“Excuse me, I what?”
“No, not like that,” he said with a smile. “Vampires, like my kind, leave their scent on those they’ve mated with. She’s marked you as hers.”
“Marked me? Wait…mated?”
How did she manage to leave her scent on me? When did she do this? It could explain a few things, like how she was always able to track my location. I’d have to ask her about this the next time we spoke. Or maybe have Dex do it and save myself the evisceration.
“You aren’t mates?”
We had definitely crossed into the land of too much information, bordered on one side by the river of awkwardness, and settled by the citizens of shame and embarrassment.
“Mates? No, not really. Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“You didn’t know she marked you?” Kristman asked. “You have a large ‘KEEP AWAY’ sign over your head at all times for human and supernatural alike. I wouldn’t count on any dates in your future.”
I thought about the last date I’d been on with Katja and shuddered.
“My last date didn’t go so well.”
“I’m not surprised,” he said with a sniff. “Your vampire is ancient and powerful. A vampire like that rarely joins with a human.”
“I’m special that way.” I rubbed Peaches’ head. “At least, according to Monty.”
Kristman appraised me with a long look that extended several seconds into creepy. His orange eyes gave off a faint glow and gave me the impression he was looking past me. After a few seconds more, he caught himself and shook his head.
“Forgive me for staring, I sometimes forget my manners when dealing with humans.”
I figured it was a weretiger thing. I raised a hand and waved his words away. “It’s not a prob—”
“Then again, you aren’t exactly human, are you?”
I froze, and remembered Monty’s look earlier when I’d almost shared I was immortal.
“No,” Monty said, stepping next to me and pulling me away by the arm. “On occasion, even I wonder what planet he comes from. Would you excuse us?”
We stepped away. I glanced over my shoulder to see Kristman Dos staring at me, until TK interrupted his line of sight and diverted his attention by speaking to him.
“I think he knows about my extended life expectancy.”
“Unlikely it’s that specific. It’s possible he senses something off about your energy signature.”
“Like my incredible charisma and dazzling wit?”
“Those traits are not discernable with his senses, despite the illusion that you possess either. He would rely on his weretiger capabilities.”
I nodded. “Said I smelled, wasn’t exactly human, and that I’m Chi’s mate, since she marked me.”
“I suspected as much,” Monty said, rubbing his chin. “It would explain quite a bit. We can investigate that further at another time.”
“I don’t know if I’ve just been insulted or complimented.”
“Take it as a compliment.” Monty brushed some hair out of his face. “Weretigers rarely communicate outside of their species or close friends. I think we may have a situation.”
Anytime a mage said there’s a situation, my first reaction was to run in the other direction. Situations, like conversations, usually meant pain, agony, and many angry creatures trying to shred me. That was a best-case scenario.
“Is that what you were discussing with TK?”
“What? No.” He looked over to where TK stood. “She requested I keep watch over Fordey while they’re out.”
“You agreed? How do you watch a place that has no apparent fixed dimensions?”
“Carefully,” he said, shaking his head. “Of course, I agreed. She just refrained from disintegrating me. I felt it was the least I could do, considering the outcome of the Reckoning.”
“Which, I must say, you’re looking less wrecked. The Wordweavers did a good job patching you up. What’s the situation?”
“There have been energy spikes in lower Manhattan, near the Hellfire.”
“I know.” I shared what Chi had told me earlier. “Are energy spikes a problem?”
“Not usually, but this may be connected with your friend, Mr. Rott, and his recent fixation.”
“It’s not a fixation. George has a singular determination and will. When he sets his mind to something, it’s a scary and fantastic thing to see.”
“His determination may get us all killed.”
“George said he found the dragons. That doesn’t sound good. He was never all there, even back when he was in the NYTF. We all thought he hovered near the edge of sanity. Now, with Cassandra gone, I think he may have stepped over that edge into an abyss.”
“I need to speak to my uncle before we go to Hybrid.”
Monty turned and gave TK a nod, which she returned.
“I’ll call Castor shortly,” TK said, interrupting her conversation with Kristman Dos. “If anyone knows about this, he does. Or knows someone who does.”
“Thank you,” Monty said with a short bow.
Kristman Dos gave us a short nod and returned to the conversation he was having with TK.
We left the Danger Room and headed down the corridors of Fordey. Every few intersections, Monty would stop, gesture, and then read a section of the wall.
“Hybrid?” I asked, confused. “What hybrid? More importantly, is this hybrid going to attempt to chew our faces off?”
“Hybrid is a place, not a creature. If I recall, your time in the NYTF was as a member of a deep-cover black ops group. How long were you a part of Shadow Company?”
“My service in the NYTF was expunged from all records. That information is beyond classified.”
“I know. I also know where to look. How well did you know George?”
“No one knew him well. We were all crazy, but George, he was the craziest. How bad are these energy spikes?”
“It’s worse than you think.”
“George Rott with revenge on the brain. I’m thinking that’s pretty bad. He has resources and knows how to deal with supernatural threats. Don’t see much worse than that.”
Monty gestured, read the symbols on the wall of an intersection, and paused, looking at me. “A demigod may be involved.”
“A what?”
“Demigod. Half human and half god. Is this a new concept for you?”
“No. I mean, I haven’t met any…you mean like Hercules and Perseus?”
“That’s just one pantheon. Every pantheon has demigods, most of them not as famous as those two.”
“What do you mean ‘involved?’”
“It’s possible that the spikes are being caused—not by dragons, but by a demigod.”
“Okay, that’s worse.”
“We need to go see the twins.”
SEVEN
WE ARRIVED AT a large storage room. I marveled at how many corridors and rooms made up Fordey Boutique. Dex and LD were packing items into two large duffel bags.
“René better not give me shit, I got her a new plane,” Dex growled, placing some items in one of the bags. “Well, technically Division 13 did, but you know what I mean.”
“Technically, you’re the reason she needed a new plane, you and your impromptu orb class.” LD passed Dex a handful of small vials. “Can’t believe you still speak to Division 13. Who did you call?”
Dex gave him a look and raised an eyebrow. “If I tell you, I’m going to have to silence you.”
LD stared hard at Dex, who returned the stare with equal intensity for several seconds before they both burst into laughter.
“That was a good one, pendejo. Straight face and everything. How are Luna and Reese?”
“Just saw Reese. Same as always.” Dex was still chuckling when he turned to look at us. “Hello, Nephew. You’re looking grim, as usual.”
I glanced over at Monty, who scowled and pushed some hair from his face. “We have a situation, uncle.”
“Whoa, Dex.” LD crouched down
to get some more items from a bottom shelf. “It’s a situation. Glad we never faced one of those. This sounds serious.”
Dex smiled and crossed his arms. “Don’t tease. My nephew doesn’t have a sense of humor. He lost it in a tragic accident at a young age.”
“Really?” LD asked. “What happened?”
“Puberty.” Dex gave Monty a huge grin. “He never recovered.”
I suppressed a laugh and looked away, suddenly finding the ceiling of the storage room to be incredibly interesting.
Monty sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “There may be an enclave of dragons in the city.”
“Shit!” LD said and banged his head on a shelf. “Are you serious?”
“I’m always serious. Did that sound humorous?”
“He never jokes,” I confirmed with a shake of my head. “At least not on purpose.”
Dex’s face grew dark. “What else? There’s more, isn’t there?”
Monty paused and then spoke. “It’s possible a demigod is involved.”
Dex let out a string of words I figured were curses. Except they were curses I’d never heard. All I could make out were plenty of ‘orts.’
“Any evidence of either? Demigod or dragon?”
“We’re heading to Hybrid to speak to the twins. They may have information. TK is making the call.”
“Good, be careful with those two. Avoid Pollux the Prick. Speak to Castor.”
LD whistled low. “Dragons are nasty business, but dragons and demigods? Does TK know?”
Monty nodded. “Erik gave her most of the information before the Reckoning. She brought me up to speed after we, well, after she…”
“Trounced you soundly,” Dex replied. “No shame in it, boy. You faced a superior opponent and still live to tell the tale. Well done. Your father would be been proud.”
“Yes, after she defeated me,” Monty answered quietly. “I still have much to learn, it seems.”
“She didn’t defeat you.” LD approached, putting a hand on Monty’s shoulder and shaking his head. “She kicked your ass six ways to Sunday. Don’t feel bad. You weren’t the first, and you won’t be the last. Anyway, humble pie is good for the soul.”
“I’d go with you, Nephew, but I’m due at the Sanctuary tomorrow,” Dex said with a scowl. “The Elders gave me an extra day to attend the Reckoning.”
“You mean you had to ask permission?” LD asked. “Do you need me to write you an official Reckoning note?”
“Keep it up and there’ll be another Reckoning today.”
LD laughed and went back to searching the shelves for items. Dex turned to us, serious. He gestured and made a string of linked sausage. When he let them go, they floated to the other side of the room.
Peaches, riveted by the floating feast, followed them.
“LD is right. Dragons are a nasty business best dealt with by others. Do you want me to make a call?”
“No.” Monty looked away. “We can handle it.”
Dex raised an eyebrow and stepped close to Monty.
“You two and the hellhound can handle a dragon?”
“We have faced their kind in the past.”
“You faced one dragon, lost a member of your team, and barely walked away from the encounter.”
I remembered our encounter with Slif. She was an ancient dragon, working to undo the spread of magic among non-dragonkind. From what I’d surmised, they had a real problem with non-dragons using or having access to magic. If Dex knew about our fight with Slif, he was better informed than I realized.
“We didn’t know she was a dragon,” I said. “She fooled us all.”
“That’s my point, boy. You won’t see them until they want to be seen. They can mask better than any mage, living or dead.”
“I’m not walking away from this, Uncle.”
“A man must do what he feels is right.” Dex sighed and sounded very Monty-like. I wondered if this was a family trait. “Your head is thicker than your father’s.”
“Thank you,” Monty said quietly. “I promise to contact you if we find an enclave.”
“That’s all I ask, lad. You’ve nothing to prove, not to me.” Dex rested both hands on Monty’s shoulders. “Don’t make this personal. If you run across an enclave, call me, the Council, and the NYTF.”
“And the demigod?”
“Aye, if a demigod is involved,” Dex said, his voice steel, “I’ll make the call.”
EIGHT
MONTY GESTURED AND closed the rift behind us as we stepped into our office. I pulled out my phone and called Ramirez on his direct line.
“This’d better be a wrong number, Strong. I’ve had enough disasters to deal with today, much less whatever you’re going to say to add to the long list.”
“Rottweiler.”
“Shit, not on the phone. Meet me where he lost his only love. One hour.”
I hung up.
“Ramirez doesn’t strike me as the cloak-and-dagger type. Why is he being so cryptic?” Monty made his way to the kitchen. “What does a man like George Rott love?”
“Not just love, his only love. Where he lost his only love.” I tapped my chin. “The only thing George loved more than the job was his daughter—Cassandra.”
“Cassandra. Yes, that makes sense. If Ramirez wants to meet where Mr. Rott lost his love he means—?”
“Haven. He wants to meet at Haven.”
“That would be less than ideal, considering the current circumstances. I’d rather we refrain from using Haven as a meeting place.”
TK’s words to Monty came back to me: Your closest friend is cursed by Kali, you seem to be allergic to intact buildings, and you’re in love with a hunted sorceress.
“Who’s hunting Roxanne and why?”
“She’s warded, as is Haven. No one and nothing can get close to her while I’m alive. Call Ramirez and change the location.”
“That wasn’t my question,” I said. “Is this classified mage information?”
“It’s…difficult to explain,” he answered and sipped his tea. “It’s not classified, but telling you would put you in danger.”
“Sounds classified to me,” I said, dialing Ramirez again.
“What? I told you not over the phone,” Ramirez barked. “Was my clue too difficult?”
“Please, Angel, that was amateur hour. Monty requested a different location.”
“Really, did he give you a reason why?”
“He did,” I said, looking over at Monty. “Let’s do the Rump.”
“You seem to have a fixation with this Rump. Are you sure there isn’t something you want to share?”
I could imagine the smile crossing his face.
“It’s a meat shop.”
“Sure, it is. I’m sure they have all kinds of meat there too.” A chuckle escaped him. “Fine. See you there.”
He hung up.
I shook my head. “That better?”
“Much. We can utilize the back room and make sure the conversation is secure.”
“Then you can tell me why Roxanne is being hunted.”
“Of course, what would be another group hunting you?”
“Hunting me? What are you talking about?”
“We’ve managed to anger dragons, trolls, and an entire group of European magic-users. The latter a result of the renovation of their meeting space by destroying the Tate Modern.”
“That building needed demolishing, trust me.”
“Not to mention the Blood Hunters, who are now being led by Esti. She appeared quite psychotic, and eager to introduce you to the business end of her knives in the pursuit of their dark blades. Shall I continue?”
“No, thanks.” I held my hand up. “I need a cup of coffee.”
“I’m not keeping secrets, Simon. This information is volatile. If I share it, it has the potential to attract the wrong attention. Attention we can ill afford at this moment.”
“I get it. I’m just not looking forward to meeting any mor
e dragons. Much less with demigods sprinkled on top.”
“Neither am I,” Monty admitted. “Let’s meet with Ramirez, and then we’ll head over to Hybrid and get more information.”
“Can you call Cecil and get us another Goat? One that’s magically meltproof?”
“I don’t think ‘magically meltproof’ counts as a condition of his vehicles.”
“You know what I mean, with super runes to protect it from melting spells like the last Goat.”
“Super runes?” Monty raised an eyebrow. “Right. In any case, after London, he may be reluctant to give us a vehicle. But I can try.”
“If we’re going to be dealing with dragons, make sure it’s fireproof too.”
NINE
“WHAT DID CECIL say?”
We walked downstairs to the lobby of the Moscow. At Dex’s insistence, Monty had arranged for the purchase of our space when we expanded the office.
After the purchase, I rarely saw Olga in the building. Her uncanny ability to always appear when the rent was due had never ceased to amaze me. I looked around the lobby, but she was nowhere in sight. After my encounter with Steigh Cea and her sisters, I was determined to ask Olga some subtle questions about the Jotnar. Andrei stood at the door, he stiffened and crossed himself, when he saw Peaches.
I was feeling particularly nice this afternoon.
Peaches padded by Andrei, who crossed himself again and backed away from the door, whispering to himself.
“Andrei, can you tell Olga I’d like to speak to her?”
He nodded but kept his distance. “I tell Mrs. Etrechenko you want to talk.”
“Thank you. Did you want to pet Peaches?”
“No! I mean no, thank you, Mr. Stronk. Very nice of you to offer, but no, thank you.”
“Okay, if you change your mind, let me know.”
Andrei shook his head and closed the door just a little faster than usual behind us. We stepped outside onto the empty sidewalk and into the afternoon sun. The valet wasn’t waiting for us, since we were Goatless.
Dragons & Demigods: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 6) Page 5