Cross Keys

by Ally Shields

  Kam shrugged, trying to appear calm. “I’m just glad neither of us got hurt.”

  Deni’s eyes were round and scared. “He’s dead, isn’t he? The wanderer? Why did they shoot him? And…and steal his body?”

  Kam shook her head, worry lines marring her features. “I don’t have the answers, but I suppose there are a lot of possibilities. None good. If the humans autopsy his body, they’ll learn there’s another race of beings. Unless they already know it.” She heard the rising concern in her voice and stopped long enough to take a deep breath. “I have to report this incident to Brunic, and I don’t think a note will do.” She looked at Deni, keeping her voice level. “Go home. I don’t want you on the streets alone right now. Not until I know it’s safe.” Since Deni was already frightened, Kam didn’t speculate about the dangers. She simply wanted the kid out of danger. “Until I’ve talked with Brunic, don’t mention this to anyone. We don’t know what’s going on or who’s involved. The men in hoodies could have been elves.”

  Deni nodded. “Yeah, I thought of that. The guy who stepped in front of my bike was wearing gloves.” She raised her eyes to Kam. “They might have been dressed that way to hide a portal glow.”

  “Try not to worry. I’ll get back to you soon.”

  * * *

  Kam didn’t waste any time. She stepped through the office portal and was talking to Captain Brunic within minutes of Deni’s departure. Once she explained her unexpected appearance, he arranged an immediate audience with the king, and they climbed the spiraling stairs to his private chambers. Seliwyn’s normally pleasant face wore a scowl.

  “Explain what happened. Every detail.” He chose a taspestried armchair with wooden arms next to the bay windows and listened intently to her replay of the incident. When she finished, he looked at Brunic. “This is no coincidence. Two wanderers in such a short time, these men in hoods, the guns…murder.” He shuddered. “So much violence.”

  “The wanderers appear to be confined to New Orleans. We’ve heard nothing unusual from other Cityside locations.” Brunic tightened his jaw. “But, I’m as stumped as everyone else about why this is happening.”

  “Why didn’t they kill everyone in the courtyard? One of the hooded men was wounded, but they left him.” The tap of the king’s royal ring on the arm of the chair was loud in the quiet room.

  “Maybe they only wanted elves. The hooded men could have been humans. I am only guessing their race based on their attire,” Kam admitted.

  “If the humans were looking for elves, it means they already know about us.” King Seliwyn stood and crossed to a polished wooden cabinet, taking a decanter from the open shelf. “I think this discussion calls for something stronger than tea.” He poured the amber liquid into a mug and took a drink. “If you’re right, and the hooded men were elves, why weren’t they also taken? What was so special about this wanderer, a commoner?”

  “It only takes one dead body to confirm the existence of elves,” Kam said.

  Seliwyn closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “If anyone knows about us, then elves are not safe in New Orleans, maybe nowhere Cityside. Captain Brunic, I want you to notify all the guilds to take precautions without giving many particulars. For New Orleans, limit transports to merchandise and necessary personnel, and tell them to keep Cityside employees confined to the guild houses and wharfs. That should limit our immediate risks.” He turned to Kam. “Where is your local spotter?”

  “In her apartment. I thought it best to get her off the streets.”

  “Good thinking, but I want to take it a step further. Send her home to her parents for a vacation. I won’t have any of our children endangered.” He turned and looked directly at her. “You need to be armed at all times, Kam. You could have been killed in that courtyard if either group had turned on you. I don’t advocate violence, but we must be prepared to defend ourselves.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Kam straightened, hearing the just rebuke in his tone. “That was careless of me, and it won’t happen again. If I’d had my weapons, I might have saved the commoner or at least prevented the theft of his body.”

  The king waved off her recriminations. “Speculation over what might have been isn’t solving the problem. What is needed is answers. The wanderers must be found, whether dead or alive. I’m reluctant to send more elves into New Orleans, but I will if you tell me you need help.”

  She hesitated. “Not yet. Not until I find something to go on. Give me a couple more days to look around on my own for some kind of lead. Maybe I can find the men in the hoods or the van occupants. Before I start, I’ll get Deni home and route the rest of my spotters to other agents, if that’s agreeable to you.”

  They worked out the details, then the king headed into a hastily called meeting with his advisors to discuss additional precautions that might be needed. Discovery by humanity—with its overwhelming weaponry and ultra-modern culture—was her world’s greatest fear. Exposure to such invaders would destroy Elvenrude’s peaceful way of life.

  As Kam and Brunic descended to the captain’s chambers, they continued to discuss the difficulties ahead.

  “Be careful, Kam. We know little about the desperate kind of people who carry guns, but we’ll be here to back you. I’m placing troops on standby, ready at an hour’s notice,” the captain said. “Whatever you need.”

  She came to a halt. “None of us trained against guns, and I froze under fire. Now that I’ve faced it, I swear I’ll do better.”

  “Kam, you adapt well, but don’t throw caution aside. Experience doesn’t make you any less vulnerable to their bullets. I wish we could tell you to stay out of this, but the danger to our society is too great.”

  “We’re focusing on worst case scenarios, but maybe there’s a simple explanation. A mistake or a mugging—even a personal dispute. It could be over now.”

  Brunic cleared his throat. His voice was gruff. “You can’t believe that. Two wanderers in ten days, a shooting, a stolen body. I’m hoping it’s only half as bad as we think.”

  * * *

  Kam returned to New Orleans in time to send Deni on her way home, notify the rest of her spotters of their temporary reassignment to agents in other cities, and collect her weapons before nightfall. She would make a full sweep of the city under cover of darkness.

  She grabbed her guard bag from her apartment closet and threw it on the bed. Just opening it brought a tingle of anticipation. She pulled on the specialized clothing that covered her from head to toe in form-fitting black. It blended into nighttime shadows and provided protection from weather fluctuation, while allowing unrestricted movement. She did a series of squats to make sure it was fitting properly, then added the lightweight black jacket that would carry her miniature crossbow and quiver of arrows within a fake hood. Her basic outfit already had a real hood if she needed to conceal her hair or face. Her knives went into a wrist sheath on her left arm and in her right boot. A crystal amulet of invisibility hung from a chain at her throat—ready to be invoked if needed, and the silver band of speed and agility hugged her right wrist. As a final touch, she’d tied a silken black scarf around her neck. In an emergency it could cover the lower half of her face or be used to subdue or restrain an assailant. The enemy had already proven capable of murder. She’d be prepared for their next meeting.

  Kam stopped to stare at herself in the mirror, seeing a stranger ready for battle. She’d never expected to face real combat, but the idea didn’t frighten her. The elves hadn’t always been a peaceful nation, and her dark elf ancestors had an equally dark past.

  Something stirred deep inside of her.

  With a cheeky wink at the woman in the mirror, she slipped out the side door of her apartment building and paused to look both directions. Eyeing the two story building next door, she flexed her knees, and leaped for the roof. A rush of adrenaline. Kam grinned as she landed easily and loped across the rooftops.

  * * *

  Holy Hades! Seth straightened from leaning against t
he rear wall of her building and stepped forward to stare upward. He’d hoped if he was patient long enough, she’d reveal herself, but he hadn’t expected her to make a suspicious move this soon—and nothing so dramatic.

  A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Not an ordinary elf at all. Unless you considered a stroll across the cityscape as ordinary. She clearly had access to some of the ancient magic and knew how to use it.

  Wasn’t it fortunate he had magic of his own? Seth stuck a hand in his jacket pocket, his fingers closing around a small object that grew warm to his touch. He’d find her again. He turned and strode off at a brisk pace. Kameo Ryndel was proving to be more interesting than he’d anticipated.

  When he’d returned to the city after meeting with his grandfather, Seth had had little trouble figuring out who the mysterious woman from the ball was and where she lived and worked. There weren’t that many elves authorized to be away from the guild houses. He’d kept a casual eye on her over the past few days and had been close to deciding she had no connection with the wanderers.

  Then she’d appeared in the courtyard earlier today. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. That would be stretching belief way too far, but would any elf, even a Ryndel, be in league with a group of human thugs and murderers? It certainly looked that way. Hadn’t she blocked Rhyden’s escape path?

  Seth lengthened his stride, his face set in grim lines. By the end of the night, he intended to know everything about her, including the details of her traitorous plans.

  * * *

  Aided by her elven magic, Kam used the city’s rooftops to navigate between local shelters and the wharf area while she searched for anything, even rumor, that might give some direction to her investigation. After the shooting in the courtyard, the possibility loomed that the first wanderer was also dead, but she’d like to have proof—one way or the other. So she’d kept looking—and listening. So far she’d heard interesting stories about witches and vampires and voodoo, but nothing about an old man with white hair or a dead body.

  She stepped out of an abandoned building in the Ninth Ward. Her sixth sense sparked, that eerie feeling that someone was watching. She stopped and looked around. Kam had felt things in New Orleans before—it was a city notorious for its ghosts and paranormal experiences—but this was different. She struck off at a brisk walk, keeping to the cobblestone streets and gradually moved into the more lighted sections of town, closer to the tourist and nightlife areas that never seemed to close. She spotted a shadowy flicker twice in the first block or two, but he hadn’t moved any closer, maintaining a consistent half-block distance between them.

  The persistent prickle on the back of her neck told Kam he was still there. He’d been tracking her for the last eight blocks.

  The way he moved made her pulse spike. The graceful gliding between shadows was elven, not human. An Elite elf, a person trained at the Academy. Could he be one of the hooded men from the courtyard? She really wanted a better look at him, even a chat. Perhaps if she gave him the opportunity, an open invitation, he’d come to her.

  She paused, hidden in shadows and thought about likely destinations. The Wharf pub would be perfect. She’d been there before and knew where the rear exit was.

  The pub’s old world atmosphere of dark wood and soft lighting provided a quiet haven for anyone seeking a solitary drink. Soft jazz played from the sound system; on Friday nights—not tonight—a man with a saxophone played requests. She smiled at the bartender, nodded at a couple of regular patrons she’d seen before, then selected a counter seat at the end farthest from the door so she could watch the entrance. She ordered a drink and waited.

  “Brisk out there tonight.” The bartender set a glass of red wine in front of her.

  “It is that,” she agreed. “It’s that time of year.”

  Having fulfilled his small talk duties, he turned his attention to another customer. She sipped her pinot noir in silent thought. Someone bumped her right shoulder, and she looked up. The guy who smiled down at her wasn’t who she’d expected. He was human and definitely drunk.

  “Would you like some company, cutie?”

  “Sorry. Not tonight.”

  “Are you s-sure?” His grin was good-natured.

  “Positive.” To discourage him, she turned back to her drink.

  The man stumbled away, but the brief encounter had made her miss the entrance of her quarry until he slipped onto the bar stool on the left side of her. Without turning to stare at him, she picked up a glimpse from the corner of her eye. More an impression—black hair, ruffled by the wind; the turned-up collar of his soft leather jacket concealed most of his face in the darkened pub. But the clothing and the lighting couldn’t hide his Otherworldliness from her at this short distance. The vibrations of elvenkind slid across her skin.

  He ordered a beer, and she stiffened, recognizing the rich, sexy timber of a voice she’d heard once before. Seth Lormarc. Her mind whirled with possibilities. If the Lormarcs were involved in the illegal transports… Damn. This might be bigger than she’d thought. But how could they risk exposing the elven world? It would endanger them too. She bit her lip to keep her rising anger from spilling out.

  “You were in the courtyard today.” He spoke without turning his head. His tone was casual as if it were a perfectly ordinary conversation.

  “So were you.” She kept her voice low, but the words came out accusatory.

  “Who were the men in the van?”

  She frowned. How dare he feign ignorance? “How would I know? I was about to ask you the same thing. Just what were you doing? And who was the commoner?” She avoided using words like elf or shot or killed that might draw unwanted attention if overheard.

  He sipped his beer for several heartbeats as the tension built. Kam resisted the urge to rub her arms. She almost expected the air between them to sizzle.

  He finally said, “Either we have a third party involved, or one of us is lying.”

  “Very perceptive. But that doesn’t answer either of my questions. At least tell me why you’ve been following me.”

  He laid a ten-dollar-bill next to his drink and stood. “You need to stay out of this.”

  “Out of what?” She reached out a hand to delay him and said his name. “Seth?” She’d hoped to rattle him by exposing his identity, but the sudden spark of energy when she touched his arm made her recoil. She jerked her hand away as if she’d been bitten.

  His head swung toward her, and his green eyes blazed. “You’ve been warned. This is none of your business.”

  Then he was gone.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Seth paced back and forth in his grandfather’s study the following morning. “We were so close. We had our hands on him, then the Ryndel woman appeared at one end of the courtyard and the van of humans at the other. She claims not to know who the men were, but the timing couldn’t have been better. She has to be lying.”

  “You’ve talked to her?” Harad stared at him. “Sawyer Ryndel’s daughter knows you were a part of this?”

  “Yes, I spoke with her last night.” Seth gave the older man a frustrated frown. “How else did you expect me to get some answers from her? Not that it helped. She’s academy trained, more ninja than social flower. She can wield the ancient magic, and does it with ease.” His scowl deepened. “I found her…difficult.”

  Even as he said the words, Seth shook his head. Difficult wasn’t the right word. Intriguing, maybe. There was something about this particular woman that had made him approach her, even when he knew it was crazy to do so. He suppressed a smile remembering how quickly she’d snatched her hand away. The primitive spark between them was something to think about.

  “Do you think it was wise to reveal yourself? What if she tells the king, and he starts asking questions? We don’t have any safe answers we can give him.” Harad Lormarc lapsed into silence.

  “We could always follow the Ryndels’ example.”

  The old man tipped his head with a quest
ioning look.

  Seth snorted in derision. “We could lie.”

  “This is no time to be flippant.”

  “No, it isn’t.” Seth ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. “But I don’t think we have much to worry about. I didn’t say anything she can use against us. Or anything she didn’t already know. She knew my name.”

  “Then you were careless.” The old man’s words carried no hint of judgment.

  “Perhaps. But I learned something too. Either Kameo Ryndel is a better liar than most or we have a human entity involved in Elvenrude affairs.”

  “That’s worse than the Ryndels! You’d better find out which it is…and soon. I’d start by learning more about this woman.”

  “Believe me, Grandfather, I intend to do just that.”

  The old man gave him a considering look. “Somehow I thought you might.”

  * * *

  For the third or fourth time, Kam scratched out what she’d written. She was arguing with herself over what, if anything, to tell the king about the brief meeting in the bar. Seth Lormarc hadn’t admitted to any crime or even unethical behavior. He’d let the implication stand that he’d been in the courtyard, but he hadn’t really said much, except to warn her off. That in itself made him guilty in her eyes—of male arrogance if nothing else. And hadn’t he said one of them was lying? It certainly wasn’t her.

  Kam bit her lip and threw down the pen. She was no closer to figuring out what the shooting had been about. Who did this Lormarc man think he was—butting into her business, threatening her? What was he so determined to hide?

  Her first impulse had been to go straight to the king to demand that Seth Lormarc be apprehended and questioned. But that was rather a drastic measure. No one would insult a member of the aristocracy in that manner without clear evidence of wrong-doing. Did she have that? Could she identify him as one of the hooded men?