by B N Miles
Jared watched him carefully. “I’m grateful for what you’ve done so far, but I have a feeling it comes with some strings.”
“There are always strings, young Bechtel.” He smiled and shook his head. “I can’t pretend I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart, that’s true.”
“What can we do for you?”
His eyes moved to Cassie and for a moment Jared froze. He wondered if Mattis knew what the central component of the Medlar spell was—and if he knew that Cassie used to be that component before her cousin was taken.
“You’re an interesting one, Cassie Grim. I’ve heard whispers about you.”
Jared went still, but Cassie spoke up. “I’m a very interesting person, Mattis.”
He smiled. “I’m sure. Tell me, is it true that you’re a kind of Were?”
She nodded. “That’s right.”
“A kind that’s never existed before?” His eyes looked hungry, and Jared was halfway to pulling his powers up again.
“In this world, at least.”
“I want to see it.” Mattis leaned closer. “If you’d indulge me.”
Cassie blinked, surprised, and glanced at Jared. “I’m not sure why you’d want that?”
Mattis cleared his throat. “I’m something of an, ah, archeologist. I’ve studied evolutionary biology my entire adult life, and I’ve dug through countless sites searching for bones and fossils, and now you’re telling me that a species we thought was extinct still exists. I have to see it with my own eyes.”
Jared looked between them. “I need to understand this. You’ll help us if Cassie shifts for you?”
Mattis nodded. “And lets me study her.”
“Absolutely no studying,” Jared said, his voice forceful. “We’ve seen enough of Magi family studying for one lifetime.”
He grimaced. “I mean to take photographs for my collection. I’d of course appreciate a blood sample, and perhaps some physical measurements, but I will not experiment on the poor girl.”
Cassie opened her mouth but Jared put a hand on her leg. “What will we get?”
Mattis continued to stare at Cassie. “A location. The Medlar have her cousin, and we know where he’s staying.”
Jared sat up straight. “Where?”
“I’ll tell you after I get what I want.”
Cassie brushed Jared’s hand off and stood. “Right here and now,” she said. “But if you try anything—”
“I want photographs and measurements,” Mattis said. “I promise, that’s all.”
Jared nodded and stood. He pulled in his power and conjured a thick haze of misty air around Cassie, giving her some privacy. He held it there for a few minutes while she undressed, and when she was finished, she stepped out from the mist in her fox-like form.
She stood up to Jared’s chest, her long snout filled with bone-crushing teeth, her eyes still the same shade of green, her fur sleek and red, except around her nose where it turned black. She was covered in muscle, and looked so much like a giant fox, or maybe a kind of dog.
Mattis jumped to his feet and sucked in his breath. “My god,” he whispered. “You’re sure she’s a Were? And not a shifter?”
“I’m very sure,” Jared said.
Mattis took his phone from his pocket and proceeded to do exactly what he said he wanted to do—he took pictures of Cassie from every angle and used LiDAR to get measurements and a 3D model. He mumbled to himself the whole time, seemingly enraptured by the experience, and when he finished he sat back down, breathing hard like he’d run two miles, and looked up at Jared.
“She’s magnificent,” he said, a touch of awe in his voice.
“I’ve very aware,” Jared said, conjuring mist to obscure Cassie again. “Now, what do you have for me?”
“Texas,” Mattis said. “There’s a facility in the desert. The Medlar have diverted a very large amount of their resources to the place, including multiple family members and what seems to be their entire guard force.”
“All their guards?” Jared tapped his foot. “That must be thousands.”
“Possibly. It’s a small army, that’s for certain.” Mattis gave him a dazed smile. “Still want the location?”
“I do.”
Cassie stepped from the mist, fully dressed now. “How was that?” she asked.
“You’re perfect, my dear,” Mattis said gently. “Thank you for indulging me.”
She nodded. “I didn’t love feeling like I was being studied.”
“If it’s any consolation, it’s not about you, but about the species you represent. Your kind does not exist on our planet anymore, and the chance to see you in person… it was too much to pass up. I am truly thankful.”
“The address, Mattis.”
The old man sucked in a breath and took a piece of paper from his pocket. It was folded into a tight square. He held it out and Jared took it, unfolded it, and stared down at a set of GPS coordinates.
“That’ll take you right to it,” he said. “Be warned, there are wards around the area. Our spies had a lot of trouble getting in.”
“Your people are inside?”
“Currently we have three members posing as staff, but don’t expect their help. We worked too hard to blow their cover now.”
Jared glanced at Cassie then folded the paper and shoved it into his pocket. “Thank you,” he said. “This just might save the world.”
Mattis laughed. “Accords or no, the world will continue on without us. But yes, I very much hope the world we know remains intact for some time.” He stood up from the rim of the fountain again and stretched his back. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Jared. And you, Cassie Grim, you are special beyond measure. I do hope I can meet you again.”
Cassie seemed to blush, which made Jared smile.
“Thank you, Mattis,” she said.
The old man turned and walked off. As he reached the end of the fountain and turned down a path, the wards that were cast around them fell away and the noise of the park dropped back down on them. It was disorienting for a moment, but Jared felt Cassie slip her hand into his, and he pulled her against him.
“Do you think it’s real?” she asked.
“This is our best lead so far. It has to be the right one.”
She nodded. “He’s a weird man.”
“But he’s right, you’re special beyond measure.”
She laughed, tilted her chin toward him, and they kissed, holding it for a long second before breaking apart.
“Take me home, young Bechtel,” she said, and Jared walked with her back to the edge of the park.
Lumi, Jessalene, and the contractors met up with them on the opposite sidewalk.
“That looked like it went well,” Lumi said. “Although things were fuzzy inside the wards. Did Cassie shift?”
“He wanted to study my Were form,” Cassie said.
Lumi made a dubious face.
“But he gave us a location,” Jared said.
“Really?” Jessalene stepped up close. “Do you think it’s the right one?”
Jared nodded. “This time, I think we’re going to finish things.”
Jessalene stared at him as the group moved on in silence. Jared weighed the truth of what they were going to do, and he felt somewhat afraid—not of the eventual battle, but of the possibility that some of them might not make it back home.
22
Bea found a house outside of a small town called Gail, Texas in the desert scrubland at the end of a long gravel road. They ferried everyone there, except for the contractors and Penny—they were left behind to watch over the Meta girls. Bea’s team set up a command station and a temporary barracks with enough space for twenty fighters, while Jared and his family set up shop in the main house. The property was shockingly large, well maintained, decorated in the style of the Southwest with lots of turquoise and Native American paintings, and comfortable enough for the lot of them.
Jared stood with Bea, Lumi, Jessalene, and Ni
kki around an unfolded map of the surrounding region. He tapped a spot that seemed as though it was in the middle of an endless desert. “This is the location Mattis gave me,” he said.
“What’s out there?” Lumi asked.
“Looks like nothing.” Bea shook her head. “I’ve got scouts combing the region right now. West Texas is basically one large desert, pretty arid, pretty flat. Not a whole lot to hide behind. If there’s a facility, we’ll find it.”
“The building in Arizona had some sophisticated wards,” Jared said. “Make sure your scouts are aware of that. They might get turned away without realizing.”
“They’re trained, don’t you worry.” Bea nodded and jabbed at the map. “If it’s here, they’ll figure it out.”
“Mattis said the Medlar brought an army with them,” Cassie said.
“Army or not, we’re going in.” Nikki paced along the back wall, arms crossed. “I don’t think they’ll be able to stop us.”
“We have a bigger attack force this time,” Jessalene said. “Between Bea’s army and our group, we’re a lot stronger.”
“Still, we need to be careful.” Jared watched Nikki’s pacing and knew something was up with her. She hadn’t spoken much since she’d been kicked out of the Hierarchy, and he knew that was weighing on her. A lot of her identity was wrapped up in her position and power, and without that, she must have been struggling.
“My scouts are good. They’ll find the place, and if there are any weaknesses, we’ll exploit them.” Bea nodded to herself and grunted. “For now, we should regroup, get settled, and wait for news.”
“Beats having to comb the desert ourselves,” Jessalene said. “Gods, that was the worst.”
Jared almost laughed. The memory of the Arizona facility still felt fresh, even if so much had happened in the meantime.
The group broke up then and most of them moved off into the rest of the house. Jared lingered behind with Nikki, and she eyed him warily, like a cornered cat that wanted to dart away. Once Bea had rolled up her maps and left, the room was empty, and Jared leaned up against the table.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing’s wrong.” Nikki crossed her arms defiantly.
“Come on. I didn’t think you played this sort of game.”
She let out a snort and a small smile ghosted across her lips. “I don’t, which is why you can believe me when I say nothing’s wrong.”
“I know you’re struggling without the Hierarchy.”
“It’s not that.” She hesitated then cursed. “You don’t want to know.”
“Come on.”
“I’m hungry,” she snapped, and for half a moment Jared saw the vicious predator lurking inside her. She took a deep breath and composed herself. “I’m hungry,” she said again, calmer that time.
Jared stared at her for a few moments before nodding. “We haven’t been giving you enough.”
“I take as much as I can from you,” she said, looking away. “But I’m used to more.”
“We can ask the others.’
“I don’t want to feed from them.” She seemed almost desperate, and Jared was surprised by her vulnerability. “I don’t want to put them in that position.”
“I’m sure they’ll help, if you let them.”
“I’ll be okay. I’m getting enough, I’m just—on edge.”
Jared nodded and tried to imagine what she was going through, but he couldn’t quite get there. Vampires looked like Humans in all the ways that mattered, but they were so fundamentally different at their core. He walked to her and gently took her into his arms. She felt stiff at first, but relaxed after a moment and kissed his neck, then nuzzled her face into his shoulder.
“We’re close,” he said, half whispering. “Can you feel it? I think I can.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Wade’s here. The Medlar are going to go through with this spell soon, and we need to get in there. We’re so close to being done, and when it’s over, I swear we’ll take care of your needs.”
“I know you will.” She smiled up at him. “But I’m worried about what after looks like.”
He hesitated. “What do you mean?”
She pulled away and stalked across the room. He watched her for a moment as she turned to him slowly.
“Do you know how much the Magi families do to keep the world going?”
“I know they have a hand in most things.”
She gave him a bitter smile. “Not most things. Everything. Finance, government, everything. They steer the world, because they have magic, and normal Humans don’t.”
“Except for the Hierarchy.”
She snorted. “Including the Hierarchy. As much as we want to pretend like we could stand up to the families, we aren’t strong enough. Even now, after thousands of years of gaining strength, we still wouldn’t be able to overthrow them, or else we would’ve tried by now.”
“The families will still be around after this.”
“I’m not so sure.” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t think Medlar will survive what happens here. And if the Medlar topple, there will be a power vacuum—and you know what happens then.”
“You think the families will fight each other.”
“The Hierarchy will do everything it can to see that it happens. The Medlar aren’t just the head family, they’re the bulk of the power structure. They hold more and more, employ more men and magi, and wield more influence than all the rest of the families combined.”
“That can’t be true,” Jared said, but as soon as the words left his lips, he knew it was. He’d known it all his life, been taught it over and over again, some lessons subtler than others.
The Medlar were in charge, and all the rest of the families were subservient to them.
“If the Medlar family falls, I’m afraid of what will happen next.”
“What’s the alternative?”
She stared at him for a long moment then spread her hands. “We let them break the Accords.”
He took a step back. “What?”
“I’m not saying we should definitely do this, but hear me out.”
“Nikki, no. Absolutely not.”
“There can be other deals, other ways to keep balance. With the Medlar around, I think they’ll be able to figure it out. The world can go on without too much disruption.”
“The Accords are the only thing keeping normal people safe.”
She made a face. “Are you so sure about that?”
“We’re not letting them kill Wade. Even if I’d ever consider allowing the Accords to fall, I wouldn’t let them hurt Wade to do it.”
“I know you won’t,” she said, and her voice sounded almost sad. “I don’t want to do it either. I’m only saying—it’s something we should consider. When this is all over, the world will be in chaos, one way or the other. I only want what’s best for everyone.”
“I want that, too.” He stood still, staring at her, trying to imagine what she was thinking—and for a moment, he pictured a world without the Accords, where Metas and Humans lived together. Maybe not in harmony—definitely not in harmony—but aware of each other, accepting of each other.
Or maybe it would all be violence and bloodshed. Humans weren’t exactly the most flexible species in the world. He could just as easily picture people losing their minds and trying to murder every Meta in the world simply because they were different. People were fickle and stupid, and they’d never understand.
The Accords kept the peace. Without the Accords, it would be madness.
Losing the Medlar family might be difficult for a while. The Magi world might be thrown into civil war, but in the end, someone would step into the power vacuum and assume control. Sooner or later, the world would lurch forward, and the Accords would guarantee that average Humans wouldn’t get pulled into the fighting.
“We should go find the others,” he said after a few quiet moments.
She nodded. “Will you think abou
t it?”
“I will, but I’m probably not going to change my mind.”
“I know.” She smiled a little. “I’m not even sure I want you to. It’s just something I keep coming back to.”
He held out her hand and she hesitated for only a second before taking it. They walked out of the back room together, and he thought she held herself away from him, stiff and awkward—but then she turned and kissed him. He knew she was struggling with all of this, with her hunger and her uncertainty, but she loved him and wanted to do what was right in the end.
All of them wanted to do what was right, and he’d make sure they followed through.
23
Jared stood at the head of a small column of people. He wore dark, comfortable clothes, a backpack slung over his shoulders. Bea’s group stood nearby, fifty soldiers in all, dressed in combat gear, doing one last check of their weapons before moving out.
The scouts lingered nearby, looking exhausted and uncomfortable. It was after sundown, and Nikki prowled restlessly over the soil.
“Are you sure about this?” Bea asked him, keeping her voice soft so her soldiers wouldn’t hear.
“I’m sure.”
“We haven’t had much time to plan.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think we have any more time.”
“Even a day—”
“Trust me, Bea. If the Waters family pushed us down here, I think they know more than they’re letting on. I think the Medlar are planning to enact the ritual sometime in the next few days, and I don’t want to be too late.”
She nodded once, eyes hard. “You’re right. We’ll go.”
He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, slightly surprised. They had a good relationship, friendly most of the time, combative and territorial otherwise. He knew that without Bea and her soldiers, he’d never have gotten this far. His family could only do so much, and magic could only solve so many problems. In the end, he needed real people, with real weapons and bravery to do the job that needed doing.