by K W Quinn
The soulprint shimmered through her thoughts. She pushed it aside, too tired to muster the energy for it. Instead, she delved deeper into the target’s photographed eyes. There were hints of a struggle behind the brilliant smile. Fear of the connotations of beauty, uncertainty about where he fit in, making the most out of meager resources. Reyah’s eyebrows scrunched together, and she pulled at her magic. She needed to know this target to catch him.
She wouldn’t touch the soulprint in public, though it was tempting. On a normal job, she’d already be chasing the target by that print. This job was special, though, and she needed to know why. She liked solving the puzzles, rising to the challenges, and returning victorious. There was more to being a successful Dragon than magic. More tools to use. A good Dragon used all the available resources, and Reyah would try something more than just blindly following the sweet pull of the soulprint.
Just a few connections with it, and she already felt empty without it. Drained and hollow. Her skin began to itch like a junkie waiting for the next hit. Blades cut both ways, and this soul was a new kind of danger.
Letting down your guard was the cardinal sin, and she didn’t plan on falling prey to it. Not to the soul. Not to the target. Not to anyone.
“You know Cass?”
The voice pulled Reyah out of her intense scrutiny. She turned to see a tall, gangly young man grinning at her. His wine-red hair was perfectly tousled in a way that suggested time and money.
“Um, yeah. A little. I mean . . .” Reyah stumbled. She sighed and looked down sheepishly. The infatuated suitor was a useful role to play when searching for information.
The man laughed. “Yeah. He gets that a lot. But he’s not working today.”
Reyah cocked her head and smiled. “Oh, no?”
“Yeah. Sorry to disappoint. But stay and enjoy. He usually puts in about fifty hours here, so if you try again, I’m sure you can catch him. Spontaneously,” the man said with a conspiratorial grin and exaggerated wink. He nodded and turned to leave.
“Oh, thank you,” Reyah called. He waved at her and made his way out the door.
So, the target worked at the local Starbucks. Another piece of the puzzle. Lived next door to the Bonded that was his best friend. Sold his soul to save him. Ran away. Tarone said the best tool for tracking was understanding.
Reyah tucked her chin into her hands and rested her elbows on her knee. She would find the other pieces of the puzzle. Soon, she’d have to tap into the soulprint again, but not yet. Not without trying other options first. All the other options. Even talking to people, if it came to that.
Capricorn
Cass listened to the chatter from the kitchen. Pillows and blankets were tucked around him haphazardly. He blinked and tried to figure out the time by the light from the windows. Too bright to be evening.
Had he slept all the way through the day and night? After a sleepless night driving, then waiting, then magic, it made sense to get as much rest as he could. And that would explain why he was so hungry. Then again, he was always hungry.
He wiggled his toes lazily. Andy was sprawled next to him, one leg draped over Cass’s waist, snoring gently. Despite the gnawing in his belly, Cass wanted to stay right here.
They hadn’t shared a sleeping space since they were kids. Cass didn’t miss the kicks to his shins or Andy’s constant cover stealing, but he had missed the comfort of knowing that he wasn’t alone. Andy had outgrown those sleepovers long before Cass was ready to give them up. His mom had tried to comfort him, telling him about the way Air had to touch everything, be everywhere, get into every space.
Knowing it was both in his nature and his nurture didn’t help soften the rejection as Andy grew more into his Fire and conformed to a world that said touching was only for sex.
Cass wouldn’t take advantage, but he would enjoy these inadvertent snuggles as long as he could. Besides, eavesdropping on witches might be fun.
“You know Art was a Capricorn?” Amel asked around a mouthful of something.
“Pardon me, but what was that?”
“Capricorn.”
“As I recall, his birthday is in the summer. We threw him a luau a few years back. The recipe for poi still confounds me.”
“Not his sign. A Capricorn. Real one.”
Dishes clattered, and running water obscured the rest of Amel’s answer.
“How unobservant of me not to notice that one of our friends was half-goat, half-fish,” Charly deadpanned.
“Sturgeon too. Crazy, right? Found some loophole. Argued and reasoned with a drunk pharaoh, real descendant of Horus too. Convinced him reincarnation didn’t mean dying. Serious spit and wind, that.”
“If reincarnation was the same as shape-shifting, every were-thing from here to Bjornston would have gained nirvana by now,” Charly said.
“But you know Art. Loves the mountains.”
“So he got himself new legs to go live in the mountains?”
“New face too. Don’t make everything sound so dull,” Amel sighed.
“You make everything sound more complicated than it needs to be,” Charly countered. “Speaking of which—hot plate, watch your fingers—how are we going to deal with the tracker?”
“We don’t.”
“What? You heard the kid’s story. Sold his soul. That means a Dragon will come to collect it. The house wards won’t keep a Dragon out.”
“They won’t, but no need.”
“You plan on inviting a Dragon in for tea?”
“No. Send the kids on their way. New wheels and a glamour, if you think their faces will be recognized. Nothing too far from reality, though. They hit the road, and it’s done.”
“You plan on letting our Andy go with a glamour and a car? Amel, for the love of Bast, you cannot be serious. They’ve just escaped the Earth with the help of a who-knows-what. How many skeezy peddlers of charms and potions are there in that town?”
“Too many. Cass didn’t name them?”
“Not that I remember. I was too focused on the part where the most notorious soul hunters in the world were after them. We can’t just let them go.”
“We’ll Spell-wrap them, of course. Pack them bags. Make sure they have tea and candles. I already started while they were sleeping.”
“We have to get Andy home. Miyana will go crazy if she thinks he’s dead. And that crazy will wind up on our doorstep.”
“Let her come. Better here than there, really.”
“You are much too calm about this.”
“Tea.”
“Oh.”
“Crystal too.”
“Of course.”
“Now eat before it gets cold. Your cooking deserves to be enjoyed.”
“Flatterer.”
Cass understood about half of the exchange. Maybe less, if he was honest. He was a Capricorn, but there were real Capricorns too? What was clear was that they weren’t safe here. Andy’s collar was only half the problem. He was the other half. Hunted for skipping out on his deal. By a Dragon. Even Charly sounded afraid of them.
Andy kicked in his sleep, landing his heel right in Cass’s softest spot. Cass groaned and rolled into a protective ball. Andy blinked himself awake. He had creases on his cheek from the pillow.
Charly appeared in the doorway. “Rise and shine, darlings. It’s time for work.”
Cass and Andy shuffled into the kitchen. Cass dragged a blanket with him, draping it around his shoulders and huddling into the chair. He wasn’t cold, but he didn’t want to acknowledge the world yet. Andy was smiling so widely that his eyes disappeared, and he immediately tried to help Amel with plates of fruit and eggs.
“What time is it?” Cass asked, fiddling with his fork.
“Early,” Amel answered, setting more tea on the table.
“All right, but what day is it?”
“Friday.”
“What happened to Thursday?” Andy asked.
“You slept.”
Cass and Andy looked at
Amel and then at each other. They shrugged and began to grab at the delicious-smelling food.
They ate amid benign chatter. Andy filled and emptied his plate three times.
“What? I was dead yesterday, and now I’m hungry,” he said between enormous bites. This time, they both drank their tea while it was hot, without prompting or complaint.
“So, what’s next?” Andy said. He cleared dishes from the table. He wasn’t happy until he had a plan. He needed to work hard at everything, all the time. How could Andy believe the things his dad had piled on him every day?
Charly and Amel exchanged looks that Cass tried not to notice.
“Well, we think we should help you get packed and on the road,” Charly said brightly.
Clean plates piled up on the counter. Andy’s enthusiasm for washing dishes was unwarranted, but no one wanted to stop him. “All right. I gotta call my mom. She’ll be a real hurricane if she finds out I’m gone.”
“No. They have to keep thinking you’re dead.”
“My mom thinks I’m dead?” Andy squeaked. He whipped around, water from his hands splashing Cass across the cheek.
“No. She doesn’t yet. I don’t know if anyone outside the Dome knows you’re gone yet. But for you to be safe, you have to stay dead.” Charly pulled herbs from the windowsill, laying them out in neat rows. “The Earth will know that the collar is off, of course, but they need to think you’re a corpse. And a corpse cannot call his mother. If they find you, they will re-Bond you, and we won’t have a second chance.”
“I only have the one soul,” Cass interjected.
“This is crazy. I can’t just disappear. I have to let her know I’m OK,” Andy protested. He wiped his hands on his pants and reached for a towel to dry the dishes.
“We’ll take care of that,” Amel said. “You need to leave. Get far. Even a dead collar can be tracked eventually. Plus the Dragon.”
“For how long?” Cass asked. He felt the weight of his decisions pressing him into the chair.
“Until the Earth finds another solution to collecting their debt,” Charly said.
“Until the Dragon takes your soul,” Amel added.
Cass pulled his lips between his teeth and pressed hard to keep from screaming. “Aren’t we running so that doesn’t happen?”
“Can’t run forever. It’s gonna happen. Delay as long as possible. Couple of decades if you can manage it. Live as much as you can,” Amel admitted.
“Well, blood and ash,” Andy said, turning back to wipe the pots with more force than necessary.
“Just me, Andy. You don’t have to run for long. We’ll have a little vacation. Get away and see things like we always dreamed. Then you can go get your mom. Mine, too, if you don’t mind.” Cass smiled, putting his wide, perfect teeth on display.
Andy dropped the towel on the counter and pinned Cass with a blistering glare. “You’re an idiot if you think I’m leaving you alone. You’ll get yourself murdered in your sleep.”
“I’m great with people.” Cass ran his fingers through his hair, just the way Andy would when he was being charming.
Andy crossed his arms to keep from doing the same. “You trust people way too quickly. You’ll attract every serial killer and fetish freak on the coast.”
Cass leaned in. He wanted to use every inch of his superior height to make Andy understand that he was right, but that was a cheap trick that Andy’s dad had used too often, and it never worked anyway. “Then I’ll move inland.”
“With me.”
“Andy, you can’t—”
“Gentlemen, please.” Charly placed a hand on each of them, gently bringing them back to reality, where they weren’t alone to bicker in peace. “Let’s not burden ourselves with tomorrow’s troubles, all right? Today has plenty on its own.”
Cass and Andy both clenched their jaws in identical displays of grudging assent. Amel nodded and headed out to the garden. Charly pointed toward the living room, and Cass and Andy shuffled along obediently.
The pile of magical protections was daunting. Cass sighed. So much stuff, and none of it made a bit of sense to him.
“There are juju bags in the pockets and protective runes embroidered inside every piece of clothing.” Charly cracked his knuckles and grinned. “Even the sports bras.”
Cass rolled his eyes. “Dude, it was dark. I just grabbed everything I could.”
“There is no judgment from me,” Charly said quickly. “I put some tea with instructions and a tiny collection of candles in all the colors.”
It seemed like an overwhelming amount of stuff, but the way Charly and Amel were fussing over them, Cass was sure he didn’t fully understand what they were about to do.
Their phones were untrackable. The collar was gone. The runes and magic would obscure Cass’s soul. New car. New clothes. Ready to go.
With the clothes and money from Marv, they could go about a week before they would have to find someplace to do laundry. They could sleep in the back of the van if they had to. Cass tried to think of it as an adventure.
He’d never been more than a few hours from home, and Hutchings wasn’t that exciting. The wind on these cliffs by the sea was exotic and tantalizing compared to the dull breezes at home. The salt in the air made his skin itch with the need to test his magic. What changes would being so close to the sea bring? There was never enough humidity at home to make a difference.
Andy was putting up a brave front too. He wanted to have a beach bonfire like the books talked about in the old days, when primitive people barely in touch with their Elements banded together where all four combined. Still, the way he kept rubbing the back of his neck showed that he wasn’t out from the shadow of his imprisonment yet.
“So, what? We just, you know, drive?” Cass asked.
“Don’t stay in the same place more than two nights in a row. Have fun. Enjoy the sights.” Amel was walking around Marv’s car, touching it at strategic places with a crystal. He’d driven it up from where Cass had parked it so he could give it some magical concealment or something.
“While we run for our actual lives,” Cass grumbled. Andy rubbed a hand across his shoulders. It helped soothe Cass’s jumbled nerves a little. The guilt in his gut, however, remained active and volatile.
“Exactly. You’ll hear from us as soon as we hear anything. We’ll be keeping an eye on things back in Hutchings. It’s a small enough town. Our eyes and ears should be able to find something.” Charly fussed over the backpacks. “We should have sewn sigils in here too. Amel, I’m going to—”
“No time now. They have to get going.” Amel pointed to the cliffs. Cass could hear the waves below, but the cliffs were as empty as ever. The sun was climbing in the sky, but Cass couldn’t see any reason for Amel’s sense of urgency.
Charly must have understood, though, because he sighed and pushed Andy toward the van.
“Oh, all right. But please, be safe.” He squeezed Andy’s shoulders. “I’m glad we at least get to send you off with a full stomach.”
“Save your energy for the journey. As little magic as possible. Don’t look back. We’ve got you covered.” Amel leaned over Charly’s shoulder to look Andy in the eye. Andy’s smile wavered. Cass stepped next to him and put a hand on his elbow.
“Well. It was nice to finally meet you. Again. And remember, I mean.”
The witches, for all their outward disparity, wore matching looks of paternal concern.
“It’s been quite strange for us. We’ve watched you grow, even if it was from a distance most of the time. We know you so much better than you know us, but I hope someday we can change that,” Charly said.
He adjusted the straps of the backpack on Andy’s shoulders and sniffed. He shook his head. Were those tears in Charly’s eyes? Cass didn’t want to be caught staring.
“Head north,” Amel said, pointing a freckled hand in the right direction.
“You know, I wanted to say—” Cass started, but Amel waved his hand and turned back
into the house, pushing a reluctant Charly along in front of him. “Oh. Well, so much for long goodbyes. To the north, Andy,” Cass said with false levity.
Andy took a few steps while staring at the porch. He turned to follow Cass. “Is it weird to miss them, even though I just met them?”
“As the town weirdo and descendant of the town crazy lady, I can say with confidence that from anyone else, it would be totally unrooted.” Cass opened the car door and waved Andy in. “From you, though, it makes sense. You’ve got an overly big heart. Plus, remember that you actually came here for years and didn’t remember.”
Cass adjusted the seat belt across his shoulders and started the car.
“Now, before we trade this sleek luxury sedan for whatever weird-smelling witchy van we’ll be stuck with, we have to decide some very important things. First stop on our Try Not to Die road trip: funnel cakes or ice cream?”
Business
When Reyah had exhausted her skill with technology, she began asking questions. Doing things the long way kept these jobs interesting. The manager at Starbucks had bought the “friend from out of town trying to surprise him” bit and given her the name of some friends that the target was often seen with.
She searched and questioned, but it was a fruitless day of canvasing the town looking for the trail. The last name on her list was all the way downtown.
Reyah made her way to the edge of the business district, admiring the high-rise apartments carved into the side of the mountain with stunning views of the valley. The sleek buildings of glass and metal seamlessly merged with tall, ancient trees. It was a lovely design. Reyah could appreciate the finer points of the Sharks’ most frequent and lucrative employers, even if her gut did occasionally twist at the moral gray area they most often dealt in.
This close to the heart of town, no one but the most favored Earth could afford to live, both socially and financially. A curious piece of the puzzle. Why would someone who had violated the Earth Conglomerate’s stronghold keep friends this high up unless it was to plan this?