by Antara Mann
A wave of sympathy washed over me but I couldn’t let my guard down now. He was still behaving like an ass. Still a jerk in my book. And yet I didn’t have to sink to his level, so I searched deep inside me for a little tact and kindness.
“I am sorry, I really am, but all this is politics and it has nothing to do with me.” I reached out to touch his arm, wanting him to see the sincerity in my face, but at the last minute decided that might enrage him farther. “You know that, right?” I hated the beseeching hint in my voice, but I needed him to understand I didn’t approve of the favoritism going on any more than he did.
“Yes, I know it, but I also know that I don’t like seeing you or working with you. Not that I have any choice in the matter, but I can’t pretend I enjoy your company. You are a constant reminder of everything I hate.”
His words washed away all the compassion inside my heart like a cold shower. “Well, that makes two of us,” I said coldly. “I don’t get to choose who I work with, either. Or whether I want the job or not. In fact, I didn’t even know it was common practice employing Council investigators to help mercenaries like you.”
He looked thoughtfully at me. “No, it is not common practice, you’re right.” He sighed. “They are probably doing it because of the recent surge of demonic attacks in the major cities of the US. The Court of Heaven is worried. New tensions are brewing between the two courts. The Morrigan and Kai are again not on good terms. I thought, as a half-goddess, they’d have kept you in the loop.”
I pondered his words. All the muffled conversations I had accidentally eavesdropped on between my colleagues now made total sense. Yet no one from the Council, not even Brendan, had told me about the new tensions between the courts’ leaders. I had to talk to Kagan and ask him for details. As a member of the magic dynasties, I was sure he knew everything that was going on. I felt a pang in my stomach. Even he hadn’t told me. He probably didn’t want you to worry about it, my intuition told me.
“So, is the Council investigating these attacks?”
“I guess so.” I shrugged. “But I have no idea who’s in charge of the investigation.”
He smiled to me, suddenly friendly. “See, that’s funny. I thought you knew all this. Because your boyfriend, a certain Kagan Griffith, is the owner of Chaos Corporation…”
I nearly choked. Kagan — my fae — owner of that unscrupulous company?
“What? News for you?” The amusement was clear on his face, all traces of his previous animosity gone. “Are you living under a rock, darling?” He glanced at his wrist watch. “I gotta go. Shame. I was almost enjoying annoying you. There’s more work at the office.” He winked at me and loped off down the street.
I stood there, stunned by all the revelations and feeling like a total fool. How come, in all the time we’d spent together, Kagan never mentioned this to me?
I watched Ryan get in an old Mustang, though not as old as my own, and drive off. Chaos Corporation, just like the Council, didn’t give its mercenaries teleportation charms. I was so lucky to have Naomi as a best friend and business partner. I couldn’t imagine having to deal with NYC’s traffic after the day I’d just had.
First I needed to talk to my boyfriend, and then to Brendan. I called the fae, but he didn’t answer. Probably in a meeting; he was the CEO of Griffith Enterprises, after all. I had no exact idea what his duties included, but he spent a great deal of time in his company’s headquarters. Sometimes, we could only meet on weekends. He told me he often had to work well into the early hours of the morning. Well, now that I knew he was the owner of Chaos Corporation, that kind of workload finally made sense. I decided I’d call him later that afternoon and dialed the werewolf instead. He declined my call.
Using his superpower to communicate, he connected with me mentally instead. “Hey, what’s up, Alex?” he asked me.
“Umm, I had a rough day,” I said mentally — it was almost as if I were thinking or talking to myself, but more graphic.
Though there was no one around me, I preferred to not voice my concerns loudly.
I heard his chuckle inside my mind. “Well, me too. But I’m guessing that’s not why you are calling me.”
Now it was my turn to chuckle. “I’ve just had an interesting conversation with a mage from Chaos Corporation and learned a thing or two. Are you free to meet?”
He sighed and, after a short pause, said, “I know what you might be asking yourself. Where are you?”
“Near the Skull and Bones center in Bronx, but you tell me where to find you. I am the one with the transportation charm.”
“Umm, okay. I’m in Brooklyn, on an investigation. Meet me at the Shamrock in half an hour.” And with these words, he pulled out of the conversation.
***
By the time I reached our meeting point it was already dark. One of the main downsides of the approaching winter season.
The Shamrock was a cozy restaurant in downtown Brooklyn. It was the property of Irish immigrants, a husband and wife hearth witches. As all other supernatural places, it was invisible to the human eye.
When I entered, Brendan waved at me from a table tucked away in the far right corner. Despite our break-up, we’d stayed close, and in moments like these I was so incredibly grateful for his friendship.
“What’s up, Alex?”
The waitress — a young and coy female wolverine shifter — appeared as if out of nowhere, handed each of us a menu and dashed to a nearby table to take down orders.
I shrugged, taking hold of the menu and skimming through it. “Well, I’ve been better. I’m fresh from a fight with a bunch of demons in Bronx, and just met the biggest asshole ever.”
“What, bigger than me?” Brendan winked at me, his eyes sparkling in the semi-dim atmosphere. I noted he’d chosen a table a little farther from the ceiling lights.
“It’s good that you can make fun of your weakness,” I remarked. Brendan had really behaved like a jerk toward me during our investigation, especially toward the end, and while we’d made our peace, he clearly wasn’t over it yet.
“I am truly sorry, Alex. It is just that I was… vulnerable and touchy back then. But I do value our friendship.”
“Yes, I know,” I said. “You had your reasons. Now, shall we leave the past in the past and live in the present?”
He gave me a thankful smile and took a sip from the complimentary glass of water on the table.
“So, what’s the name of the culprit?” he asked, smile still in place.
“I hope you’ll take this seriously, because this mage, Ryan Norton, behaved totally unprofessionally.”
“Ryan Norton? His name rings a bell. Isn’t he a summoner?”
I nodded. “Do you know him?”
Brendan furrowed his brows. “I think he was an investigator at the Council a long time ago. Heard others mention his name. They never complained about him, though.”
“He said the Council had outsourced its mercenaries to Chaos Corporation.”
“Oh! That is most certainly a surprise.” Brendan called the waitress and ordered a mocha latte and a raspberry strudel. The wolverine shifter looked at me expectantly.
“Umm…” I faltered. I had no idea what to order. “I am not really hungry,” I said after a beat. “Do you offer any light desserts?”
“Yes, ma’am. You should try the Witch’s Pride,” the girl said. “It’s delish!”
I smiled at her expression and ordered it, together with a magic smoothie.
“So, do I have to kick his ass if your boyfriend doesn’t do it himself?” Brendan asked once the waitress had gone.
“No. Not now, at least.” I smiled. “The reason I actually called you is because of the information he let slip. There’s been a surge of demonic attacks in the US?”
Brendan’s relaxed expression suddenly shifted to a grim one.
“Yes. As a matter of fact, the situation is getting serious.”
“Ryan also told me the relationship between the Courts o
f Heaven and Hell are again strained. Is that true?”
Brendan sighed heavily and shifted closer to me. “What is the nature of your interest to all this?” he practically whispered into my ear.
“Well, as a half-goddess and the Council’s investigator, it made me wonder why no one told me a thing about this.”
“Well, no one said anything to me, either. Not personally, anyway. I suspect, though, that the reason you weren’t told about this has to do with the fact that you are a half-goddess, and they don’t want you digging into it. I dunno, maybe they think you’re too close to the problem and they want someone who can be impartial.”
I furrowed my brows, chewing over his words. I didn’t belong to the court of Heaven, but I was an investigator. It was my job to investigate all kinds of supernatural criminal behavior, and yet I was being deliberately kept away from this issue. My ego was hurt, and that made me grumpy.
“Hey, don’t let it bother you, Alex. Or is there more to it?”
My mind was working ten to the dozen, firing connections and trying to follow through strings of effects and consequences. “I don’t know. I’m thinking either the Council or the Morrigan ought to have told me about these attacks. Umm, do you think Garrett could be behind them?”
At that moment the waitress reappeared and served our meals. When she went away, he said, “In all honesty, I don’t think it is plausible. After all, Kai punished the subversive inferni at his Court, and there are too many attacks for Garrett to be their sole mastermind, now that his coven has been dismantled. But I could be wrong, of course. You’d better stay on your guard.”
I remembered the funny postcard I’d received, presumably from Garrett, and wondered whether I should tell him. No one but Kagan knew about it. I didn’t want to worry my best friend, Naomi, or my mentor, Awen, with it.
“Does the Council have a lead as to who is behind the attacks?” I asked him, sipping at my magic smoothie. The taste of almonds, carrots and other vegetables and fruits blended pleasantly with the slight elemental magic inside of it, and magic sizzled across my tongue.
“I haven’t heard any concise rumors about it. I think they are still trying to figure it out.”
“And who’s investigating those high-profile cases?”
“I don’t think it is anyone from the Council. I’m guessing the Morrigan and Kai decided which of them was to look for the culprit.”
“So it is quite serious if they are investigating it themselves.”
“Nah — more likely they delegated it to someone from their courts.”
The rest of our meeting at the Shamrock passed in silence. I finished my magic smoothie and Witch’s Pride, which proved to be quite tasty. Brendan devoured his dessert, too.
Once we’d paid our bill, I suggested we go check the Hellfire Club. Since there were quite a few demonic attacks, I was sure, if anyone knew about a grand conspiracy plot it had to be high gossip in that damn club.
It was past six thirty and crowded by the time we got there. Thank magic, the bartender on duty was our acquaintance, Norwik, the panther shifter we’d met over a month ago. He didn’t know anything specific; the rumor was that no one in the dark supernatural circles had taken responsibility for these attacks, and that the few demons who had survived had been put under a spell for misbehaving.
“How strange that nobody knows anything about it,” I noted upon exiting the club. We stood in the spot where, a month ago, I and another investigator had been attacked. “Feels like there’s a dark supernatural behind the attacks.”
“Oh, don’t get paranoid about it. There’s probably no grand conspiracy. I can’t see how this psycho guy, Garrett, can be involved.”
“Look, there’s something I haven’t told you about,” I said, making my decision. “I received a postcard after my return from Bali. It was a bewitched card, and it exploded shortly after I dropped it. All it said was, ‘Are you missing me?’”
“Umm, cryptic. Well, good news is, if Garrett is behind all this, you’ll face him soon enough, and then you’ll be done with him.”
“Or he with me,” I remarked.
Brendan stopped in his tracks. We’d been walking to his parked car, a few blocks away. “Jeez, Alex, you beat his ass before. Have some confidence in yourself and your abilities.”
“Don’t lecture me about self-confidence, Mr. Fragile Male Ego. Remember how pissed off and grumpy you were when Kagan took charge of the investigation?”
“That was different; oranges and apples.”
I laughed. “Anyway, if Garrett is behind these attacks, and makes his move, I’ll have to face his infernal ally, too. The mere thought makes me uncomfortable.”
“But what could these attacks possibly have to do with Garrett?”
“That is a very good question,” I agreed. “It could be that he is simply obsessed with releasing inferni from Inferno, and this creates more chaos.”
“A good point. I, however, have to dash. Call me if you need anything.”
We had reached his BMW.
“Just tell the Council about this Ryan Norton. His behavior was disgraceful. I shudder at the thought of what might have happened if he’d been partnered with somebody else. Despite what he says, he is not an experienced investigator.”
“I’ll see what I can do about it, but given he is such an old employee, I don’t think anything major will come of it.”
We said goodbye and he drove off. I was staring at his fancy back bumper when I heard in my mind the all too familiar voice of the lady owl shifter,
“Alex, Aldwyn Saal, a time mage, is missing. Go and investigate his disappearance. The address is 52 Forrest Street, Brookline, Massachusetts.” The connection died immediately, as it often happened when I got mental messages from the Council.
Chapter 3
I had other plans before the Council called. I longed to get back home, have a nice dinner, chat with my bestie, Naomi, and listen to how things were going with her boyfriend, Desmond. They seemed very much in love and happy, just like me and Kagan. A pleasant warmth filled my insides and I smiled inwardly — maybe I’d call the fae tonight if he didn’t call me. But for now, I had to postpone my plans. I had Council business to attend to.
I used again my bestie’s transportation charm to travel to Brookline. My watch showed around quarter to seven, so if I finished here quickly, I could still be at home at around eight and order us a pizza for dinner. A girl can dream.
The address the Council gave me was of a decent-looking two-story house in the suburbs. When I rang the doorbell, a woman in her mid-thirties opened the door. Her face was puffy as if she had cried for hours, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She had amber hair and green eyes, but her natural beauty was shadowed by the mark of a tragic event. My magic sense told me she was a mage, probably a summoner.
“Hi,” I greeted her, sounding a little too cheerful. The difference in our energies was bizarre. “My name is Alexandra Shaw, and I’m a Magic Council investigator.” I flashed her my magical ID card. She, however, grunted derisively in response, her eyes cold and inscrutable. Did she hold a grudge against my employer?
“What does the Council want now? Finn told you everything he knew about the vampire attacks," she said, her voice as sharp as a knife, her hand ready to slam the door shut in my face.
“Just a minute, ma'am!" I placed my hand on the front door. "Not many people like the Council’s way of doing things but I have no idea what you are talking about. I am here about a completely different matter — the disappearance of Aldwyn Saal." I watched her expression soften, and her lip began to quiver, but she still didn’t look likely to let me in. Careful to distance myself from any previous event that may have given rise to her aversion to the Council, I asked, "May I ask what happened to make you feel this way?"
She sighed and, looking me up and down, reluctantly said, "My husband's brother has had some problems with the Council lately, Miss Shaw. He witnessed a vampire attack t
he other day. When he testified, he said the investigator became suspicious of him and accused him of the attack."
What? That was odd. "I am very sorry to hear this but I assure you I have nothing to do with the case you mentioned. Now, please, could we speak about Aldwyn Saal? Are you a relative?”
Her facial expression relaxed a little more, only the shadow of contempt marring her features. "About time someone came and looked into his disappearance. Yes, I know him very well — he is my husband. What do you need to know, exactly?”
She still hadn’t invited me inside. I obviously had to ask for this specifically, but her emotional state had to be taken in consideration, as did her dislike for the Magic Council.
“Umm, I’d like to ask you a few questions. May I come inside?” I smiled at her trying to come across as friendly as possible.
She let me in and closed the door. Inside, she pointed forward toward a door that stood ajar, and followed me through it. I entered a cozy, mid-sized living room. A man was already in the room, sitting on a couch. When he saw me, he stood up.
“It’s okay, Finn, this is Miss Shaw from the Magic Council. She has come to investigate Aldwyn’s disappearance.”
“That’s right,” I confirmed for his benefit. “May I take your names, please?” I took out my small notebook and a pen.
“I’m Kathryn Sawyer, and as I already told you, I’m Aldwyn’s wife, and this is Finn Saal,” she said.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to sound as polite as I could. Neither of them looked at me, wrapped up as they were in their tragic thoughts. I cleared my voice and asked, “Mr. Saal, I take it by your name that you are also a relative of Mr. Aldwyn Saal?”
“Yes, Aldwyn is my older brother,” the guy said.