"Lucem." I lit the magic lantern that was powered by my enchanted crystal necklace. The light fell across the plant bench that ran the length of the wall broken by the stones. Someone had stretched heavy plastic across the broken sections. The good Samaritan had worked the material around the invading stones and moved the plants from the broken bench. I'd taken a loss, although not as catastrophic as I'd originally thought.
I pulled back a rug at the rear of the greenhouse and exposed a trap door that was secured with a wizard’s lock. It felt good to be able to use my right hand again and I easily manipulated the tumblers and pulled back the door.
"What is down there?" Flick asked.
"Back door to my laboratory," I said. "Follow me and close the door behind you."
I lowered myself into the small space below the trap door and crawled down the steep pitch to the laboratory's hidden entrance. I paused at the lock. There was some chance that Gester had escaped the spell circle and awaited me on the other side. If he’d been freed, it made more sense he wouldn't stick around, as he had to quickly find a body to inhabit to remain on the mortal plane. That said, I wasn't all that confident in my demonology.
I manipulated the lock and pulled the round door toward me. The smell of smoke wafted into the passage as I swung my legs over the threshold and stepped into six inches of water. I swung the ghost light over toward the inscribed silver spell circle. The cloth I'd used to cover the sphere had been pulled down by the weight of the water and toppled the book stand I’d set out for the demon. The sphere itself, however, was still intact.
Red eyes gleamed back at me as the lantern light caught Gester sitting cross-legged in the center of his cell. The genius of the deeply set silver circle became immediately clear. A spell circle was only impervious on the side opposite of the caster. In this case, Lace had summoned Gester into the circle while standing in my laboratory. At the time, her action had very likely saved my life. If she’d used a circle formed of salt, talc or just about any other media, the water would have washed it away and freed Gester. My mother had created a solid silver circle, three inches wide and six inches tall and embedded it into the stone floor of the lab. There was just about nothing that would interrupt the circle; a witch or wizard would likely have to purposely release the spell.
“What will you do with Lord Gester?” Flick asked. I took a small amount of satisfaction at the look in Gester’s face as Flick joined me.
“Looks like he’s doing okay,” I said as I pushed open the wet, sagging curtains that separated the pantry from the main room of the lab.
Locating a tin full of salt, I splashed my way back to the tables. I swept a space free with my arm - mentally chastising myself for being messy - and scooped a handful of salt from the tin. I then drew the largest circle I could manage on the table top. Circumstances weren’t ideal, but I’d make do. I stepped onto the table and knelt in the middle of the circle. My feet had dragged water across the salt line and I’d lost continuity, so I dug out more salt from the container.
Satisfied with the circle, I incanted, “Sphaera.” The spell circle was a fundamental incantation. It provided protection from the outside, or for a summoner like Lace it could be used to trap another being. For me, I’d discovered a third use; a spell circle helped me build a strong connection with the earth. If there had been time, I would have sat here for a couple hours of quiet meditation. It would both center me as well as recharge my depleted reserves. Fact was, things were moving quickly and I didn’t have much time.
With circle in place, I reached into the earth below. Where I expected to find peace, I found discord. The ground beneath Tenebrius Manerium was much like a garden that had been built up and tended over many years by careful gardeners. For a long period, the magical energies had lain fallow and ignored, but I had taken up its care and restored the hard work done by those before me. But now, it was as if someone had dumped a thick load of salt onto fertile ground. An inky blight permeated all that was around. I pulled back, my heart sick at the devastation I found.
For the moment, I couldn’t fix what was wrong beneath Tenebrius Manerium, but I could drain the water that had seeped into the basement from the fire crews. It would at least limit the amount of mold that would form before I could return. I pushed at the rocks that made up the floor of the lab, careful to avoid moving anything near Gester. Opening a small crack between two massive blocks, I left it at that. The water had a way out and over time would disappear.
I opened my eyes and scuffed the salt of the circle, breaking the spell. Flick sat directly across from me on the table, mirroring my posture while staring at me.
“Master, your device has been making noises,” Flick said, pointing at the phone I’d left on the table next to my bag.
I grabbed the phone and flipped it open. Two missed calls and a voicemail. I knew better than to try to make a call from the lab. Reception was bad on a good day.
“Bring this,” I said, handing my copper cauldron to Flick. I grabbed my two primary spell books and stuffed them into a shoulder bag.
“I believe Lord Gester would like to converse with you,” Flick said.
“That hasn’t always worked out for me,” I said, looking over my shoulder to where Gester now stood, waving at me madly. “I believe I’m better off ignoring him.” I had no doubt he could read my lips, as he lost his composure and in a rage, flew at the translucent barrier that separated us.
“Lord Gester is a fearsome adversary,” Flick acknowledged.
“Won’t get any disagreement from me.” I stood next to the entry to the passage leading back to the greenhouse. Flick took his cue, climbed in, and disappeared up the steep tunnel. I took a moment to close the door and relock it. The lab would clear of water over the next few hours, but I’d need to get power turned back on and a dehumidifier running or soon everything in the space would be covered with mold.
As I swung my butt up out of the tunnel and onto the dirt floor, I heard a commotion at the entry to the greenhouse. Flick rushed the door and, to his great surprise, was grabbed and pulled through the doorway. Amak entered alone and sauntered toward me.
“Who’s your buddy?” Amak asked, easily stepping aside as Flick ran in through the doorway and charged Amak from behind, once again missing his mark.
“Flick, no!” I said as he spun around to re-intercept. “Amak is our friend.”
“Don’t forget lover,” Amak said. “And where did you get those duds? Elf boots and a tunic? Hold still. I have to send this to Rose.” Before I had a chance to complain, Amak had taken a picture and was in the process of sending it.
“Play nice, you two,” I said and pulled out my own phone. I’d received a second voicemail in the space of time it’d taken us to crawl out of the back entrance.
“Gabriella is looking for you. She said you’d be back here,” Amak said.
“I need to make this call.” The voicemail was from Gabriella. No doubt Anderson had contacted her when I was unavailable. I dialed the FBI agent’s phone number.
“We’re on,” she said. “You deliver the demon and we’ll release Joe.”
“I don’t mean to mince words here, but I’m not delivering that demon anywhere,” I said. “I can no more control a Ghrelin than I can a rabid skunk.”
Amak nodded approvingly at my analogy.
“You’ll meet Jardeep at the airport in four hours,” Anderson said. “I’ll send a text with the hangar.”
“Jardeep is a summoner? I should have known.” We’d met the FBI contractor when Gester had been defeated near Ashville last year. I knew he was sensitive, but wasn’t sure of his actual skills.
“He’ll be bringing someone else to perform the ritual,” she said. “You just make sure you show up with the demon’s name. Once we transfer it to the temporary holding facility, we’ll release Joe.”
“And you’ll provide him immunity for anything related to Rosen,” I added. “Bring the paperwork. I’ll bring a lawyer.”
“Releasing Joe is on you,” Anderson said. “When he kills someone - and I do mean when, it’ll be your responsibility.”
“Joe didn’t kill Rosen,” I said. “You can’t lock someone up because of what they are.”
“Says the man holding a demon.”
I chuckled despite myself. “Fair point.” I closed the phone. Anderson and I were mostly on the same side, we just approached things from different directions.
“About Flick,” Amak said. “I gotta say, I’m getting a whole demon vibe.”
“Is it the horns?” I asked.
She ignored me. “Where have you been, Slade? I tracked you to a downtown warehouse and best I could tell, you just disappeared.”
“You brought the Suburban back and parked it in the garage?” I asked. I’d wondered how the truck had made it back.
“Right,” she said. “Really didn’t know someone was going to burn it. Sorry about that.”
“Least of my concerns,” I said. “Thanks for looking out for me. About Flick. It’s complicated.”
“Always is with you.”
“How busy are you tonight and do you mind if I borrow some money? I need clothes, and my credit cards and ID got burned up.” Of course, they’d been burned by dragon fire, but I wasn’t interested in a long story, so I let her imagine they’d been in the house.
“Sure. We can take the Jeep,” she said. “Still fuzzy on your demon pal here.
“Give me a second,” I said and dialed Gabriella.
“Felix is my master,” Flick explained as we walked toward the Jeep. “He defeated my previous master, Neferante, and as a result has taken control of all of Neferante’s possessions.”
“Did you reach Agent Anderson?” Gabriella asked.
“Yes. We’re to meet at the airport in four hours,” I said. “I’ll need you to verify they’re holding up their end of the deal. I asked for immunity for Joe for everything related to Rosen.”
“Isn’t that pushing it?” Gabriella asked. “That’s ten o’clock. He’ll only have two hours before midnight.”
“Can you text me Squirrel’s number? I’ll call him and have them meet us at the airport. Hopefully, Joe’s pack can help him.”
“Yes. What are you doing now?”
“Headed out for some clothing. I also need to get replacement ID and credit cards.”
“Just go online and have them send replacements,” Gabriella said.
“To where?” I asked.
“Did Fagin burn down your mailbox too?”
“No. I don’t suppose he did,” I answered. “Any idea where I stand for insurance?”
“I called the insurance company on your behalf,” she said. “You have coverage for the dwelling which was last assessed at one point two million dollars. They’re waiting for the fire marshal’s investigation. She’s already declared it as arson and if they pin it on you, the insurance company won’t pay.”
“I wasn’t even home,” I said.
“Can you prove where you were?”
“Shit. I wasn’t even in this world,” I said.
“You better come up with a story. The marshal is looking for you,” she said. “I told her you were out of town, but she’s going to want validation.”
“I have Naminee’s number,” I said. “I suppose I could see if she’d vouch for me.”
I pulled on the new pair of jeans and immediately did a deep knee bend. The pants were stiff and would take some breaking in. The clean, dry socks were welcome and I laced up a new pair of hiking boots that came up over my ankle. Amak had tried to talk me into tactical boots, but it just wasn’t my style. I'd enjoy keeping the elf boots, but I wasn't about to wear them around town.
“What’s the plan tonight?” Amak asked. We’d spent a few hundred of her dollars outfitting both Flick and me with clothing. For Flick, we’d settled on an oversized hoodie that more than covered his face and hung low enough to cover his tail. If anyone looked closely, they’d get more than they bargained for.
“Meeting the FBI in an hour,” I said. “We might as well head that way.”
“You know what I mean,” she said. “The FBI is you fixing a problem for Joe. Best I can tell that’s just a small piece of what’s going on.”
“How much do you want to know?” I asked.
“Start at the top,” she said.
I explained what I’d learned about Rosen, Fagin, and the Key. I also explained how Missy was the target of Adajania. I even described how I suspected that both Missy and I had demon-fouled blood.
“Why would Fagin burn down your house?” she asked.
“Maybe he thought I’d stashed The Key there,” I said. “I think it’s more likely that he was trying to make sure I didn’t have a base of power. He fouled the magic reserves on the property.”
“Sounds like Adajania fears you.”
“I’m not sure that’s it, Amak,” I said. “If Missy hadn’t pulled me through the portal, I’d have been dead.”
“You’re tougher to kill than you give yourself credit for. You’ve stood against a left-hand coven and a pack of werewolves. You’ve also survived contact with more demons than anyone I’ve ever heard of. If I was coming up against that, I might be a little concerned, too,” she said.
“I had a lot of help.”
“Right. Adajania is cutting you off from your support before she confronts you.”
“Do you think she’ll go after Clarita and Gabriella?”
“She might,” Amak answered.
“What about you? Maybe we should put some distance between us. She’s the real deal, Amak.”
“You’re going after Missy, aren’t you?”
“How do you know that?”
“Those dreams you have. I’ve never seen you turn away from one,” she said.
“She needs my help.”
We drove in silence. I’d plugged the directions into Amak’s phone and we followed them to an airstrip that sat off to one side of our municipal airport.
“I didn’t know this was even back here,” I said. The hangar was a galvanized steel Quonset hut and sat adjacent to a narrow runway. A sleek jet was just pulling up as we parked along the street and got out. “Flick, I think it best you stay in the Jeep. I’m not sure our FBI friends would be comfortable meeting you.”
“As you wish, Master,” Flick said, looking down.
The sound of motorcycles approaching caught my attention and I turned to see a stream of low-slung bikes. At the front of the line were Squirrel and Daphne. I wasn’t surprised when Flick edged in behind me. Individually, any member of the pack was intimidating. As a group of fifteen, they were downright frightening.
Chapter 21
Summoned
“Stay in the Jeep, Flick,” I said again.
With Amak at my side, I approached the lead bike in the pack. When we were about half-way, Dukats stepped out from a dark sedan where she’d been observing, and intercepted me.
“What are they doing here?” she asked, unclipping the pistol that hung at her side as Squirrel and Daphne approached. Squirrel grabbed at Daphne’s arm and forced her to follow instead of lead.
“Thanks for joining us, Lieutenant,” I said.
“What’s going on, Slade?” Daphne asked, crowding Squirrel’s shoulder but not getting in front of him again.
“Be quiet, Daphne,” Squirrel growled in a low tone.
“Slade?” Dukats pushed.
“I invited both of you because you need to see this,” I said as Gabriella drove by slowly and parked behind Amak’s jeep. I pushed on. “Inside that hangar is an FBI team and Joe.”
“That’s all I needed,” Daphne said and turned to run off. Squirrel’s hand shot out preternaturally fast and snagged her by the hair at the base of her neck. He pulled her around so that she stood next to him.
Dukats glowered at the abuse but didn’t push it.
“Listen, Daphne. You go in there all fang and claw and some of you aren’t making it out,” I
said.
“Life’s short, wizard,” she growled.
“Stow it, Daphne,” Squirrel reprimanded and turned back to me. “What do you need from us?”
“Witnesses,” I said. “The DA is signing an immunity deal for Joe. That’s why Gabriella’s here. She’s acting as Joe’s lawyer and will make sure it’s legit.”
“DA will never do it,” Dukats said. “He needs a conviction in the Rosen murder.”
I turned to Dukats. “That’s why you’re here. You need to see this go down so you leave Joe alone. Squirrel, if you bring your pack into that building, Joe will never get cleared.”
“We have two hours before real trouble starts,” Squirrel said. “We need to get this wrapped up one way or another.”
“Smells like a trap,” Daphne said.
Squirrel smiled grimly. “We’ll see about that.”
“Time to go,” Gabriella said as she approached.
“Is this real, Valverde?” Dukats asked. “DA is signing immunity?”
“You know as well as I do that Joe is innocent in Rosen’s murder,” Gabriella said. “You should be relieved that a good man isn’t being illegally detained.”
As a group, we crossed the dark street and onto the sidewalk that ran alongside an eight foot, chain link fence. A single agent in tactical gear stood guard at a pair of steel doors. He shifted uncomfortably as we approached.
“I’ll need to see IDs,” he said.
“Bullshit,” Squirrel growled.
I glanced at Squirrel, then back to the agent. “Yeah, that’s going to be a problem. Why don’t you give Agent Anderson a call on your little dealie there and tell her you’re holding up the party.” I pointed at the comm device in his ear. He mistook it as an aggressive movement and pushed the barrel of his assault rifle into my chest.
“Take it down a notch, agent,” Dukats said, pulling her coat open to reveal the badge around her neck. “Slade, get your finger out of his face.”
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