by Tess Adair
Logan paused, her blood automatically spiking at the word wolves.
That is, technically, an expression. He’s probably just using the expression.
“Did you say wolves, Charles?”
But Charles didn’t seem to hear her. Either because the game was over or because his food had arrived, he’d checked back out of the world. He dug his little plastic fork into his mashed potatoes and ignored her.
“Charles? What did you say?”
Nothing. He kept eating. Her cause was lost.
It was probably nothing, anyway. It was an expression, nothing more.
“Okay. See you next time, Charles.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Logan!”
Logan found she couldn’t get out of her father’s room quickly enough.
The whole drive back, Logan couldn’t stop checking her phone, clicking on the screen where it sat in an empty cup holder. She couldn’t shake the feeling—or maybe only the hope—that Alexei might call her back any moment, and she didn’t want to miss it. But every second he didn’t call, she could feel the tension growing in the pit of her stomach.
“Are you okay?” Jude finally asked about 45 minutes into their journey back.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Are you acting weird because of the Order? Because of that lady who came by—?”
“No, it’s not that. Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.”
Jude leaned closer in her seat and dropped her voice. “Is it because of your dad and that weird shit he was saying?”
“Uh…well, yeah, it’s always weird to see him like that.” It certainly wasn’t a lie, even if it wasn’t exactly the right truth. Now didn’t quite seem like the time to bring up the Choronzon Key and her visions. “You know, I didn’t see him at all for years, and then…then when I finally came back, he was already like that. Well, he wasn’t quite that bad at first. He got worse over time.” She glanced over at Jude. “Has Knatt talked to you about any of this, or just me?”
“Just you,” said Jude, shrugging. “Knatt sticks to academic stuff, mostly. And, like, chit-chat, I guess. I figured he was too British to talk about the past.”
“You’re not wrong,” said Logan with a chuckle. “He used to go out in the field, you know. Both of them, actually, Knatt and my father. They’d go out together. Then Charles got sick, and Knatt had to take care of him.”
“Oh.” Jude nodded pensively. “Until you moved him up to the home, right?”
“Yeah, eventually.”
Logan remembered it well: her father getting worse, Knatt growing more and more exasperated with every passing day. The messages he sent her, asking her to come back. How reluctant she’d been, even knowing it would help Knatt more than Charles.
And then the day Knatt had found him in the study, covered in his own blood.
“Remember how I told you that we found him cutting up his arm, trying to pull off some nonsense cast?” Jude nodded. “He said he was trying to summon the…the devil who broke his brain.”
Logan kept her gaze carefully focused on the road in front of her. That particular memory burned in sharp relief: the irony of the man who’d stolen her memories, now robbed of his own. She wondered if he’d confused what was happening to him with what he’d done to her—if it was himself he was trying to summon, mistakenly believing that if he could only locate his phantom self, he could undo all the damage to his own brain.
Or maybe not. Maybe his actions were random, nothing more than the result of misfiring synapses.
“The devil,” said Jude, thoughtfully. “Did he mean…like, a demon?”
“Maybe a demon, maybe a man. Almost certainly a figment of his own imagination.”
“I see,” said Jude. Her voice was quiet.
“I don’t know if you could tell, but…you helped him today,” said Logan kindly. Anything to make it better. “He definitely likes you.”
“I think I like him too, in a way,” said Jude uncertainly. “He’s almost like a little kid.”
“Yeah. I suppose he is.”
They lapsed into silence again after that.
Logan tried to hide it as much as she could, but as soon as Jude turned away from her, she started checking her phone with regularity again.
Finally, they arrived back at the estate. Logan pulled into the garage to park, and she and Jude made their way back inside. Jude ran upstairs to use her bathroom and change into pajamas, while Logan tracked down Knatt. She found him in the study, reading quietly. He looked up as she entered.
“I thought you’d be getting back soon,” he said as he set his book down on the table beside him. “How did you find your father?”
“Oh, you know. Same old crazy.” She considered whether it was worth it to explain further for a moment—after all, Charles’s addled brain had spewed out plenty of strange things over the years. Still, his words had lingered with her, through the haze of her newfound Alexei-based anxiety. “He, uh, he called me his son. I think he was just babbling. And, uh, he brought up the devil again. Said the devil had been to visit him.”
Knatt looked at her with some concern.
“He does tend to say strange things like that,” he said gently.
“I know,” said Logan immediately, shrugging, trying to indicate that she didn’t feel unduly perturbed by it.
“Could the nurses find any strange visitors logged in on the books?”
“No. I checked on the way out, but they had nothing. So, probably just babbling.”
“Most likely.” Knatt folded his hands together, looking contemplative. “Well, you must be quite hungry by now, hm? Shall we make dinner?”
“How about we just order a pizza?”
“If you’d prefer it.”
They ambled into the kitchen, where Jude was already waiting, clad in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms. When Logan asked her if she minded pizza, she enthusiastically requested a Hawaiian. Logan glanced over at Knatt just in time to catch the look of disgust that passed over his face.
“One Hawaiian, one Logan special, and a veggie lover for Mr. Knatt,” said Logan, pulling out her phone.
As soon as she had it in her hand, it began to ring.
When she saw the name pop up, she answered it without a second thought.
“Alexei. There you are.”
Chapter Six
Homme Fatale
Jude gripped the sheathed dagger in her hand, tracing the intricate patterns etched into its handle. Just ahead of her, Logan touched her hand to a painted rune on the wall beside one of the many doors in the traveling room and muttered a word Jude couldn’t quite make out. Then she turned the handle and pulled it open.
Even though she’d known what was coming, Jude found she still couldn’t quite get over the shock of what she saw. Beyond the doorway stood an alleyway in a city, complete with a giant city trash can and the brick wall of another building behind it, and all the smells and sounds that went along with city life. If Logan was to be believed, this was San Francisco.
Without pausing or looking back, Logan stepped through the doorway. Jude tugged on the straps of her backpack and followed after, pulling the door shut behind her, just like Logan had said to. Then she blinked, and when her eyes opened up again, the door was gone. A smooth concrete wall stood in its place.
Beside her, Logan clicked a few buttons on her phone, then started to walk toward the mouth of the alley. As Jude walked behind her, she stared up at the clear blue sky between the buildings that stretched upward on either side of them—back at the estate, the day had been as gray as the one preceding it.
“Remember, Alexei thinks we flew in,” Logan said, adjusting the messenger bag on her shoulder. “In case it comes up.”
“Right,” said Jude, nodding.
From what Logan had told her, Jude inferred that Alexei was an old friend of hers, as well as a colleague: like Logan, he made his money as a paranormal consultant working primarily for the rich and the bored.
“And he
needs our help?” she’d asked the night before, when Logan had brought up the idea of going to San Francisco to see him.
“I have reason to believe so, yes.”
“Did he ask for help?”
“No.” For a moment, it looked like Logan wasn’t going to explain any more than that, but from Jude’s questioning look, she added, “Uh, I got a message earlier, when we were still at the facility, from a…well, a friend. A psychic friend.”
“Wait, I thought you said most psychics are con artists?”
“Yeah, most psychics are. This friend happens to have…a good track record, you could say. Nearly spotless, in fact. I mean, look, it might be nothing. It’s completely possible that Alexei has it handled, and there’s no reason for us to go. If that’s the case, then think of it this way—we get to walk around San Francisco for a couple of days. Might be fun, right?”
Naturally, Jude had enthusiastically agreed, so there they were. She tugged on the straps of her backpack again, pure excitement coursing through her veins.
They had just reached the real street, and she glanced around expectantly, though nothing particularly interesting seemed to be happening right at the moment. Across from them stood a tall apartment building, and cars whizzed in front of them in both directions. “Why don’t you want to tell Alexei about the traveling room, anyway?”
Logan shrugged, glanced at her phone, then pointed to the right. “This way.” They started walking. “Well, like I told you, nobody knows how to make anything like the traveling room anymore. It’s a rare thing. So, it’s just better to limit the number of people who know about that sort of thing.”
“Okay,” said Jude. “We flew in, then. I took the window seat.”
Logan smiled. “There you go.”
They walked for two more blocks before coming to a stop in front of another apartment building, this one about eight stories high, made of sand-colored bricks, with bay windows dotting each wall. They entered through a slim door in the center of the front wall and found themselves in a cramped and dimly lit lobby. It looked as though it had been designed and decorated several decades earlier, possibly in the art deco period, and kept up with only a lackluster interest. Logan made a beeline for the small elevator door at the back. Jude scurried after her, and soon the elevator ferried them up to the top floor.
When they came out on the floor, they found themselves in a short hallway that looked about as glamorous as the lobby. As far as Jude could tell, there appeared to be only four doors in the hallway, meaning only four apartments on this floor. Logan led her over to the farther door on the left-hand side and knocked sharply on it. Jude heard footsteps behind the door just before it blew open with dramatic flair.
For the second time that day, she had to stifle a gasp.
Before them stood one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. He had glistening bronze skin, high cheekbones, astoundingly deep black eyes ringed with long lashes, and ever-so-slightly overgrown black hair, shiny and curling at the ends. Jude noticed that the top three buttons of his nicely pressed white dress shirt were left open, revealing even more of his perfectly smooth skin. His eyes locked on Logan immediately, and he gave her a dazzling smile.
“Hello, darling.”
His voice seemed to ooze out of him, like silk slowly unspooling.
“Hi, Alexei.”
He didn’t quite make her stomach do flip-flops, the way the Amy lookalike in the bar had done, but the aesthetic pleasure of him was something to behold. He was almost like a painting.
Of course, the allure of him shattered the second he laid eyes on her. His mouth pressed into a hard line and his eyes lost all hint of mischievous promise. He almost glowered.
“You brought a friend,” he said, squaring his shoulders and pushing an empty smile back onto his face. “Didn’t realize you had any others. I thought I was special.”
“Oh, this is Jude,” said Logan. “She’s in training, with Knatt and me. Jude, Alexei. Alexei, Jude.”
Jude started to raise her hand for a shake, but she quickly changed it to a wave when Alexei made no movement toward her at all.
“So. Think we can come inside, maybe?”
“I’m not sure I’ve got enough bed space for both of you,” said Alexei, eyes narrowed once more. “If I’d known there would be two of you—”
“Ah, sorry, I should have said something,” said Logan quickly. “If it’s a problem, we can go get a hotel room somewhere.”
Immediately Alexei reconsidered, shaking his head. “No, no, I don’t mean to kick you out.” He tilted his head, considering. “But I do only have the one guest bed.”
Logan shrugged. “We could probably share a bed.” Jude was watching Alexei’s face as Logan spoke, so she saw him briefly blanch before recovering. She wasn’t sure Logan saw it at all. “Or I can sleep on the couch. I’ve had worse.”
Alexei gave a wide, fake smile, bestowing this one on Jude instead of Logan.
“Well, come on inside. We’ll make it work somehow.”
He turned his body into the apartment, making a sweeping gesture to usher them in. Jude stepped over the threshold, taking in every detail as she went. A short foyer gave way to a kitchen, and beyond that a large living room with two bay windows letting in the midday sun. The interior was stylish and modern, and a sight more colorful than Logan’s grayscale living space. Alexei seemed to favor dark wood end tables and fancy couches that looked like they might have belonged in the 1920s.
One door stood on each side of the living room. Alexei ushered them towards the door to the right, which turned out to be his guest bedroom. It looked as impeccable and expertly positioned as the living room, though the perfectly made bed appeared untouched by human hands. They put their bags down in there before Alexei showed them the guest bathroom as well.
Their bags now deposited and the tour complete, they made their way back to the living room and sat on Alexei’s lovely couches, each upholstered in dark blue. Alexei stopped briefly by the island counter in the kitchen to pick up a thick manila folder before joining them.
“Do either of you want anything to drink?” he asked. “By which I mainly mean water, unless you’re interested in getting an early start.”
“I’d like a water, please,” said Jude hesitantly. She was afraid his instant dislike of her might prove to be a problem. “If it’s not too much trouble, I mean.”
“Not at all.”
A moment later, he passed her an ice-cold glass and sat across from them. As he leaned back in the chair, his shirt tightened and stretched, revealing an extra inch or two of skin. Then he turned his laser gaze to Jude once more.
“What was your name again?”
“I’m Jude. Uh, nice to meet you.”
“Alexei. Charmed.” His expression, which hadn’t yet been warm, seemed to cool by the minute. He glanced at Logan again. “I can’t think of a more delicate way to put this, H.C., so here it goes…why exactly did you drag a kid out here with you?”
“Oh, look,” said Logan, shaking her head, “she may be young, but she’s in training, all right? She may be a little green, but it’s not her first mission. And if things get hairy, I’ll keep her safe.”
“All right. I trust you. I was just…curious.”
Jude got the uncomfortable feeling that she’d just been pulled out of the starting lineup for the big game.
“Uh, for the record,” she said, with as much confidence as she could muster, “I’m eighteen.”
Alexei’s gaze turned back on her, eyebrows slightly raised.
“So you are,” he said vaguely.
An awkward silence fell between them as Alexei stared her down. She got the distinct impression that he was trying to read her entire life history through sheer force of will.
Beside her, Logan cleared her throat.
“So, Alexei, about the case…”
“Right,” he said, snapping to attention. He tapped the manila folder once against his knee, then leane
d over to hand it to Logan. “Honestly, darling, happy as I am to have you around, I really don’t think I need your help on this one.”
“So you said.” Logan nodded, flipping the folder open. “And I appreciate your humoring me anyway. You knew the husband?”
“Before his death, yes,” said Alexei. “That file pertains to the cases I worked for him in the past, but to be honest, I hadn’t heard from him in years before I got a call from his wife yesterday. And as far as I can tell, there’s nothing supernatural about this case.”
At that, Jude cast a quick, sidelong look at Logan, but Logan’s expression didn’t change.
“Do you think there’s any particular reason you hadn’t heard from him in a while?”
“Well, Herb was always more of a hobbyist than anything else. He liked to collect trophies, anything he could show off to his friends that could impress them, anything just slightly beyond the normal reach of the wealthy and powerful. My first job with him was an expedition to Machu Picchu to find some lost burial site.” Alexei shrugged. “I figured he just…lost interest, as he got older. Or he found something else he could show off. Who knows?”
Logan nodded slowly, flipping through the papers in the folder, which seemed to be mostly made up of text documents, interspersed with images of different objects, many of which bore a resemblance to the collection of artifacts back at the estate.
Finally, Jude watched Logan flip to a picture of a person: a pale, awkward young man, maybe twenty years old, with colorless hair, a quavering smile, and a spray of pimples on his face.
“This is the missing person?”
“Todd Phillips, yes. His mother, Andrea Phillips, is the one who called me.” He looked like he was about to say something more, but at that moment, a number of musical notes burst forth from somewhere inside his pants. He gave a quick, tight smile, then shifted to drag a cell phone out of his pocket. “As always, H.C., your timing is impeccable. Would you care to accompany me to Ms. Phillips’s place of residence?”