Arcane Solutions (Discord Jones)

by Gayla Drummond

  I couldn't see David because I was reaching for Nick, who was falling at my feet.

  We were all going to die, and everyone who might have been able to break the demon's circle of magic was no longer in any condition to do so. Kneeling beside Nick, my hands warmed by blood as I pressed the slashes in his throat and chest closed, I felt the first cold flutter of defeat.

  “Cordi.” Nick stared, an unspoken plea on his face as he grabbed my wrist. I looked away, my eyes beginning to burn and my lips trembling. This was my fault. They were here because of me. Logan roared, leaping onto a tall demon with wickedly pointed horns. “Run. Get away from here.”

  “I can't.” There was no way I could leave any of them. Anger fluttered in my belly, only to die as he pressed his cheek to the palm of my hand. “I can't, Nick.”

  He released my wrist and I rose, flinging away a demon rushing toward Thorandryll's back. The elf had been injured. Blood flowed down his arm from the slashes, but he continued fighting without seeming to notice. Looking at the book, I had a wild idea.

  “Leglin!” At my call, the hound released the demon throat he was chewing on and rushed to my side.

  “Cordi!” Nick said, but I was digging my hand under the wide leather collar and concentrating.

  It was quiet behind the red haze of demonic magic. I looked at Leglin. “It worked. You were my key.”

  The dog's long tail swept once from side to side. Letting go of his collar, I reached for the book before changing my mind. Instead of touching it, I set it on fire, and it exploded.

  Demon Mitchell spun around, his expression shifting from glee to shock. Rage followed quickly on shock's heels and the magic shattered when he charged through it. I threw myself backward. Claws erupted from his fingers as he took another swipe, narrowly missing my throat thanks to Leglin’s timely jump. The dog's teeth dug into the possessed man’s arm, his weight carrying them both several feet away.

  Someone screamed my name, but I couldn't tell who. It didn't matter; all that did was leaving this place. Getting everyone out.

  Teleporting was a series of blinks. Jo and Trixie. David and Copernicus. Whitehaven. Damian, Kate, and their familiars had already reached the safety of Ronnie's circle, and the pack of hounds was forming another circle around them.

  Nick tried to keep me there. Peeling his hands away, I teleported to Thorandryll. The elf avoided my grasping hands. “Logan's down!”

  My heart dropped when I couldn't see the tiger. Thorandryll twisted to sheer off a clawed hand, and then I was stumbling after him while he cleared a path towards a knot of the evil beasts.

  The elf fought them away, revealing a torn, still figure. Falling to my knees, I touched the tiger, aware of Thorandryll standing behind me. I couldn't tell if Logan were still alive. A scream that sounded like a baby’s cut through the din, and the elf called out. “Leglin!”

  As Thorandryll turned, I grabbed his calf and a handful of thick fur. We landed in the midst of the others and my vision went black for a second, but taking a deep breath, I teleported one more time, determined to leave no one behind.

  “Grab on!” I yelled once back among them. Hands obeyed, some latching onto my arms, others onto those I had hold of. I put every last ounce of energy into the effort, but darkness struck before I knew if I was successful.

  ***

  When I awoke, it was to the certainty I'd lost several friends. Losing consciousness while teleporting had to have consequences. Ones that I wasn't ready to face yet—if ever.

  Instead, I tried to guess where I was at without opening my eyes. The lack of cinnamon in the air said I wasn't home and the bed was too soft to be hospital issue. From somewhere close by, I sensed movement and heard a soft sigh. Dreading it, but needing to know who'd survived, I turned my head and opened my eyes.

  Logan's face was marred by fresh, angry, red furrows from his left jawbone to right temple. How the demon that left them had missed his eyes was beyond me.

  “Cordi?” Jo's quiet voice led my gaze to her. She sat in a chair and looked exhausted.

  “Is,” I choked on the question, but tried again. “Did...”

  She smiled. “Everyone's in one piece. We're over the shop, and a little cramped, so we put both of you in here. He was the most injured and we couldn't wake you up.”

  “Oh.” I swallowed, eyes closing in pure relief. “What about Leglin?”

  Jo chuckled. “He made it too, along with the rest of the hounds.”

  Knowing everyone was safe freed me to look at Logan again. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Nick says yes, that he'll wake up when he's healed enough to.” Her smile was reassuring.

  “How long will that be?”

  “He wasn't certain. Some of those gashes are really deep. Are you hungry?” She stood up.

  “No. Just tired.” I wanted to curl up and sleep, despite wondering if Logan would want anything to do with me once he was awake. It was my fault that he was hurt. I'd left without warning. Had just gone, leaving Nick bleeding out and him without any back-up.

  “Okay.” Jo nodded. “I'll go let everyone know you're all right.”

  “Thanks.” As soon as the door shut behind her, I used my TK to put the twin bed I was on against the side of his. Lifting the sheet that was covering him, I saw what seemed to be miles of bandages. After gently replacing the covers, I found his limp hand and picked it up to hold it.

  ***

  “Discord, wake up.” The urgency in Logan's voice brought me blinking awake. I was lying half on him and hastily moved off, afraid I'd hurt him. The shifter tossed the sheet off and disappeared into the bathroom. Rolling over, I stared at the wall and wondered what he'd say when he returned. It was a few minutes before he did.

  Sitting on the bed, Logan's first words were, “Looks like I got a hell of a beat down. Is everyone else all right?”

  “Yeah. I'm sorry.” My lips were trembling.

  “For what?” He sniffed. “Are you crying?”

  A tear had slipped from one eye. Before I could wipe it away, Logan twisted around to roll me onto my back and brushed it off. “Why are you crying?”

  “I just went.” He didn’t look angry. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”

  “Is that why you're crying?” Brow creasing, he wiped away another escaped tear. “Fights are usually pretty chaotic and someone always gets hurt, Discord.”

  “But I just left.”

  He tilted his head a bit. “What, you thought I'd think you had cut and run? Is that it? That's not who you are.”

  “How do you know that? I didn't say anything, just left.”

  Logan smiled. “I know because I trust you.”

  Thirty-one

  Thorandryll sat at his desk, head bent over whatever he was writing. Peeking around the door's corner, I watched for a minute, noticing there was only one chair opposite his seat at his desk.

  The elf had left once he’d been told I was all right. Coming here hadn't been something I was completely sure about, but I was on a special mission. Taking a step into the room, I said, “Hey.”

  “Welcome, and come in, Miss Jones.” It was clear I hadn't been nearly as quiet as I'd hoped. Walking in, I sat and Leglin appeared from behind the desk, tail sweeping from side to side.

  Bandages covered most of the hound’s torso, and he was limping. When I held my hand out, he came to me. “He saved me from Demon Mitchell.”

  “Then he completed his task with honor.” Thorandryll put his pen down and finally looked up. “You're fully recovered?”

  “Yeah. You?” I couldn't see any marks, though I knew he'd been injured.

  “I suffered nothing more than minor wounds, all healing well.” After a hesitation, he asked, “How goes Logan's convalescence?”

  The question surprised me. “He's fine. Still has some marks from the worst ones, but shifters don't scar.”

  “Nor do elves.” He glanced down at the paper.

  Carefully picking my words, I said, �
��If you’d destroyed that book, none of this would have happened.”

  “The grimoire was placed into my keeping for a reason. That spell wasn’t the only one it held, and destroying it wasn’t allowed.” He glared across the desk.

  “A lot of people died because of it, and some of them were innocent. Your people have enough magic at their disposal.”

  The elf stopped glaring to simply frown. “No one ever has enough power.”

  With that attitude, this conversation wasn’t going to go well. “You only need enough to keep people from attacking you, and I think elves have that completely covered.”

  “I’m seeing to it that all burial expenses are taken care of for those killed by demons.”

  Not having expected that, my mouth fell open. Thorandryll continued: “The child they held will be given compensation.”

  “You think money’s going to replace her mother?” I had to hold myself back from leaning across the desk to slap him.

  “Of course not, but I can’t raise the dead, Miss Jones. What reparation can be made, will be made.”

  There it was: my opening. “What about reparation to me?”

  His eyes narrowing, he gazed back. “I paid double your fee, as well as certain expenses for those who required medical care.”

  “I know that, I’m talking about personal reparation.” Leglin laid his head across my knees, but I didn’t pet him. “I spilled blood in your service, Lord Thorandryll, yet I am not one of your own.”

  The formal statement stiffened the elf’s back. “What would you have of me, Miss Jones?”

  “Not only did I spill blood, several times, but your actions have placed me in future danger from the demon realm.” Mr. Whitehaven had told me to point that out. He wasn’t certain it was completely true, but with my luck, there would be demons bearing grudges popping up from time to time.

  Instead of frowning, Thorandryll smiled. It was a small one, but there. “You wish the hound.”

  “Yes, I do.” Now I let a hand rest on Leglin’s head, and the hound rolled his eyes enough to look up at my face. One eyelid dropped down into a wink.

  “Will releasing Leglin, the finest of my hounds, permanently into your service be enough compensation?”

  It was tempting to respond with a no and go for more, but I resisted. Whitehaven was giving me the second fee as a bonus. “Yes.”

  The elf gave that elegant inclination of head, as though he were granting a favor. “Then he is yours.”

  “Thank you.” My fingers slid around the collar, and I grinned down at the hound. “Let’s blow this pop stand, boy.”

  Teleporting no longer worried me. I wasn't afraid anymore, not after safely delivering everyone to the Orb despite losing consciousness. Whitehaven had once told me that I needed to learn to trust my subconscious more, and he'd been proven right.

  The first thing I did was make Leglin comfortable on the giant doggy bed waiting in the corner of my office. Sitting down after that, I checked for messages before beginning to type up the case report.

  No one bothered us for several hours, but then, only three of us were around. Kate and Nick were still recovering. They’d refused to be left out of the fight.

  I’d left my office door open, and looked up just as Zoe Mitchell and a man came through the front door and into the waiting area. “Hey.”

  She joined me, but the man stayed back by the front doors. “Who’s he?”

  “Bodyguard. Derrick hired him. My dad’s on his way back.” The girl noticed Leglin. “You made the elf give him to you.”

  “Yeah. How are you doing?” I’d been surprised to discover that Derrick was one of her father’s business partners. The vampire’s attempts to nab me had been with the intention of hiring me to find Zoe. He’d knocked me out so that I wouldn’t set him on fire, like I’d done to those two goons of his.

  Since I had found and rescued her, Derrick had offered to pay for the repairs to my car. He’d also sent an open invitation to dinner, but so far, I wasn’t taking him up on it. After all, he could have just freaking made an appointment instead of sending his goons after me.

  “I guess okay. Everything’s changed so much, you know?”

  “I know.” I didn’t apologize for her mother’s death again. The teen had told me that I was stupid for thinking it was my fault, and that the only person to blame was Hugh Mitchell – her deceased stepfather.

  “Dad’s going to take me with him from now on. Guess I’ll be a world traveler.” The faintest smile touched her lips, which were painted pale rose. Zoe had ditched the heavy makeup, and without it, was a truly beautiful young woman.

  “Well, there’s a bright side. Right?”

  “Right. Anyway, I just came by to tell you thank you again. You saved my life. You and Leglin.” She sent a smile over her shoulder, and the hound’s tail thumped the floor once in response.

  “You’re welcome.” I stood up and walked around the desk to hug her. “Take care of yourself.”

  “You too. Bye.” Smiling, she left. I watched until she slid into the backseat of a waiting limo and heaved a sigh.

  Two more cases successfully closed. I hoped the next wouldn’t involve demons.

  My cell phone rang, so I hurried back into my office to answer it. “Jones here.”

  “Hi.” It was Logan. He’d been right about the Palisades playing a part, aside from being the location where Carole’s body had been dumped. Turned out the cavern was under an outer section of the area. I’d been right about even humans sensing supernatural danger.

  “Hey. What’s up?”

  He sounded embarrassed. “Well, I found something under the passenger seat of your car.”

  “Something?”

  “It’s pink, and it kind of looks like a crystal….”

  Oh yeah, my life was definitely back to normal.

  Sneak Peek at

  Something to Curse About

  Discord Jones #2

  Coming Late December, 2013

  One

  Screams pierced the air, but I’d grown used to hearing them over the past year and change. The smell of cotton candy, popcorn, and other, standard carnival fare wafted by on a warm breeze. Music played from each ride, rising over the noise of the crowd as we paused to watch inept teens try to toss rings onto bottles. I licked a bit of spun sugar from the corner of my mouth, savoring the taste of having a normal day out.

  Sean, my five-year-old brother, tugged on my hand while leaning toward a nearby concession stand. “I’m hungry.”

  “Again? Where are you putting everything?” We’d already purchased four different snacks between rides, and had only arrived about two hours before. “Your tummy isn’t that big.”

  Nick laughed, both hands busy holding onto Jonah’s legs. My younger brother sat on the shifter’s shoulders, holding fistfuls of his hair and wearing a huge smile. He was enjoying being the “tallest” for a change.

  “He’s growing. We guys are always hungry during growth spurts.”

  “Maybe, but you’re not the one who’s going to get it if he gets sick from too much sugar.” I ruffled Sean’s dark blonde hair. “Let’s go find the parents and see about dinner.”

  “Fwench Fwies,” Jonah voted at the top of his voice, and everyone within twenty feet winced. Even me, though I had to smile. It’s cute when little kids haven’t gotten the hang of certain letters.

  “Okay, let’s go, men.” The older adults were checking out the various expo halls after deciding not to waste the services of two perfectly good younger adults as babysitters. I led the way, glancing back a few times at Nick and Jonah.

  My boyfriend had leaped at the chance to join a family outing, and really seemed to be enjoying himself. He wasn’t even freaking out about all the sticky bits Jonah had managed to mash into his dark brown hair. Of course, Nick was a shifter, so maybe messy little kids weren’t a problem for him.

  One of the smaller buildings, rented by the New Age center where my mom worked, was m
y first choice to check. As I suspected, she was in front of the table that displayed the bars of soap and tiny bottles of perfume she’d made.

  She also had Betty, my dad’s second wife, cornered and was holding one of the little bottles right under her nose. Poor Betty. She’d been raised to respect her elders, and not only was Mom that at fifty-seven, but also one of Dad’s best friends and the mother of his eldest child. She was stuck, standing there with a fixed smile on her face.

  “Hey, where’s Dad?” My question stopped Mom from trading out bottles. “Sean the Bottomless Tummy is hungry, and I could use a meal break.”

  Seeing an opportunity, Betty was quick to snatch it with a loud Oh, thank God flying from her mind. “I’ll go find him.”

  We watched her hurry off, and then Mom rummaged through her bottles, picking one up and turning to Nick. “Tell me if this one says ‘Cordi’ to you.”

  “Sure.”

  I shook my head at his agreeableness. She’d latched onto him the second we’d walked through the entrance gate, and kept him busy for twenty minutes, smelling perfume after perfume. Mom said she was trying to mix the perfect scent for me, but I thought she was just enjoying sharing the fruits of her newest passion. Nick was a willing guinea pig, eager to get along with my family even though he’d suffered a major sneezing fit after one smell test.

  Sean began wiggling. “I gotta go.”

  “Me too,” Jonah chimed in. Anything his big brother did, he had to do too.

  “Okay, I’ll take you.”

  Nick lifted him off his shoulders and set him on the floor. “There you go.”

  “You have cotton candy in your ear.” Grinning at him, I caught Jonah’s hand. “Let’s go.”

  There was a restroom not too far away, and fortunately, it wasn’t full. After undoing buttons and zippers, I sent both boys into one stall and stood by waiting for them to do their thing. Giggles followed as they relieved themselves, and there was a bit of discussion about who could pee the most.