He really did know me too well.
My face scrunched up into a frown. “I can pick out an outfit without your assistance you know. I don’t need you to dress me.”
Looking up and down at my current attire, he raised an eyebrow. “I’ll believe that when I see it. Go to Lavani’s on the border of the Crystal Quarter. Tell them I sent you.”
“There is no way in hell I can afford that place.”
“I’ll ring ahead then. Open a tab for you.”
“I’m not allowing you to pay for my clothes, Bernard. Not after all you’ve done so far. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Who said anything about fair? I’ll just add it to my list of expenses when I bill the agency.”
Laughter left my lips at the thought of Cole footing that bill. “Cole will kill you.”
“Cole will pay me. Then kill you. It’s a win-win in my book.”
Glaring at him just caused him to grin all the more, so biting back a retort I said, “Fine. But if he kills me, then you better bury me in the damn dress. May as well get full use out of it.”
“And no purple!” he shouted after me as I marched out of the room. “It will clash with your hair.”
“My hair has purple in it,” I said, perplexed.
“Exactly.” Then he waved me off. “I’ll just ask them to help you when I call ahead. Don’t fight them.”
Instead of grimacing, I did what I always did when words failed me. I gave him the finger, then headed for the car.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE DRIVER WAS a dhampir called Jools. He liked living in Darkwood. And he liked how he had a low level of vampire venom flowing through his veins allowing him to go out in the day.
After my round of questioning, it was likely he also had a headache.
Leaving me at the border, I headed off for the monorail station. There was something quite nice about visiting the familiar after wading knee-deep into the strange. It also caused me to chuckle that my version of the familiar was a hidden world that sat through a portal, but still …
I didn’t expect to have vampire spies hiding around every corner but we couldn’t be too careful. I’d not only managed to get Cole on board with this plan, but I’d also dragged Bernard over from Earthside and put him in a position where he’d had to lie to his friends. Throwing it all by the wayside now by meeting at the agency could scupper my plans.
There were a few vampires loyal to Darkwood in the Indicium Quarter, many who commuted from Darkwood daily. And I didn’t want to risk one of them turning up at the ball later on claiming they’d seen me skip out of the agency doors. Not the best way to instill confidence in the vampires when I’d claimed I was taking a break. Going to Mayra’s to contact Kaleb was the best way for me to cover my ass.
Walking toward my friend’s shop—the wooden window shutters now open—I noticed that she’d redressed the window since the last time I’d seen it. No longer did wands dominate the display. Instead, rows of prettily colored bottles had been arranged neatly on bright pink cloth.
Leaning closer, any window shoppers would be able to see the detail in the potions Mayra was selling. The italic scrawl on their labels described what they were, with Seductive Sorcery always a good seller, as was Petals of Prosperity. But Mayra could always rely on the good old love potions to bring the customers in when all else failed.
Taking advantage of that, my clever friend had gotten hold of a large bottle for her centerpiece. Made of blown pink glass with a bulbous gold cap, the label on the bottle read: Cupid’s Phial, underneath reading, Reverse the Heart’s Denial.
Cute. And it probably added a decent profit to her bottom line.
Pushing my way into the shop, the familiar sound of the bell jingled above my head. Dawn, Mayra’s only employee, was standing by the counter.
“Hey Dawn,” I said as I approached her. She lifted her face from a doll’s head she was stitching. Dawn made a few of the things on sale here, and the creepy dolls she’d lovingly named the Victorian Revenants were of her own making.
She was tiny by human standards. Dawn that is, not the doll. And her hair was as red as blood. But there was something magical about her as her tattooed body told a story. She fit Mayra’s shop to a tee.
“Hiya, Terra. Good to see you.”
“Is Mayra around?”
“Not until tomorrow,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “it’s that time of the month.”
“Ah ...” I said in understanding. Every full moon, Mayra would try and visit the witches who lived on the border of the city near the Fey lands. She wasn’t a part of their coven per se, but they invited her to their moon rituals so she could, and I quote: ‘Recharge her power and her inner flower.’ Don’t ask. But I knew that Mayra needed to balance herself often so she could work with both the light and dark magics. If traveling out to dance naked with the Silver Coven of the Pentacle Star helped her with that, who was I to judge?
“Anything I can help with?” Dawn asked, and I shook my head.
“No thanks. I just need to use Mayra’s transmission pod to make a call, if that’s okay?”
“Sure. It’s out back. Help yourself.” She waved me on through, and I found Mayra’s pod in her office. It wasn’t really an office. Mayra didn’t like to label things in that way. But there was a desk and a transmission pod. So, to me, it was her office.
Transmission pods were about the size of a small TV screen from Earthside. But it wasn’t square. It was a pure white sphere with a black screen across the front that made it look more like a helmet. Everything was pretty much voice controlled here, so I asked the pod to dial Kaleb’s code to his watch comms that Mayra would already have programmed in. A few seconds later, Kaleb answered.
“Hey, Mayra. What’s up?”
“It’s not Mayra, doll face,” I said, feeling very happy to hear his voice. It hadn’t been too long since I’d seen him last but I’d spent twenty-four seven with Kaleb for the past six weeks while we’d hunted down the wendigo. It wasn’t until now that I realized how much I missed having him as my partner in all this.
“Terra?” he asked then he chuckled. “I was wondering when you’d hit Mayra’s. I take it you haven’t been having crazed, mad sex romps with the vamps and lived to tell the tale?”
“Well you haven’t changed during my short solace away from you. But no. I’m bite and sex romp free. I’ve also got a bit of an update. How about you?”
“Not much I’m afraid. I tried to get up to see Torroro’s family, but you know what the reptile shifters are like with outsiders. I finally got a break this morning when his mother agreed to come and see me on the border of the Industry Quarter. I’m due to meet her in an hour. Wanna come?”
My eyes flickered to the time on Mayra’s pod. It would be tight, but I could try and fit in a visit before going off dress shopping. It wasn’t like I was picky when it came to satin or chiffon.
“I’ll come. But I’ve got to make it back to the border in a couple of hours. And I have to buy a dress.”
His laughter was loud as it echoed through the pod. “You? Dress shopping? Ah man, I cannot wait to hear what you’ve been getting up to.”
“I hate to burst your bubble with the truth. But then again, who am I kidding? I’ll pop your bubble with pleasure.”
“Looking forward to it. Where do you want to meet?”
“Do you remember that place we used to hide out at when Cole was on the warpath?”
“The Blessed Beast?”
“Yep. That’s not far from the monorail station in the Industry Quarter. I’ll meet you there in twenty.”
“Can’t wait.”
With that he ended the transmission.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE BLESSED BEAST hadn’t changed. And neither had the Industry Quarter.
It had been a while since I’d had to come into this part of the city, and as soon as I stepped off the monorail I was reminded why.
Dark, smoke-stained buildings
created a blackened backdrop, making it difficult to identify one building from the other.
Inventors, engineers and their families dominated the homes built among the factories and workshops. Their clothes didn’t stay clean for long with the dense smog hanging in the air. Any more than a few hours in this place and you would come out covered in dust and soot. I couldn’t for the life of me wonder how the inhabitants were so healthy.
Many of the citizens who lived here were human, with a few of the Fey mixed in, and some were the result of interspecies unions. But no matter what species they were, they all seemed to have lungs of iron.
Walking to my destination, I was privy to a few looks and stares from the locals, but I paid them no heed. The Industry Quarter was a tight-knit community. Anytime a stranger stepped foot in their part of the city, ripples of wariness and intrigue flittered across the people. It was their way of watching out for one another, and it was quite sweet in one sense—creepy in another. It would be unnerving for a newcomer to walk through this lot, seeing as they thought nothing about stopping what they were doing to stare at you as you walked by.
The Blessed Beast wasn’t too far away though.
Next to a building that had cogs poking out of an orifice on its roof, The Blessed Beast stood on the corner with a large sign swinging off a protruding pole. A green dragon laughing heartily pictured on the wooden board brought a smile to my lips, bringing back memories of the few times Kaleb and I and spent in here when letting off steam.
The owner, Figgy Frink, played on the fact that he had about three generations of dwarf blood in his veins. It was hilarious because he was about six foot tall and about half as wide. But he was jovial—until provoked—and loved his ale. He was one of the few in this part of the city who would welcome the likes of Kaleb and me.
Waving to Figgy as I entered his place, I ignored the glares of the other patrons. Figgy pointed toward where Kaleb was waiting for me at the back of bar, and I nodded my head in thanks.
As soon as I saw Kaleb, the light in his eyes threw me for a moment. It prodded at something—I wasn’t sure what—but I put it down to just missing him. We were too used to each other. That was the problem.
“Hey!” Kaleb shuffled over for me to take a seat. He pointed to a tankard of ale in front of him. “I took the liberty of ordering you one before we headed off to meet with Torroro’s mom.”
“Thanks.” I was grateful as I sat down. “So,” I began, after taking a large swig, “what’s been going on?”
“Oh no you don’t. I’m not talking shop until you tell me what it’s like in Darkwood. And why you, of all people, need to go out and buy a dress.”
“I don’t even know why I missed you,” I muttered, but he caught it. The grin on his face aligned perfectly with the smugness in his eyes.
“I missed you, too. Cole’s been riding my ass without you here to torture. And it’s been weird looking at all this stuff without you.” He tugged at my hair. “I’ve missed your moaning.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “And I’ve missed your perverted commentary and unwelcome smacks on my backside. But the vampires have been fine. Exactly as expected. Although Darkwood is pretty beautiful, and I realize I’ve been a little judgmental about the vamps. But they hold balls for everything. There’s another one tonight that will allow me to follow up on a lead. How about you?”
“How about you and Bernard?” he asked, bypassing my question. “Has he gotten any action under the sheets while you’ve been there?”
“What?” I punched his leg. “Why do you even have to ask that? Why? Because you’re a pervert? Or because you just want me to punch you?”
“Ooh. Sexual tension. Just what I like. So, tell me. Who kissed who first?”
“We have to kiss, you idiot. We’re husband and wife.”
“He kissed you, didn’t he?” he pointed at me and laughed. “I knew it. You kissed him back. You little tease, you.”
This time I stomped on his foot, but I may as well have stomped on the floor next to him. His boots were as almost as dense as his head.
“Why do you have to annoy me? It’s been less than two minutes.”
“It’s what I do. And you’ve missed it. Admit it.”
Okay. So I’d missed it. I’d missed him. But I wouldn’t be admitting it. I wasn’t that stupid. I also knew Kaleb well enough that he wouldn’t let the Bernard thing go until I spilled my guts. With that, I could tolerate baring all. Kaleb may be annoying, frustrating and the bane of my life sometimes, but I trusted him.
“Fine,” I told him eventually. “Bernard kissed me. I kissed him back. But then I pushed him away. I told him I wasn’t going down that road again, and he was fine with it. Bernard and I aren’t a thing.”
“Pissed you off though, didn’t it, my horny toad? My little Terra just needs to get laid.”
“Horny toad? Seriously? Are you for real?” I tried to say more but I was tongue tied over the crap that came out of his mouth. “Just get on with it will you. What’s the plan for today?”
He chuckled and took a drink before replying, his eyes full of mirth as they remained on mine. “After I dropped you off at the portal, I headed up to the Dark Hills of Shamai, where Torroro’s clan is. I got as far as their border and waited two hours for a reply to my message to meet with their leader. The reply was to get off their lands as they had nothing to say to a mere wolf. They didn’t even acknowledge that I was there on an agency matter. So I headed back.”
“How did his mother contact you?”
“I received a message at the agency telling me who she was with a request to meet at the back room of The Crossroads Inn on the border of the Industry Quarter. It will only take us about fifteen minutes to get there on foot, so drink your drink first then we’ll head over.”
“Are you going to tell her about the you-know-what?” I asked, referring to the escape.
“Only if we have to. We can just say we’re looking into other things unless she hints at contact with Torroro since he fled. Cole needs this to stay under the radar and more people are being brought into it by the minute. Mayra, Bernard …”
“Mayra told you she knew everything?” Cole had wanted me to contact her for help, but he hadn’t specified how much to tell her. Me, being me, and Mayra, being my friend, I’d told her everything.
“Yeah,” Kaleb replied. “She told me I need to help watch your back when Bernard can’t. She’s worried about you.”
“Mayra worries about everyone. I’ll be fine.” I let out a deep sigh reminded of the tarot card reading she’d done for me a while back. Back then there’d been the cryptic message around decisions to make; two men: one a partner, one a lover; an arrow in the heart, or something or other; and a target on my back. She’d been right on the latter part at least. Not long after the reading I’d become a ready-meal for the rogue shifters. But the rest, especially about a man in a government office far away from here, had been vague. And so far, hadn’t come into fruition. “There’s someone else who knows,” I told him, thinking of Vienna, and avoiding any more thought on predictions and mysterious messages. “Someone who I’ve had to bring in the loop at Darkwood.”
“Want to tell me more?”
“Why don’t we knock these drinks back and take the long way around? I’ll fill you in then.”
The long way around meant stepping into the outskirts of the city, but there would be less ears around there. The people in here may be chattering and getting on with their business, but even I could see their level of awareness had risen since we had sat among them. It may have been an okay place for us to let off steam and talk about nothing business related. But it wasn’t the best place to tell him about all that had happened at Darkwood.
“I’m down with that.” He picked up his tankard and in about five gulps it was gone. I grinned, remembering the good old days when we would compete and see who could finish their drink first.
“Five gulps?” I asked as I picked up my tankard. “Y
ou’re getting slow. Let’s see if I can do it in four …”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AFTER UPDATING KALEB with all the details from Darkwood, he agreed that I needed to dig deeper. There was frustration on his side that he couldn’t be there digging along with me, but he was dealing. He also explained that Cole was pushing the request order through so, hopefully, it wouldn’t be too long before Kaleb would be able to head into Darkwood for himself and join us.
The Crossroads Inn was on a dirt road that led out of the city and along the track that led to Giant’s Pass. The large, rocky mountains that bordered our land were called as such due to the Carriag Giants who lived there.
Banded as Emerald-Earth Citizens, the giants were beings of the earth and classed as part of the Fey. They acted as guards against our land from The Shadow Veil that sat beyond the mountains.
The veil was a strip of darkness that acted as a weak door into the demon world on the other side. A world that the ancients of Portiside had learned about the hard way many thousands of years ago.
Giant’s Pass created a natural barrier against the veil, and the magical guards around our borders did the rest. The giants were our last line of protection against anyone coming through the veil and vice versa.
There weren’t many demons who chose to live in Portiside though. And there was a reason for that.
Some demons were more hospitable than others, depending on what part of the demon world they came from. But they were solitary creatures, out to serve themselves or a greater master. Many were sociopaths who couldn’t connect to emotion, so Portiside wouldn’t be able to serve their needs. Not when it protected its own.
There were some villages in the valleys of the pass where the odd family settled. They were still classed as Portiside Citizens, but they liked the isolation. Many shifters who were kicked out of their clan or pack due to choices they had made also ended up there. It was a sad shame that they had to live on the outskirts of our world, all because of archaic rules and opinions. Interspecies relationships were still frowned upon in some areas of Portiside, and so a lot of those couples had ended up living in the valley of the pass, too. Some demons had even settled down there after finding love. The pass was a happy medium for them to be with their partner while remaining away from society.
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