Poisoned Shadow: An Urban Fantasy Supernatural Detective Mystery (The Shadow Series Book 2)

by Candice Bundy

  Becka grabbed a nearby seat, not waiting for anyone else to join her. Although she was determined to make a show of strength, wise energy conservation was key to today’s plan.

  “Lucky for them, I invited Enforcer Quinn of House Oak and Brent Douglas of the Sawatch Enclave to join me. I understand it may be unusual to have them present, but I feel like we need to address roadblocks in the investigation.”

  Maura’s pique appeared to fade as she graced Becka with a rare nod of approval. “As you say. I agree we need the investigation to produce results, especially after repeated attempts on your life. It’s unfortunate it has drawn out this long.” Maura took her usual seat and then motioned for the rest of the council to sit, which they did one by one. Brent and Quinn, not having been offered seats, remained standing.

  Once the council members settled in, Becka cleared her throat. “Enforcer Quinn, what’s holding up your investigation?”

  Quinn cocked his head at her. “To put it bluntly, I have not been allowed to question members of or visitors to the household.”

  “That seems like a simple request,” Becka replied. “Council, Mother, may the enforcer directly question members of the household?”

  “No,” Maura replied. “Thus why I constrained his actions. Quinn’s unique ability to discern falsehoods could be used for purposes not related to the hunt for the poisoner. I do not trust the enforcer to remain on topic and fear he will use this moment of weakness to broaden his scope.” She uncharacteristically thrummed her fingers on the table. “I also do not wish House Rowan to be the subject of an investigation that draws progressively more fish into its net.”

  “I’m in agreement with Maura,” Astrid replied, wrinkling her nose in Brent’s direction. “You know fae dislike the intrusiveness of your races… scans.”

  “It’s not scanning,” Brent bit back. “Your emotions naturally permeate the surrounding air. We can’t avoid picking up hints of what you’re feeling, just as you can’t avoid emitting those scents. And we can’t read thoughts or catch lies.”

  Becka did a slow double-blink, Brent’s words shaking something loose in her mind. “Reading emotions is the nature of being a wolf. It’s as natural as breathing to them, or magic to the rest of you.”

  Brent inclined his head to her. “Just so.”

  Astrid waved a hand in the air, as if she could wave away their rebuttal. “It’s invasive. Vott may not mind it, but I don’t have to like it.”

  Becka shook her head, holding up a hand to stall the discussion. She had to find a middle ground between these two. “Quinn. Brent. Can you offer a compromise? Perhaps something with… oversight?”

  Quinn took a deep breath. “I would like Duchess Maura’s permission to bring in two additional assets.”

  “Go on,” Maura replied.

  “I know this is a big request to House Rowan, but with two more enforcers on site we can interview every person in the household. The interviews can be done with a council member present to ensure no irrelevant questions are asked. I wouldn’t even need to be a part of the interviews.”

  Maura’s jaw clenched so hard Becka swore she heard a tooth crack. “Why not just utilize our fae guards?”

  “We can’t use your household guards, as there is the outside risk they’re compromised by Shadow-Dwellers.”

  “But I thought the Shadow-Dwellers were not implicated in the poisoning?” Maura replied.

  “That is correct, but we know the Shadow-Dwellers are a long-term threat to Becka. The potential for them to infiltrate your household and guards remains,” Quinn explained.

  Maura frowned and crossed her arms, unmoved by his argument.

  Quinn shifted his weight between his feet and ran a hand across the back of his neck. “I give you my personal guarantee that my enforcers will focus solely on the hunt for the poisoner.”

  Becka had heard enough talk within the council chamber to understand Maura likely feared Quinn or his associates would report House Rowan’s anti-human sentiments to the government. But right now, Becka needed Maura to trust Quinn.

  “Enforcer Quinn has my implicit trust. If he vouches for his team, that’s enough for me,” Becka said.

  Maura’s gaze narrowed. “You’ve proved your loyalty to Becka, and perhaps by extension also House Rowan, so I’ve given you a certain leeway. How am I supposed to believe you have adequate pull with Chief Elowen or your fellow enforcers to make such a guarantee?”

  “I have demonstrated I have the pull with Chief Elowen already,” he replied.

  He paused for a moment, and a few of the council members shifted in their seats. Maura’s eyes widened in surprise at his implicit admission that he’d already either hidden information of their seditious tendencies or that the chief had at his request. Maura gave a quick nod of understanding, and then he continued.

  “I would personally choose the enforcers. Only those I trust implicitly.”

  Lord Cedric leaned forward in his chair. “You are alluding to excluding grievances from your reports. Additionally, you claim to know other enforcers who will do the same at your request. All enforcers take oaths to uphold human laws. If you have broken those oaths, how are we to trust you will keep your word to us?”

  Quinn shrugged. “You can interpret my statements as you please. I prefer to focus my efforts on finding your poisoner.”

  Brent side-eyed Quinn and gave him an appreciative nod.

  “I need more than your word,” Maura replied, and Calder, Cedric, Wynne, Eirian, and Astrid all nodded.

  Quinn shook his head, and Brent held up a hand. “Duchess Maura, do you continue to accept the word of my wolf pack?”

  Her eyes widened. “Of course, Brent. Vott trusts you, and therefore so do I.”

  “Then I would propose that these two hand-selected enforcers of Quinn’s be paired with shifter escorts. Then we can ensure they don’t deviate from their scope of seeking the poisoner, even outside of the formal interview process.”

  Maura held up a hand, stopping Brent. “Is there anything more about your proposal that the council needs to know before discussing our options?”

  Brent and Quinn shared a look, their sour expressions reflecting the likely poor outcome of their request.

  “No, Duchess,” Quinn replied.

  “Then I would thank you to vacate my council chambers. You will be informed of our decision.”

  Quinn opened his mouth as if to argue, but appeared to think better of it.

  When the door closed behind them, Becka couldn’t tell if they’d said enough to sway Maura or the council. If they wouldn’t hear reason, what more could she do? Becka couldn’t back down, fear of another poisoning driving her forward.

  Chapter 21

  Calder, true to form, was the first to speak. “Mother, you can’t be considering his request! Quinn has turned fae over to the human courts, including Elder Bjork of House Alder, cousin to Duke Vott. And he wants to bring more enforcers into our home?”

  Maura held up a hand to silence him, and he quieted, but his face remained flushed.

  “In case any of you have forgotten, my will presides within these walls.”

  “Thank you, Duchess, for your level-headed oversight,” Lord Cedric replied.

  She waved him off. “What are your thoughts?”

  Lady Wynne held her hand to her chest. “Do you think we can trust them?”

  Maura shrugged. “Quinn has displayed an adept hand with fact-finding and appears quite committed to protecting Becka. Brent has earned Vott’s trust, and ours, over the years.”

  “I too trust in those points,” Elder Eirian replied. “Someone is targeting Becka, and I fear now that they’ve failed twice, they will only be emboldened to further attempts unless we stop them.”

  Becka slumped in her chair, regarding Calder as the council members talked amongst themselves. She’d believed he was the most likely suspect, but now that didn’t feel right to her. Perhaps he had been arguing publicly in opposition to his
closely held hatred of Becka to throw them all off the scent?

  However, she didn’t believe that someone who lost his temper at the drop of a hat could selectively mask his emotions. Did he even think before he blurted out his positions? Becka chuckled to herself.

  But then, who did that leave as a suspect? They had crossed Astrid off the list because she didn’t appear to fear Becka’s powers at all. In fact, she saw Becka as a potentially huge moneymaker for the house. And they’d also eliminated Alain, but perhaps that was premature? Despite his interest in aligning with their house and bringing in a relationship coach, had the incident with Hanna changed his mind? Becka’s death would free him from his obligations, as Calder was next in line.

  Becka rubbed her forehead. Her mind was spinning with the possibilities, threatening an impending headache.

  “Becka, do you need a break?” Maura asked.

  The council had quieted around her; she assumed they’d talked the investigation to death without her. Oh wait, did that pregnant pause in the air mean she’d missed a question?

  She shot Maura a forced smile. “I’m fine. Sorry, what did you ask?”

  Concern lit Maura’s eyes. “I asked for your thoughts. The council could discuss this all day, but you’re the one being targeted.”

  “I feel like I’ve already made that clear. I’m done getting poisoned.” Becka looked each council member in the eye, one by one. “If we don’t find the culprit, it’s only a matter of time before they succeed. I support Quinn’s proposal and having Brent’s shifters working in tandem with the enforcers should wrap this up.”

  Lord Cedric’s grudging nod was paired with frowns around the table.

  “Let’s put it to a vote,” Maura said. “All for moving forward?”

  Becka, Astrid, Calder, and Lord Cedric raised their hands. Maura, Lady Wynne, and Elder Eirian didn’t.

  Maura voting against furthering the investigation deflated Becka, the dire nature of the threat against her not enough to move her mother’s hand. And what did Wynne and Eirian have against her?

  “Against my better judgement, we carry the vote,” Maura said. “We will consent to the indignity of this fishing expedition, because the alternative is unacceptable. We will have a council member present. If they cross the line, then we will find an alternative method of finding the poisoner.”

  Becka understood what Maura was demanding. Saving Becka’s life was well and good, but not if it risked bringing an investigation down on House Rowan. It was a reasonable position for the head of the house to take, even though it stung a little to hear from her mother. The pressure on Maura had to be immense this past week, what with Vott comatose and the continued attacks against her heir. Becka knew Maura feared for her safety, evidenced by allowing the enforcers’ investigation to continue despite the council’s concerns.

  One day that responsibility would fall on her. Becka hoped it would be a lifetime from now.

  “I hear you loud and clear,” Becka replied.

  Maura’s sad smile didn’t reach her eyes, which were filled with cold calculation. “I’m glad we understand each other.”

  Becka rose to go. “I’ll deliver the news.”

  She left the room, but as she closed the door Astrid caught it and slipped out with her. “Just a moment of your time?”

  “Uh, sure,” Becka replied.

  Astrid’s smile was refreshingly genuine. “I wanted you to know, we’ve confirmed Langdon’s curses are gone while his powers remain intact. Your work is considered a resounding success by the healers and testers.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Becka replied. “I needed some good news.”

  “I am declaring you fully trained,” Astrid said. “Guilded.”

  “Seriously?” Becka replied. “Doesn’t training usually last much longer?”

  “I filed the paperwork this morning. And although I encourage you to practice regularly to refine your skills, there’s not much more I can do to help direct your learning.” She smiled an encouraging smile. “It’s not like I can show you the hidden secrets of a gift we’ve only just uncovered. It’s on you to continue seeking and learning what you can along the way.”

  “What does it mean, that you filed paperwork?” Becka asked.

  “It means you’re ready to perform your civic service, as dictated by the Pax Hominid treaty. We’re required to report on all gifteds’ duty status as soon as we deem them trained. It’s an unfortunate requirement, but even during that time of charitable work we can add in paying work, like you did for Langdon,” Astrid replied.

  It wasn’t lost on Becka that Astrid had reported her ready for duty the morning after her second poisoning. The penalty for delaying must have been hefty for Astrid to be so punctual, considering Becka’s condition.

  “No doubt your civic service will help to spread the word about your abilities, which will increase the demand for your services,” Astrid said.

  “Fantastic,” Becka replied. “But won’t word of my hurting Hanna spread too?”

  “Yes, but it might actually benefit you by adding to the reputed power of your gift,” Astrid replied. “We offer your services for removing unwanted or outdated magic, like a magical house cleaner. We would never sanction requests for you to harm other fae as you did Hanna. We will not have you presented as a weapon. There will be outstanding questions as to the extent of your abilities to resolve, but that will sort itself out.”

  Again, Astrid’s nonchalant waving away of the potential for others to see Becka as a threat concerned her. “I’m worried about my gift being seen as a weapon. How do we address that?”

  “Well, we assure the other houses that some abilities are immune to your gift. Like the innate gifts of House Oak. It would behoove us to understand all of those exceptions, obviously. The artifact you broke was created with additive magic, and Elder Langdon’s curse was formed with feminine moon magic. Therefore, not all powers are susceptible to your gift, although we don’t yet understand why. No doubt we’ll figure it out, given enough time.”

  “And enough injuries,” Becka muttered. Learning what types of gifts were immune to her Nulling implied there would be more accidents like she’d had with Hanna.

  Thinking of Hanna, Becka cringed inwardly. The brief meeting with the council hadn’t afforded any opportunities to know what Maura’s plans were with House Hawthorne. Surely, now that Becka was on her feet again, Maura would set up a meeting?

  Astrid waved her off. “If an injury happens, we will forego the fee; that’s standard practice amongst fae contracts. If it would make you feel more comfortable, we can initially seek clients whose need is extreme. They will be more open to the potential risks.”

  “I’d like that. Also, I don’t know what else Maura has planned, but can we offer to pay a percentage of my fees to House Hawthorne as recompense for Hanna’s injury? It seems only fair, considering Hanna’s ability to work is hampered.”

  Astrid frowned. “I agree, perhaps the promise of ongoing monetary compensation will soften their ire.”

  “As you say,” Becka replied.

  Astrid turned and went back into the council room, while Becka headed down the hall. It wasn’t long before she came face to face with an expectant Quinn and Brent. Luce and Saige had been waiting near the top of the main staircase for her return, and a pair of fae guards trailed behind her.

  Thankfully, this part of the house was quiet now. Bright sun filtered in through the windows, which ran the full height of the house across from the grand staircase. Perhaps everyone was off eating lunch or picnicking out in the gorgeous weather. She gestured to Quinn and Brent, and they moved closer.

  Quinn’s expression was once again stormy. “Did they shoot us down?” he asked in low tones, hands on his hips.

  She shook her head. “You can move forward, but I recommend you do it quickly. In case they change their minds.”

  The men shared a palpable look of relief.

  Quinn smiled at her, and it war
med her heart, despite her exhaustion.

  “I didn’t expect Maura to relent,” Brent replied. “But I’m thankful. With Quinn’s enforcers, we can make quick work of finding the poisoner.”

  “Agreed,” Quinn replied, pulling out his phone. “I’ll send for them immediately.” He tapped a couple times and then slid it back into his jacket.

  Did he have a message prepped to send, just in case the council relented?

  “I am ready for that midday nap,” Becka said, hearing the hoarse rasping of her voice.

  Quinn offered his arm, and she grabbed it and leaned on him as they walked back towards her quarters.

  They made it to her room almost without incident. When they turned the corner into the hall leading to her quarters, she knew a nap was not in her immediate future by the fiery look in Alain Hawthorne’s eyes.

  Chapter 22

  A pair of House Hawthorne guards flanked Alain Hawthorne and his cousin Hanna, who she recognized at once by the crimson elemental flame insignia on their uniforms. All their postures were ramrod straight. Alain’s chin practically sliced through the air as he turned to Hanna and shared a momentary glance.

  Alain, as an honored guest in their home, was allowed two of his guards to accompany him as a nod to his status. This was the first time she’d seen the guards with him outside of his quarters on the far wing of the manor. Although they wore no weapons, she didn’t doubt their ability to defend their lord without them. Becka had witnessed fire elementalists duel, and the results from even friendly altercations could lead to injuries with long healing times. Sometimes even scars. She didn’t want to think about how bad the damage could be from a direct assault. Their powers were all the weapons they needed.

  House Rowan guards stood between Becka and the Hawthornes. Becka came to a halt and released Quinn’s arm, standing fully on her own two feet. Brent, Saige, and Luce stood behind them, their lithe forms tensed as if awaiting an imminent attack. Lorelai sported an expectant look of sheer pleasure.

  To say the mood in the hall was tense would have been an understatement. This felt more like a parley with an enemy.