by Jayne Hawke
"What do you want?" the waitress asked gruffly.
"Good morning!" Ash answered brightly.
I bit my bottom lip, trying not to laugh as the waitress's face crinkled and creased while she glared at him. Of course, that only encouraged Ash to turn up the bright cheeriness.
"You know, there's just so many awesome things on this menu, it was difficult to decide."
The waitress grunted.
"I'd like the full English breakfast, with extra bacon, and a pot of your darkest coffee."
The waitress scribbled something down.
"I'll have the same," I said as I handed her the menu.
The rest of the food options had consisted of eggs, which I had no doubt would be more rubber than egg, and burgers. I loved burgers too much to sully their good name by eating them at places like that.
Ash pulled out his laptop and scooted his chair around so we could both look at the screen. He opened up the newspapers that covered the Edinburgh area. Scotland was heavily populated by the fae, as was most of Ireland. The popular belief in and respect for fae hadn't receded from those lands with the rise of modernity as much as they had through England and Wales. After the fall, that gave them a stronger foothold and more stubborn outlook when it came to humans.
The headlines were all about a savage wolf that had murdered an innocent human.
My first instinct was that the human hadn't been innocent at all. Then we began reading. The reports showed that it was a rogue Fenrir wolf shifter that had killed the human.
"That can't be right," I muttered.
"Not a chance. Fenrir's wolves don't leave his lands in Scandinavia."
There were a two main varieties of shifters. Those who were cursed by fae or witches, and those created and tied to a god such as the great Norse wolf Fenrir. Generally, the cursed bloodlines were far more civilised. The gods preferred their shifters to be wild, although some of the gods created their shifter bloodlines to be guardians and protectors.
"They must be mistaken. Why would a Fenrir shifter be alone? And why go to Edinburgh?"
"I don't know, but it looks like one for us."
The waitress returning with two pots of pitch-black coffee. She placed the mugs down next to each pot and walked away without a word.
Ash poured his coffee and laughed as it practically oozed out of the pot.
"She really took the ‘dark as possible’ comment to heart."
"I'm just hoping that there's only coffee in there."
"You're such a cynic."
"I'm just saying that it wouldn't be the first time some cheap ass put potting soil or something in with the coffee grounds."
"That was one time."
"One's too many! I don't want to drink literal dirt water."
"Caffeinated dirt water," Ash said solemnly.
FOUR
The drive up to Edinburgh wasn't a short one. We estimated it'd take around about ten hours depending on traffic. Ash did the majority of the driving. Partially because he enjoyed it, and partially because that car was his baby. I settled into my seat and opened the window a crack as we set off down a winding country lane. Ash would head out onto the main motorways shortly, but I wanted to refill my vials of magic from the fresh greenery while I could.
Magic is a balancing act. A good witch never takes more than could be easily replenished. We don't have magic of our own, not really. Witches have a spark within us that allows us to feel and manipulate the magic out in the world. Some witches can store some of that magic within themselves for a few days, but personally I preferred to keep it external. It took focus to maintain the magic within yourself in a state that kept it usable when you needed it. Putting it into a vial, or even better a charm, kept it pure and untangled.
Closing my eyes, I reached out with my mind and felt the myriad of threads as we passed by the tall hedgerows and the pale sunlight cutting through the thin clouds overhead. Holding a delicate vial in my hand, I focused on the broad almost translucent ribbons lying within the trees that interspersed the thick hedgerows. Gently tugging and teasing, I pulled some of those ribbons, pure plant-based life magic, and squeezed them into the vial. That life magic would help us heal the next time we needed it. I liked to keep some of it in vials. The rest would go into health potions that acted a little slower but took less magic and were good for everyday things.
Next came the sunlight, which was barely threads at all. The magic was so delicate and fine it took a lot of practise to hold onto it and work with it. Slowing my breathing, I allowed myself to be slow and careful as I pushed the almost cotton-candy-like magic into the next vial. The sunlight would give us a touch of energy or light when we needed it. A lot of cafes offered coffee with a splash of sunlight to brighten people and give them a small boost to face the day with.
I opened my eyes and looked down at the satchel by my feet, seeing what else we needed to stock back up on. It made sense to do something useful with the long journeys. We were running low on moonlight, but that would have to wait. I hoped to get a good bit of it during the next full moon. The magic was much stronger with the full moon, although there were uses for the new moon. One day, I wanted to try the fae moon shine. The fae were said to have entire meadows devoted to collecting the moon beams and starlight on their plane. I knew that the high-end bars served both of them, as they had pleasant intoxicating effects. Of course, such things were far out of our reach.
Ash had put on the rock station and was singing along to a familiar song with a grin on his face. He was never happier than when he was behind the wheel with a good song on. I couldn't help but smile. His happiness was contagious. His pale-green eyes met mine, and a soft warmth spread through me. There were far worse men to be partnered with.
Edinburgh wasn't far, but the landscape had changed drastically since we were in the Midlands. I'd managed to book an apartment via a website for people like us. It was on the edge of Leith, which meant it was dirt cheap. No one in their right mind stepped foot in Leith.
I'd made contact with the bounty hunter, Jack, who'd been given the rogue wolf shifter case. Jack hadn't wanted to speak much on the phone, but we'd arranged to meet at his headquarters, where we could discuss what he knew of the case so far. It wasn't unusual for knights to step in and take cases from bounty hunters. The hunters were frequently the first ones called into a scene, as there were far fewer knights. Jack seemed to be ok with us taking the case, which was useful as I hated pulling rank. I got it, I was taking money out of his pocket as he'd have been paid for taking out whatever was behind it, but I had a job to do, too.
The city, like so many fae cities, was surrounded by a dense forest full of broad-trunked trees ranging from ancient-looking oaks to far more wild trees with brilliant blue or deep black bark. Shifters had mostly claimed the forests around Edinburgh and the open moorland that sprawled out beyond the forest. If I remembered correctly, there wasn't much of a human population in Edinburgh. There were students and handfuls of rich and wealthy humans, but it was mostly a supernatural city. I suspected that was because Edinburgh was Lord Ryn's home base.
Ryn was the elf who effectively ruled the entire Fae Isles. He was the most powerful and well connected of the fae. His businesses sprawled throughout the Isles and stretched out into the rest of the world. The fae weren't born into power, they fought for it. Ryn had held the position above the rest of the lords and ladies for centuries, and it didn't look like he'd be losing the position any time soon.
Ash slowed as we started heading into the old city. It was a beautiful sight full of watercolour tones, soft greys, and creams that caught the pale sunlight. It had been a couple of years since I'd been to Edinburgh, and I found that I'd missed the place. I reached out with my senses and felt the wilder magic that was the norm for Scotland. There was a feral edge to everything there, a sharpness that made it all feel as though it might bite back if you caught it wrong.
Jack's headquarters were in Fountainbridge, a traditionally stu
dent-y neighbourhood due to the two universities there. The area wasn't the prettiest in the city, but it was well kept and safe enough for those wandering around drunk at three in the morning. Ash turned down a narrower road and brought us into Fountainbridge. The old cream houses lined up along the road in neat little rows. Terrace housing had always seemed like a nightmare to me. Having neighbours sharing a wall with you on either side sent shivers down my spine. Still, the houses were cheap enough and students often crammed into them not concerning themselves too much with having any real space.
We pulled up in front of a short squat building made of deep red brick making it stand out against the traditional soft greys and creams. The windows were small square affairs set back into the walls, and every car parked in the car park out front was black. So, they weren't being all that subtle about their business.
FIVE
We got out of the car dressed in our usual jeans and long-sleeved shirts. Knives hung at my hips while Ash had his various guns, some in view, some not. We were walking into a bounty hunter headquarters. They'd eat us alive if we rocked up in suits. I led the way. Being a small woman didn't mean that I was weak or that I was going to let Ash walk ahead of me for the rest of my life.
The building appeared to ripple slightly when we walked through their security check. I reflexively reached my mind out to see exactly what they were using. The threads of magic were connected much like a fisherman's net. There were holes there, but it had been woven so that anyone who tried to exploit them got the full brunt of the punishment built into the system. The main purpose of the system was to check intent. Anyone who tried to get in with desires to harm the bounty hunters would find themselves fried. Simple and effective.
I opened the door and strode down the broad hallway with polished concrete floor and off-white walls. It was like so many others. I wondered if there was an interior designer that all the bounty hunter groups used. The door just before the big double doors at the end opened, and a brawny red-headed guy with violet eyes looked us up and down.
"You the knights?"
"Nah, we're tourists hitting the hot spots," Ash said.
The red head narrowed his eyes. Ash had that effect on guys.
"I'm Rowan, this is Ash," I said.
"Jack. Come on, there's paperwork."
Jack stepped back into the office and we followed.
"I love what you've done with the place," Ash said as he looked around.
Three of the walls were bare cinder blocks, the one at the back stark white with a single photo on it - that of a bear shifter knocked out cold with a small trickle of blood coming out of his mouth, bear ears still protruding from his short dark hair. It was almost artistic in a cold and dark way.
Jack ignored Ash and settled himself down behind the simple metal desk.
"Alright, so you need to fill in this Form 8f to say that you're taking the case and the company isn't responsible for any deaths the perpetrator causes from here on out. Then you'll need to sign this Form 7a to say that you're not going to sue the company or go running to the fae if it turns out that it's one of our people behind all of this."
"You're filling me with confidence over here," Ash said as he pulled the forms towards him.
He had a point. The fact the company had a form to deal with the situation of one of their own being behind the problem was a little concerning. Or overly pragmatic.
"The job looks like it's already closed to me. I've been paid for taking out the shifter. I might be around to answer questions if you really need it," Jack said.
Such a helpful soul.
"Thanks. Are you sure it was a Fenrir shifter?" I asked as I filled out my portion of the form.
"It was huge, had some weird rune thing on its front leg, looked like a Fenrir shifter to me."
"Have you looked into why a Fenrir shifter would be here? And why alone?" I asked before Ash could make another snarky comment.
"Nope. He's dead. Body will be cremated tomorrow morning."
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to smile politely. We needed to remain on good terms with the bounty hunters.
"We'll need to see the body and the scene."
"The scene's been scrubbed clean. No one wants a pool of blood hanging around longer than necessary. We don't have many witches in the city, but there are plenty of other beings who'd like some blood."
"Did you take photos?"
"Why would I take photos? My job's to kill the bad guy putting people of this city at risk."
"Of course. And where is the body now?"
"In the morgue. We would normally have disposed of it by now. You called us just in time."
Jack stood up and flexed his arms as he looked at Ash. He was an imposing guy. Given the violet eyes, he had a bit of fae in him. My bet was red cap given the broad and muscular build. Ash wasn't small standing at 6'2. He grinned up at Jack with all the assurance of someone who knew they could have anyone they wanted in their bed.
"I have a bottle of whisky waiting for me, so if we could get this moving," Jack said.
"After you," Ash said.
We followed Jack down the wide hallway through two sets of heavy doors before we went down into the basement where the bodies were kept. It wasn't often that bounty hunters kept bodies, but shifters liked to handle the burial of their own. Some fae got very protective over their dead, too. It was best to have the facilities ready just in case.
The man lay haphazardly on the metal table as though he'd been thrown there. Given Jack's attitude, I wouldn't have been surprised if he had.
"Don't do anything hinky with him, it'll come out of my hide. Let yourselves out."
"Well, he's dedicated to his job," Ash said sarcastically.
We approached the man's body and tried to discern any important marks or clues. Jack had mentioned a ‘rune thing’ on what would be his forearm in his human form.
"It's weird that he's in his human form if he's one of Fenrir's," I said.
"He's not one of Fenrir's. We knew that before we got into the city. They just can't be arsed to do any leg work," Ash said.
Fenrir's wolves were practically wild wolves stuck in human skins and couldn't shift unless Fenrir himself allowed it, but if they were in wolf form when they died, they stayed that way, and reports had said a wolf had attacked the human.
Ash pulled on some gloves and began slowly inspecting the body while I reached out checking for any form of magic. The vast majority of magic fled the body the moment it died, but sometimes a little lingered for a few hours afterwards. Witches with a talent for death magic could make good use of that. I wasn't one of them. I mentally reached deep inside the dead man's chest cavity searching for anything that might have been a clue. I felt the imprint of a wolf, which showed he was a wolf shifter, so they at least got that right.
I was ready to call it quits when I felt a tiny black barb near the nape of the man's neck. Ash was checking the man's feet and ankles, so I gently lifted his head to see if there was a physical mark there. Nothing. The magic was degrading by the second. I couldn't get a signature or feel on its purpose. Still, I made a note about its presence in my notebook. It was worth looking into and considering.
"The ‘rune thing’, as Jack so eloquently put it, was just a standard shifter tattoo. It was a sigil to smooth out his bond with the moon," Ash said as he held up the man's forearm.
The sharp harsh lines were intersected by a crescent moon. Many shifters had a similar tattoo to make their lives a little easier. It was rare that they were forced to shift by the moon, but it still tugged at them. The sigil helped ease that, allowing to live a life of their own choosing.
In short, it was a dead end.
SIX
"Do you know what this situation needs?" Ash asked.
I knew what was coming, but I had to indulge him.
"What?"
"Fish 'n' chips," he said with a broad grin.
We couldn't have a trip to one of the coastal towns and
cities without at least one portion of fish 'n' chips. It was a traditional food, and I had to admit that it brought a spark of happiness with it.
We got back into the car, and the rock music came on with the engine. Ash turned it down so we could talk.
"This case doesn't add up, and we've been here five minutes," Ash said.
"I have a feeling it's going to be one of those. I just hope we're not going to be dragged into fae politics, especially in Ryn's stomping grounds."
The knights operated outside of the fae laws and territorial jurisdictions, but that didn't mean the Lords and Ladies couldn't kill us if they decided we’d become too much of a nuisance. The simple fact of the matter was that each of them was at least a few centuries old and very powerful, politically and magically speaking. I was good at what I did, but what I did was take down morons who tried to make new supernaturals and rogue red caps. That was a whole different league.
"Did you hear about the asshole who's forming a supernatural zoo over in Greece?"
"Oh, come on, seriously? As in a zoo where supernaturals are kept?"
"Yup. People might say the fae are vicious predators, but they have their upsides. Something like that would never fly here."
I had to admit that what I heard from the god-touched territories was often unpleasant. The gods had come out of the shadows at the same time the fae did, except where the fae can walk on the Earth plane, the gods are locked on the god plane. So, they created the god touched, hand-picked humans who had some of the god's magic and acted in the god's best interests on the Earth plane.
"Which god touched runs the area the zoo's in?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Dionysus, I think."
"I'm sure the zoo will fit in just fine with the maenads," I said drily.
Maenads were worshippers of Dionysus who took things a little too far. They got very drunk on whatever alcohol Dionysus provided, then went on a cannibalistic spree killing and eating anything that could be considered meat based. Usually they started deep in the forests with bunnies and deer, but they inevitably ended up in the towns and attacked people. I didn't envy the knights and bounty hunters that had to take down a group of those bitches.