by TR Cameron
He nodded. “Really. When I consider the three of you and how my responsibilities will fall out when I’m no longer capable of handling them, I see your brother running the casino’s day-to-day operations, your sister being the people person who makes the connections and the partnerships, and you as the politician and strategist. That means the sooner you get to know the Council, the better.”
“Wouldn’t mother be a stronger choice?” Ruby was a little overwhelmed at being given the big picture so suddenly.
He laughed. “Your mother wants nothing to do with the Council. She’s said so many times. We’ve discussed it, and she agrees you should be the one.”
“Even though I’m supposedly a human?”
Her father nodded somberly. “You’re in a unique position. You can bring your perspective from that side of things to the Council and still have the authority of being part of the family.”
“Do they know that I’m not really human?”
He shook his head. “It remains a secret from everyone outside this house.”
She sighed. “Of course I’ll come. I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me why we’re continuing to pretend I’m human though, would you?”
Normally she got a joke or brushoff, but this time he simply looked down into her eyes. “I can only say it has to do with keeping you safe. There’s an old tale, supposedly from an oracle among the mystics.” She snorted, and he laughed with a nod. “Yes, I know. I thought it was pretty hokey early on, too. But it mentioned our family, specifically your mother’s bloodline. It talked of a first child, a girl who would be in danger from those seeking to thwart her potential. So once we knew you weren’t going to be male, we hid your birth and lied about your age. You’re one of the main reasons we first came to this planet, knowing it would be a better place to protect our child if the story turned out to have any truth to it.”
She forced herself to close her mouth, which hung open in shock. That was more than she’d ever heard about it. Reaching the quarter-century mark has indeed been crossing a threshold of some kind. “Okay. That’s awfully mysterious. Is there more you can tell me?”
He gave a small nod. “Only one more thing. The story said that person would undergo the venamisha. So, you see, it’s even more vital now than ever that we keep you safe, in case you turn out to be the one mentioned in the story, and in case the story turns out to be real.”
She shook her head. “Have you seen a doctor lately? I think you might have mental issues.”
Her father laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Go take a nap. You’ll need to be at your best when we see the Council. Tonight, midnight.”
She walked toward the stairs in a haze. The world has gone crazy, and right now I’m way too tired to deal with its nonsense. Idryll better not be taking up the whole bed, or she’ll find herself sleeping on the floor.
Jared Trenton was not a happy man. The message to go to the airport had come from the boss with no warning at all, only a “Do this now.” He’d been in the middle of what had seemed a very promising date but had dutifully made his apologies and immediately jumped into his car for the drive. He couldn’t even make calls because this was one of those off-the-books moves that required his phone to be locked in the signal-proof box in his car and the vehicle’s location system to be off. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was a short trip, but it was almost two hours from Ely, Nevada to the Elko Regional Airport. He muttered curses along the way: at the man who employed him, at his partner for not successfully finishing the kidnapping of the Atlantean brat, and at all of Magic City in general for refusing to roll over and acquiesce to his desires.
At this time of night, the airport was mostly shut down, but the entrance he’d been told would be open was ready to permit him access. The plane he’d come to meet was already on the tarmac: a nondescript private jet, the kind any business might use. He flashed his headlights in the signal he’d been given. The door opened, portable steps folded down, and a figure was silhouetted briefly in the doorway before it descended the stairs. He hit the button to release the hatch and climbed out, extending a hand to take the man’s bag as he drew near. His cargo, a person of Asian descent with light hair, dark eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, and a mouth that turned down in a frown, shook his head slightly and put his duffel into the car. Jared shrugged and slammed the hatch. “Door’s open.” He circled the driver's side and got behind the wheel.
His passenger entered a moment later and pulled out a pistol, resting it comfortably in his lap with his finger on the guard and the barrel pointed at the vehicle’s other occupant. Jared said, “That’s unnecessary.”
The other man shrugged. “I decide what is necessary for me. In this case, I don’t know you, so it is.”
Jared smothered a sigh. “Fine. Whatever. I’m Jared. And you are?”
“You may call me Goryo.”
“Just that?”
“It’s all you need to know.”
This is going to be a wonderful trip. He put his foot on the gas and steered out, heading back toward Magic City. “So, anything you can share about why you’re in town?”
The other man’s flat and uninformative expression remained unchanged. “If our mutual employer wished for you to know, he would have told you. Since he hasn’t, I must presume he does not wish you to know. It would be entirely foolish of me to go against his decision.”
“Yeah, the boss enjoys being a man of mystery, no doubt about that. But, come on, that doesn’t mean we can’t work together. If I understand what you’re planning, I can help you. My ultimate goal is to see the boss’s plans succeed.” And to make a pile of money for myself while cornering the market on security in town.
Goryo shrugged. “What do you have to offer?”
Jared smiled. “Only the best of everything. Tech, weapons, vehicles, personnel. I have it all, anything you could want. And if you need untraceable people, I can arrange for that too.”
“A vehicle would be useful. On the other matters, I am entirely self-sufficient. You can tell me, though, where the pawnshops in town are.”
Jared frowned. “Pawnshops? Really?” The other man stared at him. “Yeah, okay. Well, there are a couple of big ones called Lucky’s, owned by Lucky Tomasso. That’s where most of the gamblers who are looking for a little extra scratch wind up selling family heirlooms to avoid getting their kneecaps broken. Plus about a dozen smaller shops scattered around town, offering more specialized stuff. Some do jewelry, others do antiques, and there’s even one that does mainly musical instruments. I can get you a map with all of them on it.”
Goryo nodded. “That will be adequate.”
“Why do you need a pawnshop?” Jared cursed inwardly at himself. Not doing a great job of making myself look in control here. Of course, the truth is we’re not. Grentham was deeply annoyed that their boss, Gabriel “The Nightmare” Sloane, was running an operation in their town that didn’t include them. Jared had tried to be the voice of reason, but he wasn’t at all pleased with it either. It was on the one hand an insult, a suggestion they couldn’t handle things on their own. On the other hand, though, they still had tasks to perform for the boss, so at least they weren’t being cut out of the loop. Maybe it requires some specialty we don’t possess. He scowled. Kidnapping, perhaps. He jerked his mind back from where it had been wandering. “Sedan or SUV?”
The rest of the drive passed in annoying silence. He pulled into the garage at Aces Security, and his passenger stepped out, retrieved his bag, and pointed at another large black sport utility vehicle. “That one will do.”
Grentham, who had come out to meet them, angled to the key box on the wall and grabbed the ones for that SUV. He tossed them to their guest, who snatched them cleanly out of the air with economical grace. He marched over to the vehicle, climbed in, and drove off without another word. Jared watched him depart, shook his head, then turned to his partner. “Let’s see where he goes.” They walked into the security station and ordered the tech on dut
y to call up the car’s tracer on the main monitor. Newly installed screens above it displayed camera views of the building’s exterior. They’d bolstered their defenses immediately after being broken into, cameras being the quickest and easiest option.
A moving yellow dot overlaid a map of the area, and after several minutes it slowed to a stop. Jared asked, “What’s he doing? Why would he stop in the middle of nowhere?”
The answer came a moment later as the dot disappeared. Grentham, dressed all in black as always with his black mustache and braided beard perfectly styled, grunted. “Guess he doesn’t want us to know where he’s going.”
Jared chuckled. “Secretive bastard. Fine, then. Let’s go upstairs and chat.” He headed up to his office and sat behind his desk. The dwarf sat opposite him. “So, think this jerk will get in our way?”
His partner shrugged. “If he does, we’ll have to arrange for him to have an accident. I’m all for letting the boss make our lives easier, but we’re certainly not giving up any of our hard-won territory to some asshole outsider.”
Jared nodded thoughtfully. “I can’t imagine he’s here for the same reason we are, though. Seems like it must be something special the boss needs done. Shouldn’t get in the way of us acquiring or eliminating the other security companies in town. Or at least stealing their contracts.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. We’ve been playing too nice. I think it’s time to take the gloves off. Instead of being indirect and putting pressure on the casinos to get them to switch to us, we should consider taking out some of the other companies directly.”
“Buying off their people?”
“Whatever it takes. Pay them off, put them in the hospital, blow up their houses. We tried it the subtle way, the way the boss seemed to prefer. In the end, I’d guess results are the most important thing. We can get them in a lot of useful ways.”
Jared drummed his fingers on the desk. “That’s a can of worms, though. If we open it, there will probably be retribution against us in kind.”
The dwarf slapped a hand down on the surface between them. “Let them come. Hell, I want them to try it. We’ll beef up our security and make sure our people are always on guard. We have the advantage here since we know what’s going on. That’ll give us all the edge we’ll need.”
He shrugged. “Okay, that works for me. Where do you want to start?”
“Crystal Security.”
Jared nodded in complete agreement. “You’re right. We should keep the pressure on the Atlanteans, and taking out their contractor is a great way to do it. Who knows, after they almost lost their kid, they might be more inclined than the rest to change.”
“Especially if their security company can’t protect itself.”
Jared grinned. “All right. Let’s do it. Tell me what you need.”
Chapter Five
Ruby had dressed formally for the occasion, wearing a blue dress with a broad vertical silver stripe and high boots that disappeared under the long skirt. The thin straps showed off her strong arms and shoulders. Although she didn’t wear dresses often, this was one of the few she owned that she thought she looked good in.
Walking through the streets of Kemana MountHaven always felt a little odd since she’d spent so much of her time aboveground, attending human schools, hanging out with human friends, learning the ropes at the casino, and the like. She’d discussed that impression with her siblings, and they had more of a connection to the underground city than she did. That wasn’t to say she disliked it, only that she was less at home there than she might otherwise have been.
Storefronts lined the street leading to their meeting place on both sides, none of them more than a couple of stories high. They passed shops that sold decorative works for the home, another that sold weapons, a third that sold potions. Food stores, restaurants, and all of what you’d expect to find in a typical human city, more or less, were also present here. This late at night, the streets were mostly empty. Their destination was the tallest building in the giant cavern, the small palace that was the residence of Lord Maldren, the titular leader of the city. He was, of course, a Mist Elf. Given that her people had founded the kemana, that only made sense.
A pair of wizards stood guard at the side entrance, the one used for business rather than formality, and her father exchanged pleasant words with them before they headed in. She’d been in the building’s main audience chamber before and had visited a couple of the rooms that held museum-quality items on display for the public. However, her travels had never taken her into what her father called the business area before now. Stone corridors led eventually to a large room with an oval table occupying at least half of the available space. Five seats were arranged along each long curve, with a singular one positioned at the far end. Each place included a notepad, a pen, and a wine glass. Figures in black uniforms stood on one side holding bottles, clearly waiting until everyone assembled to pour.
Her father pointed her toward a trio of chairs in a corner. “Guest area. Wait quietly until we call you.”
She nodded, headed over, and sat to watch as the rest of the Council members wandered in. The group numbered lucky eleven, including their leader, and they represented the races who owned casinos in the city. She didn’t know all the names, although she was sure she’d been told them, but recognized Rosalind Caruthers from their meeting a few days before. The witch offered a small smile as she spotted her in the corner, then turned to talk to her colleagues. Ruby also noticed Challen the gnome healer, who nodded at her before he too was distracted.
Ruby flinched slightly when the dwarf she’d last seen running from the warehouse where he’d held the Atlantean captive strode in. She fought to keep her expression neutral as Grentham crossed the room to talk to the hulking Kilomea who stood alone in the far corner. She hadn’t realized Margrave’s competitor was part of the Council and thought she probably should’ve paid more attention to her father’s discussions of the topic. Which I will from here on out since I might eventually be a member of this group. Hopefully not anytime soon, though.
Lord Maldren wore a formal robe that covered him from neck to ankles in purple and gold. He managed to pull it off without looking overly pompous, which was impressive given the outfit’s splendor. He called for the others to take their seats and lowered himself into his. When they had all complied, he said, “Thank you for coming, as always.” He waved at the uniformed workers, and they filled the wine glasses at each place while the Council members waited in silence. After the servers excused themselves from the room, the leader said, “I see we have a guest today. Is that your daughter, Rayar?” It was an unnecessary question; she was the only human who would have possibly been allowed into the meeting without a great deal of planning and negotiation. Nonetheless, it was polite.
Her father replied, “It is. Allow me to introduce Ruby, my adopted daughter.” People at the table nodded at her, and she returned the gesture.
The female Drow spoke in a smooth tone. Everything about her was smooth, from her dark skin to her perfectly straight ashen hair. “Why is she here?”
Her father looked at Maldren for permission, and the man flicked his fingers in assent. “Thank you for your question, Elnyier. Ruby has some information to share about the attack on Andrielle's family.”
All the gazes shifted to the Atlantean representative on the Council, Andrielle Chentashe, who she’d last seen on the stage during the event in question.
Maldren said, “Ruby, please say what you’ve come to say.”
She bowed her head respectfully as she rose, then raised her eyes to meet those of the people around the table. “I’ve heard rumors on the surface from the human authorities. They believe one of the local security companies may have been involved in the attack.”
The Drow asked, “Which one?”
She made sure to keep her gaze away from the dwarf as she replied, “Unknown. The rumors didn’t say.” She and her father had concluded it would be too dangerous t
o name names in this group. They’d agreed it was enough to bring the matter forward.
Grentham growled, “What authorities?”
Ruby shrugged in his direction. “Not sure. If I had any more specific information, I would willingly share it.” He didn’t look convinced, but Jailynne Sunshi, matriarch of the family that owned the other Mist Elf casino in town, interrupted.
“What I want to know is what we’re going to do collectively to deal with these attacks. It’s not likely that the one on the Mist and the other on the Ebon Dragon wrapped it up and now everything is fine.” She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed and defiant.
At the head of the table, Lord Maldren shrugged. “As always, these matters are why we gather. Would anyone like to comment?”
Rosalind Caruthers, seated beside her husband Anders, spoke for the casino owned by the witches and wizards. “We believe action is necessary. It’s highly unlikely these attacks are random and equally unlikely they’ll stop on their own.”
Lachsan, the Wood Elves’ representative, leaned forward on the table. He had uncommonly short hair for an elf, trimmed within an inch of his scalp. “What do you propose? And what evidence do you have that they will continue?”
Ruby snorted inwardly. Her father had often spoken of how Wood Elves on Earth tended toward inaction in most decision-making. He’d attributed it to the long lives that many of the Oriceran magicals shared, meaning anything that might appear urgent at the moment would undoubtedly pass in a short time relative to their extended existence. Anders, less calm and collected than his wife, barked, “Anyone with eyes can see that something’s going on. We’ve never had multiple attacks on our interests like this, and they seem to be escalating. Robbery, then a poisoning, and a kidnapping.” He shook his head in disgust. “If we don’t do something visible in response, Magic City will become a laughingstock at best, a ghost town because of fear at worst.”