“I’m really starting to hate you,” I said, scowling. “If Dad doesn’t threaten to kill me, and you swear you’ll behave and not try to destroy my home, anyone I know and care about, or the world, I’ll strongly consider allowing Xantos to visit you.”
“I calculated the probability you would take the fun out of this before I responded to Xantos,” replied Maekyl. “It’s worth the restrictions. I agree to your terms.”
“Great. Now you’d better hope my father doesn’t decide to kill you. Again. Or me, for that matter.” I held my hand out and willed my phone to appear. I looked at his glowing eyes. “Hopefully, he and Mom have forgiven you for my Lady of Death years.”
“They should thank me for making their daughter a legend,” countered Maekyl.
“You made me infamous and the biggest threat to anything undead.” It really had been a fun time, though it had only lasted a couple of decades. I knew my parents wouldn’t agree. “One more question before I call Dad.” Maekyl sighed and rolled his eyes. I took it as acquiescence and asked, “What does ‘dahnri’ mean? I’ve heard it used—even used it myself—but I still don’t know what exactly it means.”
“That’s simple,” Maekyl replied in his usual, bored tone. “It means ‘outcast’ or ‘albino.’ In the docelfar, or dark elf, society of Xantos’ realm, he’s considered an albino because of his coloring. The dark elves in his world have white skin and hair and blazing, orange eyes.” Maekyl chuckled. “His name is spoken in fear because he’s a renowned warlord and necromancer. Even though his society is ruled by women, he has a title and power, and there isn’t a matriarch willing to take him on because of this power and his control of Magick.” The undead dragon sighed and said in a dreamy voice, “He made the centuries of my life interesting.”
“You sound like a school girl who’s talking about her teen-idol crush,” I teased.
Maekyl’s glowing eyes twinkled slyly. “And you aren’t the least bit intrigued or enticed by him, my lovely Lady of Death?”
I laughed as I dialed my father’s number. “Point taken. Don’t be surprised if Dad doesn’t answer, since he was at Nick’s judgment.”
“Consider me holding my breath in anticipation,” Maekyl retorted.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Dad! I have a quick question. Maekyl has been in contact with Xantos. The two of them want visitation rights. Would that be a Very Bad Idea, or is it okay?” I tried to keep my voice cheerful, but deep down, I felt my dread growing quickly.
“I must have misheard you. Did you just say Maekyl has been in contact with Xantos?” Dad asked, slowly and deliberately.
Sighing, I slumped more in my chair. “Yep. You heard right, Dad. He said he can contact the elf without anyone’s permission. He’s…bored.”
“Oh.” He sounded stunned. “You learned about this because Maekyl told you?”
“Not exactly.” I glowered at the skull. Somehow, he managed to have a smug expression. “Xantos dropped by, asking to buy him.”
I heard a small groan, and I could picture my father pinching the bridge of his nose with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. That was his go-to gesture when something nerve wracking was ahead of him.
“Those two…bloody troublemakers…were civil about this?” he finally asked.
“Yes. Maekyl even agreed to avoid destroying the world, my house, or the people I know and care about. I suspect they’ve been plotting for a while, Dad.” It was impossible not to sound at least a little defeated. “At least Maekyl isn’t trying to convince me to reclaim any of my old titles or create new ones.”
Yet. I wondered what the ancient leiche and the dark elf had planned. I suspected I wasn’t going to like it.
“There is nothing in ancient law that says you have to grant or deny this.” Dad also sounded a little defeated. “It’s your call as to whether you want to deal with those two in your home or at all. Regardless of what you decide, I’ve got your back. Also, tell Maekyl I still know the path to the most active volcano in Hawaii.”
I snickered. Maekyl gulped and appeared considerably less smug. I still wasn’t sold on the idea. “Do you think Xantos would follow traditional guesting laws?”
“I don’t know. I am certain, though, that Xantos knows every loophole in the traditional guesting laws, and he likely created most of them,” Father said. “However, until and unless he is disrespectful or unreasonable, or moves against you…” He trailed off before continuing. “Aw, hell, Cat, you’ll probably learn a lot listening to him.”
“Yeah, I kinda guessed that,” I said with a sudden grin. “He’s the only necromancer I’ve ever met who is better than me.” That wasn’t conceit; it was truth. “I’d love to learn from him, but I’m also afraid. Talk about a quandary!”
“Life’s quandaries only end at death,” Dad replied. “Good luck, dear.”
“Thanks, Dad. Love you,” I said.
I ended the call and turned to Maekyl. “Fine. I’ll discuss the provisions with Xantos. Depending on his reaction and replies, I’ll agree to his visiting, I guess.” I stood and added, “You make me regret this, and I’ll help Dad throw you into the volcano.”
“Understood,” Maekyl said quietly.
“I’m going to go change into something more comfortable. How about we work on the wards? Before you ask, yes, I’m taking you upstairs. Just don’t torment the furniture like you did the last time, okay?”
Maekyl grinned broadly. He sounded far more enthused and excited than I’d heard in a long time. “Deal! We can discuss the Eye of Amon while we work. I seem to have remembered a few more details.”
“Starting with the fact that Xantos helped make it?” I asked dryly.
“That is a good starting point,” he replied cheerfully. “Now, go change so we can replace your wards with something better.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I retorted as I headed for the stairs. “I’ll see you shortly.”
Looking over my shoulder at him as I ascended the stairs, I realized that maybe I had been boring over the past decades. I hadn’t been living, only existing. When had that happened? I wondered. What had caused me to withdraw so much that I ignored everything around me?
Oh. Right. Nick had happened. I’d allowed myself to believe I loved him, and he had betrayed me. After dumping his sorry ass, I turned my back not just on men, but on everything. Ah, well. I’d sulked and hidden away long enough. Even if my crappy life had precipitated Maekyl’s conniving and scheming with Xantos, I couldn’t really hate him for it.
Xantos was a necromancer of legend and lore. Even my father had said I could learn a lot from him. But I was starting to wonder if Maekyl wanted to repeat my glory days, and this was just the precursor to that happening. Those thoughts, however, were for another time. Right now, I wanted to change into something comfy.
Sometimes, only an over-sized t-shirt and soft bottoms will do. A few minutes later I was sporting the most colorful ensemble I had: fuzzy purple pajama pants and a Kansas shirt from their first American tour.
I grabbed a candy bar and headed to the basement. The candy bar would do until I made some lunch, which would be after we finished replacing the wards. My wards took precedence over searching for the amulet and missing fae. And Maekyl’s offer of more information that might help me locate it could keep me from running around on a wild goose chase.
* * * * *
Chapter Fourteen
After a quick lunch, I searched the Internet for information on the companies we hadn’t, yet, investigated. Thankfully, Copper Wyvern and Elfwagon were located near downtown Staunton. Copper Wyvern sold jewelry made from copper and semi-precious jewels as well as blown glass items. Elfwagon did photography and “entertainment.” Their website listed directing, video editing, and prop rental.
The businesses were within two city blocks of each other, so I could visit both with no problem. I took a few minutes to gather some needed items and my car keys.
I wore a black, under-bust cor
set with black brocade over a burgundy blouse and a black skirt that stopped just above my knees. I donned my favorite pair of black, heeled sandals to complete the outfit. The look was perfect for my usual work clothes but wouldn’t be too odd, aside from the corset, for a casual day out shopping.
Having lived through the Victorian era, I’d developed a deep-seated love for the clothing from that time period. Thankfully, it wasn’t too difficult to find good corsets, and it was unusual to find me not wearing one.
I parked at the Wharf, which was a huge parking lot surrounded by a few roads and a lot of buildings. The parking lot was connected to a strip of historic buildings. Behind it was the train station and more shops. To one side was the courthouse; to the other was a mish-mash of shops, churches, and apartments. Opposite the Wharf was Downtown Staunton. It included several churches, banks, a funeral home, and a lot of shops. There was also a college, but that was on the other side.
The place I was looking for was in the shops connected to the Wharf. It wasn’t majestic or overtly elegant. The door bore the name of the company, business hours, a website URL and a phone number, along with a sign that stated they were open. Inside was a very tiny lobby with a pair of bathrooms straight ahead. The door for the entertainment section was to the right, and the one for the photo studio was to the left. I could see a set of stairs leading to the upper half of the building. Since there was a “by appointment only” sign on the door to the right, I went left.
The door chimed as I entered and headed up the stairs. At the top was a curved counter, behind which were shelves showcasing a variety of photographs. They weren’t family photos or senior portraits, either. There were maternity, cosplay, and even fashion and editorial shots.
“Be right with you!” a female voice called from somewhere ahead.
Following the curved counter, I found myself in a large, open area, with photographic scenes and portrait set ups. Backdrops were hung at each, with props for holiday, beach, and bedroom scenes, and even a living room set with a fireplace. At the opposite end of the studio space, a short set of stairs led to a walled-in area the size of an office. The door opened, and a woman stepped out. Before she closed the door behind her, I caught a glimpse of a large desk with a computer, printer, and two cameras on it.
The woman stood five-and-a-half feet tall, and was wearing black slacks, a v-necked pullover, and black military boots. Her hair was straight and black, and flowed over her shoulders. She had pale skin, full lips, and brown eyes, and she was girl-next-door-pretty, if you lived next door to the Addams family. Small earthen symbols were tattooed on the back of her hands. Primal, vital energy rippled from her in gentle waves. She smiled, showing slightly large but even teeth.
“Hey there! How can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Catherine Woulfe,” I replied cheerfully. I kept my hands in sight. Most who knew Magick were aware hidden hands could do all sorts of things, and I didn’t have the most benign reputation.
“Seriously?” The woman’s smile grew, unexpectedly, bigger. “That’s awesome! I’m a fan! Name is Mysti. It’s so fucking cool to meet you.”
I offered her my hand, a smile breaking across my face. “Nice to meet you, Mysti.” She shook my hand, and I suspected it would be a while before she washed it. “I’ve been hired to locate an object, and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions regarding a company you’ve used. Universal Manpower?”
“Sure, whatever you’d like,” Mysti said and leaned in. “Mind if I ask you a few questions after that?”
“Certainly,” I replied easily. Mysti grinned, and I found myself thinking back to when I was still a young girl talking to my mother’s sages. This girl was young, probably not even a hundred. Besides, it wasn’t often someone told me they were a fan. “What did you use the company for?”
“I don’t know where you get your spell ingredients from, or where you store them,” she began. “I have to have them delivered here and can only take them with me when I’ve got the proper space at home or where my altar is. Not too long ago, someone started breaking in and stealing my stuff! Not the studio stuff, although they took a green screen and some small lights to make it look like a standard robbery or prank. But they hit my herbs and extractions—all the stuff with a real purpose.
“So, anyway, when I ordered replacements for everything,” Mysti continued, “I wanted to make sure my shit was secure, ya know?” I nodded my understanding, and she went on. “I hired Universal to put some watch dogs on my studio for a week. That way, the sentries were in place before the shipment arrived, and they were here to see the stuff got to my home safely.”
“Did you find out who was stealing from you?” I asked, intrigued.
“The company gave me a short list of names and photographs of those who kept coming around at odd times, and I’m slowly cursing each one to see who winds up with festering boils,” Mysti explained with obviously glee.
Snickering, I said, “Clever. I’ve done that a few times, myself. May I see the list of names and photographs?” It was possible the one I was looking for was part of her problem. “I had something similar happen, though they weren’t able to take what they were searching for. I’m curious whether the person involved in my break-in was one of those visiting you.”
“Sure!” Mysti stepped into her office and grabbed a manila folder. She came back out and handed it to me.
As I began to leaf through the file, she asked, “What’s the sweetest part about being a necromancer?”
The question caught me off guard. It wasn’t something I’d ever really thought about. There was a lot I could do and had done. Most of it wasn’t anywhere close to nice or sweet. It was malicious, cruel, and a hell of a lot of fun. My lips turned up as I admitted, “Being able to scare the shit out of the undead. Though, that wasn’t something I was able to do in the beginning. Aside from that? All the fun and chaos you can create by animating the dead.”
Thank gods road kill hadn’t been available when I was learning necromancy and that I hadn’t gone to school in the current world. I could only imagine the hell I would’ve created by animating some very messy road kill and sending it after the school bully. Though, to be truthful, the visual image was very entertaining.
Mysti clapped her hands and cackled in delight.
“I figured as much! Sucks that you can’t really acquire the abilities. Either you have them, or you don’t,” Mysti noted. “I’ve wanted to be a necromancer since I learned what you can do. The Lady of Death legends were my fairy tales!”
I really didn’t know how to respond to that, so I smiled slightly and kept looking through the photos and pages. Nothing familiar had shown up so far.
“Does being a necromancer make it easier to pick up hot girls?” Mysti asked in a very serious tone. “My partner, he’s real open-minded, but we’ve been having trouble finding a mutual girlfriend.”
“What race is your partner?” I asked. By the levels of Hell, why would she think I was someone to ask about this? So help me, if she had a human partner and tried to insinuate that his ethnic background or level of skin pigment made him anything but human…
“He’s a wood elf!” she exclaimed proudly. “I know, I don’t seem the type to attract one.”
“Nonsense. Elves are like humans—they’re either stuck on their own kind, or they aren’t. Personalities fit across species,” I assured her, trying to finish the file without going too fast and missing anything. “Maybe what you should be looking for is a mutual boyfriend, if your elf is as open-minded as you say. Elves aren’t known for being strictly hetero.”
The young witch looked like I had just told her the secret of the universe. Her eyes grew wider and wider as she looked past me into nothing, and her skin became radiant.
“Hey, yeah. Maybe that’s what’s missing.”
I reached the end of the file. There was nothing of use for my investigation. She had a few interesting beings on her “curse” list, but no one seemingly c
onnected to my case.
“I dunno.” I thought Mysti was still lost in contemplation until she looked directly at me and said, “Maybe what we need to find is a hermaphrodite. Where could I get in touch with one of those? You have a much bigger reach and more influence than we do! I bet you know where to find any kind of hook up!”
I handed her the file and tried not to sound like I wanted to run for the door as I said, “Sorry, no one I recognize in the file, but thank you for letting me look. Good luck on your search. I have to get to my next stop.” I was already walking toward the stairs, forcing my steps to be slow and steady.
“Sure, no problem! Stop by anytime!” Mysti invited.
“You know it!” I replied when I reached the stairs. I held my breath as I went down the short flight that now seemed twice as long and out the door.
Once I was outside, I exhaled, turned to the left, and started off for the Copper Wyvern.
When she started complimenting me, I began to think I needed to get out more. But then she kept talking, and now, I was thinking that having a dangerous elf over to chit chat with me and a dead dragon was as social as I wanted to get.
* * *
Thankfully the weather was comfortable, and the Copper Wyvern was within easy walking distance. It was a large building that reminded me more of a multi-story garage than a business. A large blown glass globe featuring the store’s business hours hung outside the door.
The interior was bright and welcoming. Glass globes of various sizes and colors were along the left side. Ornaments hung from copper trees, and blown glass figurines were lined on shelves and little islands. The right side was filled with copper jewelry of all types and sizes, from necklaces to bracelets, earrings, and rings.
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