Hypnos

by RJ Blain

  Smirking, I stared at my mother. “Make the man a proper lease tonight.”

  She sighed. “Fine.” Huffing, she returned to the kitchen.

  “Why does she want me to not pay rent?”

  “You’re a cop and she’s unforgivably biased.” I shrugged. “Any news on our case?”

  “Nothing from my side of things yet. This guy is good at covering his tracks. Any ideas on why he ditched the statuette?”

  “My guess is that he doesn’t need it anymore,” I replied.

  In the most likely case, he’d moved Hypnos into a new vessel—or had set the hungry fish free so it could hunt new victims without constraint. Either would be a potential disaster in the making. How long would it be until Euthal struck again?

  “I’m worried you’re right. The signature left on the statuette isn’t strong enough for police scanners to detect, even when searching for the specific signature.”

  I grunted. “Not what I wanted to hear but exactly what I expect at this point.”

  Luke sat on the floor beside my feet. “Donners is really coming?”

  “He is.”

  “We can kidnap you.”

  I appreciated the potential out, but I shook my head.

  “You will not!” my mother shrieked.

  “I won’t like it, but I’ll be fine.”

  Raymond frowned, watching me with deep lines creasing his brow. “What is the issue with this Donners?”

  The past would always haunt me, but I couldn’t hide from it forever. My mother was right about that. “He’s the agent who was in charge of my case during World War III. He was part of the team assigned to New York. I’m one of his few success stories.”

  There were so few New York survivors, and our numbers dwindled each year. Some became their elements; those poor bastards no longer remembered they’d once been human.

  Without Donners, that might’ve been my fate.

  Others died from testing their luck and their magic.

  A rare few faced execution for their crimes, and not even being a New York survivor could spare them from the law.

  Luke bumped my leg with an elbow. “If you’re not ready for him, it’s okay to hide.”

  Without fail, I hid when Donners first showed up, often under or behind someone. “I’ll try to limit it to staying in the same room this time.”

  Raymond’s brows rose higher. “May I ask why you go into hiding?”

  “I’m a chickenshit when he’s around. PTSD. My flight instinct triggers, and off I go.”

  Someone knocked at the door, and with a startled squeak, I dove off the chair, hit the couch, and burrowed behind Raymond. Snatching the crochet blanket, I covered up. “I’m not here.”

  “I’ll get it,” Luke said. A moment later, the door creaked open. “Steal a Concorde to get here so quickly, Alex?”

  “A military jet, but close enough. Damn, I haven’t even stepped inside and she’s already hiding?”

  “The Oakland City Center case has her rattled. Come on in, but don’t touch her daddy’s new chair. She’s establishing dominance over it.”

  “Did the old one break?”

  “No. She finally inherited it. She’s joining the ranks of homeowners.”

  “It’s rent to own,” I mumbled.

  “Hello, Olivia,” Donners greeted, his tone soft and amused.

  “You’re using a lure tactic on me, acting all reasonable and nice to get me to come out of hiding.” I grabbed the back of Raymond’s uniform. “This cop is mine. You can’t have him.”

  “Are you dating a cop?”

  Everyone laughed, even Raymond.

  Assholes.

  Eddy giggled, and I could hear her bouncing around my parents’ living room. “That’s Detective Davis, her co-lead on the Oakland City Center case. She’s dubbed him Detective Hunk, and they’re negotiating living arrangements.”

  Donners laughed. “When’s the wedding?”

  “Saturday!” my mother shouted from the kitchen. “Wait, Tuesday. They need to get a license first.”

  I sighed.

  As no one I managed could leave me alone, Ethan snickered and said, “They’re not dating or in a relationship. They just like annoying each other.”

  Luke added, “Ray has an allergy to women.”

  “I don’t see any hives, and she’s trying to meld with his spine.”

  My pet cop chuckled, and he leaned back and squished me against the back of the couch. “I’ve gotten numb to her insanity, and she’s surprisingly comfortable.”

  “So, you’re the quad assigned to the case?”

  Everyone laughed, with Luke taking the top spot of loudest cackler. “Olivia is the quad assigned to the case. We’re her bodyguards. She’s her pet cop’s bodyguard. We’re waiting for intel on this warlock she uncovered.”

  “I’ve got your intel, and you’re not going to like it. We’ve been after this bastard for years.”

  I liked when I could hide behind work when having to deal with Donners, but I didn’t relax my grip on Raymond despite him doing his best to smother me. “Any ideas on his motive?”

  “I’d go with power. He’s versatile, but a good quad can ruin his work rather easily. If he can obtain more power, he’ll become a serious threat.”

  “The odds he’ll hold San Francisco hostage?” Isaac asked.

  “He’d do that for fun. Euthal’s insane. He’s cunning. He’s educated. But like all warlocks, he’s got a few loose screws, and he’s not a nice gentleman. There aren’t any living nice warlocks that I know of. The smart warlocks hide what they are and don’t bother anyone. Those warlocks live their lives without anyone bothering them. That said, those warlocks are even weaker than Euthal. The more power a warlock has, the more twisted he becomes.”

  “It can happen to strong survivors like me, too,” I pointed out.

  “It can,” Donners conceded. “Let’s face it, Olivia. You are a little crazy, but you’re the good kind of crazy. How long are you going to hide this time?”

  “A while.” To make it clear I refused to be dislodged from my hiding place of choice, I tightened my grip on Raymond’s uniform. “This is my pet cop. His name is Raymond.”

  Raymond chuckled. “Do you need some coffee so you can reboot?”

  “I’m going to need coffee to deal with a warlock.”

  “We all will. Why are you hiding behind me?”

  “Good question. Sorry. You were in line of sight, I think.”

  “Hide away. I’ve seen you at your worst. This is nothing comparatively.”

  “I’m not a coward,” I whispered.

  “You’re not,” he agreed. “You just have issues and may need therapy.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Jerk.”

  “Yes, I am. I’m just a nice jerk. When you’re ready to talk, you will. Until then, flip them off and tell them to mind their own business. You’re good at that. Play to your strengths, Olivia.”

  “Everyone should listen to you,” I grumbled.

  “Life would be so much simpler if they did.”

  Donners cleared his throat. “Olivia?”

  “What?”

  “You found a picture of Euthal, correct?”

  “That’s correct. There’s a hidden camera at that intersection. He only showed up on that one.”

  “He disabled the cameras?”

  “No. He just isn’t appearing in the footage of the marked cameras.”

  “But the videos are intact? It’s not just blank footage?”

  “There’s video. I don’t know if it’s fully intact, but it shows imagery of the intersection at the correct time. It’s like the lenses couldn’t pick him up with the exception of the hidden camera. I just watched them until I spotted Euthal. Once I confirmed I was looking at the statuette, I ran his picture through the FBI database and got a match. At that point, I left work to see my new house and take a nap in my new chair. Mom then forced me to come over.”

  “And she’s stuck in the
kitchen as always, I see.”

  “Olivia, show Alex your ducks before I get them in the oven,” my mother called.

  “Please tell me there aren’t live ducks.”

  Quacks heralded the arrival of my new pets, and I scrambled out from behind Raymond to rescue them. Dad snickered and handed me Esmerelda while keeping the crippled Dumbass tucked under his arm.

  “They aren’t for eating.” I hugged Esmerelda. “Stop encouraging Mom. You’re an awful human being.”

  “Hi, Alex. Don’t mind Olivia. I gave her these ducks today as a present. They’re young egg layers.”

  “And water fowl love water elementalists.”

  “I think it’s a two-way street. Olivia, there’s a pen in the basement for them. Please take them downstairs, get washed up, and help your mom in the kitchen.”

  “Help? Me? I ruin food looking at it, Dad.”

  “All you have to do is carry cooked food to the table. The rest of our guests should be here soon.”

  Dad foisted Dumbass on me, and I struggled to hold both wiggling ducks. Luke rescued me and carefully took the crippled bird.

  “Well, that’s one way to keep a water elementalist amused.” Donners took a seat beside Raymond, ensuring my hiding space was no longer available for my use. “How’d you talk her into actually accepting them?”

  “We lowered her defenses with her dream house. Cathy found it, did the restoration work, and threatened to sell it.”

  I’d definitely been played. My ducks offered me a chance to retreat without completely sacrificing my pride. I guided Luke to the basement, where a spacious cage, large enough for an entire flock of ducks, took up a ridiculous amount of room.

  “Do I even want to know how much it cost for them to have a basement here?”

  “I think his pay grade is slightly higher than mine. Who am I kidding? I’m a pauper compared to Dad.”

  “You need to ask for a raise.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  It didn’t take long to settle the birds in their pen. Satisfied they’d stay out of trouble, I washed up and helped play hostess. My boss and more police chiefs than I knew what to do with showed up, which made for a tight squeeze in the dining room. I gave it five minutes before dinner turned into a work briefing.

  To my dismay, my mother crammed me between Raymond and Donners. “Is this the thanks I get for taking it easy on you on my birthday?”

  “It’s punishment for the nine months of hell you inflicted on me before making your escape into the world.”

  My mother must have been saving that gem. “Feed me, Mom. I’m hungry.”

  “And that is a fair representation of the first eighteen years of your life.”

  Luke snickered. “I still don’t understand how two cooks produced Olivia.”

  Everyone stared at my mother, even me.

  “He’s definitely her father. We checked, as we were concerned she might actually be an alien.”

  “You’re in good form today, Mom. Why did you really check?”

  “I was questioning if you were actually my daughter.”

  Ouch. My mother was on a roll, and I was in her direct line of fire. “But I look just like you, Mom.”

  “You received a few upgrades.” My mother pointed at my chest. “Those beauties are definitely naturally American made. Mine? Pft. I didn’t get that big at nine months. Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t starve as an infant.”

  “I see this is your day to embarrass me as much as possible.”

  “It’s not my fault you drank like an infant sumo wrestler.”

  Detective Raymond the Hunk grinned. “Did she ever qualify to try out?”

  “She stayed under average her entire childhood. She could eat an entire duck on her own and lose weight.”

  I grabbed my chopsticks and tapped my plate. “Do your sacred motherly duties. I’m hungry.”

  “You’re shameless.”

  “Says she who made me buy a house and forced me to adopt ducks I can’t eat.”

  “It’s not my fault you’re as stubborn as your father and refused to ask for my help acquiring you the perfect home. Suffer, child.”

  “Feed me?” I begged.

  “She is so your daughter,” my mother muttered before heading to the kitchen.

  My father grinned. “I can’t say she’s wrong. It’s okay, Olivia. Your mother is just upset you’re all grown up without being married yet. Raymond, please don’t listen to anything my wife tells you unless you want to. If you’re not comfortable moving in with Olivia, no is a perfectly reasonable answer.”

  Hell no. There was no way my father was interfering with my chance to have easy access to my pet cop—and be served his delicious cooking. “There’s a hot tub on the back porch, I’ll let you use my jet tub in the master bedroom, and the kitchen makes the one in here look like it’s owned by a bunch of food-hating amateurs.”

  Wisely, while Luke, his quad, and Eddy snickered, they said nothing. I glared at the dragoness, the most likely candidate to say something I’d regret. She smiled sweetly at me.

  I loved the bitch too much for my own good.

  “Your sales pitch doesn’t need any work. I’m afraid I have to listen to her, sir. There’s a good kitchen, a hot tub, and an invitation to use her jet tub on the table. A wise man does not refuse such an offer. Add in the dogs, and only an idiot would refuse that offer.”

  I loved a smart man who knew a good opportunity when one smacked him in the face. Despite the disadvantages, which involved putting up with me for extended periods of time, he was getting a good deal. Maybe I could learn how to be a functional adult with someone outside of my family and quads.

  Then again, maybe not. Nobody had the time for the type of work I needed.

  My father snorted. “You only have yourself to blame for when you realize what sort of mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Olivia’s a lot of things, but when it comes to home life, she’s helpless.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Anytime, baby. The man deserves an honest disclosure on what he’s getting into. I love you, but you’re a handful on a good day, and that was before you started packing magical heat. And let’s face it, if this warlock has any sense, he’d go for you if he wanted real power in this city.”

  I glared at my father. “You’re not helping, Dad.”

  Raymond gave my father his undivided attention. “What are the odds this warlock will go after her? If we looked at it from a raw power perspective?”

  I’d expected Ethan or Jamie to ask first; both redefined what it meant to be paranoid in the face of hard hitters. Isaac came in a close first, and Luke would automatically assume I was Euthal’s main target.

  My father shrugged and looked to Donners for answers.

  For all the special agent unsettled me, he was the only one at the table who might know what we needed to get the damned warlock out of my city. I joined everyone else in staring at the older man.

  “The odds are higher than I like. He values magical aptitude, and Olivia is near the top of the charts. She’s the strongest elementalist in the United States that hasn’t converted.”

  I winced. Last year, I’d been ranked third. The other two New Yorkers had toed the lines well, and I’d been convinced they’d never fall to their magic. “What happened to them?”

  I’d even liked Catrina; while the earth elementalist could send me packing at her whim, she’d been one of the sweetest people I’d ever met.

  “Catrina passed away of natural causes a few months ago. Fredrick was in a car accident.”

  My eyes widened. While Catrina had been older, in her late fifties, I hadn’t thought she’d been at any risk of dying from anything other than her magical abilities. “I’d just seen her last year. She’d looked fine.”

  “Her magic took a toll on her body and weakened her heart. She died in her sleep. It was a peaceful death.”

  I’d need a lot longer than I had to process the woman’s death. I’
d only met Fredrick once, and we’d decided it was best for everyone to stay on opposite ends of the country.

  He annoyed me, I annoyed him, and I found it fun to douse his flames at my leisure, reminding him I hadn’t needed to be higher on the ladder than him to kick his ass. We’d never taken it beyond a somewhat friendly rivalry in our various departments in the FBI, but law enforcement would suffer from his death.

  “This is not a category I want to be at the top of,” I admitted.

  “New York still has plenty of scary survivors. You’re just the strongest elementalist in the United States. You’re not even in the top ten of the strongest survivors in the United States.” Donners grinned at me. “It’s the small things.”

  “I’m number eleven, aren’t I?”

  “You sure are.”

  “Well, shit. Mom! If you don’t feed me, I really might not make it through the night. Donners keeps telling me things I don’t like.”

  “Hold your damned horses,” my mother shot back from the kitchen. “I’ll get there. I swear, you’re as bad as when you were five. If you want to be fed faster, learn to cook.”

  I loved nettling my mother. She got riled up so easily.

  “How high are the odds he’ll come after her?” my father demanded.

  “Still higher than I like.”

  My father scowled. “Let me guess. That’s anything higher than ‘not at all.’ Correct?”

  Donners smirked. “Precisely.”

  Damn. I was surrounded by smartasses. On second thought, it was no surprise why I’d turned out as I had. “A scale, Donners. Ten being I should expect him at my door sometime tonight with a bouquet of roses while begging.”

  “He’s not the type to beg or offer roses, and he’s not the type to politely knock at your door, either. Honestly, if he was going to go after you, he probably would have by now. He’s crazy, but he’s direct. He isn’t the kind to meticulously plan things. Frankly, that he waited for so long to act after acquiring the statuette bothers me. He’d usually act right away.”

  I could think of a few reasons why he might’ve been delayed. “I think he had to wait for the statuette to wake up before he could use it.”

  That caught Donners’s attention. “Why do you say that?”

  “Elizabeth, its previous owner, was killed to awaken the statue. Whatever it is, it’s not just some mindless entity. It’s not like a battery. When I saw it, it resembled a fish. A very hungry fish. I’m going to the library tomorrow to look into some leads. Yes, I’m taking Luke, his quad, you could talk me into taking Eddy, and I’ll probably kidnap your cop, Chief Kirkland.”