by Devon Monk
He pulled into his driveway, which slanted upward from the street, and parked the car.
“This is it.”
“Nola,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
“Paul,” she said, ignoring me, “can we pick up our clothes and luggage from the hotel?”
“I can send someone over for it.”
“Thank you.” She opened the door and got out of the car.
“Hells,” I whispered.
Stotts got out too.
“It’s okay,” Cody said. “Monster loves you.” He gave me a bright smile. “You remember, right? You remember me?”
“Sure, Cody,” I said. “I remember you.”
“Pretty magic.” He held up his hand and traced a spell—something in the warmth or light category—in the air, but didn’t draw any magic into it. “Where is your pretty magic?”
“Right here,” I said. “In the ground where it should be.”
“No,” he said. “Did you lose it?” He pointed to my chest. “There.”
I held my breath, surprised. He was right. I had lost the small magic I held inside of me.
“Like me,” he said sadly. And then he touched his own chest.
“You’re sad?”
He nodded and pointed at his chest again.
Did he mean he also carried magic inside him? Did he have a small magic like me? I traced a Sight spell so I could find out.
But Stone had figured out the handle and opened the door.
“Hey!” Cody laughed. He scooted across the seat and was out the door after Stone before I could finish the spell.
I let go of the spell and got out of the car too. No need to add more pain to the headache on my horizon.
Stone stopped, rolled his head to size up Stotts’ house. He nudged Cody’s hand one last time. Then he ran.
That rock was fast. He was across the yard and along the side of the house as quick as a greyhound with wings. He caught the vinyl siding and was up on the edge of the roof, then over it, pausing next to the brick chimney to look over the neighborhood before he was gone, disappeared from view.
“Monster?” Cody asked.
“Will it come back?” Nola had frozen halfway to the door.
“He gets around on his own,” I said. And to Stotts, “He’s really good about not being seen. If you just leave a window open, he’ll let himself in if he wants to.”
“And if I don’t?” Stotts said.
“He hasn’t broken into anywhere that I know of. He might nap on your roof, though.”
Nola looked over at me. “Come on, Cody,” she said with forced cheer, “let’s go inside and see where your new bed is today.” She started off toward the house.
I watched her go, Cody following her. Sometimes my life sucked.
Stotts stayed behind. “I have some questions for you, Allie. About Victor and your dad’s tech.”
I shook my head. “Not now. I’m … I’m just not up for it. Can we please do it later?”
He glanced over at Nola, who let herself into the house. She had a key? When had that happened?
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“What?”
“More than the arm?”
I sighed. “A little. And I’m worried. It makes me grumpy.”
“Going to tell me what you’re worried about?”
“Everything.” I thought it over for a second. “Promise me you’ll keep a close eye on Nola.”
“I will. And I’ll call you later so we can go over my questions.”
“You never quit, do you?”
“No.” He gave me a serious nod. “Coming in?”
“I don’t think so. Nola’s angry at me. We’d just argue. I’ll give her a little time to calm down. Did she tell you she’s thinking about moving to the city?”
His eyebrows notched up. “No.”
“Oh. Sorry. Hope I didn’t ruin her surprise.”
“Why is she moving?”
“I think she’s ready for a change.” I looked over at him. He’d been watching me, not the house. “I think she’s ready to decide where she wants her life to go. And who she wants to spend it with.”
“You,” he said.
I shook my head. “Not just me.”
He nodded.
“I’ll put you in the hospital if you break her heart,” I said.
“We’ve been over that.” He paused, then added, “You and I aren’t really that close. I don’t expect you to tell me everything about your life.” He glanced at me. “In my line of work, there’s a lot of deception. I know how to deal with it. Nola, however, is your friend. Lying to her is a breach of that friendship. I don’t like it when she’s unhappy.”
“I know,” I said.
Well, at least we both knew where we stood on Nola’s well-being.
“Need a ride?” he asked. “After I make sure she’s settled, I’ll be heading out to the river again.”
“I’ll call someone, thanks.”
He glanced at the house, then back at me. I pulled out my phone. “I got it.”
“Talk to you soon, Allie.”
And then he walked off toward his front door while I paced. I could call Zay. No. Who else? Shame was angrier than me. Everyone else was busy. I thumbed my phone and dialed.
“Hey, boss,” Davy said on the other end. “What trouble you get yourself into today?”
“I need a ride.”
“Where to where?”
I glanced back at the house number and gave Davy the address. “From here to the den.” Let the big magic users cover up the mess Jingo and Dane had left in the boat. Let the big magic users deal with Stotts and the police. I was going hunting for Dane Lanister.
“You’re at Detective Stotts’ house?”
“Just his yard.”
“I’ll be right there.”
That’s what I liked about the boy. Knew when not to ask questions.
Chapter Nine
Davy showed up about twenty minutes later. I’d spent the time pacing and thinking.
He stopped the car next to me, and I got in.
“What happened to your arm?”
“Someone shot me.”
He paused for a couple seconds, taking that in, then navigated back down the cul-de-sac. “What kind of people are you Hounding for? Stotts?”
“Worse.”
He whistled low. “Worse than a cursed cop? Hope the pay’s good.”
“It’s not.” I sighed, ran my fingers through my hair. “Davy, there’s some really dangerous shit going down.”
“What’s new?”
“What’s new is I want to bring the Hounds in on it.”
“Is there money?”
“I’ll pay.”
“I like the sound of getting some of your daddy’s fortune. What’s the job?”
“Hunting down a magic user.”
“The one who shot you?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t sound so hard.”
“There’s more to it.” I stared out the window for a second, trying to decide if I should do this. If I should risk Davy and the rest of the Hounds being Closed, their memories taken away if I let them in on the Authority’s secrets.
Didn’t take me all that long to decide. I’d been thinking about it since this morning. Made up my mind a long time ago.
Shame had basically told me the Hounds had been Closed before. And me not letting them in on what was really going down in this city wouldn’t keep them from being used or Closed by the Authority again.
There was nothing safe about magic, and nothing guaranteed except pain. Hounds understood that.
“I know some people,” I said. “If they don’t like you knowing about their business, they’ll take your memory away.”
“That’s it? Just the memory?”
“Unless you really piss them off. Then they can take away your ability to use magic, your life, your past.”
“They kill over this stuff?” he asked.
“S
ometimes.”
“So other than the memory thing, it’s pretty much like any other Hounding job?”
“No, they use magic in ways you’ve never seen.”
“About damn time. I’m tired of Hounding for lost kittens.”
“Davy, this is serious.”
He laughed. “I know. I’m serious too. You didn’t think I got into Hounding for the job security, did you? We’re all gonna die young. I’d rather go out doing something interesting.”
“I don’t think you understand.”
“What, that it’s dangerous? I might be permanently injured, broken, killed? I get that. That’s what I signed up for when I started Hounding instead of becoming a lawyer or something. Pike made no bullshit about how this career ends. There’s a reason there’s no retirement fund, and there’s a reason no one takes out life insurance on a Hound.
“You just worry too damn much. He made no bullshit about that either.”
“He said I worry too much?” I asked.
“He did. Said you mothering every broken thing you came across was gonna get you dead before Hounding killed you.”
“Fuck that,” I said. “He didn’t know me.”
Davy just laughed again. “Whatever you say, boss. Which Hounds are you bringing in on this deal?”
“Tell me who you trust.”
He parked the car in the lot next to the den. Turned off the engine. “You, Sid, Jamar, Bea, Jack, Theresa, and Dahlia. Pike thought well of them. I do too.”
“Get them over here, okay? Whoever shows up in the next half hour gets a piece of the pie.”
We got out of the car. Davy was already dialing. My phone rang. I looked at it. Zay. Almost didn’t answer. I did not want his opinion on what I was about to do.
“Beckstrom,” I said.
“Where are you?”
“Taking care of some business with the Hounds. I told Stotts I’d talk to him later. I think he’s heading back to the boat and might contact Victor.”
“What business?”
“I’m tying a couple things down with Davy.”
“At the den?”
“Yes. And then I’m going home to change my clothes. I stink.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“No, you won’t. You will take care of the things you need to and give me a little room. I’ll see you tonight at my place.”
“You do remember you were shot this morning?”
“Yes,” I said through my teeth. “And you do remember which one of us stayed conscious through that, right?” Silence. I could feel his anger burning down the cell line.
I was headed into the building now, Davy ahead of me and talking on his phone. “I think Leander’s out here. I think he tried to do something with Cody. Stone got there and somehow stopped him. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but Nola and Cody are staying with Stotts. I’m going to deal with some Hound business; then I’ll see you tonight at my place, unless there’s a meeting?”
“No.”
“Good. See you then.” I hung up.
I caught up with Davy, who was walking up the stairs, his voice echoing down. “Half hour or you’re out. See ya, man.”
Then he dialed the next number. “It’s Davy. Allie has a hot job. Dangerous. She’s forking out the money if you’re in on it.” A pause. “Half hour, the den. Don’t think so.” He glanced back at me. “Press involved?”
I shook my head.
“No. Police?” he asked me.
“No.”
“Got that? Right. See you.” He thumbed off his phone, and dialed. “One more.”
“It’s Davy,” he said. “Good, thanks. How you feeling?”
From the voice on the other end, I knew it was Bea.
We’d made it up the two flights, and I walked through the door to the main loft space. “Hello,” I called out.
No one answered. This was the first time I’d seen the den empty. Good. I strode over to my desk, leaving Davy in the open kitchen space, and dug around for a piece of paper. I wrote, PRIVATE MEETING. KNOCK, and taped it to the outside of the door. I’d hear Hounds walking up the stairs. I’d hear the elevator if it stopped. But I didn’t want just anyone barging in on this.
No need to cause mass amnesia.
Davy was pouring water in the coffeepot. “Got everyone. They said they’ll be here.”
“Good.” I walked over to the window thinking about how I was going to tell them about all this. I didn’t need to tell them everything. Just enough that they could hunt Dane, and just enough that they could keep themselves safe from the kinds of magic he threw around.
Gunfire I figured they all had experience with.
If things went right, Victor didn’t even have to know I had brought the Hounds into it. Once we found Dane, I’d pay the Hounds, tell them to leave, and call in Victor. Let the Authority take care of the bastard for all I cared. I just wanted him off the street.
But what tripped me up was what I should tell them about Leander. Victor and Maeve and Hayden had taken the solid Veiled to the prison for magical offenders. I wasn’t worried about the Veiled. But Leander was still in spirit form—and could use at least enough magic to touch Cody’s mind. He, not Dane, was the one who had gotten too close to Nola for my comfort.
If I was going out with a half dozen trained Hounds, I didn’t want one of them walking past him and assuming he was nothing but a shadow.
“Here.” Davy was suddenly standing right in front of me, two cups of coffee in his hands. He shoved one cup at me. “Did you even hear me say your name?”
“No.” I took the coffee and drank. Nice dark roast. Kenyan, I think.
“Want to tell me?”
I shook my head. “I only want to say this once.”
“Fair.” He walked over to the couch and slumped down. “Didn’t think this place was a good idea at first.”
“Why? Pike said he wanted better for the Hounds.”
“Yeah, but I think he was talking about better pay from the cops and state agencies and maybe renting a meeting room once a month. Not opening a fricking hotel.”
“Do I see you complaining?”
“No. Weird thing is no one complains about this shit. Don’t know what it is about you, Beckstrom, but the Hounds respect you. Enough to keep the drugs and crap off premise. That’s something.”
“Maybe they just want my money.” I sat in the overstuffed armchair. It was comfortable. I should hang out here more often.
“That. Also, your power. Political, business. If Hounds are ever going to get a fair shake in the city, it’s probably because of you. And your daddy’s fortune.”
“No. It’s because of Pike. This was his idea. I was just stupid enough to tell him I’d see it through.”
The door opened, and in walked Sid, fair-haired and built like he spent most of his time in front of a computer, and behind him, motherly Dahlia, who had dyed her hair an orange not found in nature. “Davy, Allie,” Sid said. “So what’s the big job?”
“When everyone else gets here,” I said. “There’s coffee.”
He diverted to the kitchen, and I heard him pouring a cup. By the time he’d pulled up a chair, Jack, who looked as tough as old leather, and the perpetually happy, dimpled Bea were walking through the door. I never saw them apart anymore. I think Pike’s rule of the buddy system on Hounding jobs had ended up as something more for the two of them.
“Allie!” Bea said. “It’s so cool you have a job for us. I’m getting pretty tired of lurking around the morgues waiting for someone to die a suspicious death. What’s up with your arm?”
“I’ll tell you in a sec.”
“Coffee,” Davy said.
“Got it,” Jack said to Bea.
I raised my eyebrows and gave her a look as he went into the kitchen and poured two cups.
She just shrugged and giggled. That said it all. Well, that and the swoony look in her eyes.
Bea sat on the other couch, and Jack sat next to her, handing he
r a coffee. We didn’t have to wait more than a minute or two before tall, dark, and intense Jamar and short, no-nonsense Theresa came through the door.
“People,” Jamar said. “What’s this job, and what’s it paying?”
Jamar looked like the kind of man who should be in a three-piece suit and working in a multinational corporation, not wearing jeans and a light jacket and working MLK Boulevard for the police.
Theresa Garcia looked how she always looked. Tough. I wondered if she was still Hounding for Nike.
“Have some coffee,” I said. “I’ll fill you in.”
“Go ahead.” Jamar headed to the kitchen. “I have ears.”
“The job’s pretty simple. I need to find a man, Dane Lanister. He tried to shoot me and Zayvion this morning, and I want him off the street.”
Sid pulled a sleek tech tablet out of his briefcase and tapped it.
“Police involved?” Jack asked.
“No. Well, Stotts. There’s more to this. There’s some shitty magic going on.”
“This the man?” Sid turned the screen so we could all see. Lanister’s face. Younger, but it was him. He was smiling, looked like he was leading a seminar or Amway meeting.
Weird to see his public face. I’d only known him as Sedra’s humorless bodyguard.
“That’s him.”
“I’ll pull his signature,” Sid said.
“I don’t want that tracked.”
He pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. “Please. I do this for a living.”
“The people he’s involved with don’t want you to know about them,” I said. “So much so, they will remove the memories of anyone who breeches their security.”
I looked at each of the Hounds in turn. They didn’t look worried about it. Was I the only one who had a problem with someone else messing with my memories?
“If any of you want out now, that’s fine. If we screw this up—and the people involved have connections everywhere, so the chances of us being found out are huge—we will lose our memory of what we’re doing. And may lose our ability to use magic.”
Jamar exhaled. “You sure know how to pick ’em, don’t you Beckstrom? I’m assuming this has something to do with the sorts of people your father ran with?”
“Something like that.”