I hoped Betty never realized that, because our relationship had improved immensely since I’d saved Sean. Now, she was genuinely pleased to see me, instead of pretending she was for my dad’s sake.
Honestly, I couldn’t believe she hadn’t figured it out. Maybe Betty had, but preferred to focus on the positive part of the situation: The part where I’d been willing to risk my own life for Sean’s.
If that was the case, it worked for me. I’d never enjoyed making her uncomfortable.
“Then I’m game,” Logan said.
“Great. Let me get the dogs.”
He laughed. “They’re invited too?”
“Yeah. They’re family.” I pecked him on the cheek before standing.
I teleported us to Mom’s back yard, and braced myself as my little brothers saw us appear.
“Cordi!” both yelled, racing toward me.
Dropping to my knees, I caught them and laughed. “Hey, how are you guys?”
They didn’t have a chance to answer because Amadeus, their Cocker Spaniel, began screaming in terror.
Mom, Dad, and Betty rushed out of the back door in response, Dad grabbed Amadeus, and the Spaniel peed on him. “Oh, great. That’s just...” Dad held the dog clear, looking down at his clothes. “What’s wrong with him?”
He’s scared of us, Bone said. What a wimp.
“Be nice.” I climbed to my feet. “He’s scared of my big dogs.”
Meanwhile Amadeus was struggling, his back legs kicking wildly. His yelping was incoherent. “Crap. Leglin, can you...”
Squishy barked. Stop that.
To my surprise, Amadeus fell silent.
They’re not mean. We live with them, my chubby Chihuahua said. And we’re littler than you.
“I think you can put him down now.”
“Good.” Dad carefully put Amadeus on the ground. The Spaniel cowered at his feet, shivering violently. “Poor boy.”
Prejudice even in the Animal Kingdom. How wonderful. “Let me try talking to him.”
“You do that. I’m going to clean up.” Dad gestured at his shirt and slacks. “Hello, Logan.”
“Hi. Sorry for the noisy arrival.”
My dad laughed. “Never a dull moment.”
“We’d better get back to the food. I’m glad you could join us, Logan.” Mom stooped to pat Amadeus. “It’s alright, boy.”
“It’s nice to see you again.” Betty smiled, her eyes flicking from Logan to my pitties. “Are you sure everything will be okay?”
Sean chose that moment to tackle Diablo. My black pit fell over sideways, grunting as Sean landed on him. Betty’s face went white. Diablo turned his head and swiped his tongue across my brother’s face, reducing Sean to giggles.
I smiled. “Yeah, everything will be fine. Bone and Diablo won’t hurt anyone.”
“Okay.” Betty nibbled her bottom lip, but went inside. Pleased she was trusting me, I walked over to the furry heap that was Amadeus.
“Hey, they won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Amadeus lifted his head, his big, brown eyes sad. I can’t save my kids if they attack them.
Aww, the poor thing. I crouched beside him. “They won’t hurt the boys either. Look.”
Bone was allowing Jonah to climb all over him, while Diablo had Sean pinned and was washing his face, while my brother giggled and wiggled. “See? They’re good boys, like you.”
The Spaniel shivered. They’ve fought.
“Yeah, they had to. They don’t anymore, except to protect people.” I stroked his back. “They’ll help you protect the kids, if they’re around and something happens.”
Really?
“Really. Come on, I’ll introduce you to them.” Fortunately, that went well and no more pee fountains occurred.
“You made front page news.” Mom brandished a newspaper as Logan and I walked in. “Did you have fun?”
“The food was fantastic, but I could’ve done without the rest. Need any help?”
“Just carrying things to the table. Logan, will you please call in the boys? Everyone needs to wash their hands.” My mother was in full Mom Mode, tossing the newspaper onto the kitchen table and nodding to Betty as the latter passed her with a platter of ham.
“Yes, ma’am.” Logan about-faced and went back out. Amusing how he already knew who was in charge during Jones family gatherings.
Twenty minutes later, we were all seated at the dining table. I notice the bottle of non-alcoholic, sparkling grape juice, and smiled. Mom never let kids feel left out.
“Everything looks and smells great. Thanks, Mom and Betty.”
Both women smiled from their seats on either side of Dad, who sat at the head of the table. Jonah sat between Betty and me; Sean between Mom and Logan. The dogs were sitting around or under the table, licking their chops with hopeful expressions.
“Far cry from a fancy ball.” Mom began filling Sean’s plate.
“I think we both prefer this.” Logan glanced across the table at me. “Right?”
“You bet. I know everyone, and cameras aren’t being shoved in my face.” I took the ham platter when Betty passed it, speared a slice, and handed the platter to Logan.
“Well, you looked lovely.” Betty rose to pour wine and sparkling grape juice for everyone. “Where’d you find that dress?”
“The mall, at uh, one of the boutiques. Can’t remember which one.” To my dismay, Thorandryll’s ball remained a big part of the dinner conversation.
Damn elf.
“No, that’s enough. Their tummies are going to pop,” I said, stopping Jonah from giving Speck another piece of ham. Mom had cooked two, one without glaze for the dogs.
The menfolk had fed them while Mom, Betty, and I cleaned up the kitchen.
Amadeus had recovered fully, and stood between Bone and Diablo, wiggling as they waited for more ham.
I put away the last dish. “All done. We’d better head home. I have work tomorrow.”
“Alright.” Mom dried her hands and hugged me. More hugs followed, as well as untangling little boys from dogs.
I teleported us home, to my front yard.
“Potty time, guys. Get to it.”
Logan tugged on my hand, and I turned into him for a hug. “That was fun. I like your family.”
“Thanks. Sorry about Amadeus’ freak-out.”
He chuckled. “He did alright. I felt sorry for him.”
“Yeah. He’s sort of dopey, but he loves the boys.”
“Good. I,” Logan kissed the tip of my nose. “Should go home. Got a few things to wrap up before I talk to Lord Whitehaven.”
Darn. “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be waiting.” He dipped his head, brushing his cheek against mine, and then kissed me. “Bye.”
“Bye.” I felt a bit breathless, and a whole lot giddy. Was I falling in love? Watching Logan walk down the drive, I thought maybe so.
And, strangely, felt absolutely okay with it.
SIXTEEN
The next morning, Dane showed up and we decided to go have another look at where our one clue had led to.
Returning to the alley the thread had ended in didn't turn up anything new. We walked around that spot for a minute or two before Dane said, "What about widening our search? Walk a few blocks around this point?"
"Sure. If we split up, we can cover ground faster." The day was bright, no wind blowing, which made it feel warmer than the past few days.
He held up his phone. "Okay. Let me know if you find anything, and I'll do the same."
"Cool. I'll go west."
We walked back between the buildings to the street before taking off in separate directions. I covered two blocks, circling around into the alleys, and was halfway down the third when the feeling of being watched hit me.
I stopped to look around. The area had enough vehicle and foot traffic that I didn't feel as though I stuck out. If someone were watching me, I didn't want them to think I'd be easy to sneak up on.
The block was populated with small shops selling things like pottery and other local, handmade items. Two shop fronts behind me, I saw Danielle and sighed.
Danielle was tall and slender, with a face made for modeling. Her beef with me was over Logan. Alanna had told me that Danielle wanted him, and well, that wasn't working out for Danielle.
She began walking toward me. I waited, not wanting her to think I was afraid, and she halted a few feet away. "What are you doing here?"
I'd promised Logan and Terra to behave toward her, so didn't respond with a smart-ass remark. "Working a case."
Danielle flicked her long, glossy black hair off her shoulder while looking around. "Where's Soames?"
"We split up to cover more ground."
Her upper lip curled. "He's supposed to guard you."
"Broad daylight, busy shopping area. I think I can survive an hour on my own here." I didn't ask why she was there. For all I knew, she worked in the frame shop she'd apparently walked out of. "Have to get back to work."
When I turned and began to walk, Danielle took a few quick steps and stayed beside me. She was frowning when I glanced at her face. "Did you want something?"
"Our Queen has made it clear we are to protect you."
I had to give her points for her devotion to Queen and clan, but really didn't want her tagging along. "I appreciate that, but..."
"What are you looking for?"
Forget it. I wasn't going to ruin my nice day by arguing with her. "A mirror."
"Why aren't you looking in the shops? Some have mirrors for sale."
"It's a magic mirror." She did have a point, but would someone or something that could manipulate shadows turn around and hide the mirror in plain sight in a human's shop?
Danielle's frown deepened, but she didn't say anything else until we'd made the turn at the end of the block, and I entered the alley. "Really?"
"What can I say? It's not a pretty job, and alleys are part of it sometimes."
She followed me, stepping carefully to avoid flattened trash. The alleys here were in pretty decent shape, and actually paved. I didn't bother stepping on or around any bits of trash, because it was all paper or cardboard.
Near the end of the alley, I stopped as a thread appeared. "I have a trail."
It was the same dark gray color as the previous thread. Danielle stayed on my heels as I broke into a jog, following it.
Good thing, since at the end of the thread, the ground wasn't solid. It was still there, I even saw the cement and dirt layers as I dropped through it. Something slowed the fall, so I landed on my feet. Before I could look around, I had to jump to one side to keep from being flattened by Danielle.
She wasn't happy, if the scowl on her face was any indication. I pretended not to notice in favor of looking around. We were in a round tunnel, the stone walls reddish brown. I planted my hands on my hips. "Okay, we fell down a rabbit hole, but to where?"
"Obviously into a trap." Danielle sniffed the air. "But who was it set for?"
I wondered if she smelled anything useful. All I could smell was the damp dirt odor I associated with caves. Fitting, since we were basically in a cave. "Going to go with 'no one in particular,' because, seriously, who uses alleys as a regular travel way?"
"The homeless, dealers, prostitutes, and everyone who takes out their trash," Danielle said.
Duh. "Right, but that doesn't mean it's a trap set for a specific person. Maybe for specific types of people, but who would want to capture those types, and why?"
"Frankly, I don't give a damn about anything but getting out of here, so," she held out her hand. "Teleport us."
I sighed, but took hold. Once back at the spot, I'd call the office for backup, and stand guard until someone who could disarm the trap arrived. "Okay."
Fire blazed through my mind when I tried, dropping me to my knees and forcing me to release her hand. "Ow, oh crap, that hurts!"
"What happened?"
I looked up, holding my head with both hands. "I know where we are. We're in the demon realm."
Danielle's eyes widened. "We're dead."
"Oh ye of little faith. Remember, one of my roommates is an elf hound." I rubbed my temples.
"Then call him. He obeys you." Her lips turned down. "Everyone does."
"No, they don't." I managed to climb to my feet.
Danielle's laugh was too soft to echo. "Really? The entire clan kowtows to you, the great human psychic who gave us a territory to call our own."
"No one 'kowtows' to me. And I didn't give it to the clan. Logan did. I was just," I hesitated. "Just a means of making it possible."
"Exactly. If you'd never met the Protector..."
"Wait, I need to say something, okay? I'm really sorry we started off on the wrong foot. But I didn't stalk Logan in order to meet him or anything. I didn't even know the clan existed then. It was," about to say "pure chance" I didn't. Instead, I asked, "Do you ever feel like someone's messing with you? I mean, like you're a game piece on somebody's board game that they're moving around to suit themselves?"
She gazed at me, her bitter expression softening. "Is that how you feel?"
"Lately, yeah. A lot. I mean, holy crap, look at all of the things that have happened, and how many alliances I've...well, blundered into. I didn't plan any of this, it all just happened. Seriously, who does stuff like that ever 'just happen' to?"
"You're someone's pawn."
Scowling, I nodded. "Looks that way, and I don't like it."
For a moment, we were silent. Danielle shook her head. "My apologies."
"For what?"
"For the way I've behaved toward you."
"Oh. Accepted, and I'm..."
"Accepted," she said before I could finish. "Now, you were going to call your hound?"
"Right. Leglin."
My hound appeared, his inquisitive expression becoming an ear-flattened, silent snarl, after a good sniff of the air. "This is the demon realm."
"We know. That's why I called you. We need a lift out."
"Of course." He shook out his raised hackles, his ears flapping, and moved to my side.
I waved Danielle over. "Hold onto his collar."
She did as instructed.
"Okay. Take us to the office." A blink, and we appeared in the reception area, startling a shriek out of a pair of women Kate was showing out. "Sorry."
Mr. Whitehaven silently appeared from around the corner, while Kate smiled and told the women, "Nothing to worry about. I'll be in touch."
As they left, I crawled onto the sofa and closed my eyes. "We found something."
"That gave you a headache. Right. I'll get the ibuprofen."
"I love you so much right now."
"What did you find, Discordia?"
Danielle answered Whitehaven before I could. "A disguised portal to the demon realm. Possibly a trap."
"Where?"
She gave him not only the general address, but the exact location down to feet past the buildings' corners and that it was on the east side of the alley.
Damn, she was good.
"Here we go. Sit up, Jones."
I opened my eyes and obeyed, taking a paper cup of water and the pills from Kate. "We need to shut it before someone else falls in."
"I'll call David," Mr. Whitehaven said. "He can handle the matter. Do you need the rest of the day off?"
"No, I'll be fine in a little bit." I needed to take Danielle home. "Oh crap. Need to call Dane. He's still out there."
Yanking out my phone, I dialed quickly.
"Hey, where are you? I'm back in the..." he said, before the line went dead.
I face-palmed. "Leglin, will you please go check if Dane just fell into that place? And bring him here if he did?"
"Of course." My hound disappeared and reappeared a breath later, with Dane holding onto his collar.
"Fastest rescue this side of the Pecos," my partner said, letting go to ruffle Leglin's ears. "Thanks."
He
looked around, and didn't seem surprised to see Danielle. Guess she did work in that area. "Thinking I don't need to tell you what just happened."
"Nope, we found it first. Would you mind going back to stand guard until David gets there to close it?"
"Don't mind at all, but I'll need a ride."
"I can drive you," Tabitha said, leaving her desk. "If that's all right?"
Mr. Whitehaven nodded. "Yes, it is. You should be armed. I'll be back in a moment."
The boss left the reception area for his office. I looked at my partner. "You need a way home, and I need my car."
I tossed him my keys, and Dane grinned, catching them. "You're letting me drive Baby?"
"No racing, no scratches, or you're grounded for a month, mister."
"Yes, mom. Where do you want to meet?"
I thought about it for a second. "My house."
Mr. Whitehaven returned with his demon killing sword, and handed it to Dane.
"Thanks. See you after a while." He turned to leave, opening the door for Tabitha as she slipped on her coat.
"Dane."
He looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"
"Be careful."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye. I watched him leave, listening while the boss called David. Did finding the portal trap have anything to do with our case or the curse on me? I looked at Kate. "How likely is it that there's only the one portal to the demon realm?"
"Well, it's the second one you've found."
"No clue, huh?"
Kate shook her head. Danielle decided to sit down, choosing a chair across from the couch. Leglin laid his chin on my knee. I petted his head, thinking. "Is it easy for them to open these portals? Are they the same as entrances to the Barrows or sidhes?"
Mr. Whitehaven ended his call. "It takes a fair amount of power to open portals. The longer they exist, the stronger they become."
"Okay, we don't want any staying open then, because they could become permanent. Right?"
"Correct. The best defense is to close them as soon as they're discovered."
I frowned. "It wasn't there the first time, and I know we walked over that spot earlier today. Why was it open now?"
Black Magic Shadows (Discord Jones Book 5) Page 12