by B N Miles
“You don’t own it?” Cassie asked, surprised.
“You’ll think it’s silly, but Dryads don’t believe in land ownership. We think it’s… barbaric. The land is for everyone.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I agree with that idea, but sometimes I wish we could modernize, at least a little bit. We wouldn’t be in this position if we could just get over our sensibilities and buy the stupid land.”
Jared went quiet. Some aspects of the case were becoming clearer. For example, how seriously Wyatt was taking the whole thing, and how little he seemed to be able to share. Jared could sense the influence of whatever Magi family was encroaching into Dryad territory.
“Why would they want to take your land from you?” Cassie asked. “That’s horrible.”
“We don’t know what they want yet,” Jessalene said. “We’ve tried asking, obviously, but they just give us some answer about developments and the new century. I think it’s total bullshit.”
“Which family?” Jared asked, his voice quiet.
Jessalene didn’t answer right away. He could feel her watching him but he refused to look in the rearview. He stared straight ahead at the turnpike stretching out in front of them, his body tense.
“It’s not your family, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said.
He let out a breath. “Good. Okay, that’s good.”
“You’re based around Philadelphia too, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “They are.” He let that hang for a moment. “But there are only a couple other families in the area.”
“They’re from out of state,” Jessalene said. “Do you know the Medlar family?”
Jared let out a breath. “Of course.” He tensed his grip on the steering wheel.
“What’s wrong?” Cassie asked. “You both just got tense.”
“The Medlar is one of the biggest Magi families,” Jared said. “Much bigger than mine.”
“You really don’t know much, do you?” Jessalene asked.
Cassie shrugged and leaned against her. Jessalene looked surprised but didn’t pull away.
“There are nine main Magi families,” Jared said. “And twenty-four minor families. I’m from one of the minor families.”
“The nine are the ruling council,” Jessalene added. “They make all the decisions. I hear the minor families hate them.”
“They all hate each other,” Jared corrected. “But the nine most of all.” He shook his head. “What would the Medlar want with Dryad land? I thought they were based in Arizona.”
“They are,” Jessalene said, “but their representatives are here and they’re buying everything we have as fast as they can.”
“Where is your land exactly?” Cassie asked.
Jessalene frowned at her. “We don’t talk about that.”
“Dryads guard their ancestral land through secrecy and bloodshed,” Jared said, quoting a book he was forced to read on the topic when he was younger. “But if the Medlar are buying up your land, that means your secrecy failed.”
“Maybe,” Jessalene admitted.
“And now we need to know where it is so we can help.”
Jessalene opened her mouth then shut it again. She grunted then put her hands over her mouth. But slowly she put her hands down again. “There’s a large forest north of the city,” she said. “It’s been left untouched for thousands of years. It stretches through multiple counties and townships, sometimes linked only by a few trees in places, but it’s ours. Has been for millennia.”
“Sounds like we’re headed for the suburbs,” Jared said.
“This is going to be fun.” Cassie sounded genuinely excited. “I can’t wait to see where you live. That’s where we’ll stay, right?”
“I don’t know about that,” Jared said.
“Oh come on. We’ll stay at Jessalene’s place. You have room for us, don’t you?”
She hesitated. “I have a couple spare rooms. But—”
“Perfect!” Cassie seemed excited. She fidgeted in her seat before leaning up against Jessalene again. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”
Jared sighed, but didn’t argue.
24
Jessalene lived in a small house at the end of a quiet back road. Jared pulled the car down her gravel drive and parked in the shade of a large, mature maple tree. It was after dark, and the house was quiet.
“Here we are,” she said. “I guess we can head inside and get settled.”
“Oh, this is so cute.” Cassie got out first and practically bounced up the front steps. “Look at this place!”
Jared got out and stretched. His legs were sore from sitting for so long. Jessalene came around the car and stood next to him.
“She always like this?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“I think so.”
“It’s sort of nice, actually.”
“I know.” He hesitated. “Listen, about that stuff—”
“Don’t worry about it.” She looked up. “I know what you Magi are like.”
He frowned and looked away. “Yeah, right.”
She looked at him for another long moment before smiling. “At least she’s cute, right? Seems to actually like you, too.”
“Yeah she does. I have no clue why.”
“You’re a good-looking guy. Other than that, I have no clue what she sees in you.” Jessalene grinned at him then walked off. She went up the front steps, unlocked the door, and let Cassie inside.
Jared lingered by the car. He watched the girls disappear and could hear Cassie’s cries of delight as Jessalene gave her a little tour. He popped the trunk, got out their bags, and dropped them on the ground.
This wasn’t ideal, staying with Jessalene, but they still had the pact. It held up in the car when she wanted to lie to him, which wasn’t a great sign, but at least the magic checked her.
And Cassie trusted her. He still didn’t get why, but there was no turning back now. They’d come this far, and he was going to see it through.
He carried the bags up the steps and into her little house.
The front door opened into a living room that flowed into a dining room and kitchen. It was small and cozy, the kitchen barely big enough for one, maybe two people, but it was brightly decorated and had plants on almost every surface. The plants weren’t a surprise, but the colors were. He expected drab earth tones, since Jessalene didn’t seem like a bright colors kind of girl, but instead the walls were painted in pastels. She had brightly colored rugs, paintings, small painted statues of various gods, other random assorted knickknacks covering every available surface.
It looked like a thrift store, but neat and orderly and comfortable. Cassie was walking around marveling at everything as Jared put the bags down and stretched again.
“This is it,” Jessalene said. “My room is upstairs. You guys can have the two rooms down here. There’s a full bathroom at the end of the hall.”
“You’re staying upstairs without us?” Cassie frowned. “That’s no fun. Why don’t we all stay upstairs?”
“Cassie,” Jared said. “Stop it.” He looked at Jessalene. “Mind if I throw these bags in a room?”
“Uh, no, go ahead.”
He lugged his bag along with Cassie’s down the back hall. The first room was slightly bigger than the second, so he took that one. He put both bags down on the floor next to the double bed. No way Cassie was going to sleep alone in the other room, even if Jared might have preferred it that way. The bed was piled with pillows and blankets, there were clean linens in the closet, and plants covered every surface.
“Oh, cute,” Cassie said, coming into the room. “Is this where we’re staying?”
Jared nodded. “Unless you want the other room.”
She grinned. “Oh no. Not getting rid of me so easily.”
He sighed. He didn’t know when he’d given up resisting, but he had to admit, it felt good to accept Cassie into his world. It’d been a long time since anyone new had come along. He’d been o
n autopilot for so long, going through the motions, doing whatever he had to do to survive. Keeping the temptation to use magic at bay had been hard, but now he was fully awake again, thrown right into the grip of his desire.
“Come on,” she said, hopping onto the bed. She laughed and gave him a sly look. “Think Jessa would mind if we, you know—”
“Cassie,” he warned. “We’re guests here.”
“Oh?” She tilted her head. “I thought Jessa was our little slave.”
He tightened his jaw. “What do you mean by that?”
She shrugged and flopped back. “The pact. She can’t change her mind now, can she? Just has to do whatever we say, so long as it helps us and doesn’t violate the terms.”
“You can let her out of it whenever you want,” he said, getting annoyed. “I don’t see you releasing her.”
She shrugged. “At least I’m not pretending like the pact is anything but some kind of qualified slavery.”
He was about to argue, but there was a sound in the other room. The door shut and he heard Jessalene’s voice, surprised but not upset. Jared cocked his head to listen then motioned for Cassie.
She got up and walked over. “What’s that?” she asked.
“Not sure. Should we go out?”
“Yeah. We’re not a secret, right? I mean, you’re an official Marshal.”
“True, I just don’t know how the clan will react to me being here.”
“Dryads don’t get along with law enforcement?”
He frowned. “No, they don’t get along with Magi.” He slipped out of the room and took a few steps down the hallway. Cassie crept along behind him, and the voices come through clearer.
“…meant to call,” Jessalene said. “But I just got back.”
“Did you find him?” The voice was feminine and low, but anxious.
“I did. Mom, he wouldn’t listen.”
Jared frowned and he felt Cassie stiffen behind him. He looked back at her and she was smiling huge. “Mom!” she whispered.
He gave her a look.
“Oh honey, you can’t blame yourself for that. Ferric is—”
Cassie moved around Jared and walked into the room. He grimaced, annoyed she interrupted. He knew standing there in the shadows and listening to their conversation was unethical and a shitty thing to do, but Jared was desperate to catch Ferric and wrap this up. He’d do whatever he felt necessary.
“Hi!” Cassie said. “My name’s Cassie. I’m Jessa’s friend.”
“Oh,” Jessalene’s mother said, surprised.
“Sorry, Mom. I should’ve warned you.”
Jared stepped into the room behind Cassie and raised a hand, trying to smile and look non-threatening. “Hello, Ms. Dorvahn,” I said.
Jessalene’s mother was a taller, curvier version of her daughter. She had thick, long, curly dark hair and wore horned-rimmed glasses. She looked no older than thirty, which meant she could be much older than that. Jared wasn’t sure exactly how long Dryads lived, but he knew they lived longer than humans, though they weren’t immortals like elves or vampires.
“Hello,” she said then gave her daughter a look. “I’m sorry, honey, but who are these two?”
“Mom, this is Jared Bechtold,” she said.
Her mother went still. “Bechtold?”
“He’s a Marshal with the Meta Marshal Service,” she explained. “He’s working the Ferric case, trying to bring him back to the law.”
“You brought a Magi here?” her mother hissed.
“Maybe I should wait out—”
“It’s okay,” Jessalene said. “Mother, he’s a good man. He had chances to hurt me, but didn’t. In fact, I’m only here because of him.”
Her mother frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If you’ll sit down, I’ll explain everything.”
She turned to Jared and tilted her head. Her eyes were a deep, honey brown, different than her daughter’s. “My name is Elise,” she said. “And I hope my daughter wasn’t foolish when she put her trust in you and brought you into her home.”
“Mom,” Jessa said, anger in her voice. “Sit down and listen.”
Cassie gave him an apologetic look, almost like she felt guilty or something, but Jared didn’t mind. He fully expected that reaction from her mother. Dryads didn’t love Magi, but this clan had even more reason to hate him.
Elise sat down in a big arm chair and crossed her legs. She wore simple trousers and a light brown button-down shirt. She was pretty and refined, and Jared could clearly see the resemblance between mother and daughter.
Jessa sat across from her. Jared lingered away from the group, but Cassie plopped right down next to Jessa, their legs touching. Jessalene gave her a look, but didn’t pull away.
What followed was a brief recounting of what happened. Cassie filled in the details from their perspective, and when they got to the part about the pact, Jessalene glossed over it. Cassie looked surprised but caught on, and her mother didn’t seem to notice a hole in their story.
“That’s it,” Jessalene said. “I tried to stop Ferric but he wouldn’t listen to reason. By the time I thought better of staying with him, it was already too late, and they implicated me in several crimes.”
Elise turned her attention to Jared. He stopped pacing and returned her gaze, a serious expression on his face, or at least the most serious expression he could muster.
“Why did you help her?” she asked.
Jared nodded at Cassie. “Ask her. She’s the one that wanted to trust your daughter.”
She shook her head. “I’m asking you.”
He was quiet for a long moment, then glanced at Jessalene. “She wasn’t trying to hurt us,” he said. “And since Cassie wanted to trust her… I decided to help. I can’t really say why. There’s just something about her.”
Jessalene blushed, which surprised him. She glanced away, but Cassie was grinning like mad.
Elise nodded. “I see,” she said, then sighed. “I’m sorry Ferric tried to hurt you. That boy and his followers have lost their way.”
“I agree,” Jared said. “Elise, I don’t want to make trouble for you or for your clan. I only want to capture Ferric and bring him back to justice.”
“We all want that,” Elise said. “Despite what the Magi might think.”
“I don’t know what the Magi think,” Jared said. “I haven’t spoken to my family in years and have no connections in the other families. I know you find it hard to trust a Magi, but I haven’t been one in a long time, and don’t plan on going back.”
Elise frowned at him. Jared hoped that this brutal honesty would win him some points. For whatever reason, he wanted Jessalene’s mother to like him, or at least to not hate him so much.
“And here I’ve always thought you Magi were more like addicts than anything else. How did you kick the habit, Agent Bechtold?”
He saw Jessalene flinch at that and a small look of anger spread over her face, which was interesting. She didn’t need to get insult on his behalf, but she did anyway.
“Mother, that’s enough,” she said. “He’s trying to help.”
Elise shook her head. “I want him to answer. You want me to help you, Marshal? Give me a reason to trust a Magi.”
Jared watched her for a long moment, then nodded. “You’re right that Magi are addicts,” he said. “And I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about my family.”
She nodded. “I suspect most have.”
“It’s all true.”
He let that sink in. Elise looked surprised and troubled, while Jessalene stared at him with naked horror. Only Cassie frowned and tilted her head.
“What rumors?” she asked.
He glanced at her. “Ask Jessa later,” he said.
She went to argue but Elise spoke up. “What does that change?” she asked. “So you come from a troubled family. So what?”
“The fact that I’m here, sane, and not using magic should tell you a lot about the kind of per
son I am. Escaping my family and not touching the priori for years saved my life. If I were just some pawn of my family, I’d be a gibbering maniac right now.” Jared knew he was exaggerating a little bit. He was still young enough that the madness wouldn’t have taken him quite yet. He’d probably still have a few years left before he truly went insane.
“I see,” Elise said. “Still—”
“I promise you, Elise Dorvahn, I have no connections to my family anymore. I don’t speak with them and haven’t in a long time. I have no connections with any other Magi family either.”
She met his gaze for a tense beat before nodding. “All right,” she said. “So you’re not a Magi anymore. What does that make you then?”
“A Meta Marshal,” he said. “And nothing more. My job is to catch and bring back Ferric, and nothing beyond that.”
“We can trust him,” Jessalene said. “He wants the same thing we do.”
“I’ll speak with the council.” Elise spoke like it was a pronouncement and stood, fluid and graceful. Jared watched her. “They’ll want to meet you, Marshal. I suspect you all have a lot to speak about.”
“We do,” he agreed.
“For now, get some rest.” She looked at her daughter. “Come see me in the morning, Jessalene. We’ll discuss this… situation.”
Her daughter nodded and didn’t move.
Elise turned and walked to the door. She paused before she exited and looked back at Jared. “If my daughter trusts you… I can put aside my prejudices. But don’t expect the council to lend you any aid. Ferric may be a danger to us all, but he’s still Dorvahn. They may be more willing to let him destroy our way of life than they are to hand him over to a Magi.”
Jared only nodded as Elise pushed open the door and left. The room was quiet for a long moment before Cassie jumped to her feet. “Well, that was fun,” she said.
Jared smiled at her. “For you, maybe.” He looked over at Jessalene. “Your mom hates me.”
“My mother hates Magi, and for good reason.” She sighed and tilted her head back. “I’m sorry about that though. I don’t think you deserved it.”