Minor Magics: The Demon Code

by Sara C. Roethle

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “And you trust Nix’s tip?”

  I nodded. “Oddly, yes. She and I have had our conflicts, but I think she’s finally getting over it. She came to me for help today. She was working with Sam on getting her a new identity so she can stay away from the Council.”

  “Are we sure she didn’t kill Sam?”

  I laughed. “I think so. She seemed genuinely surprised when she heard he was dead. She thought he’d just taken off with her money.”

  His fingers drummed on the table. “If you say so. I’ll make some calls and see if I can get any information that might be helpful. Where is this tip that Nix mentioned?”

  “In the underground. Apparently Sam had a secret hideout that Chase didn’t know about.”

  He reached across the table and took my hand. “I know you’ve never listened to me when I say this, but please, be careful. I’m sure Sam wasn’t an easy demon to kill. You might be up against something extremely powerful.”

  I froze, partially from the hand grab, but partially because I hadn’t thought about that. Sam’s power had been communication with the dead. He could summon ghosts to do his bidding, and they usually warned him if danger was approaching, and could transport him to different places. It made him difficult to find, and even harder to capture.

  “I’ll be careful,” I assured.

  His hand lingered atop mine for a moment before he pulled away.

  Suddenly feeling uncomfortable again, I withdrew my phone from my pants’ pocket to check the time. “Eesh, I better get back to Dorrie.” I looked up to meet Jason’s waiting gaze.

  “Call me tomorrow after you check out the location?” he asked.

  “Sure,” I agreed with a smile. “Same number?”

  He nodded. “And you?”

  “Same.”

  With both stared at each other, then I stood to leave.

  He stood with me. “I’m not sure how our goodbyes are supposed to go now.” He stuck out his hand. “Handshake?”

  I took his hand and gave it a hearty shake, though I had been thinking a hug. Still, I shrugged it off. Didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they needed to be.

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I assured. “I want more info on the war stuff too.”

  He nodded, then turned as I walked around him toward the door.

  I gave him a final wave, then exited. The icy air outside hit my hot cheeks, making me feel clammy. I resisted the urge to look back through the windows at him. I had a war and a murder case to focus on. I needed to keep my wits about me.

  Just as I was nearly past the coffee shop, I glanced at the final window to see Jason still watching me. I quickly averted my gaze and hurried toward the nearest alleyway where I could travel without any humans seeing me. Once I got there, I realized I was still wearing his coat.

  I really hadn’t thought my life could get any more complicated than it already was, but as usual, I was wrong.

  Chapter Five

  The rest of my evening had been uneventful, and the next morning Dorrie and I prepared to visit Sam’s secret hideout by the wharf. I sipped my coffee in the kitchen, dressed down in jeans, a chunky green sweater a few shades darker than my eyes, and waterproof winter boots. The snow had finally started falling in the underground, catching up to the Oregon weather above.

  I shoved the rest of my buttered toast into my mouth, then pulled my cell out of my pocket to check the time, almost 7:00 am. It was a bit earlier than I normally liked to be up and around, but I wanted to get to the wharf before it got too busy . . . not that it was ever that busy. The Council had tried to make it into a new bustling area of the city, but had failed miserably. We all knew we weren’t really outside near a real ocean, and it wasn’t much fun to pretend. Greater demons would always try to go above ground, and there was nothing the Council could do to cancel out that desire. It was one of the only things half demons had over full bloods. As long as we knew someone with the power to travel, or could travel ourselves, we could come and go between the realms as we pleased. Pure bloods weren’t capable of traveling fully above ground, only spectrally. Therefore they’d never really feel the sun on their faces, or the tide washing over their feet. That was, unless they used a portal. Portals opened actual gateways to other realms where anything could pass through. I’d had demons try to manipulate me into making portals for them in the past, but it hadn’t happened in a while. I wasn’t sure why that was, but I was glad for it.

  I pushed away from leaning against the countertop as Dorrie entered the room, Alexius trotting at her heels.

  “Ready, Dumpling?” Dorrie asked, tugging a black baseball cap onto her head.

  I took in her long-sleeved black shirt and black pants, then raised an eyebrow. “Are we suddenly spies?”

  Dorrie frowned and directed her sparkling blue eyes at the floor.

  “I’m just kidding,” I consoled, patting her arm as I walked by.

  Her outfit was a valiant effort to fit in, but with her sparkling white skin and translucent hair, there was no hiding what she was. Regular demon constructs were one thing, constructs from the Dream Realm were another. That she tended to draw attention was a drawback, but she was still the best backup around: fast, strong, and near indestructible. Plus, even if someone actually managed to kill her, she’d just end up back in the Dream Realm from whence she came, and I could go pull her out again.

  She turned to follow me out of the kitchen and into the entry room. Alexius joined us, then sat and looked up at me pleadingly with his black button eyes.

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine, you can come with, but you better not run off.”

  Alexius barked once in reply.

  I shook my head. Alexius was from the Dream Realm too, or something like it. I’d ended up with him on accident around the time my dad had died. He hadn’t aged a day since I’d gotten him, so I was pretty sure he was immortal, just like Dorrie.

  With a sigh for my two strange companions, I turned and opened the front door, then took a step back.

  Chase waited outside, his hand poised to knock. He wore a heavy green coat over jeans, and had flecks of snow in his black hair.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “I told you I’d call if I found anything.”

  He lowered his hand. “Sorry, it’s kind of hard to just wait around with the looming threat of death by Demon Council, as you well know.”

  I couldn’t help my smile. I had perhaps feared for my life after breaking Council law once or twice. I could understand the anxiety.

  “Okay,” I conceded. “If I let you come with us today, you have to promise to wait outside. We’re looking for evidence on the real killer. Having you contaminate said evidence will not help your case.”

  He eagerly nodded. “Deal. Anything to not have to just wait around in my apartment.”

  I raised an eyebrow as I walked past him out the door, followed by Alexius then Dorrie, who locked the door behind us. “Don’t you still have . . . clients to attend?” I asked.

  “Not really in the mood,” he replied, falling in to step at my side. “None of it really seems important now that the last person I could call family is dead.”

  I knew he was mourning his brother, but his words still stung. He’d had a family. Maybe we weren’t blood relations, but he’d cut that tie.

  A gust of icy wind hit my face as I moved to walk slightly ahead, leading the way down the cobblestone street toward the distant wharf. At one time I could have just taken Chase’s hand and traveled there, but the Council didn’t like it, and I didn’t want to draw any extra attention to myself. Plus, it would have meant leaving either Dorrie or Alexius behind. I could manage traveling with two extra bodies. Three was a little tough . . . not that it mattered with the new law in place.

  “Where are we going?” Chase asked, following me as I veered left between a set of tall homes, bordered out front by strange greenery that would be out of place anywhere but the underground.

 
“To the wharf,” Dorrie explained. “Your brother was keeping secrets.”

  I turned to glare at her. I trusted Chase to keep his word and stay out of the way . . . mostly, but grief makes us do strange things. I wanted to stay in control of the situation.

  Chase turned his eyes to me as we continued to walk. “I don’t understand. What secrets?”

  I sighed. He was going to find out one way or another, so I may as well tell him now. “Sam was helping Nix.” I kept my gaze forward as the distant sound of artificial ocean hit my ears. “He was helping her build a new identity to finally escape the Council. When Nix couldn’t find him, she came to me.”

  “Did she think you had something to do with Sam’s disappearance?” Chase blurted.

  “Not everyone automatically assumes I’m a murderer.”

  He rolled his eyes at me. “You know that’s never been something I’ve judged.”

  I took a deep breath. He was right. The moral dilemmas had been more of an issue with Jason. He thought I took the violent way out too often, but when you were dealing with supernaturals, the violent way was how you stayed alive.

  “Sorry,” I muttered, “and no, she didn’t think I had anything to do with Sam’s death. She thought he’d just run off with her money. I told her the truth, and took her back above ground.”

  Chase nodded, his expression thoughtful. “So what does this have to do with the wharf?”

  “Sam had a secret hideout he never told you about,” Dorrie cut in. “Bet you wish you hadn’t chosen him over us.”

  “Dorrie!” I hissed.

  Chase raised a hand to stop me. “No, it’s alright. She’s allowed to be angry.”

  Alexius trotted up and bumped into Chase’s side playfully, likely picking up on the change of tone, then turned and scented the air as the wharf came into view.

  There were a few demons out that I could see, including one that looked somewhat like a giant lobster. I’d seen her plenty of times at the local library. She ambled up the docks in our direction, her beady bug eyes on a book grasped in her claws.

  “Let’s go this way,” I whispered, pushing Chase toward the edge of the cobblestone street.

  We all hustled into a narrow crevice between a boarded up taffy stand and an abandoned boat rental shop. The lobster lady passed by, never having noticed us.

  I exhaled in relief, then realized my hands were still on Chase. At his smirk, I quickly dropped them to my sides, then continued down between the buildings, taking a less conspicuous approach toward the docks. We stepped onto the gravel surrounding the lower set of buildings set back away from the main street, mostly warehouses.

  “Okay,” I began, keeping my voice low. “We’re looking for a small, gray brick warehouse with a padlocked steel door.”

  Chase scanned our surroundings. “I can’t believe he was still lying to me, after all this time.”

  I bit my tongue before I could tell him he got what he’d deserved. His brother had screwed him over in the past too. He’d been a fool for going into business with him.

  “What about that one?” Dorrie asked, pointing to a building far to the right, nestled between a few other small warehouses.

  I turned to approach the building, noting the heavy padlock on the door. “There’s only one way to find out,” I decided as I reached the door. I tilted the padlock upward, its metal surface slick with sea air, then focused my thoughts on it, willing it to heat up. With enough power I could melt steel, and my skin was immune to any burns one might incur from touching molten metal.

  “What’s taking so long?” Dorrie hovered over my shoulder to peer down at the padlock. I shook my head. “I don’t know. For some reason I can’t melt it.”

  Chase edged in at my other side. “Leave it to Sam to find a magically warded padlock. I’m sure he’s made it just as difficult to get through the windows.”

  Dropping the padlock, I put my hands on my hips as I looked at the boarded up windows in question.

  From somewhere behind me, Alexius let out a low growl.

  “Someone’s coming,” Dorrie whispered.

  I turned to look back, but Dorrie had already grabbed my shoulders to hustle me toward the side of the building. I glanced over my shoulder to see Chase tugging at Alexius’ collar to follow us.

  Soon enough we were all crouched on the far side of the building. The gravel crunched toward the front of the building as someone reached it, followed by the click of a key turning in the padlock. I resisted the urge to sneak a peek at whoever was entering the building as the steel door screeched open, then shut.

  “I’ll go,” I whispered. “We’ll trap whoever it is inside so we can question them.”

  Chase shook his head, his back plastered against the wall at my side. “It might be someone entirely innocent.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “Someone entirely innocent with a key to a magically warded warehouse at the wharf? I don’t think so.”

  “Maybe we should just wait for them to leave,” he persuaded. “If we make them aware of our presence now, they may destroy evidence that could help us.”

  I glowered. He was right. “Okay, fine,” I whispered. “We’ll wait.”

  My back felt itchy where it pressed against the wall. I hated the risk of letting a possible lead get away. They might even be clearing out the evidence we sought right that moment as we all just stood idly by.

  The steel doors screeched open and shut again, then there was rattling as the padlock was returned to the lock. I waited as the footsteps on the gravel began to recede, then stole a quick glance toward the front. I caught a glimpse of a man’s back. Black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and jeans. I could tell it was a man, but that was the only distinguishing feature I gained as the hooded form disappeared back toward the docks.

  “Let’s find a way inside before anyone else decides to visit,” I breathed.

  “How?” Chase questioned, just as Dorrie turned toward the nearest boarded up window. She placed her hands against the center board, spread her feet, then shoved. The board came loose with the loud whine of nails pulling free of wood, then clattered to the floor inside. She braced against another board and pushed again.

  I grinned. “It’s nice to have a business partner with supernatural strength.”

  Chase and I walked forward, joining Alexius to watch as Dorrie pushed the last board free, letting it clatter over the others inside.

  “Give me a boost?” I asked Chase.

  He hesitated, then nodded, lacing his fingers together for me to step into.

  I hopped off one foot as he lifted me upward, easily propelling myself onto the windowsill. I crouched for a moment, balanced precariously, then hopped inside over the fallen boards. The room was too dark for me to see much, so I summoned a small flame into the palm of my hand. A moment later, Chase landed beside me.

  I glared at him as his eyes scanned the dark space, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “I can’t believe Sam kept this from me.”

  I could, but I didn’t say so out loud. No need to rub it in. “You were supposed to wait outside.”

  He didn’t answer as he walked further into the room.

  I held the flame aloft and stepped forward. The warehouse was one large single room, with an open door leading to a small bathroom in the far corner. There wasn’t much else to see. What looked like furniture was draped with white sheets, and there were several stacks of crates against one wall.

  “We need Alexius in here,” I decided. “He’ll be able to sniff out anything strange.”

  Extinguishing my flame, I turned back toward the window. Dorrie was visible from the shoulder blades up, her back turned as she kept watch.

  “Dorrie,” I whispered. “Can you hand Alexius in to me?”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Sure, Poptart.” She disappeared as she crouched.

  A moment later Alexius appeared, legs flailing as Dorrie easily held him aloft. I moved to grab him, but Chase beat m
e to it, kicking the fallen boards aside before taking the dog into his arms and lowering him to the ground.

  As soon as his paws hit concrete, Alexius lowered his nose and sniffed. He paced around the room, inhaling with every step. It was nice not having to explain to Chase what Alexius was doing. He was one of the few people who knew the talents of my Dream Realm dog. He could sniff out more mundane things like blood or other odors, but could also scent concentrated magic. If there were any magical items in the room, he would find them, and if there was any blood . . . well, he would find that too.

  Chase glanced at me as Alexius worked. “So . . . ” he began, as if grasping for conversation. “How is everyone above ground?”

  I frowned at him, not feeling this was the time to discuss it, but not wanting to blow him off. “They’re fine, for now. There’s a war a’brewin’ though. Ever since the big reveal, there’s been tension between the werewolves and the vampires.”

  He put his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. I’ve heard a bit about that lately.”

  I didn’t ask who he’d heard it from. I didn’t need to know who he was talking to these days, or why. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

  “Let’s help Alexius search,” I suggested, not wanting to invite any more awkward conversation, especially because in reality, I wanted it. I wasn’t supposed to want conversation with Chase. Not anymore.

  I stepped forward as Alexius sniffed around a sheet-covered sofa. Since the furniture didn’t seem terribly interesting, I approached the crates. I began pulling one off the top of the pile, but it was too high and I started to lose my balance. Before I could fall, Chase was there, grabbing the crate before it could land on top of me.

  “I see you aren’t any less clumsy,” he joked, stepping to the side before placing the crate on the concrete floor.

  Fighting my blush, I moved to his side and pulled the un-nailed lid off the crate. The container was filled nearly to the brim with little black spheres.

  I lowered my face near the spheres. “What the heck are those?”