by Amy Sumida
“Like the heat sensors the paranormal team used,” I agreed.
“Okay, let's think about this rationally,” Extinguisher Mark Sloane, the one who had helped Teagan locate the exact place the plane went missing, had inherited the dark Sloane looks; sooty hair, fair skin, and mossy eyes. He was also quite intelligent, as evidenced by his next words, “ATC tracks planes using two types of radar; primary and secondary. Primary radar will find an object using projected radio signals but secondary radar relies on a transponder inside the plane itself. Every commercial plane is equipped with a transponder; it's how they keep in contact with ATC when they're more than a hundred-fifty miles out over the sea, where primary radar signals get lost.”
“Okay,” I gaped at Extinguisher Sloane and then glanced at Teagan, who gave me a huge grin. “But they weren't over the ocean, so even if the secondary radar went out, the primary should have still picked them up.”
“You weren't following close enough,” Sloane winked at me. “Primary radar picks up objects, I didn't say planes specifically.”
“Yes but in this case, it's a plane,” Wasutke grumbled.
“Is it?” Sloane lifted a brow and my jaw dropped.
“You're saying that if someone had the capability to manifest an object, something solid, beneath the plane, they could then remove the plane without anyone knowing?” I frowned, not even sure if I understood it.
“This is all hypothesis,” Sloane held out his hands. “But going on what I know of the fey and their magic, I believe that a fairy could form a chunk of ice from the moisture in the air.”
“We could,” Tiernan whispered and looked at me in horror. “Weather magic.”
“Cold weather magic,” Sarah added. “That's the trace we found, remember?”
“Cold like ice,” Sloane nodded. “So say this person, we won't blame a fairy just yet because there are weather witches, are there not?” He looked to the Storm witch and the man grudgingly nodded. “This person could form a block of ice beneath the plane, holding it aloft with magic while the plane was diverted. ATC would most likely see the diversion but when they saw the ice keeping on course, they'd probably think it was a glitch. Then the ice could be melted and turned into rain, making the plane appear to disappear.”
“Holy river hags!” I exclaimed. “We're not just looking for one person, this has got to be the work of a team.”
“Yes, Ambassador,” Sloane smiled. “I believe you're right. I think one individual pulled off the ice maneuver while the second averted the plane.”
“But how would you do that?” Teagan mused.
“The only way I can imagine, would be the easiest,” Sloane shrugged.
“It was the pilot,” I whispered and Sloane smiled wider at me. “Sweet Goddess, our pilot stole the plane, didn't he?”
“It would make sense,” Sloane gave me an apologetic look. “The pilot would be able to turn off the transponder and fly the plane a short distance away, where he could land it and no one would be the wiser.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked him. “It wasn't a fairy-manned plane, the pilot was an extinguisher.”
Shouting erupted all around me but I just sat back and let them vent. I was just as horrified as the humans were. To think that an extinguisher would turn traitor was... well it was unthinkable. About as unthinkable as a hunter betraying the fey. But then, they wouldn't have the word traitor if no one ever betrayed anyone.
“Silence!” Teagan stood and pounded the table with his fist. The extinguishers quieted and since they were the only ones making a fuss, the room went silent. “Ambassador Seren is right. The plane was one I lent her to transport the raven mockers. They were flying it back to Tulsa and so, the pilot would have been an extinguisher.”
“No,” Extinguisher Jason Murdock shook his head. “He had to have been taken. Someone killed him or captured him and took his place.”
“That is completely possible,” I said and Murdock gave me a grateful look. “All I'm saying is that the scheduled pilot would have been human... and if he were replaced, it would have to be with another human or the raven mockers would have known and been suspicious.”
“True,” Teagan nodded. “So it's definitely a human group that we're after, be it extinguisher or witch.”
“We should probably share this information with the Coven,” I looked to Sarah because she seemed like the most reasonable one there and it also seemed like she was in charge.”
“Tristan,” she looked to her left, where the other member of Beckoning sat. “Call Gabriel, please.”
He nodded and stood, going into a corner to make the call.
“If it's a human, it must be one of yours,” Wasutke sneered. “A witch wouldn't go against the Coven's wishes.”
“The Coven has made no decree concerning this matter,” Aidan stared down Wasutke. “There is no order to disobey, if say, a person or group were trying to fulfill a vendetta.”
“How dare you?” Wasutke stood, her face stretching into a horrifying mask.
“Sit down, Jennifer,” Sarah said calmly.
Jennifer Wasutke, Elder of Flight, sat down as she was told.
“Who are you?” I asked Sarah. “I mean, as far as rank goes?”
“I am Vex of Eastern America,” she smiled sweetly.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Allow me,” Aidan said to Sarah and she nodded. “A Vex is like an extinguisher really, a sort of military enforcer of our laws.”
“So you do have laws?” Teagan asked.
“Of course we have laws,” Sarah laughed. “And anyone who breaks them shall be vexed.”
“Not hexed?” I joked.
“Being vexed is far worse, believe me,” she waggled her brows at me.
“So you're kinda like the Bogeyman of witches?” I waggled my brows back.
“I can be scary to lawbreakers,” she shrugged. “But I pose no threat to those who obey the Coven.”
“And you're from the East?” My lips started to twitch.
“Don't say it,” she grimaced.
“I have to,” I said apologetically. “You're the Wicked Witch of the East!”
“Oh, Seren,” Tiernan groaned but Sarah laughed.
“That's not at all what I thought you were going to say,” Sarah shook her head. “I thought it was going to be a Practical Magic quote and you were gonna do the; witch, witch, you're a bitch, chant.”
“Oh, that's a good one too,” I commended her, “but it seems more offensive.”
“Yes, very,” Sarah laughed harder. “Thus my warning.”
“The Coven has been notified,” Tristan said as he resumed his seat. “The investigation team is still en route to San Francisco but they'll be informed as soon as they land.”
“Excellent,” Sarah nodded. “Perhaps now we should look into the original pilot of the plane?”
Another angry extinguisher muttering went around the table.
“It has to be done,” I declared. “This way we can rule him out and we need to make sure he's not dead in a ditch somewhere. But beyond that, I think we need to establish a search zone around the last know position of the plane. How far do you think someone with weather magic could carry a massive piece of ice, Fred?” I asked Storm witch.
“Please,” Fred sighed, pushing back a lock of dirty blonde hair. “My name is Frederick.”
“Okay,” I rolled my eyes. “Frederick.”
“Perhaps forty meters,” Frederick, the Storm witch huffed.
“And how far do you think a plane could fly before it wouldn't be able to pass as a glitch?” I asked Extinguisher Mark.
“Perhaps fifty miles,” Mark offered.
“Alright,” I looked around the table. “So we go back forty meters from where the plane was last spotted and then make a search radius of fifty miles out from that spot.”
“I'll call the Albuquerque House and ask them to send a team there,” Teagan pulled his phone out.
“Good, meanwhile, let's look into that pilot,” I said to Mark.
“Would you mind if I used your laptop, Councilman?” Extinguisher Mark asked Teagan.
“By all means,” Councilman Teagan got up to make his phone call. “You seem to get more out of it than I do.”
“And if the pilot is alive when we find him,” Alexis added.
“We'll get more out of him too,” Alex finished for her.
“I'm going to go see if I can round up some refreshments for us,” I said as I stood. “I think it's going to be a long night.” I waved Alexis over to me as I headed for the door. Before I even asked her my question, she answered.
“No, Elder Watsuke is not behind this.”
Chapter Forty
The pilot's name was Extinguisher Nolan Kavanaugh, no direct relation to the twins, and he had an exemplary record. He had scored high in all his psychic and physical tests, had completed twenty-eight warrants, had mentored young extinguishers who had lost their immediate family units, and had earned his pilot license at age twenty-six. Since then, he had flown exclusively, leaving fairy chasing to the other extinguishers. There had never been an issue with his flying and on the one occasion that he experienced a mechanical malfunction, he heroically landed the plane in a cornfield, saving the lives of all aboard as well as those upon the ground.
It was hard to see him as a traitor.
His body had not been found, nor were any unidentified remains found in the area. So if he wasn't a traitor, he must have been taken aboard the plane. Which meant that he was probably dead since a hostage would have looked suspicious to the raven mockers. That alone had me stressed. Not just because we may have lost an excellent extinguisher but because it meant that whomever was behind this found killing to be an easy option.
“Do you think my son is still alive?” Raza seemed to echo my thoughts.
“I don't know but I sincerely hope so,” I whispered as I looked around the quiet room.
People had formed groups to conduct research and talk things over in. Unsurprisingly, the groups were defined by race and this stressed me even more. It was like no matter what realm I was in, I was constantly trying to overcome segregation. First between the Seelie and Unseelie, and now in HR it was between the Fey, the Humans, and the Witches.
“I can be monstrous,” Raza lowered his voice too. “I can be horribly cruel. But never would I hurt a child and there were children with my son.”
“I know,” I swallowed hard. “Whomever is behind this, they're far more monstrous than we are.”
“You think you're monstrous?” His face went blank with surprise.
“I think I could be,” my whisper went even lower. “I think at times, I want to be.”
“Like when you hear that your grandmother forced you and your mother to be sent from Fairy?” His metallic eyes warmed and softened.
“Yes,” I admitted. “But is vengeance upon her worth the price of becoming her?”
“You will never become your grandmother,” he said with deep sincerity. “She has always been as she is, even when she was a child. You have a kinder heart, one that can conquer any monster.”
I blinked, unsure which monster he was referring to; mine or his. The warmth in his eyes turned into heat and I cleared my throat, looking away from it before I caught fire.
“It cannot be a fairy,” Raza went back to our original conversation blithely. “At least not one of the old ones. No one who has ever been in a magical war would want to start another.”
“I get that,” I sighed. “Just that little glimpse of fighting between us and the Coven was horrible.”
“Now imagine battles like that a hundred times larger, going on for years,” Raza's jaw clenched. “No, they can't possibly know what they're trying to bring about. If they do, they are more evil than even child killers.”
“So you fought in the Human-Fey war?” I asked him.
“We both did,” Tiernan said as he placed a cup of coffee down before me and resumed his seat beside mine.
“Really?” I looked over to my boyfriend. “You've never talked about it.”
“It's not something one wants to speak of,” Raza answered for him.
“So you are pretty old,” I teased Tiernan, trying to get the frown off his face.
“I'm still not telling you,” he gave me a little grin.
“Well, if you fought in the war, you're older than my father,” I mused and then frowned. “That's kind of gross.”
“It would be if I looked older than your father,” Tiernan chuckled.
“They found the plane!” Councilman Teagan stood and shouted.
“They what?” I sat forward, dislodging Cat, who had been fast asleep across my feet.
“What about the raven mockers?” Raza asked immediately.
“No, I'm sorry,” Teagan tucked his phone away. “It's just the empty plane but at least we have a lead to investigate. Now who wants to go to New Mexico?”
“As long as the plane isn't piloted by an extinguisher, I'm in,” Sarah smirked.
Chapter Forty-One
The Human Council's plane was found in a dry stretch of land between Roswell and Artesia, New Mexico. Artesia had an airport so we were able to arrive pretty close to our destination. We were met by an extinguisher team who then drove us to the abandoned plane.
It crouched in the dry grass like an injured animal, left to die by a cruel master. The main windows stared mournfully at us as our SUV pulled in front of the plane. I jumped out of the vehicle and made my way over to it, cocking my head to look at the deflated ramp hanging forlornly from the open door like the tongue of an overheated hound dog.
“I sense no weather magic here,” Tiernan stared around the bleak place.
“Which lends credence to the theory that this was a team,” Teagan narrowed his eyes on the plane and then turned to the extinguishers who had discovered it. “What did you find on board?”
“We haven't gone inside yet,” one of the men said. “Orders were to wait for you, Councilman.”
“Right,” Teagan sighed. “I suppose we'll need to send someone for a ladder then.”
“Not necessary,” Tiernan said as he escorted me forward.
I knew exactly what he was about, so I put my arms over his shoulders and hugged him tight as he used air magic to lift us up to the level of the door. I climbed aboard and Tiernan motioned to Ainsley. Sir Ainsley went over to Councilman Teagan and motioned towards the plane.
“Uh, that's alright,” Teagan smiled nervously. “I think I'll let the Ambassador handle this.”
“I would like to see the plane,” Sarah stepped forward. Ainsley straightened and then bowed before offering her his arm. “Oh, how sweet,” Sarah laughed and took the offered arm.
He escorted her to the plane but when she reached for his shoulders, he swept her up into his arms instead of merely holding her by the waist. I shook my head at the antiquated advances of my knight and went further into the plane as Ainsley lifted Sarah up into the cabin. A few seconds later, Jennifer Wasutke joined us as well.
Inside, the plane was eerily quiet and nearly empty. I say nearly because there was still one passenger on board. The pilot. Extinguisher Nolan Kavanaugh was belted into a seat, his arms hanging limp at his sides and his sightless eyes staring straight ahead. His face was set in a rictus of fear, so chilling that goosebumps lifted on my arms.
“Well that's interesting,” Sarah said from behind me.
“Interesting?” Ainsley asked in horror.
“Sir Ainsley, can you notify Councilman Teagan that we've found the body of Extinguisher Kavanaugh?” I asked gently.
“Yes, Princess,” Ainsley headed back to the door in obvious relief.
“There's not a mark on him,” Sarah said as she looked over the body. “I believe this man was scared to death.”
“It takes a lot to scare an extinguisher,” I narrowed my eyes on the body. “Are you sure there are no wounds?”
> “Absolutely,” Sarah stood, setting her hands to her hips.
“Lack of wounds can mean several things,” Elder Wasutke shook her head. “They could have healed him, as we do our victims after we take a heart.”
I set wide eyes on her, surprised that she would say something that might incriminate her own people.
“What?” She huffed at me. “Flight didn't do this, I can feel that his heart remains.”
“Something scared him so deeply that it stopped his heart,” Sarah reasserted. “Believe me, I'm familiar with the situation and the results of it.”
“I'll bet you are,” Tiernan muttered and headed away from the body.
I followed after him, looking over the rest of the plane. Every overhead bin I opened was empty and nothing was to be found beneath the seats. Had the kidnappers allowed the raven mockers to take their luggage with them? That seemed unusually considerate for a bunch of abducting murderers. I frowned and went further down the aisle, stopping to stare at an abandoned teddy bear. I swallowed hard and then took a deep, calming breath. But my calm was shattered when a thud echoed through the cabin. Startled, I turned and saw that Raza had come aboard.
“I can't even scent him here,” Raza stared at the nearly empty plane like it could confess its secrets to him. “Where is my son?”
With heavy footfalls he made his way over to us and looked down at the item I'd been staring at. One elegant ebony hand reached out, catching the fluffy terracotta teddy within its claws. Raza put the stuffed animal to his nose and inhaled. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them, they were glowing.
“I have them,” he declared triumphantly.
“What?” I gaped at him.
“He has the scent,” Tiernan smiled.
“This way,” Raza cast the bear aside and rushed from the plane. At the cabin door he spread his wings and jumped.
“Raza stop!” I called. “We can't all follow you like that and this is HR, you'll be seen!”
“You can follow,” Raza shouted to Tiernan. “Can't you, Count?”
“If you keep it to a slow pace,” Tiernan agreed.