by Hopkins, Amy
* * *
"You're ok?" I asked as I wiped tears from my eyes.
"Yes. Emma, thank you, thank you so much for coming back for me..."
"Oh don't be ridiculous. I wasn't about to leave you there!" I collapsed into a couch and gratefully took a cup of hot coffee and some painkillers from Cym. Martin winked at me from across the room and I mouthed a 'thank you' to him.
"You risked your life for me." Harrod said, seeming confused as to why someone would do that for him.
"You did the same for me. Opius was never after you, but you still got involved."
"Where is he now?" Martin asked and I flinched.
Harrod reached across to touch my shoulder. "Whatever happened, whatever you did, he deserved it. He's a killer Emma, and anything you did to stop that was a good thing, do you understand? Do not feel sorry for that bastard."
Tears trickled down my cheeks.
"You don't remember any of it, do you?"
"Not a thing."
"He's dead." I said in a quiet voice.
Martin sighed with relief but Harrod looked at me, still worried. "When I got back, he was unconscious. He had a golem with him. It attacked me, then Opius pulled me into the dream. Harrod, he had you chained up in there and... I saw things, I saw his life and what happened." Tears filled my eyes. "I think... Oh he's a bastard alright, but there's a reason. I don't know. He was dying anyway, maybe this was a better way for him to go." I explained most of what had happened in the dream world - the parts of Mikael's childhood, the dragon and the rat. My hand slipped back in my pocket when I mentioned Jones. Being in the dream world had given him a kind of sentience. I hoped he'd be safe with the Guardians.
"Emma," Martin said, a note of worry in his voice. "How exactly did he die?"
"I'm not sure what did it in the end. In the dream, I stabbed him. Everything disintegrated, I'm not even sure how we got out." I wondered exactly what a lifetime inside a dream had bestowed upon a simple rat. "I killed him with the knife in the dream and when Barg found me, I'd stabbed him with it here, too."
"Where's the knife?" Harrod asked.
"The Guardians have it. They promised it would be safe."
Harrod nodded, seeming to agree that was the best place for it. Martin however had a wistful look to him I could tell what he was thinking.
"Emma, what if you used the knife? You could have his power for yourself. You could be the strongest half-blood that ever lived, even if you only got Opius' Talent. Imagine if you had that kind of power, along with your own gift. You'd be unstoppable."
"No." I didn't even have to think about it. "Martin, I know you think that having Talent is amazing and wonderful... and it is, for the most part. But I saw what that power did to Opius and the lengths he went to trying to keep it. I don't want that."
He nodded in understanding, which surprised me. I knew he both worshipped and envied his brother, knowing that by rights, he should have been born with the same power. He showed himself as a cocky, confident person but that had to affect him.
Finally, after all our stories were told and when Deirdre and Bee had left, Harrod asked if I wanted to stay the night. When I shook my head, Gibble stood.
"Gibble be most happy if little man would have Lady driven home. Gibble can be carrying Lady, but perhaps Lady not be liking that?"
I laughed, and accepted Harrod's immediate offer of a car and driver. He wanted to come, but I insisted he get some rest, and that Martin stay with him. Gibble was waiting at the front door when the car dropped me off and together we went inside. He helped me with the door and chided Lenny for jumping on me when I entered. Finally, long after the sun had first broken the horizon, I slept.
* * *
It was three weeks until I heard from Greyson. That had surprised me - I'd sent him a message as soon as I could to let him know the half-blood killer had been taken care of. He stopped by my shop during a quiet spell, doffing his hat and standing awkwardly by the door until I was free.
"I got your message. I'm sorry it took me so long to respond."
"It's fine," I said. "I know you're busy."
"Busier than normal, actually. After recent events, I've been promoted. I'm now the lead DCI on the Otherworld Crime Unit." He had a look of forced optimism on his face.
"Oh, damn." The words were out before I could stop them. Everyone knew that a 'promotion' to the O.C.U. was career suicide.
"No, it's ok. I'm looking at it as an opportunity. This department needs to exist, now more than ever. I'm going to make it what it should be." He picked a box of virulence tea, then blushed and put it down when he read the label.
"Lofty goals. Do you think they'll let that happen?"
"They won't have a choice. The press would have a field day if they were seen to be blocking any genuine effort to improve the department. I think I can do this, but I'll need help." He looked at me, expectantly.
"Anything I can do, just let me know."
He nodded, as if he'd known what my answer would be. My answer was genuine. I would help, and I knew Harrod and Martin would too. Deirdre wouldn't hesitate and there were probably others in the city who would do what was needed.
He turned to go, then hesitated with his hand on the door. He coughed, straightened, then turned back to me.
"I don't suppose you'd be free for dinner tomorrow night?"
"Sure I... Oh, you mean a date?"
He nodded, a mortified look on his face.
"Ok, tomorrow. After six, so I have time to close up shop and get ready."
He barked a laugh and left with a grin on his face, as I wondered what had come over me. I hadn't gone on a date in years.
Later that evening, I contemplated everything that had happened over the last few weeks. The mortal media had somehow found out Opius was behind the killings, and that a half-blood had been the one to stop him. Thankfully, my name hadn't been leaked, though I'd had reporters coming by to ask for comments on 'the situation'. This had led to the Talented releasing news of the council appointments early, which had caused an uproar in itself.
Though people protested in solidarity with the 'unknown half-blood vigilante', others wanted all Talents gone from mortal society completely, bringing back the period of segregation. There was even a petition for the Fae to intervene - no chance of that happening, unless they had a scheme of their own afoot.
For me it all made little difference, except for losing some customers and gaining others. My shop was busier, though I now had a few gawkers about; that had never been an issue before. The fights between Other-folk had stopped, thanks to Gibble who was now back to his normal self. I'd gained a regular dog walker, in the form of a hobgoblin who worked in exchange for 'fluffy flower juice'. Lenny was finally picking up, and back to his old self except for a more voracious appetite and a penchant for green apples. Olfred had been to check on him twice. On the second visit, he'd introduced me to his new assistant - a white rat. I blinked when I saw it and it stared back at me. Could it be Jones? There was no way to find out.
A short while later, Harrod and Martin walked in. They didn't wait for me - Martin took a seat in the corner while Harrod popped into my kitchenette to make tea for the three of us. When he was done, I joined them, leaving Gibble to take care of the shop.
"I spoke to Greyson. He's going to try and whip the O.C.U. into shape."
"Demotion, huh?" Martin said.
"He's going to make the best of it. He said he wants to make it what it should be, instead of the lip service it currently is."
"I'm sure he'll do well with it," Harrod said without looking up from his tea. "Oh, I have something for you - a friend of mine was close enough to overhear Opius's conversation with Aveline. They were talking about ways to discourage swamp gnats crossing over from the other and bothering thoroughbreds. My friend breeds them, so he was eavesdropping the whole time. They never mentioned you."
It was no guarantee that Ave wouldn't hand me over to a killer at a moment’s n
otice, but I did feel a little better hearing that.
"Now," Harrod said. I winced at his tone, knowing what he was about to say. "We really need to talk about these invitations. You know the Talent Lords are dying to meet you properly, half the city wants to throw a gala or host dinner just to have you there. Bee's already insisting on dressing you for all of them, free of charge. She never works free of charge."
I shook my head at him, smiling as his chatter washed over me. He'd been trying to convince me to enter society, hoping it would help with the efforts towards equality. At first, I'd refused. After what had happened, I'd wanted nothing to do with a class of people that would allow my people to be killed by one of their own. Abnett had been by though, offering me an official pardon for killing Opius. He'd known my father and after we talked, I'd headed out to Father's grave.
Dad would have wanted me to do this. He'd fought for it and though I hadn't known he was doing it at the time, there was no doubt it was, in part, because of me. As I'd stood there in the warm sun, feeling the breeze on my cheeks, a deep longing struck me. Not just to see him again... to do him proud. To continue his legacy. To win his fight.
I sat back in my chair. Harrod had taken my lack of an answer as agreement and was already listing who to see and when, while Martin offered to take me to as many dress fittings as I needed. I laughed at that, knowing the reason behind it.
Gibble came over with a tray of biscuits and the rest of the afternoon was spent with good friends and a feeling of hope.
Maybe one person could change things after all.
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BARROW FIEND
Book Two Sneak Peek
* * *
Tork was possibly the most intimidating creature I’d ever seen. Nine feet tall, horned nose and bony carapaces covering his shoulders, he dominated my tiny shop. The two gnomes who’d been here when he arrived had log since fled, leaving me alone with the short-tempered troll.
“I say THREE chips!” His fetid breath washed over me and a speck of spittle hit my cheek. I didn’t flinch.
“Four. I don’t haggle Tork, you know that.”
“Was three chips last time. Tork pay three. Give me now or I crush you like bug.” His hand squeezed shut in front of me as if to demonstrate what would happen if I resisted his demands. Perhaps he realised how bad his English was and wanted to make sure I understood the message.
“Four. My costs are up, and so is demand. If you don’t want it Tork, I’m happy to sell it to Obar. I’m sure he’d love this blend.” My heart sped up as I said that- it was a big risk to threaten a half Troll, but I’d been dealing with Tork a long time. He was all bluster... I hoped.
Perhaps I was wrong. I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears as he processed what I’d said, then his giant arm reached out and he tried to grab me. Heart galloping, I skirted out of the way.
“SQUASH!”
“Come on Tork, if you squash me, who’s going to make the next batch? You’ll never have your special tea again.” Despite my spike in anxiety, I kept my voice level. I stole a quick glance to the side, where Lenny was lying on the floor nonchalantly ignoring us. Some guard dog he was.
Tork hesitated. His brow wrinkled as he processed what I’d said.
“No more tea?”
“No more tea. If you want more tea in a month, you can’t squash me. And you have to pay four chips, like we talked about last time. Without fighting, Tork. If you threaten me again, I’ll tell Gibble you’re not allowed back.”
“Tork no threaten! Tork just haggle. No haggle with tea-lady, is ok. You not tell Gibble, Tork be good. Four chips! See, Tork pay four chips like tea-lady say!”
Using Gibble as a threat was something I tried to avoid, but I didn’t want to have to deal with this every moon-cycle. Gibble didn’t mind- he’d appointed himself my protector and if he’d been here, would have evicted Tork long before he’d gotten this aggressive. Gibble was a big, scary boggart, and he was mine, bonded to me from years spent with my family. He would do anything to keep me safe, so I felt comfortable offering up his name during my negotiation. Still, I was a little proud that I’d gotten my four chips without getting squashed. I placed the chips into the box that held my otherworld currency and handed over Tork’s tea. It was a complicated blend- I’d had to overlay a mind sharpening spell with one that would also calm him. Usually, the two would cancel each other out but I’d found a way to make it work, by focusing the calming aspect to work on a purely emotional basis.
As he left with his precious packet I wondered, not for the first time, what he was using it for. He’d come to me with the request some time ago- to have a tea that would make him able to think better, but also control his rage.
His departure was noted, and within minutes, my shop was full again. A kobold, two piskes and a half-blood Talent like myself were easily taken care of with regular orders. A half-giant and a hobgoblin were both sent away with instructions to return in a few days for custom orders and two mortals came in to browse the selections of teas. Gibble had arrived by this stage and was helping to serve customers, tidy the shop and generally keep things in order.
When the tiny bell above the door tinkled again I looked up and was surprised to see DCI Greyson. He gave me a respectful nod, then waited in the corner as I finished up wrapping a parcel for one of the mortal customers- a party pack for the weekend, consisting of an energy and libido blend along with the worlds best hangover cure, if I may say so myself. I wished him luck and he gave me a cheeky grin.
“You want to see the results? I don’t have a date for Saturday night yet.”
“I’m good, thanks. Have fun.”
The guy gave me a wave and took off. A piske slipped through the door before he closed it and I raised an eyebrow at Gibble, then tipped my head towards Greyson. Gibble nodded to indicate he’d take care of the shop and Greyson and I headed out the door.
“I didn’t expect to see you today, is everything ok?”
Greyson had taken to dropping by every couple of weeks. Not as a customer- I don’t think he’d ever tried my tea- but to talk. After taking the position at the O.C.U., he’d made a conscious effort to stay in touch with the community- Talents, Half-bloods and Otherworlders. Part of that had involved coming to me and touching base regularly. I’d become something of a touchstone for the community as a whole, a place where people would meet, pass messages and share the latest news of gossip. That wasn’t an accident; after the incident six months ago, when a Talent Lord had gone on a killing spree, I’d realised how hard it was to be a part of a community that was so fractured. I’d set to work building relationships and encouraging others to do the same, providing my shop as a place of neutrality and safe haven. I’d met Charlie Greyson during that time, and had come to trust him over the following months.
Despite one date and Gresyon’s frequent visits, things had never progressed past friendship. Still, things were comfortable as we strolled along the bust street. We’d taken to walking while we talked to avoid the constant interruptions in the shop.
“It’s not, actually. Did you hear about the damage last week?”
“The vandalism over at the supermarket you mean? You think it could be related to the damage to the zoo this morning, don’t you?” Greyson stopped walking and looked at me, surprised.
“You heard about that already? Your network is almost as good as mine. Yeah, we think both incidents were related. It’s got to be an otherworlder but no one’s talking.”
“I’ll tell you anything I can. Can you share what you know or is it under wraps?”
“We don’t know enough to put under wraps yet. We think i
t’s some kind of creature. The supermarket manager said he didn’t think anything had been taken, just destroyed. The doors were forced open, looked like they’d been rammed. Whatever is was ripped apart the produce aisle, ate the fresh flowers and then hacked it all up before leaving through a window.” I glanced at him and he snorted. “Yeah, smashed it out. All we got from the scene was some grey gunk and a pile of puke.”
“And the zoo?”
“Damage to the front gate. Greasy trail through to the exotic amphibians enclosure. They think there’s a missing platypus and some eggs were destroyed. The babies were near ready to hatch- none of them made it, but they don’t think they were harmed, just let out a bit early.
“Wow. Well it won’t be any of the sentient creatures, unless a troll got loose. Trolls don’t eat plant food though, they’re strictly carnivorous... well, meat and rum anyway. There are a few herbivores in the Other but the ones I can think of are all either really gentle, or never come into the city. I’m sorry, I don’t think I can be much help on this one.”
“It’s fine, I didn’t expect you to be a walking animal directory.”
“Oh.” I wondered why he was here then. I enjoyed it when he dropped by but he was a cop- social visits during work time? No, there was something going on here. As if he knew I’d realised he was up to something, he grimaced. Taking a breath, he spoke again.
“I want you on the case. As a consultant, you know? You can talk to people that we can’t. We can’t pay you but-”
“No.” My voice came out louder than I intended, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“I can try and rustle up some funds-”
“It’s not that. I’m not a detective, I wouldn’t know the first thing about questioning people.This... it isn’t something I can get involved in. Not now.” I wrapped arms around myself as we walked on in silence. The sound of passing cars seemed muffled against the sound of my heart thundering in my ears.
