by A. Blythe
Gary’s jaw tightened. “A couple of guys lost it. One of them screamed so loud and so long they had to sedate him.” He paused for a steadying breath. “Dr. Frankenheimer told us that with their invention, they’d be able to make sure we never had to see demons again.”
“Did he explain why?” I asked. “The gas doesn’t kill demons. It only gives humans the ability to see them.”
Gary fidgeted beneath the rope. “He didn’t say. It felt like a sales pitch.”
I moved closer to him. “And how’s it been for you out in the city, now that you have the Sight?”
“Strange,” Gary admitted. “I see lots of colors. I had no idea there was a whole other world inside our own.” He chuckled. “Makes me feel kinda stupid.”
“You shouldn’t,” I told him. “Most humans don’t possess the Sight. It’s almost a protective measure.”
“Magicians do, though,” he said. “And they’re human.”
“You’ve been reading up?” I asked. It didn’t sound like New Horizons provided a tutorial.
“Found some stuff on Wikipedia,” he said. “Had to set my browser to private mode because one of my sons saw my history and asked if I was writing a book.”
“Mages are human,” I said. “You’re right about that. What do you think will happen to those people if they’re targeted by regular humans who are scared of their powers? Of their magic?”
“I guess it’ll be the Salem witch trials all over again,” he mused.
I leaned over, my face only inches from his. “I know a lot of mages, Gary,” I said. “They’re good people. You seem like a good person, too.”
He gulped. “I try to be.”
“I don’t want to kill you.”
“I don’t want that either.”
“Glad we agree on that.” I straightened and pulled out my phone.
“Who’re you texting?” Farah asked.
“Oscar’s on standby,” I said. “He can get me a mage here in under five minutes.” I shot off a quick text and focused back on Gary. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt a bit.”
“Is the mage going to kill me?” he asked, and I heard the fear in his voice.
“No, Gary. She’s just going to make sure you don’t remember any of this, for your safety as well as ours. Unlike your employers, my friends aren’t dicks.”
I left the room and returned to Mix in the lab to wrap up. The only thing I wanted to do now was go home. A hot shower had my name written all over it. I wanted to rinse away the stench of this hateful place and climb under the covers for a good night’s sleep. But I knew it wouldn’t be restful, not when my world was full of so many nightmares.
13
I was unloading new stock in the armory when the supernatural alarm sounded. I glanced at the security camera and was surprised to see Greer Reed entering the store. He stopped to admire the leather chaps on the mannequin before heading toward the dressing room area.
I met him by the velvet chairs. “Finally. I thought you were trapped under something heavy.” It seemed ages since Reed sent a message to him.
“If it isn't my favorite djinni in a bottle," he said, kissing my cheek.
“It’s good to see you, Greer. I guess you know about the PAN asset on my doorstep.”
He cleared his throat. “The first thing you should know is that Ridley was working for me.”
“For you?”
“He was one of our regulars and we had a good working relationship."
My stomach began to twist into knots. "And let me guess. You asked him for a favor."
Greer nodded. "I asked two assets to investigate your burn notice. Ridley was one of them."
Two assets. “Greer. You didn’t have to do that.” And now another innocent person was dead because of me. The thought did not sit well with me.
“You deserve the help, Alyse. Anyway, I lost contact with Ridley over a week ago. I knew he’d had a breakthrough, but he wasn't ready to say more. Obviously, now I wish he had."
"But why would he be at my apartment? Why not come to you with the information?"
Greer shrugged. "I wish I knew. He was never meant to make contact with you. In fact, it was expressly forbidden. This whole operation is off the books. Plus, I knew you’d object, so I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t even tell my brother.”
I was already fond of Greer, but this solidified it. “I appreciate your efforts to help me.”
“It’s for my brother as much as for you,” he admitted.
I tried to get inside Ridley's head. If I were in his position, what would make me come to my doorstep? Imminent danger was all I could come up with. The realization did little to ease my tension.
"You have no clue what information he gathered?" I asked.
"I'm afraid not. Obviously, everything was being done under the radar since it’s unofficial business.
"And the second asset? Are you keeping tabs on him?"
"It's a her. Bianca.” Greer rubbed his hands against his thighs in a nervous gesture.
I waved my arms emphatically. “Do me a favor and cancel Bianca’s orders. I don’t want her to end up dead like Ridley. I don't need any more blood on my hands.”
Greer looked surprised. "The blood isn't on your hands, Alyse. It's on the person responsible for Ridley’s death.”
“And that’s me.” However indirectly.
Greer raked a hand through his hair in a gesture reminiscent of his brother. “There’s more,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. Bianca turned up dead.”
“Missing,” he said. “We were supposed to meet this morning, but she didn’t show.”
Someone was going to a lot of trouble to make sure Greer didn’t receive the information he sought.
“When was your last communication with her?” I asked.
“Last night,” he said.
“Was she already local?” I asked.
“Yeah, she was staying at a safe house over in Northern Liberties. She said she had crucial information.”
Same as the first asset. “I assume you checked out the safe house already.”
“Right after she didn’t show. There was no sign of forced entry or a struggle.” He splayed his hands. “No trace of her, actually. Like she was never even there.”
I inhaled deeply. “Greer, both of your assets ran into trouble once they arrived in town.”
He nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. You don’t think it’s the Dragon, do you?”
It was possible Serena was involved. She seemed to be the puppet master for every shady operation in the colony.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” I said. It was as much as I could say without admitting I knew the identity of the Dragon.
Greer’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You don’t want the Dragon targeting you.”
“No, but when did that ever stop me?” I already knew Serena was planning something big. If I was somehow an unknowing pawn in her mischief, I needed to find out sooner rather than later.
“Let me know what you find out. I’m staying with my brother until we find her.”
I bit back a smile. No more sleepovers for a while then.
“Why are you smiling?” Greer asked.
Okay, not the poker face I was going for. “Just imagining you and Reed in your jammies, brushing your teeth side by side.”
He grinned. “I’d think you’d want to imagine my brother without his jammies.”
I shoved him aside. “Never mind what I imagine. Now go track down your missing asset before we have one more regret.”
All I needed to do was check the schedule online for the city’s events to figure out where I could find society matron Serena Edwards. Thanks to Mix’s meticulous research, I knew every charity she was involved in. Today was a luncheon at a fancy restaurant called the Hermitage, where Serena would be presenting a lifetime achievement award to some business mogul who’d donated a hundred thousand dollars to a li
teracy charity. My best shot at learning something was to catch her off guard. Then again, she’d been covering her tracks for years with expert precision.
I hurried upstairs to the apartment to change into something suitable. I needed to blend in with the crowd of patrician WASPs and, with my frizzy dark hair and face with an attitude, that was no easy feat. I smoothed my hair with a dollop of hair gel and slipped on a pink dress suit with kitten heels. I looked like a younger, more attractive version of Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter.
I bided my time in the back of the ballroom, smiling and forcing myself to look interested in the event. I watched Serena mingle with the mayor and other city VIPs. Serena Edwards, the wealthy philanthropist, was every bit as powerful as the Dragon. Why didn’t she stick to life above board? It was greed, pure and simple. There was no other explanation.
When she got up from the table, I made my move. I cornered her in the place she was the most vulnerable—the restroom.
“You forgot your pillbox hat, dear,” Serena said, observing me coolly out of the corner of her eye.
“I’m afraid I left it in the Sixties.”
“You wouldn’t know it from looking at you.” She powdered her nose like I wasn’t even there.
“Just trying to blend in with your people.”
She made a noise at the back of her throat. “My people. I hardly think so.”
“No, you’re above them all, aren’t you?”
She admired herself in the mirror as she adjusted the loose tendrils. “Why are you here, darling? And don’t tell me it was an excuse to wear that hideous outfit.”
“I have a question for you.”
“At least you’re not here for the salmon. It’s horribly disappointing. The glaze is far too sweet.”
I ignored her comments, trying to stay focused on the task at hand. “PAN has lost two assets in the city recently.” I monitored her expression in the mirror for any sign of recognition.
“Is that so? Then they should probably do a better job of keeping tabs on them.”
“One turned up dead, in fact. The other one is missing. I’d like to find her before something terrible happens to her. Something regrettable.”
Serena applied a fresh coat of lipstick and puckered her lips. “What do you think of this color? A bit too coral, isn’t it? Women of a certain age need to wear more muted tones, I think. We begin to look as washed out as we are washed up.”
“I hardly think anyone would refer to you as washed up.”
“You wouldn’t because you know me.” She gave me a pointed look. “People underestimate us, dear. All the time. We’re attractive and vibrant women. What power could we possibly wield when we look like this?”
Serena dropped the lipstick into her purse and snapped the top closed.
“Are you telling me you don’t know anything?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that,” she replied calmly. “But I’m not involved, if that’s what you really want to know.”
As she turned to exit the bathroom, I grabbed her wrist. “Whatever you do know, Serena, now is the time to tell me.”
She gave my fingers an icy glare before focusing on my face. “I have to protect my interests, Alyse. When yours and mine don’t align, I’m afraid your needs fall by the wayside.” She shrugged. “That’s just how it is.”
“And what about when yours and Pinky’s don’t align?” I challenged her. “Do your daughter’s needs fall by the wayside, too?” I released her wrist and she calmly lowered her arm.
“I’m talking about you, not Seraphina. You’re not one and the same.” She paused. “You would do well to remember that.”
“Or what? You’ll kill my friends?” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard your veiled threats before.”
She laughed lightly. “Oh Alyse. Whatever made you think the threats were veiled?”
I pushed her hard against the wall and whipped out a dagger, pressing the blade to her throat. “I could kill you right now.”
Serena didn’t even blink. “You can’t, actually. I’m under a protection spell. You could try, of course, but it would only force me to take decisive action afterward. And what would my darling daughter say? She’d never forgive you.”
Her voice was so even, so certain of the outcome. By the gods, I hated her.
I sheathed the dagger and let her go. “I would appreciate your cooperation on this, Serena. Dead PAN assets only serve to draw attention to the colony. I would think you’d rather avoid the agency spotlight.”
Her jaw tightened. “Since when you do care about the colony? You’re a lone wolf, aren’t you? At least you were, once upon a time.”
“Don’t pretend to know me, Serena.”
Her face hovered close to mine. “You still see yourself as a tumbleweed blowing through town. You have no idea who you are.”
I really didn’t. She sounded like a raving lunatic. “A tumbleweed? Seriously, Serena. Too many champagne cocktails?”
This time her laugh was genuine. “I wish I could enlighten you, dear. Truly I do. Like I said, our interests simply do not align on this matter.”
“Then I guess we have nothing more to talk about.”
“You should have come to me about your problem with Vito,” she chastised. “I could have helped you with that small matter.”
“Vito was mine to handle,” I said.
She straightened her blouse and fidgeted with the wisps of blond hair that framed her face. “It sounds like he did all the handling, wouldn’t you say?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” And, thankfully, unscathed. I couldn’t say the same for Mikaela.
“Barely. Do you think Captain Reed would’ve gone after him for revenge? Perhaps Detective Thompson?” She pretended to look thoughtful. “Obviously Mix and Farah would try to avenge you. Sidekicks are all about seeking vengeance.”
Naming my friends. Another threat to their safety. Serena was keeping a list and checking it twice.
“And don’t forget Pinky,” I said. “Your daughter would be first in line for revenge if anything happened to me.”
Serena’s eyes narrowed. “I prefer that she stay out of harm’s way. In fact, I’m fairly certain we agreed on that point.”
“We did.”
She gave me a curt nod. “You should stay for dessert. The chocolate mousse is delightful. So light and airy.”
“No thanks,” I said. “I’m on a diet.”
“Your loss.” She pulled open the door and disappeared down the hall.
I continued to stand in the bathroom, my mind racing. Serena knew something. But why would she keep it to herself if she wasn’t involved? What motivation did she have to protect someone else’s secret? More importantly, who was powerful enough in the colony to pose a threat to the Dragon?
I collected myself before leaving the restroom and headed out into the afternoon sunshine.
14
“You never talked about Ghuls invading pet stores and warehouses full of livestock in Ghul School,” Thompson complained.
We’d been called to a warehouse by the Delaware River. Protectors on patrol had spotted Ghuls lurking nearby and the only food source within a mile was the livestock awaiting transport in the warehouse.
“Their behavior is out of character,” I replied.
Thompson arched an eyebrow. “Out of character like when they banded together during the Colony Games?”
“Different type of out of character.” I leaned against the pile of crates, thinking. There was a connection I wasn’t making. “Thompson?”
She shushed me. “Isn’t this the part where we’re supposed to be quiet?”
“The noisy chickens will cover any sound we make,” I replied. “Besides, they’ll smell us soon anyway.”
She bristled. “Speak for yourself.”
An idea began to take shape. One I didn’t like. At all. “Have you noticed an uptick in missing persons cases lately?” I asked.
“You mean like your mi
ssing teen?”
“Mikaela is what made me think of it. Yeah.”
“Actually, yes. A few detectives were talking about it recently. I happened to be passing by Barlow’s office and paused to eavesdrop.”
“Anything stick out at you?”
“There seemed to be no rhyme or reason. They weren’t all teen girls or elderly residents with dementia wandering off the nursing home grounds.”
“Were you aware that the number of homeless people decreased in the city these last two months?”
She snorted. “Keeping up with the local news, huh?”
The chickens began flapping around in the crates and clucking loudly. The Ghuls were in the building.
“Just because I don’t moan and groan in the grocery store about the sorry state of affairs doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention to what’s happening in this city,” I said. And my knowledge was coming in handy now.
“Okay, Philadelphia Inquirer. So what’s your insight?”
I didn’t have time to answer. Two Ghuls rounded the corner and we jumped to defensive positions. Thompson wielded a copper and iron saber like she’d been handling it for years. She never failed to impress me.
I whipped a labrys above my head and swung hard, slicing the Ghul’s forearm.
“You always surprise me with these weird weapons,” Thompson panted, keeping her Ghul at arm’s length with the long blade. “Where do you find them?”
I kicked my Ghul back before swinging the labrys at his torso. With stacks of crates behind me, I needed enough room between us to maneuver.
“It’s a ritual axe that Farah drooled over,” I explained, stomping down on the Ghul’s toes with the heel of my boot. “It was used for bull sacrifices by female priestesses.”
“Seems apt,” Thompson said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the saber pierced the Ghul’s heart and he slumped to the floor before slowly dissolving into dust.
“More incoming,” I said, dispensing my Ghul with a final blow to the neck. Their necks weren’t always easy to penetrate due to their incredible thickness, but I’d gotten in enough whacks to weaken the muscles and tendons.
