by Lisa Edmonds
“Monroe said they were uneasy allies and frenemies at best.” I didn’t like seeing him so upset. “I’m sorry Bell found out where you are. I wish I’d protected you better. If I hadn’t taken Jana’s case, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry about that too.”
His reply surprised me. “I’m not sorry. We had to help. No kid deserves to be in Bell’s hands. We both knew the risks when we said we’d take the case. I’m more worried about you than me. If he doesn’t already suspect you’re Storm Girl, he will soon. He may decide coming after you is worth risking his alliance with the Court and pissing off the shifters.”
“I doubt it, but I’m on guard just in case.”
“You need someone watching your back, Alice. If I’m here trying to talk to Ashley the Banshee, I’m not protecting you. You don’t want Sean with you for whatever reason, fine, and you don’t want a whole Court security team for obvious reasons. Ask Monroe to give you Arkady as a bodyguard. They did that before, when Kent Stevens was after you.”
“I’ll think about that. It’s a better option than a whole team, but Arkady works for the Court so she’ll be following their orders. I don’t want to put her in a position where our friendship conflicts with whatever those orders might be.” I rubbed my face. “I keep trying to keep my personal and professional lives separate, but it never seems to work that way anymore.”
“That’s an impossible goal for someone like us. There’s no division between personal and professional lives when you’re a mage. I think you’ll have to come to peace with that. You thought there was a difference before because you didn’t have a personal life. You can’t expect life to fit neatly into compartments and stay that way. People’s lives are messy and yours is no different.”
“Have you been reading philosophy books again?”
He grinned. “Nah, that was pure Malcolm. Being dead gives you perspective, maybe. I’m going back to try to get through to Ashley. Let me know what you find out from Monroe and whether Arkady will be backing you up. If you decide not to go that route, we’ll come up with another plan, but I don’t want you running around by yourself until things settle down, whenever that will be.” He made a face. “Though this may be our new normal for a while. See you later.” He left the car.
I scrolled through my contacts list and called Ezekiel Monroe’s number. I expected it to be answered by one of his assistants, but Monroe himself greeted me. “Miss Worth, good morning. Do you need assistance?”
“Morning. I know it’s asking a lot, but I wondered if you might have a few minutes in your schedule for a face-to-face? I could come to Northbourne anytime this morning.”
“I’m actually downtown at the moment, just wrapping up a meeting. I have another engagement soon, but I could spare a few minutes if you could meet me nearby.”
“It’s the sort of conversation I wouldn’t want anyone else to overhear.”
“I suspected as much. My limousine is secure and warded against eavesdropping. Is that sufficient?”
“Yes, thank you. Where can I meet you?”
He gave me an address. “The car is in the private garage, sub-level two. You’ll be expected.”
“I’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome, Miss Worth. We’ll see you shortly.”
When I was halfway to my destination, my phone beeped with an incoming message from Sean. Wolf: My meeting is almost finished. Can I meet you somewhere?
I responded at the next red light. Me: Not right now. On my way to a meeting with Ezekiel Monroe.
Wolf: Where are you headed after your meeting?
Me: Depends on what he says.
The light turned green just as his reply arrived. Traffic was heavy, so it was several blocks before I had a chance to read it.
Wolf: I want you to be safe. Keep Malcolm with you.
Resentment swelled. At the next red light, I responded. Me: Malcolm is back at the scene trying to talk to Ashley’s ghost. I’m fine on my own.
Instead of a text reply, my phone rang. Wolf Calling. Grudgingly, I answered the call using my car’s built-in speaker. “Hello.”
“So, you found Ashley’s ghost?” he asked.
At the sound of Sean’s voice, my stomach began to churn. Whether it made me aggravated at him, or his call did, I wasn’t sure. “Yes, but she’s not very coherent. Malcolm is trying to get through to her. I’m driving downtown, so I really can’t talk right now.”
“When you’re done meeting with Monroe, I want us to talk. Can we meet at your house?”
“It depends on what he tells me,” I said, irritated at having to repeat my earlier statement. “I may have more important things I need to do.”
Silence.
“Your case is important,” he said finally. “I’m not suggesting it isn’t, but I’m of the opinion there is nothing more important than us.”
“Aden’s life is more important.”
“Are you going to ask Monroe for help getting Aden and Jana away from Bell?”
“Yes.”
He pondered that. “There’s a chance it might work, if Monroe will do it. Bell won’t want the Court on his bad side.”
The car in front of me stopped suddenly and I had to slam on my brakes to avoid rear-ending them. “I seriously need to drive. I’ll talk to you later.” I ended the call before he could reply.
I was only a few blocks from the address Monroe had given me, so I put Sean out of my mind and focused on finding the entrance to the garage. I found the correct building and the garage. I pulled up to a rolling metal door marked PRIVATE ENTRANCE and waited. After a moment, the door rolled up.
I followed the ramp down to sub-level two. There were several cars parked on that level, but only one limousine. A uniformed driver waited next to the rear passenger door. I parked in the spot next to the limo and got out. The driver gave me a nod and opened the limo’s door. I climbed in and he closed the door behind me.
As I slid into the rear-facing seat, Ezekiel Monroe slipped a red file folder into his briefcase. Today he wore a charcoal-gray suit with a dark gray tie and a red pocket square as a subtle nod to his employers. His hair was held back with a gold clasp. He looked grave. “Miss Worth, you look no more rested today than when I saw you yesterday. Madame Valas was most displeased by your refusal to accept her offer of healing, as it was freely given and a gift of great value.” He reached into his inside jacket pocket and withdrew the black vial. “Will you reconsider? Perhaps you didn’t want to accept in front of Mr. Maclin, but he need not know.”
“Whether or not to accept is my decision and no one else’s. I don’t answer to Sean any more than I answer to anyone else.” I realized I sounded defensive and cleared my throat. Damn it, I really needed some sleep. “Once again, I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary. I’m just tired. I didn’t get as much sleep last night as I hoped I would.”
“Because you were called to Mr. Vaughan’s home to save his life.” He returned the vial to his pocket. “The Court is deeply grateful to you for the risk you took, though the loss of the stone is regrettable. It’s unfortunate you were forced to destroy it. Its value was immeasurable.”
“I really had no choice. If that magic had gotten loose, it would have consumed everyone in the building and possibly everyone in Charles’s line, and maybe anyone who’d shared his blood too. The stone was a vamp WMD. It never should have been sold on the open market. An object of power like that doesn’t need to be floating around.”
“And yet it was,” Monroe said thoughtfully. “The stone is not the first such item to become available in recent months. One wonders why the sudden influx of such dangerous objects. I should make inquiries.” He checked his watch. “Unfortunately, my time is limited, so I must ask why you wished to speak to me in person.”
“I’m assuming you’ve heard about Darius Bell’s recent interest in recruiting mages who can null.”
He nodded. “We are aware.”
> “Do you know why?”
“I don’t have that information.”
My eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t exactly an answer to my question.”
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “I don’t personally know the answer to your question. Is that a better response?”
“Yes.” Meaning someone else did know. Possibly Valas. Hmm. “Well, then you probably also know not all of the nulls who have gone to work for him did so of their own free will.”
“Many of the people who work for Bell did not join his organization voluntarily. That is common in cabals, unfortunately.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. “Well, yesterday he took a kid named Aden Peters.” I held up my phone and showed him the picture of Aden in his Pokémon T-shirt. “Aden’s mother Jana hired me to find him. Then one of Bell’s lieutenants showed up at Jana’s house, blasted me through two walls, and took Jana too, probably to use as leverage against Aden to get him to follow orders.”
“Also a common practice.”
His dispassionate replies grated on my nerves. “It’s an evil practice. Here’s why I called you. I would like you to ask Bell to let Aden and his mother go. Taking adults is one thing, but Aden is twelve. No child deserves to be in Bell’s hands.”
Monroe’s eyebrows went up. “Did I give the impression I have any authority over Bell?”
“No, but Bell needs the Court’s backing against Moses Murphy, so you do have some influence. Aden’s a child, Ezekiel. I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”
“The situation is complex. There are a great many factors involved, far more than you realize. This is no simple favor you’re requesting.”
“I know it’s not, but this is a child and his mother. The Court cannot possibly allow Bell to kidnap and torture children. You don’t want Murphy taking over the city and Bell is less of a butcher than Murphy; fine, that makes sense. But there has to be a line somewhere, and if this isn’t over the line then I don’t know what is.”
He tapped his fingers on the leather seat. “I would help you if I could.”
“You said the Court was grateful to me for saving Charles’s life.” I leaned forward. “I just pulled your guy back from the edge, Zeke, when no one else could or would even try. So compared to that, making a couple of phone calls and using your unrivaled negotiation skills to spring a kid and his mom from your frenemy seems pretty doable.”
“Please don’t call me Zeke.” Monroe sighed. “I will try.”
“No, do. Or do not. There is no try.”
He gave me a look of exasperation. “Are you quite finished quoting Star Wars?”
I thought about it. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
He chuckled. “I must be on my way. I’ll contact you when I have news. Is that satisfactory?”
“Yes. Thank you, Ezekiel.”
“You’re welcome. Do try to rest, Miss Worth. I would like to be able to tell Madame Valas when she wakes that you are back in fighting form.”
“I’d find it easier to sleep if I knew Aden and Jana were back home.”
“I’ll make every effort to arrange their homecoming so you may rest easier.”
“Thanks.” I reached for the door handle.
The moment I touched the latch, the door swung open and the driver offered me his hand. With his help, I slid almost gracefully out of the limo as he closed the door.
“Thanks,” I said with a smile.
He smiled back. “No problem. I’m Chris.” He was a few inches taller than me and very muscular. He was also quite good looking, a detail I hadn’t really attended to when I first arrived, since my mind was on Aden, but I was very much noticing now.
“I’m Alice,” I said. We shook hands.
“I’m glad to finally meet you,” he told me. “I’ve heard about you, but our paths never seemed to cross.” He glanced at the limo. “We have to get going, but I hope to see you again soon.”
“I’d like that. See you around, Chris.”
He headed around to the driver’s side and I got into my car. When I was inside, I felt a strange pang of guilt. Had I just flirted with someone without once thinking about Sean? On some level that felt wrong, but I couldn’t figure out why. Sean was nosy and controlling and it made me sick just to be near him. Chris was good-looking and seemed nice. I hoped I’d see him again.
The limo pulled smoothly out of its spot and headed up the ramp. I turned the key in the ignition and followed. When we reached street level, the rolling door opened. The limo turned right. After a hesitation, I turned left and headed toward my house. I’d gotten only five hours of sleep since early Saturday morning and my eyelids were heavy. I wouldn’t be of much use to Aden or anyone else if I didn’t get at least a little more rest.
I hoped Monroe would be able to negotiate for Aden and Jana’s release, but if he couldn’t, I’d have to find them and figure out a way to get them out myself.
I caught myself speeding several times on the way home and had to force myself to slow down. I felt like I needed to get to my house as fast as I could, but I wasn’t sure why. I wondered if Malcolm had made any progress talking to Ashley. If he had, he would have probably jumped to me, so he must still be trying to get through to her.
As I drove, I made a mental list of the people I wanted to call to see if they knew anything that might help me. First phone calls, then sleep, then maybe reconnaissance, if anyone had information about where Bell or the nulls might be. I scratched my arm and made a face. No, first a shower, I amended. Then phone calls, then nap.
When I turned onto my street, however, I spotted Sean’s truck parked in front of my house. So much for a nap. I sighed and parked under my carport.
My front door opened as I trudged up the front steps. Sean wore an emerald green Maclin Security polo shirt and khakis. I wondered if he’d picked the green because it was my favorite color on him, or if it was coincidence. Green always brought out the gold flecks in his dark brown eyes, that little hint of werewolf I used to like so much. I frowned. That I used to like, or still liked? Why did my feelings about him seem so jumbled up?
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
He closed and locked the door behind me. I took my bag to the living room and put it down on the couch. “Sean, I appreciate you coming over to check on me, but I need to make some phone calls and I’m really tired. Can’t we do this later?”
He stopped a few feet away and studied me, his arms crossed. “I can’t remember the last time you didn’t ask me to join you for a nap, or when your eyes didn’t light up when you saw me, but just now out front you looked at me like you don’t even know me.” He reached for my hand.
A sudden wave of fear and revulsion made me step back. “Don’t,” I said involuntarily.
His expression hardened. “Okay, that’s it. What the hell is going on, Alice?”
My stomach churned. “I don’t want you here. Go home.”
“No. There’s something wrong with you, and until I know what it is, I’m not leaving. The last time I did that, you were spiraling into depression and I let you push me away when you needed me. You’re pushing me away again. This time I don’t even think you know why you’re doing it and that’s the most worrisome thing of all.”
The longer he stood next to me, the more panicky I became. I hadn’t had a full-blown panic attack in months, but I felt like I might be on the verge of one now. I backed away from him, my hands pressed to my cramping stomach.
I had the sudden thought that if I could get far enough away, the fear and pain would disappear. I could go to my basement and use the wards to keep him out. I turned and ran.
He intercepted me halfway to the basement door, his hand closing gently on my upper arm. “Alice, wait—”
At his touch, it felt like broken glass ripped through my insides. I screamed.
He let go instantly as the pain drove me to my knees. Nausea surged. I coughed and blood splattered on the floor.
Sean sw
ore and crouched next to me, but I scrambled away, desperate to put as much distance between us as I could. My back hit the wall and I huddled near the doorway to the kitchen. I wiped my mouth, leaving a streak of blood on the back of my hand. My arms and legs itched mercilessly. I coughed again and more blood came up.
Sean’s eyes blazed with fury, but he stayed where he was. “This is some kind of magic, isn’t it?”
I was shaking so hard that I could barely talk. “I c-can’t be spelled,” I managed to say. “I have n-n-natural shields.”
His expression softened. “Someone’s figured out how to spell you anyway, despite your shields,” he argued. “There’s no other explanation for what’s happening to you and how you’ve been acting. How would they do it? Think, Alice.”
I scooted farther back, retreating to the corner. “All I can think about is getting away from you so the pain stops.”
He growled. “Then get Malcolm here and we’ll figure out what’s wrong. Someone did this to you, and when I figure out who, I will tear them apart.”
“Malcolm’s trying to talk to—”
“I don’t care, Alice.” His fists clenched as he struggled to hold himself back from coming to me. “You’re coughing up blood. Please summon him now, before this gets any worse.”
Part of me resisted doing what he said, but I needed Malcolm’s help. Yesterday when I’d summoned my ghost, it made me lightheaded and nauseous. This time, the wave of dizziness caused me to black out for a few seconds.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the floor. With effort, I touched the buzzing crystal on my bracelet. “Release.”
Malcolm appeared, hovering above me. His eyes widened. “What the hell is going on?”
I curled into a ball. “I don’t know.”
The pain in Sean’s eyes made my stomach twinge. “Every time I get near her, she panics and tries to run,” he told Malcolm. “I touched her arm and she coughed up blood. This has to be magic of some kind.”
“Not our kind of magic,” Malcolm said. “She’s a high-level mage, so her natural shields mean she can’t be spelled like a low-level mage or a mundane human can.”
