejo, the old one. "Am I not the best Wizard out there?"
"I'm not even going to qualify that remark, Jesse," I said. "But that wasn't what I meant."
"I know you didn't," he replied with a smirk. "But a 55 team needs the right members, and you needed a Wizard. Besides, who else are they gonna find that can put up with you? We're all legacy kids, thanks to our parents. They might as well keep us together."
He ducked his head as Jazzy took that moment to throw a piece of bread in his direction. But he was right. 55 teams usually consisted of a warrior, a Wizard, and a tracker, and I couldn’t argue that we wouldn’t be good at whatever they threw at us. But Jesse was right. Being a legacy kid meant that sometimes other agents looked at you differently. As if we had a choice in who our parents were.
"Look," he continued. "There's some weird shit happening. My father thinks we can do something about it. He doesn’t think our regular contacts will get us anywhere. He wants us to look in another direction. That's why we're together." He looked over at Jazzy. "You're the best tracker out there and in addition to being our warrior, Jay knows how to run an investigation. As for the rest…" He lifted his mug and took a deep drink, then put both hands on the table. "Truth is, between the dark Fae and the Demons organizing, not to mention that little event at the raid, the agency's nervous."
"You gonna tell us what that was, by the way?" I asked.
"Somebody reached into the human world and changed something," he said, looking up and pointing his finger toward the ceiling. "Like I said, the agency doesn't know what happened. Something's changed, and we changed with it, and coming during the raid… well, that spooked the hell out of em. Which is why I told you to forget it happened. They'd tear a non-Wizard apart if they thought you knew something."
"So? What?" Jazzy asked, throwing her arms into the air. "We're not the same people we were before? Is that what you're saying? Who could do that?"
"Gaea," I replied. "Or someone like her. I can think of several with that kind of power." I shook my head. I'd seen firsthand what the Goddess could do to a person's life. "Doesn’t really matter. My dad says we're all playthings of the Gods, and I believe him. Trust me, I've been there. What do we do about it?"
"Do about it?" Jesse repeated. "Don’t kid yourself, Holmes. There's nothing we can do about it. There's just no way to know if what happened is good or bad, or even if any of us were affected. We'll probably never know, we just have to live it."
"Well that sucks," Jazzy conceded.
"Welcome to our world," Jesse replied, taking another drink.
"Isn’t getting promoted supposed to be a good thing?" Jazzy asked, slamming her cup down. "So much for that. Hell, I can't even tell anyone what I really do. Not that I'd want it public. I've got some Witch friends and that might be a little too much, even for them. This is why I hate magic. The shifter world, even as messed up as it is, is so much simpler. Screw this depressing shit! If there's nothing we can do about it, let's just move on."
"You're right," I said, reaching for a cup myself. "Let's deal with what we can handle. What else did your father say?"
"Do our job," Jesse replied. "Kick some ass and take names, like the 55 are supposed to do. In the meantime, he'll try to steer information that looks promising our way. Maybe something will show up that connects the dots."
"Works for me," Jazzy agreed. She stood, drained her cup, then straightened her blouse. "If we're done now, why don’t you show me what the rest of this place has to offer? Then I'll go on another run with Sophie."
"That, I can do," I said, pushing my chair back. " You're right. We need a break. Let's go. "
"Lead on, Jefe," Jesse said
, draining his cup, and following us out of the room.
Chapter 3
"Damn he's fast" I heard Jesse say as he caught up with me. We were in an alley, just off Stewart Avenue, a few blocks from the Boulevard, chasing a Demon. The Demon in question, Surgat, a minor Demon of locks, if Jesse had identified him correctly, had somehow been summoned by a burglar who'd been hitting several office complexes in the downtown area. We'd staked out the area and caught him in the act. The burglar was out cold; cuffed and shackled, then bound by magic in the same office where the wall safe Surgat had opened for him was located. The Demon, though, had made a run for it before we could take him out. Jesse had put a dampening spell over the area, but the little bugger wasn't making it easy. Jazzy, in wolf form, was ahead of us, on his tail.
"We've got him now," I yelled back as I watched Jazzy turn into one of the abandoned buildings. We sprinted to catch up. "The front's all blocked off. Stay here and watch the windows, I'll cover Jazzy."
The building had once been an apartment complex, but it had been gutted, and the whole first floor was a mess. I watched my step as I jumped over some junk that had been left behind before the place was abandoned. The darkness wasn’t a problem, thanks to my Fae eyes, but the remainders of the walls and plastic tarps that hung from the ceilings had turned the entire floor into a maze. I pulled an ancient Egyptian ceremonial dagger we'd brought just for the occasion, guns were no use here, and made my way through the remnants of the walls.
There was no sign of Jazzy, and I was halfway into the place when I heard a sound. I jumped to the left as I heard it rattling behind me. Figures a Demon of locks would carry a chain, I thought, as the iron links swooshed through the air where I'd been standing a moment before. The Demon gave his own version of a growl as I spun to face him, then he turned and disappeared into the rubble.
I chased him into another room, where he stopped with his back against the wall. He was short for a Demon, with stunted wings and a long, reptilian face. His mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and he had a serpent's tongue. His claws were long and sharp, and his tongue darted out of his mouth as the chain reappeared. He flicked his arm and it came toward me like a whip. I slung my head back. The tip came just inches away before hurtling back in his direction.
