by Elsa, Sandra
Sweat broke out on Harrison’s forehead as he struggled to hold the illusion against my reawakened awareness of his aunts. He lost the spell and snapped at Lisa, “Will you shut the fuck up.”
She straightened, a hand held to her chest, eyes wide, jaw aquiver. “For criminy’s sake, Harrison, it’s a simple illusion spell, has she affected your magic as well as your manners? That would certainly explain your father’s bizarre behavior. Martha did say she seemed an uncouth outsider, and that she saw your interest fading once you were back with your own people.”
“Aunt Lisa, you’re treading very close to my last nerve.” Persuasion entered his tone. “Go in the bedroom with your husband and close the door.” Lisa obeyed without question. His voice lost its harshness when he spoke to Annabel. “You may stay or go as you wish, Aunt Annabel. Just please don’t interrupt me.”
“Quiet as a church mouse, Harrison.” She crossed her chest and sat in a chair by the round table overlooking the beach.
Then he turned back to me. “Now where were we? Come on, Babe, we only need to make the elevator. With little effort he tugged illusion firmly around us again. With a wave to Annabel, he said, “You can let her out once we’re gone.”
“Don’t you worry about us. You have a good night. And thank you for looking out for Jeffrey.”
We made it to the elevator and outside the hotel without so much as a hint of anybody tailing us. I didn’t figure it would last once we hit the boardwalk but it was kinda nice to be on our own for a change. Harrison dropped the spell as we strolled down the walkway between buildings. We ended up on the beach, I found myself frequently turning to assess the buildings and the crowds behind us. I laughed about the fifth time I caught myself doing it..
Harrison arched a brow questioningly and I said, “Maybe they were keeping tabs on us, but I guess I trusted our tail to notice if anybody else was watching us. It’s our first time out without chaperones since we were shot and I don’t seem to be able to relax.”
“Wanna just head for our house? Make our own supper?”
“That sounds like a really good idea. I just doubt we’ll be alone. Jerry’s probably there.”
“And if he’s there,” Harrison said, “there are probably other people there. But I guarantee it won’t be father’s crowd.”
“Sounds good.” We walked back to the street and waited at the nearest trolley stop. There were lights on as we approached the house.
The curtains were drawn across the picture window. I slid up and peered through the crack between the drapes, preferring to know just who exactly I’d be walking in on.
As expected, Jerry was there. Also present were several of the young mages I’d been introduced to at the reception. I shifted to peer as far as possible to either side. Sitting in a corner was the last person I expected to see--Johnny Girlo.
Unlike the others who were socializing, he sat in a wooden rocker watching everyone interact. Nobody spoke to him or even looked at him. I backed away from the curtain and drew my pistol.
“What’s up?” Harrison asked quietly.
“Look at the rocker in the corner. Tell me what you see.” He crept up to my vantage point and stared through the window. Then backed up beside me. “There’s nobody there.”
I glanced in again, Still there. Dark hair cropped fairly short. Perfectly white teeth parted slightly in a grin, and warm hazel eyes. Not even the scar across his right cheek made him look like one of the most wanted men in the world..
I backed out in the road, wishing I had my phone. I explained what I saw to Harrison.
He nodded. “Some sort of camouflage spell.”
“Don’t look at him when we go in there.” I holstered my pistol. “Talk to Jerry, or any of the others. Just stay relaxed. Follow my lead. I’ll wing it as it develops.”
He bent over and kissed me. “You’re the boss.”
Silence flooded the room as we opened the door to our own house. Jerry came out of his stunned stupor first. “Harrison! Frankie! What are you doing here?”
“What are we doing here? This is our house.”
“We kinda figured you’d be in that suite for another day or two.”
“So the party’s at my house and I’m not invited.”
“They’re all your friends, Harrison. Didn‘t figure we‘d pry you off of her, or out from under her.” He gave a weak laugh.
Harrison wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “You only brought us one set of clothes. You have to have thought we‘d show up sooner or later. And what has everybody been talking about?”
“Just catching up on gossip from District Seven.” Jerry squirmed and I wondered how much damage he’d done to secrecy.
“Just what have you been gossiping about, Jerry. Because I can think of two things that will get you sent back to District Seven with your Mama real quick.”
His face lost all color. “I’m not a complete idiot, Frankie.”
“Just so we’re clear. You don’t talk about what we’re doing down here, and you don’t talk about me.”
“I don’t plan on dying anytime in the near future, Frankie. You’re a little too fast on the trigger for me to spread gossip.”
I pulled my nine-mil from its holster. “This trigger? Or the one on my temper?”
“Little of both, Frankie. Shit, you can be scary.”
I turned around the room and people flinched and ducked out of the way. “Safety’s on, people.” They had however cleared a path to the rocking chair. I flipped the safety off, explaining as I went, “You see, unless I release this, the pistol is completely safe.” I brought the pistol up, aiming at the rocking chair and people shifted even further from my field of fire. “But of course, now that the safety has been released, the pistol is quite deadly. Isn’t that right, Mr. Girlo?”
Chapter 21
The rocking chair tipped forward as Johnny Girlo stood, hands held out to the sides, eyes locked on mine. “Can you see him now, Harrison?”
“Yeah. He’s come out of his camo.”
“Good. I need everybody to move behind me. Jerry, call Trooper Ralston. Harrison, grab my phone. Call Wally.”
Harrison turned toward the bedroom and I said, “Walk behind me.”
Once Jerry was on the phone I said, “Sit back down Mr. Girlo.”
“Call me Johnny.”
“Well Johnny. It’s a pleasure to see you after all these years.”
“I never saw you before in my life. Except from the newsnet the last couple of months.”
“I nearly went to jail for you five years ago.”
He snapped his fingers. “I knew that name was familiar. You blew up that building when the watch was nearly on top of me.”
“Like I told them. I didn’t do that. Just got blamed for it. And here we are again, five years later. Care to explain what you’re doing in my house?”
“What did it look like I was doing, Francesca?”
“Collecting intelligence. Who do you work for?”
“Telling you that would get me killed. What does a beautiful woman like you see in these sorts?”
“You mean mages? Or my husband?”
“Who is also a mage.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but have you looked at him?”
“OK then, mages in general.”
“As a matter of fact, until recently I spent a good deal of time avoiding mages. As I guess you do. I’m assuming you’re not registered.”
“That would be a good assumption. But I’ll throw it back at you.”
“Why would I be registered? Anybody in this room who sees magic can tell you I have no talent. In fact when they accused me of blowing up that building they tested me. So tell me. Do you supply District Seven?”
“I supply whoever requires my product.”
“Your product kills people.”
“Not if used judiciously.”
“Does that include people like Mage Domingo?”
A flare of recognition on
the name, quickly shuttered away. “I’m afraid I don’t know a mage Domingo.”
“When I killed him he was out of his mind on Jin. I believe that‘s one of your products.”
“You…you killed mage Domingo?”
“Thought you didn’t know him. I watched him splatter two people across the Center City Traffic Circle in District Twenty-One before I stopped him.”
A touch of fear entered his eyes, they lost the languid warmth of confidence. “You couldn’t possibly have killed a battle mage.”
“Tapped him twice. Once between the eyes, and once in his chest. It really wasn’t that hard. Did you hope your drugs would make him your battle-mage? One thing I‘ve discovered recently is that very few mages truly comprehend the power behind a bullet. Mother-fucker cost me twelve-hundred dollars. The Were I--“ More pieces of historical puzzle tumbled and snapped in place. “Oh my god, the Were was there to collect Domingo. Of course, that would explain that…Send someone impervious to magic to collect the rampaging battle-mage. That homicidal creature was yours too. Who do you work for?”
“I’m done talking to you. I know my rights.”
Wally’s warm, deep, voice spoke from behind me to my left. “We’ve got this Frankie. He’ll talk to us.”
Two Weres approached Johnny Girlo, in wolf form.
“I haven’t disarmed him,” I warned Wally.
“Stand up, Girlo.”
Johnny complied.
“Turn around. Hands against the wall.”
Johnny Girlo offered no resistance. Rollick shimmered back to human and frisked him, removing a forty-five loaded with silver, a Beretta Tomcat and a taser.
When he was through, he held out his hand and Wally tossed him some cuffs. Once he was secured I holstered my weapon. I spoke low for Wally’s ears and informed him that Girlo had a camouflage spell that nearly made him invisible. “That qualifies him as an unregistered mage. Be careful, there’s no telling what other tricks he may have.”
“Harrison mentioned that when he called. Those cuffs are charmed to suppress talent. We’ll get him in a containment unit. What are you doing here, Frankie?”
Rollick marched Johnny Girlo through the crowd to the waiting hummer.
“Put him in the back, then get dressed,” Wally ordered.
When he turned his attention back to me, I said, “Getting clean clothes, my phone, then going out to eat.”
“President Drover assured me you were safely in your suite.”
“President Drover’s not my keeper.”
“Well, thank you for not skipping out while I was on duty. Kinda feel bad for Sorenson.”
“Jordan had to figure I’d revolt sooner or later.”
“I gotta go, Frankie. You be careful. We really weren’t tailing you because he wanted to keep tabs on you. It’s for your own safety.”
“I’m a big girl, Wally. Been taking care of myself for over a dozen years.”
“I know, Frankie. But I remember when you brought your first perp into HQ. You know somebody that long, you just want to make sure they stay alive. Trooper Ralston’s going to stay here until Sorenson or his replacement arrives.”
“Whatever. I think I’ve had enough excitement for tonight. I may just cook here.”
“Didn’t think you cooked, Frankie.”
“My closets are stocked to enable my minimal skills in the kitchen. And Harrison’s a great cook.”
“OK, but…”
“Don’t you have a prisoner to deliver, Sergeant?” Harrison’s voice was laden with persuasion and jealousy. “I suggest you take care of it, since my wife was good enough to do your job for you.”
“Yes, Sir.” His feet started to the door before he said, Sir. From the door he said, “Take care, Frankie. And thank you. Trooper Ralston, get statements, names and addresses from everybody here.”
Trooper Ralston yipped, then trotted out the door, returning shortly clothed in his sea-green uniform and carrying his handheld.
Harrison and I went into the kitchen and whipped up grilled turkey sandwiches and soup. Our uninvited guests remained in the living room, the pall that had followed our entrance gradually became muttered discussion. They were stuck here until Ralston released them or they’d have run as fast as they could.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Harrison, leaning over to kiss his neck as I passed behind him.
“For what?”
“I probably just cost you some of your friends.”
“Then they weren’t friends to begin with.”
“Don’t be so polite. You need your friends. Will they stand by you if you’re with me? Your grandmother was right. I’m not civilized by District Seven standards and that’s not likely to change.”
“I need you more than I need anybody else. And it’s a good thing we don’t plan to return to District Seven because I’d never want you to feel like you needed to change to fit in. I love you just the way you are.”
“Smitten.”
We both spun to the voice coming from the doorway. “Greg,” Harrison nodded. ”And yes, absolutely, from the moment I laid eyes on her.”
“That’s old news, Harrison. I meant the rest of the guys in your living room. Sorry to intrude, I was leaning on the wall right outside the door. Not listening on purpose but I had to put my two cents in. We’ve all heard plenty of stories about her. Maybe some of us wondered if she was an unregistered mage who enraptured you.”
“Greg, you know what you can do with your theories?” Anger tinted Harrison’s voice. “I fell in love with a woman who detests mages. If you knew half what I went through to ensnare her, that thought would never cross your mind.”
“I probably wouldn’t have said anything if you weren’t talking about never coming home. You know your father won’t stand for that. I’ve been surprised to see that he and Frankie seem to get along—“
“Seem to, would be the operative words there,” I interjected.
“The rumor mill has them as deadly combatants, and if you don’t come home it’s likely going to be more than rumor.”
“Dad doesn’t stand any better chance of killing Frankie than Mage Domingo did. Besides, he very much wants her alive and well.”
“Did she really kill Domingo?”
Why did everybody doubt that?
“So my father informed me earlier today.”
“Care to explain how that’s possible?”
“She killed or injured twenty-three people just last week, one of them a mage, what’s so hard to believe she killed Domingo?”
“He was a battle-mage.”
“So the fuck what,” I interrupted. “He was still just a human; strung out on Jin and out of his mind.”
“How did you know that man was in the house? We’ve been here for hours. I thought Harrison married an insane woman until the intruder dropped his camo. Who was he anyway?”
“Just somebody I’ve run into in the past.”
Greg proved he wasn’t altogether slow and changed the subject back to the one that prompted him to start this discussion. “Never mind him, why won’t you be moving back home?”
“It’s not my home,” I said.
“President Drover wouldn’t be so upset if you even planned to move back to the Founding-Two-Hundred.”
“We have our own plans. Technically since I have a home in District Seven and Frankie’s my wife, which makes it her home as well, there’s nothing he can legally do. And in another year or two he’ll have no say in it at all.”
“How is that possible? He’s the president of the world and he has final say on where registered mages live.”
“Greg…it’s not something we’re going to discuss right now, but I do want to talk to you sometime when we can be sure nobody’s listening. We’ll explain what we’re doing because I think you’ll be interested in participating.”
“So you’re saying don’t go home tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Once Dad leaves we’ll go for a drive outside the dome so we ca
n be sure nobody else is around.”
“Ok, the manufactory won’t fall apart without me. Another day or two should be fine. In the meantime, Mrs. Harrison, don’t you think for a minute we don’t like you. Jerry’s right, you might be a little scary, especially when you take in the body count, but it seems you’re good for Harrison and the fact that you’re Mage Jallahan’s daughter assures nobody will talk bad about you.”
“Is he that respected?”
“He’s that talented. If somebody can turn off your spells or suck your magic from you, you try really hard not to upset that person.”
“Then—“ Harrison started to speak, but I stopped him with a glare. “Never mind.”
“Is she truly untalented?” Greg addressed the question to Harrison even though I stood right there. In spite of a flash of annoyance I let it slide, Harrison would give all the right answers.
“What do you think? Have you looked for magic?”
“I have. And she’s more of a blank than even the average normal. In fact if she gets too close to somebody she seems to obliterate their magic.”
“Draw your own conclusions. Why do you think my father won’t do anything to her no matter how antagonistic they are?”
Greg’s expression fell into the careful countenance of someone examining possibilities that were impossible. He rubbed a hand across his forehead pausing to scratch at an eyebrow. “Are you say…no you…but ohmygod, Harrison! And to think half the female population of District Seven is bemoaning your loss to some untalented woman with a hot bod. Are you saying what I think you‘re saying? You need to clarify.”
“I don’t need to do anything. My talent attracted me to her. Appearances didn’t hurt at all, but I’ve had plenty of beautiful, brainless, women try to convince me we were meant to be, courtesy of my father. Frankie’s the smartest woman I ever met. Anything else is just bonus. Nothing could have changed the course I was on once the talent of a matchmaker pointed me at her.”
“I can attest to that, because god knows I did my damndest to shut him down. Thirty-two years avoiding mages who’d have thought I’d end up married to one.” I took the soup off the stove and grabbed a couple of bowls, pausing as Harrison ran a hand down my back.
