“Enhanced strength,” he said, once I’d set him on his feet.
“Yeah. Low level.”
“Why hide it? That’s not worth being Rogue for.”
“You checked me out?”
Off my look of surprise, he tapped his finger to his nose. “That attempted murder hit close to my daughter. You bet, I checked you out.”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I grew up Mundane. A recent accident kicked it in. Rare, but it happens. I registered with House Pacifica pretty much right afterward, but there’s some kind of backlog processing it.” Like indefinitely.
“Fascinating.”
“Back to the Shidduch,” I said. “Charm isn’t necromancy.”
“Is that a question?”
“In this context? Yes.”
“I knew a guy, Moishe, who’d been charmed by this Shidduch. Moishe was still himself, except not. He’d always been kind of goofy but after the compulsion happened, he became sly. Cruel. A lifelong boozer who just up and quit. Never touched a drop again. There was something off about the whole situation.”
“Yeah, that could be necromancy. The living take on qualities of the deceased spirits inside them,” I said. Gunter had enough agency to carry out his revenge against Alfie. “The possessed remain cognizant, if not always in control.” Like Mayan smoking Gunter’s preferred brand of cigarettes, despite her abhorrence of smoking. At least whatever magic he’d possessed during his life hadn’t transferred over. Last night might have ended very differently.
Mrs. Hudson scrabbled against my pant leg and I picked her up and put her in my lap, scratching her ears. “If the Shidduch is the same man that I’m looking for, it’s quite the clever handle. A matchmaker introduces two people to be wed. This necromancer introduces a deceased spirit to a living person and weds it to them somehow. Any idea how to find him?”
“I can get you to someone who does. Provided you tell me what exactly was the deal with the feather that compelled Omar. How did the two men who originally stole it off the archeological site fit into this? Who was the German you were so worried about?”
“That’s more than one question.”
“That’s my price.”
Answering meant telling him about Chariot, but how else could I track down this Shidduch and learn if it was Jonah? Chances were it was, because necromancers were exceedingly rare, but either way, he had to be stopped as quickly as possible.
Ivan was the most expedient route to end this, but as genial as he came off, I’d never trust him with that kind of information.
“Thanks for the sandwich.” I put Mrs. Hudson down, wrapping the leash firmly around my wrist.
Ivan stepped between me and the doorway. “It’s like that, then?”
I stood up and met his eyes. “It’s like that.”
He shifted his weight and my magic danced under my skin. I watched him for any sign of his light magic, ready to lock my armor into place.
“You let my dad choose,” he said. “You kept my daughter’s magic safe.”
“Huh? Oh. Yeah. I did.” Ivan’s father, Abraham, was one of the original architects of Hedon, and when the foundational magic needed to be fixed, the Queen had forcibly recruited me in gaining Abraham’s assistance. My methods had gotten the job done, but put me on her shit list. “Did he enjoy the wedding?”
Ivan smiled fondly. “He danced with Shannon. I haven’t seen him dance since Mama—” He shook off the sorrow that flashed across his face. “You did a mitzvah for my family. Hedon. Go to the Green Olive and talk to the owner.”
“Alfie?”
“Who’s Alfie? Name’s Gunter.”
That was going to be tough… but not impossible.
Chapter 22
“I don’t have an endless supply of tokens,” Miles bitched. He tried to get comfortable on the stool pushed up to the counter island, before giving up and standing. “Rein her in, Levi.”
Levi was so at ease in his kitchen, pouring me a cup of coffee, then stretching up to reach the sugar on the shelf above the sink.
I wanted lazy Sunday mornings in here doing a crossword puzzle together and cooking dinner with laughter, wine, and good music streaming from the speakers. There was no one else I’d ever envisioned that way, the picture of this domestic bliss settling over me like a fuzzy blanket.
“She wouldn’t ask if she didn’t have a good reason,” Levi said.
“Thank you,” I said. “Milk?”
“In the fridge.”
I doctored my beverage, looking around hopefully for the biscotti.
“Treats after the meeting,” Levi said.
“You don’t even know what I needed,” I said. “Maybe it was a teaspoon.”
“Uh-huh.” He smirked.
Miles crossed his arms, his eyes cold. “Fuck me. You two are together. This is going to get messy.”
“Unlike you and Arkady?” I said.
“No, it won’t,” Levi said.
“Then tell me, boss, who’s your Head of Security? Me or your new girlfriend? Because if it’s me, then let me do my job.”
All the points he gained for his deductive skills blew away at his massive assholery.
I stirred the sugar in with enough force to make tiny whirlpools in the mug. “You want to compare dicks? Because you’ll lose. I answer directly to Levi.”
“I bet you do,” he said.
“Miles,” Levi warned.
Mrs. Hudson barked at Miles, lolling on the puppy bed in the corner that had shown up this morning. First Priya, now Levi. There were going to be a lot of broken hearts over this pug.
“Any case that Levi puts me on, or anything to do with Chariot, counts as House business.” I said. “Should I require House resources, you suck it up and provide them.”
“I’m not your fucking lackey,” Miles said.
“And I’m not some wild card out there wreaking havoc. I’ve looped you in every step of the way, on everything I’m working on. You’ve hated me since we were teens and if you don’t get over that, you’re going to be the one to fuck up big time and put House Pacifica in danger.”
“I don’t dislike you,” Miles said. “I’d have to give a damn about you one way or the other for that. I just don’t trust you to put the House first. Like I do. Every time.”
“Enough,” Levi snapped. He waved a teaspoon at us in monarchical fashion. “Both of you. Ash, if Miles determines your request undermines some aspect of House security, you need to respect that.”
“Tokens don’t fall into that category,” I said.
Levi shot me a beseeching look. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of coffee, mostly so I wouldn’t chuck the contents at Miles’ fat muscly head.
“Miles,” Levi said, “get Ash a supply of tokens so she doesn’t have to keep asking.”
“We’re burning favors,” Miles said, grimly. “You better be damn sure it’s worth it.”
“It’s worth it,” Levi said.
Miles was rubbing a hand back and forth over his sleeve. I’d seen him do that before, after I’d killed the smudge that had been inside him. A gesture born of stress.
Annoying as he was, I tried to see this from his perspective. We had to start somewhere.
My request was costing him favors, which didn’t sound good. The least I could do was be appreciative of that fact and lessen any other potential stresses for Miles regarding this situation. Like him having to worry about his team.
“It might be for the best if I was exempt from House protocols in going to Hedon. That way—”
“You could royally mess up diplomatic relations with them.” Miles spread his hands wide. “Though if you get yourself killed over there and out of my hair, then I won’t have to worry about you anymore.”
Well, I tried.
“I’m pretty hard to kill.” I manifested a blood red dagger, holding it up to the light. “You, on the other hand, have no handy armor to protect you.”
“I said enough!” Levi swiped the dagger away from me and threw it. It
embedded into the drywall, vibrating. “You two are my most valuable resources and the two people I trust the most. I don’t give a fuck if you like each other, but you will respect each other and have each other’s backs. Do I make myself clear?”
We muttered our assent.
“Though I agree with Miles,” I said. “Anyone I take is a potential liability. Keep them here as first line of defense for the House.”
Miles stared at me, faintly puzzled, then he nodded. “You can handle yourself there. Okay. You’re free to come and go as you please, but getting tokens is trickier. There’s only ever a set number of them in play and the ones who control their dispersal are touchy.”
“Touchy as in easily hurt feelings?” I said.
“Touchy as in shoot first and ask questions later. It’s not easy finding people willing to play middleman for a House and buy them.”
“Get me into Hedon this time and I shouldn’t be asking for more,” I said. “This necromancer business should get me the alliance with the Queen and my all-access pass.”
“I don’t agree to that,” Levi said.
“I do,” Miles said. “My people. My determination for the good of the House. Are you going to override me on this?”
The air roiled with an angrily coiled tension.
“Your call,” Levi said tightly.
Miles’ cell rang. “Update me,” he said into it.
Mrs. Hudson jumped off her doggie bed to nose around in the rest of the house.
I shifted forward to track her and Levi squeezed my shoulder.
“She’s fine,” Levi said. The second Miles hung up, he said, “Well?”
“Ashford,” Miles said.
Levi swore softly. “There’s no way it doesn’t go farther than him.”
“That’s it. He’d gotten in deep on some gambling debts and Chariot offered to wipe them clean.”
“Who’s Ashford?” I said.
“Our crooked cop.” Miles stared into his coffee mug with the look of a man who wished it would transform into something a lot stronger. “The one who told the German assassin where to find Yitzak.”
“It wasn’t Novak? No way!” I said. “You sure?”
I’d have put good money on the fact that Staff Sergeant Novak of the Nefesh police department, asshole extraordinaire, especially where I was concerned, was the corrupt element.
“Positive. Novak’s a dick, but he’s honest.” Miles rubbed at his blood-shot eyes. I’d snagged a nap today. How long had Miles been running around cleaning up all these messes? “I fucking hate dirty cops.”
“Double and triple check your sources on this,” Levi said. “Ash, run down everything that’s happened, starting with your visit with Paulie. Arkady filled me in on some of it, but I want your version.”
Levi’s only comment about my time in Inferno was to ask if I had a problem with him giving the Queen the codename.
“If they can find 26L1 faster, have at it. Rafael is on board with it as well.” I was wrapping up the salient points when the doorbell rang. “You expecting someone?”
Levi shook his head. “I’ll get rid of whoever it is.”
Mrs. Hudson raced back into the kitchen, chasing a fly.
While Levi went to answer the door, Miles sat there looking vaguely uncomfortable. A moment later I heard Mayan’s enthusiastic greeting.
I laughed without any humor. “You invited her.”
In the spirit of our new truce, I waited for Miles’ apology for springing her on me. For a second, it seemed like I’d get it. That was until he nonchalantly topped up his coffee.
“You’re not questioning my decision as Head of Security, are you?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I clenched my jaw so hard I took off a layer of enamel.
“… This is a very nice bottle of wine, thank you.” Levi led Mayan into the room, holding some fancy-ass bottle with a bow stuck to it.
She wore her heart pendent again.
“I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t helped—” She saw me and stopped short. “I didn’t realize you’d be here,” she said curtly.
“Why not? Because the hired help isn’t generally invited?” I said.
Levi shook his head, but a small smile played on his lips.
Miles extended an arm, inviting Mayan to sit down at the breakfast nook. “How are you feeling?”
She word-vomited feelings all over the room. And sure, I wasn’t a feelings person even on a good day and I was working on that, but this was a lot even for someone who had listened to a strongly empathetic friend like Priya unload. No one should need this much hand-holding through their own emotions and still have a driver’s license.
I cut my eyes sideways to the blood dagger stuck in the wall. Levi raised his eyebrows at me, and I heaved an aggrieved sigh and sat down at the table with the others.
The puppy caught and ate the fly, then settled at my feet.
“Mayan, coffee?” Levi said.
“No, thank you. I’m still jittery.” She shivered.
“Right then.” Levi joined us, taking an empty chair between Mayan and Miles. It happened to be the closest chair to where he’d been standing and I wasn’t threatened by Mayan. I was, however, deathly curious to see how far she’d go putting the moves on Levi.
“I need you to take me through your time with Jonah from first meeting him to this morning. But if it gets too much, just say the word and we’ll pause, okay?” Miles could be compassionate when he wanted to.
Mayan nodded bravely.
The gist of the story was that she’d met Jonah at a supermarket, of all places, here in Vancouver one night. They hit it off and started seeing each other. He was a very private person and didn’t like to go out a ton, but that didn’t set off any alarms. He was kind and funny and quite involved in his work as a medical researcher.
“When you said you’d gone to Hedon because you’d hooked up with a guy, you meant Gunter, not Jonah, didn’t you?” I said.
Mayan blinked at me. “How’d you know?”
“I’m a private investigator. My job is literally to put the pieces of a case together.” Mack on my boyfriend all you want, but do not diss my abilities.
“I know that, but…” Flustered, she fiddled with her heart pendant.
“You’re doing great,” Miles said, with a hard stare my way. “Keep going.”
They’d been dating for about three weeks when Mayan showed up earlier than she was supposed to and overheard a phone call. Jonah was arranging with a client to charm the head of a pharmaceutical company into handing over some formula.
“It was the first I knew of his magic. Or what I thought was his magic. I couldn’t have guessed Jonah was really a necromancer,” she said to me. “That doesn’t make me stupid.”
“Of course not,” Levi said.
I mentally eyed her moral high ground, wishing it would open up and swallow her. “I’m sorry for saying that to you when I didn’t have all the facts.”
She nodded stiffly. “I pretended that I hadn’t heard the call, but that night I phoned Levi. I really meant to tell you when we met,” she said, “but Jonah came over before our visit and that’s when it happened.” Her bottom lip trembled. “Could I get a glass of water?”
Levi squeezed her hand, his expression troubled. “Of course.”
I hated this. Not that they had a past, but that her pain was his pain. He was beating himself up for her suffering, even though none of this was his fault.
Mayan took a half-hearted sip of the water and then ran a finger around the rim of glass.
“Did you remember what happened that night?” Miles said.
Her face twisted. “Oh yes. Jonah said if I was going to tattle on him, I should have all the facts, but once that thing was inside me, I couldn’t rat Jonah out. It was physically impossible.”
“How did Jonah get the Repha’im out of Sheol?” I said.
“He just pulled it out? One second it wasn’t there and then th
ere was a ghost thing hovering in front me.” Mayan pushed the glass away, leaning into Levi.
He put his arm around her, glancing at me. I made a “don’t worry about it” motion with my hand.
“Did Gunter ever speak to you?” I said.
“No.” Mayan buried her head in Levi’s shoulder.
“You’re upsetting her,” Miles said.
“Then the faster we get through all this unpleasantness, the better,” I said. “Did Jonah speak to the Repha’im that first night?”
“He called it Gunter and made a weird joke about my suitability as a wife.”
“Because he’s the Shidduch.” Grinning, I slammed my hand on the table. “Hot damn!”
Thinking this was some game, Mrs. Hudson rose onto her back legs, scrabbling at me with a paw. When I didn't engage, she trotted out of the room once more.
“What is wrong with you?” Mayan said.
“What do you mean by Shidduch?” Miles leaned forward, his head tilted to one side.
“I checked in with a contact of mine.” I filled them in on everything Ivan had told me. “Everyone thinks he charms people, but that’s not it at all. He’s matchmaking. Spirits to flesh. Making deals to give the deceased another chance at life in exchange for whatever his client has hired him to do.”
“Necromancy is rare but putting souls into live bodies is a new twist on the magic I hadn’t heard of before,” Miles said. “It’s involved communing with the dead or for the couple of level fives in history, puppeteering the departed spirits for a very brief period of time to carry out simple actions.”
“But I’m not powerful,” Mayan said. “He didn’t have to do this to me.”
“No,” I said gently. “He didn’t. You were a threat. That’s why he went after you and violated you in the worst way. Do you have access to a good counselor?”
Mayan looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. Maybe she was. “I can find one.”
“That’s part of why you want to go into Hedon, isn’t it?” Levi said to me. “How would that help to find Jonah? Gunter’s dead.”
“And I have no idea how to find Jonah. I swear,” Mayan said. “I don’t have Gunter’s memories. I’m not even sure why he hated Alfie so much. Just that he did and I was forced to carry out his revenge.”
Shadows & Surrender: A Snarky Urban Fantasy Detective Series (The Jezebel Files Book 3) Page 22
