by D. R. Perry
“I’m here, Henry Baxter.” They nodded at the vampire. “Are you using the last of the favors I owe you?”
“Yes and no, Sparky.” It hurt my heart a little that Henry had given the poor creature a nickname. That pain eased when I saw them give him a toothy grin.
“I see. This Djinn needs a replacement.” It kept its distance from Ismail, which made sense considering Sprites were Seelie creatures. But, if they used to be a Spite, one of the Queen’s vicious hunting hounds, no wonder they tolerated the King’s subjects. “And I need a home, someplace where even the Queen can’t harm me.”
“Yeah, but I think that’s too tall an order for what you owe me.” Henry shrugged. “Still, it’s up to you. Are you willing to give up your freedom like that, Sparky?”
“Yes, but on one condition.” They looked at Maddie when they spoke, not at Henry. “You hide the lamp in Billy Taylor Park, where the Kelpie freed me.”
“Wait, what?” Maddie tilted her head, bouncing her curls. “But it's a public place.”
“All the same," the Sprite replied, "those are my terms to make this agreement.”
“That’s so risky, though.” Lynn shook her head. “Anyone who bumps into the lamp will know it's there and pick it up.”
"No, I agree with Sparky." Tony tilted his head. "You have to put the lamp in the park."
“Why in Tiamat’s name would you be cool with something like that, cat-man?”
“Because Sprites can see patterns in coincidence. If Sparky wants to be there, they have a reason.” Tony cleared his throat, then mumbled, “and I owe them a favor.”
“That would repay both debts, leaving me free to occupy the lamp without conflict of interest.” Sparky’s nod might have been sage if they hadn’t looked like a hairless kid. “I will take Duke Ismail’s place.”
“Thank you.” Ismail chuckled. “But I’m a Marquess, not a Duke.”
“Nope.” Nox squinted at Ismail. “Sparky’s right. You must have seriously impressed the King back there at Water Place. You leveled up. Gratz!”
“Um, can we get this done, please?” I pointed at the clock above the bar. “We only have a few minutes left.”
I took the lamp out of my bag, placing it on the billiards table and opening the top. Ismail and Sparky held it between them, each reciting in two different languages I couldn’t understand. Purple smoke flowed out of the lamp toward Ismail, while yellow motes of light swirled around Sparky’s side, entering through the lid I’d opened. Something I can only describe as a reverse flash ended with Sparky hovering above the lamp. They waved at us and vanished inside.
The smoke around Ismail had coalesced into shackles on his wrists and ankles, joined by lengths of chain. When Sparky vanished, the magical bonds flew into a billion dark purple pieces, then dissipated. Ismail was free.
Chapter Fifteen
Ismail
I stood there grinning at Jeannie as I rubbed my wrists. Then, I leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth, more deeply and passionately than the quick one back at Water Place Park. The room filled with cheers and whistles I was only vaguely aware of. When I pulled away, she flung her arms around my neck as though she’d never let go.
“What was that for?”
“I just wanted to see what it was like kissing you now that I’m a free Djinn.”
“Did you like it?” She smiled.
“I can’t even begin to describe how much.”
“Enough to want to do it again?”
I gave her an encore which went longer than the performance it followed. I lost track of time, possibly even the rest of the world. It differed completely from forgetting the months or seasons in the lamp. Somehow the fact I knew it would be fleeting made it feel more eternal.
“Um, I don’t want to break up the schmooping, so sorry.” It was a woman’s voice. “But we kind of promised to do something.”
I felt a tug on my sleeve. Jeannie and I broke it off to see Maddie staring at my hand. I hadn’t even realized I’d still been holding the lamp.
“Oops.”
The Umbral Magus shrugged and gave me a half-smile, then held out her hands. I dropped my old home into them. She headed toward the door with Tony and Henry.
“You want me to go, too?” Nox strode toward the door. Josh stopped her.
“Don’t. Henry’s got enough on his plate, having to change three memories. Why add to it?”
“Good point.” She went back to the bar and what looked like a root beer float but smelled like alcohol.
“Did you want a Jaeger and root beer float?” Jeannie led me over to the bar. “I could go for one myself right about now.”
“Hmm. I’m intrigued, but I might be too much of a lightweight for that.”
“I’ll get you some wine, then.” Jeannie went back behind the bar and poured.
With Tony gone, the rest of the room seemed to relax. I understood now that he wasn’t a spy or untrustworthy. The cat shifter just didn’t want everyone knowing everything about him. Perhaps he’d even gotten that trait from me. I’d have to keep as much of an eye on him as he’d allow. I was his thrice-great grandfather, after all. And from what I’d heard and seen so far, he trusted his family less than his packmates. He might need my help before long.
“Okay, so we have some more information now.” Josh got his phone out and woke it up. “Let’s tell LORA the Extramagus is male for sure.” He kept on tapping, swiped, then put the phone back in his pocket. “Tony was right about something. We’ve been dropping the ball too many times, so let's put our heads together and keep it in the air. Any theories?”
“I have one.” I twirled the wineglass between my fingers, watching the light play across the golden liquid inside.
“Shoot.” Josh leaned against the billiard table.
“It’s rare, but it does happen that Psychics and Magi have other powers.” I took a deep breath, knowing how controversial my idea might be. “I think he might also be a Changeling.”
“But he can’t be.” Josh shook his head. I hadn’t expected an Alpha open-minded enough to befriend a flightless Sprite to protest. But it turned out he had an excellent reason. “All the evidence points to him being Henry’s age or older. And he was born in the 1970s. How could a Changeling go that long being untithed?”
“Yeah. I’m a wreck over having to tithe this summer.” Fred’s forehead crinkled as he frowned. “It sucks. I hoped I’d at least make it through Junior year. Guess that’s what I get for taking a year off to work for Dad.”
“You’re not a Magus—”
“You’re not a Psychic—”
Lynn let out a belly laugh while Blaine chuckled at their conversational collision. I waited, hoping one of the so-called brains in the pack figured it out. Lynn spoke first, still slapping her knee.
“If the Extramagus has all those mortal powers, he’d be able to hold off using his Faerie magic just about all the time. Using that is what makes Changelings need to tithe young. He could still be Henry’s age.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Fred sighed. “Guy has all that power, and he uses it for homicide. Just think of all the things he could be building.”
“Hmm.” Blaine scratched his chin. “Dragons waste their energy like that, too. But on paranoia.”
“Hey, you resemble that remark.” Kimiko punched him in the arm.
“Yeah, but everyone knows I’m a stereotype-defying dragon.” He winked at her. “What I mean to say is, maybe we should make guesses about this guy more like he’s a dragon than a Magus. I mean, he’s definitely paranoid, uses other people or creatures to do his dirty work, keeps all his awesomesauce for his own waffles. Maybe that stuff will help us predict what he’ll do next instead of just to whom.”
I was beginning to get the idea that half of the group had paired off. That might be another source of the tension I’d sensed. I wondered why everyone was looking at Fred. Apparently, so did he.
“What are you all staring at?” His surly expres
sion changed to one of alarm. “My glamour’s not down again, is it?”
“Nope.” Nox kicked back the dregs of her alcoholic float. “They think you’re next.”
“Wait, what? Why?” His eyes got almost as big as his mouth. It made sense to me once they mentioned it.
“Your father helped me, then went after the golem tonight,” I answered because no one else had all the information, and it was my theory, anyway. “So did you. Needing to hold off tithing makes you vulnerable. And if the Extramagus is a Changeling, he’s planning to go Seelie. You’re a Duke’s son. Neil’s the King’s man. Which way are you going?”
“GK, all the way.” Fred waved one index finger in the air like a half-hearted cheer. His stomach rumbled in counterpoint.
“There you are, then.” I raised my glass to him. “May you have more success against him than I did.”
Glasses all around the room clinked. Fred stomped to the fridge, got out a can of beer, and bit it to guzzle down the contents.
“But who else is next?” Jeannie scratched her head. “Back in the lounge, you said he always targets pairs.”
“That’s curious.” I sipped my wine, trying to keep a grin off my face. “Tell that to this Lora person you’ve got helping you and see what she comes up with.”
“Silly, Djinn!” Kimiko smirked. “You know all about LORA.”
“That I do.” I winked. “Tell your program that the Extramagus might be embittered. Perhaps he’s lost a mate or never found one. He’s picking his victims by coincidence patterns, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what we think.” Blaine raised an eyebrow and blew a smoke ring.
“He’s looking for destined lovers, then.”
“How do you figure?” Fred crushed his now empty beer can and tossed it into the blue bin.
“Lynn and Bobby. Henry and Maddie. Josh and Nox. Kimiko and Blaine. And now me and Jeannie.” I glanced at Olivia. She was sleeping in an easy chair. Fred hadn’t looked at her once.
“Cool theory, bro.” Fred laughed. “But you’re wrong. My head’s in school and work every hour I’m not sleeping or with my family. I don’t have time for girls.”
“As you say.” I just smiled at him. Fred Redford had no idea what he was in for as far as romance went. Unsurprising, considering Neil had waited so long to find a bride. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in the Redford line. Fortunately, the conversation moved along to other ideas, with background given to Jeannie and me as they went. The group of them who’d been targeted by the Extramagus before me had some interesting stories to tell.
I might have found myself more at ease with this group than I’d felt in a century, but I wasn’t about to discuss how I’d felt about love before getting to know Jeannie. That was for her ears only. I wanted another hundred years to tell my feelings to her. Looking in her eyes, I knew she shared my wish.
Roundtable Redcap
The series continues with Roundtable Redcap coming June 10, 2021.
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