by R. L. King
Stone shifted to magical sight, curious about the object. As he expected, it lit up with arcane energy, each section of tiny carved letters or sigils glowing with a different color. It was a beautiful piece, obviously brimming with power, but he couldn’t determine its purpose without more study.
He was about to switch the sight off and wait for Kolinsky to finish when he got a glimpse of the black mage’s aura. He tensed, blinking.
Well. That’s interesting…
Kolinsky didn’t appear to be masking or dimming his aura, but that wasn’t unusual. The man didn’t make any apologies for his power level, and his ego eclipsed Stone’s—which wasn’t an easy feat. The normal dual hues, red and purple, erupted around Kolinsky’s body as brightly as they ever had—
—but now there was a third one.
Stone narrowed his eyes, focusing with more care. He had to be mistaken, right? He’d been so obsessed with wondering whether Kolinsky would notice the new third color in his own aura, perhaps he was projecting his fears onto the man himself.
But no…there it was: another narrow band of purple around the outside. This one wasn’t the same color as the shade in Kolinsky’s original aura; instead, it had the same intense, almost ultraviolet hue Stone had seen in Trevor Harrison. Like the silver in Stone’s aura, it was much thinner than the other two colors, but it had a crackling, kinetic quality Stone had never seen before—not even in Harrison or in his own new silver “addition”.
“Alastair?”
Stone jerked his head up, dropping magical sight instantly. Had Kolinsky caught him checking? He knew his friend wouldn’t consider it rude—mages examined each other’s auras all the time—but would no doubt consider that level of scrutiny to be unusual. “Er—yes. Hello, Stefan. How are you?”
“I am well.” Kolinsky regarded him through narrowed eyes for a beat, then turned his attention back to the carving on his display table. Using magic, he wrapped it in the black cloth, placed it in a cabinet on the other side of the room, and engaged the lock on the cabinet. Then he returned to his familiar place behind his antique roll-top desk and indicated for Stone to take a seat. “I have not seen you in some time. I trust you were successful in dealing with the matter we discussed during our last meeting.”
“Yes. Thank you again—I couldn’t have done that without your help. I doubt you care, but a lot of lives were saved.”
“I am pleased to hear that.”
Stone didn’t think it mattered to him one way or the other, nor did he think Kolinsky cared that he knew it. “I stopped by a couple of times, but you were away. Another artifact-gathering trip?”
“Among other things, yes.”
When Stone had first met Kolinsky, the man rarely left the Bay Area, but over the past few years, that had changed. These days, it seemed he was away more often than he was home. Stone wondered what had brought about the change in habits, but didn’t ask. With Kolinsky, every question was a trade, every bit of information a transaction. Curiosity aside, some were worth more than others. He nodded toward the locked cabinet. “New acquisition?”
“Indeed. One of my associates made me aware of its discovery recently, so of course I was compelled to investigate.” He made a note with a fine fountain pen, then looked back up at Stone. “How may I be of assistance, Alastair? I assume this is not a social call.”
So far, so good. If Kolinsky had examined his aura and discovered the extra bit, he hadn’t said anything about it. It was hard to tell with him, since he’d always been good at hiding his use of magical sight. “Yes, as it happens. I have a question for you.”
“Yes?”
“I’m looking for an item, and I know there aren’t many magical artifacts that come through this area without attracting your attention.”
“Indeed. What sort of item?”
“It’s a chalice. Made of bronze, with silver highlights and several semi-precious stones set into it.” He pulled a folded page from his pocket and spread it out on the desk. “That’s a crude sketch, but it gives the basic idea.”
Kolinsky studied the sketch. “What makes you think it would have appeared in this area? And how have you heard of its existence?”
Now the dance began. “I’m not at liberty to say how I’ve heard of its existence, but I found out from the same source who told me it was in the area.”
“I see.”
“So—do you know anything about it?”
“I do.”
Stone tensed. Knowing Kolinsky, it wasn’t at all unexpected that he would know, but things didn’t usually go this easily for him. “So—can you tell me where it is?”
“Not at present, no.”
“Yes, yes,” he said with a sigh. “I know—you want something in return, of course. But I need to know how much you know before I can make an offer. If you’ve got the thing in your back room, that’s not the same as if you’ve heard rumors of its existence.”
“I do not have the item in my possession. But I can provide you information you might find useful for tracking its location.”
Well, that was something, at least. More than he’d had before, anyway. “Okay. It’s a start. Tell you what—a while back, while going through Desmond’s library, I found an old book containing some very interesting summoning techniques. Bit dark for me, but likely right up your alley. For now, the offer is to allow you some time with it. If you can actually help me find the item, you can have it.” He’d have to be careful: he’d almost offered his standard arrangement of refreshing Kolinsky’s wards, which he could do again—probably better than before—now that he was no longer limited to black-magic techniques. But he wasn’t ready to share his newfound status with his associate yet.
Kolinsky considered, then inclined his head. “I accept your offer.”
“Brilliant. I’ll bring the book back next time I go home—is that acceptable?”
“Of course. I have quite enough to occupy my time at present.”
Stone leaned forward in his chair. “All right, then: what can you tell me about it?”
“It was offered to me several weeks ago.”
“Offered to you? You mean someone wanted to sell it to you?”
“Yes.”
“But you didn’t accept?”
“I did not.”
“Why not? From what I understand, it’s a fairly powerful item. I’d think it would have intrigued you, if nothing else.”
“It did intrigue me.” Kolinsky made a note on his pad, pulled the sheet free, and stowed it in a folder in one his lower desk drawers. “But contrary to what you might believe, I am not indiscriminate in my acquisitions. This one held no connection to my current areas of interest, and the price the seller was asking was somewhat exorbitant, even by my standards. I am certain I could have persuaded him to take less, but I did not attempt to do so.”
“Did you examine the item?”
“Briefly, yes. A more thorough examination would have been the next step, should I have been interested.”
Stone pondered. “Can you tell me anything about the person who tried to sell it to you?”
“I can. But I will require a bit more from you for that information.” He held up a hand as Stone started to protest. “Not possession of the volume you spoke of—not yet, at any rate.”
“What, then?”
Kolinsky consulted another small notebook, then slid it back into its cubby and resumed his steady scrutiny of Stone. “If my cursory examination was accurate, the item was not the sort of thing you would find interesting, either. So I am curious about why you seek it.”
“What did you discover about it?”
“Only that it was a benevolent artifact related to fertility, and possibly has some connection to shapeshifters.”
“You know about shapeshifters?” Stone asked, surprised. He supposed he shouldn’t have been. Stefan Kolinsky made it his business to know about most things related to magic—this shouldn’t be any different.
“They are no
t a particular area of focus, but I am aware of their existence.”
Stone got up, pacing as he considered. “All I can say is that I’m…acting as an agent for someone else who’s looking for the chalice. They’ve tracked it to the Bay Area, and I agreed to help them look for it.”
“So you do not seek it for your personal collection?”
“No.” He gave a short laugh. “When have you ever known me to be interested in fertility artifacts? If anything, I’d more likely be after the opposite.”
“Circumstances change,” Kolinsky said mildly.
“Not that much. Anyway—I’ve told you all I can. Is it enough for you to give me the information about the seller?”
“It is. In fact, I will even give you one more bit of information, free of charge.”
“Yes?”
“The seller did not share his name with me, but I am familiar with him, nonetheless. And I am certain he did not obtain the item from its original location himself.”
“What does that mean?” Stone dropped back into the chair.
“I strongly suspect that he stole it from someone else. Most likely when it was en route from one location to another.”
“Stole it? Why do you think so?”
“He specializes in such things. I have dealt with him previously.”
Stone didn’t even bother asking whether that meant Kolinsky routinely dealt in stolen goods. He had no doubt that was true—when the black mage set his mind on something he wanted, little could effectively stand in his way. Why else would he have an expert magical cat burglar on his payroll? That didn’t mean getting tangled up in it was a wise idea, though. “So—do you know who he did obtain it from?”
“No. He did not say, and since I was not interested in acquiring the item, I did not ask.”
“Right, then. It sounds like my next step is to track him down and find out what he did end up doing with it. You don’t know where he is, do you?”
Kolinsky regarded him over steepled fingers and waited.
Stone supposed this cat-and-mouse game of trades and bargaining could get old, but on the other hand, Kolinsky had never given him erroneous or inaccurate information. Wasn’t that worth a little inconvenience? “What else do you want? The book?”
“No. I cannot provide you with the chalice, so an opportunity to peruse the volume will be sufficient.” His hawklike gaze sharpened. “My price is the answer to a single question.”
Uh oh. “What…sort of question?”
“Your aura has changed. I would like to know why.”
Stone blinked, unable to hide his surprise. “You can see that?”
“Of course. Did you expect to conceal it from me? It did not appear you were making any effort to do so.”
“I…” Stone paused, considering his next words. Even telling Kolinsky that so far no one else had spotted the change constituted useful information—information that, according to Kolinsky’s own rules, was valuable and therefore not to be given away. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and gave the black mage a tight smile. “I could ask you the same question—and I’ll probably get about as far with you as you will with me.”
Kolinsky tilted his head. “Oh? I am not sure I understand.”
“I’m not the only one whose aura has changed.”
“I assure you—my aura has not changed.”
Stone almost protested that yes, of course it had, but stopped. Kolinsky had never, at least as far as he was aware, purposely lied to him. If the black mage was telling the truth—if his aura hadn’t changed—that meant something in Stone had, allowing him to see something he couldn’t see before. Could it be that—
“Alastair? You look troubled. Is something wrong?”
“No. No, nothing’s wrong.” He met Kolinsky’s gaze head-on. “I’m sorry, Stefan, but that’s not something I’m willing to tell you right now. I’ll give you an answer—it will be truthful, but probably not the one you want. But you have to give me your word that you won’t ask me—or anyone else—anything else about it.”
It was an audacious response, and he thought Kolinsky would turn him down. So far, there had never been an instance when the black mage had refused him a bit of information due to his unwillingness to meet the required price. Sometimes he’d altered the deal, but never outright denied him. Stone thought it might be because he enjoyed the bargaining as much as he valued the information. This time, however, it seemed as if this might be not be the case.
At last, though, he inclined his head. “Give me your answer, then. You have my word. I admit I am curious, but it is your choice.”
“All right, then.” Stone stood again, considering his words with care. “Yes, I’m aware my aura has changed. I don’t know exactly why. It happened a few weeks ago, during a ritual, and I’m certain I couldn’t duplicate it.”
That was stretching the truth, but it wasn’t a lie. Technically, the entire trip to Calanar had resulted from a ritual, and while he could certainly re-create the process that took him there, he was equally certain he couldn’t duplicate the confluence of the crystal spike, the unpredictable magic of the Wastes, and the savage manastorm that had likely led to the change. Or possibly enhanced it, if Madame Huan’s observation three years ago had been related.
Kolinsky’s obsidian-chip gaze bored into Stone. Clearly, he wasn’t satisfied with Stone’s answer. “All right,” he conceded. “I will do as I promised, and not ask any further questions about this change. I hope you will understand, however, that this promise does not preclude examinations of my own.”
Stone gave him a wry smile. “As if I could stop you. And if you work anything out, I’d appreciate it if you’d share it with me. I’m sure we can come to an understanding. So—about the thief…?”
“Yes. He is based in Oakland. He goes by the name ‘Jimmy Tanuki,’ though I am certain it is a pseudonym.”
“And you don’t know his real name.”
“I know nothing else about him. It is none of my concern. He knows it would not be a wise decision to attempt to cross me or deceive me.”
“When was the last time you saw him? You said you dealt with him before—did he try to sell you anything else after the chalice?”
“A couple of months ago. I have not seen him since then.”
“And you don’t know if he’s sold the chalice to someone else?”
“I suspect he probably has—it is in his best interests not to retain possession of items for too long, in case their original owners might come searching for them.”
“But you don’t know who.”
“No. As I said, it is none of my concern. After I chose to pass on the item myself, I put it out of my mind.”
“All right. One more question: what does he look like?”
“Observe.” Kolinsky swiveled his chair to face the display table where he’d been examining the disc. After a moment, the air began to shimmer, and a few seconds later it formed into an illusionary figure that hovered a few inches above the table’s surface.
Stone got up to examine the figure more closely. It was an impressive illusion, three-dimensional, almost like a hologram from a science-fiction movie, and depicted a short, slender, pale-skinned man in his middle thirties. He wore a stylish black leather jacket, black jeans, and a gray turtleneck sweater. As Stone continued to watch, the man’s gaze darted back and forth, as if he expected someone to jump him.
The illusion persisted long enough for Stone to study it in detail, then winked out. “Thank you, Stefan. I’ll bring the book back soon—you needn’t be in a hurry to return it.”
“I look forward to seeing it—and wish you luck in your search.”
27
Stone stopped by Marciella Garra’s office late the next morning. “I’ve got some information,” he told her. “Have you had lunch yet?”
They returned to the little place he’d first taken her. He could sense her tension on the walk over, and she nearly pounced on him as they sat down with their food. “
What did you discover?” she demanded. “You didn’t find the chalice, did you?”
“Not yet. But I’ve got a lead.” He told her what Kolinsky had given him, without revealing the source of the information.
Her eyes narrowed. “So this…Jimmy Tanuki person didn’t steal it from my people?”
“That’s what my source says.”
“I tend to believe it. From what I understand, the thieves were powerful—some of them magically talented, others strong warriors like those two men who attacked us at the school.”
“I don’t think Jimmy is either of those—he seems more the sneaky sort. Both I and my source think it’s more likely that the original thieves were doing it on the orders of someone else. Jimmy managed to find out about it and stole the chalice while it was en route here.”
She gripped the table, eyes flashing. “We need to find him, then. Do you know where he is?”
“Oakland. But that’s not a small city, and my contact didn’t know—or wouldn’t tell me—anything more specific.”
“Take me to this contact,” she growled. “I will convince him to reveal it.”
“No—trust me, that wouldn’t be wise. But it just occurred to me—I might have another way.”
“Oh?”
“I can’t trace Jimmy—or the chalice—magically, since I’ve never met or encountered them. But it’s possible I can do it the old-fashioned way. Let me look into that and get back to you.”
“You’d better not be stalling. If I go looking for this Jimmy and find him, it won’t go well for him.”
Stone made the call as soon as he got back to his office, and his contact returned it within the hour.
“Hey, Stone. Haven’t heard from you in a while. How have you been?”
“Thank you for calling me back, Detective. I have a favor to ask.”