Bella Flores Urban Fantasy Collection

by R D Martin

  As the magic faded, his eyes grew wide. She wasn’t sure if he was preparing to attack or just surprised by her actions. When seconds ticked by with no movement, she allowed herself to relax the tiniest fraction. As long as neither of them did anything stupid, both of them could walk out of here alive.

  “I’m… I’m sorry,” he said, just as a great green ball of light burst from his hands and flew toward her.

  She didn’t have to time to stop it and took the force of the blast to her chest. It felt like her skin had peeled off, strip by strip with a surgical precision meant to keep her alive and feeling. Every nerve stood on end as an electric current passed through her and her back arched, the sound of popping vertebrae as loud as gunfire in her ears.

  The spell running its course, she dropped to the ground, panting against the pain racing through her. Mouth hanging open, she tried to suck in air, but her burning lungs refused to work.

  She’d made the wrong decision.

  Raising her head, squinting through tears, she could do nothing but watch as the young man took another step toward her, preparing to hit her with another spell.

  Somewhere in the back of her mind, her subconscious shouted at her, railing against letting herself die and demanding she fight back. Pushing through the pain, she tried to summon magic, but only a small trickle came at her call, a small drop when she was used to an ocean. Forming a shield thinner than tissue, she put it between them. It wasn’t much, but she prayed it was enough.

  Another green light formed and flew at her, filling her vision until nothing else seemed to exist. The light hit her small ward and exploded like a firework. The ward held, cracked and losing form, but held.

  It was all the time she needed. Throwing the ward at the young man, knowing it would dissolve before reaching him, she sent a spell of her own following behind it.

  She watched as he brushed aside the broken ward with a sneer of contempt, throwing up his own to block the trailing spell.

  With her head cleared from his first attack, she would not give him a chance for another. On her knees, she pulled herself straight and thrust her fists toward him. Balls of electricity flew through the air, slamming into his shield and sending white sparks flying in every direction.

  She didn’t give him time to react, throwing the spell again, then again. Both times, crackling electricity hit his wards, and each impact cracked his shield a little more, forcing him to spend more magic to repair it. She needed to keep him on the defensive.

  Preparing to throw another volley at him, she stopped when a door on her right flew open, pouring a group of drunken revelers into the street.

  As far as the mixed crowd was concerned, all they saw was a woman on her knees with a man standing over her, holding out his hands as if ready to slap her, and two other men on the ground.

  One of the party, a young blond, screamed at the top of her lungs. It was all the catalyst the drunken party needed, and they surged forward.

  Grateful for the distraction, she turned to the young man in front of her and barely fell to the side as he rushed past her, running through the invisible wall blocking the alley and disappearing around the corner, a group of young men chasing close behind.

  With the help of her rescuers, she rose to her feet, letting their questions wash over her like water off a duck’s back. She barely heard someone call 911, while others asked questions she wasn’t about to answer.

  Turning, she stared at the unconscious form on the ground, and for the second time that night, a stupid grin split her face. The group of revelers around her took it for happiness at being saved, but she knew better. Lying on the ground in front of her was the man who’d not only beaten her but stolen the artifact from her in the first place. He knew where it was and now she had him. The fact she was the one beating him only gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach and more reason to smile.

  11

  “You should be happy,” Karina said, shaking her head as the two of them stepped out of the precinct building and into the early afternoon sunlight. “Not moping around like you’ve lost a puppy. Three guys attack you and all you got was a few scrapes and bruises. You’re lucky you didn’t end up dead.”

  It was true enough, Bella thought as she let Karina continue scolding her. As far as the fight was concerned, she was the lucky one, but that wasn’t why she felt numb.

  After the police and paramedics, there was a certain amount of awkward questioning to be expected, and she thought she’d managed her lies pretty well. No, she didn’t know the attackers. No, she didn’t know the one that got away. No, she didn’t need to go to the hospital. Yes, she wanted to press charges. Yes, she’d be more than happy to come to the station to fill out paperwork in the morning.

  Walking into the precinct station house, they’d waited at the front desk for far more time than she’d felt comfortable with before being greeted by a detective. The man was wide enough he could block any doorway he stood in, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if they used him as a battering ram from time to time.

  Walking between desks, he led them to a small room and asked if they’d like something to drink while they waited. Except for the table and chairs, the room was empty. Karina, making a joke about waiting for interrogation, stood and paced about. Their wait this time was shorter, but only just.

  Detective Monroe introduced himself, and dropping a pad on the table, began his questioning. The questioning was rather quick, and in short order, the duo was ready to leave.

  Bella reached for the door handle but paused when Karina turned to ask the officer a question.

  “Detective Monroe. We were only planning on being in town for a couple more days. You don’t think we have anything to worry about, do you? I mean, those guys could have friends or family or something, right?”

  She’d seen Karina stand up to vagrants with knives, break up fights and threaten to cut off the fingers of a man if he didn’t stop trying to touch her serving trays. But to hear her voice quaver, underscored with a touch of fear, was troubling.

  “Hmm? Oh, no. I don’t think so. We have a sketch of the one that got away being circulated, so he’ll lie low for a while. As for the other one, he will be transferred to lockup in a day or two. Your friend did a pretty good number on his knee.”

  Bella couldn’t help feeling a little pride at the compliment, though she knew it wasn’t intended to be one.

  “And the last one?” Karina asked before she had a chance to. “What about him?”

  “Him? Didn’t they tell you?” the detective asked. After they looked at each other before shaking their heads, the officer mumbled to himself as he sifted through his papers. Though he hadn’t meant to, Bella could make out a few words on the edge of her hearing.

  “What do you mean bad news? What bad news?” she asked.

  The officer sighed and put down his sheaf of papers. After a moment, his face softened from gruff to something a little more sympathetic.

  “I assure you, you will not have to worry about him.”

  The way he said it, she could hear his hope she’d drop the subject, but it only made her want to know more. The man in the hospital was key to her getting back the artifact and returning home with a win on her record. She had to know.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Well,” he started, and she could see he was trying to pick his words. Her stomach began twisting and icy tendrils formed at the base of her skull. “First, you’ve got to understand it wasn’t your fault.”

  “And?” she asked as dread crept down her spine and spread to her extremities.

  “Well, he was unconscious when they got him to the hospital. When they couldn’t wake him, they took him for a C.T. scan. He must have hit his head on the wall hard, because they found a lot of swelling. They tried to relieve the pressure, but by then it must have been too late. The doctors say he’ll wake up in time, but there’s so much damage, he won’t even remember his name when he does. I’m sorry.”


  It felt as though someone plunged a knife into her chest, and for a moment, she struggled just to breathe. Though the room was warm, she still felt a cold shiver race through her.

  “Are… are you sure? I mean, he could be okay, right?”

  “Oh, he could be fine,” the detective replied, having misread her concern. “Just remember, it wasn’t your fault. He attacked you.”

  She nodded and, after a few moments to allow her reeling mind to process this information, allowed Karina to lead her out of the station.

  The warm sunlight on her face did nothing to rid her of the numbness sinking into her bones, and she couldn’t stop her mind from circling around the single thought of her failure in New Orleans. The entire reason she’d come, to find the artifact and the men who stole it from her, was a bust.

  Well, not an entire bust, she admitted to herself. She hadn’t found them, but they’d found her, which made it even worse. Not only was she failing at accomplishing even the simplest of tasks but as she considered everything that brought her here, it struck her she was leaving a growing body count behind. One man dead, another a vegetable, what was next?

  Her friend’s arms wrapping themselves around her in a tight embrace was the first clue she had to how much she was shaking. Burying her face in the crook of Karina’s neck, she did her best to stop her body from shaking.

  It wasn’t fair. None of this was. All she wanted to do was prove she could do a simple job, that she was ready to be more than a magical delivery girl, and it felt as though the entire world was working against her. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to cry or rage, or perhaps a combination of both.

  “So,” Karina said, stepping back without letting go of her shoulders. “When we go out tonight, no wandering off, all right? We stick together, no matter what.”

  Bella nodded, not trusting herself as to what she felt regarding going out.

  “Besides, there’s way too many guys interested in you here. You’re like honey for bees.”

  Shocked at the statement, she stared at Karina for a moment and watched the sly smile slide across her face.

  “You know it’s true. After all, you’re beating them off with a stick.”

  It surprised her to have messages waiting at the B&B, not the least of which was one from Ray saying he’d been trying to reach her with good news and asking her to call him as soon as she got in. In all the excitement since she arrived, she realized she’d forgotten to give him her cell number.

  Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number and waited as it rang. When Ray’s voice came on, saying he was sorry he couldn’t answer, she left her number and told him to call her when he got the chance.

  Following behind Karina, listening to her drone on, she almost swallowed her tongue as the image of Gar appeared at the top of the stairs. It was even more confusing when Karina walked through the floating image as if it wasn’t even there. The apparition waved a hand for her to follow, and turning, it walked through a window and floated down to the courtyard where it took a seat at one of the small tables set up for guests.

  “Uh, Karina? I’m, I’m going to see if they have any coffee. I’ll meet you at the room in a bit, ‘kay?”

  “Sure. Hey, if they have any, bring me back one, will you? Light and sweet.”

  Bella nodded and, leaving Karina to her own devices, retreated down the stairs and out the back door.

  The sight of her large hairy friend filled her with conflicting emotions. While she was happy to see another friendly face, if anyone else saw him, he would cause a panic. She could just imagine the news outlets reporting sightings of Big Foot in the Big Easy. That was attention nobody wanted.

  “What are you doing here?” she hissed, approaching his table.

  “Ah, I love Mardi Gras, don’t you?” Reaching out, he waved his hand and two cups, filled to the brim with a dark brown liquid, appeared on the tabletop. From the aroma wafting from the cups, she was sure it was coffee, but when dealing with Gar, that was only a best guess.

  Her heart, already thudding loud in her chest, doubled its speed.

  “Are you crazy? Are you trying to get us killed? What if somebody sees you? You want the Imperium to track you down?” The fear underpinning her voice was the only thing keeping it from reaching a pitch too high for anything but dogs to hear it.

  “Calm down and have a seat.”

  “But what are you—"

  “I said, have a seat.” One of his sausage-like fingers pointed to the chair across from him.

  Wary, eyes darting in every direction as she watched for any witnesses, she pulled out the chair and had a seat.

  “Relax,” he said, and as he did so, a wave of comfort washed over her. They might as well have been the only two beings in the entire world at that moment.

  “What…” she started, settling into her chair. Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of the euphoria filling her. This wasn’t right, and she knew it. He knew it too, but why? Why was he here? What was going on? “What are you doing here?” she managed to ask.

  “Interesting. That spell usually works better. I guess you have grown stronger since you’ve been here.” There was a hint of approval in his tone and she sat straighter. It wasn’t often her teacher gave compliments.

  “Thank you, but still. What are you doing here? If someone sees you, there would be a ton of trouble.”

  “So, what’s your favorite thing about Mardi Gras?” he asked, ignoring her question and taking a sip of his drink. It amazed her how he could do so without soaking the thick hair covering his face. “Some people enjoy the constant drinking, others the food. Some just come for the parades, and I can’t blame them. Did you know some Krewes spend all year on them? The day after the parade, they’ll begin planning their new floats, retiring old ones, and deciding on everything from music to costumes. That’s my favorite part, you know. The costumes.”

  “Good for you,” she said. “But that still…” Before she could finish the thought, she understood what he was saying. “You’re not worried about being seen because everyone will just think it’s another costume.”

  He nodded, taking another gulp from his cup.

  “This is one time of year I can be myself among you humans, and don’t have to worry about being shot, chased, or killed and stuffed like a trophy. It’s quite liberating really.”

  “That’s great, but it still doesn’t answer why you’re here.”

  “And have you tried the King Cake? I don’t know why, but it’s never as good as during Mardi Gras. There’s something about it that just—"

  “Gar.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Bella, can’t I just be here to have a pleasant conversation with a friend?”

  “Gar?”

  Shaking his great shaggy head, he placed his huge cup on the table and sat up a little straighter.

  “All right. Skip the pleasantries and down to business, I guess.” His throat made a sound like a mountain rockslide as he cleared it. “So, do you know what it means to serve the Finder?”

  “I fetch and carry,” she said, though it was more of a question. Where was this going?

  “There is…” He paused as if trying to find the right words. “There is some small truth to that. And I guess I can’t blame you for thinking that way since, from your point of view, that’s all you’ve really been doing.”

  He spoke in the same manner he did during their lessons, but there was something different this time, some undertone to the conversation that didn’t sit easy with her.

  “So if that’s not it, then what is it? What does it mean to work for the Finder?”

  Though she couldn’t see them, she knew he was pursing his lips by the way the hair on his face seemed to draw back. After a moment he breathed a sigh that, at least to her, sounded more like resignation than anything else.

  “All right. I think if we will continue, you will need to understand something very important. When you
first came to us and he offered you a job, what did he promise?”

  “What?”

  “What did he promise you?”

  “Oh, uh, well…” She thought back to the day and their agreement. “Well, he said I could work for him, he’d pay me, give me a percentage of any recovered items, and teach me about magic.”

  “Were those his exact words?”

  “Well, no, not really. I mean, you know how it works. The images appear in your head and your mind just converts them to words, right?” What was he getting at?

  “True. But,” he said, pausing again. She’d never seen him so hesitant. Finally, shaking his head, he continued. “Bella, there’s really no easy way to say this, but you don’t work for the Finder.”

  “What? What do you mean? Is he firing me? It was one botched job, and even you said…”

  He raised his huge hand, forestalling more of her frantic questions.

  “No, no, I’m sorry. I said it wrong. Calm down, you’re not being fired.”

  She stared at him, trying to make sense of what he meant.

  “So if I’m not being fired, what is this? What’s going on, Gar? Why are you here?”

  “I’m here… I’m here because the Finder sent me. As a warning.” The last words came out in a rush.

  “A warning? What?” Her mind raced. What warning? Was there some kind of danger she hadn’t seen?

  “You don’t work for the Finder, Bella. You serve him, same as I do, more or less anyway.”

  “I don’t get it. It’s just a job, right?”

  “No, Bella. It isn’t. From the moment you entered his service, you agreed to accept his training and protection. In return, you would serve him in all things and stand in as his representative.”

  “Okay… A little old fashioned, but nothing wrong with that. Why are you so worried?”

  “You still don’t get it, do you?” he asked. His agitation flowed off him like waves and it was scaring her even more. “He guards his reputation more than most people guard their money, and as the Finder’s representative, if you embarrass him, he will take steps to, um, rectify the situation.”