“Its soul is as beautiful as the unicorn’s. The other thing was a unicorn, right? The energy shape kind of seemed that way.”
“Yeah.” James shook his head and took a deep breath. “Welcome to magic school, I guess.”
They didn’t spot any more bizarre creatures before they arrived at the main school, a huge extended Georgian manor surrounded by a constellation of smaller buildings. Teens of various ages in uniforms wandered the grounds, some with backpacks. Pointed ears protruded from more than a few of the students’ heads.
Two students who looked a year or two older than Alison appeared to be balancing scintillating balls of pulsing light on their hands. Another girl, a Light Elf who looked like she’d only recently made it out of grade school, leaned over and shook her finger at what appeared to be a ferret.
James refused to believe it was a ferret. Normal animals didn’t stand on two legs or wear rodent-sized suits and top hats. Hell, humans didn’t even wear top hats anymore.
Why did everything magical have to be so freaking complicated and weird?
Alison smiled brightly, and James took a deep breath. She could see the true nature of the place—the very souls of the people and creatures around them—and if she thought they were okay, that had to count for something.
He parked in a circular drive surrounding an elaborate fountain resembling a bird on fire. A phoenix, he assumed.
You’re not the only one who’s read a book or two, Shay.
Smaller roads led off in a couple of directions and he wondered if there was a parking lot, but the email they’d sent him indicated had that he should park in the circular drive.
They filed out of the car, with James surveying the area. Tactically it didn’t seem well-defended, with lots of blind spots infiltrators could take advantage of, let alone a forest that could hide an entire mercenary battalion.
Of course, that same forest was filled with Kirin, unicorn, and God knew what else. If he was right about the gate, it might be hard for normal humans to even get close to the main school grounds.
James rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to frown. If anything, all the fantastical displays proved that the School of Necessary Magic would be able to help Alison learn to control her abilities.
“Good afternoon, sir,” said a student, a fresh-faced Light Elf.
“Uh, yeah, same to you,” James rumbled back.
A few of the other kids waved, and he nodded. If he could make it the next thirty minutes without cussing or insulting anyone, he’d be doing okay.
Shay helped Alison grab her single suitcase from the back.
The teen had only taken a few steps when an older boy with his head buried in a thick book bumped right into her. Alison fell on her rear and winced, and the boy’s book fell to the ground with a thump.
James growled and took a step forward. “Time for a little appropriate punishment. Not going to let you knock a blind kid around, punk.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “I-I’m so sorry. I just... I wasn’t looking.” He held up his hands.
“You try a spell, kid, it’ll be the last thing you do. I’ve taken down a lot more impressive wizards than you.”
Shay laughed and placed a hand on his arm. “Dial it down, Brownstone. He’s not a bounty. He’s just a kid.”
James glared at the boy, who yelped, grabbed his book, and scurried off.
Alison pushed herself to her feet and rubbed her butt. “I’m okay, Mr. Brownstone, really. I wasn’t paying much attention myself. A lot of the energy here is different than what I’m used to.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Maybe not that, but I get the idea,” he admitted.
The first adult he’d spotted since arriving, a distinguished-looking older woman with short hair and dark glasses, marched toward them.
“You must be Mr. Brownstone,” the woman called as she made her way to them. She smiled at the teen. “And Alison.”
“Am I...supposed to bow or something?” James asked.
Shay slapped a hand to her forehead, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, Brownstone?”
The woman laughed and extended her hand. “How about I just offer you my hand? I’m Eleanor Hudson. I teach magical history and basic spells here. The headmistress was called away on an urgent matter, so she asked me to help Alison with her orientation.”
James shook the woman’s hand as he looked her up and down. “You’re human.”
“Yes, a human witch. I can assure you that every species here will be able to help Alison learn magic.”
She looked at Shay to keep her in the conversation. “Well, I do hate to be rude, but I’d like to get Alison’s orientation started. In the beginning, many things about the school may be overwhelming to new arrivals, so the orientation is critical to integration.”
“Okay. Yeah, sure.”
Alison walked over and threw her arms around James. “Thank you for everything, Mr. Brownstone. You’ll be at the parents’ weekend in two weeks, right?”
He placed a hand on her back. “Yeah, but before I let you go with Ms. Hudson here, you sure you have everything? Your phone?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Your backup phone?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“And the burner phones I gave you at the airport?”
Alison rolled her eyes. “Yes.” She held up her hand to stop him from continuing. “And the five one-use cards, Mr. Brownstone. I’m...fine.”
James’ shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh. “I’ll miss you, Alison.” He gave her a hug. “And I think by now you’ve earned the right to call me James.”
A soft smile appeared on the girl’s face. “Okay, James.”
Eleanor offered James and Shay a polite smile. “I assure you, she’ll be in the best hands on this planet.”
James resisted spewing out what he wanted to say. Alison starting off her school career with her guardian threatening to kill one of her teachers if she messed anything up probably wouldn’t be great for the teen’s chances of fitting in.
“I’m sure she will,” he replied instead.
“Come along,” Eleanor told Alison. She offered the two adults a final nod and turned on her heel.
Alison waved to James and Shay and hurried after the witch, rolling her single suitcase behind her.
James turned to say something to Shay, only to find her back turned and her hand near her face.
“Problem, Shay?”
She snorted and turned back around, eyes slightly red. “Just the pollen in these Virginian trees.”
James decided not to press her on her obvious tears. He wasn’t about to cry, but he also felt how much it hurt to see Alison walking away.
“C’mon, Brownstone. We still have a flight back to LA to catch, and you don’t want Alison to think you’re being stalky about possible boys.”
They took several steps toward the SUV.
“What boys?” James spun around, surveying the nearby students with an angry glare. “There were boys looking at her?”
Shay was annoyed that she’d almost cried in front of Brownstone. The last thing she needed was for him to have any sort of emotional leverage over her.
Still, she couldn’t help it.
Darkness had choked her life for so long, and seeing Brownstone doing his best to be a good dad—to try to give a shit—had just snuck past her defenses.
Am I going soft spending time around Brownstone? The guy’s not exactly touchy-feely.
They were halfway back to the airport before he spoke again, which made things easier for her.
“What’s with the case?” Brownstone rumbled.
“Huh?”
“That silver case.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “The one in the back.”
“Oh, that? Just something I picked up on a quick day job. Just need to keep it with me until I can hand it to the client. Don’t worry, it’s not a bomb or an Inca zombie rod or anything.” She chuckled. “You sh
ould have just asked me, if you were curious. I figure we have that kind of relationship now. I watch your stupid barbecue shows, and you ask me if I’m carrying cursed explosive bones.”
He slid his eyes to her. “Are you carrying cursed explosive bones?”
Shay laughed and shook her head. “Nope, just some stupid boner magic shit.”
“Boner magic?”
“You know, like Viagra, except magical. That kind of shit is serious cash nowadays. Never underestimate how much a man will pay to make sure he can get it up.”
James snorted. “Okay. Anyway, figured you’d tell me if I needed to know. I…” He shrugged. “I half-ass trust you.”
“Fair enough.”
He exhaled slowly. “Speaking of jobs, I kind of need your help.”
“Oh?” Shay shot him an annoyingly familiar seductive smile. “Finally decided to give into the truth?”
James grunted. “No.”
“Closet case,” she muttered, and rolled her eyes.
“I’m not fucking gay,” James growled.
“Whatever. Just keep telling yourself that.”
“I don’t have to!”
Shay didn’t know what she believed, other than she couldn’t figure out why Brownstone didn’t seem to be into her. He’d at least acknowledged that he thought she was attractive, but even with all the time they’d spent together, he hadn’t tried to make a single move.
It wasn’t that she wanted him that way. He was just a partner. Sure, a partner with a body that looked like it’d been carved by some master sculptor, but still just a partner.
“Tell me about the job, Brownstone.”
James glared at the road for a few seconds before talking. “I’m trying to get an Oriceran artifact from the Professor and he’s agreed to help me, but he needs a favor in turn.”
“Quid pro quo makes the world go around. What’s this have to do with me?”
“The Professor said he needs both of us.”
“Not to be a total bitch, but let me make it clear that my heart didn’t grow three sizes just because we killed a bunch of scumbags together. That was partially self-preservation.” Shay sighed. “Or does this have something to do with Alison?”
A thoughtful look crossed James’ face. “If you’re trying to work up a motivation, the Professor said he’d pay you.”
Shay grinned. “Oh. Well, if someone is paying me, of course I’d be glad to help.”
James side-eyed her for a second with a faint smirk on his face. “I never doubted it.”
6
Father O’Banion needed to be much drunker. Maybe if he were, the presence of two obvious spies in the Leanan Sídhe wouldn’t have bothered him so much. The damned men weren’t even trying to be subtle as they continually searched the crowd with their suspicious little eyes.
Their too-slick hair and too-perfect suits didn’t fit the atmosphere of the Irish pub. Worse, they were barely touching their drinks. Spending an hour in the pub and drinking only a quarter of a beer was ridiculous. Not only were they draining the joy out of Father O’Banion’s wonderful buzz, they were all but stealing from him by not pounding down beers.
Very few people knew that he owned the Leanan Sídhe. He found that a useful convenience. Surprise, he’d found through the fifty-two years of his life, was a wonderful weapon against the arrogant and the impatient.
Father O’Banion wondered if James might have figured out the truth, but if the bounty hunter had, he’d never bothered to mention it.
A huge man at the bar raised his glass. “To the best damn bar in all of Los Angeles.”
“To the best damn bar in all of Los Angeles,” everyone else shouted.
No. Almost everyone, not the two slick-hairs.
Idiots.
The best way to spy on people was to blend in with the local environment. That was Intelligence Gathering 101.
Father O’Banion’s irritation grew when the crowd erupted into a rowdy drinking song and the two interlopers didn’t even fake interest.
Lazy fucking bastards. I hope they aren’t getting paid well. Time to rattle their cage a bit.
With a sigh, the man rose from his table in the back and made his way to the bar. The bartender had a mug ready for him before he arrived. He grabbed the drink and offered the man an exaggerated bow.
His circuitous return path took him near the spies’ table. The men whispered while the loud singing continued around them. The chaos provided an almost perfect cover for anyone who hadn’t already attracted attention.
Of course, they had no reason to suspect the ruddy-faced drunk stumbling past them of being anything more than three sheets to the wind.
Father O’Banion couldn’t make out much, but he made out one syllable, which was more than enough: brown.
A feigned stumble ended with his mug on the two men’s table.
“Oh, sorry, lads. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” He swished the beer in his mug with a grin. “But at least I didn’t lose anything important.”
“What the hell, man?” one of the slick-hairs snapped, glaring at him. “Fucking be careful. You could have stained my suit.”
“I’ve only had four drinks tonight,” Father O’Banion replied. “And so I still care, lad. That’s why I’m here.”
“Get out of here, you old drunk. I don’t give a shit about any idiot crap you spew.”
Father O’Banion lifted his mug, keeping the smile on his face. “I’ll give you one fair warning.”
The other man pulled his suit jacket back to reveal a holstered gun. “And I’m giving you one warning, you drunken piece of shit. You don’t know who you’re messing with, and you’re pissing me off.”
“Aye, I don’t know who I’m messing with, lad, and so that’s why I’m giving you the warning. You don’t want to be here when he arrives, because I will tell Brownstone you are looking for him. This is my happy place, you see. The place I come to relax, and I won’t have people causing trouble—especially men flashing guns.”
The other man’s face twitched. “I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, old man. Get out of my face before you regret it.”
Father O’Banion shrugged. “I’ve done my due diligence. Enjoy your beer, you cheap bastards.”
Idiotic pieces of shit. You’d think these fuckers would learn.
“Feels good to be in a real vehicle,” James said, flexing his fingers on the steering wheel of his F-350.
Shay laughed. “I love my Spider, but not enough to marry it—unlike you and this fucking antique truck.” She gestured with a flourish. “I now pronounce you man and truck.”
“Quality never goes out of style, Shay.”
James’ phone beeped inside the console. He pulled it out and frowned.
“What?” Shay said.
“The Professor says he got our message, but he doesn’t want to meet tonight. He says you should call him, though, for some background info.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
James’ frown lingered on his face.
“What’s wrong, Brownstone?”
“Nothing. Just it’s not like the Professor to cancel a meeting. I wonder if something happened.”
Shay shrugged. “Maybe he had a bad burrito and is worried about having to run to the bathroom. It happens, Brownstone.”
“If you say so.”
“I’ll let you know if he tells me anything useful when I call him.”
James nodded.
Maybe it was nothing, after all.
Shay settled on her couch before calling Dr. Smite-Williams. She didn’t know if he’d had a special reason to cancel the meeting, but the atmosphere at the Leanan Sídhe grated on her nerves. She wasn’t sad to have an excuse to avoid the pub after a day of traveling.
She dialed and waited for Smite-Williams to answer.
“Good evening, Miz Carson.”
“Brownstone said you wanted me to call you directly, and I assume he wasn’t bullsh
itting me when he mentioned that you’re willing to pay for my help.”
Smite-Williams chuckled. “No one does anything unless they get something out of it. Some might be satisfied with just a warm and fuzzy feeling, but I assume you’d prefer money.”
“Yes, preferably shitloads.”
“Given what I’m asking, I might have to provide just that.”
“I’m listening.”
“Have you heard of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade?”
Shay whistled. “The weapon of the legendary ancient Chinese general Guan Yu—a man who could probably take a dragon or two. What the fuck are you hunting that needs that kind of ass-kicking ability?”
“It’s not the blade I’m interested in, it’s the enchanted jade in the base that legend says powers it. My information suggests it might be somewhere relatively close.”
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should give away any information for free, then decided it was a test. There was no way Smite-Williams didn’t already know the basic history of the weapon.
“Legend says,” Shay began, “that Taoist priests sailing in the treasure fleet of Admiral Zheng had the weapon with them. They were worried about encountering demons on their travels that might be beyond the ability of their magic to handle.”
“Aye, I’ve heard that as well.”
“According to at least some recent translations of the Lost Navigation Records of Admiral Zheng He, a small group of his men were detached in 1421, with the priests in tow, to continue on when the rest of the fleet turned around because he had some sort of vision. They allegedly reached what we now call Mexico, though that’s debatable because they were never heard from again.”
Smite-Williams clapped. “Congratulations, Miz Carson. You’re very well-informed.”
“So that’s what you want me to get? That blade, or the jade?”
“Aye, and soon. Within the next few weeks.”
Shay frowned. “Why the hurry?”
“I have my reasons. You don’t need to know them.”
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