by C C Sommerly
The tension in the room was so thick that it was stifling my breathing. Two dominant men in a room and neither seemed ready to back down.
Sterling’s eyes were flashing amber color. His animal was close to coming out. Lochlan’s fists were clenched and his magic was simmering and within easy reach if he choose to attack Sterling.
I walked over to Lochlan, so I could steer him out of the room and away from the danger Sterling presented. Despite the magic I felt in Lochlan, very few could take on Sterling and survive. Even I wouldn’t go against him in animal form. He was a hideous beast and the reason why so many humans feared shifters – they represented the things of nightmares.
“I thought he didn’t meet up with the mage until this evening?” I asked.
“If this is a problem, I’ll go alone,” said Lochlan.
“It’s fine. I’m not leaving you alone.”
“I didn’t know you cared.”
Sterling cleared his throat.
“We can chat when you get back, Marty.”
His eyes were still glowing, but they weren’t as bad as before and some of the tension had gone out of his shoulders.
I tugged on Lochlan’s arm.
“I’ll be back.”
“She better come back in one piece, fae.”
He drove and caught me up on the details of Jasper’s rendezvous with the mage. They were meeting at Marley Meadow.
This time of the year, the meadow was vacant. It was a designated spot for shifters and other supernaturals during their mating season.
We parked some distance from where Jasper was making contact with the mage.
“Follow my lead on this.”
“I should lead.”
“You led last time and someone ended up dead.”
I recoiled from him as if I was hit. That was harsh and very unlike Lochlan.
“That’s not my fault. You’ve got some nerve putting that on me. What’s with you?”
“Look, let’s get this over with. You’ve made your feelings clear.”
“And, I also agreed to another date with you.”
“I don’t want pity dates.”
Okay, so normal Lochlan has switched into an angry, bitter, and hurt Lochlan. This was going to be a fun stakeout.
We walked along the trail that ran parallel to the forest that ringed the meadow. Lochlan moved silently and swiftly. I did my best to make minimal sound, but fae were only second to shapeshifters in their ability to blend with the environment and seem to disappear. They could make no sound as they moved – a stealth I’d never have as a human and envied.
We knelt down in some bushes close to the meadow where Jasper was meeting the mage. Minutes went by, but still no sign of the elusive bastard.
A flash preceded the mage’s arrival. He sure liked to make a show of his power.
He chatted with Jasper, who grew increasingly agitated. Things weren’t going well. The mage flung a spell at Jasper, who somehow managed to fall towards the mage and not away from him. I wanted to laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. The mage shook Jasper off and blasted fire into his face. Jasper screamed and batted at his face, spreading the flames.
Lochlan and I bolted from our hiding spot. Jasper was a creep, but he didn’t deserve to die. The mage saw us and threw down a spell. When the smoke cleared he was gone. Lochlan was rolling Jasper on the ground to put the fire out.
Jasper starts laughing. I exchange a worried look with Lochlan.
“Can you drive the car back, so I can transport him to a healer?” asked Lochlan.
“Sure.”
In between cackles, Jasper said, “He thinks he got me, but I got him.”
“You better hurry, Lochlan. He’s going into shock.” I said.
Jasper shook his fist.
“It’s here, I got it.”
“Easy there, buddy,” said Lochlan.
“Check his hand, Lochlan.”
“Do you have something?”
Jasper opened his hand to reveal a scrap of fabric.
“Is that what I think it is?” I asked.
“I got it off the mage when I fell. We can track him.”
“Good job, Jasper.”
And, I meant it. He came through in the end. I still didn’t like him and thought he was spineless, but he gave us the first lead by this. We’d find a mage to do a tracking spell. Lochlan probably had several on retainer.
“Better get going. I’ll meet you back at the Agency,” I said.
“Why do I have the feeling that you are up to something?”
“I’m going to see some contacts in the Dark Side.”
“Be careful.”
The drive back was uneventful. I needed to go to the Dark Side. Lochlan could deal with tracking the mage. He could handle it.
The door was locked. I pulled out my key and saw that Callie wasn’t at her desk. I went to Sterling’s office and found him pacing.
“I didn’t want to risk exposing you during your mission, or I’d have reached you through the emergency alert com. We had an incident while you were gone.”
“What happened?
“Zander tried to leave the Agency. I caught him down the street, but he was seen.”
“He said he’d rather be dead than live a half-life.”
“What do we do? The Sisters said that he has to be the one to reverse the curse. I would gladly help.”
“I know. I’m not sure what to do. I slipped him a sleeping potion, so he’ll be out for a while. I need to go out this afternoon. Can you stay here, so I can take care of a few things.”
Why wasn’t I surprised? These interruptions kept putting off my visit to the Dark Side. It was starting to frustrate me.
“What about Callie? I really need to go to the Dark Side.”
“Callie is off on personal time.”
“Since when do we have personal time off.”
“Since I said so.”
That was weird, but Sterling didn’t seem to want to talk about it.
“Alright, I’ll stay and watch over him. I can move this comfy office chair of yours out to the reception area.”
“I know you had other plans and appreciate you putting them on hold to do this.”
“I owe Zander my life. I wouldn’t do less.”
Zander would live, but this delay might mean Jennica doesn’t. I hope Lochlan comes back soon. It was the first time I wished for his presence. I could find an excuse to get him to stay here.
I practiced my sword work in the reception area. As the hours wore on, there was no sign of Zander, Sterling, Callie or Lochlan. The day gave way to night and I resigned myself to visiting the Dark Side in the morning.
Please let Jennica be okay and don’t let this delay cost her.
Zander came up with sleep-filled eyes and staggered into the kitchen.
“I can get you something.”
“What happened?”
“Don’t you remember running off?”
“I just can’t do this anymore, Marty. I’m not a mage, man, or anything. I’m just taking up space and wasting oxygen.”
“Zander that’s not true.”
“It is and you know it.”
“Sterling left us with more of the sleeping potion. I was supposed to slip it into your drink.”
“I’ll take it like a good boy.”
“I care about you and so do the others. Consider finding the cure. We will help you.”
“It’s either that or I find a way to die. Something has to change.”
I handed him the potion and he headed for the basement.
Callie had been right. Zander was a mess and extremely depressed, as well as suicidal.
I gave it sometime and went down to check on Zander. He was asleep in the chair in a position that had his head lolling to one side and one of his legs over the arm of the chair. I covered him with a blanket and headed to my room. The day was a bust. I’d get up early and make some progress. If I got out early enough, I
wouldn’t run into Lochlan or anyone else to deter me from visiting the Dark Side.
As I laid down, I realized how weary I was. Maybe getting to bed early wasn’t such a bad idea.
Sometime later, I blinked the sleep from my eyes, wondering what woke me. It was still dark, so the day hadn’t broke, but I wasn’t one to sleep heavy anyways. And, something had definitely interrupted my sleep.
Someone jumped on my bed, pining my arms over my head in a painfully strong grip. I head butted my attacker and was rewarded with him easing his hold on me. I swung at him, making contact and followed it up with a jab from my other hand. I darted off the bed. Now, I was better positioned to defend myself. I pressed on my emergency alert. Sterling or Callie would come soon. I just needed to hold this guy off until then.
Sterling tore through the door in his Kodiak Bear form. I shuddered. His beast scared me more than anything I’d ever seen. The door and door frame would need replacing. My attacker chose that moment to bolt for the window and escape.
Sterling jumped through the window, spraying glass everywhere. The shards reflected the moonlight.
“Do you think Sterling will catch him?” asked Callie.
“God help the guy if Sterling does,” I said.
“His animal is something, isn’t it,” said Zander from the gaping hole where my door used to be.
“You’re up. How are you feeling?”
“I’m not some broken doll you have to fix. I can handle it,” he said.
“We were worried about you,” said Callie.
“I have some decisions to make. None of my options are good. I trust that you all will support whatever I decide,” he said.
“Our support is a given, Zander. We have your back – always,” I said.
We were quiet after that and it was the strained silences from hard truths. That Zander even had to ask for our support showed how little faith and trust he had in us. As if we’d abandon him. And, his references to making a decision seemed ominous.
“Let’s see what we can do to block the window,” I said.
No store would be open for supplies, but I didn’t want to be so exposed, so we needed a solution now.
“Your dresser,” said Zander.
The three of us moved my dresser in front of the window and then went downstairs to wait on Sterling.
He came back fifteen minutes later, his muzzle dripping with blood. It was hard to tell if it was his or the trespasser’s. I ran to him and he collapsed at my feet panting.
“The first aid kit, Callie,” I shouted.
The blood was definitely his. Who could take on a Kodiak bear and survive? To wound such a creature was darn near impossible. Standing he was 10 feet tall and walking on all fours, he was 5 feet tall and weighs 1500 pounds. His paws were bigger than a human head. And they were notoriously short-tempered. They were one of the few shifters that didn’t live together. The stronger ones separated from each other because of the lethal battles they had. There would be nothing left of their species if they didn’t live separately or in very small groups.
Callie returned with the kit.
I cleaned up his wounds as best as I could. They should be closing up by now, but something was blocking his shifter’s natural healing.
“Do we have any more of the healing potions?” I asked.
Sterling shook his head.
“I’m not asking you. We need to get the wounds closed, so we’re using a potion. It’s worth the cost of the potion.”
Callie handed me the potion.
“Open up,” I said.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to feed it to him? You’re lucky he even let you clean the wounds. You know how his animal is,” said Zander.
“Should I ask him to open it and take it in bear form? He’s not shifting back for some reason, so what choice do I have, except to give him the potion?”
“If he attacks you, we can’t stop him,” said Zander quietly.
Both he and Callie looked terrified. Sterling roared and then went down on all fours. Here I go. Please don’t let him eat me.
I neared the bear and he eyed the potion warily.
“It’s okay. This will help you,” I said.
He growled. Not a good sign. Each time I got close enough to his mouth, he started being aggressive. This wasn’t working. Darn.
I threw the potion at him. He opened his mouth to roar and it broke on the side of his face. I only hoped enough made it into his mouth to make a difference.
Sterling got to his feet and I jumped back as he swiped his paw at me.
“If I tell you two to run, you need to run. Go to the Dirty Fix. There might be enough shifters there that can subdue him.”
“No Marty. We won’t leave you,” said Callie.
“There’s no option. If he can’t or won’t change back, we’re all at risk of dying.”
“Sterling, come back to us,” I said.
The bear roared in rage. We waited to see if the potion worked. After several unbearably long minutes, Sterling started drooping and then collapsed in a heap.
17
“I don’t want you going anywhere. Do you know what kind of power someone has to have to break through our wards?” Sterling asked.
“I do, but I have to do this, Sterling. It’s for Jennica. I was supposed to go yesterday. And, I’m not asking for your permission. I’m going no matter what you say.”
“I said I was sorry about last night. You didn’t have to call a healer”
“I’m not going to say it’s okay. You know that bear of yours doesn’t like anyone and barely tolerates us. We had no silver on hand. How is it that we are out anyways?”
“I’ll have Callie re-stock our supplies. I don’t ever want you and the others to ever be in that position again.”
“They used wolf bane on you. That and the silver could have killed you.”
“I survived. You and I have had much closer calls than that.”
That was true, but I didn’t want to take a trip down memory lane, I need to leave.
“I’ll be back.”
He looked like he wanted to argue. I think it was only his guilt from last night’s destruction that kept him from further arguing. I’d take whatever advantage I could.
Unlike, the others at the Agency, I was fairly well-acquainted with the Dark Side. During one of the slower moments of case work several years ago, I decided that exploring the Dark Side was a great way to ease the boredom. Some of the things I saw still gave me nightmares to this day. One of these places was Livinia’s.
I had one stop to make before I could go into the Dark Side. At the pet store, I made a quick purchase and headed down to the Pawn Shop. It was the only way to access the Dark Side. I think the citizens of the Dark Side liked knowing there was only one known way to get into it. They controlled who entered and left their city.
At the Pawn Shop’s counter was the shopkeeper’s employee, Slav. He looked suspiciously at me – as if he hadn’t seen me in here countless times over the years. Yet, this was the same treatment I got every time by the ogre – an intentional move since ogres weren’t as stupid as people thought they were.
I knew for a fact that Slav was smarter than most ogres. I’d interrupted him playing chess with a customer. And, he was winning by a lot. It took skill to play chess and a mindless creature couldn’t do that. There had been other signs of his intelligence, but it was a good reminder that nothing is ever what it seems.
I gave Slav the pass phrase. Grumbling, he stepped away from the counter and lurched towards the back with his uneven gait. I followed closely on his heels in case he changed his mind about giving me access. He pulled back the curtain in the rear of the store. It blocked access to the stairs that would transport me to the Dark Side.
The Dark Side served as a haven for dark magic users, who were often unfairly judged by other supernaturals. Dark magic was the type of magic used by practitioners of blood magic, voodoo priestesses, and necromancers. All of
those types of supernaturals resided here. Despite the name, it wasn’t evil or bad, but different from light magic. Just as light magic wasn’t always good. There was a balance. Light magic could be used for harm, just as dark magic could be used for good. Magic was a tool like anything else.
The first view of the city was of a ramshackle collection of shops and dwellings. I’d always felt a kinship to the denizens of Dark Side. While, I didn’t use or claim my magic, mine was also dark magic. I felt an affinity and sort of connection with the magical energies that seemed to only be found here. Yet, I resisted the lure and remained living above, on the “Light Side”.
My magic no longer fought me and I hadn’t felt it since Varnoc permanently blocked it. Not having it made me feel disoriented. I always knew it was there, even if it was blocked, but now there was nothing. And, for the first time, I truly understood why Jennica needed to get her magic unblocked. If she felt even a small portion of what I was feeling, then it must be hell for her.
Livinia’s shop was nestled tightly between a tattoo parlor called “It Won’t Hurt Much” and an apothecary shop with the unimaginative name of The Apothecary. Livinia’s neighboring shops were relatively innocuous by Dark Side standards.
The Apothecary offered rare herbs used in rituals and casting for both Dark and Light Magic. It was said that Orpha, the shopkeeper of The Apothecary, could find even the most rare and extinct types of herbs – for a price.
The tattoo parlor was run by a particularly handsome and talented rune mage, named Garen. He only took on choice clients and charged them exorbitant fees for his work. He tattooed runes onto them, giving them access to power they wouldn’t otherwise have, it was like having a potion or spell, except there was no limit and it didn’t run out.
Now that I thought about it, I should talk with Garen about the mage’s moving shadows. I went to his shop and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked louder and kept knocking. My hand was starting to hurt and I was about to turn away when the door was yanked open.
“What in the … oh, it’s you Marty and your pet?”
“It’s for Livinia. And, I need a moment of your time. It won’t take long.”
“If you want a tattoo, I already have a customer.”
“And you are interrupting my session that I paid for. Go away,” said a man from somewhere in the shop.
