The Silver Stag

by Yasmine Galenorn

  “I believe it is. It was on his camera roll. The kid took fantastic notes, so I know this is what he saw them summon. He didn’t know what it was, but he heard them call it by name. Whoever the head honcho was that summoned it called it ‘Kuveo.’ ” Yutani chewed on his lip for a moment as we studied the picture.

  “Did he say where they summoned this creature?” Talia asked.

  Yutani nodded. “Yeah. UnderLake Park. He was there with one of his ghost hunter groups, trying to stir up the spirits of Mr. and Mrs. Castle—the couple that disappeared from Castle Hall. He wandered off, sensing there was something going on, and he found a stairway leading to an underground temple or something, where he stumbled across this.”

  Herne crossed his arms. “Give us the full rundown. Did he know if they saw him? Obviously they must have, given he’s dead now. Did he do any research into this creature?”

  Yutani scanned through his notes. “It looks like this happened about three weeks ago. Shortly before the murders started. Like most kids, he was very cocky about how stealthy he thought he was, and how he had outwitted them. But I could tell by his notes that he was worried. He had made the connection between the wild animal murders, as he called them, and Kuveo. He wasn’t sure who to tell, but he said he was thinking about taking the information to the authorities. Obviously, the poor kid didn’t know that the Fae pretty much own the cops.”

  “All right, so he made the connection between Kuveo and the murder victims. Did he by any chance save us some time by researching what this creature is?” It would be logical to assume that Kevin would have done the additional research, but logic didn’t always play through. And the boy had only been fourteen.

  Herne motioned for Yutani to push the laptop toward him. As he studied the image, his expression grew studied and somber.

  “He was looking for what he could find on it, but hadn’t had much success. He also had several other files indicating that he was researching some unsolved cases that seem to be connected with various spooks and haunts throughout the area.” Yutani handed us each a packet of papers. “Here are copies of his notes on Kuveo. Mostly, it’s a transcription of what he heard during the summoning. I figured maybe you could translate it, Ember. I don’t speak whatever language they were talking, and it’s not the common Faespeak.”

  There was a common language the Fae used among themselves, although there were many dialects and two distinct subsets for both Light and Dark. I could speak both to a degree, but as I glanced over the transcript of the ritual, I realized that I didn’t have a clue.

  “I don’t recognize this at all. And I speak both Nuva and Turneth, the Light and Dark variants.” The only word I recognized was Kuveo, and that was only because Yutani had clued us into it.

  Herne turned toward Talia. “You and Yutani start researching Kuveo. We need to know what we’re dealing with. I have a feeling there’s going to be another murder tonight, but we don’t know where it will be so there’s nothing we can do to stop it. And obviously, warning the cops isn’t going to do any good.”

  “There’s something else,” Yutani said. “Kevin made reference several times to the underground tunnels, but I don’t think he was talking about the catacombs. He mentioned the tunnels below the lake. Now, I’ve never heard of any tunnels below Lake Washington, so I did a quick search and found that yes, there are apparently a couple tunnels that were made by goblins some fifty to sixty years ago, deep below the lake. And guess where they run?”

  “Between Mercer Island and Seward Park?” I glanced over at him.

  He nodded. “Yes, but they also lead up to UnderLake, beneath the cities on the Eastside. Not only that, but the entire Eastside was once a hotbed for mining, so in addition to that, there are old mine shafts and tunnels all over the place. So this network probably accounts for finding our victims as far over as the docks. Because once the tunnels are on the Seattle side, it would be an easy hookup to the catacombs.”

  Angel grimaced. “The way the whole area is riddled with fault lines and tunnels, it’s a wonder the whole damn place hasn’t caved in on itself.”

  And that gave us a much-needed laugh.

  WHILE YUTANI AND Talia did the research on Kuveo, Viktor headed out to talk to some of Herne’s informants. Meanwhile, Herne asked me to meet a new client with him.

  “Is this another incident concerning the war between the Fae?” I had no idea what percentage of cases he worked on were focused on cleaning up that mess. I hoped not too many, given it seemed to be a pretty bloody business.

  “Well, the client is Fae, but it’s not concerning an altercation with the other side. I’m not clear what it is yet, but it always helps to have another pair of ears.” Herne glanced at the clock. “He’ll be here in about forty minutes. Meanwhile, why don’t you go read through the transcripts that Yutani gave us. Probably a good idea to comb them for any information we can get.”

  I looked around. “Should I use the break room?”

  Herne rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe I haven’t assigned you an office yet. My bad. Excuse me, I really didn’t mean to neglect that.” He motioned for me to follow him down the hall from the break room. “The first door to the left is Yutani and Talia’s office. They share the same room because they both are computer savvy and do bulk of our research. The second is empty. The one on the right end is open and better than the other.”

  I pointed to the door between the break room and the office he had just gestured to. “What about that one? Is that Viktor’s office?”

  “That’s the armory. Viktor doesn’t have an office. He’s usually out in the field, so he makes do with the break room most of the time.”

  He opened the door and ushered me in. I glanced around the room. It was cozy, though not so small that I’d feel claustrophobic. The window looked out onto the street, and the hardwood floors were in good condition. A desk sat against one wall, with a standard office chair in front of it. To the left beneath the window was a secondary desk, and on the left wall was a filing cabinet and a bookshelf, as well as an extra chair. All in all, it was almost as big as my living room, which wasn’t saying much. But it felt comfortable, and protected.

  I walked over to the window and pulled aside the blinds, glancing out. The gloom had lifted for the moment, and I saw a rare glimpse of sun. I opened the curtains and sunlight filled the room, giving it a whole new atmosphere.

  “This will be fine.” I leaned against the edge of the window, staring up at the sky. “Well, blue sky. We don’t see that often this time of year.”

  Herne joined me, closing his eyes as the sunlight hit his face.

  “You’re right,” he said softly, as he opened his eyes again. We were standing inches apart, and he was staring down into my face. His breath washed over me like silk.

  I froze, unable to move or to think, caught up in the energy that seemed to wrap around us every time we were within arm’s reach of each other. I wanted to know what it felt like to have him wrap his arms around me, but I was afraid to move. I was afraid I was misreading his signals, and part of me was afraid that I wasn’t misreading him.

  “What are you thinking?” His voice was soft.

  I shivered, shaking my head. “I don’t seem to be thinking clearly at all.”

  Just then, Yutani peeked around the door. “I found something you might want to see.” He paused, glancing at the two of us. “Am I interrupting?”

  Herne let out a soft sigh, then shook his head. “No, I was just getting Ember settled in her new office.” And with that, he broke away, clearing his throat. “What did you find?”

  “It has nothing to do with this case, but it’s an answer to something we were looking at a week ago. The Harstein affair?”

  Herne’s expression suddenly shifted into business mode. “Oh, right. Show me.” Pausing, he turned back to me. “Why don’t you get settled here and arrange things the way you like. I’ll see you in my office in about half an hour
to meet with the new client.”

  As he closed the door behind him, I wondered if I had been imagining everything. Or maybe Herne just had the ability to categorize parts of his life when he needed to. One way or another, I felt like I had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

  Frustrated, I sat down at the desk and pulled open the drawers. There was nothing to personalize them, but I found paper and pens, all the usual office supplies, and a laptop computer. I pulled it out and opened it up, but I didn’t know the password so I couldn’t log in. Restless, I crossed to the window and stared out, crossing my arms over my chest.

  What did I want from Herne? I wasn’t sure of the answer. I was so attracted to him, and yet —the memory of my dead boyfriends played through my mind like some deranged merry-go-round. But Herne was the son of a god, as I had noted to Angel, and somehow I doubted that whatever curse I seemed to be under would cast its deadly effect on him.

  Just then my phone rang, and I glanced at the Caller ID. Speak of the devil, it was Ray Fontaine. “Hey Ray, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. I still haven’t figured out what broke into my storeroom, but we haven’t had any trouble since I hired a witch to strengthen the wards on my building. I just…” He paused, then slowly added, “I just miss you. I wanted to talk, to ask how you were doing. I saw the news about Angel—well, her house. She okay? What about her brother? I imagine they were probably pretty shaken up.”

  “Shaken up is right.” I couldn’t tell him about DJ, so I just added, “Angel found a new place to stay.” I suddenly realized that I couldn’t tell him any more than that. As much as I liked Ray, I had no idea who he was friends with. The world suddenly seemed like a mishmash of enemies out there, unseen and unplanned for.

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  I could sense that it was more than just a casual inquiry.

  “Ray, you know I can’t date you. You know why. I wish I could, but you’d be in danger.”

  “What is it that kills your boyfriends? I know you aren’t a succubus.”

  Surprised that Ray even knew about succubi, I laughed. “No, I’m not a succubus. Sometimes I wouldn’t mind being one, but I’m not. I’m just dangerous to get mixed up with, it seems.” I paused, wondering if that was an appropriate thing to say.

  “How long did you see them?”

  “Leland I saw for three months. Robert only lasted two weeks.”

  “I know this is an indelicate question, but I wonder if it might play into things. Were they the only men you ever slept with?”

  I froze. There was something off about his question. The last thing I felt like talking about with Ray was my sex life.

  “Ray, I’m thirty years old. I’ve had my share of lovers. That has nothing to do with the matter.”

  “Oh.” His voice was so soft for a moment I almost didn’t hear him speak. Then, he added, “So how many partners are we talking?”

  And there it was. The hint of judgment that somehow, I knew would be there. Ray liked to be first. First in business, first at snapping up new technology and gadgets when they came out. And I had the feeling he wanted to be first in the bed as well. I had never talked to him about my sex life before I broke it off, but I had always had the suspicion that he hoped I was a virgin.

  “Do you really want to go there? Considering that we’re no longer together?”

  “Why, are you afraid to tell me? Afraid I’ll think you’re a slut?” He paused, then added, “I’m sorry. I’m being boorish. It’s just…I’ve been thinking about you since I saw you the other day. I miss you. Are you sure you won’t consider going out with me again? I know you consider yourself a jinx, but what if the other guys were a fluke? What if Robert and Leland were actually coincidences? That goblin that hurt me could have attacked me even if you hadn’t taken me along with you.”

  I closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead. I didn’t want to deal with this right now. It had been a mistake reconnecting with Ray, and I should have known better.

  “Ray, don’t do this. Trust me, I just know that you’d be in danger. And let’s face it, we’re very different people. You’re a baker, a damned good one—the best, even. And I’m…” I paused. I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “I know you think you live a more rough-and-tumble life than I do. But that doesn’t mean I’m soft. Or that I can’t take care of myself, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

  I glanced at the clock. I still had another twenty minutes to go before I was needed in Herne’s office, but Ray didn’t have to know that.

  “Listen, I’ve got to go. I have a meeting to attend. I have to go.”

  “Can I call you tonight?”

  I wanted to blurt out that no, I had a date. But that would be a big mistake. So I just told him a flat no and hung up before he could say anything more. I was still sitting there, staring at my phone, when he texted me, asking me to let him know when I had time to get together. Putting my private phone on mute, I stuck it deep in my purse.

  Feeling at loose ends, I left my office and went out in the waiting room, wanting to talk to someone who would understand.

  Angel was at her desk, poring over the transcript, which was what I should have been doing.

  “I got a problem.” I leaned on her desk. “Ray Fontaine has decided he wants back in my life. As my boyfriend.”

  Angel blinked. “After the talk I had with him?”

  “And after the talk I had with him. And I also discovered that something I suspected when we were going together was actually true. He’s extremely jealous and insecure. He doesn’t like the idea that his girlfriends might have slept with other men. He was actually asking about my sex life. As to how many men I’ve been with.”

  “Oh good God. That’s the last thing you need to deal with right now.” She glanced up at the clock. “That new client’s going to be in soon. This will be the first time that I’ve done an intake on someone. I hope I do it right.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much. You seem to be getting the hang of matters pretty quickly. How are you finding the job?”

  “I actually like it,” she said. “Oh, I wanted to ask. Tonight, do you mind driving me around to some car dealers so I can test drive a few? I called my bank and applied over the phone, and they can give me a loan for a new car.”

  Well, that solved one problem. I fished out my car keys. “Here. You take my car and go wherever you need to.”

  “How are you going to get home?”

  I blushed. She studied my face for a moment then grinned.

  “You’re going out with Herne, aren’t you?” When I didn’t answer, she laughed. “I knew it! Well, have fun and be safe, whatever you do.”

  “We’re just going out for a cheeseburger. That’s all.” When she didn’t say anything, I added, “I mean it. All we’re doing is going out for a bite to eat.”

  Just then the door opened, and in a man walked in. I recognized right away that he was Fae, but I wasn’t sure whether he was Light or Dark. He gave me a long look, then smiled at both Angel and me, and walked up to the desk.

  “I have an appointment with Herne. My name is Barnaby.” His voice was gravelly, sounding lower than I thought it would be.

  Angel checked her appointment book, marking off his name. “I have a form for you to fill out,” she said, handing him a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it and a pen attached. “If you’ll have a seat and fill out the information, I’ll let Herne know you’re here.”

  Herne peeked out of the door, glancing around the waiting room. His gaze fell on Barnaby, then he glanced over at me and motioned for me to join him in his office. He held up five fingers to Angel and she nodded.

  “That’s our client. He’s a clurichaun, one of the Irish Fae folk.” Herne settled behind his desk, pulling out a notebook and pen. “Don’t accept anything to drink from him. Clurichauns are pleasant enough, but they can ensnare others quite easily if they choose.”


  “Don’t forget, I’m Fae by blood. Other Fae can’t entrap me with their glamour.” I glanced around. “Where should I sit?”

  Herne laughed. “I’m sorry, I did forget. You don’t carry yourself with the usual energy of the Fae, and it’s probably because of your background rather than your actual nature. Why don’t you pull a chair over to the right of my desk and sit there. Halfway between the front and back, so to speak.”

  I dragged one of the heavy leather chairs over to where he pointed by the side of his desk, and had just sat down when the office door opened. Angel escorted Barnaby in, then handed Herne a copy of the form that he had filled out. She left, shutting the door behind her.

  “Please take a chair,” Herne said, motioning to one of the chairs opposite his desk. While Barnaby settled in, his feet dangling over the edge a good eight inches from the floor, Herne glanced over the form and then set it down to the side. “So what can I do for you?”

  Barnaby glanced over at me, looking wary. “She’s…”

  “A half-breed. I know.” I stared at him, feeling defensive.

  “Ember is a new employee, and she’ll be working with me on a number of cases including yours. So, tell me what wrong.” Herne stared at the clurichaun, and I read the unstated warning. Either work with both of us, or get out of the office.

  Barnaby cleared his throat and let out a slight huff, but apparently he decided to cave.

  “As you know, I’m Light Fae. I live in the country, away from the main court. I’m having problems with a neighbor. He’s stealing my wine, and so far I’ve refrained from putting a haxit on him but so help me, if he doesn’t quit looting my cellar, I won’t be responsible for the outcome. I petitioned Névé but she suggested that I bring my problems to a private investigator. She suggested the Wild Hunt.”

  Herne nodded, his face serious. He had to be good at his job, because I was fighting the temptation to giggle. Somehow, looting wine cellars didn’t seem quite too serious.

  “Your neighbor, is he human? Fae?”