by TR Cameron
Now it was her turn to scowl. On her days off, Janice was the replacement, although her main role was taking care of the place in the afternoon. She was annoying, overly flirty with the customers, and continuously angled to take Cali’s nights as her own. She’ll love having to save the Dragons from my unprofessionalism, which is exactly how she’ll describe it to Zeb. But she’d given her word and besides, she needed to know what was going on with the gang. For her safety, the tavern’s safety, and because it might have a connection to her parents, it was vital that she investigate.
“Be careful she doesn’t get distracted by someone cute and forget she’s working.” She shook her head. Petty, Cal. Petty. “Anyway, it’s important or I wouldn’t do it. You know that.”
He nodded and continued to wash and dry. “Whatcha got going on?”
For only a moment, she contemplated changing the subject. Her instincts always told her not to trust and she had to fight the battle to stay at least a little open every day. Then, she considered telling only part of the truth, that she had a date for dinner and dancing. But that, too, didn’t feel right. So, she shrugged and said, “Tanyith has a lead on some Atlantean thing. I’ll go with him to check it out.”
He set the glass he was holding down on the counter that ran under the bar’s top and asked, “Are you sure that’s a good plan?”
Cali frowned. “You’re not my father.” They both laughed at her standard response to every effort he made to rein her in. “Seriously, it’s probably not the best idea but not the worst either. I spent the day working on my illusion skills, and I have more practice time tomorrow after Aikido class. I’ll be ready when the moment comes.”
Behind her, the last patrons rose to leave. She walked over to say goodbye and collected their dishes. When the door closed after them, Zeb pointed at it. “Lock that, will you?”
She tilted her head in a question but did as he requested. When she returned, he gestured at Valerie. “You’ve never had the chance to see her, have you?”
“No.”
He raised a palm, and the battleax flew from the wall to smack into it. After a single deft flip, he extended it for her to admire. The metal blades were unexpectedly thin but sacrificed no sharpness for it. Even the sight of it was threatening and the way he held it even more so. She lost herself in admiring it before he tilted his head up to the pegs that had supported the large weapon. A pair of etched ebony sticks rested there, previously invisible behind the ax.
Her palms itched. It must have shown in her expression because he chuckled. Another gesture brought them floating gently toward her and she snagged them. Each end was capped with black metal a shade darker than the wood. Dark scarlet engravings covered them in symbols she didn’t recognize. They were gorgeous and felt perfect like they belonged in her hands. She spun them and flicked them out in a practice attack, and they cut through the air with an eerie whistle.
Cali looked at Zeb, tried to speak, and failed. She pulled her brain away from admiring the weapons and made another attempt. “They’re fantastic. Why have you hidden them?”
He shrugged. “They’re only sticks. Valerie is the real prize.” His grin revealed the tease. “You weren’t ready for them before but now, I’m not sure you can go without. They’re yours.”
“They’re magic, aren’t they?”
The black-bearded chin lowered in acknowledgment. “Yep. They aren’t artifacts or anything like that, but they have a few tricks. See where they have an end with rings on them?” She lifted them and saw the markings. “Now, tap those ends together.”
She obeyed and they snapped into alignment. With a glow, the seam between them vanished and transformed the sticks into a proper-sized jo staff. “Wicked.” She spun it several times. The larger version was as perfectly balanced as the others had been but she noticed an odd sensation in her fingertips. “Zeb, why is it vibrating?”
He laughed. “It siphons magic from you so it can be ready for the next shape change. Don’t worry, it doesn’t take much.”
“That’s amazing. Where did you get it?”
That serene grin appeared again. “I know people who know people.”
Cali rolled her eyes. “This is awesome, but I’m not sure why you’re giving it to me tonight. It’s not as if I can walk in with a pair of sticks or with a staff like Gandalf or something.”
“We’re getting there. Tell it to break with your magic.” She frowned and parsed the instructions. She’d come to the conclusion, when discussing things magical with the dwarf, that his species’ version worked differently than hers. But she put the idea of separation into her mind and pushed with her magic. The sticks obediently detached from one another.
He sounded pleased at her success. “Now, tell it to turn into bracelets that are the right size for you.” She sighed, translated, and shoved the concept into the weapons. They diminished in her hands, retracted, and stretched until they were matching ebony bracelets. Each was wide enough to slip over her hands and covered about two inches of skin. Once over the bones, they shrunk to fit securely, immobile but not tight. They felt like they’d been missing before. Again, the sensation of magic being pulled into them was notable because of its unfamiliarity.
“How do I get them back to normal?”
“You have to be touching them but otherwise, simply tell them what you want.” She called for the sticks, and the bracelets turned to a liquid that flowed over her hands before they returned to their natural form in her hands. “Holy cow.”
Zeb nodded. “There is far more magic around you every day than you realize, Caliste. You’ll discover it now that you’re unlocked.” He threw the battleax in the air and it curved with a flourish before it settled into its place above the bar.
She frowned at him. “You knew.”
“Of course.”
“When?”
“I figured it out a month after I hired you. There were power leaks that only someone who was around you as much as I am would have seen. But I was intrigued, so I did some research and found the right clues.”
She put her hands on her hips and spoke in a flat tone. “But chose not to tell me.”
He shrugged. “The way I saw it, someone went to great effort to limit you—someone you trusted enough to allow it to happen. It would have been completely inappropriate for me to undo that.”
“But you let me go out and take care of troublemakers in your place, knowing that I was weak?”
The dwarf tapped his finger on the bar in time with his words. “Not weak. Never weak. You have always been more than adequate for any challenge. But I’ll admit I thought letting you burn off a little magic now and then might help with the leakage. And might help you understand yourself better.”
Cali sighed. “I feel much less bad about ditching work tomorrow, mister-secret-keeper.”
He laughed. “Making you happy is indeed the main goal of my existence, so I am entirely pleased to hear it.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Thanks for the sticks. I’ll overlook the deception this time but next time, I’ll let Fyre eat you. I’m fairly sure dwarf is a delicacy for his kind.”
Zeb frowned. “Who or what is Fyre?”
“Ah, the all-knowing Zarden doesn’t know everything.” She laughed and waved as she headed to the exit. “What is the world coming to?” The closing door cut off his reply. I’ll pay for getting the last word in but damn, it was worth it.
Chapter Seventeen
When she stepped through the portal that connected her room at the boarding house to the basement of the Drunken Dragons Tavern, Cali quickly let it fall closed behind her. She didn’t put it past Fyre to jump through, even though she’d repeatedly told him he needed to sit this one out. Hell, for all I know, he turns into a bird and flies around the city while I’m away. She looked forward to finding out more about the Draksa as soon as her suddenly outrageously busy life slowed for a day or two. At least she’d been able to practice at home so they could spend some time
together. He’d seemed unimpressed with her illusion skills.
The portal had placed her in the corner farthest from the stairs, the only position not occupied by crates of supplies and fixtures. The wooden boxes had no labels, yet Zeb always knew exactly where to find what he was looking for. She’d decided it was some kind of bartender magic, probably the same kind that allowed a basement in New Orleans to be a useful space at all. Tanyith had arrived before her and was seated on one of them. He wore all black—shirt, tie, suit, and shoes. His hair wasn’t in its usual pompadour and instead, hung down on the left side of his head. His beard was neatly combed. It’s already an effective disguise compared to the unpolished version.
He patted a bag that rested beside him. “I brought you some going out clothes, as agreed.”
Cali nodded. She’d worn her best dress in case, a black A-line that gathered around her ribs, but it was old and more appropriate for a funeral than a nightclub. “Let’s get your illusion in place first. I need to practice keeping it there while I do other things.”
“You’re the expert.”
She barked a laugh. “Yeah, sure. My teacher would be very amused to hear that.” She stepped forward close enough to reach him. “This will feel a little weird.” It always did for her, so she presumed the same would be true for him. She touched her index finger to his hair, and it changed color from a dirty blonde-brown to red. Satisfied, she made the same change to his eyebrows, mustache, and beard. “Okay, the easy part is over.”
He nodded. “As long as I get it all back at the end.”
“It might be you’ll like the new version more. Although you do clean up better than I expected.”
His lips twitched. “That’s my first compliment in a year and a half. A little underwhelming, but thanks.”
“Shut it.” She concentrated until she felt the tingling in her fingertips and used them to redraw his face, changing his cheekbones and jaw to be squarer. It looked odd until she stroked his nose and shaped it to match. She stepped back and admired her work, then added the finishing touch, an octopus tattoo that began on his shoulder with tentacles expanding past the collar of his shirt onto his neck. It was a vibrant blue, and she included florescent touches that would glow under black light.
He checked the look in his phone and nodded. “Nice work. I definitely don’t recognize that handsome dude.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I’m not sure dude is the term you’re looking for. It’s kind of fourteen months ago.” He raised an eyebrow as she took the bag from beside him and headed to a different corner of the room. “Now turn around. I don’t want to screw up maintaining your illusion because I have to veil myself to change.” He obeyed without a word, which she respected.
Quickly, she pulled items out of the bag and set them on a nearby crate top. First was a sequined shirt almost the identical color of her hair with hanging folds of fabric where sleeves should have been. Leather pants were next, and she noted with a frown that they were exactly her size. That’s very specific. The shoes were open-toed with a moderately high heel, again in the proper dimensions. She called, “How did you know my sizes?”
“I found someone at the store who looked about your height and weight and told her to base them on herself but more muscular.”
“That’s a good lie but doesn’t explain the shoes.”
He chuckled. “You caught me. I stopped in and asked Zeb earlier today.”
Cali kicked her fashionable pair of boots off and lifted the dress over her head, unable to resist the urge to peer over her shoulder and make sure he wasn’t watching. He was still seated facing in the other direction. Another point for you, mystery man. She tugged and yanked at the leather pants until they were properly positioned and pulled the blouse on. Finally, she strapped the shoes on and used her phone’s camera to review the results. Not bad. And definitely not funeral wear.
She stared into the lens and focused her magic. Her hair shifted from red to black and the curls lengthened into subtle waves. Her cheeks swelled slightly as she added a little weight to her face and softened her overall appearance. She created a tattoo of her own, a small blue and white wave behind her right ear. Her last touch was to veil her rings and turn the bracelets from black and scarlet to the same red as the blouse. When it was done, she sequestered the spells carefully in her mind to ensure that they would continue to work and power would continue to flow. Satisfied, she masked all of it to dampen the evidence of her magic at work.
Finally, she followed Emalia’s advice and used her power to weave a citrus scent, fresh and clean. Tanyith sniffed and said “Nice.”
She turned to face him and took a deep breath. “You can turn around now.”
He complied and studied her for a moment. “You look older.”
“Just what a woman likes to hear.” She laughed. “Thanks, dude.” But it was what she’d aimed for and it was good to know she’d succeeded. “So, where are you taking me for dinner?”
She’d peered through the windows of Galatoire’s before but had never been inside. It was one of the most historic restaurants in the French Quarter, which was saying something. The white part of the tile floors matched the ceiling and the blue-green symbols that dotted it at intervals tied into the wallpaper that ran along the second story of the high room. Fans hung down on long poles from above, and the lights in their centers reflected from the white-framed mirrors that covered the side and back walls of the rectangular dining area.
The tables were close enough together to make the server inside her cringe, and she had to dodge several people before she slid into the red wooden chair Tanyith held out for her. She twisted and hung the thin strap attached to her small purse over one of the design curls on it. Moments later, the waiter arrived, tuxedo-clad with perfect posture. He aimed a glance of disapproval at her before he addressed her companion. “Drinks this evening, sir and ma’am?” Tanyith opted for water, and her request for Coke earned her a sniff of condescension. She resisted the pressing desire to trip him with a flick of magic as he departed.
Her companion’s grin suggested he’d read her mind. She asked, “Are they always this snooty?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never been here. I always wanted to try it, but it wasn’t exactly the right vibe for my particular group of friends.”
“No girlfriends?”
His eyebrow raised and she rolled her eyes at him. “Listen, pal, even if there weren’t like a decade between us, you’re a little rugged and hairy for my tastes.” He choked on the water he was sipping and she laughed. “Yeah, okay, I’m not really that shallow, but still. No offense.”
He shook his head. “None taken. I was only teasing, but I’ll admit that I might be somewhat out of practice at it.”
“About fourteen months or so out of practice?”
“Exactly. So, to actually answer your question, I had a girlfriend a while back. Before you ask, more than fourteen months. We broke up because we had different world views. She was kind of like Zeb. Go with the flow. I’m…not.”
Cali nodded. “Yeah, me neither. I try, but some things need accounting for.”
He slapped his hand on the table hard enough to make the silverware jump but seemed not to notice the startled looks from those around them. He leaned forward and said in a low tone, “Exactly. The other way only works until something truly intolerable happens. Something that cries out for a reaction.”
“For justice,” she responded grimly. He recovered himself, nodded, and leaned back as the waiter returned. They placed their orders, duck and andouille gumbo plus crabmeat au gratin for her, and turtle soup and a pork chop for him. They managed small talk through the appetizers but moved into serious discussion as they worked on their entrees.
Tanyith led. “So, the goal for the evening has to be limited to getting a sense of the place. If we need a closer look, we can always go again next week. We can’t afford to seem suspicious. At all costs, we definitely do not want to be noticed.”
He laughed. “If it’s anything like I remember, you’ll be one of many shining stars once we’re inside. To be less fashionable is to be more notable among that crowd.”
“What are the chances that things have changed since your time, though?”
“Oh, probably a hundred percent. But I’ve been watching. Last night was the first of the shows, and our outfits are right in the middle of what I saw.”
Cali nodded. “Okay, well, if we have to run, I’ll trip you so they can’t catch me.”
“Fair enough.” His smile faded a little. “Once we get inside, there will probably be someone to seat us. If not, we’ll have to survey the space fast to make sure there aren’t any territories to invade.”
She tilted her head as she chewed and swallowed. “The crabmeat is to die for. Speaking of dying, what are you talking about? Territories?”
He stuck a fork onto her plate without asking and speared a piece of crab. “You’re right, that is delicious. So, you were in a high school once, right? You know how one area of the cafeteria is home to one clique and a different part is for another, and so on?”
“I get it.” She nodded. “Since it’s open to the public, there might be groups seated together and we don’t want any part of that.”
“Exactly. We’ll need to find the buffer zones.”
“Okay, once we’re seated, then what?”
He sliced a piece of meat free from the bone on his plate. “We watch. Soak it in. Enjoy the music. Keep an eye peeled for enemy magic. Hell, look out for enemies in general.”
Cali shook her head. “That’s really vague, Tee.”
He looked startled. “Tay. My friends call me Tay.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure we’re friends yet. I’ll stick with Tee for now.”