Tithes (Ava Delaney

by Claire Farrell

  “Just give me something informal for now,” he said. “I’ll have someone type up one for you, and you can take a look at it and make changes some other time. My assistant’s gone home, but I’ll have him send it over to your house tomorrow.”

  “All right.” There were no chairs, so I sat on a countertop by the wall where I could see both men at once. I rattled off my side of the story as quickly as possible. “Wes is fine,” I ended. “He’ll be able for an interview, I should think.”

  “We already spoke to him,” Shay said, but he was frowning.

  “Catch any of the others?” I asked hopefully.

  “No,” he said. “A vehicle must have been waiting for them.”

  “They were waiting for me,” I said.

  “That’s how the other witnesses make it sound,” Shay said. “Who have you pissed off lately?”

  I couldn’t resist a glance at Phoenix. “Who haven’t I pissed off might be easier to manage. Something’s going on. Not just to me. To everyone around me.” I held up my hand to tick things off with my fingers. “My old, quiet neighbourhood is targeted by a protection racket. Emergency services never show up. Not once. Not until I called you directly, Shay.”

  “The calls were never processed,” he said. “We’re investigating how that happened. It’s a blind spot on our end, obviously, and we will fix it.”

  “But it only happens in my old neighbourhood,” I continued. “And one of the few people who were ever nice to me gets murdered.”

  Shay cleared his throat. “The beating didn’t kill him. A stroke did. Granted, it was likely brought on by the stress of the attack.”

  “Bull,” I said. “Mr. O’Brien was old as dirt. You don’t hurt somebody that old without knowing that they could die from it. They murdered him, and they deserve to pay for that. Get me in with that bitch who shot Wes, and I’ll get her to talk.”

  “Absolutely not,” he murmured.

  “Get back to your theory,” Phoenix said, relaxing into his chair.

  I glared at him. “Fine. Take Moses, for example. People are losing their jobs all over the place in the flats. Conveniently, loan sharks turn up, and even smart people are having a hard time turning down their offers. A magically hard time. Another connection to me, another anomaly.”

  “That’s not much to go on,” Shay said. “It’s not exactly related.”

  “There’s more,” I said. “You’ll see what I mean at the end. So there are other things. Bad luck, you might say. Carl lost his job at the school.”

  Both men exchanged surprised glances.

  “Anka’s apothecary shop was keeping her busy. Now the customers are drying up. Same for Val and Peter, for Dave’s garage, and—”

  “Hold on,” Phoenix said. “You’re saying that poor business is connected to everything else.” He allowed himself a small smile. “Have you ever considered that—”

  “Shay, have there been any kidnappings lately?” I said, ignoring Phoenix. “Specifically children.”

  Shay exchanged a glance with Phoenix. “Not that I’ve heard.”

  I fished in my pocket for the sketch I made of Noodle’s brand. I held up the paper. “Does this look familiar?”

  Phoenix frowned. “There is something… I can’t place.”

  “Ava, what is this?” Shay asked. “What’s going on?”

  “A baby was left on my doorstep,” I said. “A baby with a fresh slave brand on its neck. This brand.”

  I gave them a moment to process.

  “What?” Shay said. “A baby? And you never said anything?”

  “How was I supposed to know who I could trust? The baby, combined with this bad luck stuff, gives me a sick feeling that something big is going on.”

  “There are still slavers,” Phoenix said in a quiet voice. “They’re still out there. My mother—”

  “Is dead,” I said firmly. “But somebody’s been trying to take her place. The person who left the baby made it clear they didn’t want to be found themselves. I’m not sure if the baby is the first, one of many, or what. All I know is that I have to protect her from anyone who might come for her. And I need to find out who that is.”

  Phoenix jumped to his feet. “That assassin of my mother’s. I’m going to take him in and—” The violence in his voice astounded me.

  “You think I haven’t already talked to him? I did. He has no clue what’s going on.”

  “And you believed him?” The volume of his voice didn’t rise, but the tone sent shivers down my back.

  “Yes, I believed him. I do that, remember?”

  That stopped him in his tracks.

  I was aware that Shay was watching us both closely, and I took a deep, calming breath. “Nate gave me his theories, and I went away happy that he wasn’t in the official know.”

  “And what were these theories?” Phoenix gestured toward me in a scornful manner. “Were they as brilliant as you make them sound?”

  “Phoenix,” Shay said warningly.

  We both ignored the human. My face grew hot, and I forgot to be wary and careful. “Yeah, they were pretty good, Phoenix. Nate reckons it would have to be someone with connections, someone ancient, someone who could wield favours like weapons, probably.”

  “Such as?” His mask was back. I couldn’t tell if he was about to laugh or murder me.

  “You, actually!”

  “I’m no ancient,” he scoffed.

  “As opposed to? It wouldn’t be hard for the son of a slaver to take the reins. Carry on the business. Have access to the connections and all the rest.” I narrowed my eyes. “Especially one with the loyalty of the fae and the Senate behind him.”

  He stood and approached me. “Did you agree with this theory?” He raised his voice. “Do you actually believe I could be capable of running the slave trade?”

  I stood, too, determined not to let him cow me for a change. “I told him it couldn’t possibly be you.” I held firm, my hands on my hips. “But if it did turn out to be you, I would rip you apart limb from limb myself for being such a traitor.”

  I readied myself for… I wasn’t sure what. Phoenix loomed over me, bent down, and touched his nose to mine, somewhat affectionately. I was so disturbed and surprised that I took a couple of steps back. He did smile then, but when he straightened and faced Shay, his professional manner had returned. Shay looked as unsettled as I felt. Phoenix just wasn’t predictable.

  “We need to deal with this ourselves,” Phoenix said in a bland tone. “We can’t reveal anything to the Senate. Not yet. Not until we find out what is going on.”

  Shay cleared his throat and busied himself with rearranging pages on his desk. “Well, my agents can take a look into the protection racket and the loan sharks. I’ll find out what’s going on with Carl myself. There’ll be an investigation into the emergency services and how the calls are processed.”

  “And I’ll figure out who blacklisted the businesses, if anyone did.” Phoenix shot me a wry glance. “But we’ll all have to work on the slavery aspect.”

  “I’ll ask questions,” I said. “There are a few people who could be useful. If anyone comes up with answers, I’ll let you two know.”

  “Where is the child now?” Phoenix asked, his voice neutral, as though we hadn’t just been basically shouting at each other a minute before. How could he look so relaxed when my hands refused to stop shaking?

  “Val and Anka are watching over the baby. Leah came over and gave her take. She reckons the child has some kind of magic, like a witch or something, but that it’s impossible to tell at this stage how much power is there or even if it will ever manifest. It’s not an exact science.”

  “Magic,” Phoenix murmured. He looked at Shay. “There is Clementine.”

  “You trust her with this?”

  “She may know if a baby witch has gone missing. The witches can be secretive. Who knows? She could be able to track the bloodline—if we’re lucky.”

  “Who’s Clementine?” I could
n’t resist asking.

  “Someone who wants Mac’s seat on the Senate,” Shay said. “She’ll likely do whatever she has to, Phoenix, just to earn her place.”

  “I don’t trust witches,” I said.

  “We have very little to go on,” Phoenix said. “I feel we are left with no choice. We must speak to her about this. In confidence, of course.”

  I was too tired to argue. “If we’re done here, I’m going to head home,” I said. “I’m exhausted.”

  “I’ll give you a lift,” Shay offered.

  “Nah, I’m good.” I hesitated. “How’s Nick?”

  Phoenix met my gaze, a guarded look in his eyes. “Better, but he refuses to go back to the school. The pack is mostly in agreement that the cubs’ time with the school has ended.”

  “Giving up already?” I shoved my hands deep in my pockets. “Tell Nick that Dita said she can’t wait to show him her epic scar. She’s taken it upon herself to be his champion, I think.”

  Something unrecognisable flickered in his gaze. “I’ll let him know.”

  I left the pair to figure out what they were planning to do next. All I knew was how I wanted to approach everything. I began the walk home, watching out for a taxi. I left a message for Jessica. My fellow tainted nephal had made contacts of her own while hiding in Dublin, and I hoped she could get me in touch with one of them. The man had organised a sanctuary for refugees and exiles, and it was possible he would know of any current slaves on the run. And if anyone knew about slave-running in the UK, it would be Jessica and her friends. But I was pinning my hopes on the child being a one-off circumstance, because the alternative was just too awful to consider.

  7

  I was busy making a list of people I could talk to when someone knocked at my front door. Noodle stirred slightly, but she didn’t wake, so I got up to answer the door. Phoenix stood there with a woman I had never met before. She was tall and curvy, with light toffee-coloured skin, freckles, and coarse red curls that she made no attempt to contain.

  “Ava, this is Clementine,” Phoenix said. “She’s the witch we discussed. I’ve brought her here to take a look at the baby and see what she thinks.”

  I hesitated. “I don’t know if—”

  “If she’s a witch, then my coven wish to protect her.” Clementine’s accent had a trace of something French. “We protect our own.”

  I shot Phoenix a glare, but he brushed past me without invitation. I scowled. “Come in then.”

  The pair headed into the living room, where the baby was resting in her basket.

  “Ah,” Clementine said. She lifted Noodle into the air, well away from her body, and peered at the baby as though she were an object rather than a person.

  “Careful,” I said, automatically reaching out to take her.

  Phoenix shook his head and pushed my hand back down.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” I whispered.

  His hand moved to my lower back. “So do I. Now, watch.”

  A golden glow emitted from Clementine and shrouded Noodle. Then it dispersed as though a puff of wind had blown it away.

  “Interesting,” she muttered before putting the baby back into the basket.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  Clementine lifted the basket onto the coffee table and peered at the child. “There is something there.” She looked up at Phoenix, and I could have sworn her brown eyes momentarily contained red and gold flecks. “There’s a spell surrounding her. If it hasn’t worn off by now, then we’ll have to strip it away.”

  “What do you mean ‘strip it’?” I asked, suddenly on edge.

  Phoenix’s fingertips applied pressure.

  “We’ll clarify the magic and start over. It’s the only way to truly see what we have here.”

  “But you won’t know what kind of power she has,” I said.

  She looked at me. “Not until she’s older. That’s not important. If somebody is enslaving witches, then we must find them. There have been instances in history when witches were enslaved and their magic used for deadly purpose. None of us want those kinds of horrors inflicted here.”

  “What can you do for me?” Phoenix asked. “Can you find out where the baby came from or who branded her?”

  Clementine tapped her chin as she considered the possibility. “If my entire coven can work on this, we should be able to form some kind of tracking spell, one that works backward, retracing her path, as it were. We may be able to discover where she was born.”

  “How long will that take?” Phoenix asked.

  “Oh, at least a week,” she said. “No more than ten days, provided we’re all a part of the circle and maintain prolonged contact with the child. The supplies will cost you, but it will be worth it.”

  “You guarantee you’ll find the child’s origin?” he asked.

  “Wait! What do you mean ‘maintain prolonged contact’?” I demanded.

  She ignored me. “I give you my word we’ll find where she came from.”

  Phoenix nodded. “There’s a building on the grounds of the children’s home where you can hide her.”

  “What? No!” I said. “You can’t take her from here. They gave her to me to protect. I have to keep her here, where it’s safe.”

  “You’re not a witch,” Clementine said brusquely.

  “Fuck witches. Nobody left her on your bloody doorstep, did they?”

  “Perhaps they didn’t have time,” she said coldly.

  Phoenix dug his fingers into my shoulders and made me look at him. “She’ll be safe in the children’s home. Nobody will know, not even Alanii.”

  “She’s safe here. People can’t come in here to cause us harm.”

  “What if they don’t intend to? What if they come to take the baby, and a fight ensues? Does your protection reach that far? The protection did nothing when Nick was here.”

  “You don’t understand,” I whispered, my panic rising. “I have a job to do, a duty to uphold, and I can’t let you take her. I… I feel it.” I felt more than duty or a job. I wanted to keep Noodle safe myself. I didn’t trust anyone else to do it. And I would miss her.

  “Is she a lost soul?” he murmured under his breath.

  I hesitated too long.

  “Well, then,” he said with finality.

  “She’s a connection to it,” I snapped. “I have to find the one who left her here. That’s my lost soul, and I… stop it!”

  Clementine was walking out the door with Noodle’s basket.

  I made to grab the basket, but Phoenix pinned me against his chest. “We need her, Ava. She can find the baby’s origin, lead us to the slavers. She can help us fix everything. It’ll take a week, and then we’ll know.”

  “But the baby!”

  “It’s more important to find the slavers,” he said firmly.

  I kicked him, scrambled out of his arms, and raced outside, screaming at the witch to stop. She kept walking, apparently unconcerned.

  Peter rushed out of his house as Phoenix grabbed me again.

  “You don’t understand!” I screamed. “You have to stop!” The panic was suffocating me, and I wasn’t even sure if I was afraid that Noodle was leaving or that she leaving with the witch.

  Peter took one look at the situation and made a choice. He ran for the witch. I broke free again and raced after him. The witch held up one hand, and Peter ran straight into an invisible barrier and fell back on the ground, his head smacking against the concrete with a sickening crack.

  A fury rose up inside me—one I had to quickly contain. The protection around the buildings came to life, whistling in my ears as it reached for Clementine. The magic there was ancient, older than any living witch, and ready to punish the one who had harmed a protected occupant of the cul-de-sac.

  But she was holding the baby, and if Noodle got hurt, I would never forgive myself. I gathered the violence to me, sucking it back just in time. I wasn’t sure how, but the protection felt sentient, as if it had
reluctantly obeyed me. Clementine shivered as though she sensed something brush against her, but she kept walking, and glimmers of magic followed in her wake.

  Phoenix reached me and took my arm as I almost fell to my knees from the weight of the magic I had just disarmed. “What just happened?” he asked.

  I jerked away from him, focusing my anger on him. “That was a mistake,” I hissed, and this time, I spoke with the power of the Eleven behind me. They spoke with me, displeased that he had interfered in my mission, and I knew then with certainty that the baby had been the key to something I needed to do.

  For the first time, I saw true fear in the fae prince’s eyes. I shot him one last look of disgust before hurrying over to Peter.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, helping him sit up.

  “Hit my head. I’ll be fine.” He wiped a trickle of blood from behind his ear. “What the hell just happened? Was that a baby?”

  “Quick version is that somebody left a newborn on my doorstep. She was marked with a slave brand, and now Phoenix has let the witches take her to the children’s home.”

  Phoenix reached us. “They can find out where she comes from,” he tried again.

  “No,” I said harshly. “She took her from where it was safe. That woman hurt Peter, and you let her. Noodle is my responsibility, and—”

  “Noodle?” both men said as one.

  “If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.”

  “Nothing will happen,” Phoenix said. “I promise you.”

  “I don’t believe you anymore.” I turned my back on him. “Just go, Phoenix. Do whatever you want—just don’t get in my way.”

  After a moment, Phoenix left, but I refused to look at him. I helped Peter into his house to clean up his wound.

  “You should have told me what was going on,” he said as I dabbed his head.

  “Yeah, well, you were already pissed at me. I didn’t need the mention of slavery to completely blow your mind.”

  “A warning would have been nice.” He gripped my wrists to stop me poking at the wound. “Are you okay? You looked pretty devastated back there.”

  I gave up on playing nurse and sat on one of his kitchen chairs. “I was supposed to take care of her, and they just walked in and took her. I couldn’t do anything. They think they know better. I hate when I feel so… powerless.”