Gracie again. “So, you know, Moira, we always celebrate victories against sorcerers. We’d be thrilled if you could join us to toast to your freedom.”
I shook my head. “Not much of a joiner, but thanks for the offer. Crowds give me a rash.”
She looked over my shoulder into the room. “How’s the computer working out?”
The woman was nosy, but in a nice way. I hated to keep telling her no. “It’s terrific. You must have a blazingly fast router.”
She nodded. “Looking for your family?”
Yep, she was way too nosy. “Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all. Not one teensy bit. In fact, I was going to mention something earlier, but I didn’t want to get too personal. You might be interested to know that we work with an excellent pair of private detectives. They happen to specialize in finding sorcerers. We’d be delighted to introduce them to you.”
I didn’t have any money to pay for private eyes. “That’s okay, thanks anyway.”
She sighed. Maybe she’d realized that the hard-sell was getting ridiculous.
“No problem,” she said. “Just wanted to offer you options.”
“That’s very sweet of you. Enjoy your party.”
She waved goodbye, and I closed the door behind her.
A wave of guilt flowed through me. They needed help, and I kept turning them down. It couldn’t be helped, for now.
I ran a series of Internet searches looking for Dana or her master first, but no luck. Sorcerers apparently didn’t stick out much on the Internet. I might have to investigate the Dark Web.
If only I knew how.
Chapter 3
Tuesday, January 12th
WHEN I GOT up in the morning, I wasn’t surprised to see that the fridge didn’t have much in the way of breakfast food. I binged on graham crackers while firing up the laptop again. Overnight, I’d come up with several new ideas for searching.
After I’d logged in, I found out that Gracie had sent me an email with a memo explaining the way the clan organized this place. The heading Breakfast in her email caught my eye. According to her, it was served in the dining room from six-thirty to nine every morning. Even better for someone who was almost broke, it was free.
I only had nine dollars to my name. That meant I’d eat tree bark if it was free. But I probably didn’t have to. The dining room had to provide better food than that.
I checked the time on the computer, and it was six-forty. My mouth watered, so I grabbed a baseball hat to hide my blood red hair. I kept it extremely short so other fighters couldn’t use it to pull me around, and with a little careful tucking, I stuffed it all inside the cap. Then I picked up my Kindle and used a map attached to Gracie’s email to find the dining room on the second floor of the main building.
It’s huge double doors were propped open revealing what once must’ve been a fancy ballroom. It still contained a dozen large crystal chandeliers, and many oil paintings covered the walls. The food was served cafeteria style, so I got in line. I’d been homeschooled as a kid—had never visited a school cafeteria—but thanks to movies and TV shows, I knew the drill.
Scrambled eggs filled one large tray, but a woman in a chef’s hat offered to make me an omelet.
What the hell, why not live large? “Do you have spinach and ham?”
She did, and she knocked out my omelet in no time, adding a garnish of freshly grated ginger like at a fancy restaurant. I piled bacon on a saucer and grabbed a bowl of fresh cantaloupe. Not that I liked cantaloupe, but I felt guilty just eating bacon and eggs. Mom would not approve, and I was hoping to see her soon.
After pouring a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, I found an empty table off in one corner and settled in to eat while I read. The food was delicious, and I continued reading my story about rich, horny immortals.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone approaching. She was a cute, black-haired girl who couldn’t have been more than eight. She wore a blue blazer like Gracie’s. When the girl stood next to me, her name tag said, Christina O’Rourke, Social Director.
She had to be Ian and Laura’s kid. I owed her parents everything, so I reminded myself to be extra nice.
Christina stuck out her hand like she was twenty years older, meeting me for a power breakfast. I shook her hand warmly and introduced myself. Although her hand wasn’t large, she had a powerful grip.
“I thought I should say hello,” she said. “We’re so pleased you’re staying with us. I want to be a magical fighter when I grow up, and I hear that you have fought and won many battles.”
Where the hell did you hear that? The kid’s dad or mom must’ve blabbed. “It wasn’t exactly a career choice. Basically, my father forced me into the business. It’s not a happy life, just so you know. I’d stick with hospitality if I were you.”
She nodded several times. “I know you’ve suffered terribly. I’m very impressed that you had the inner strength to endure it all. So inspiring.”
That choked me up. I wished that I’d been nobler throughout my life so I could deserve her praise. Why did this little girl act like she was twenty years older? Weren’t kids allowed to be kids here?
“Anyway,” she said, “I didn’t mean to get too personal. I’m just thrilled to meet you.”
The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt little Christina’s feelings. “And I’m delighted to meet you, too. Being the social director must be a demanding job.”
She grinned and puffed out her tiny chest. “Everybody performs clan work here, including the kids. We want to do everything possible to make your stay enjoyable. I brought a list with me of all the activities we provide to our guests and residents.”
She handed me a three-page summary that covered everything from the chess club to volleyball. I wasn’t doing any of that. “What a wonderful variety of activities,” I heard myself saying.
“There’s something there for everyone,” she said. “In particular, I wanted to point out our off-campus events.” She pointed on the sheet to that paragraph on page two. “This morning, actually, we’re going to visit the world-famous Monterey Aquarium. I hope you can join us. I happen to have a thing for sea otters, and just I can’t wait to go again.”
The last thing I wanted to do was to spend the morning with a bunch of kids at an aquarium. Actually, although I’d lived in the area for years, I’d never seen this supposedly world-famous facility. I grew up in Bakersfield, and Mom wasn’t allowed to take us this far away. Later in life, I found that the sorcerers who owned me didn’t spend much in aquariums, and they sure as hell didn’t pay to send their slaves anywhere like that.
I tried to come up with a gentle way to break the bad news to Christina, but her pleading eyes froze my brain. All I could remember was, this is the O’Rourkes’ kid.
“I’m really not sure,” I said. “Been having lots of trouble with crowds lately.” That was definitely true. Like all gladiators, I had to fight naked in front of hundreds of screaming lunatics, mostly men. They even threw things at me when they thought I wasn’t fighting hard enough—definitely not nice people. In fact, they were about as far away from nice as any human could get.
“Were going early,” the beautiful little girl with a killer grin said. “It’s a members-only morning, so no big crowds. Plus, I’ll make sure the other kids don’t annoy you. A bunch of parents are coming, too, so you’ll have plenty of adult company. Best of all, if you do this, I won’t bug you to do anything else for a full week.”
Dammit, the little shit was a master manipulator. “You know, you really should be selling used cars or worthless stocks.”
She giggled. “That’s what everybody says, but I’m going to grow up to be a fighter, just like you. The bus will be out front in an hour.”
I was cornered. “Save me a seat.”
-o-o-o-
FOR THE NEXT hour, I tried every which way to figure you how I could break my promise. That was a
bust. She probably knew by now I had no prior commitments or friends who might need my help suddenly.
At the last possible moment, I showed up at the front portico. I prayed to the gods that the bus would’ve already left.
Nope.
It looked full, and hope sprung anew, but Christina waved at me from several rows back. The seat next to her was empty.
She didn’t even thank me for keeping my word but instead whipped out an aquarium map and began telling me about all the cool stuff she was dying to see. The little punk was interested in everything.
I didn’t want to come across as a sore loser, but I had little interest in sea creatures or Mother Nature more generally. I’d been locked up indoors for most of my life.
To keep my feelings away from her, I asked a few questions. The little hustler was a fountain of information. For example, she knew the scientific names of most marine mammals. For example, sea otters were Enhydra lutris.
Because she was so damned smart, I decided to ask her about something I did care about. “If you were going to try to find a missing person who’s a sorcerer’s slave, how would you go about it?”
“Your sister?” she asked with wide-open eyes. “Dad said your family are all slaves.”
“Yeah. Both of my sisters and my mom. I need to find them.”
Then I told her about how I’d seen Dana at a gladiator event and what she’d told me.
Tears welled in Christina’s eyes. “That’s horrible. Only a monster would tear a family apart like that.”
I hadn’t meant to upset her, and I hadn’t mentioned all the disgusting things dear old dad had done to us. But I never should’ve mentioned the subject at all. This time, I was keeping her from living a kid’s happy-go-lucky life.
To distract her, I said, “Let’s forget sorcerers for today. Tell me, what do sea lions eat? They’re great swimmers, aren’t they?”
But Christina wasn’t diverted. “Forget that. We’ve got to find your family. The first thing to do is to check Sacramento County’s property records. Suarez probably owns some kind of estate there where he can keep an eye on his slaves. How many did you say he has?”
“I think Dana told me seven.”
Christina whipped out the biggest cell phone I’d ever seen. “Too many people to fit into an apartment or condo. I’ll look for big houses.”
“Whoa!” I said. “You don’t need to, just tell me how I can search later. And slaves don’t usually get their own bedrooms. My old owner put eight in two rooms. I only got my own space because I made serious money for Tanner, and I needed lots of undisturbed sleep to stay fight-ready.”
“Good to know,” she said. “Though I suppose only rich guys can afford to own that many people. We should still look for a big house, an estate, or a ranch.”
The rest of the way to the aquarium, Christina kept throwing out terrific ideas for finding my mom and sisters. I borrowed a pen and notepad from her and scribbled notes to myself.
When the bus parked near the museum, I said, “You’ve been amazing, but now we need to pay attention here. The animals expect us to learn from them. I’ll follow up with your terrific suggestions as soon as I get back.”
-o-o-o-
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
WE UNLOADED FROM the bus, and Laura Reynolds approached me. She was holding a baby only a few months old. She took Christina’s hand and said, “You need to lead your classmates. I’ll introduce Moira to the parents.”
The little girl waved goodbye to me. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you find your family.”
Before I could contradict her, the little girl headed off to meet her classmates.
Laura gave me a crooked smile. “I hope she wasn’t too annoying. She can become too big for her britches.”
That was putting it nicely. “Quite the little operator you’ve got there, Laura. Do you turn her loose on an unsuspecting public often?”
She cringed.
As usual, I’d put my foot in my mouth and hurt a woman who’d already helped me so much. I patted her on the arm. “Don’t worry, I’m just teasing. I love her take-charge attitude. In fact, I want to be just like her when I grow up.”
Laura smiled, probably relieved I wasn’t upset. Then she said, “This is my other child, Samuel.”
I stroked the baby’s cheek, and he cooed at me. “A beautiful boy who’s lucky to have two terrific parents.”
She beamed at him and me. “Aren’t you kind? Now let me introduce you to the adults. We’re all teachers at the clan’s school, and most of us have kids here today.”
A half-dozen adults had come, which seemed plenty to herd thirty kids. A few were very friendly. The rest, though, shook my hand and quickly stepped back. They could sense my dark aura. It was the only magic I knew. Despite my hatred for sorcerers, I was one myself.
Witches and sorcerers have always disliked each other, like cowboys and Indians, and although I thought of myself as a witch, my father had been the worst kind of sorcerer. Even more damning, I’d been raised in his world.
Actually, the only difference between the two kinds of magicians was attitude. Sorcerers tend to be selfish and dangerous, so I couldn’t blame witches for wanting to avoid them at all costs. For that reason alone, I tried not to feel offended when witches kept their distance.
Only two men had joined us, and one of them was the spiky haired twit I’d met yesterday. He grinned as he gave me a bone crushing handshake.
“I’m Frank, but everybody calls me Zapper, thanks to my prodigiously powerful lightning spells.”
Talk about an ego—I was tempted to prove to him my lightning wasn’t too shabby, either, but for Laura’s sake, I acted like a grownup.
“Pleased to meet you,” I said. Not really.
With a fleeting glance, Laura showed me she’d somehow sensed my unease. The healing angel hurried to say, “Frank is terrific at teaching the kids fighting magic. Although they’re immune from attack, they need countless hours of practice before they become adults.”
“You’re preaching to the converted,” I said, “but sometimes training isn’t enough.”
Actually, I’d received hundreds of hours of fighting practice before I turned eighteen, and I still wasn’t powerful enough to beat the dirty old man who bought me from my father on my birthday. That horrific day still filled me with fury, and tamped it down to keep it from showing it to anyone else. “Yeah, kids need all the fighting practice they can get.”
Laura quickly introduced me to the other man. “This is Philippe Leroux. He teaches the children English, foreign languages, history, and reading.”
He wasn’t as handsome as Frank, or as strong, but his warm smile chased away all my bitter memories. Philippe was as tall as me but lean. His wavy black hair flowed to his shoulders, and his handshake was gentle, much more comfortable.
In a lyrical French accent, he said, “Enchanté, notre nouvelle championne.”
Sign me up for a few private French lessons, dude. “It’s a genuine pleasure to meet you. I’ve always loved French culture.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how stupid they sounded.
He looked at me as though he was trying to figure out whether I was teasing him.
You’re trying way too hard, girl.
After an awkward silence, we joined the kids outside the front entrance. The building’s main feature was that the roof contained a series of giant tentacles stretching into the sky. It looked like a monstrous squid had ripped a hole through the roof in an attempt to escape. Not a happy thought, but then again, we’d be inside while he feasted on the tourists packed into the nearby streets.
It turned out that the rooftop squid was there to promote some special exhibit. Christina assured me he posed no danger whatsoever.
“You don’t know how much you’ve relieved my mind,” I said. “Mother Nature always seems out to get me.”
She lo
oked back with her head cocked sideways as though not sure if I was pulling her leg. Which I wasn’t, not much anyway.
Before we entered the building, Frank stood in front of the kids. “Remember, we all stay in one group so I can protect everybody from trouble. Got it?”
Apparently, he said that kind of thing a lot, because the kids yelled back in one voice, “Got it, Zapper!”
Our group wandered together, like a school of fish, inside the aquarium. Despite my lack of interest in the ocean, I was immediately dazzled by all the exhibits surrounding us. Mom had taken us kids to the beach long ago, but the water had seemed barren of life.
This place, though, was packed with an incredible variety of creatures that came in all shapes, colors, and sizes. I hadn’t realized the ocean was so full of life.
Christina led our group, and I’d expected her to make a beeline for the sea otters. Instead, she’d asked the other kids what they wanted to see the most. Then she used a map to plot a route through the aquarium that would satisfy everyone. The girl was incredibly well organized for an eight-year-old—definitely sharper than me.
Laura told me I was free to roam as I pleased, but I stayed with the group so I could ask our expert guide my questions. The large tanks particularly fascinated me, with their huge numbers of fish and other sea animals.
I also enjoyed seeing one tall tank that contained a real kelp bed that had to be thirty feet tall. This had to be what the seafloor looked like a few hundred yards west of us. The swaying plants reminded me of an ancient redwood forest, except this one happened to be underwater.
When I turned around to ask Christina a question, the group had vanished. I’d gotten too caught up in the kelp tank, but they had to be close by. This place wasn’t that big.
But this area was dark. One by one, I walked up to other groups, and after a minute, I realized they weren’t who I was looking for. I suddenly felt surprisingly lonely, although I’d been a loner for all my adult life.
When I glanced through the windows on the western side of the building, I spotted a crowd outside. It had been cold and cloudy all morning, and a stiff breeze was blowing off the ocean. Even in lousy weather, if Christina had spotted a wild otter outside in the rocky surf, she’d surely rush to get as close as possible.
Freedom (The Sorcerers' Scourge Book 4) Page 3