by B N Miles
Still, her face looked sincere. He felt like she was telling the truth.
He slid his gun back into the holster. “How about we talk first,” he said. “And then we can arrest you.”
She shrugged. “Whatever you want,” she said.
Cassie looked up at him. “Maybe we should go easy on her,” she said.
Jared frowned. “She tried to—”
“No, she didn’t.” Cassie gave him a hard look then walked over to Jessalene. She reached out a hand and Jessalene stared at it in surprise. Slowly, the Dryad reached out and took it. Cassie smiled and held it for a long moment before leading her over to some large, twisted tree roots jutting out from the concrete floor. She helped Jessalene sit, who seemed too surprised to do anything but go along with Cassie’s wishes.
Jared shook his head and wandered over, but didn’t sit.
“I didn’t mean for this to go this far,” she said. “They sent me to try and make sure it didn’t, and I failed.”
“Sent by who?”
“The Dorvahn clan,” she said.
“They claimed they didn’t know a thing about Ferric getting sprung from prison.”
“That’s not exactly true.” She shifted in her makeshift seat.
“Go ahead,” Cassie said gently. “You can tell him.”
She glanced at the Shifter and narrowed her eyes. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because I feel bad,” she said.
“Why?”
Cassie shrugged. “You argued for us. You weren’t shooting at us. And you let me put that tracker on your bike.”
“Wait—you let her?” Jared stared at them.
Jessalene glanced at him. “Yes, I did,” she said.
“I asked nicely,” Cassie added.
“But why?”
She let out a breath. “Look, you have to understand. The Dorvahn clan’s been under immense pressure for years now, and it cracked when Ferric split off from the main group. He started his own fringe clan, associated with the mainstream Dorvahn, but radical and violent. Stealing the artifact was just one step in their plan. They want to do much, much worse.”
Jared walked over and sat down next to the girls. He leaned forward on his knees and frowned down at a clump of grass forcing its way up through a minute crack in the floor. Her magic must have been going wild this last day, probably from anxiety. “And what are you doing with them, then?”
“Like I said, I was sent to try and make sure things didn’t go so far. I tried to stop them from taking Ferric back, tried to convince them to leave you guys alone, but they won’t listen to me.”
“You’re the representative of the main clan then.”
She nodded. “Right. Since I’m Ferric’s direct cousin, they thought I might be able to talk some sense into him. I thought so, too. But he’s just… he’s too far gone.”
“Where did he go?” Cassie asked.
“I think he went back to Philadelphia,” she said. “I’m not sure. They wouldn’t tell me. After the ambush, we parted ways, and Ferric told me he’d kill me if he saw me again. That’s when I came here with the tracker and waited for you guys to show up. I’m sorry, I never meant for this to go so far.”
Cassie put a hand on her back and smiled. “It’s okay.”
“It’s— It’s definitely not okay,” Jared said. He took a breath and let it out as Cassie shot him an angry look.
“You heard her story,” Cassie said. “She was trying to stop them.”
He ignored her. “What does Ferric want with the artifact?”
Jessalene shrugged. “Power,” she said. “Enough strength to fight back against a Magi family.”
That made Jared stand back up. He paced away from the two women before turning back to them. They made quite a pair. Jessalene was petite, brunette, and pretty, while Cassie was taller, fuller, and stunning. They were both beautiful women, but almost contrasts.
And Jared didn’t like the way Cassie was looking at her. He didn’t like it one bit.
“Have you been in contact with your clan leadership?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “I’ve been keeping them updated. They told me to wait and hand myself over. They told me to tell you everything.”
“Knowing you’d go to prison?”
She nodded and looked down. “I hope my cooperation still helps lessen the severity of my sentence.”
“Oh, Jared,” Cassie said, standing. “Come on. You can’t send her to jail. Look at her!”
He frowned. “What’s that—”
“She’s telling the truth. She tried to scare you off in the library, but she didn’t hurt you. She wasn’t shooting when they broke Ferric out and she wasn’t shooting when they ambushed us. This whole time she’s been trying to convince them to stop. We can’t just arrest her and throw her in jail.”
“Cassie,” he said quietly, “that’s our job.”
She tensed. “That’s not my job.”
“Cassie.”
“No.” She glared at him. “We’re not giving her up.”
“It’s okay,” Jessalene said, standing. “I understand. I’m prepared to face the consequences of my actions.”
Cassie whirled on her. “Don’t you get all self-sacrificing here. Just because your clan told you to jump on a grenade for them, doesn’t mean you have to.”
She frowned. “That’s not—”
“Sure it is. The clan sent you here to stop Ferric, but you failed. Now they’re going to sacrifice you to take some of the heat away from them while they figure out what to do next.”
Jessalene continued to frown then looked away. “You’re right,” she said. “But it doesn’t change my duty.”
“This is so dumb,” Cassie said, letting out a breath.
“Okay,” Jared said, holding up his hands. “Enough. We need to bring Jessalene in for questioning.” Cassie went to argue, but Jared interrupted her. “If she’s honest with us, we can figure out a way to help her, okay?”
Cassie glared, then nodded once. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“This isn’t necessary,” Jessalene said, eyes wide. “I’m prepared to pay the price for my clan. It’s part of what it means to be the head liaison. I’m ready.”
“Oh, shut up,” Cassie snapped at her. “You’re not helping.”
“Come on,” Jared said. “We need to bring you in.” He reached out for Jessalene. “Do I need to cuff you?”
“No,” she said. “You don’t.”
“Good.” He took her by the elbow, but gently, and steered her back the way they’d come. She didn’t fight him as they walked back through the warehouse with Cassie on their heels, grumbling the whole time.
Jared couldn’t worry about what Cassie thought right now. His mind was whirling through possibilities, trying to piece together what he had just learned.
Ferric was a freedom fighter and stole that artifact to fight against a Magi family. He didn’t know that a family would war with some Dryads, but whatever was happening was not going through official channels. The mainstream Dorvahn clan wasn’t acknowledging any connection to Ferric’s actions, but Jessalene’s presence indicated that they were involved.
They needed more information. But first, he had to bring Jessalene in for questioning. He knew Wyatt would want to see her, and the local Detectives would be more than happy to take a crack. That might buy him some good will, and might make it easier to keep Cassie a little bit longer.
He glanced back at the Shifter. She glared at him and looked away. He wanted to explain that he was trying to keep her safe and out of Max, and that bringing Jessalene in might help with that, but he couldn’t do it.
And besides, he agreed with Cassie. Jessalene wasn’t his enemy. Which meant he was going to have to do his best to keep her out of jail, too.
Of course, his life just got more complicated.
They reached the car. Jessalene sat in the back. Jared climbed in behind the wheel and exp
ected Cassie to sit up front, but instead she sat with Jessalene.
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
Cassie shot him a look. “This isn’t right.”
“Can you just trust me?”
She opened her mouth, then shut it again. For a long moment, she glared at him, the nodded.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Are you two partners?” Jessalene asked.
“Uh,” Jared said.
“Not officially,” Cassie answered and her expression softened. “But unofficially, we’re something like that.”
“Oh.” The Dryad seemed to blush, which surprised Jared. “I didn’t realize.”
Cassie laughed and leaned her head on Jessalene’s shoulder. The Dryad didn’t pull away.
“Maybe if you’re lucky, you can join us,” she said.
Jared stared at them. Jessalene looked just as surprised as he felt.
“I don’t… I mean, uh—” Jessalene coughed.
“Sex with a Magi is amazing,” Cassie said. “Have you ever done it?”
“Okay,” Jared said, starting the engine as Jessalene made some noncommittal, terrified noises. “That’s enough. We’re going now. Leave her alone, Cassie.”
She laughed and leaned back in her seat. “I’m just teasing,” Cassie said. “Unless you’re interested. Then I’m very serious.”
Jared sighed and drove as Jessalene looked at Cassie.
He couldn’t help but notice she didn’t say no.
22
On the drive back to the station, they got their story straight.
As Jared explained his plan, Cassie calmed down, and even seemed happy by the end. “I knew you’d come around,” she said.
He glanced at her in the rearview, then over at Jessalene. “What do you think?”
“I think…” She trailed off. “I don’t know why you’d help me.”
“Because you’re going to help me in return. I need Ferric and that artifact, and you can help make that happen. I think we’re pretty aligned on that.”
Jessalene nodded. “We are,” she said.
“So here’s the deal. Cassie seems to trust you for whatever reason and thinks you’ll help us.”
“That’s correct,” Cassie chirped.
“I’m willing to trust her,” Jared continued, “on the condition that you sign a pact with me.”
Jessalene blinked. “Are you kidding?”
Jared shook his head. “We’ll make it simple but binding. You agree to help us catch Ferric and recover the artifact, and I agree to do everything in my power to make sure you don’t go to prison for your part in what’s happened so far.”
Jessalene didn’t speak. She frowned at Jared then looked out the window.
“That sounds fair, Jessa,” Cassie said softly. “I think it’s generous. It gets what you want and avoids the penalties.”
Jessalene shook her head. “A pact with a Magi? I can’t do that.”
Cassie frowned. “Why not?”
Jessalene shot her a look. “Seriously?”
“She’s not from around here,” Jared said, keeping his tone neutral.
Cassie laughed and shrugged. “He’s right.”
“Every Meta learns this from a young age. You never enter a pact with a Magi. They always use language to twist meaning, and you end up doing things you never imagined. For example, the wording he just gave would force me to do whatever was necessary to get Ferric, including things that go against my conscience.”
Jared frowned. “That’s not my intent.”
“Intent doesn’t matter,” Jessalene said. “The wording of the pact is binding. If a pact is too narrow, I won’t have any latitude. If it’s too vague, it might force me into doing much more than the original scope. I’m sorry, Jared, I just can’t.”
He let out a breath. “You come up with the wording. How about that?”
She hesitated. “Really?”
“I’m not trying to pull one over on you, Jessalene. You come up with the wording, and so long as it achieves our goal, that’s what we’ll go with.”
She was quiet for a long time. Cassie looked a little confused, and broke the tense silence after a few minutes.
“Are the Accords like a pact?” she asked.
Jessalene laughed. “You really aren’t from around here, are you?”
“Yes,” Jared said. “They’re the first pact. Proof of concept, if you will. Magi have been refining the magical theory behind the Accords ever since, and our modern pacts are similar in effect, if not in scale.”
“So it’s like… a magic contract?”
“More or less,” Jared said. “There are legal limitations. Magi can’t create slaves, for example. Pacts are subject to review by Meta Department authorities, and unfair pacts are usually dispelled. They’re straightforward business agreements most of the time.”
Jessalene snorted. “Of course that’s what a Magi would say.”
“What do you think they are, then?” he asked, feeling his anger pique.
“Magi have been using pacts to gain advantages over Metas forever,” she said to Cassie. “One vague clause, or one twist in the text, and they can do whatever they want. Oh sure, they can’t create slaves, but what’s the difference when you owe all your money to a Magi family, and have to work every day just to get out of their debt? It’s the same ting.”
Jared frowned but said nothing. He’d heard of pacts like that, but he’d never seen anything like it. But he knew Magi families were not kind entities, and never have been. For a long time, the families saw themselves as the protectors of humanity, the last bulwark against total Meta domination.
“That sounds awful,” Cassie said. “And I’m not surprised. But that’s not what Jared’s doing here.”
“I’m offering you an out,” he said. “Take your time, think up the language you want to use.”
“I can help, if you want,” Cassie said. “I promise, we’ll come up with something fair for everyone.”
Jessalene chewed her lip. “This is the only way?” she asked.
“If you want to avoid prison,” Jared said. “I’m sorry, I just don’t trust you enough yet.”
She let out a breath. “Okay,” she said. “All right, fine. Do you have some paper?”
Jared reached across and popped open the glove compartment. He snagged a pen and a pad of paper, tossing both back to the girls.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Come up with something. When we get to the station, we’ll agree on the language, make sure our stories match, enact the pact, and then head in. Got it?”
“Got it,” Jessalene grumbled.
“You’re the best.” He felt Cassie lean up and kiss him on the cheek.
He grunted in response. “I’m just trying to get this case solved,” he muttered.
Cassie laughed and turned to Jessalene, and for the rest of the ride back, they talked contractual language and drafted the pact.
Jared did his best to tune them out. Whatever they came up with would be fine with him. He really wasn’t doing this to get something over on Jessalene. He just wanted to be sure he wasn’t helping someone that was his enemy. This way, he could be sure that they had similar goals at least.
A couple hours later, he pulled into the parking lot and found a space in the far corner. He killed the engine and looked back at the girls. Cassie grinned at him and Jessalene looked grim, but she handed him the pad of paper.
“Here,” she said. “I think… this will work.”
He read it out loud. “Jessalene Dorvahn enters into an agreement with your name here—” Jared cleared his throat. “With Jared Bechtold.” He saw Jessalene tense at his family name, but he pressed on. “Jessalene agrees to aid Jared Bechtold in capturing Ferric Dorvahn, and only Ferric Dorvahn, using non-lethal means, and violent means only where necessary, including but not limited to in defense of her own life, in defense of Cassie’s life, and in defense of Jared’s life. She agrees to share all informati
on pertinent to capturing Ferric Dorvahn, and only information directly applicable to that case. Jessalene Dorvahn also agrees to find the stolen artifact and return it to Jared Bechtold, using the same means as listed above for the capture of Ferric Dorvahn. Once these two actions have been accomplished, this pact will be completed, and all requirements dissolved forever.”
He let out a breath and looked back at them. “That is a lot of language,” he said.
“I know.” She shrugged. “I couldn’t think of a simpler way.”
“The artifact section is a little too binding,” he said. “Instead of, ‘agrees to find the stolen artifact,’ lets make it say ‘agrees to aid in finding the stolen artifact to the best of her ability.’ Actually, let’s make that ‘best of her ability’ language up top as well.”
She frowned and nodded. “Okay, yeah. That works.”
“This way, if we fail to get the artifact back, you’re not stuck trying to do it for the rest of your life.” He frowned. “And let’s add an escape clause in there.” He reached out and she handed him the pen. “At any time, Jared Bechtold or Cassie—” He looked up at her. “What’s your family name? It’s important.”
She hesitated. “Grim,” she said.
“Cassie Grim,” Jared continued, “can dissolve this pact entirely, releasing Jessalene from her contractual obligations forever.” He let out a breath. “There. I think that should cover it all. If something goes wrong, Cassie can release you, or I can do it. If I die, the pact will automatically dissolve anyway. And now you’re bound to try your best, but not necessarily to succeed.” He shut his eyes for a long moment. He remembered why he hadn’t entered into a pact in a very, very long time. “Do you want to go over it one more time?”
She nodded and he passed the paper back. She read it, reread it, then glanced at Cassie. “Think this is good?”
“Trust him,” she said.
“I don’t know why, but I do.” She passed the pad back. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Jared reached out his hand. Jessalene hesitated, then pressed her palm against his. He felt her aura, the cold snow, the quiet forest. He closed his eyes and let the words of the pact run through his mind. He reached for the priori, using the words they’d just written as his memgram, snapping into place in his mind as the magic flowed through him. He felt Jessalene’s hand tug in his grip, but he held it tight as the magic moved from him and down her body. She let out a groan, almost a moan of pleasure, as his magic took hold inside of her.