Agent Dark- Vegas

by Lane Mason

  Vesper raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting background checks on future boyfriends?”

  “Absolutely. Whether you like it or not, both you and Kat are going to be targets. You have to take into account that many of Kat’s enemies are from Unreha. Fae use sex as a tool like a butcher uses a cleaver. I would be shocked if that werewolf was the last paranormal to attempt to get into your pants as a way of getting closer to you or Kat.”

  “That is comforting,” Vesper said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

  “I’m not trying to comfort you. I’m trying to help you stay alive.”

  Vesper smiled meekly. “I appreciate it, Uncle. And to tell you the truth, just talking about the situation with you is making me feel better. I was blaming myself for being tricked, but the reality is like you said: we’re targets now. I just have to be more wary and diligent about the people in my life.”

  “Now that is something your mother would say,” Sebastian said with a smile.

  “Momma didn’t raise no fool.”

  “No, she certainly didn’t,” Sebastian said. “Would you like some more coffee or would you like to get started on summoning demons?”

  “I’m ready for demons. I need the practice if I’m going to summon one myself later.”

  “Actually, I gave it some thought. If you like, I will make a trip to Boston when it is time for you to summon a corpora demon. It would be negligent of me to allow you to summon an upper demon without proper training.”

  “Really? That would be great.”

  “It is settled, then. Now, let’s go see about a demon,” Sebastian said before finishing his espresso. He got up and led Vesper towards the living room. He went to his bookshelf and pulled one of the books halfway out and then pushed another one in. A section of the bookshelf moved, revealing a secret door.

  “The benefits of knowing the owner before the building was made. I was able to have certain freedoms with the design.”

  Vesper followed him into the large room. It had one section of wall that looked similar to the back room of her apothecary. Shelves were filled with potions and raw materials for making potions. The middle of the room was wide open with a larger summoning circle marked out with a different color of marble than the rest of the room. Vesper pointed to the circle. “Isn’t that cheating? Having your summoning circle already etched out?”

  “You say potato, I say having a perfect circle measured down to the fraction of an inch ready at all times,” Sebastian said. “I still have to mark the circle with salt.”

  Vesper watched as Sebastian went to one of the work benches and picked up a large jug with a four-foot hose attached to it. He walked over the circle and pointed the hose towards the ground. He flipped the jug upside down and the salt started pouring out the hose. He followed the marble circle in the floor until he had a perfect circle of salt completed. He then went back to the bench and refilled the jug with salt.

  “I find if I refill things as I go, I actually remember to do it. Makes the process fairly efficient.” Sebastian then placed candles at the five corners of the pentagram that filled the circle.

  “Candles?” Vesper asked. From what she understood, candles weren’t necessary for a summoning circle.

  “Scented candles. It helps cut the brimstone smell, and there are demons that can break a salt circle. But almost all of them don’t like fire. I’ve never had a demon break a salt circle with candles. It’s a valuable safety precaution when you’re summoning unknown demons. We don’t really need it today, as Aucentchamarink can’t break a salt circle. I just like the scent of these candles.”

  Vesper nodded. She hadn’t known about the demons that could break a salt circle, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know how he’d learned that one, but if she ever had to make her own circle, there damn well were going to be candles. Maybe not the vanilla and lavender ones that Sebastian seemed fond of, but there would be something.

  Sebastian stepped into the circle and pulled out a knife. He pricked the end of his thumb and squeezed out a drop of blood. He pressed it against the middle of the circle, leaving a small streak of blood. He stepped out of the circle and then started chanting and waving his arms like he was conducting an orchestra. Vesper knew that the excessive arm movements weren’t necessary to call a demon. It was one of the theatric flairs that Sebastian added to impress clients. That he still did it with her was not to show off, but to remain consistent. Doing a summoning the same way every time was a way of ingraining it into your brain. Vesper used the same type of methods with her potion making.

  Suddenly, the circle started to fill with black smoke until it took the shape of a creature. She couldn’t tell what the creature actually looked like, as the smoke shifted and faded, but it definitely was holding a shape, and at the head of the shape were two dark-red eyes. Vesper felt a chill run down her spine. She knew she was safe, but there was something frightening about the shadowy figure in the summoning circle.

  “Warlock. Why have you summoned me this time?”

  “Aucentchamarink, this is Vesper. She is in need of your services,” Sebastian said.

  The smoke demon shifted towards Vesper. “Why did you give this one my name?” the demon hissed.

  “She is my family. You shall serve her as you serve me.”

  The demon seemed to be studying her. After a few moments it turned towards Sebastian. “Her magic is strong. I find that a suitable arrangement.”

  “Good. Now, we have a special request for you. We require the name of a corpora.”

  The shadow demon seemed to nod. “Any other requirements?”

  “As old and powerful as you can find.”

  “Finding a corpora is no small task. It will take time, especially if you require an older one.”

  “How long?” Sebastian asked the demon.

  “Weeks. It could be quicker if you aren’t concerned about age.”

  “Weeks is fine. You may go now.”

  The shadowy demon nodded and then disappeared.

  “That was interesting,” Vesper said. “I’ve never seen a demon that looked like that before. I’ve seen a few humans who’ve been possessed, but nothing like that.”

  “Aucentchamarink is a shadow demon. They take many forms, but that is his true form. Other demons take on more corporeal forms. They are almost as rare as the corpora demons we seek.”

  “I’m just glad I didn’t have to deal with that thing alone. It was creepy.”

  “You wouldn’t want to be alone with a shadow demon anyway. They can be very manipulative and have ways to hypnotize weak-minded people. That Aucentchamarink so easily accepted you means it saw strength in you, and that is good, but I would still be wary about other shadow demons that you don’t have a name for.”

  “I’d be glad to never summon a demon,” Vesper said.

  “I’m afraid you might not have a choice. Draia are tied to the underworld. Dealing with demons is going to be part of Kat’s future, and by association yours. Summoning demons at least is a situation you can control and use to your advantage. I would give serious consideration to using your magic to better understand demons if you are going to continue your association with a draia.”

  Vesper sighed. She was afraid that Sebastian was telling the truth. That her life was now going to be tied to the underworld in ways she just didn’t yet understand. It wasn’t the end of the world. She wasn’t going to run away from her friendship with Kat just because it was complicated. Kat had already earned a lifetime of complicated by proving her innocence when she’d been framed for a series of murders. At least she knew enough now to start preparing. “I don’t suppose you have an encyclopedia of demons hiding somewhere.”

  Sebastian grinned. “I’ve got something better, and so do you.”

  Vesper frowned. What did she now have that was better than an encyclopedia of demons? She groaned as realization hit her like a hammer. Sebastian was talking about the demon Aucentchamarink. “I’m going to be buying salt in b
ulk, aren’t I?”

  23

  Kat

  When Kat woke, the hotel room was empty. Vesper had already left to go meet with her uncle, which was fine with Kat. Vesper had seemed OK last night. She obviously wasn’t happy that Kat hadn’t told her about Hector earlier, but she hadn’t blown up, either. Hopefully, her visit with her uncle would distract her from her thoughts. It hadn’t been Vesper’s fault that Hector turned out to be a douche. Kat had dated a few in her time and knew how easy it was to not notice the little tell-tale signs that added up to scumbag. That her time with Hector had been so short made it that much harder to see the details. Thankfully, he was gone.

  After ordering a large breakfast from room service, Kat examined her new weapons. The magical blades were exactly what she needed for close-range fighting, something she’d been doing far more of than she’d imagined. Her superior strength and speed made fighting with her hands against humans easy, but when she was up against other paranormals, things were different. Big Ugly, the creature she’d fought at the safe house, was a perfect example. He’d smacked her around like a toy, and if she hadn’t had her guns, she would’ve been ground beef. Perhaps if the mage hadn’t been there, her silver-thread magic would’ve been enough, but that hadn’t been the case, and as Kat was learning, bad guys didn’t fight fair. She needed to be prepared for all types of situations, and that meant training with her new knives the same way she did with a gun or her MMA fighting techniques.

  Kat phoned Thomas. “You awake?”

  “Yes, I’m on my way to the courthouse. How was your night with the girls?”

  “Good. We had dinner, saw the sights. It was fun. Vegas can be a fun town when you aren’t getting attacked every other moment. I also picked up some new weapons last night, a pair of butterfly swords.”

  Thomas laughed. “Yes, it can be fun when not being attacked. Butterfly swords? Where did you find those?”

  “Long story. I was hoping we could find some time to train while we’re both in the same town. I’m a little rusty in my Wushu.”

  “Why don’t you meet me at the courthouse? They have a training facility we could use.”

  “The courthouse has a training facility?” Kat asked.

  “It is a federal building. It doesn’t just hold the courthouse—it also has the local office of the MBI as well as several other branches of the government.”

  “Huh, I didn’t know that.”

  “It is a newer building, and the reason that the trial is being held there instead of the main Vegas courthouse is the MBI office has holding cells for paranormals. Also, it is a little more discrete. Not many people know there is a second federal courthouse building in Vegas.”

  “Interesting. I’ll be there in a bit.”

  “Text me when you get to the building. You’ll need authorization to get into the MBI section. I’ll meet you at the reception area and get you sorted.”

  “Sounds good, Thomas. See you in a bit.” Kat wondered how many other little details about the MBI she didn’t know. It wouldn’t hurt to learn more about the MBI and its offices around the country. There were also many states that used paranormal police departments that weren’t associated with the MBI. Typical that even with something as singular as dealing with paranormals required several levels of government agencies.

  Kat grabbed her gear and arranged for an Uber. The app was incredibly useful, but she missed her Dodge. Driving was more fun than being a passenger any day. However, the trip to Vegas was coming to an end shortly, and soon enough she’d be back in Boston driving the Dodge and eventually her truck. Until then, Uber worked just fine.

  ...

  Exiting her Uber, Kat quickly added a generous tip to the driver. He’d been polite, funny, and had great tunes.

  The sun was bright, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She could get used to the Vegas weather. If she ever relocated, she’d have to put Vegas on the interesting list, just for the weather.

  Entering the building, Kat looked around until she spotted Thomas at a check-in point that led down a secondary corridor. There were three security guards and a metal detector, with another pair of guards only a few feet down the other hallway that led towards the courtrooms.

  Kat walked up to the metal detector. She grinned over at the guard. “This thing is going to go crazy.”

  “Please just put your weapons and any other metal items into the box, miss.”

  Kat nodded and started unloading. First, she took out her two guns and spare clips, then she removed her new knives.

  “What, no ankle holster with a bazooka?” Thomas said.

  “Don’t be silly. A bazooka wouldn’t fit under my pants. Unless you have one that does, in which case I’ll take it.”

  Thomas shook his head as Kat walked through the metal detector. “As far as I know, that isn’t an option.”

  “Too bad. I could’ve used one this week.”

  “How’s Vesper?”

  “Fine, I think. She’s with her uncle today learning about summoning demons. That will either distract her from thinking about Hector or make her mood worse, I’m really not sure yet.”

  “From what I know of her uncle, she’ll be fine.”

  Kat raised an eyebrow. “You know Sebastian?”

  “No, but apparently he’s a bit of a legend around the local MBI office. They try to keep track of all the paranormal residents in Vegas, and Sebastian is someone they deal with often.”

  “He a criminal?” Kat asked.

  “Not exactly. He just works in the gray. And the local cops get calls from freaked-out tourists who think he might be cyber stalking them. Personally, I think that’s hilarious. I mean, who goes to a psychic or a medium and then complains when they actually are able to do what you asked?” Thomas said as he handed Kat a visitor’s badge. “This way. The gym is just downstairs.”

  Kat followed Thomas down the hallway. They passed several corridors that seemed to branch out into different branches of their own. From what she could tell, each hallway seemed to lead to a different part of the government. “Is it just me, or is this building designed like a tree?”

  Thomas laughed. “I suppose you could look at it that way. The entire building is sectioned into three parts. The courthouse and holding cells take up a third, the IRS takes up a third, and then the last third is a collection of smaller government agencies. Come to think of it, it is somewhat like the Boston MBI office in that the building is shared by many agencies, except in Boston each floor of the building might hold one or two agencies, whereas here they all are on two floors and each take up a corridor.”

  “Reminds me of a hospital. Get to the right floor and then keep walking until you find the right corridor.”

  “Is it a tree or a hospital? Make up your mind already.”

  Kat scowled at Thomas. “You sure you want to provoke me before we start training?”

  Thomas paused. “You train better when there is smack talk. I learned that the hard way in Boston.” He then scratched his chin and looked around the hallway. “Perhaps this building is a hospital tree.”

  Kat laughed. “That’s more like it.”

  They kept walking until they encountered a staircase at the end of the main hallway.

  “Didn’t we pass an elevator at the beginning of the hallway?” Kat asked.

  “Yes, but stairs are a good way to warm up. And this way you got to see more of the building.”

  Kat couldn’t argue with that logic. Stairs were a good way to warm up, and the building was interesting. “I didn’t see any MBI offices.”

  “The MBI is upstairs. I’m not sure who organized this building, but I think they have a strange sense of logic. All the paper pushers are on the first floor. All the gun-carrying agencies are on the second floor.”

  “I wonder why they did that?” Kat asked.

  Thomas shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe they wanted all the people with guns on one floor so if someone goes postal, they’re surrounded by guns. O
r maybe they wanted guns on the higher floor in case someone attacked the building. Or they arranged it by the color of pants employees wear. Who knows what logic goes into a federal building?”

  “As if anyone would ever attack this building. I mean, sure, I’ve wanted to bomb the IRS a time or two, but this building is remote and filled with guns. Any of the downtown federal buildings would be way easier to attack.”

  “You are assuming people use logic when deciding to attack any federal agency.”

  “Fair point,” Kat admitted as they entered a reasonably large gym. It looked like a cross between a commercial gym and a boxing gym. And all of the equipment looked new and well maintained. “Nice setup.”

  “Yup. Women’s change rooms are over there. I’ll get changed and we can get started.”

  Kat frowned. “You don’t have a gym bag. What are you changing into?”

  Thomas shook his head. “I’ve been here before. I got a locker so I wouldn’t have to lug my gear around while I’m in town.”

  “Ah. I’ll shut up now.” Kat went into the ladies’ washroom and changed out of her jeans and tank top into a pair of Lulus and a sports top. She could fight just fine in jeans, but for training purposes it made sense to wear appropriate clothing. She also removed her holster, but left the weapons in it. She wanted Thomas to see the magic her new blades had.

  When she got out of the changing room, Thomas was still changing, so she started her stretching routine. She found a mat and went into her routine, which was a combination of yoga poses and dynamic and static stretches. She was almost done when Thomas came out.

  “Took you long enough. I thought girls were the ones who were supposed to be slow getting ready.”

  Thomas smiled. “I had a call from Dexter updating me on the trial.”

  “How is the trial going?” Kat asked. She felt guilty that she hadn’t been paying a lot of attention to the trial despite how important it seemed to be to the MBI.

  “Good. The defense rested its case this morning, so now it is just up to the jury. Dexter seems confident. The defense didn’t have any compelling evidence, and the prosecutor really had his ducks in order for this case. You never really know what a jury is going to do until you hear the verdict, but it is a strong case.”