by K. F. Breene
It stayed perfectly still, facing the self-proclaimed leader, a male human with moderate magical ability.
“Great One, we have had news,” the human said, wringing his hands. He was nervous and trying not to show it. Within his head echoed thoughts of fear, both for himself and for the woman to Agnon’s right.
The being turned its head that way until it was looking just behind its shoulder. The woman startled, then frowned. She grabbed her robes. A thought echoed regarding a stolen necklace. What a strange thing to think of in that moment. Or maybe this secret was simply more powerful than all her others.
The being filed that knowledge away.
“It seems the aswang was destroyed before its power could be transferred,” the human leader said, his fear amplifying. “The creature had fed before the confrontation, but still the woman dispatched it with ease. She did have some help, though it was minimal.”
“How did the transfer fail?” Agnon asked. More than one person flinched. The being hadn’t adopted speech that was pleasing to the human ear.
“Another human killed it with a magical blast of fire. The transfer did not have a chance to make it to the woman.”
“Did the fire touch the woman?”
“No. She had a spell that blocked it. But she was close enough to lose her eyebrows, I hear. The transfer would’ve happened if not for the fire.”
“You are such stupid creatures.” The being clasped its hands behind its back.
“I’m sorry, Great One, I do not follow you.”
“You are mages. Do you know of a spell that can block fire from harming the skin, but does not also protect the hair?”
All the mages exchanged glances. An echo of a thought came from a human on the left. The puny specimen worried his fellow mages would discover his lack of knowledge and power.
If a body was needed for a menial task, or to recover strength, Agnon would use this human first. His deteriorated body wouldn’t be missed.
“There is talk of experimental magic,” the human leader suggested.
It was a wonder this group of mages had managed to summon a demon at all.
“If what you heard is correct, it seems she is unaffected by fire,” the being said. “This is noteworthy. We must get closer and test her.”
The leader smiled. “We have connections. We can bring her to us and maintain the home field advantage.”
“Then. By all means.” The being lowered its head a fraction, giving its assent. Agnon would need to make preparations. If she was who it sought, the mages would not stand a chance against her power.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, I awoke to my phone vibrating. I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my nightstand, expecting to see it there. Instead, I spied it across the room on my dresser, not in arm’s reach.
It could keep on vibrating.
The red letters on my clock said nine o’clock, on the dot. Soft light filtered in through the sheer white curtains.
I stretched, debating getting up. There was little chance I would sleep any longer, but really…what else did I have to do besides lie in bed?
Last night had been a quiet affair, if you didn’t count the time I’d spent sneaking around the house, trying to catch Darius’s minions. They had tried several times to get in unnoticed, and each time, I’d caught them and chased them away with my sword and a few well-timed spell casings. I’d scared the bejeebus out of them, even though they must’ve known I was lying in wait. One vampire had even screeched. I called it a win.
J.M. had texted that he had to work late. Our dinner was postponed until Saturday, when he had a guaranteed day off. That had left my evening free for a confrontation with Darius, but I’d been tired and lazy at that point. Chasing his minions had felt like a better use of my time.
“What shall I do today?” I asked myself.
I needed to get a cat so I had something to talk to. At least then I wouldn’t seem insane as I wandered around the house, muttering to myself.
After another moment, I heaved myself up and headed for the shower. Maybe I’d break into Darius’s house in the French Quarter and rearrange all his crap. He’d probably hate that as much as I hated him sticking his nose all the way into my business. Add some spray paint, and he would be absolutely livid.
It would serve him right.
Shower done, I finally grabbed my phone, only to see another missed call and a voice message.
Seriously, who actually called people anymore? Now I had to physically put the phone to my ear and listen to a voice message. The horror!
Scratching a part usually covered in public, I trudged into the kitchen and opened the cabinet where I kept the coffee. It was getting low.
Maybe I should’ve let the minions in. At least until they restocked.
“Reagan, this is Detective Sean Smith. Call me if you would. I have a question for you.”
Could he not have texted it? All the telephonic hoops he was making me jump through just to ask me a question…
“Detective Smith,” came the voice on the other end.
“Hi. This is Reagan. Somerset. Calling you back.”
“Reagan, yes. Hi. Listen—” The line made sounds like he was shifting his phone. “The supernatural branch of the Seattle PD, the branch that I work for here, has a case they need help with. Their resident MLE office is stumped. Long story short, this looks like a serial killer. We think the killer started here, but those cases were unresolved. The same style killing seems to be happening in Seattle now. The PD thinks they look like cult killings, which really just means it falls in the magical department.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“They heard our MLE office is one of the best, and they reached out to me to get my opinion. I told them about you. You’re a natural.”
“I’m not a natural. I’ve only studied magic. Any good mage will be better, since they actually practice magic.”
“Like I said, their MLE office is at a standstill. When the murderer struck in New Orleans, our MLE office didn’t get very far either. That was before you joined them. But then, we didn’t have much time.” I heard the determination ringing in his voice. He didn’t like leaving things unresolved. “Anyway, I agreed you’d be a good addition to the investigation.”
“Bad news. I don’t work for Magical Law Enforcement anymore. I was fired. Ish.”
“I heard. Which is why I am calling you directly. The people in Seattle didn’t want to stop at Captain Lox’s no.”
“I’m afraid I’m a little lost.” I took down a coffee filter.
“Seattle PD would like to contract you as a consultant. All expenses paid, of course. Given your track record, I’d ask you to give it a few weeks, tops. If you can’t solve it by then, it probably can’t be solved.”
I scratched my head. “You didn’t work with me much, so you probably don’t know that I’m not great at investigative work. I can figure out if magic was used, sure, but I’m not a true crime detective. I’m more along the lines of a…you know, bounty hunter. I didn’t fit in so well with the MLE office. Hence my being fired.”
“Even with your proposed handicap, you’d be a real asset. I’ve been working with the MLE for years, and I’ve never seen anyone as knowledgeable, or who works as quickly as you. Give it a few weeks, and if it doesn’t work out, at least you got to travel.”
I rubbed my eyes. It was too early for this. “What is the nature of the crime?”
Rustling sounded over the line, paired with voices drifting in and out of focus. Then a door closed and silence fell. “The victims appear to have been skinned alive,” Sean said. “The killer struck twice here in New Orleans. Now, we had a great local magical team look into it…”
“Callie and Dizzy,” I said. Callie had told me about this—a magical casing I’d found while working with Darius had looked similar to one she’d found while consulting on that case. “She said the perp was skinning the victim in order to get large amounts of en
ergy to call a demon.”
“That’s what they concluded, yes. I will furnish you with the file and their findings. We found a few clues—hair fibers, fingerprints—but everything came up empty. The fingerprints weren’t in the system. Whoever did this is off the grid. Or, at least, not in our databases.”
“And the scenes in Seattle are the same?”
“They have found two bodies, which fit the killer’s MO exactly, and one of the crime scenes, which also matches up. They haven’t found the second scene, since that body was just dropped, but we can assume the perpetrator used a similar circle.”
That might mean the mage had found a home for his or her circle—a place where it could be reused. It was safer not to start from scratch if you knew your circle worked. The problem was, it would make things more difficult.
“I honestly don’t know what help I’ll be,” I said. “Like I said, I’m a lackluster detective, at best.”
“And like I said, you’re a natural. I’d love to get your two cents if I could. I want this case solved as much as the people in Seattle do.”
I scooped coffee grounds into the machine. “What’s the weather like in Seattle this time of year?”
A few hours and a talk with the captain at the MLE office later, I’d decided going to Seattle would suit me just fine. The hourly wage would be double that of my old job, with a bonus if I solved the case. They were calling it a bounty, but it was more of a contractor position, like Detective Smith had said. Whatever worked. Besides, I got to travel to a place I’d never been. With mild weather. Why not?
We’d agreed that I would fly out the next day, but as evening approached, I was sent new travel plans. It seemed they wanted to get a move on.
I packed a bag with my scuffed black leather pants and my non-scuffed red ones that Marie had gotten for me. A ton of tank tops, one of which was leather, and my toiletries, and I was ready to go.
The doorbell rang as I was checking the time. Six-oh-six. I had to get moving if I hoped to catch my new flight.
Wondering if Mikey needed another swearing session, I pulled open the door. Dizzy and Callie, dual mages, which meant that together they formed a unit that amplified their power, stood on my doorstep, their faces etched with worry.
“Hey, guys.” I frowned. “You okay?”
Callie pushed past me. I stepped aside to let Dizzy in.
“I have a contact at the MLE office,” Callie said as she paused near the kitchen entrance. Clearly she didn’t much care for small talk at the moment. “I heard they’re giving you our old case.”
It wasn’t like Callie to be territorial where it concerned me.
Unease rattled my heart against my ribcage. “Yeah. Hey, sorry. I didn’t realize I was stepping on your toes. I recently worked with the detective, and he thought maybe it would help to have a fresh pair of eyes in Seattle. If I’d known you’d be upset, I would’ve passed. I still can, if you want.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that.” Callie waved me away, adopting her bulldog expression that meant she was about to start bullying someone. I had a feeling it would be me. “Reagan, the mage you’re dealing with is powerful. From what the police were able to deduce, he somehow kept his victim alive for over half of the crime. You know what the crime was, right?”
“Skin removal,” Dizzy supplied.
Callie grimaced. “Yes, Dizzy, thank you. This mage harvested the blood and energy from a still-living victim. We think they might’ve used that technique to summon an extremely powerful demon. Do you hear what I’m telling you?”
“Why is my life crowded with demons these days?” I checked the time again. We needed to hurry this up. “All this time I’ve been able to avoid them, and ever since the vampires stepped into my life, it’s been demon after demon.”
“This is no time to play the martyr.” Callie put a fist to her hip. “You’re gaining power, sure, but a strong demon might overpower you. Your only hope might be to banish it. You shouldn’t get involved.”
“Hey, did I tell you that I managed to move yesterday when I levitated? And I picked up the big rock with my power.” I lifted my brow and threw her a thumbs-up. “Cool, right?”
“That’s great!” Dizzy clapped. “Well done. I knew practicing would really help.”
“Now is not the time,” Callie said to Dizzy.
“This is why no one will work with you!” he shouted. That was how he dealt with his wife’s bullying. Yelling. “You don’t appreciate people’s efforts.”
“People won’t work with me because I tell them when they’re being idiots. In our circle, that happens more often than not.”
“How was Lorraine supposed to know that an Irish coffee wasn’t made with vodka?”
“Because of the word Irish. Had I said a Russian coffee, sure, I’d get the confusion. But Irish? C’mon! Everyone knows they drink whiskey. Or beer. Had she used beer—”
“You still would’ve called her an idiot,” I said. “No one in their right mind would put beer in coffee.”
“You’d be surprised,” Callie muttered. “Anyway, Reagan, stop trying to distract us. You can’t put yourself in this situation. Catching this mage is one thing, but if he has that demon hanging around, it puts you in incredible danger.”
“If the demon is that strong, they can’t have him hanging around, though, right?” I headed back to my bedroom and grabbed my bag. “Only the highest-level mage could hold a demon like that for long.”
“Even then, he wouldn’t be able to hold it for long at all.” Dizzy’s solemn voice drifted down the hallway. “That’s our concern. It is very likely the demon will eventually get out. One slip-up, or a conversation gone on too long, and the magic holding it could unravel and give it an opportunity to escape. That’s the danger.”
“The circles he was using here would’ve just barely been strong enough.” Callie filled my doorway.
“Do you think he’s ingesting the demon?” I paused before leaving my bedroom, then threw a couple of hair things into my pack. Chances were, I’d forgotten a thing or two.
“No, thankfully. Any human body that demon took over would rot from the inside out. If it got out, though, it wouldn’t need a host. It would have the power to adopt a form on its own. Only if it grew weak from keeping the form intact would it transfer to a host to regenerate and literally suck the life out of the human.”
“Awesome.” I tapped my sword, wrapped in a towel. Just to make sure it was in there. “Well, if it did escape, it needs to be killed anyway.”
“There are people in Seattle who can do that.”
“But they aren’t doing it now, so…”
“She has you there, hon,” Dizzy said.
“Don’t help her. You’re supposed to be helping me.” Callie scowled at me. “We are talking about a high level-four demon here.”
From what I’d gathered over the years, there were six levels of power in the underworld, with level six solely occupied by my father. There were three or four sub-tiers of level-five demons, but only two or three sub-tiers of levels four and three. As a whole, any level-five demon was extremely powerful. Level-four demons were obviously less so, but the upper echelons of four were still extremely dangerous.
I zipped up my pack. When did I back away from a challenge? Especially on the backswing of Garret getting one over on me.
“Well, thanks for coming, you guys,” I said. “But I have a date with a mild climate and a lot of trees. Maybe a rolling hill or two.”
Callie followed closely behind me as I headed for the door. “Have we made any impact on you, Reagan?” she asked. “You really shouldn’t go.”
“I probably shouldn’t—you’re right. But they need help. Plus, I’ve been extremely bored since quitting MLE.”
“That was yesterday morning,” Callie exclaimed.
“But I haven’t been working for two days. A very boring two days.”
“You quit MLE?” Dizzy asked, following behind us.
“I told you that,” Callie said.
“I was supposed to get fired, but Darius stuck his big nose in. So I quit.” I opened the door and gestured them out.
“That was wise. You don’t need that vampire infiltrating your life.” Callie sniffed. “He’s much too close as it is. Soon you’ll start depending on him, and that is a very dangerous trap to fall into. You remember what happened with me and my vampire admirer?”
Did I ever. She’d killed him.
“Darius wouldn’t be so easy to kill, hon,” Dizzy said, exiting my house.
“I’m older now. Wiser. I have more experience. I could get it done.” Callie nodded knowingly.
“I could kill him, but then I’d have to deal with hiding his body, and yada yada yada.” I locked the door. “Hey, do you guys want to help me booby-trap my house?”
“Oh now, that would be fun.” Dizzy nodded. “Who are we trying to maim?”
“Darius has people clean my house and stock my fridge and stuff. I told him to stop, but…”
“Here, we can take our car.” Callie motioned me toward her “old” Merc, as she called it. It was not old by any means. The shiny Mercedes looked like it had just rolled off the lot, and could move fast enough to melt the passenger’s face off.
“I have transportation coming,” I said, checking my phone. “Any minute.”
“Fine.” Callie looked around. “This is not a great place to leave the car, though. We’ll come back to it on blocks.”
“Why would you— No.” I cut my hand through the air. “You’re not coming with me. It’s too dangerous.”
“At least she admitted it’s dangerous,” Callie said. “That’s a start.”
Chapter Eleven
“Of course we are coming.” Dizzy rolled his eyes. “There is no way you can battle a bunch of mages and a higher-powered demon on your own. Plus, this is great timing. We’ve been in contact with that little mage from the mage battle a while ago, Penny. Remember her? She lives near Seattle. We were planning a trip out there anyway. We’ll just get to it sooner than expected. Win-win.”