Medusa's Dagger: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Aya Harris Collection Book 1)

by Lacy Andersen

  I liked the way Gideon’s eyes lit up when he told a story from his past. It made me want to think of some of my own childhood stories, long buried in the recesses of my mind.

  “I have the feeling this story doesn’t end so well,” I said.

  “No, it doesn’t.” The light turned green, and Gideon put the sedan back into drive and pulled onto Garret Street. “That night, parents began calling my home in droves. They’d found the condoms we sold to their children and were demanding an explanation. I can still remember the way my dad’s ears turned bright red when he answered the phone. I thought steam was going to start blowing out of his ears.”

  It was endearing to think of a little Gideon trying to explain to his folks what happened. I was having a hard time not bursting out in laughter.

  Gideon puffed out his cheeks, letting the air out slowly. “The next day, my friends and I were marched to Ridley’s Drugstore where we had to use the money we’d earned to buy a new box of 40 count variety Trojan condoms for my folks. Then, my mom walked us through a very long, and very detailed, birds and the bees lecture. I thought I was going to die a very early death that day.”

  I had to laugh thinking about a little Gideon selling condoms on the street. It was too ridiculous. “I guess you went into the wrong business,” I told him.

  “Yeah, should’ve been a salesman. I sure know how to get people to buy anything.” We paused at a stop sign and he smiled at me, laughter twinkling in his eyes.

  A nervous hot energy began to build deep within my stomach. It was the same feeling I got whenever I felt attracted to a man. It usually began with stuttering, word vomit, and foolish thoughts said aloud. But too often, it ended in me putting myself too far out there and getting hurt by Mr. Wrong. I needed to rein it back in.

  “Did you learn anything new about the Yonas family? Did my vision help at all?”

  The mood in the car turned chilly in an instant. I breathed out in relief.

  “Not sure yet. Between your snake vision and the raven feather we found at the scene, nothing makes sense.”

  Alarms began blaring in my head. The air around me lost all oxygen and I struggled to get a breath. The raven feather had been a part of my vision, but I thought it was just a coincidence. If Gideon found a raven’s feather at the crime scene, that meant he was back. And that he was responsible for Mr. Yonas’ murder. Suddenly, I felt faint.

  “Are you okay?” Gideon glanced over at me, concern etched on his face.

  I forced the air in and out of my lungs in an effort to speak. “Yeah, just fine.”

  “You don’t look fine.” The investigator in him was back. Gideon’s face hardened into a serious expression that dissolved the laughter in his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing. I’m just worried about them. Time’s running out.”

  He nodded and returned his focus back to the road. We drove the rest of the way in cold silence, but I hardly noticed. The only thought in my head was a name, playing on repeat: Nicky. It’d been years since I’d felt the flash of terror that my brother’s name instilled in the very depths of my soul, but there it was, hitting me again and again like lightning bolts sent from above. He’d found me.

  Chapter Six

  The next evening, Johnny tossed his cheap briefcase on the museum counter, sighing with dramatic flair.

  “All I’m saying is, if you’re going to rob a bank, at least have the decency to do it sober.”

  Angel looked up from the register she was counting. It was closing time and it hadn’t been a busy day, so there wasn’t much to count. “He was drunk?”

  “Like a skunk.” Johnny flung himself into a stool.

  He’d just gotten off work at the courthouse and decided to drop by before heading over to Steven’s apartment. We loved to hear him tell stories about his clients.

  “He’d just broken up with his girlfriend,” Johnny continued. “They’d had dinner at Spezia, taken a carriage ride through Hudson Park, and then rowed out onto the lake in a little boat. That’s where he got down on one knee to propose. And that’s where she turned him down flat.”

  I groaned. This was playing out like a bad Jane Austen movie remake. “Let me guess. She told him he wasn’t rich enough.”

  Johnny pointed a finger at me and flashed a cheesy brilliant white smile. “Ding, ding, ding – winner. My client was so blindsided, he decided to bail from the rowboat right in the middle of Hudson Lake. He left his girlfriend stranded without the oars, but remembered to take the full bottle of champagne with him.”

  Angel and I both grimaced at the same time. Poor guy didn’t stand a chance.

  “So, he downed the bottle of Moet & Chandon while he trudged along the street, drenched and feeling sorry for himself. And that’s when he got the bloody brilliant idea to rob a bank. Then, he’d be rich enough for his girlfriend.”

  “Will the judge give him a little credit for having a broken heart??” I asked.

  If I were a judge, I’d let him off easy. The man was in the middle of a life crisis. Anyone could see that.

  Johnny closed his eyes and massaged his temples. “Probably not. I’ve got Judge Ira on this case and he’s a real bully.”

  “Poor guy,” Angel said with a pout, closing the register drawer. “What’s his name?”

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” I threw the rag I was using to dust at her. “Don’t tell her. She just wants to look him up. Pretty soon, she’ll be dating all your clients.”

  Angel threw the rag back while Johnny laughed. She stuck her middle finger out at me and grinned. It didn’t matter if I foiled her plans, Angel was stubborn enough to dig up that client’s name herself. She had almost magical powers of persuasion, especially on men.

  “Nah, I’m already violating attorney-client privilege telling you guys that much.” Johnny stretched his arms high above his head and then hopped off the stool. “I don’t want to be debarred just so Angel can get laid.”

  This time, it was Johnny’s turn to get flipped off.

  He chuckled and grabbed his briefcase from the counter. “See you guys around. I’ve got to get going. We’re making steamed salmon with a side of glore grata for supper. It’s a new recipe.”

  “Sounds exotic,” Angel said. “Have fun.”

  Johnny waved and left us to finish closing. Angel followed a few minutes later, leaving me to walk through the lobby, turning off lights and getting everything ready for opening tomorrow. All in all, the day had been pretty painless.

  I’d kept busy so that I didn’t have to think about Nicky or Gideon, or the trouble they’d both brought into my life. That was the way I liked it. Quiet life and no trouble. It kept me safe. I didn’t like having to constantly look over my shoulder.

  "Good night, Roni." I saluted her as I passed her glass prison cell.

  Behind the painted on, sweet cherub smile, I could sense the rage boiling inside the doll’s tiny porcelain body. Angel had managed to find a few more hexes to seal her in good and tight. Hopefully, this time, they would last.

  I locked the doors and felt a vibration in the bottom of my black, pleather purse. Sticking my arm in clear down to my elbow, I pulled out my old track phone. This morning, I'd thrown it in my bag as an afterthought. So far, there'd been no response from my brother.

  The screen flashed a bright voicemail sign. I flipped it open and pressed it to my ear. Maybe it'd be a telemarketer calling. Or a Gallup survey. They had the uncanny ability to sniff out an unwilling customer on the other end of the line. Usually, I avoided unknown numbers.

  "You have one new message." The robotic woman's voice made me cringe. I held my breath and listened intently.

  "Hey, Little Bird.”

  The voice made my heart stop. The only person on this entire planet that called me Little Bird was Nicolo, my brother. He'd begun calling me that when I was only two and he was four. In turn, I was the only one who got to call him Nicky.

  “I’m sorry if you’ve had trouble lat
ely,” he continued. “I didn’t want my little sister to get involved, but things have a funny way of working out.” His voice was light, but there was an edge to it, as if he was barely stifling his anger.

  A car horn blared in the background. I heard Nicky inhale and let out a long sigh.

  “Listen, I managed to get a flight out of Bolivia and I’m already in Arcana. I’m going to take care of this. Right some wrongs. I put my trust in the wrong people and now I’m paying the price. But, I’ll contact you again very soon. We need to talk. Bye, Little Bird.”

  In a daze, I dropped the phone back into the recesses of my purse. Nicky was definitely here – in Arcana. And somehow, he knew I was in town, too. His cryptic message hadn’t claimed any responsibility for the kidnapping in my building. The bit about trusting the wrong people was even more confusing.

  Nicky had always preferred to be solitary. Even though people gravitated toward him, especially women, he liked his alone time. It didn’t win him any close friends in high school, although most people would’ve said Nicky was popular. He just didn’t let people get deeper than surface level. I was the only one who got to peek behind the veil.

  But I knew, deep down, that he was involved in the Yonas disappearance. I should’ve known it the moment I first had the vision. After all, the raven’s feather was his sadistic calling card.

  Nicky and I didn't have the best childhood, to say the least. Before our mother mysteriously died on a mission, she’d been mostly absent with her work through the HQ – The Harpy Quorum of the Americas. They were their own form of government, suspicious of the workings of the SI, and determined to bring their own justice to the supernatural creatures of the world. Armed with psychic visions, a millennia of experience, and a network of contacts, harpy women were feared, and rightfully so. The mob of winged women didn't have much time for coddling. Justice came on swift wings.

  Our human father wasn't much of a childhood figure, either. He'd spent much of that time wading through one form of alcoholic beverage or other. While he wasn't abusive, he didn't participate much. So, Nicky and I were left alone most of the time while dad went to the bar. And even though I was the younger sibling, I spent much of that time raising my older brother, trying to replace the mother and father he never had.

  It wasn't until I graduated high school did I realize something was off with Nicky. His anti-social behavior had seemed like a phase at first. Like he would eventually grow out of it and become a proper man. I was blindsided the first time he came to me, complaining about the evils of the supernatural creatures in our Chicago neighborhood. It was crazy talk. I brushed it off, but every time he spoke of it, he became more agitated.

  They're evil, he'd said. Little Bird, we've got to stop them. They're killing people. Without proof to back up his theories, I ignored him. Shortly after that, he took his first victim. And another. And yet another. The SI couldn’t find him. The HQ couldn’t kill him. He was unstoppable.

  My family history was still bogging down my mind when I finally made it home that evening. I hadn't thought about Nicky in so long. After he left home to begin his killing spree, I'd made certain to leave Illinois and go to school far away, settling in Arcana where no one knew me or my past.

  But, at the back of my mind, the thought remained - Nicky would come for me someday. He'd come hunting for me and slaughter me, just like he did the rest of his victims. Either that, or the HQ would find me first, and punish me for refusing to stop my brother. Neither future was very appealing.

  Gideon's wine glass still sat on the kitchen counter. Half full of the dark red liquid, it suddenly looked an awful lot like fresh blood. I poured it down the sink and rinsed out the glass, washing away the reminder of the blood on my hands.

  Sure, I could turn Nicky into the SI. I could tell Gideon about him and betray my own brother. But, it wouldn't help anything. I didn't know where Nicky was keeping his victims. The less I got involved, the better. Besides, my presence might only enrage him further. Who knew what would happen to the Yonas family then?

  As if on cue, a knock sounded at my apartment door. It had to be Gideon. He seemed to have a way of showing up at the least opportune times. I swung the door open, ready to stare him down, when I came face-to-face with a giant black camera lens.

  A man with bulky arms was holding it in front of his face. Standing next to him was Ian Welch, horse-teeth and all. His smile almost cracked his face, he was straining so hard to keep it on.

  "Ms. Harris, we'd like to ask you a few questions about the horrid crime that occurred in your building. Do you have a minute for us?" He pushed a microphone with a royal blue foam head in my face.

  "No, I don't want to talk with you."

  I pushed the door closed, but Ian stuck his foot between the frame and the door.

  "The SI is being very secretive. We know there's more to the story. What have you heard?"

  I resisted the urge to stomp on his foot. "Nothing. I know nothing more than you. That family is gone and it's horrible. Now please, get out of my apartment."

  "But, sources have said you've been spotted with Agent Gideon Ward. Are you assisting him?"

  The microphone swung back in my face.

  "Who told you that? No, I'm not assisting him."

  Ian's smile didn't crack. "Then, are you a person of interest?"

  "No!"

  "Are you sleeping with Agent Ward?"

  This time I didn't hesitate - I drove the heel of my boot into the top of Ian's shiny Italian loafer. A partially human, but mostly demon screech ripped from his throat. I had just enough time to slam the door shut before he banged on it, demanding I let him back in.

  Pressing my back to the door, I slid to the floor and waited for Ian's temper tantrum to end. It didn't take long. He was an award winning journalist, after all, and he knew a dead end when he saw one. Soon enough, he moved to the neighbors, banging on their doors for a comment.

  I wasn't sure who ratted me out to Ian Welch. Gideon had walked me inside yesterday after driving me home. But he'd gone straight to the Yonas' apartment, and I'd trudged up the stairs to my own. I'm not sure how that made me look like a person of interest, or Gideon's lover.

  I glanced at the clock. Round two of my blind dates was due in an hour. I could've used that time to get dolled up and make an effort, but enough was enough. Instead, I poured myself a glass of Pinot Gris and cuddled up on the couch with a copy of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. I needed an imaginary world full of imaginary people to distract me from the mess of my own life.

  By the time my date arrived, I was fully immersed in the book. When he knocked at the door, I considered pretending I wasn't home, but then abandoned the idea. That’d be cruel. It wasn’t fun being stood up, and I wasn't going to do it to someone else. We'd go out for a quick meal and that'd be it. Just some food, wine, and then a quick goodbye. If I needed to, I would fake another sprained ankle. I could handle that much.

  Opening the door, I found myself staring at a gorgeous man with blonde hair and steely blue eyes. His strong jaw and chin perfectly framed the charming smile that greeted me. He handed me a small bouquet of red roses, offering his other hand to shake.

  "Hi. I'm Trevor. I guess this is the awkward part of the blind date. Oh wait, the whole thing's awkward." He rolled his eyes and chuckled.

  I laughed and felt a blush rise in my cheeks. For once, Angel hit the mark. This didn’t seem like one of her typical castoffs.

  "Yeah, not my cup of tea, either. But my helpful friends have made it their life goal to set me up."

  "Mine, too." He smiled again.

  I could've stared at his perfectly aligned teeth all night, but I shook myself out of it and grabbed my purse. I regretted not changing out of my work clothes. Trevor was dressed in a beautifully tailored black suit, with a silver tie to match. Standing next to him in my dress pants and satin white top, I felt out of place.

  As if he could read my mind, he led me to the stairway and smiled
sweetly. "You look beautiful. Is it too soon to say that?"

  "No, it's perfect." I returned his smile and silently thanked Angel again. He really was a perfect ten.

  Trevor took us to a restaurant on the south side of town. It was a fancy place with a French menu and entrees I couldn't pronounce. I ended up letting Trevor order for me. It was worth it to hear him talk in French to the waiter.

  "So, what is it that you do?" I played with one of the three forks surrounding my plate. I'd never eaten somewhere that needed three forks.

  "I'm a doctor at Arcana Medical." He took a sip of his wine and grinned at me. "But before you ask, no it's not a thing like Grey's Anatomy. I haven't been shot at, I haven't been in a plane crash, and I've never had to do surgery on myself."

  I laughed. "I guess you get that question a lot."

  "You can't imagine."

  We sipped from our water glasses at the same time. I could feel the heat between us already. His smile felt warm and inviting. I was beginning to forget the worries of my day, but Gideon and his investigation remained at the back of my mind, like an annoying little buzzing fly that wouldn’t go away. The only thing I could do was extinguish him by downing glasses of expensive French wine.

  Our meals came, but we barely tasted them. Conversation flowed between us like water from a faucet. Yet, somehow, our wine cups kept emptying. The waiter was well worth his weight in gold - he kept the wine coming and didn't interrupt our discussion on all things hospital and museum and Arcana.

  Trevor’s family was descended from werewolves. Unlike the creatures who were bitten and then turned into rabid wolves, the ones born into a pack were able to shift at will. No lunar cycle to worry about.

  My pasta had long grown cold when I finally excused myself to use the restroom.