by Lysa Daley
“Of course.”
“Turn around.”
“What?” Was he going to arrest me?
“I said… turn around,” Mr. Stroud repeated.
Slowly I spun around. Sam, very much in one piece, stood behind me.
“Hi there.” He smiled.
I threw my arms around him. “Sam! You’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” he replied, giving me a squeeze.
“Did you just hear everything I said about you?”
“Pretty much.”
“What’s going on?” I stepped back, my eyes darting between Sam and Stroud.
“Miss McCray, I’d like you to meet our newest seeker and your new partner.”
“But… I don’t have a partner.”
“You do now,” Mr. Stroud said. “Since the two of you are, for all practical purposes, newbies — in different ways — I’ve decided to have you work together.”
“You’re not going to wipe his memory again?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t think of it.”
“But the rules..?”
“Every now and then, the Society stumbles upon a human who sees the supernatural world unlike the other non-mages. And over the centuries, some of these humans have proved to be invaluable resources to the Society. Since Sam is already a trained law enforcement agent, the logical thing to do is to bring him into our organization.”
“And you’re okay with this?” I asked Sam.
“The LAPD has put me on a permanent medical leave. Apparently, they think I’m having some psychological issues. Hallucinations. Like seeing magical creatures that aren’t there.”
“So basically the cops fired you, so now you’re unemployed and desperate, which means you’ll stoop to working with me?”
“Are you kidding me?” he replied. “You’re incredible! I saw you change into a bird, command a group of seal-men, and pretty much save that bear-thing single-handedly. I can’t wait to work with you. If you’ll agree to have me as a partner, that is? I am just a lowly human.”
Mr. Stroud shrugged. “Well?”
There was nothing to think about. It was true my father was still a fugitive, part of my dissertation had been burned to a crisp, but this seemed like a good thing. I held out my hand. “Okay, then. Partners.”
He shook my hand. “Partners.”
“Great.” Mr. Stroud clapped his hands together and handed each of us an envelope. I opened it first to find a check for $5,000.
“What’s this?” Sam asked, turning the envelope over in his hand.
“The reward for Mr. Morty’s safe return funded by the Paranormal Society for Bibliophiles,” Mr. Stroud explained. “You two earned it.”
Sam’s eyes got big when he saw the amount. “I think I’m going to like this job.”
“Great! Then I’m sending the two of you out to the valley,” Mr. Stroud said. “There’s a gremlin who’s wreaking havoc at an elementary school science fair. We need him contained before he blows up the whole damn place. The reward is a little over three grand. I’ll text you the details.”
“We’re on it.” I looked at my new partner. “But I’m driving.”
“You don’t want to take the motorcycle?” he asked as we headed to the elevator.
“Never again.”
“Oh yeah.” He smiled. “We’ll see about that.”
“Oh and Lacey,” Mr. Stroud called to me. “Don’t forget your wand.”
I patted my messenger bag. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll never leave home without it again.”
Book Three Faerie’s Gold coming in April