by Amy Sumida
“Yes, hello, I'm calling concerning Carla Mendoza, do you know her?”
“Hello, Ambassador,” the voice purred.
“Alicia Waterhouse, I presume?” I countered.
“That's right,” she kept up the breathless routine. “Did you think I wouldn't realize who was calling after I had my receptionist killed?”
“Honestly, I'm a little surprised that you answered.”
Williams pulled into a parking space, parked, and turned to watch me, just as everyone else was doing.
“I thought we should talk.”
“I'm listening.”
“I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. It was an accident. It was only supposed to make them feel good.”
“Yeah, we figured that out. Why don't you turn yourself in and we can talk about it in person? I'm sure the Councils will be lenient if you cooperate.”
She laughed softly. “Oh, you've mistaken this for a surrender. Why would I kill Carla and then turn myself in, Ambassador? No, I'm not trying to ask for a deal. I'm warning you.”
“Go on then, I just love hearing criminals make fools of themselves.”
Alicia laughed again. “You're the fool if you don't listen to me. I have a lot of power in this state and especially in this town. I knew the second you arrived and I've been two steps ahead of you ever since. You can't win against me.”
“If that's true, why didn't you simply tell Carla to leave town?” I argued. “Why kill her after we took her into custody?”
“Why indeed?” she drawled.
“You wanted to scare us,” I concluded.
“I wanted to show you how easy it would be for me to kill all of you.”
“We're not so easy to kill. Any sniper attack would be countered instantly; he or she wouldn't get more than one shot off. You must have been on Earth awhile to forget how useless guns are against the Fey.”
“I am Fey, I could never forget one of my strengths. But you're working with humans, Ambassador. They're more fragile.”
“I'm working with extinguishers,” I corrected her. “And if you kill one of them, we won't rest until we find you and extinguish you. I promise you that.”
“Is it really worth risking their lives simply to arrest me for an accident?”
“So far, it's one murder, twelve accidents, and the illegal sale of magically-enhanced narcotics. At best, you will stand trial. At worst, you will be extinguished.”
“Then I have nothing to lose,” she said it like a threat.
Before I could say anything back, a dial tone wailed in my ear.
“Damn!” I cursed.
“You should have waited until we were back at the hotel and had the equipment to trace that call,” Sloane grumbled.
“Do not chide my wife,” Raza snarled.
Sloane swallowed visibly.
“It wouldn't have mattered,” I said to Sloane as I waved Raza down. “That woman is too smart to allow herself to be traced. The phone she was using is probably at the bottom of a river by now.” I looked out the window and noted where we were. “Speaking of which, let's find us some Alp Luachras.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Drostan was waiting for us outside the Boathouse Restaurant, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, a hoodie, and sneakers. His hair was pulled back and tucked in his jacket and his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked like a college kid waiting for his buddies, not a fairy baron ready to track down some newt-shifters.
A second SUV had pulled up beside ours and the extinguishers inside had gotten out while I was still on the phone. We went over to Drostan together.
“Hey, Drostan!” Killian held out his hand as he went forward. “Thanks for coming, man. We really appreciate your help.”
“My pleasure.” Drostan grinned and shook Killian's hand. He looked over at Raza and inclined his head. “Your Majesty.”
“Baron Drostan.” Raza nodded back.
“Queen Seren,” Drostan softened his tone.
“Hey, Drostan, this is most of our team.” I introduced him to everyone present.
“Thank you for your assistance,” Williams said to Drostan. “We would have been searching the Mississippi if not for you.”
“That would have been a horrible waste of time,” Drostan noted.
“I did tell them that,” Raza noted. “Alp Luachras would never nest in such waters.”
“Precisely,” Drostan said. “I've seen them out in the lake here many times,” he motioned toward Post-Dispatch Lake and started leading us past the restaurant and to the shore. “I mainly see them along that outer bend there, but I've also noticed them swimming around Picnic Island too. The island is reachable by footbridge so we can head there if we don't find them out here.”
We followed Drostan along the inward curve of the lake that then turned into an outward turn, coasting along an extension of land. The sun was out in full force and the humidity was high. I was starting to regret wearing a jacket.
“That's Picnic Island.” Drostan waved toward an island that came into view as we rounded the extension. “But this is where I usually see them.” He stepped closer to the water, crouched down, and slapped the surface with a flattened hand. “Hopefully, they'll feel like surfacing today.”
Drostan stepped back, wiped his hand off on his jeans, and shoved both hands into his pockets again. He looked as if he could wait all day, his expression and stance relaxed. The rest of us were a bit more tense and scanned the water anxiously until, finally, bubbles appeared on the lake. I started to move forward, but Raza caught my arm and shook his head.
Four heads broke the surface. They were humanoid, though on the small side, and their eyes seemed too big for their faces. They stared at us warily. Drostan held up a hand and waved. One of them ventured closer, crawling into the shallows until we could see his slim chest—bare and pale. Upon closer inspection, his skin looked thick, more like the skin of a dolphin, and when he lifted a hand to return Drostan's greeting, I noticed that it was webbed.
Then he saw Raza.
“Is it you? Our king?” The Alp Luachra asked as he got to his feet and ventured onto shore. His dark hair was longer than I'd thought, clinging to his shorts as he emerged.
I was a little surprised that he recognized Raza in his human guise but then, it's been Raza's go-to glamour for all the years I've known him. He's probably been using it on Earth for centuries.
“Yes, I'm here to speak with you,” Raza said as he stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, we are honored to be in your presence.” The Alp Luachra knelt as his buddies came out of the water to do the same.
One was a woman and she wore a tight tank top in addition to her shorts. They all would have been able to pass for humans, possibly children, but still, it was a good thing no one else was strolling nearby to witness them coming out of the water and kneeling at Raza's feet.
“Rise,” Raza commanded. “Your king needs your help.”
The Alp Luachras got to their feet immediately, their eyes growing even wider.
“How may we serve you, Your Majesty?” The first one asked.
“Your queen and I are investigating the deaths of many humans in this state.” Raza held a hand out to me and I stepped forward to take it.
“Your Majesty!” The Alp Luachras cried when they realized who I was.
They started to kneel again.
“Please, remain standing.” I stopped them. “We are looking for Alp Luachras who have sold their secretions to another fairy, likely a Sidhe. Have any of you done so or do you know of others who have?”
They blinked and looked at each other warily.
“This is very important,” Raza said. “Their fluids have been used to create something that has killed humans. If your friends have been taken advantage of, we need to prove their innocence.”
“We would never kill a human, Your Majesty,” one of them said. “We're not that kind of fairies.”
“I know,” Raza said. “And I'm certain that
the Alp Luachras involved were deceived in some way. But I must find them to help them.”
“Wasn't Rintmar talking about a Sidhe woman who paid him money for his goo?” the female asked the others.
I gave Raza a smug look at the word goo. He rolled his eyes. So much for the Alp Luachras getting offended.
“Rintmar?” Killian asked as he pulled out the ledger we'd found in Alicia's safe.
“Yes,” the female confirmed.
Killian flipped through the pages and then tapped one. “RMAR, 60 milliliters,” Killian said.
“Where can we find Rintmar?” Raza asked the Alp Luachras.
They all shrugged.
“Haven't seen him since yesterday morning,” one of the males said. “Usually, he comes by and says hello. It's strange, now that I think about it.”
“Is anyone else missing?” I asked urgently.
Raza's hand tightened on mine. He loved his people, even those who didn't live in Unseelie, and he felt responsible for their wellbeing. If anything had happened to those Alp Luachras, this mission would become personal for the Unseelie King.
The Alp Luachras considered my question.
“Pinben hasn't been around either,” one of them said.
“Or Lolliebelle,” the female added.
“PBEN,” Killian said as he scanned the book. “And here's a LBEL.” He looked up at us with a grim expression.
I nodded. We didn't have to say it. Alicia was covering her tracks.
Raza's features started to sharpen and his eyes flashed gold.
“Take a breath, baby,” I whispered to him.
“I will kill her,” Raza growled.
The Alp Luachras gaped at their king. They'd probably never seen an Unseelie king get so upset on their behalf before. Uisdean sure wouldn't have.
“Are our friends dead?” the female asked tremulously.
“We don't know,” I said gently. “But we're going to find out.”
“And if they've been hurt or killed, I will avenge them,” Raza swore. “You have my word as your king. Whoever took your friends will pay with their lives.”
The Alp Luachras bowed their heads deeply.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the one who'd approached us first said. “But we'd rather have them back. Will you try to save them?”
“We will,” I assured them. “Your friends are important to us too. If they're still alive, we'll find them and bring them back to you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“But we need your help,” I went on. “Do any of you know where your friends met this Sidhe woman? Do you know anything about her or their arrangement?”
“Rintmar said she had humans with her,” the woman said. “Big men and with human weapons.”
“Guns?” I asked.
“Yes, those. Rintmar thought it was odd because the Sidhe lady is more powerful than any human, no matter what weapon they hold. He couldn't understand why she would need them.”
“How did he know how powerful she is?” Raza asked.
“She's a Sidhe,” one of the men said as if it were obvious. “Even the weakest Sidhe is stronger than any human.”
“He said she was Unseelie, like us,” the female added.
“Did Rintmar say what her mór is?” I asked.
“He didn't mention it to me.” The male looked at the others and they shook their heads.
“It must be water-based,” Killian said to me. “She's using the surname Waterhouse and she's dealing with Alp Luachras.”
“Yes, but it would have been nice to know exactly what it is.”
“Anything else you can think of?” Drostan asked them. “Anything at all?”
“Sweet Tarts!” the female exclaimed.
“The candy?” I asked in confusion.
“Yes. Rintmar said that she kept popping Sweet Tarts into her mouth. He thought it was funny. Does that help?”
“It might.” I smiled at her. “You never know what clue could be the one that leads us to her.”
The Alp Luachra woman grinned wide enough to show off her sharp teeth.
“Thank you all for your help,” I said.
“Be on your guard,” Raza advised the Alp Luachras. “And if you see a Sidhe woman you don't know, stay far away from her.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” they promised.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Sweet Tarts.” Drostan shook his head as we walked back toward the Boathouse.
“She was trying to help,” I defended the Alp Luachra woman.
“I know, but that's a very popular candy here,” he said. “It was invented in St. Louis.”
“It was?” I asked in that polite way you do when someone tells you something you don't find all that interesting.
“Yes, it's the solid version of Pixy Stix.” Drostan looked up, noticed all of our amused expressions, and cleared his throat. “Sorry. I've lived here for a long time; I couldn't help but learn what the region is known for. But my point is that it's a popular sweet. Even my girlfriend enjoys them.”
“Your girlfriend wouldn't happen to be named Alicia, would she?” I teased.
“What?” Drostan stopped walking to gape at me. “Did you say Alicia?”
The rest of us stopped and gaped back at him.
“Sweet Danu, is your girlfriend Alicia Waterhouse?” I asked in horror.
A smile tweaked Drostan's lips and then he started to laugh.
“Damn it, Drostan!” I punched his arm as everyone else groaned. “That's not funny!”
“I'm sorry.” He cringed away from my assault as he continued to laugh. “I couldn't resist.”
“Jerk,” I grumbled and started walking again.
“Her name is Verisande.”
“Excuse me?”
“My girlfriend,” Drostan explained with a twinkle in his eye. “Her name is Verisande.”
“Of course, it is.” I rolled my eyes.
“What's that supposed to mean?” He asked.
“Yes, Seren, what's that supposed to mean?” Raza asked with a lifted brow.
“Just that”—I waved at Drostan's gorgeous, fey face helplessly—“he doesn't look like the type of guy to date a Jenny or a Mary. He's a Verisande man.”
“I'm a Verisande man?” Drostan chuckled again. “I think I'll take that as a compliment.”
“I believe it was intended as such.” Raza narrowed his eyes at me.
“Oh, whatever,” I huffed and started walking again. “I'm hungry.”
“As you can see, I am not a Verisande man,” Raza said to Drostan. “I like my Seren, even when she's being very Seren.”
“I'm getting very hangry,” I muttered.
“I'm feeling a bit grumbly myself,” Williams said. “How about we grab something here?”
The team agreed since the smells wafting out of the Boathouse were rather yummy.
“Drostan, you wanna join us, or do you need to be somewhere?” Killian asked.
“Oh, no, I'm free for the next few days actually,” Drostan said. “I'd be happy to have lunch with people who don't want to discuss lightning rods.”
“Great. Hopefully, my wife won't insult you or your girlfriend while we eat.” Killian nudged my shoulder with his.
“Getting hangrier,” I growled and stomped up to the restaurant.
Thankfully, there was no wait and the hostess seated us right away at several tables she pulled together, near the edge of the roof's overhang. The restaurant was open to the elements on one side and seating extended outside onto a cement patio that hung over the lake. We could have sat closer to the water but all of the tables there were those round, 4-seaters with umbrellas over them that you usually see at tropical hotels. So, we settled for partially indoors.
The food was simple—sandwiches, salads, and sides—but it was delicious and prepared quickly—both of which I appreciated—and I was soon filling my face with a pulled pork sandwich and potato salad. After a few bites, I sighed in relief and came
up for air.
“Better now?” Killian asked from my left.
I was seated between him and Raza.
“Much.” I grinned at Kill.
“Good, then you won't smack me if I tell you that you've got barbecue sauce on your chin.”
