Ciye’s eyes were hard. “I don’t know what they call themselves now, but you knew them by a name we must not speak.”
Dante felt a chill run down his back. “That’s not possible.”
Ciye tossed the butt down and crushed it out, then bent to pick it up and toss it into a trash can. “I have to go, but I’ll be in touch.” He drew Dante into an embrace, and kissed his cheek. “Watch yourself, old friend.” With that, Ciye turned and vanished into the crowd.
Dante leaned back against the wall and took a slow breath as he considered what Ciye had said. Some things must not be spoken of; to do so would give them power.
“I sure hope you’re wrong,” he said.
As he strode back to his car, he fished out his phone and dialed Faolan.
“How’s the investigation going?” Faolan asked.
“From what I’ve seen, Donovan has completely checked out. He’s ignoring the fae who aren’t nobles, and the changelings too. He might be ignoring the nobles for all I know.” Dante thought of Ciye and what he’d said. “It sounds like he’s brushing off not just the court, but our allies in the Cruinnigh. It’s a disgrace. No one of rank in the court is trusted by the general populace.” Dante sighed. “I can’t really blame them, but it’s frustrating. All I’ve found does nothing more than confirm what we already know.”
“Do you think this could cause waves with the non-fae council members?” Faolan asked.
“He’s not on the Cruinnigh, but he’s still a court noble, so maybe.”
“Well, I have some more bad news.”
“Oh good, I was thinking I needed more of a challenge.”
“Donovan has moved his court, and failed to tell the Cruinnigh where.”
“Tell me that’s a bad joke.”
“Wish it was. He’s proof the title noble isn’t earned by deed. I think maybe one of his parents was an oíche.”
Dante scoffed. “He’s not that smart.”
Faolan laughed. “I do know someone out there who might be able to help you. She’s good, but I’ll be polite and say her past is a little, well, shady.”
“I’ll take what I can get.” Dante stood by his car and scanned the area.
“Okay, I sent the message. She should be in touch short— Wait a minute.” Faolan was silent for moment. “Make that a couple of seconds.”
Dante saw an elfin woman step out of the alley and start walking toward him. “I’m giving you a raise, Faolan.”
Faolan laughed. “Just let me know if you need anything else.”
“I’ll probably need some wardens, when the time comes.”
“They’re waiting for your word.”
Dante clicked off the phone as the woman crossed the busy street and walked up to him. Her clothes were ill fitting and threadbare. She was short for an elf, barely six feet tall, and had dirty blond hair down to her shoulders. Her pale green eyes, very luminescent, sparkled as she smiled at him.
Dante opened his mouth, but she walked past him to the passenger side of the car, glanced around as she unlocked it in a manner he couldn’t see, then got in.
After a moment, Dante got in, started the car, and pulled out.
“Sorry. Best if no one sees me talking to you,” she said. “You are a noble after all, which makes you just this side of jackbooted Gestapo.” She gave him a small smile. “Nothing personal.”
“I understand.”
“I’m Elaine. Faolan said you could use some help?”
Dante arched an eyebrow. “I wasn’t expecting an elf.”
She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead. “Well, let’s just say my hobbies occasionally run afoul of the authorities, and my skill set isn’t appreciated by Cruinnigh, or the moronic blowhard.” She glanced at Dante. “I mean the magister and faerie godfather.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “He’s still playing at that?”
“Oh, you have no idea.” she said. “I’m guessing you’re looking for intel on the, uh, situation?”
“Anything you can give me. This region is a bit of an information black hole. The Cruinnigh didn’t care so much before, but after the events of last year—”
“So it’s true?” Her eyes widened. “About the oíche, and the princess?”
“Word travels fast.” He gave her a quick glance. “Yes, it’s true, but you’d be wise to keep that yourself.”
“Of course, thrice promised. Not that it matters, everyone’s heard the stories.”
He ignored that. “I hope you know something. No one else seems to, or if they do, they’re not sharing.”
“I’m not surprised.” Elaine reached up and adjusted the rearview mirror. “It’s worse than you’ve heard or seen.”
“Oh?”
“Aside from the missing changelings, it’s the slingers. Spell slingers—it’s what the kids call them. Wizards, though most have just a hint of power. They’ve started showing up in droves over the past couple of years.”
Dante thought back to Pikes Place and how many he’d seen there.
“At first, it could almost be written it off as a fluke. But the odd part is, they’re all street kids. Odder still, they seem to be migrating to Seattle. I know a dozen kids from as many states. Not a one can explain why they came here. Most just say it sounded like a good idea.”
“What kind of numbers are we talking about here?” Dante asked.
Elaine glanced into the rearview mirror again. “At least a couple hundred and that’s just in Seattle. Word is every city of decent size is seeing them at least in the dozens.”
“And all street kids?” he asked. “You’re sure you aren’t just not hearing about the others?”
“I’m positive,” she said. “They’re self-taught, so their skills are pretty limited, usually focused in one area.”
“Do you think the sudden explosion in the wizard population is connected to the abductions?”
“Well, they started showing up not long after the changelings started disappearing.” She leaned back in the seat. “I don’t know what the connection is, but there is one. It’d be too much of a coincidence otherwise.”
“Reasonable conclusion.”
“Nice to know my paranoia isn’t unreasonable.” She let out a breath. “No full fae have been taken, and only recently have the slingers started disappearing too. Problem is, none of them have turned up dead. Needless to say, the fifties are more than a little suspicious. So they’re all forming factions.”
“Factions?”
“The fifties and slingers have formed groups, like gangs, I suppose. They even name themselves—Ghosts are the biggest, with about twenty members, I think. Most are smaller, four or five. Magister Clueless doesn’t do anything to help anyone who doesn’t regularly kiss his ass, so the fifties had to start looking out for themselves.”
“Why don’t they leave?”
Elaine shrugged. “Not as easy as that. Most are so young that trying to get out would draw unwanted attention. Most are terrified to be out after dark, and traveling risks that. Easier to stay holed up somewhere and keep your head down.”
“Are there any witnesses to the abductions or body drops?”
She shook her head. “There were whispers at first, but it’s just rumor. They always happen at night, and are only individuals. Until a few days ago anyway.”
“What happened?”
“First, some kids may have actually seen the abductors. They were near one of those giganto-marts when they felt a really powerful surge of magic. A slinger girl came running out of the place, chased by some mortals in dark coats, all wearing hoods. One of the goons threw an entanglement spell at her, but she teleported out of the way and took off. The creeps tossed some kid into a van and took off.”
“A black van?” Dante asked.
Elaine nodded.
<
br /> “I found a demolished black van a few days ago, but I hadn’t heard anything about the attempted abduction.”
“You really need to get used to that feeling,” she said. “A lot happens that the nobles don’t hear about.”
He rubbed at his forehead.
“In this case though,” Elaine continued in a gentler tone, “one of the witnesses said the mortals were just standing around in a daze; a hundred of them at least. It was like some mass mind fog. Five minutes after the van left, everyone collectively snapped out of it and went about their business like nothing happened.”
His stomach started to twist. “That’s not a minor spell.”
“Not even close,” she said. “And then last night, three kids were taken, all at once. They were sheltered in a good spot in the Underground, with another faction not far away and wards all over. But, they were grabbed anyway, and without a single ward being set off.”
Dante was starting to put the pieces together, and he didn’t like the picture that was forming. This wasn’t some minor magical talent. The question though was—Were both incidents the same group, or was Ciye right and it was two groups? And if it was two groups, were they working together or against each other? Dante parked the car in a secluded spot, then ran a hand through his hair.
“I saw you talking to Ciye,” Elaine said.
Dante looked at her, eyes narrowed. “And?”
“Probably not my place, but I hope you know you can’t trust what he tells you.”
“You’re right,” Dante said, his tone sharp. “It isn’t your place.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh well, I beg your pardon, your royal pompousness. Just pretend I didn’t say anything, then. If you want to trust a trickster—”
“I know what he is,” Dante said. “And I know his nature. That’s why I wanted more help.” He leaned in close and looked her in the eyes. “Faolan seems to trust you, and I trust him. So, are you someone I can rely on or not?”
Elaine stared back at him for a long moment. She never blinked or looked away, but instead seemed to size him up. “Faolan says you’re a good sort and I put a lot of stock in his opinion.”
“Is that a yes? If not I have work to do.”
She nodded. “I suppose it is.”
“Good.” Dante leaned back. “Maybe it’s time to call in some wardens.”
“What, marshal law?” Elaine chuckled. “That’ll go over well.”
“It’ll go over better than innocent kids being grabbed off the street.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I suppose there’s logic to that, but you don’t understand who you’re dealing with.”
“So help me understand.”
“We’re talking about kids,” She said. “Most of them don’t have families, and those who did were either tossed out, or it was so bad they thought the streets were a better option. Think about how bad something would have to be for a kid to reach that conclusion.”
Dante considered that. “And most probably had no idea there was magic or anything else before their talents emerged.”
She nodded. “There’s that too. I’m just saying these are kids who’ve had to rely on themselves. They don’t trust easily, and they don’t react well to shows of authority. You bring in the troops and they’ll go underground. It might do more harm than good.”
“I’d keep it as discrete as possible,” Dante said. “But these are unusual circumstances.”
Elaine let out a breath. “Okay, fine. Then what’s your plan?”
“I need you to find out everything you can. I need facts, not rumors.”
She nodded. “I can do that. What about you?”
“First things first. It’s long past time for Donovan to step up and take responsibility. Any chance you know where he moved his court to?”
She shook her head. “Only his inner circle is graced with that information. Tomorrow is Sunday though. You should try the Freemont Market. All the factions go there to trade. They don’t stick out as much as they do at Pike. Some of Donovan’s thugs are usually there to remind everyone who’s in charge.” She looked at him. “The troll might know something too.”
Dante looked at her, eyebrows up. “Care to be more specific?”
“Sorry, the Freemont Troll. I don’t know if he’ll say anything, but it couldn’t hurt.”
“All right, I’ll check it out,” Dante said. “You do your digging. Do you have a phone?”
She nodded.
He handed her one of his cards. “Keep me updated. I’ll see if I can find some of this inner circle and persuade them to share their information.”
Elaine smiled and her eyes twinkled. “I think I’d rather see that.” She reached to open the door, but Dante caught her arm.
“Wait, are you armed?”
She blinked. “I’m more the ‘avoid a fight’ kind of girl.”
Dante opened his glove box and pulled out a holster. He glanced around, then removed a pistol made of green tinted metal and handed it to Elaine. “Sometimes it can’t be helped, and I would rather you had this and not need it than the alternative.”
“Good point under the circumstances.” She checked the magazine, chambered a round, and checked the safety before slipping the pistol back into the holster and sticking it into her coat pocket.
“I’ll wait a few days, but after that, I’m calling in the cavalry. It might not go over well, but I’d rather the kids be alive and calling me a despot than dead.”
Elaine opened her door and got out. “I’ll work fast.” In seconds, she had vanished into the mass of people wandering the street.
Chapter Twelve
"Come on, sleepy,” said a small, worried voice from somewhere inside the disjointed reality around Wraith. “It’s time to wake up.”
Wraith tried to move, but her ears were ringing and her head throbbed. It felt like she was in a dozen places at the same time, and in all of them, she hurt. Her fear and anxiety churned, building in insistence, growing ever darker. She managed to push that darkness back, but it still lurked, almost like a living thing waiting for its chance.
“Come on, love,” a boy said. “I think that’s long enough.”
“I’m trying,” Wraith said through gritted teeth. The dream, if even was a dream, wouldn’t let her go. She fought to hold her memories together, but they crumbled and slipped through her fingers. She couldn’t lose these pieces, not now. She focused harder, but something was making it hard to breathe.
“They’re trying to kill you,” Nightstick whispered. “Fight, or die.”
Wraith knew he was right, and she reached out for power in desperation.
“Look out!”
Wraith’s eyes snapped open just as she released the flames that had gathered in her hands. Con dove to one side as twin columns of fire lanced straight up, hit the ceiling, and snuffed out. The only signs left were the pervasive heat in Sprout’s room and the two large scorch marks on the concrete above Wraith’s head.
Sprout and Con lay on the ground, the former obviously tackled by the latter, blinking and staring at her in silence.
Wraith tried to put the scattered pieces together, pulling herself back to reality. Her stomach was doing flips, and every time she moved her head, the throbbing behind her eyes increased.
Con leapt to his feet. “What the bloody hell was that about?”
Wraith winced. “I don’t—”
“Are you trying to burn the place down, you nutty prat?”
“What? No! I just—” The words died as she felt memories crumble into nothingness.
“Oi! I’m talking at you! You could’ve killed her,” Con said, motioning at Sprout. “What are you playing at?”
Wraith tried to answer but her hands started shaking. Nothing was holding together. If only Shadow were here, she could make
it all calm. Make it all better.
“Con, stop it!” Sprout shouted.
“Get off. I’m done with this bollocks.” Con took a step forward.
Toto growled and stepped in front of Wraith, teeth bared.
Con muttered something and fire gathered in his hands. “You best call him off, love, before I turn him into a barbecue.”
“Everyone just stop!” Sprout shouted.
Dozens of thorny vines broke through the concrete floor and formed a wall between Toto and Con. At the same moment, the front door was thrown open. Geek and Ovation ran in, took one look at the scene, and froze.
“Um, did we miss something?” Geek asked.
“You did at that, mate,” Con said. “She nearly fried the little one—”
Toto growled again, then barked in protest.
Wraith blinked. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was arguing the point.
“All right,” Ovation said. “Everyone just take a breath. Sprout, could you prune this back a little?”
“That may not be a good idea,” Geek said as he looked from Toto to Con, who still had the flames gathered in his hands.
“Con,” Ovation said. “Snuff it.”
Con shook his hands and the fire vanished. “Aye, aye, Captain. It’s on your head, then.”
Ovation turned to Wraith, then Sprout. “Could someone please ask Toto to settle down?”
“Come here, boy,” Wraith said.
Toto turned and looked at her.
“It’s okay,” Wraith said. “Come on.”
Toto relented and went to her. She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close, gripping his fur like a life preserver.
After a skeptical look, Ovation nodded. “Okay, Sprout.”
The vines drew back into the ground, leaving only spots of exposed earth where the floor had been pushed aside. Ovation sat between Con and Wraith as Geek began putting the displaced chunks of concrete back in place. From the way he did it, Wraith guessed it wasn’t the first time.
“Now, tell me what happened,” Ovation said.
Con, Sprout, and even Toto began talking, or barking, at the same time.
Ovation rubbed his head and raised his other hand. “One at a time, please. Sprout?”
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