by Linsey Hall
“I’m going to get him back,” I said.
Aidan’s hand gripped my own. Warmth filled my chest at the support.
“That doesn’t answer my question. Who are you?” The ferocity in the guard’s dark eyes cut me to ribbons.
“Friends of Dr. Garriso’s,” Aidan said. “We were in his office when we heard the fight.”
“I didn’t ask who you were to Dr. Garriso, I asked who you were,” he barked.
Aidan grinned. “Well, why didn’t you just say so? I’m Aidan Merrick.”
The guard’s gaze flew wide, startled. A gleam of sweat shined on his brow, the fastest flop-sweat I’d ever seen.
“Origin. I—I didn’t realize.”
I raised a brow. As far as I knew, only Shifters held that level of reverence for the most powerful of their kind. This guy was all Magica, though. It’s not that Magica didn’t respect Shifters, it was just that we were different. Magica used magic, whereas Shifters were magic. We were so different that we had our own governments and everything. The Order of the Magica ruled the magic users, and the Shifter Council ruled the Shifters.
Aidan nodded graciously at the guard, and I made a mental note to ask what the deal was. Was he a big donor at the museum or something? He was rich as twelve dragons.
The third guard entered the room, slipping a cellphone into his pocket as he walked.
“Administration is coming,” he said. “Be here in five.”
“Damn it!” The guard who’d interrogated us grimaced. “What the hell were those idiots thinking? You can’t steal from here.”
Which explained the guards’ lackluster showing against the thieves. Magic ensured that nothing could leave the museum’s walls, so the guards had gotten lazy. The protections were why I’d felt comfortable bringing the Chalice of Youth here for Dr. Garriso to look at before handing it over to Aidan for safekeeping. I hadn’t anticipated this.
“What could they have been after in this room?” I asked.
The guard shrugged. “Same old stuff as in every other room.”
“Old stuff? What are you, a troglodyte? This is our history! This stuff means something! It means a hell of a lot.”
The guard stepped back, his hands raised. “Whoa, chill lady.”
“Did you just tell me to chill? As in, calm down? When in the history of ever has that worked?”
He sputtered, but was cut off by the arrival of the museum administration. I didn’t know what I’d expected—hadn’t thought of it, really—but the people who walked in were far from the tweedy old nerds I’d imagined.
The two women and two men, all of them tall and thin and dressed entirely in black, looked like hawks. As they approached, their sharp eyes assessed the room, the shattered amphora that Dr. Garriso had tried to save, and the portal.
The head guard cleared his throat. “Madams and—”
The severest looking woman held up a thin hand. The guard’s mouth snapped shut, and he appeared to wilt. The four approached the portal, their gazes darting around it. The sharp woman reached out to touch it. Her hand stopped, no doubt blocked as mine had been.
She turned, her gaze sweeping over the room. She wasn’t my boss but even I felt a little anxious about her appraisal.
“They took nothing,” she said.
“No, Madam Astrix,” the guard said.
“But the portal remains. Why?”
“We don’t know,” the guard said.
“But it sucked in Dr. Garriso.” I clenched my fists.
Her eyes widened. “How?”
My heart squeezed in my chest. I was at fault. Not that I’d admit it to her, though. “An amphora was falling off a table. He tried to save it and got too close to the portal.”
She shook her head, her gaze grim. “Always thinking of history first.”
“We have to get him out.”
Madam Astrix nodded sharply. The three who stood partially behind her nodded as well, a mirror image of their leader.
“We will call the Order of the Magica. They will send investigators.” She turned to the man on her left. “See that it’s done.”
He nodded and walked away. My heart thudded, threatening to break my ribs. investigators from the Order of the Magica? Sweat prickled my skin. The investigators were like the magical international super police—trained to carry out the Order’s will and see to it that all laws were followed.
Like imprisoning FireSouls.
I’d never met an investigator before, and it’d sure as hell been on purpose. They were beyond qualified for their work, and I’d always been terrified they’d sniff me out.
Madam Astrix’s eyes fell on Aidan. “Mr. Merrick. It is good to see you, but may I enquire as to why you are here?”
“We were seeing Dr. Garriso about an object when we heard the commotion from the break in.”
“Thank you for intervening. They couldn’t have stolen anything, but I’d hate to have seen anything else broken.” Her gaze traveled around the room, landing on the shattered amphora. “Stupid thieves. Didn’t they know it’s impossible to steal from us?”
“It seems not,” Aidan said. He glanced over his shoulder at the guard leaving the room, then turned back to her. “We will leave you to it.”
“Again, thank you for your help,” Madam Astrix said.
“Absolutely,” Aidan said.
“And please let me know if there is anything we can do to help,” I said.
“I’m sure the investigators will have it under control.”
Maybe, but I wasn’t about to be kept in the dark. As much as I wanted to stay the hell away from the investigators, it was my fault Dr. Garriso had fallen into the portal. I’d see to it he got out.
I was just about to ask for more information when Aidan gripped my arm and tugged gently, but determinedly. I suppressed my scowl and walked from the exhibit with him. As soon as we turned the corner and were out of Madam Astrix’s eyesight, Aidan stopped, his posture alert. I could almost see his ears twitching.
“I assume we’re not just leaving this alone, right? You know I need to make sure the Order of the Magica gets him back.”
“Of course. The guard went left,” he murmured, then set off that way.
I grinned, suddenly getting it.
“We’re going to bribe him for info about the investigators, aren’t we?” I asked as we strode through the nearly dark exhibit of ancient armor. The elaborate metal work gleamed dully in the minimal light.
“Absolutely,” Aidan said.
“I like how you think.”
“Likewise.”
“And you make a good sidekick.”
“Sidekick? I thought I was Batman and you were Robin?”
I punched him lightly. “Maybe. But then I get to be Wonder Woman.”
We found the guard at the eastern exit, leaning against the wall outside, having a smoke. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the night was cool. The orange tip of his cigarette glowed in the dark. His annoyed gaze met ours. It wasn’t the same angry guard, but rather the one who’d called administration.
“Yeah?” he said as we approached. His gaze widened when we stepped under the light. “Origin.”
“Yes,” Aidan said.
The man bowed low. I reached out for his power, getting a hint of animal musk and the sound of wind through the tress. A Shifter. Good. That’d make this easier.
“What can I do for you?” the guard asked.
“How’d you like to make a quick buck?” Aidan pulled a wad of cash out of an envelope.
He nodded eagerly. “To help you, sure. What do you need?”
“Let us know when the Order of the Magica arrives.”
“All right.” The guard’s gaze was avid on the cash, then fearful on Aidan.
“And don’t tell anyone we’re interested,” Aidan said.
“Of course.”
“Excellent. And I’m sure you know what will happen if you don’t stick to your agreement?” Aidan asked.
“Good man.” Aidan handed him the wad of cash. “My business card is there too. Call when you know something.”
He nodded and we left, walking quickly through the dark night toward my car.
“That was smart,” I said. “I want to come back and spy on the investigators.”
“I thought you might. You’ve got good control of your magic signature, but it’s not what it could be. You’re fine around most other supernaturals by now, but no need to court trouble by meeting the investigators directly.”
“And they wouldn’t tell us anything useful. I’d rather have the information flowing from them to us rather than the other way around.” But it warmed me that Aidan’s first concern had been my safety.
Every supernatural gave off a magical signature—it could hit any of the five senses. Sometimes multiple. To me, Aidan’s magic smelled like the forest, sounded like crashing waves, and tasted like chocolate. It took a strong supernatural to hide their signature. Though I was strong, I wasn’t practiced.
I’d been hiding as a FireSoul so long that I’d only recently embraced using my magic. Though I’d learned to repress a lot of my signature, the investigators were trained to hunt my kind. It was way too risky to face them directly. My last run-in with a supernatural government—the Alpha Council—hadn’t gone well. One of their own had discovered what I was. He was keeping my secret, but I couldn’t count on the same leniency from the Order of the Magica investigators.
Aidan and I climbed into my old car. I turned the key, grateful to hear the engine crank to life.
“What if they weren’t at the museum to steal something?” I asked as I navigated onto the street.
“I was wondering that,” he said. “It’s not exactly a secret that it’s impossible to steal from the Museum of Magical History.”
“Think they were after Dr. Garriso?”
“Could have been. He’s a knowledgeable guy. Knowledge is powerful.”
I clenched my hands on the steering wheel. If that was the case, I’d given him right over to them with my cockiness with the icicle. I sucked in a ragged breath.
“It’s not your fault, Cass.” Aidan gripped my thigh in a comforting squeeze.
How did he know so well what I was thinking?
Our arrival at Factory Row saved me from having to answer. I pulled my car into its usual spot along the street and turned the key.
“We’re going to need a way to sneak up on the investigators,” I said. “Let’s see if Connor has anything to help us out.”
Aidan’s solemn gaze met mine, but I scrambled out before he could say anything. I wasn’t going to be stupid and throw away whatever good thing I had with him by clamming up totally, but I didn’t want to talk about my guilt right now. That would end up feeling like therapy, and I didn’t have the time.
Aidan grabbed my hand as we crossed the street toward P & P. I squeezed, grateful for his presence. His patience.
Dark had fallen while we were driving home, and the windows of P & P glowed with warm yellow light. There were a couple patrons sitting at one of the many small tables, but it was the sight of my two deirfiúr, sitting in our favored comfy armchairs in the corner, that made me smile.
Del was back.
I hurried ahead, pushing through the door before Aidan could try something silly like holding it open for me.
I caught Connor’s eye from behind the counter and nodded my head toward Del and Nix. A signal that I wanted to talk.
“Be there in a few,” he said as he stirred a drink.
“Thanks.” I glanced over at Aidan, who’d just entered.
“I’m going to see if Connor has any pasties in the back. Better to go back to the museum with some fuel in our stomachs.”
“Thanks. Good thinking, but ask Bridget.” I nodded toward the blond girl who sometimes worked the counter when Claire was on mercenary jobs. “I want to talk to Connor when he’s free.”
“Sure.” He headed toward the counter, his tall form commanding the attention of the other patrons.
I turned to approach Del and Nix. “Del! You’re back. You get your guy?”
“Better believe it.” She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “He put up a fight, but he’s back in his hell now.”
“Good.” I flicked a hand over the sleeve of her black leather jacket. I favored brown, but Del was all about the black. “You got some blood there.”
“Life of a demon slayer.”
“Badass.” I grinned, but everything that had happened recently wiped it off my face.
Del’s eyes turned serious. “Nix told me about the two Tracker demons who came looking for us earlier today.”
“Yeah. But we got them.”
“The Monster had to have sent them,” Del said.
My stomach turned at the mention of the shadowy man who haunted my memories and nightmares.
“Not for us necessarily,” Nix whispered. She glanced at the other patrons, clearly trying to judge if they could hear us.
Fortunately, they got up to go, making their way to the exit, too slowly for my liking. When the door shut behind them, Nix turned back.
“The Monster is hunting FireSouls. All FireSouls. Some seer told him there are some here, but not us specifically. And our charms hide us.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” I said. “But it’s still no good if he’s sniffing around.”
“If he sends more scouts, we kill them. And if he doesn’t know it’s us who live here, he might give up and look for others.”
“Maybe.” The Monster was hunting FireSouls, enslaving them to use for unknown purposes. We didn’t know what his end goal was, just that we didn’t want to get caught.
Connor approached from the counter, a grin on his face. “What can I get you?”
Relieved, I turned to face him. “Not coffee. We need something a little more interesting.”
Connor’s dark brow quirked. “I’ll have a seat, then. Claire’s off on a job, but Bridget can watch the counter.”
Connor sat as Aidan approached, a plate of pasties in his hand. My stomach grumbled at the smell of the savory treats. Claire and Conner were from Cornwall, in England, and had brought the Cornish Pasty, the most famous treat from their homeland, along with them. It was a specialty of the P & P. I had one in my mouth before the plate hit the little table in the center of our circle of chairs.
“Thanks,” I mumbled around a bite of beef, potato, and flaky crust. Aidan always knew when to feed me. How had I gotten so lucky? And how had we not had time for more than a brief cuddle and kiss?
Connor tugged his chair closer and spoke softly. “What is it you need?”
Oh, right. That was why. Things were always chasing me or my friends lately. My life had been dangerous before, but ever since the Monster had reappeared a month ago, his agenda uncertain, things had been crazy.
I swallowed my mouthful and spoke. “We need something that will allow us to sneak up on someone. Like an invisibility potion or a glamour charm or something.”
He nodded. “Invisibility potion, I can do. What do you need it for?”
I shrank in on myself a bit. I didn’t mind admitting when I’d done wrong, but admitting to recklessness that had put a friend’s life at risk was way harder than confessing to my normal blunders.
But I sucked in a deep breath and told them all about Dr. Garriso and what had happened at the museum with the errant icicle. I showed them the photo I’d taken of the fallen thief, but they didn’t recognize his species. No surprise, really, since he looked human.
I finished by saying, “So we think they were possibly after him. And now we’re just waiting for a call that’ll tell us the investigators have arrived. I want to make sure they’re doing a good enough job, and if they’re not, we’re going to do it for them. I can’t just walk away from this.”
“‘Course not,” Del said.
“A blo
cked portal, huh?” Nix said. “Never heard of one of those. Kinda goes against everything they’re supposed to be.”
“Yeah,” Del said. “It’s either a hole in space or it’s not. A hole that leads nowhere isn’t exactly a hole.”
“Maybe it’s a closed door,” I said.
“That we can’t open,” Aidan said.
“Then we figure out how—”
Aidan’s phone buzzed, cutting me off.
He pulled it from his pocket and stepped away.
Connor rose. “I’m going to go see what I can do about an invisibility potion.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
Connor walked toward the back as Del leaned in and whispered, “How’re you doing? Nix mentioned you had a little, uh, episode earlier with the demons who were looking for us.”
An image of the white flame flickering across my skin flashed in my mind. The driving urge to steal the demon’s power spiked within me, a ghostly memory. Nausea rolled in my belly. I’d almost stolen the one’s power without even meaning to.
I glanced away, unable to look at Del. She and Nix had never had this problem. They’d resisted for years without effort. What made me so different?
“Uh, yeah. But it was nothing. I’ve got it under control.”
“You sure?”
I cringed at the concern in Del’s voice. “Yeah. If I didn’t, I’d tell you.”
And I would. Eventually. I just didn’t want to talk about it now, so I reached for her hand and squeezed it. Nix’s gaze met mine over Del’s shoulder. The concern in Del’s voice was mirrored in Nix’s eyes.
Aidan returned. My shoulders relaxed. I didn’t like having that kind of concerned attention. Praise and compliments, sure, but concern? Nope. I’d rather hang back along the sides while that was going around, thanks very much.
“Well?” I asked.
Aidan stopped before my chair, looming overhead. He was over six feet, a real bruiser of a guy. But that was one of the things I liked about him.
“The Order of the Magica investigators will be there in an hour to inspect the portal,” he said.
“All right. Now we need a way back in.”